UPDATE: Westmoreland MP says he will not be pursuing charges over threats
WESTMORELAND, Jamaica – Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Western, Morland Wilson, says he will not be pursuing further a report he made to the police of threats made against him recently by members from his constituency.
Wilson said initially, the threat was taken seriously and a report was made to the police.
“I have been speaking with residents from last evening into this morning from the community and they continue to assure me, as they say in Jamaica, it is just” mouth talk”. On that basis, I won’t be proceeding with any charges towards the three individuals who were identified,” Wilson told OBSERVER ONLINE a short while ago.
Earlier, OBSERVER ONLINE reported that the police had taken into custody two of three men in relation to what they say are ‘serious threats’ being made and that charges will be laid against the men sometime during the day.
The threat was reportedly made against the MP during a boisterous protest by residents within the community of Retreat who were upset about the lack of water in the area for the past three weeks.
READ: Residents blocks Savanna-la-Mar to Negril main road in protest of lack of water
One of the men was picked up at a school on Tuesday while the other was picked up along the roadway on Wednesday morning. A third man is being sought by the police in connection with the case.
“We want to take it seriously because it is a case of a threat that happened on Saturday and some continuations thereafter. So, the police have to deal with it in a very serious way and that is what we are about,” assured Officer in charge of operation for the Westmoreland Police Division Deputy Superintendent of Police, Adrian Hamilton.
READ: Two men in custody for allegedly threatening MP
Wilson, in pointing to the dangers of representational politics gave some insight into the threat made against him.
“There are individuals there who would have made threat to life, threat to personal safety, threat to me being the MP manoeuvring the space – that is saying, you cannot come back at Retreat and all of that kind of things,” relayed Wilson.
While sources have suggested that politics is behind what is happening in the constituency, the police are of the view that Tuesday’s protest had nothing to do with the lack of water. Wilson agrees with the police’s assessment. He said illegal conduct is at the heart of the problem.
“There are several other things happening and persons would have been thinking that it is related to the incident on Saturday and it is not. I have heard of robberies taking place and the police are currently investigating it. I have heard of persons being intimidated and this is all part of the lawlessness which ensues,” stated Wilson, adding “those absolutely have no relation to the incident on Saturday.
Anthony Lewis