DR. OMAR DAVIES, the Member of Parliament for South St. Andrew, says Arnett Gardens area leader George Phang has never disrespected him and there is no animosity between them.
Responding to rumors which had allegedly led to a division between men in the community and a split in the leadership, Dr. Davies said these were all rumours started by unscrupulous persons.
"George has never been anything but respectful to me," Davies told THE STAR. "Those who are spreading those rumours are illiterate young men who don't know anything," the Minister of Finance added.
This was evident yesterday when THE STAR contacted Phang, who said he was at Davies' office and gave the Minister the phone to speak with THE STAR.
The Minister said he and Phang were in the process of discussing some projects for the constituency overall and Arnett Gardens in particular and also how to make the constituency more economically viable.
"I want to open up the constituency so that people can go through and feel free, but the more they misbehave is the more people will stay away," Davies said.
Davies, who had initially refused to get involved in the 'power struggle' and impending violence in the community, saying the police must be allowed to do their job, eventually called a meeting between the major players last Friday. At that meeting, he said, it was decided that those who had influence over sections of the community will "cool it". He said the area was still tense but believed it would eventually die down.
Given a fight
Meanwhile Phang, adamant that he loves his community and will not be leaving, says he was being given a fight by a handful of men who wanted power but he was not about to get into any 'tussle' with anyone. "Right now we working for the betterment of the community. The Minister have a plan and that is what we working on," he said.
Both Phang and the Minister denied that a multi-million dollar housing project was at the heart of the dispute. For the past two weeks, the Jones Town, Arnett Gardens and Craig Town communities have been embroiled in a leadership struggle that has so far claimed two lives and injured several other persons. The dead are identified as Anthony 'Chuncie' Folkes, 47, and Andrew 'Cessface' Laing, both of Jones Town. Both men were killed on Good Friday.
Folkes, who was said to be a right hand man of area don George Phang, was allegedly killed as a warning to the community leader. Other warnings, including graffiti telling Phang and his brother Andrew, to leave the area, remain on several walls in the community.
Since the tension police have been in the area daily and there have been night curfews in an effort to quell the violence.
