Golding chides MP over rise in murders in Portland

Gareth Davis Snr, Gleaner Writer 

President of the People's National Party (PNP) Mark Golding on Wednesday chided East Portland Member of Parliament Ann-Marie Vaz for what he described as her deafening silence on the spate of murders plaguing the peaceful parish.

Golding, who was the guest speaker at a divisional conference in Port Antonio where veteran councillor Dexter Rowland was elected by acclamation, argued that the murder rate in Portland has doubled when compared to the same corresponding period last year.

He accused Vaz of being quiet on the issue.

Police statistics have revealed that 11 murders have so far been recorded in Portland since the start of the year, an increase over the four recorded for the corresponding period last year.

The PNP leader, who first visited the Rio Grande Valley and met with the bereaved family of Lorraine Ming, expressed shock at what he described as the alarming increase in murders in the north eastern section of the parish, which has been labelled as the most peaceful islandwide.

READ: Portland man fatally shot at bar

Ming, a former cricketer, is the latest person to be killed in Portland by the gun.

He was shot multiple times by a gunman while playing a poker box inside a bar in the farming community of Windsor in the Rio Grande Valley.

“What I was hearing is the fear on the ground because of the rapid increase in murders in the parish,” commented Golding.

“In fact, I was told that this year there have been 11 murders already, which is about the same as the whole of last year. So, the rate has increased by double for we are about halfway through this year now. But the funny thing is I haven't heard your member of parliament say anything about that. It has just been silence. So I am wondering why they are not talking out when there is a doubling of the murder rate in this parish,” he added.

Golding also extended his criticism to Vaz's husband, Daryl, who is the member of parliament for West Portland.

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