- Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer
Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldiers in an armoured vehicle patrol the streets of Tawes Pen in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, yesterday where residents mounted several roadblocks protesting against the death of their area don, Oliver 'Bubba' Smith. At right, Grange said as guarantor for the car loan she was required to include her name on the motor vehicle documents.
Glenroy Sinclair and Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Reporters
TOP SLEUTHS of the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) have turned their attention to Central St. Catherine Member of Parliament, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, following the gun-slaying of Oliver Smith, alias 'Bubba', the notorious leader of the powerful 'One Order' gang.
The police said Ms. Grange will be called in for questioning in relation to a Honda Civic motor car that Smith was driving at the time of his death. The lawmen said the car was registered in the names of Ms. Grange and Andrew Hope, alias 'Bun Man', who was second in line to Smith.
DENIAL
In response to the report, Ms. Grange denied that she was the owner of the vehicle, pointing out that she only assisted by guaranteeing a loan for one of her constituents to acquire the motor car.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that Ms. Grange's name was on supporting documents as the part owner of the vehicle that she allegedly purchased for $704,000 on December 24 last year from a car dealer on Constant Spring Road, St. Andrew.
In a press statement yesterday, Ms. Grange said as guarantor for the car loan she was required to include her name on the motor vehicle documents. But checks by The Gleaner to lending agencies and the Revenue Protection Department reveal that it is not mandatory, though optional, for guarantors of motor vehicle loans to display their names on official documents.
Speaking with Nationwide, Power 106 FM's news and current affairs programme yesterday, Ms. Grange denied that the sum was paid by her. She was also unable to explain how Smith got possession of the car, but confirmed that she, in fact, stood as a guarantor for Mr. Hope.
According to the police, Hope has been implicated in a case of shooting, a matter which is still before the court, while the deceased Smith, who was deported in May 2002, was also wanted by the police.
The lawmen said that Smith was the mastermind behind the $3-million robbery of a SuperPlus Food Store on July 6 this year.
Reports are that Smith was cornered and killed by a group of gunmen along Festival Road, off Whitehall Avenue in St. Andrew, on Monday night. Informed police sources said Smith, who had gone into the area with a female friend, was gunned down while speaking on his cellular phone.
MIGHT HAVE BEEN TRAILED
It is believed that Smith, who was wanted by the police, might have been trailed into the Whitehall area and killed. The Gleaner understands that prior to his death, he was in the area for several hours before he was killed.
He was attacked while standing a few yards away from the Honda Civic motor car he had driven to that community.
As news of Smith's death spread like wildfire across the Central St. Catherine constituency, scores of heavily armed members of the security forces were hastily dispatched to the Spanish Town enclave of Tawes Pen, and commercial activities came to a halt.
