Government MP Glenn Blakeney was found not guilty this morning of unlawfully assaulting Gary Moreno, a former ZBM reporter.

Mr. Moreno claimed that Mr. Blakeney, of Stovell Bay Road, Pembroke, pushed him during a dispute over broadcasting rights at St. George's Cricket Club on July 28, 2005.

In December last year, the trial heard that tempers flared on the first day of the 2005 Cup Match as Mr. Moreno interviewed former Deputy Governor Nick Carter in the clubhouse.

Mr. Moreno claimed that Mr. Blakeney, MP for Devonshire North Central and president of Hott 107.5 radio station, interrupted the interview on the grounds that Hott had exclusive rights to the event and allegedly became very aggressive, pushing him.

Defence lawyer Victoria Pearment, however, argued that the case was brought to court because of the 'political hat' Mr. Blakeney wears.

Mr. Blakeney, on the stand, admitted to asking Mr. Moreno to stop interviewing the Deputy Governor and covering the camera with his hand, but denied there was ever an assault.

And during his summation this morning, Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo threw out evidence given by Cleon Scotland, one of the prosecution witnesses and Mr. Moreno's brother-in-law saying: “Not only was his evidence not supportive, but it was not credible.

“On the one hand there was serious contradictions between Cleon Scotland and Albert Steede Jr. between when things were said and though they were both right there, they saw something completely different.”

Mr. Tokunbo said the contradiction between the prosecution witnesses on the number of assaults and the sequence of events led him to find the defendant not guilty.

See The Royal Gazette tomorrow for full story and reaction.