FALMOUTH, Trelawny — An apologetic People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for Trelawny Northern, Dennis Meadows says he misspoke on the campaign trail when he gave his stamp of approval to lottery scamming.

“Quite frankly, I misspoke and I unreservedly, unequivocally and absolutely withdraw that comment,” Meadows told the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday.

His apology came as pressure mounted on him for sanctioning an international criminal activity that has left many elderly American victims in its wake and deadly feuds between local players that sometimes spill over to impact innocent bystanders.

Asked if he was sober at the time he made the comments on a political platform as he drummed up support for the PNP ahead of Monday’s local government election, Meadows said curtly, “I would have had a few drinks prior, I must admit.”

But he appeared to largely attribute his comments to the stress of the political hustings.

“Sometimes, unfortunately, you are under political pressure and you respond without thinking,” he said.

“We as politicians, sometimes we must restrain ourselves. [This is] a lesson for me and I unreservedly again withdraw such reprehensible comment,” he added.

In a now-viral video, Meadows said he viewed lottery scamming as a form of reparations and his only issue with it is when the ill-gotten gains are squandered.

“Let me tell you straight up, and me can speak openly. I have no problem with a man if him wah chop. Because dem chop us during slavery so nothing wrong if we chop dem back,” he said as supporters cheered in agreement. “My only problem with chopping is that when you bingo, and you score, use the money wisely.”

In Jamaica, a “choppa” refers to a person involved in scamming.

On Wednesday, Meadows sought to provide the context for his remarks. He was responding, he said, to “the deluge of taxpayers’ money that was used for political inducement”.

“The whole speech was in the context that a $400,000 cheque was taken to me to be encashed from the Trelawny Parish Council and the recipient, or the payee, on that cheque — who happens to be a Comrade — said $25,000 was his and the rest goes back to the contractor who was under the guise of doing work for political buying,” he claimed.

“So the context was to chop politicians, don’t allow them to chop you because after [the election on] February 26, they have no use for you. So you must equally chop them because when taxpayers’ money is used in that way that’s chopping, and they are chopping you,” he added.

However, Meadows’ political opponent, Member of Parliament for Trelawny Northern, Tova Hamilton, described him as reckless and said his apology was fake. She was also quick to add that the JLP was not involved in any corrupt practices, including vote buying during the campaign.

“That is not a sincere apology. He’s not being sincere. His sincerity was on the campaign trail… on the platform when he spoke. That’s… what he’s portraying himself to be to the Trelawny people,” Hamilton said.

“He’s walking with all sort of questionable personalities. He’s very irresponsible and this is not the first, second or third time he’s displaying how irresponsible he is. I don’t know if this is the kind of leadership that Trelawny Northern wants or needs at this point,” she added.

Meadows has had a bumpy ride as a politician. As a member of the JLP, he made three unsuccessful efforts to represent Trelawny Northern. He resigned from the JLP in March 2022 following what he then described as a toxic relationship. That came after a war of words with the CEO of the Firearms Licensing Authority (FLA), Shane Dalling, who named Meadows — a former FLA board member — as one of several officials who granted gun permits to people with criminal convictions or adverse traces. The Integrity Commission later ruled that no charges would be laid against Meadows in connection with the issue.

Meadows went on to join the PNP in October 2022 and moved up in the party hierarchy, becoming chairman of the constituency and now caretaker candidate.

On Wednesday he insisted that he has been an upstanding citizen.

“Anybody who knows my history knows that I don’t support nothing criminal nor fraudulent, whether governmentally or privately. And, therefore, within that context, I must apologise to the People’s National Party, I must apologise to my Comrade leader Mark Golding and lastly, but more importantly, I must apologise to the people of North Trelawny for misspeaking in that kind of way,” he told the Observer.

“My lifestyle demonstrates that. If you check my record, I don’t support anything criminal or fraudulent. But as I said, I misspoke under pressure and for that I must take responsibility. In that regard I unreservedly and unequivocally withdraw those remarks,” he added.

The youth arm of the Jamaica Labour Party, Generation 2000 (G2K), is among those demanding that PNP leader Mark Golding reconsider Meadows’ candidacy.

In a statement, its president Shayne Kerr said the remarks should be taken as clear indication of the “type of society Mr Meadows will seek to empower if given the opportunity to serve as a legislator”.

The PNP has distanced itself from Meadows’ comments on the political platform; however, there is no indication that any further action will be taken.

“The party does not condone nor support any endorsement or tolerance of criminal activities, including lottery scams or any form of fraud. The PNP, under the leadership of Mark Golding, is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and adherence to the rule of law,” said a statement from the party’s General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell.

While expressing disappointment in Meadows’ remarks, Campbell said he had also noted his Comrade’s “public withdrawal of the comments and full-throated apology”.