BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AFTER numerous failed attempts, SKNVibes was finally able to contact the man whom Joylyn Ross alleged pressured her into committing an illegal act by taking her cellular phone into the polling booth on Polling Day, Monday, January 25, 2010.
The man whom Ross accused, Laughton ‘Laffy’ Browne, had contacted SKNVibes on Monday (Mar. 1) following the publication of an article headlined “The Joylyn Ross saga; more questions than answers”.
Browne told this media house that he was never involved in any illegal act with Ross and at no time did he pressure her into voting for the political party of which he is a supporter.
Ross, who was arrested on Monday, January 25, 2010 for entering a polling booth carrying a cell phone and making use of a cell phone in a polling booth, was charged for the offences some two days after and subsequently fined EC$3 000 for the former offence while the latter was dismissed. She has since returned to Guyana after the fine was paid.
Ross claimed that Browne had been constantly telling her which party she should vote for, and at about 6:00 a.m. on Polling Day she called him to take her to the polling station but he sent another man to chauffeur her there.
“I called him but he said he couldn’t come and he sent another man to take me to the polling station. He however reminded me who to vote for and that after voting I should go in the car and let the man take me to other polling stations and encourage all Guyanese to vote for the party of his choice,” she said.
Browne refuted the allegations of telling her which party she should vote for and also that of being driven to other polling stations to encourage her fellow Guyanese to vote for the party of his choice. He however admitted to sending a vehicle with a driver to chauffeur her to the Ivor Walters Primary School at Brown Hill in Electoral District Nevis Nine, where she voted.
“On the Sunday night before the elections, Joylyn called me and said she wanted me to take her to the polling station on Monday. I told her that I couldn’t do it but I‘ll send someone to take her”.
He said the only time he spoke to Ross following the Sunday night’s conversation was when she was arrested and standing outside of the polling station.
“I saw Joylyn standing outside the polling station by the fence and two police officers was with her. She called me and I know that she was in some trouble. I talk to Joylyn in the presence of the officers and other people who was around. I said if I did know that you was going to take a picture of which party you vote for I would had taken away your phone. I know that she didn’t vote for NRP; it was CCM,” Browne said.
Browne, who declared that he is a staunch supporter of the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP), said it is some 30 years since he has been involved in politics, that he is the owner of a supermarket and has been helping many Guyanese over the years.
He also said he is married to one of Ross’ relatives and that he had assisted her in acquiring her 2009 work permit on Nevis.
“I would never encourage Joylyn to do wrong. I am married to one of her relatives and I was the one that help her to get her work permit last year. I ensured she was assisted in getting it with the help of Mr. Daniel, Mr. Farrell and Sooty Byron,” he said.
Browne claimed that many people have been wrongly accusing him of pressuring members of the Guyanese population on Nevis, “but I have always been helping Guyanese. I help many of them to get their work permit”.
He also claimed that he had assisted Ross in moving from her Stoney Grove residence to Hermitage and “I told her not to worry about the money the woman owe her. Even up to the Friday before elections I gave her $200. Joylyn was my friend and whenever she ask for anything I would give her”.
On Monday evening (Mar. 1), Browne said he had spoken to Ross on the allegations and she denied making them. However, in a recorded conversation on the same night, Ross told SKNVibes that she did receive a telephone call from Browne but he never asked her about the statements she made.
“Laffy called me earlier and I wanted to know who gave him my number. He said to me, ‘Me and you name deh all over de place.’ And I lashed out at him…I blast him until I cried,” Ross said.
Ross has also promised to bring this unfortunate episode in her life to an end and would be grateful if an investigation would be had, as suggested by Nevis’ Premier the Hon. Joseph Parry.
In an interview with WINN FM 98.9 on Saturday (Feb. 29), Premier Parry said, “The second thing that I think should be of greatest public interest is this incident that took place on election day when someone tried to use a camera to show who she voted for. I believe that matter needs to be explored by both Mr. Brantley and the CCM and the NRP and the other authorities.”
He also said that who she voted for needed to be exposed and that information was available. “It just need an inquiry and once it comes out maybe we can move from there to find out who’s doing what. That is what I would have liked to see really - real matters,” WINN FM quoted him as saying.
