PORTMORE, St. Catherine — Mayor Leon Thomas of Portmore is below police investigation following allegations of assaulting three ladies throughout a heated stakeholders’ assembly on Tuesday. The assembly, held on the St. Catherine Municipal Company, aimed to debate the proposal of granting parish standing to Portmore.
Tensions escalated when Mayor Thomas reportedly eliminated placards from protesters, resulting in bodily confrontations. In a press release issued Wednesday, Thomas acknowledged taking the placards to “restore order” amid the disruptions. He acknowledged, “As presiding officer, I took steps to revive order, together with eradicating placards from the arms of those that have been intentionally creating chaos.”
The incident has drawn widespread criticism, with movies circulating on social media displaying the mayor’s interactions with the protesters. The St. Catherine South police have confirmed an energetic investigation into the matter, analyzing the footage as a part of their inquiry.
In response to the occasions, Mayor Thomas accused supporters of the Jamaica Labour Get together (JLP) of deliberately disrupting the assembly. He condemned the disorderly actions, stating that they have been makes an attempt to derail the discussions on Portmore’s future. In the meantime, JLP representatives have known as for the mayor to retract his allegations and difficulty an apology to the ladies concerned.
