GOVERNMENT Senator A J Nicholson is catching more heat as a result of e-mail exchanges between himself and Opposition Senator Marlene Malahoo-Forte, regarding his ‘flexi-rape’ comment in the Upper House last Friday.

A report was made against Nicholson yesterday to president of the Senate, Floyd Morris as a result of the e-mail.

The police have also been notified of the e-mail by Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate Tom Tavares-Finson. In a release yesterday, Tavares-Finson described the e-mail as threatening to Opposition Senator Kamina Johnson Smith. Johnson Smith is said to be seeking legal advice about the “defamatory” tone of the letter.

“In all my life, no one has ever stated such a bare-faced lie on me publicly. But let your colleague be assured that the evil that people do…the big pay back is coming. Mark my word!” reportedly read a section of one of Nicholson’s e-mail that the Opposition has taken issue with.

“This statement is of particular concern taken together with his utterances after withdrawing the offending statement on Friday afternoon. I am advised that he angrily directed the following words (among others) at Senator Johnson Smith across the aisle. ‘You will see. You will see’ — a recognisable threatening phrase commonly used in Jamaica,” Tavares-Finson said the release.

“…Such behaviour cannot be tolerated, especially when Jamaicans were furnished with what was supposedly an apology only now to be made aware of this brazen and inappropriate attack by Senator Nicholson on a female parliamentarian,” he added.

The Jamaica Observer was unable to reach Nicholson for comment yesterday.

Nicholson, on Saturday, issued an apology for the comment that was made during the Senate discussion on the flexi-workweek debate.

The comment came during a presentation by Malahoo-Forte, who was explaining that she understood the need for the Flexible Working Arrangements Bill making it lawful for women to work at nights to ensure equality, “but, you know we also have high incidence of rape at nights; we have abduction of children and women…”.

“What you want flexi-rape?” Nicholson then commented from his seat, drawing muffled laughter from Government members and an angry response from Opposition senators who demanded that he withdrew the remark.

The e-mail between Nicholson and Malahoo-Forte followed the Senate sitting and centred on an interview Johnson Smith had done with Nationwide Radio concerning the “flexi-rape” comment.

Nicholson took offence to the interview, alleging in an e-mail to Malahoo-Forte that Johnson Smith had lied on him.