Spanish Town mayor maintains innocence following charges for election day clash

The attorney for Mayor of Spanish Town, Norman Scott, says his client maintains his innocence after criminal charges were laid against him in relation to a clash at a polling station in St Elizabeth on election day, September 3.

In a media release on Friday afternoon, attorney Charles Ganga-Singh stated that Scott was the victim of an unprovoked attack by a mob of Jamaica Labour Party supporters at the polling station.

"It is curious, and frankly troubling, that the police reports circulated publicly make no mention of this critical fact, despite Mayor Scott having formally reported the assault against him. Instead, what has been presented suggests only one side of the incident, omitting that my client had to be rescued by his security team and members of the Jamaica Defence Force in order to leave the premises safely," Ganga-Singh said.

He expressed confidence that when all the evidence is presented in court, including eyewitness accounts and the report of the attack made by Scott, his client will be cleared.

"We urge the public to withhold judgment until this matter is properly ventilated before the court,” the attorney said.

Scott, 66, who is also of Gazeland district in the parish, has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and malicious destruction of property following the altercation.

According to reports from the Black River police, around midday Scott stayed inside the polling station longer than the time allowed. When an election agent attempted to point this out, tensions flared.

The situation escalated when another agent tried to intervene, and was reportedly struck in the face by the mayor. His security detail quickly whisked him away from the scene.

The incident was reported to the police, and following investigations, summonses were served on Scott on Friday, September 12.

He is now set to face the Santa Cruz division of the St Elizabeth Parish Court on October 13.

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