By Robert Hart, Staff ReporterTEMPERS FLARED during yesterday's sitting of Parliament's Standing Finance Committee as the Opposition claimed soldiers attached to the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) had engaged in secret beatings of prisoners.
Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, Opposition MP, raised the issue, claiming the soldiers were responsible for transferring and beating the inmates shortly after a recent stand-off at the Tower Street Correctional Facility in downtown Kingston.
But the claim was greeted with contempt from the Government side of the Chamber, and Dr. Peter Phillips, Minister of National Security, vehemently denied that any such incident had occurred.
"I am saying categorically that there is no information on that regard," Dr. Phillips, who was responding to questions on his Ministry's budgetary allocation in the 2004/2005 Estimates of Expenditure, told the committee. Pointing out that Commissioner of Corrections Major Richard Reese was present, he suggested that the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Member of Parlaiment (MP) provide the Correctional Services head with information rather than proceed with laying the 'unsubstantiated allegations'.
Miss Grange had alleged that four prisoners who were transferred to the South Camp Rehabilitation Centre from the Tower Street facility were subsequently taken to the Horizon Remand Centre in the 'wee hours' of the morning and beaten.
"One in particular was beaten badly and still has not received medical attention," she said. She also claimed that the families of the victims had been traumatised by the event.
But throughout the Opposition member's account of the incident, Government members chided Ms. Grange for bringing the issue to a committee meeting at which the budget for the new legislative year was the topic of discussion.
"This is a finance committee," Government MP Sharon Hay-Webster said. Both she and Dr. Phillips complained that Ms. Grange's comment's were an abuse of her parliamentary privilege.
After allowing the exchange to continue for a short time, committee chairman Michael Peart told Ms. Grange that it was time to bring her argument to a close. "We are dealing with estimates of expenditure for the year 2004 to 2005. The matter you are bringing up has no relevance to this," he said.
Mr. Peart added: "I think you have made your point and need not say anything more about it."
Ms. Grange had raised the issue after questions had been asked about last month's stand off at the prison, when prisoners protested against overcrowding and a range of issues affecting them at the Tower Street facility.
