ST JAMES, Jamaica —The ongoing political poster issue in St James took another twist earlier Tuesday with the St James Municipal Corporation and People’s National Party caretaker for St James West Central, Dr Andre Haughton, locking horns.

Haughton was accused by the corporation of placing a poster on their revenue boards in the areas of Pye River and Long Hill, resulting in the aspiring legislator paying the corporation a sum for his posters.

According to reports, on Monday, a message was conveyed to Haughton about the poster being in the revenue-generating space. According to the chairman of the commercial services committee, Councillor Arthur Lynch, Haughton and his lawyers were advised that they needed to remove the posters by 9:00 am on Tuesday.

“We’ve identified a breach pertaining to a matter that is before the courts with the individual,” Lynch said in a statement.

The alleged breach that Lynch has referred to falls under a ruling handed down in the Supreme Court as part of an injunction granted to Haughton and other members of the PNP, Senator Janice Allen and Allan Bernard.

The three had challenged the legitimacy of the corporation’s ability to remove political signs belonging to them.

Part of ‘provision six’ of the ruling reads that “signs are not to be attached to revenue-earning boards unless relevant fees have been paid”.

Using this, the corporation took the relevant steps to secure their space, and with reports that this was not met, the posters belonging to Haughton were removed.

However, it seems that, according to the mayor of Montego Bay, Richard Vernon, “good sense prevailed and order restored to the space” with reports showing that space was officially leased on the revenue boards for a month by a member of Haugton’s team.

“The fact that you paid is that you acknowledged that you erred,” Vernon stated in a comment to the Observer Online.

He, however, indicated that, as required, he would not be speaking on the matter of the judicial review since that is still before the courts.

That stems from the fact that the opposition members involved in the matter are seeking the courts to quash a decision taken by the corporation regarding political posters being placed within the municipality.