Trelawny MC says custos dissed mayor at Independence function

Western Bureau:

The Trelawny Municipal Corporation (TMC) is refuting reports that bad blood with Custos Paul Muschett was behind Falmouth Mayor Collen Gager’s absence from the platform and the inspection of the guard of honour at the recent Independence Day Civic Ceremony in the parish capital.

“No ‘bad blood’ would have caused the mayor to be absent from the parade at a function being hosted by the Trelawny Municipal Corporation, where he serves as chairman,” the TMC said in a statement.

On Independence Day, at approximately 10:30 a.m., the designated start time on the programme for the inspection of the guard of honour, the custos instructed Superintendent Kurt Ricketts, the commander of the Trelawny Police Division, to commence the exercise without the mayor, who was not on the dais. This triggered speculation as to why the mayor was left out of the proceedings.

Subsequent to the inspection of the guard of honour, the custos told The Gleaner that the event proceeded in accordance with the pre-planned arrangement.

“Each group and persons participating were given specific times for their arrivals. I was the last person scheduled to arrive. I arrived at 10:25 and the inspection went off as scheduled,” the custos said.

Exceeded his authority

However, in the mayor’s defence, the TMC statement intimated that the custos may have exceeded his authority when he instructed that the exercise should go ahead without the mayor.

“His Worship (Gager), who had arrived at the function from 10 a.m. was waiting to be queued to arrive on the inspection at 10:27 for a 10:30 start, at which point the custos would join,” the TMC said.

The municipal corporation said that the mayor acted quite professionally after being slighted and fitted into the remainder of the event without seeking to make a fuss.

The animosity between the mayor and custos, which has been simmering for quite some time, came to a head in June at the Jamaica Gasolene Retailers Association’s inaugural quiz competition final, where, in the presence of the children, their teachers, and the sponsors, the mayor flatly refused to shake the custos’ extended hand or even acknowledge him.

“I don’t want to see you, neither am I bowing to you,” Gager had told Muschett, who retreated without making a fuss.

Subsequent to the apparent snub, the custos told The Gleaner that he was becoming increasingly disgusted with the mayor’s public behaviour towards him.

“It is the fourth time at a public function that he has failed to acknowledge me,” Muschett said at the time. “I told him he must stop behaving like a rude child,” Muschett said.

A number of stakeholders in the parish are unhappy with the situation and are calling on the men to bury the hatchet.

adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com