BASSETERRE, ST.KITTS – An American found with a gun in his luggage while being screened for departure at the YU Lounge, at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport, has been identified as one of the patients involved in the Stem Cell Scandal at the J N France General Hospital, according to sources.
Former St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister the Rt Hon Dr. Denzil L. Douglas who is questioning the role played by the Timothy Harris-led PLP/CCM/PAM coalition government said the ongoing Stem Cell Scandal has a criminal aspect to it.
He said one of the patients who arrived in St. Kitts from overseas to participate in the Stem Cell project at the local hospital was arrested when he checked in to travel on a private aircraft.
Court records and media reports have identified the person as Kentucky resident, Richard Westin arrested on June 13 as he checked in to travel with Canadian billionaire Peter Nygard, the hard-partying retail tycoon.
Westin was charged by Customs and Excise with filing a false customs declaration and importation of a weapon, and Police charged him with failing to declare a weapon. Westin went before the Magistrate court on Friday and pleaded guilty to filing a false customs declaration and importation of a weapon. He was fined EC$10,000 dollars to be paid by June 21, or in default serve 1 month in prison. He was reprimanded for failing to declare the weapon. The fine was paid immediately.
Now it has been discovered that Westin was one of the patients involved in the Stem Cell operation involving Peter Nygard which was not approved by the Chief Medical Officer Dr Patrick Martin who was sent to vacation and pre retirement leave by the Government of Prime Minister Dr the Hon. Timothy Harris.
During Wednesday’s “Issues” programme on Freedom FM, it was disclosed that no medical records were filled out when the stem cell patients were admitted to the hospital’s private ward. “How can you have patients coming from overseas, administered controversial treatment in the hospital by our own trained nurses and supervised by a non resident and unlicensed doctor and there is no information being brought to the relevant persons who are treating and looking over this person medically,” said Dr Douglas, a trained physician.
He said one of the patients was eventually identified after he was arrested by the police as he was leaving the country with an unlicensed weapon “When he was arrested and taken to the police station he was not held there, his prison cell was at the Marriot Hotel as ordered by a top government official,” Dr. Douglas disclosed.
He further stated that the case was tried in the Magistrate’s court by Donna Harris, the sister of Prime Minister Harris who imposed a EC$10,000 fine, “a slap on the wrist, whereas if it was some little boy from Mc Knight or St. Paul’s or Newton Ground, or even me, I would be lost in prison. $10,000 is what a billionaire was made to pay.”