Shields

There is still no word as to who will be held criminally responsible for the theft of an estimated 500 truckloads of sand from a 64-acre property in Coral Spring, Trelawny.

In July, Felicitas Limited, the developer of the property, which is located near Duncans in the parish, announced that an almost $8-billion project had been stalled because the removal of the sand had damaged the beachfront.

The property is owned by a consortium of Jamaican entrepreneurs who had planned to build 36 six-star luxury villas with spa, restaurants, amphitheatre and marina in phase one of the development. However, with the prime asset of the property removed, the venture is now on hold.

The sand was eventually found at two hotel developments on the north coast, which are operated by overseas investors. Tests conducted by National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), through the Mining and Geology Depart-ment, confirmed that some of the stolen sand had been delivered to the properties.

Probed the matter

Prime Minister Bruce Golding immediately ordered a probe into the matter and a report was subsequently handed over to deputy commissioner of police in charge of crime, Mark Shields, for a criminal investigation to be undertaken.

The report has not been released to the public.

Attempts to contact Shields, and Assistant Commissioner of Police Denver Frater, the officer in charge of Area Four, for an update on the investigation were unsuccessful.