Self-styled ‘Maroon Emperor’ LA Lewis says he is giving Culture Minister Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange 24 hours to issue a formal apology to him or face the courts for allegedly assaulting him.

Lewis told OBSERVER ONLINE that the minister must apologise by 3pm on Friday, March 25 for allegedly assaulting and causing him embarrassment by having him physically removed from a venue in Trench Town during the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to the community on Tuesday.

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“We are giving her 24 hours to apologise. She insulted the maroon government … she wasn’t acting ‘diplomatical’,” he said.

He alleged that Grange used her fingernails to hurt him in the back while he was conducting interviews with members of the media.

“It was hot but mi nuh make it look a way true the press and the media was in front of me,” he said.

 “She deal with me like I was a piece of trash … that hurt me coming from a woman that I like,” Lewis said.

In a viral video, Lewis was seen talking to members of the media when the minister approached him and tapped him in the back. She then motioned to a man who was at first off camera and said “deal wid that fi mi”.

Lewis said he was approached by men who said they were under instruction from the minister to remove him from the area.

He said he did not want the matter to escalate any further so he left the compound. He said as he was leaving, a police man instructed him to report the matter to the police station.

He eventually went to the Trench Town police station where the matter was reported.

Lewis is being represented by attorney Charles Ganga-Singh in the matter.

“My client is taking this (alleged) physical attack on him by Minister Babsy Grange very seriously, and note that the Laws of Jamaica are applicable to any minister in the same manner, as anyone else,” said Ganga-Singh.

Efforts by OBSERVER ONLINE to contact Grange were unsuccessful up to publication time.