Headlines:
| Visiting Canadians back in Mo Bay |
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| Friday, 22 May 2009 | |
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Prime Minister Bruce Golding has apologised to the six Canadian tourists
who narrowly escaped serious injury when the vehicle in which they were
travelling was fired on by gunmen on Spanish
Town Road in Kingston
on Thursday. Mr. Golding, who met with the Canadians before they left Kingston for Montego Bay, St. James Thursday evening, sought to assure them that the Government would do everything to ensure their comfort for the remainder of their vacation in the country. He also told them that the attack was an isolated case.  Information Minister Daryl Vaz says the visitors were later flown to Montego Bay after being taken to the office of Deputy
Commission of Police Mark Shields, where statements were taken from them."Statements were taken and then transport was arranged for them to be taken back to Montego Bay where Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett met them. They're to depart on Saturday," said Mr. Vaz. The Canadians reportedly rented a vehicle and drove to Kingston from the Iberostar Resort in Rose Hall. They made a wrong turn and ended up between 3-Miles and Greenwich Farm where their vehicle was shot up by gunmen. The bullets shattered the back window of their vehicle and they were taken to the Kingston Public Hospital where they were treated for minor injuries. The Police are appealing to anyone who witnessed the incident to contact the Denham Town CIB, Detective Inspector Coleman at 923-6443 or Crime Stoppers at 311 or 811. Shooting incident could drive tourist industry south - Opposition Opposition Spokesman on Tourism, Dr. Wykeham McNeil is worried that Thursday's incident will deal a severe blow to Jamaica's image on the world travel market. He says it is alarming that the attack occurred just weeks after the attempted hijacking of a Canjet plane at the Sangster International Airport. "We have to be very careful and protect the tourist industry because as it stands now, bauxite is under pressure and remittances are down. Things like these could drive the industry south and deeper the country's problems," Dr. McNeil said. |