{"id":143108,"date":"2021-12-10T08:45:40","date_gmt":"2021-12-10T12:45:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=143108"},"modified":"2021-12-10T12:18:16","modified_gmt":"2021-12-10T16:18:16","slug":"harassment-accusation-unfounded-and-totally-false","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/harassment-accusation-unfounded-and-totally-false\/","title":{"rendered":"Harassment accusation unfounded and totally false"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The accusation of harassment at Dry Hill making the rounds on social media is based on a complaint to the Police that does not name me specifically, but cleverly suggests that the accused is Hon. Asot Michael. In the interest of justice, I wish to set the record straight.<\/p>

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On Monday December 6th<\/sup>, 2021, I was experiencing difficulty breathing and called EMS for assistance. My vitals were very low \u2013 blood pressure of 90\/40 and heart rate of 137. I was attended to at my Dry Hill residence by two employees of EMS for about ninety minutes from approximately 6:00 pm. They stabilized me with oxygen and Ventolin and I felt better.<\/p>

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During the afternoon of Tuesday December 7th<\/sup>, 2021, received a call from one of the EMS workers who assisted me the previous evening. He asked how I was feeling. I told him I was not feeling too well. He then offered to come to my residence in the evening to set up the oxygen tank and mask and to demonstrate to my friend Clarence Ounku Edwards and domestic assistant Virgie Torio how to use the oxygen equipment and administer the Ventolin.<\/p>\n

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He arrived at my residence at approximately 8:30 pm and came to my room where the equipment is located. I was resting on my bed at the time in conversation with Clarence Ounku Edwards. My secretary Barbara Wright along with assistant Rodari Galloway were also at my residence when the EMS employee arrived. The EMS employee set up the oxygen equipment and proceeded with how-to-use instructions for Mr. Edwards and Miss Torio.<\/p>\n

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At all material times during the visit of the EMS employee who left at approximately 10:00 pm, Mr. Edwards, Miss Torio, Mrs. Wright and Mr. Galloway were in the room with me and the room door remained wide open. I was never ever alone with the EMS employee. I interacted with him verbally, but did not interfere with him physically in any way shape or form.<\/p>

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The accusation of harassment made to the police more than 4 hours after the EMS employee left my residence is therefore unfounded, totally false and extremely defamatory.<\/p>\n

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I have been advised by members of executive of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) that the EMS employee was engaged to set me up with this bogus accusation to see me, a fellow comrade of the ABLP \u201crot in jail\u201d.<\/p>\n

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When he turned the guns of the State against members of the Labour Party from the St Peter\u2019s constituency wishing to enter the Party\u2019s Headquarters on North Street for an Executive Meeting a few weeks ago, I never imagined he could have stooped any lower in his campaign to destroy me. I was wrong.<\/p>\n

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Having failed in his efforts over the past four years to cancel me, he has entrenched himself in the gutter with this despicable, desperate attempt to succeed in his evil scheme. The EMS employee is now demanding two hundred thousand US dollars (over half a million EC dollars) to withdraw the trumped-up claim maliciously calculated to end my political career in disgrace.<\/p>\n

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But it will not work. Extortion is a criminal offense. The truth will prevail. And everyone who was at my residence in the evening of December 7th<\/sup>, 2021, during the visit of the EMS worker (including the EMS worker himself) knows the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.<\/p>\n