THE MONTHLY GLEANER | FEBRUARY 15 - MARCH 16, 2024 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS MISSED 7 [ NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED ] FORMER MEMBER of parliament Jolyan Silvera is anxious to secure his freedom having told his lawyer he is innocent of the charges that have been laid against him. Silvera, who represented St Mary West between 2011 and 2016 in the House of Representatives, is alleged to have murdered his wife, Melissa Silvera. “I have firm instructions,” Peter Champagnie, Silvera’s lawyer, said after his client was remanded in custody following a court hearing last Thursday. “My client is indicating that he is innocent and all of that will be ventilated in court,” said Champagnie. Silvera has been behind bars since January 18 and will remain there until April 11, at least, when a bail application is set to be heard in the Home Circuit Court. “He is anxious to be vindicated, he’s anxious to have his day in court and he is very, very much concerned, very apprehensive, as anyone would, in that particular position,” Champagnie said. The media have been barred from covering the matter due to the fact that Silvera has been charged under the Firearms Act, thus making the hearing an in-camera matter. He is alleged to have used his licensed firearm in an illegal manner to shoot and kill his wife at their house in Stony Hill, St Andrew, on November 10. Police were alerted to the death of Melissa on November 10, 2023, about 7 a.m. The police initially responded to what Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the crime portfolio Fitz Bailey said was thought to be a “death investigation” at the couple’s Upper St Andrew house. However, following an autopsy, it was discovered that Melissa did not die from natural causes “but as a result of possible gunshot wounds”. Silvera bail application set for April 11 THE COUNTRY’S two main political parties have indicated that they are finalising their respective teams for two political debates ahead of the February 26 local government elections. The Jamaica Debates Commission (JDC) says it will spend $24 million to host the two sessions next week, on Thursday, February 15, and Saturday, February 17, at the Creative Production & Training Centre (CPTC) in Kingston. The debates are to go for 90 minutes between the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and People’s National Party (PNP), beginning at 9 p.m. The announcement was made during a JDC press conference at the Terra Nova Hotel in St Andrew on Friday. On its provisional list in the first debate, the JLP has Senator Charles Sinclair, Richard Creary and Venesha Phillips. Senator Delroy Williams, Richard Vernon and either Whitney Smith Currie or Tanya-Lee Williams are expected to participate in the second debate. Sharon Hay Webster, the JLP representative overseeing the process, said the party looks forward to the engagement. Brian Schmidt, JDC commissioner and vice chairman, said that the first debate will focus on local government policy and how it affects Jamaicans. Schmidt said the discussion will centre on the relevance of Jamaica’s local government system. Parameters for the questions include whether Jamaica’s local government system is fit for purpose or needs significant re-engineering. The second debate will look at local government and whether it works. THE PEOPLE’S National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) have expelled a total of 11 members after they were nominated on Thursday, February 8 to run against official candidates put forward by the parties in the upcoming local government elections. Among the four booted by the PNP is Uphel Purcell, who was nominated in the York Town division in Clarendon and had been notified about the termination of his membership on Thursday. On Friday, the PNP announced that Lydia Richards of the Bensonton division in St Ann, Lawton McKenzie of the Grange Hill division in Westmoreland, and Beverley Swaby of the Porus division in Manchester were also expelled. “This decision aligns with Rule 263 of the party’s constitution, which explicitly states, ‘No person who has contested a seat in the House of Representatives or for any municipality, or as a candidate in opposition to the People’s National Party, may continue as a member of the party’,”the PNP stated in a press release. The JLP has expelled seven members who have been nominated as independent candidates or have opted to run on a PNP ticket in the local government elections. Among the seven are Nerpatrick Smith from the Palmers Cross division, Omar White from the Ritches division, and Keith McCook of the Red Hills division, all in Clarendon. The party also named Romaine Morris of the Mocho division, who crossed the floor in the Clarendon Municipal Corporation last month. Also out of the JLP are Leroy Dunn from the Guys Hill division in St Catherine, Eric Wint of the Martha Brae JLP, PNP for debates ahead of Feb 26 polls division in Trelawny, and George Planto of the Papine division in St Andrew. PNP, JLP expel 11 nominated to challenge party picks Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States Audrey Marks, welcomed the Ambassador of the Republic of Mozambique to the United States, Alfredo Fabião Nuvunga, as he paid a courtesy call on her at the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, January 24. The diplomats held discussions on the enhancement of cooperation between Jamaica and Mozambique, particularly in the area of tourism. Both Ambassadors noted a strong interest in strengthening relations between both countries and agreed to continue discussions on other areas of cooperation. DERRICK SCOTT/PHOTOGRAPHER
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