PM Terrance Drew denounces allegations against son, demands retraction from Liburd

St Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister Terrance Drew has put a hold on the allegations made over his son Terrance Drew Jr. (TJ) by Ian Patches Liburd. The allegations made by Liburd state that TJ receives a salary from the federation. 

The incident took center stage when Liburd, during his broadcast at the ‘Straight Talk’ show on 3rd October 2024, stated that Prime Minister Terrance Drew is misusing government funds to finance his and his family’s overseas trips. 

In light of the rising concerns, the Prime Minister stated the allegations to be false while writing a note on his official Facebook account. 

“As both the father of Terrance Drew Jr. (“TJ”) and the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, I vehemently denounce the baseless, scandalous, and defamatory allegations made by Mr. Ian “Patches” Liburd during his October 3, 2024 broadcast of “Straight Talk,” The Prime Minister said. 

PM Drew extended his views while saying that silence is not an option, and the issues need to be addressed. He stated that it may be productive for the other members to ignore such defamatory statements from those seeking attention, but he can’t uphold the silence anymore.

“When a grown man directs his vitriol, spite, and political propaganda towards a minor child—solely because that child is my son—he crosses a line that cannot and will not be tolerated,” he said. 

PM Terrance Drew expressed his dissatisfaction over the allegations made by Liburd regarding his son stating that Liburd’s reckless actions are a desperate attempt to defame and embarrass his son and have caused undue distress to his son. 

WHAT STATEMENT WAS MADE BY LIBURD FOR TERRANCE DREW’S SON?

Notably, the incident was highlighted as Liburd stated that Terrance Drew Jr. holds a government-appointed position as an ambassador under the guise of nepotism and also receives a monthly salary of $10,000. 

The Prime Minister then shed light on this incident highlighting the complete situation. PM Drew said that his son does not have any government-appointed position nor does he receive any form of financial remuneration.

He stated that Terrance Drew Jr. holds the position of ambassador for the St Kitts and Nevis Robotics Association (SKNRA) through a non-governmental organisation (NGO). He stated that the organisation is in association with Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College and he voluntarily contributes his skills and passion to robotics. 

TJ received this position as an ambassador solely through his merit and dedication and has been voluntarily associated as a member since 2017.

“The title "Ambassador for SKNRA" is a well-deserved recognition of TJ’s unwavering commitment to this NGO and his passion for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM),” the PM said. 

Prime Minister Terrance Drew then stated these statements by the members are vulgar and called it a deliberate attempt to belittle the teenager’s dedication. 

“Mr. Ian ‘Patches’ Liburd’s dismissive and vulgar reference to TJ’s role—particularly his crass remark, “We have confirmed though, that he [TJ] has been appointed for some time now as Ambassador of Robotics, whatever the hell that means”—demonstrates not only gross ignorance of the facts but also a deliberate attempt to belittle a teenager’s hard work and dedication,” Prime Minister Drew said. 

He also asserted that Liburd’s actions could be held under legal actions under Article 16 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child explicitly protests children from attacks on their honour and reputation. 

PM Drew also said that, as a minor TJ is fully entitled to and deserves to have his honour and reputation safeguarded, regardless of the fact that he is the son of a Prime Minister. 

PM DREW CALLED FOR LEGAL ACTION

PM Drew in his Facebook post, called out Liburd for his actions and should immediately retract his false statements and publicly apologise to TJ. He highlighted that he will take legal action if Liburd did not apologize to his son.

“I call on Mr. Ian ‘Patches’ Liburd to immediately retract his false statements and publicly apologize to TJ. Should he fail to do so, we, TJ’s parents, will pursue every available legal option to defend his name and ensure that Mr. Liburd and those who republish these falsehoods are held fully accountable for the damage caused by their irresponsible and malicious actions,” he wrote. 

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