In a fiery address during Tuesday’s session of the House of Parliament, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Investment Dr Ernest Hilaire announced his intention to take decisive action against individuals who have, according to him, “made a false claim against him”.
Dr. Hilaire’s statements come amidst a series of allegations and public claims that he characterised as baseless and defamatory.
The minister singled out political operative Nancy Charles of the opposition United Workers Party (UWP), accusing her of perpetuating falsehoods about his tenure and personal conduct.
“The most bizarre one has been Nancy Charles,” he declared. “She’s been everywhere, especially last week, saying a lot of things… including playing some recording from Michael Holding about something that happened in West Indies cricket alone in December 2013.”
Dr. Hilaire was unequivocal in his rebuttal of the allegations, emphasising that he was serving as Saint Lucia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom during the time in question. “I was not even working at the West Indies Cricket Board then,” he asserted, dismissing claims made against him as “deliberate distortions.”
In a significant escalation, Dr. Hilaire announced that Charles would be served with legal papers within days. “Nancy Charles will get a letter today, tomorrow at the latest, to appear in court to prove all the things she said and to give all her evidence that the things she said are true,” he stated. “It starts with Nancy Charles today.”
Hilaire who also serves as the MP for Castries South described the attacks against him as relentless, noting that accusations about his involvement in various matters, including the acquisition of a Range Rover vehicle, have followed him globally. “Mister Speaker, people all over the world—fellow ministers, friends—it goes on and on,” he lamented.
He also signaled a shift in his political strategy, vowing to adopt a more combative stance in the upcoming year. “Next year, I’m going to be a political fighter,” he declared, indicating his readiness to engage in what he described as a “political fight” rather than a physical one.
Hilaire framed the coming battles as twofold: addressing the allegations in court and taking his fight to the electorate.
“Anyone that can say anything about corruption will have to stand up and come to a court of law and prove it,” he said. He added that his political efforts would focus on his constituency, Castries South, and beyond.
