PM not taking disciplinary action against Hans King

Hans King, the Press Secretary to this country’s Prime Minister is not expected to face any disciplinary action from his boss, for statements made two weeks ago.{{more}}

In the August 16, 2011 publication of SEARCHLIGHT, King admitted that he had called businessman Bryan Alexander concerning comments Alexander posted on Facebook which King believed referred to him.

King also admitted that he had informed Alexander that he had contemplated killing him because of these comments, and on a call in radio program repeated what he had contemplated doing. He also said he prayed to God to take away these thoughts from him.

King’s statement has drawn fire from a number of persons, some of whom have called for him to be dismissed from his post as Press Secretary.

At a press conference hosted at Cabinet Room on Monday, August 29, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, responding to a question from SEARCHLIGHT on the matter,s said that he had spoken to King, and indicated to him that he (Dr. Gonsalves) would not have repeated such statements in a public forum, having already spoken to the individual personally.

“As I understand it, Hans called him and reached out to him very robustly on the phone; and as I understand it, the fellow took down the offending publication on the Internet.”

“Hans said that he didn’t threaten the gentleman. He said that this is the sort of thing which would get people to behave in a particular way… not that he will do it.”

“I would not have repeated it on radio… but apparently it had come to public domain and he felt that he should say what he had said as a matter of openness…. And he wanted to quell it by saying what he had said, but it didn’t have the effect of quelling it; it had the effect of providing some kerosene to the little fire.”

Dr. Gonsalves said that it was his hope that the persons who are criticizing King for his statements were equally condemnatory of the actions of Alexander, which caused King to make the statements that he made.

“Nobody who has condemned Hans has gone on to say that the person who posted these falsehoods should not have done so. If you are going to be fair and condemnatory, you have to condemn this untruth and libel which was uttered against Hans.”

“I saw the comments which were made by the gentleman who has caused Hans to get angry… and what he said were untruthful, defamatory, and in fact was a matter which would have warranted criminal prosecution, because on the face of it, it amounted to a criminal libel.”

The Prime Minister dismissed notions that his decision not to comment on the matter before meant that he condones his Press Secretary’s action.

He further added that he himself does not harbour any ill feelings against those who offend him.

“I have been a political activist for 43 years and nobody has ever gotten me to even harbour thoughts of hatred towards them in my mind; much less to go beyond those thoughts.”

“That is why I know my saviour lives and he protects me; that despite my weaknesses, I love my neighbor as I love myself. And even when some say terrible things about me, even when I have to take the recourse to the law courts, I don’t hate anybody.”