“Harold taking me to court could create a great opportunity for me to exploit – which I could not have exploited otherwise without defaming him.”
That was the response from Prime Minister Gaston Browne to threats of a lawsuit against him by United Progressive Party (UPP) political leader Harold Lovell.
On Sunday, Lovell announced that he would be taking legal action against Browne, chairman of radio station Pointe FM and host of the weekly Browne and Browne Show, “with respect to the intentional defamation of my name, character, and reputation that took place on Saturday, June 6, 2020.”
Browne had made allegations alluding to lewd conduct by Lovell during his tenure as Finance Minister.
Lovell also vowed to sue online news site ‘268 Today’ for publishing Browne’s potentially slanderous comments and “failing to practice even the rudiments of responsible journalism”.
But Browne appeared to be unphased by Lovell’s threats, suggesting a lawsuit would give him an opportunity to reveal more information about his political opponent.
In his defence the PM said that he “was accounting to the nation about certain practices that I do not indulge in”.
“If Lovell wants to pick up my corn, that’s his problem,” he added dismissively.
The UPP leader described Browne’s comments as “totally unfounded and scurrilous” and “intended to cause personal and political injury”.
He said that, “even more significant, the Prime Minister’s defamatory statements have undermined the integrity of the justice system by bringing into question the professionalism of those who preside over the courts.”
Lovell added that Browne’s “low-minded, personal, and baseless attacks on those who point out his shortcomings must be addressed and answered in a court of law.”