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Jamaica Labour Party candidate blasts police
published: Sunday | June 24, 2007
Mandeville, Manchester:
Deputy Mayor and [COLOR=black! important][COLOR=black! important]Jamaica[/COLOR][/COLOR] Labour Party (JLP) candidate for Central Manchester in the upcoming [COLOR=black! important][COLOR=black! important]general [COLOR=black! important]election[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR], Sally Porteous, has accused the Mandeville police of a massive cover-up in relation to a matter concerning one of the town's alleged dons.
Mrs. Porteous, who was speaking at a luncheon put on by the Manchester Chamber of Commerce last Wednesday, said the [COLOR=black! important][COLOR=black! important]police[/COLOR][/COLOR] failed to properly investigate and lay charges against an unnamed don living in the upscale community of Ingleside.
According to the deputy mayor, the don held a [COLOR=black! important][COLOR=black! important]birthday [COLOR=black! important]party[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR], which went on into the late hours of the morning recently, and some "three-hundred rounds" of gunshots were discharged to mark the occasion.
Arrests
She said the police, who were alerted, responded and did nothing to address the incident except to assist with a "massive cover-up", which included the moving of police officers who wanted to make arrests in the matter.
According to Mrs. Porteous, the don subsequently apologised to the community and was charged with violating the Noise Abatement Act for which he was levied a fine in the Mandeville Resident Magistrate's Court.
Mrs. Porteous further charged that the people were afraid of this particular don, who she said has "intertwined himself in the police force of Mandeville and the political arena".
Afraid
Mrs. Porteous, however, said while most residents were afraid of him, she was not, and when justice was spoken of, it should be for all, not just a few.
Minister of National Security Dr. Peter Philips, who was in attendance, responded by advising Mrs. Porteous that there were a number o channels for dealing with the matter if she was not comfortable with the police.
He said once charges can be substantiated, there is no one that is above the law it should be noted that one cannot bring persons before the courts on mere allegations.
Minister Phillips said persons who did not have confidence in the local police could call Kingfish.
High end of society
He said from where he stood, he was aware there were persons against whom there were so many allegations that they almost became fact.
He further said, there were those from the high end of the society of whom "the same is true but do not get transformed into pariahs on the so-called talk circuit of the verandas".
Minister Phillips went on to say that what was needed was balance and confidence building in Jamaica's institutions.
Superintendent Martin Bayliss, the officer in charge of the Manchester police, who was also in attendance along with Opposition Spokesman on National Security, Mr. Derrick Smith, did not comment on the matter. - Angelo Laurence
published: Sunday | June 24, 2007
Mandeville, Manchester:
Deputy Mayor and [COLOR=black! important][COLOR=black! important]Jamaica[/COLOR][/COLOR] Labour Party (JLP) candidate for Central Manchester in the upcoming [COLOR=black! important][COLOR=black! important]general [COLOR=black! important]election[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR], Sally Porteous, has accused the Mandeville police of a massive cover-up in relation to a matter concerning one of the town's alleged dons.
Mrs. Porteous, who was speaking at a luncheon put on by the Manchester Chamber of Commerce last Wednesday, said the [COLOR=black! important][COLOR=black! important]police[/COLOR][/COLOR] failed to properly investigate and lay charges against an unnamed don living in the upscale community of Ingleside.
According to the deputy mayor, the don held a [COLOR=black! important][COLOR=black! important]birthday [COLOR=black! important]party[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR], which went on into the late hours of the morning recently, and some "three-hundred rounds" of gunshots were discharged to mark the occasion.
Arrests
She said the police, who were alerted, responded and did nothing to address the incident except to assist with a "massive cover-up", which included the moving of police officers who wanted to make arrests in the matter.
According to Mrs. Porteous, the don subsequently apologised to the community and was charged with violating the Noise Abatement Act for which he was levied a fine in the Mandeville Resident Magistrate's Court.
Mrs. Porteous further charged that the people were afraid of this particular don, who she said has "intertwined himself in the police force of Mandeville and the political arena".
Afraid
Mrs. Porteous, however, said while most residents were afraid of him, she was not, and when justice was spoken of, it should be for all, not just a few.
Minister of National Security Dr. Peter Philips, who was in attendance, responded by advising Mrs. Porteous that there were a number o channels for dealing with the matter if she was not comfortable with the police.
He said once charges can be substantiated, there is no one that is above the law it should be noted that one cannot bring persons before the courts on mere allegations.
Minister Phillips said persons who did not have confidence in the local police could call Kingfish.
High end of society
He said from where he stood, he was aware there were persons against whom there were so many allegations that they almost became fact.
He further said, there were those from the high end of the society of whom "the same is true but do not get transformed into pariahs on the so-called talk circuit of the verandas".
Minister Phillips went on to say that what was needed was balance and confidence building in Jamaica's institutions.
Superintendent Martin Bayliss, the officer in charge of the Manchester police, who was also in attendance along with Opposition Spokesman on National Security, Mr. Derrick Smith, did not comment on the matter. - Angelo Laurence
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