KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Leader Andrew Holness has said that the Prickly Pole Primary School saga “stinks of political corruption” and has called for an independent probe of the affair leading to the sacking of the school’s chairman.

Education Minister Ronald Thwaites on Wednesday terminated the appointment of Vinette Robb-Oddman as chairman of the school effective immediately.

Thwaites advised Robb-Oddman in a letter that he was satisfied she was part of a group that disrupted classes at the school and further participated in a demonstration that students from the school were a part of.

The demonstration, which was deemed politically motivated, took place on September 18. Eleven-year-old student Akella Lewis fell ill and died while allegedly participating in the protest.

Read: Sacked!“Separate and apart from the contractor general’s investigation, the prime minister should recognise the glaring conflict of interests in this matter, restrict her ministers from further actions, and launch an independent investigation into the whole sordid affair,” Holness said, adding that “the entire affair surrounding Prickly Pole Primary stinks of political corruption and can only serve to prejudice the school as an institution and the wider community”.He said: “There is a conflict of interest, when Lisa Hanna, the member of parliament against whom the protest staged in the vicinity of the school was launched, is also the minister responsible for the Child Development Agency. This agency was tasked by Minister Hanna to confirm that the death of the child was a result of the protest which involved children in attendance at Prickly Pole Primary.“It is also curious that the minister of education would act so expeditiously to dismiss a school board chairman, who, based on public utterances, is staunchly opposed to his cabinet colleague Minister Hanna, without the full administrative process of hearings and independent investigations being followed.”Holness said on the surface of the issue, dismissing the board chairman may be appropriate, however, he noted that the minister should avoid any appearance or suggestion of political partiality or conflict of interest, which could be the subject of a judicial review of his actions.He said this is also against the background that “we are not aware of the minister ever dismissing the chairman of a school board in the face of equally or even more egregious conduct”.At the same time, Holness expressed sadness at Akella’s passing .