One of the men who allegedly assaulted foreign media personnel outside the Parliament on Friday is today denying the incident transpired the way it was reported yesterday.
On Friday, foreign journalists seeking to interview Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner were pushed and shoved by men who attempted to shield the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader as he left the House of Representatives during the lunch break.
Video footage showed a man in a white T-shirt, identified as Kingslee, at Warner’s side clearing a pathway for the ILP leader outside Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port-of-Spain, as journalists and cameramen swarmed around Warner.
One cameraman was reportedly pushed to the ground, while other media personnel complained of being manhandled by the men.
Yesterday, Kingslee said in an interview, that the men in the video were ILP activists and not Warner’s bodyguards. He said he was an ILP activist. The other man in the video was ILP councillor Dayne Francois.
Kingslee explained that while they were making their way into the Parliament some foreign journalists tried to question Warner and he said he had no comment to make.
While leaving the Parliament, journalists again approached Warner.
Kingslee said that they asked the media on several occasions to clear the pathway but they were ignored.
“It is clear that the media has its job to do, but anyone not seeking to do an interview must not be jumbied as Mr Warner was yesterday (Friday).”