L.A. Lewis tells judge he is a high priest

Entertainer L.A. Lewis evoked laugher in the St Catherine Parish Church yesterday after he responded to a judge who asked his name: "I am paramount chief, high priest of Nyan-Ko-Pong Maroon Government, Your Honour".

Lewis, who has consistently claimed British royalty, told the court that he also answers to the name Horace Lewis, which is his given name. He was in court to answer to charges of breaching the Disaster Risk Management Act. Lewis is charged jointly with Ras Wadewade Selassie I and Ras Nature Forever. They pleaded not guilty and were told to reappear in court on January 19, 2021.

The adjournment in their matter came after Lewis's many arguments to the court on the legality of the arrest. According to the artiste, he is protected by the Maroon constitution and cannot be charged under Jamaican law. Lewis and his accused said they interpret their arrest as an act of kidnapping. Lewis said that he thinks that there is a conspiracy against his tribe, and that he was only trying to protect the rights of a woman when he was arrested.

Seek legal representation

The men have been advised by judge Harrison to seek legal representation to articulate their case when they return to court.

Allegations are that on October 3, about 2:45 p.m., Lewis and others gathered in Spanish Town protesting the Government's COVID-19 requirement for persons to wear masks to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The police instructed that the group, led by Lewis, disperse; but they refused.

In addition to being charged with breaches of the Disaster Risk Management Act, Lewis and his co-accused were subsequently arrested and charged with the offences of disobeying a constable's command and failure to move and keep on moving.

Lewis and members of his clan, for which he said that he has been secretary of state and paramount chief for four years, have strongly opposed the Government's decree that persons wear masks in public places.

"We intake oxygen and breathe out carbon monoxide. So when we have a mask on our face and breathing out carbon monoxide which is bad for our intake, we are damaging our kidneys and other organs," Lewis told THE STAR recently. "This would mean that we are putting back toxins in our body and that would weaken our immune system making us unable to fight off any disease or virus. So even the common flu virus will become an issue."