Sylvan Richards formally apologised in the House of Assembly yesterday for remarks he made last week during a heated debate.

Mr Richards, the Minister of Social Development and Sport, was told to leave the chamber by Speaker of the House Randy Horton for not apologising for comments he made while Opposition MP Lawrence Scott had the floor.

As Mr Scott spoke of how he was pepper-sprayed as he tried to help a senior on December 2, Mr Richards allegedly said: “You deserved it.”

However, moments after Friday’s sitting of the House began, the MP gave a brief statement, telling the Speaker: “For my comments last week, I would like to apologise to you, the House and the member from Constituency 24.”

Mr Richards’s comments, and his initial refusal to apologise, had drawn fierce criticism from the Progressive Labour Party.

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