The Secretary of State for Communication, Eddy Jackson Alexis has apologised to Senator Kedlaire Augustin, after he was detained by police last Thursday during a search for a vehicle involved in several kidnappings.

Augustin said he had identified himself to the law enforcement authorities when they stopped the vehicle he was driving in the Fragneau-Ville area.

The secretary of state confirmed that even though the legislator had identified himself “he was forced to get out of his vehicle, jostled, hit and taken to the Delmas police station before being later released.

He said that the government “expresses its deepest regrets for this act and wishes to apologize to the members of the Grand Corps and in particular to the Honourable Senator Kedlaire Augustin, injured in his prerogatives as a Member of Parliament in office”. He said the incident is being investigated.

The head of the Delmas Police Station, Jean Gospel Monélus, said the vehicle, in which the legislator was travelling met the description of a vehicle that was allegedly involved in nine kidnappings.