Breaking News - Speaker Of The House Charged By Police

Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert

I have received a report that the Speaker of the House, Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert was charged for placing some boxes in an area where this is not allowed. 

According to the source, The Speaker of The House put some boxes in an area where there was garbage, and where the NSWMA normally collects garbage from. When cautioned by the officer, it is said that Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert apologized to the officer and explained that she was not aware that garbage was not to go there. She subsequently removed the boxes from the area.

I understand that she was detained at the Runaway Police Station for approximately three hours. She will will face the charges in the court.

There was an incident between a Minister and a police officer recently in St. Catherine, and I suggested then that we need to have a protocol for dealing with officials of the state who come into conflict with the law. No one is above the law but we cannot allow officials of the state to be arrested like that. It is possible that one of these days we could hear that a number of Cabinet members have been arrested and the business of the state has to come to an halt.

I am suggesting that where a member of parliament, a member of the senate or even a judge commits certain offences then we should use the ticketing system to charge them. If it is a very serious offence, then application should be made to the Governor General for example for that person to be suspended from public office until the matter is dealt with. Under no condition should members of the security forces have the right to arrest leaders of the state like that. One of these days someone is going to lock up the Prime Minister for breaking the law and that could put the country in a very awkward situation.

Contrary to information being circulated via social media, the Speaker is not in lock-up at this time. I understand that it was an humiliating experience for the Speaker to be detained by the police for over three hours at the police station. She was thoroughly interrogated I have been informed.

#JamaicaConstabularyForce #Jamaica #Politician

While The Dump Burns Our Leaders Fiddle - AYS Listener Writes

Riverton City Dump Burns

Last week the Riverton city dump  smoke threatened a  chikungunya like  epidemic in the corporate area. No one can say with authority if there will be any long term life threatening  effects from this. The responses of some in the seat of power and even some of the general population are an eye opener and a disgust to say the least. But why should I be surprised and expect anything different.

I live in the Hallandale community Bordered by Mannings Hill and Red Hills roads on the East and West, Border Avenue to the north and a major gully to the south.  We have suffered for years from the noxious fumes from fires being lit in the gully. Apart from the  stench which permeates your home  leaving an undesirable odour and residue on curtains and laundry , we have no idea of the type of toxic substances emanating from these  fires.  Coupled with this is the apparent weakening of the gully floor and wall from the constant fires,  so great is the damage that a part of the retaining wall of some homes have  collapsed leaving the land and houses at risk.

More Smoke

On Friday March 13th at the peak of the smoke invasion from the dump the gardener of a neighbour chose to burn and when accosted was truculent saying the whole place was already filled with smoke.

There are fines for persons who break the law by starting these fires but this does not appear to be a deterrent due to a lack of enforcement.

Who Cares?

We have communicated the problem with various authorities, the police, health, fire, the Councillor and Member of Parliament. without any success in alleviating the situation.

Where is our Minister of the Environment ? He is embarrassingly silent since his promises of the last fire. On March 17,  I was not at all pleased with the response of our Prime Minister to reporters  questions on the  dump fire. it reminds me of the fire which consumed Rome while Portia,  sorry I meant Nero,  played the fiddle.