MONTEGO BAY, St James — Deputy Mayor of Montego Bay Michael Troupe was yesterday freed of illegal possession of firearm and ammunition charges in the Western Regional Gun Court.

At the same time, the politician’s son, Jevaughn, who was charged jointly with his father, was sentenced to two years in prison at hard labour and fined $2 million. The younger Troupe had pleaded guilty last week Thursday to charges of illegal possession of firearm and ammunition.

The deputy mayor along with two of his sons, Councillor for the Salt Spring Division Sylvan Reid, and another man were taken into custody two weeks ago following raids by the lottery Scam Task Force.

Troupe’s chief attorney, Leonard Green, told reporters shortly before 4:00 yesterday afternoon that this was a sad day to see a man who had given 19 years of service to the country had been placed in such an embarrassing possession.

“Mr Troupe is a free man today and the prosecution, to my mind, has done the decent thing in that they have withdrawn the indictment against Michael Troupe. It is a sad day in this country where a Jamaican who has given 19 years as a public servant in the parish council and 16 years as a justice of the peace is carted off in handcuffs in the back of a truck. Then we are told that the charges against him are withdrawn.

“It is wrong, it is an injustice of the highest class; his character, his carreer cannot be repaired,” said Green.