Squash is not a criminal
Shelly-Ann Millwood, the mother of entertainer Squash, is pleading with the police and other authorities to release her son from lock-up.
Squash, given name André Whittaker, 27, was taken into custody on August 8, and has been in custody since then, although he was brought before a tribunal on August 30.
Millwood said her son’s lawyer told her “my son is a free man, he is not on no charge, but it will take two weeks for them to release him”.
“It’s two months now and my son is still in custody,” she told THE WEEKEND STAR.
Squash’s latest detention comes after he spent more than four months earlier this year in lock-up at the Freeport Police Station in Montego Bay under the state of emergency, before he was released in June without charge.
“Him out there doing him thing and likkle afta they put out him name and say him must carry in himself because he is wanted for questioning. We get a lawyer, the lawyer take him in, and the lawyer talk to dem and dem say him free to go,” she explained.
However, Millwood said a couple of days later, the police came to her home looking for him, but he was performing at Dream Weekend on August 6.
PICKED UP BY POLICE
Two days after his return, he was picked up by police in St Ann. However, he was brought to Freeport.
Millwood is convinced of her son’s innocence.
“The man no involve inna crime. Squash is not a man of war, if yuh bring war to that man, that man walk away from yuh and gone,” she said.
And despite the Trending artiste scoring a number of hits, she said his career has been curtailed by what she calls ‘unjust detentions’, which prevent him from carrying out his role as the breadwinner for his family.
“A over 14 shows mi count weh him miss, right now him have shows in Ochi, Taboo, [and] him have show overseas a Dubai,” Millwood said noting that monies have had to be refunded on numerous occasions.
When THE WEEKEND STAR contacted Stacy-Ann Young, the president of the Cornwall Bar Association, she confirmed that Whittaker was brought before the tribunal.
“Thirtieth of August was the date that they went before the tribunal and they are still awaiting the ruling. We have not been given an indication on when a ruling would be coming,” she explained.
Millwood said that the pressure of seeing her son spending extended periods of time in lockup is becoming hard to bear.
“A true mi strong and believe inna mi self and believe inna mi son else mi mad. Right now mi nuh care cause enough is enough,” she said.