Nagra Plunkett, Assignment Coordinator

WESTERN BUREAU:

The matter against Paul Moorehouse, the man charged in connection with defacing a billboard of Dennis Meadows, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate for North Trelawny, was dismissed in the Falmouth Resident Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.

"I asked the judge for a discontinuation in the matter in a bid to engender good relationship and I realised that the young man was not the real culprit," Meadows told The Gleaner.

Moorehouse, who resides in the Falmouth area, was taken into custody on Sunday evening after two eyewitnesses allegedly saw him smearing paint on Meadows' $100,000 billboard erected in the town.

He was subsequently charged with malicious destruction of property charges.

"Another reason why I took the decision is that, in my view, the Office of the Political Ombudsman is very effective and should be given power to impose sanctions against those who breach the Political Code of Conduct," added Meadows, the JLP's deputy general secretary.

"To date, Dr. Patrick Harris (People's National Party candidate for North Trelawny) has not spoken to me on the matter. To me, his attitude is one of contempt and arrogance, not conciliatory."

Political Ombudsman Bishop Herro Blair reportedly met with Mr. Meadows, and PNP representatives on Tuesday, to diffuse any tension arising from the incident.

nagra.plunkett@gleanerjm.com