BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, APRIL 21ST 2006 - Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Sen. the Hon. Richard Skerritt, is demanding a retraction of an offensive article printed in the Democrat newspaper mouthpiece of the opposition People's Action Movement (PAM) headed by Mr. Lindsay Grant.
"Our instructions are to advise that the contents of the article on page 24 (April 8 - 14th edition), with reference to the invoice on page 13 of the said issue of the Democrat newspaper is inaccurate, and to advise that Mr.
and Mrs. Skerritt traveled to the Republic of China on Taiwan at the invitation of Embassy of Taiwan and paid for by the Embassy of Taiwan," said Mr. Skerritt's lawyer, Mr. Vernon S. Viera of Vernon S. Veira Associates in a letter to the Editor of the Democrat.
"Further that Mrs. Skerritt's passage from Taiwan to Melbourne, Australia, was paid for by her husband and that the only portion of Mr. Skerritt's trip that was paid for by the Government and people of the Federation, was that portion of his trip from Taiwan to Melbourne for a meeting with his counterparts, Senator the Hon. Rod Kemp, Minister of Arts and Sports at the Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting held in Melbourne on 14th March 2006,"
said Mr. Skerritt's lawyer.
Mr. Viera informed The Democrat, that the law firm has been instructed "to demand a retraction of the offensive article and an apology to be published in a prominent position of The Democrat newspaper in your next issue of that paper."
"We are also instructed to demand that no further publication of the offensive article be published in your paper as the same would, as the first is inaccurate, be considered defamatory," said Mr. Viera.
He added: "we trust you would in future before publication of any such article, investigate and make inquiries of our client as to accuracy of any such publication."
