The United Progressive Party (UPP) and Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle’s decision to cast routine police summons as political persecution is a reckless distortion of due process and a disservice to democratic norms.
A police summons is not an arrest. It does not imply guilt, detention, or a criminal charge. It is a lawful investigative tool used to obtain information and clarify facts, particularly in matters involving public safety and public property. Presenting it otherwise is a deliberate misrepresentation of the facts.
The burning of materials belonging to the Antigua Public Utilities Authority at Old Road was not a symbolic protest. It was the destruction of assets tied to national infrastructure and public service delivery. Any responsible police force is duty-bound to investigate such an incident thoroughly and impartially. Political office does not confer immunity from that investigation.
The Police Administration has clarified that the invitation extended to the Opposition Leader was issued solely to assist the investigation. The date and time were discussed directly with the Commissioner of Police and confirmed through the Leader’s attorney, who agreed to the arrangement. These facts contradict claims of ambush or victimisation.
Despite this, the Opposition chose escalation over restraint, issuing public statements that questioned police integrity and called for mobilization under the banner of “Freedom Day.” This posture was unnecessary and irresponsible, transforming a routine investigative step into political theater and placing unwarranted pressure on law enforcement.
When political leaders claim that lawful police procedures are illegitimate whenever they involve opposition figures, they set a dangerous precedent: that accountability is selective. That position is incompatible with the rule of law.
No charges have been filed. No findings have been announced. The investigation remains ongoing, as it should.
Leadership in a democracy requires respect for institutions, not attempts to discredit them when they are inconvenient. The rule of law is not persecution. It is protection. And it must be defended.
