By LAUREL V WILLIAMS Friday, January 4 2013

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SOCA HUG: Calypsonian Johnny King (left) is hugged by soca artiste Anslem Douglas yesterday during registration for the Caribbean Prestige Foundation'...

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SOCA superstar Machel Montano must quit his post of TT’s Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) or be fired from that post, because of his conviction by the courts on charges of assault and using obscene language.

This is the call being made by president of the International Radio Emergency Support Coalition (IRESC) Julien Mervyn Dedier. In a one-page letter dated January 1, addressed to UN Women Caribbean Sub-Regional Programme Director Roberta Clarke, in Barbados.

The letter stated: “Machel’s action is not in keeping with the United Nations’ theme on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls.”

Montano, the reigning Power Soca Monarch and Road March King, was found guilty by Port-of-Spain Magistrate Maureen Baboolal-Gafoor last month on four charges. The charges stemmed from a fracas outside the Zen nightclub, in Port-of-Spain, in April 2007. Three of the charges were for assaulting patrons Gerard Bowrin, Brandis Browne, Janelle Lee Chee and Russell Pollonais. The fourth charge against Montano was for using obscene language during the same incident.

Also charged with offences out of the same incident were Kernel Roberts, the son of legendary Calypso icon Lord Kitchener, Joel “Zan” Feveck, a member of Montano HD Family, and Rodney “Benjai” LeBlanc. Roberts was also found guilty on two charges of assault while LeBlanc and Feveck were found not guilty.

“Machel’s action and convictions, is enough for him to be removed as Goodwill UN Ambassador,” the letter added. Sentencing against Montano and Roberts is expected to be handed down on January 17.

John Hubertson of the UN’s public information department said that the secretariat office does not appoint Goodwill Ambassadors and it is up to UN agencies to appoint respective ambassadors.

Hubertson noted that the office had not yet received any correspondence regarding Montano. He was unable to find Montano’s name on the list of goodwill ambassadors worldwide and questioned whether the soca artiste’s title of UN Goodwill Ambassador was accurate.