The split among Maroons in Accompong was even more evident yesterday as supporters of embattled Chief Richard Currie tried to intimidate journalists and bluntly told them to get out of the village, while others maintained that the man at the centre of the controversy is a dictator surrounded by men who disrespect residents.

Journalists had gone to the historic town in St Elizabeth to get more information on what was happening after some Maroons claimed that members of Currie’s security detail are usually quick to physically assault and threaten anyone who goes against the orders of the chief, who was elected in February this year.

However, men aligned to Currie demanded that the media not take photographs and aggressively enquired about their purpose in the town.

“Dis yah man yah nuh qualify fi see wi chief. Lef outa wi town. Di chief seh wi fi mek dem man deh leave right now,” one man said as he confronted the Jamaica Observer, while Deputy Chief Chase Rowe attempted to calm to the situation.

Currie was nowhere in sight during the media’s visit; however, Jim Rowe, another of his supporters who remained composed as he defended his chief’s honour, said the only truth about the accusations against Currie is that he is a man who upholds order and who is not afraid to take a stand against unruly elements determined not to follow rules.

He claimed that past leaders of the town had been guilty of letting people operate in any way they wished.

“The people are not telling lies when they say the colonel is locking off parties. Indeed, that is a fact. The colonel doesn’t necessarily have a security team. These people being referred to as security would come to meetings and stand up, and if somebody comes there to interrupt, they would say ‘Look yah, man, yuh can’t do that,’ and that is the problem. Nobody don’t get the free hand to do what they want to do,” Jim Rowe told the Observer..

“It is very difficult to have coronavirus going around the place and you have guys from Montego Bay, Westmoreland, and Hanover, where curfew is, and they come over to party every weekend. These guys are the scammers dem. People invite them up here and by 8:00 pm you see a whole set a bike and cars coming up and then you hear seh party a keep. That can’t continue. I see a level of outside politics shaping up,” he said.

At the same time, a group of Maroons not aligned to Currie, and who were gathered on the verandah of a house, grabbed the opportunity to highlight to the Observer issues which have led them to feel they are living under a dictatorship.

They claimed that Currie’s practice of having men lock off parties early, even if promoters pay the fees demanded by him, affects only Maroons who support the past colonel.

According to one resident, who requested anonymity, “This party thing where the colonel a seh it fi lock off 10:00 pm, it’s not because of COVID-19. It is all about the fee… It’s all about the money weh dem a generate… All of the persons who support him go through wid fi dem party ’till daylight. All a di person now weh did support Mr Williams haffi lock off eight or 10 o’clock. Some people are being victimised by the present Administration.”

Another man said that shortly after the Maroon election in February, “Di bwoy bwoy dem weh him have roun’ di place, all they do is go around and disrespect people.

“Dem will a walk and belch and seh ‘Get them offa wi chest.’ The same bwoy weh beat up the young youth at the party the other night love tell people ’bout dem modda. Saturday mi deh a one gravedigging and mi see a man a point up inna mi brethren face and a ask if him know seh him after him. People affiliated wid di colonel, their party go through wid no problem,” the man claimed.

Yesterday, the Observer had reported that accusations against Currie had been made after a resident complained of being stabbed and ‘gun-butted’ by one of his security men as they shut down a party in the town last weekend, allegedly on the chief’s orders.

However, Currie, while confirming that there was an incident, said that it was being investigated both internally and by the police.

He also denied that parties held in the town are allowed to run until daylight.

“In bringing things to order we put in place a process to manage things happening in the space, because it is not a free-for-all. Things don’t go on here all night and as long as they want; that is not how it works. What I have done is put in a system that is no different than what you would have to do if you were keeping an event in the general space,” Currie said.

“At the end of the day, the responsibility for cleaning up the town and doing all the necessary remedies to bring things back to their natural state relies on the chief,” he said.

“This town is not a party town. This is a sacred space. We have our elders here who are quite vulnerable and a lot of them have aired their concern. I have been elected as leader to represent all. I have to know who coming in here and what they are doing, and I have to give approval or denial,” Currie stated firmly.