Gov't spends millions to bury Tivoli dead
Published:Friday | July 16, 2010 | 12:00 AM
TAXPAYERS have already spent $4.5 million to bury civilians killed in combat in Tivoli Gardens, west Kingston, in May.
Kingston Mayor Desmond McKenzie said families have received assistance in the final rites on 44 corpses.
More than 70 persons were killed when troops stormed Tivoli Gardens in a bid to capture accused drug baron Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, who was inside the fortified community.
Coke eluded the dragnet but was nabbed a month later and extradited to the United States.
Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who represents the area in Parliament, said several persons killed had still been unidentified.
"We are a little puzzled that a significant number of those who were killed remain unidentified. We are also puzzled and concerned that persons have not come forward seeking assistance to bury those persons.
"It raises a number of questions that we ourselves have to find answers for. My attention is particularly brought to the number of persons who were killed whose families are actually from west Kingston and the number of families that are not from west Kingston.
"... West Kingston people normally bury in May Pen, and if it is not May Pen, it is Dovecot. West Kingston people don't normally bury in Clarendon and Manchester and places like that," Golding said, alluding to police intelligence that militiamen had been deployed from communities miles away from Tivoli to defend Coke.