MP Sarabo-Halley remains traumatized following alleged assault – does not rule out private criminal charges

Member of Parliament Tabitha Sarabo-Halley is not ruling out private criminal charges against government minister and MP Kwame McCoy following an alleged assault on her earlier this week. At her first press briefing following the incident, MP Sarabo-Halley said that “all options” remain on the table when she was asked whether she is considering private criminal charges against the MP.

The police are currently investigating the alleged incident. Mr Sarabo-Halley said she has not been updated on investigations, but she saw police investigators at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre where the National Assembly is being held.

A tearful MP Sarabo-Halley told the media she remains traumatized over the event as she said she was unable to return to the building unassisted yesterday, “I had to call a member of parliament from my car,” the MP said as she broke down, wiping tears away.

MP Halley-Sarabo in recounting the alleged assault, she said that McCoy and others were seen confronting Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield outside of the Chambers. She said in passing she encouraged the CEO to avoid confrontation and to leave the building. She said she was then followed by McCoy who “shoved” her in the temple.

Halley-Sarabo said she has since obtained a medical which has determined she has head trauma. She told the media she has had a pain on her “left temple” which has moved her neck.

Additionally, the MP when she addressed the issue of video evidence said that with the placement of security cameras outside of the dome at the ACCC, it would not be possible that cameras caught the alleged assault,  as she said that no “camera was pointing in the direction.”

During her press conference, MP Sarabo-Halley called her government ministers, including the women, who she said “took pleasure in making snide remarks,” in mocking her following the incident as she said she has had to deal with a double attack since the matter.

Sarabo-Halley’s husband, Clayon Halley who joined the MP at the press conference called for National Assembly and police to take actions against McCoy whom he described as a known miscreant, who has had several assault charges against him in the past.

MP Kwame McCoy has denied assaulting the MP Sarabo-Halley, in a statement he said that there was an “exchange of words but there was absolutely no physical contact whatsoever.”