PM’s brother robbed, beaten in daylight incident
POLICE from the Kingston Central station and the Flying Squad have launched a manhunt for suspects involved in yesterday’s attack on the elder brother of Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller at his businessplace in downtown Kingston.
Seventy-one-year-old Vincent Simpson, the managing director of Simpson’s Dollar Saver, was attacked shortly after he arrived to open the store. He was beaten, stabbed and robbed of approximately $30,000 in cash, a television set and a firearm, police reported.
He was rushed to hospital and has since been admitted.
A source close to the PM said she has visited her injured sibling — who is reported to have accompanied her down the aisle when she got married.
“She is a bit shaken up (by the incident) and has gone to visit him,” the source told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.
Meanwhile, business operators in the city are urging the police to fast-track their investigation and are praying that the incident will not turn people off from doing business in the commercial district.
Businessman Mark Azan described the incident as unfortunate and said he felt that it would serve to draw the attention of the authorities to the “lawlessness and indiscipline” that are creeping back into downtown Kingston.
“The level of lawlessness and indiscipline that has taken over in downtown needs to be addressed,” Azan said, adding that vendors were again failing to follow rules prohibiting street vending and were making it difficult for police to operate in the city.
Proprietor of Ammar’s Michael Ammar Jr also described yesterday’s attack on Simpson as unfortunate and wished the elderly man a speedy recovery.
Ammar Jr, who said Simpson has been doing business in the city for years, said he hoped the police will dispense with the investigation of the incident as quickly as possible, which would send a message to criminal elements that downtown was off-limits.
A quick turnaround time in solving the case would also please Gassan Azan, owner of the Bashco chain of stores.
“I am hoping that the police will step up their investigation (in the matter),” he said.
