Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
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ROSEAU, Dominica: The local employees of regional airline LIAT, on Tuesday were contemplating strike action in response to the detention by police of another work colleague on an "obstruction of justice" charge.
Police on Tuesday arrested a second traffic officer who returned home from vacation one day after one of his co-workers was arrested and charged for allegedly delaying the repatriation of Haitians from the Melville Hall Airport on July 31.
Manager of the local LIAT office Gerard Cools-Lartigue told CMC that he pleaded with staff to hold back on their union planned walk-out in solidarity with the two men.
Cools-Lartigue said his organisation has been cooperating with the immigration department despite having a heavily booked summer flight schedule.
"We tried our best to assist the immigration. We tried sending them (the Haitians)back the following morning but the flight was full," he said.
The local LIAT head said the airline had met the requirement for transporting the Haitians to Dominica and was faultless in the matter.
"It's not really LIAT's fault. LIAT met the requirements for Haitians coming into Dominica," he said.
He denied police reports that the LIAT deliberately obstructing them in their duties, saying they their job well.
"They didn't obstruct anything they just boarded the passengers who were confirmed for the flight," he said.
The first employee who arrested on Monday was bailed for EC$5,000 by Cools-Lartigue and is expected to appear in court next month.
Attorney general Ian Douglas told CMC the matter would be resolved in the near future, explaining that the men would face a magistrate as the court process could not be stopped abruptly.
He added that his office viewed the situation as serious and would iron out the matter with LIAT and the police who said they were not prepared to comment to the media at this time.
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