The Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Sehon Marshall in an official statement sent out on Monday provided clarification on a story posted on news website I-Witness News. The story in question is “Speaker orders MP to wear facemark, even as unmasked cop sits nearby”.
The Prime Minister’s Press Secretary said the story as published sought to give an account of a period during the sitting of the Parliament when the MP for South Leeward removed his mask in clear violation of the Covid-19 protocols of the House of Assembly. He says the framing of the title and the zoomed image attached, suggest an inconsistency in the speakers ruling, as it depicts the unmasked individual in the photo, in close proximity to MP Stephenson who was being asked to follow the mask wearing protocol or remove himself from the Chamber.
“It must be stated emphatically, that at NO point, was Station Seargent Charles of the PM Security detail in the Parliament chamber. A look at the video, or a zooming out of the photo would show that Station Sergeant Charles was sitting in the general office that located behind where the South Leeward MP was sitting and as such was quite a distance from the MP and not “sitting nearby”. It must also be noted that the protocols in questions govern the Chamber of the Parliament only and not the offices or other areas outside of the chamber.” Mr. Marshall stated.
The Prime Minister Press Secretary noted that while does include a disclaimer, it remains the responsibility of the publisher of the article to seek clarification as opposed publishing a story that draws the ruling of the Speaker of the Parliament and the actions of the Station Seargent into disrepute.
