By Latrishka Thomas
A weight was lifted off of one man’s shoulders this morning when a case against him was dropped by the prosecution.
The man, is 23-year-old Shukur Hodge who was thought to have set the blaze at the Bon Appetit restaurant in Falmouth on May 1.
The building was worth $892,000 while its contents were worth $395,000.
The prosecution decided not to pursue the matter any further due to insufficient evidence against the young man.
Hodge was already on bail for the offence. In 2021, Magistrate Emanuel decided to grant bail under several conditions.
She issued bail in the sum of $100,000 with no cash component.
Hodge was also ordered to surrender his travel documents, provide two Antiguan sureties and report to the nearest police station every day.
He was also placed on a 7 pm curfew, and was ordered not to venture past Roman Hill, near Liberta.
The defendant was further warned not to interfere with the other possible defendant, and any potential witnesses.
With the case now dismissed, Hodge is relieved from the previously imposed curfew and other stipulations, allowing him to move forward without legal restrictions.
