L.A. Lewis Wants A Public Apology From Babsy Grange For ‘Assault’
The seven-star general entertainer and self-proclaimed Maroon chief Horus ‘L.A’ Lewis says he has filed assault charges against Entertainment and Culture Minister Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange in relation to an incident at a public event for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Trench Town on Tuesday.
In the wake of the incident, Lewis says he has been prescribed painkillers and he is traumatized.
“My lawyers are pursuing the case to get ‘Babsy’ to do an apology. KD Knight and Charles Gangasingh are the leading lawyers on the case. We have to get an apology, as my attorney said, nobody is above the law, not even a politician, not even myself as a Maroon emperor, everyone is accountable under the Common Law,” he said.
The report was filed at the Trench Town police station in South St Andrew on Wednesday.
L.A. Lewis’ legal team is vigorously pursuing the matter.
“My client is taking the physical attack on him by Minister Babsy Grange very seriously and note that the laws of Jamaica are applicable to any minister in the same manner as anyone else,” attorney-at-law Charles Ganga-Singh told the media.
Efforts to reach Minister Grange for a comment were futile. Minister Grange has served as Member of Parliament for Saint Catherine Central since 1997 and as Jamaica’s Minister of Sports, Youth and Culture for the duration of the Jamaica Labour Party government from 2007 to 2011 and again since 2016.
“The police have told me she has 43 hours to turn in herself or give a public apology,” LA Lewis said.
According to Lewis, the alleged assault took place when Grange attempted to escort him from an event attended by the Duke and Duchess at Culture Yard in Trench Town, which is the former home of reggae icon Bob Marley which was turned into a cultural centre and museum.
“She grab her claw in me hard and leave an imprint. Me never did a expect it but me still a smile fi make it look like nothing nah gwaan because the media was in front of me and me never want to look embarrassed,” he added.
In a video making the rounds on social media, Minister Olivia Grange is seen interrupting Lewis’ media interview, telling the Seven Star General: “LA, this is not your show. Come.”
Lewis said he was embarrassed when Grange suggested to businessman George Phang that he “deal with that”.
“Who is she styling as ‘that’?” L.A Lewis asked.
A medical report dated March 23, signed by Dr. Kemone Robinson, said Lewis was suffering from a bruise on the left scapula (shoulder blade) and that the injury, while temporary, is consistent with blunt force trauma.
Yesterday, Foota Hype had expressed displeasure about the manner in which Grange had dealt with LA, pointing out that she had breached his constitutional rights of freedom of assembly and movement.
“If what is being said that the Honourable Babsy Grange meck police throw out L.A. Lewis outta di place weh di prince an him wife did deh, that’s a serious disrespect and violation a human rights, das you a guh throw out somebaddy outta a public event? At a public event?” Foota had said during an Instagram monologue.
“Rememba me nuh agree wid L.A. Lewis pon a lot a tings… mi nuh rate him, but in all fairness, seen it’s a public event. Wedda him waan blow horn, him have a right fi deh-deh,” Foota had added.
Foota said that despite his feelings towards Lewis, he had to be fair, as all citizens of Jamaica are entitled to equal treatment.
“Just be honest. Why would you disrespect L.A Lewis like that? It was open to all citizens. Suh mi just a be real. Mi naw be like mi a gi L.A. Lewis no basket fi carry water. Him a still Jamaican and a di area weh him born and grow an live inna,” he argued.
“Now, Missis Grange, who are you to throw di man out? Who is that policeman? Him actually fi carry oonu guh a court enuh, an him fi actually build a case gainst oonu fi disrespect and embarrassment and grief, personal grief, caw oonu shoulda neva do dat. Loww di man. An meck di man look…,” he said.