Activists arrested for Jamaica House protest

Two social activists who protested in front of Jamaica House have been charged for breaching the Public Order Act.

The activists, Lloyd D'Aguilar and Euline Nugent, were brought before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Thursday.

Prosecutors outlined that, on October 12, the accused were seen demonstrating in front of Jamaica House and were given a lawful order by the police to remove from the property.

D'Aguilar and Nugent are accused of disobeying the order and were subsequently arrested and charged. Both indicated to Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque that they have no legal representation.

The matter was adjourned until February 1, 2024, to facilitate the completion of the case file.

The activists, who are both on bail, are to return to court on that date. The case file is expected to be completed by the next mention date.

Jamaica House, located in St Andrew, houses government offices, including the Office of the Prime Minister.

D'Aguilar is no stranger to hot water. He was kicked out of the Tivoli Gardens Commission of Inquiry after labelling commission chairman Sir David Simmonds as a "political hack" and "an enemy of the people of Tivoli Gardens".

Last year, he wrote to Prime Minister Andrew Holness demanding a 'People's Commission of Enquiry into state corruption'. He argued that millions of dollars are stolen from the public purse each year, and called for a "forensic audit of the public debt to determine which public officials or politicians may have corruptly pocketed the people's money".

- T.T.