Education Minister Octavia Alfred has condemned the recent drone incident over the prime minister’s residence as threatening and mischievous. Alfred said she condemns vlogger Mystelics and photographer Jawanza Stuart for flying the drone over the prime minister’s house and condemns those supporting the duo more.
The education minister made this statement in reference to the incident where two men, a vlogger and a photographer, flew a drone that crashed into the property of PM Roosevelt Skerrit. Both men were arrested by the police but eventually released after two days without facing any charges. Hundreds of people had gathered in the streets while others besieged the police headquarters demanding for the release of the men.
In her reaction, the education minister said drones are very powerful and also capable of seeing through certain metals, locating a coin on the ground while flying over a forest, and seeing objects underwater and under the ground. Alfred said she condemned Mitchell and Stuart as well as the people supporting them over the incident “because it was not only wrong, it was dangerous…it was threatening and it was mischievous…”
“Fellow Dominicans, do you not agree with me [that] any one of you would feel threatened, terrified, unsafe, and concerned if one of these devices was seen flying over your house, your farm, the school where your child attends?” Alfred asked. “Anyone of us who found ourselves in this position would agree that our privacy was invaded, our peace was threatened, our safety was compromised and people electronically or otherwise trespass our property.”
The education minister stated that the privacy of the prime minister was violated with the drone incident and that his family peace was threatened by the event. She agreed with PM Skerrit that strong legislation must be passed to regulate the operation of drones in Dominica, and that anyone found violating the regulations should be severely punished.
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