Pellau Magazine

Following an intense and crucial meeting last week with all stakeholders of the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) a decision was allegedly made to drop all sponsorship with Soca King and defending Power Monarch and Road March title holder Machel Montano.

The meeting consisted of the TSTT board, chaired by former Commissioner of Police Everald Snaggs.

The decision was allegedly made following Montano being found guilty by a Port-of-Spain magistrate on assault and obscene language charges.

Another soca artiste said that the word did get around the fraternity earlier today but they had no confirmation to “lean on”.

Montano was scheduled to perform at the Soca B Square at Woodford Square in Port-of-Spain but would not be performing again as that too was allegedly pulled from him.

Just last week Fixin TT called on the Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar and the board and management of TSTT to immediately dissociate the organisation from Machel Montano.

In a release the group said: “We remind them of the fact that Mr Montano has been convicted on four counts of ‘criminal’ assault.  Among the victims was a young lady.  A young man was hospitalized for six days due to injuries sustained”.

The group added, “we ask both the Prime Minister and TSTT what message are we sending to our people and in particular our youth by having someone with Mr Montano’s record continue, in the present circumstances, to be a spokesperson for TSTT; a company that is majority owned by the citizens of Trinidad & Tobago?”

On January 17 Montano did not have his sentence read out to him in the Port-of-Spain magistrates’ court as the matter was instead adjourned to February 25.

Magistrate Maureen Baboolal-Gafoor heard legal submission’s made by attorneys representing Montano, his co-defendant, songwriter and producer Kernal Roberts, who was found guilty on two assault charges.  Submissions were also made by representatives of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The legal arguments surrounded whether or not the two defendants can be sentenced to community service for the offences.

Montano, the reigning Power Soca Monarch and Road March king, along with Roberts, Joel “Zan” Feveck and Rodney “Benjai” LeBlanc, were all charged with a series of criminal offences arising out a fracas outside the Zen nightclub, in Port of Spain in April 2007.

Montano and Roberts were found guilty on December 10, last year.

Montano was found guilty on four charges of assault against Gerard Bowrin, Brandis Browne, Janelle Lee Chee and Russell Pollonais.

Montano was also found guilty of using obscene language during the same incident.

Roberts was also found guilty on two charges of assault.  Benjai, was charged with two offences of assault and Feveck, charged with a single offence of assault.  Both of them were found not guilty.

Taken from TTnewsflash