Circumstances considered by the victim an embarrassment to his country
Keithroy “DeBear” Morson
The news broke on Tuesday, after reigning calypso monarch of Montserrat, Antigua and Leeward Islands, Montserratian, Keithroy “DeBear” Morson confirmed that he was arrested late on Sunday night for entering the island without due process.
After asking the very outspoken and fearless calypsonian, considered for this as ‘a true calypsonian’ to keep the matter silent, which he did, DeBear relented and revealed that he was treated, “Exactly like I’m a stranger, locked me up like I’m a pure criminal, treated like I’m a fugitive in my own country.”
Morson said he arrived as usual by ferry, (at immigration) put down my immigration white paper as usual proceeded Customs, “because that’s what the immigration officer usually tell you to do.” He proceeded to clear Customs and while at home at about 11 o’clock, “the immigration officer – Kelvin White came and arrest me, say that I breached immigration, he did not give me the ok to go ahead so he’s going to lock me up…”
Did the embarrassment begin here?
The celebrated and popular Montserratian calypsonian said he was held in police custody, where they refused to allow him bail till the following day at 2 p.m., and only after he had engaged a lawyer, while involving the Commissioner and the Premier and others.
Then he had to appear in court where according to him, it was said to him, “we can’t go through with this, this is an embarrassment, you have suffered enough, go…”
The word embarrassment was on everyone’s lips on Wednesday, no less DeBear, who said, “It’s an embarrassment, it was set out to embarrass me.”
But the celebrated monarch who later said he will not sue for the embarrassment although he receives far more courtesy from the ‘other’ home country whom he represents, told TMR: “It’s enough embarrassment to my country, “…me love me country…”
While however blaming the politicians and saying that the officers need to be educated. “…they going have to fix it,” he said, “they have to educate these officers,” adding he realizes that, “…he just decided that he was going to take it upon himself to embarrass me.”
The immigration officer reportedly said to Court officials, “…oh, Bear and others always a do it and I don’t like it so I tek it up – it’s against the law and it’s not supposed to happen, so whoever else does give courtesy that’s their business,” adding he’s “following the law to the T.”
The Royal Montserrat Police Service has been scant on details of what many have described as an embarrassing, unfortunate and senseless arrest. Unconfirmed information is that HM Customs officials formulate the charge, ‘for failing to produce himself to an immigration officer and failing to sign the immigration form’. Morson said that he after delivering the top form to the immigration, the blue copy was passed to the Customs officer who processed him.
Everyone waits. They think the gifted DeBear has been presented what they think must be a ‘winning’ calypso.
