Shelly-Ann Thompson, Staff Reporter

Opposition Leader Bruce Golding consoles Sanya Ebanks, sister of Sanjay Ebanks, who was murdered in the Woodford Park community of South East St. Andrew on Thursday night. Mr. Ebanks was the Jamaica Labour Party’s office manager in the community. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Amid increasing tensions across the island, residents of Woodford Park in the South East St. Andrew constituency claimed yesterday that Political Ombudsman Bishop Herro Blair has been useless in ensuring peace in the community.

Their comments yesterday followed the shooting death of Sanjay Ebanks, manager of the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) office in Woodford Park.

Ebanks was shot by gunmen travelling in a silver Nissan Sunny motor car, while walking home. He died hours later at the Kingston Public Hospital.

Everywhere him go is a problem

Ebanks

“[We] no want him (Blair) ‘round here. Everywhere him go is a problem,” one woman said, before she was hushed by the constituency’s JLP candidate Joan Gordon-Webley.

In his defence, Bishop Blair said one would only be criticised while acting as a referee in such a situation.

“When you make a ruling against one side, the other side acts that way. I am the neutral party, but I am the judge in all of this,” Mr. Blair said.

At the same time, the constituency remains a hotbed of violence, with some men in the community threatening to retaliate for Ebanks’ murder.

Mrs. Gordon-Webley said that since late last year, seven persons from the community have died as a result of political violence.

Opposition Leader Bruce Golding said the residents were incensed over Ebanks’ murder but were urged to allow the police to investigate and the political leaders to seek to bring calm to the community.

“There is great deal of anger. I have urged the citizens to be calm. We can’t bring back Sanjay [and], we don’t want anybody else to die that way,” Mr. Golding said.

No point

He added: “Every retaliation invokes a retaliation to that retaliation and there is no point in going that way.”

In an effort to avert such retaliation, Bishop Blair and the police met with the candidates yesterday afternoon.

Another meeting has been scheduled for Monday with the political representatives of the South East and East St. Andrew constituencies.

“One of the solutions mentioned was to have a couple of workers on the ground to walk together in the community. The people need to see this and maybe this will bring some calm in the community,” Bishop Blair said.

Mr. Golding and Derrick Smith, Opposition Spokesman on National Security, have asked Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas to establish a temporary security post in the community during the election period.

In a press release yesterday, PNP representatives in the constituency said the police must conduct a speedy investigation and cautioned persons against forming hasty conclusions about the motive for Ebanks’ murder.

shelly-ann.thompson@gleanerjm.com