St Kitts-Nevis police looking into reports of 'driving licences for sale'

A police investigation is underway into the illegal sale of driver’s licences in St Kitts and Nevis.

Earlier this week, Police Inspector Carl Caines, who heads the Traffic Department in St Kitts, confirmed that his officers are looking into the matter.

“A message was sent and the Commissioner of Police and other officers received that message to say that basically persons are selling licences,” he told the WINN FM breakfast show.

“That was the message that I got and we are of course investigating the matter. I don’t want to believe that, I want to believe it’s a hoax.”

Illegal if money changes hands

“No money whatsoever should be passed or accepted for a drivers licence, if that is the case it is illegal, it is wrong. First you must apply to do the written test, you go to the Police Training Complex in Basseterre or in Charlestown it would be the high school in Charlestown and you sit the written test, but if any money is passed then that is illegal and something is wrong,” Caines told the radio show.

“After you have passed the written test then of course you go on the road and you drive and if the police is satisfied with your driving then you are issued a competency form and you go to Inland Revenue.

“So if someone worked in the Traffic Department ten years ago and they are no longer in traffic, they cannot give you a certification because they are not authorised, they are out of the department.

“So only persons who are presently stationed at that department, be it in Nevis or St Kitts, can give you that authorisation.”

Those alleged offences were said to have been committed between December 2016 and March 2017.