Candidates the target of plot - JLP

Adams

THE JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP) says that a plot to disrupt the General Election, which head of the police Crime Management Unit (CMU), Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams revealed on Monday, is targetting its candidates.

According to JLP Deputy Leader and spokesman on National Security, Derrick Smith, he has received further information that the plot is aimed at the party's candidates in three St. Andrew constituencies - his own North West seat, Phillip Henriques in South East and Dr. St. Aubyn Bartlett in East.

SSP Adams had said police had intelligence pointing to a criminal plot to disrupt the general election.

He told HOT 102's Drive Time show on Monday night that he had received intelligence last week "of a plot or plan by criminal elements to disrupt the election process on election day".

About 107 to 150 persons are allegedly involved in the plot, according to SSP Adams, which will include posing as election officials, members of CAFFE, plain clothes police officers and outdoor agents. Results at certain polling stations will be monitored by the group which will then resort to corrupt practices, intimidation of voters and election officials and the stealing of ballot boxes if the results are not favourable, forcing the presiding officer to call the ballot null and void.

"Intelligence is that they met last Tuesday in a location in Kingston between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.," he said. "The plan is to strategically place groups of criminal elements at 24 locations in the Corporate Area and in the country parishes."

"They will, one week before the elections, have houses rented as well as hotel rooms," he continued. "They plan to carry out disruption between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m."

According to SSP Adams, some of the men and women allegedly involved in the plot have been identified and the police intend to "arrest some before, as well as during and after the act".

Mr. Smith and Opposition Leader Edward Seaga were scheduled to speak about the claims at a mass meeting in Denham Town last night.

Mr. Smith told The Gleaner before last night's meeting that since yesterday he had spoken to Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lucius Thomas, who had confirmed SSP Adam's allegations.

He said he had been informed by the deputy commissioner that there was information about a plot and the police were analysing the intelligence to see if it could be substantiated.

"I am getting information that there is in fact a force being created to cause disturbance in constituencies which may go to JLP candidates," he said.

He said that he intended to warn JLP supporters last night to be on the alert and to desist from any illegal activities and to seek a peaceful general election, because we would benefit from a peaceful election," Mr. Smith said.

Speaking to The Gleaner yesterday, SSP Adams played down the hype erupting from his revelation, reasoning that Jamaican elections are never without elements of criminality.

"There have only been a few elections that they have not stolen election boxes and intimidated election officials," he said. "We have always had good arrangements and criminals can still infiltrate. I'm not frightening anybody."

Nonetheless, SSP Adams' disclosure sent shivers across the country. Officials remained tight-lipped yesterday and no comment could be extracted from the Office of the Commissioner of Police, Francis Forbes, the Ministry of National Security, the ruling People's National Party or the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ)

SSP Adams stood firm in his decision to go public with the information, stating there was "no motivation", but that the disclosure had resulted from questions put to him by the HOT 102 interviewer after Nomination Day.

He also insisted that, as far as he was aware, the plot did not have its roots in one political group. "Drug dons, general criminal dons and hired criminals," he listed as the authors and potential executors of the alleged plot. "I never called a political name."