PNP Patriots calls for investigation into allegations against JLP MP Donovan Williams

The PNP Patriots, an affiliate of the opposition People’s National Party, is urging the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency and Integrity Commission to probe disputed allegations by Councillor Rosalie Hamilton against Member of Parliament Donovan Williams.

Hamilton represents the Rae Town Division, which falls in Kingston Central, which is represented in the House of Representatives by Williams. Both are members of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party.

In a series of voice notes circulating on social media, Hamilton made certain claims about the use of public resources and threatened to undermine Williams' political future in the constituency. She also alleged that the MP has been trying to get rid of her.

Williams has rejected the allegations and on Tuesday gave Hamilton 48 hours to retract the allegedly defamatory statements. “The contents of the said video are wholly untrue, and our client categorically rejects each and every assertion made therein,” Williams' attorneys wrote in a letter to Hamilton.

The PNP Patriots says the claims “require urgent and independent scrutiny.”

“The Patriots maintain that this matter goes beyond internal political issues and strikes at the heart of public trust and the integrity of governance in Jamaica,” said the group of young professionals.

General Secretary Davalle Grant urged the investigative bodies to act swiftly to uncover the facts, noting that “Jamaicans, and the people of Central Kingston in particular, deserve clarity and accountability from their elected representatives.”

He added: “This cannot be dismissed as political theatre or internal power struggles. If true, these claims point to serious breaches of trust and potential misconduct in public office. If false, that too must be established transparently. Either way, the country deserves the truth.”

Hamilton, who has served as Rae Town councillor for 19 years, dismissed the legal threat from Williams’ attorneys, saying she is ready for any lawsuit he pursues.

“Tell them fi sue when them ready,” Hamilton told The Gleaner when contacted, declining to comment further on the record. Williams first won the seat in 2020 and was re-elected last year.

She confirmed that the voice notes containing the allegations were sent by her in a JLP WhatsApp group in which Williams, a second-term MP, was also a member. However, she denied being the one who leaked them to the wider public.

In the letter to Hamilton, Richardson Law Chambers, the law firm retained by Williams, demanded that she immediately cease and desist from allegedly making or publishing any further defamatory statements, and remove all offending videos and voice notes from various social media platforms.

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