By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Friday 8th March 2019)-“Lawd de man frighten; he frighten! He so frighten that if you ask him a question he got one answer!”
So said Leon Natta-Nelson as he came out roasting immediately after being officially introduced as the candidate for Constituency Seven, publicly completing the eight-member slate of the opposition St.Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) Party to contest the upcoming general elections.
“If you ask him for a scholarship, he say tra la la tra la la me no know wha you ah talk bout. If you ask him bout crime he say tra la la tra la la me no know wha you ah talk bout. If you ask him bout de IMF report he say tra la la tra la la gimme a break nuh, gimme a break nuh. But don’t worry innovation is coming; it is coming! Labour is coming, leadership is coming! Ah got to behave meself tonight,” he said while speaking at an SKNLP public meeting in St. Paul’s on Sunday 24th February.
Natta-Nelson’s, a rookie in the political arena, is expected to go up against Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Dr. Timothy Harris, leader of the People’s Labour Party (PLP) who is an estranged former SKNLP senior member.
At that recent public meeting, SKNLP Leader Dr. Denzil Douglas in his lead up to introduce Natta-Nelson outlined that he (Natta-Nelson) “has been delayed; delayed by a coward prime minister!”
That SKNLP session came on the heels of Dr. Douglas’ victorious outcome at the high court concerning the parliamentary disqualification matter brought against him by the Attorney General Vincent ‘Juicy’ Byron Jr. on behalf of the government.
At an SKNLP press conference held on Friday 22nd February, Natta-Nelson was asked by a reporter about his confidence level at relates to his own court matters. To this end, his lawyer Sylvester Anthony spoke for him stating that “he is extremely confident about his prospects.”
Concerning one of two court matters, on Wednesday 10th October 2018, Natta-Nelson was formally arrested and charged for failing to renew his Firearm Users License between February 01, 2018 and October 07, 2018.
The weapon, along with 25 rounds of ammunition, were confiscated by police two days before on Monday 8th October.
He subsequently received bail in the sum of $10,000 with two sureties and was slated to appear before the Basseterre Magistrate in December.
Although Natta-Nelson was not spared public criticism for having missed the period to renew that legally obtained firearm, many people have expressed views stemming from party politics controversy.
In the other case, to date, Justice Eddy Ventose is yet to make a judgment in the matter following a hearing in February this year largely concerning the public service code after Natta-Nelson (the claimant), a senior customs officer, was dealt suspension over party politics involvement.
His Lawyers want the court to make a declaration that he is entitled to contest the upcoming general elections.
A letter dated 10th October to him from the Human Resource Management Department in the Office of the Prime Minister, revealed that he had broken the Public Service (Conduct and Ethics of Officers) Code as it has received “an adverse report of [his] involvement in political activity.”
Natta-Nelson reportedly received the letter on Wednesday 17th October.
He was also told in the letter “that on or about the end of June 2018, you Leon Natta-Nelson, did introduce yourself to a resident of Christ Church Village, Christ Church, St. Kitts, as a candidate of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party running against the Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris for the next general election.”