BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – HOST of ‘Freedom Talk’ on Freedom FM 106.5 in St. Kitts, Austin Edinborough has challenged the Hon. Mark Brantley to take him to court over an interview he claimed to have had with one Dr. Jonathan Christenbury.
“No scare tactic from you Mark Brantley can intimidate this man. I dare you to sue me; I’ll be the last person you sue. I don’t make idle threats and I do not say things that I don’t know Mark Brantley. I am different to you!”
So said Edinborough in response to a number of accusations and statements Brantley had made during his ‘On the Mark’ talk Show’ aired on Von Radio last week Wednesday (Jan. 28) and published on SKNVibes in an article headlined “Brantley calls for end to scandal mongering”.
Speaking with SKNVibes, Edinborough said: “I want to respond to an article that appeared in your publication with respect to the Hon. Mark Brantley. There is no scandal mongering from me. I would like to address Mark Brantley in his usual style of speaking down on everyone and think that he can defame or call people by all kinds of name.
“He referred to me as a buffoon and I would like to send a message to Mark Brantley....You are looking in the mirror and confused about the reflection that you saw. It was not me Mark Brantley, it was you.”
Brantley claimed he was told that a tape in the public’s domain is suggesting that he was involved in a fraud against a man, and that the man is asking for his money.
He also claimed that some contents on the tape had involved his wife; someone who had nothing to do with the alleged situation.
“The thing that bothers me most is that I am a politician, I chose to become a politician, and when one chooses a particular path one must be prepared for the consequences of that choice, including the criticisms, harsh as they are sometimes. That is the nature of cut and trust of politics!
“But they have not just sought to attack me, no, they have now gone after my wife. In this clip it is really unfortunate that they have sought to go down that particular road. Gone after someone who has absolutely nothing to do with this situation! And the reality is that if you want to come at me – my name is Mark Anthony Graham Brantley a.k.a. the Sheriff. If you want to come at me, you know where I am. You have my record, you have my life. I was born down Hanley’s Road, grew up in Brown Hill and whatever I have done and achieved I have sought to do it here on Nevis.”
The Deputy Premier further claimed that he does not know Dr. Christenbury and had never met him; a man who purportedly said that Brantley must return to him monies he had invested in Fidelity Insurance Company Limited, an entity of which Brantley was a director.
“I have never met Jonathan Christenbury. I have never spoken to Jonathan Christenbury. So far as I know, I have never had any contact with a Jonathan Christenbury. But yet a Jonathan Christenbury is purporting to say on the tape that I must give him back some $2.5M that he claims he invested.”
Brantley however admitted that he was a director in the insurance company but claimed not to have been involved in its affairs and had contacted its management, which has since issued a press release clearing his wife’s name as well as his.
Brantley had also said he was told that the interview involving Edinborough and the man purporting to be Dr. Christenbury was “paid for by the Labour Party...Big Labour and Little Labour”.
Edinborough however refuted this claim.
“In the article, Mark Brantley claimed that he knew nothing of the man, he had never met him, and that might be true, and that somebody from the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party was paying for what came out. As the person who conducted the interview, I want Mark Brantley to know that nobody from the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party knew about it.
“I did it on my own as a talk show journalist because I am aware of what has been happening to the gentleman. But I am going to jook-feed Mark Brantley like a cow, and I want to start by bringing to the attention of the public two documents.”
The talk show host and Labour Party’s spokesperson said one of the documents is the Designation and Acceptance of Registered Agent for SA 0234, LLC, dated January 6, 2003 with one Sharon Brantley signing as Treasurer.
“And on that same day, a Certificate of Notary Public signed by Mark Brantley notarising SA 0234, LLC. I would like both him and his wife to tell the public what this number stands for and what transaction is this number in relation to,” he added.
Edinborough also indicated that he is in possession of many more documents and is awaiting Brantley’s response.
“Perhaps, Mark Brantley, you would want to know what else I have. Wet your hand and wait for me.”
According to Brandy, this matter was taken to the High Court on Nevis as well as the Appellate Court and Dr. Christenbury was ordered to pay costs. This was confirmed in a release from the insurance company, signed by Hilda H. Carter, the Legal Assistant to Keithley F. T. Lake & Kenneth G. Porter.
