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JLP fallout - Former MoBay mayor says life threatened
BY MARK CUMMINGS Senior staff reporter cummingsm@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
MONTEGO BAY, St James — The elevation of Dr Christopher Tufton to the deputy leadership of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has already started to create division among some supporters in the west, with one senior labourite alleging that there is a plan to murder him.
Noel Donaldson, the former JLP caretaker for South St James and a former mayor of Montego Bay, said yesterday that the police have unearthed "credible information" regarding a plan to murder him because of his support for Tufton, the South West St Elizabeth member of parliament who was Sunday elected deputy leader for the party's Area Council Four.
The allegation is coming just days before the JLP's annual conference, as the party struggles to deal with the fallout from the handling of the extradition of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke and the controversial hiring of the US law firm, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips to handle the matter.
In a letter to Prime Minister and JLP leader Bruce Golding, which was copied to Police Commissioner Owen Ellington yesterday, Donaldson said he has been advised by the police to take immediate steps to protect his life.
"It is with a deep sense of loss that I write to inform you that I was earlier today (yesterday) advised by an officer of the NIB/Kingfish Unit, based in Montego Bay, that I needed to take immediate steps to secure my life because of credible information received of plans to murder me, due to my support for Deputy Leader Dr Christopher Tufton during the recently concluded campaign and election in Area Council Four," Donaldson said in the letter, a copy of which was released to the media.
Officials from the Kingfish Unit could not be reached for a comment last night, but commanding officer for St James Superintendent Merrick Watson said the police were aware of the alleged death threats.
"The information came to me from an officer that some intelligence was picked up; we are looking into it and we will take the necessary steps," Watson told the Observer.
Meanwhile, Donaldson said he had received similar information during the campaign and had taken steps to protect himself. These, he said, included the use of different motor vehicles, wearing a bullet-proof vest, and "not sleeping in the same place on a consistent basis".
Tufton — the minister of agriculture and fisheries — defeated incumbent deputy leader for Area Council Four Dr Horace Chang and JLP caretaker for Eastern Westmoreland Don Foote for the party's top post in the west.
Chang, the member of parliament for North West St James, is also a Cabinet Minister.
Donaldson, who served as councillor for the Norwood Division in the constituency of North West St James from 2003 to 2007 and who is the current chairman of the Rural Water Authority, charged yesterday that several labourites who supported Chang during the leadership race have criticised him harshly for supporting Tufton.
"Several of Dr Horace Chang's supporters have indicated to me that my "skin would have to burn" because as a former councillor in his constituency and chairman of a board in his ministry I had no right to support Dr Tufton, and would have to pay the ultimate price for disrespecting him.
"It is my understanding that several other persons have been similarly threatened," said Donaldson.
Chang could not be reached for a comment last night on the allegations by Donaldson.
BY MARK CUMMINGS Senior staff reporter cummingsm@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
MONTEGO BAY, St James — The elevation of Dr Christopher Tufton to the deputy leadership of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has already started to create division among some supporters in the west, with one senior labourite alleging that there is a plan to murder him.
Noel Donaldson, the former JLP caretaker for South St James and a former mayor of Montego Bay, said yesterday that the police have unearthed "credible information" regarding a plan to murder him because of his support for Tufton, the South West St Elizabeth member of parliament who was Sunday elected deputy leader for the party's Area Council Four.
The allegation is coming just days before the JLP's annual conference, as the party struggles to deal with the fallout from the handling of the extradition of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke and the controversial hiring of the US law firm, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips to handle the matter.
In a letter to Prime Minister and JLP leader Bruce Golding, which was copied to Police Commissioner Owen Ellington yesterday, Donaldson said he has been advised by the police to take immediate steps to protect his life.
"It is with a deep sense of loss that I write to inform you that I was earlier today (yesterday) advised by an officer of the NIB/Kingfish Unit, based in Montego Bay, that I needed to take immediate steps to secure my life because of credible information received of plans to murder me, due to my support for Deputy Leader Dr Christopher Tufton during the recently concluded campaign and election in Area Council Four," Donaldson said in the letter, a copy of which was released to the media.
Officials from the Kingfish Unit could not be reached for a comment last night, but commanding officer for St James Superintendent Merrick Watson said the police were aware of the alleged death threats.
"The information came to me from an officer that some intelligence was picked up; we are looking into it and we will take the necessary steps," Watson told the Observer.
Meanwhile, Donaldson said he had received similar information during the campaign and had taken steps to protect himself. These, he said, included the use of different motor vehicles, wearing a bullet-proof vest, and "not sleeping in the same place on a consistent basis".
Tufton — the minister of agriculture and fisheries — defeated incumbent deputy leader for Area Council Four Dr Horace Chang and JLP caretaker for Eastern Westmoreland Don Foote for the party's top post in the west.
Chang, the member of parliament for North West St James, is also a Cabinet Minister.
Donaldson, who served as councillor for the Norwood Division in the constituency of North West St James from 2003 to 2007 and who is the current chairman of the Rural Water Authority, charged yesterday that several labourites who supported Chang during the leadership race have criticised him harshly for supporting Tufton.
"Several of Dr Horace Chang's supporters have indicated to me that my "skin would have to burn" because as a former councillor in his constituency and chairman of a board in his ministry I had no right to support Dr Tufton, and would have to pay the ultimate price for disrespecting him.
"It is my understanding that several other persons have been similarly threatened," said Donaldson.
Chang could not be reached for a comment last night on the allegations by Donaldson.
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