KD Knight threatens lawsuit over JLP rally recording; Tufton insists tape is genuine

Retired legislator KD Knight is threatening to sue Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) over what he claims is a “manipulated recording” played at the party’s mass rally on Sunday. According to Knight, the audio falsely suggested he has no confidence in People’s National Party (PNP) President Mark Golding’s ability to lead Jamaica.

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In a media release on Monday evening, Knight described the audio as a “malicious fabrication.”

“I categorically state that I have never at any time, in any forum, or under any circumstances made statements suggesting Mark Golding is unfit to be Prime Minister. The recording is clearly altered, and the words are a deliberate concoction designed to deceive the public and tarnish my reputation,” Knight said.

He further labelled the recording a “desperate and reckless act of political sabotage” by the JLP.

“Let me be unequivocal: The recording is a lie. Every syllable attributed to me re Cde Mark Golding’s unsuitability to be Prime Minister is a lie. This is not mere political gamesmanship; it is a deliberate assault on truth and democratic integrity,” Knight added.

Knight said he has instructed his attorneys to pursue immediate legal action against the JLP, Dr. Tufton, and all parties involved in the creation and dissemination of the audio.

“I will seek the fullest redress in law for this calculated attempt to manipulate public opinion and damage my credibility,” he said.

Tufton says recording is authentic

However, JLP Campaign Committee Chairman Dr. Tufton has categorically rejected Knight’s claims, insisting the recording is authentic.

“The tape is 100% genuine. I understand Mr. Knight’s embarrassment at the comment he made, but his claim that it was altered is blatantly false. If he wishes to pretend he never said it, that’s on him, but the facts are clear. His words are entirely consistent with sharp criticisms he has previously made of Mark Golding in the public domain,” Tufton said.

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Tufton pointed to a September 3, 2019 report in the national press in which Knight, then speaking about Golding’s role in the PNP’s Rise United Campaign, criticised the announcement of an endowment fund.

Describing Golding’s conduct at the time as “suspicious” and “despicable,” Knight was quoted as saying:

“This suspicious fundraising scheme is not a PNP initiative as it has not been sanctioned by the Party’s annual conference, NEC nor the Executive Committee. The announcement, at this time, is not coincidental and it is a brazen attempt to use cash inducements to influence delegates in the presidential election. Rise United is trading on the economic needs of comrades and it is a despicable attempt to use money to grab power, which has never been a part of the internal PNP democracy.”

Tufton added that Knight had also called for an investigation into Golding’s actions, accused him of “importing alien behaviour into the PNP,” and noted that Golding had relinquished the treasury role claiming he was “not good at fund raising,” yet was “spearheading an unauthorised fund raising scheme with the sole purpose of influencing votes.”

According to Tufton, these remarks are part of a “well-documented pattern” of senior PNP members questioning Golding’s leadership.

“I will not be intimidated by Knight’s denial. His own mouth has packed his bags for him. Time come for him to go. He should avoid the very habit he once warned against – being pathologically mendacious – and leave the scene quietly and with some dignity,” Tufton concluded.