Clansman Trial Evidence And FLA Report Dispute Dominate Jamaica News Update

Prosecutors in the trial of 25 alleged members of the Tesha Miller faction of the Clansman gang pushed again Tuesday to prove the identity of a man found dead in an illegal dump along Lakes Pen main road in St. Catherine in 2022. The Crown says the victim was Zamari McKay and that accused men Carlos Williams, Jermaine Clark and Owen Billings face counts 28 and 29 for allegedly facilitating his robbery and killing.

A week earlier, the Crown had paused testimony from a police constable after defence lawyers objected to questions about phone exchanges linked to McKay’s disappearance and death. The defence argued the prosecution was leading the witness, moving close to hearsay and had not laid a proper basis for voice identification evidence. Justice Palmer said more groundwork was required, noting caution because the Crown had not yet established McKay’s death. The judge, sitting alone without a jury, also said the court was not privy to facts until they were formally presented.

On Tuesday, the lead investigator, a detective sergeant, testified that on August 11, 2022, he went to Lakes Pen after receiving information and saw a body face down in an illegal dumping area, with bound feet and gunshot wounds. He said he escorted morgue personnel to Spanish Town Hospital and recovered from the body a driver’s licence with McKay’s particulars, a TRN card, an identification card and another person’s bank card. The licence photograph, he said, matched the dead man’s description. The items were admitted into evidence. He also attended McKay’s post-mortem, recorded statements from close acquaintances and sought Jamaica Eye footage, but said the requested video was not received.

In Parliament, Opposition MPs walked out of the House of Representatives after Deputy Speaker Heroy Clarke stopped Opposition Leader Mark Golding from continuing arguments over an untabled Integrity Commission report concerning the Firearm Licensing Authority. Golding said the report reached Parliament on March 30 and allegedly contained serious findings on governance, maladministration and corruption, yet remained undisclosed nearly two months later.

Golding cited a 2023 ruling by Speaker Juliet Holness that Integrity Commission investigation reports should be tabled as soon as possible. Government business leader Floyd Green denied suppression, saying Parliament was following precedent and must avoid interfering with court matters. Dayton Campbell later tried to speak but was not recognized before Opposition members left, moments before tributes to former parliamentarian Leslie Campbell.