PM’s lawyer demands apology from Luzette King

Words uttered on talk radio by political activist Luzette King have landed her legal trouble.

King has been written to by Grahame Bollers, lawyer for Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, in connection with comments she made on Nice Radio on January 21 during the station’s New Times program which was being hosted by Igal Adams.{{more}}

The radio station has also been written to by Bollers on behalf of Gonsalves.

In a letter to King dated February 1, Bollers said that during the call-in segment of the program, King said, “But we just got information that Ralph Gonsalves has commanded that the police tear gas us. I can’t confirm it but we got it from reliable sources, reliable sources. Ralph Gonsalves sent the information and I believe that it is consistent with him being on the road saying that he will deal with us.

“The other matter is, we understand that the police has guns as well. Whoever is listening on the air outside of the world just put this information across on Facebook and the international media that Ralph Gonsalves after stealing the election, getting himself sworn in as prime minister and we are demanding justice.

“He is prepared to tear gas us and gun us down and we gonna let the world know.

“Facebook friends and folks put it out there, Ralph Gonsalves that reparate, the African reparationist, is going to tear gas us and gun down people of African descent to stay in power when he is not entitled to it. He did not win the election and we will not…people are still here. The police are here with their riot gear just waiting and we don’t know if they are going to follow the instructions to tear gas us, but people must know.

“It is time for CARICOM to get off their laurels and come in here and try to do something. I understand to a Grenadian journalist has been taken to the police station and have been taking away cameras from different people because they don’t want us to have the evidence.

So people get it across the world. If you have any contacts to leaders of CARICOM call them, inebriate them and tell them that one of their colleagues is going to tear gas and gun down mostly black people I can see here”.

Bollers stated in the letter that the comments are defamatory and are meant and were understood to mean that Gonsalves intends to commit several criminal offences including conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, murder and the common law offence of misbehaviour in public office.

“These words constitute a grave and malicious slander upon the character and reputation of our client,” Bollers stated.

He added, “our client demands (a) a full and unequivocal withdrawal and apology of the slander to be published in one issue each of the local weekly newspapers, the text of such apology must be in a form which has been approved by us; (b) an undertaking not to utter or publish any or any similar defamatory statement against our client and (c) compensation in an amount agreed”.

King must reply to the letter within seven days and if she does not, a claim form will be issued in the High Court to compel her to justify her statements which Bollers alleges are slanderous and malicious.