St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, the Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew, has initiated legal proceedings against Ms. Annette E. Frank in response to what his legal team describes as “scandalous, totally false and defamatory” allegations made in an online publication.
Ms. Frank, a vocal political commentator who identifies herself on social media as an “Executive Committee Member of the People’s Labour Party” in East Basseterre, Constituency One, is accused of making false statements in a Facebook post published on March 7, 2025. The Prime Minister’s legal counsel issued a formal letter on April 7, warning of legal action should she fail to retract the post and meet several demands.
The letter alleges that the publication was made “with clear malice in order to cause reputational damage,” and outlines the following conditions to avoid court proceedings:
A full retraction of the statements from all platforms, including social media;
A public apology to the Prime Minister;
Payment of EC$500,000 in damages for harm and distress caused;
Payment of EC$50,000 in legal costs;
A formal written undertaking not to repeat or republish the defamatory allegations.
The letter gives Ms. Frank ten days to respond. Failing that, the Prime Minister’s legal team states it will proceed with defamation proceedings.
In a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the move was described as a firm response to “false and malicious attacks on his personal reputation and that of the Office of the Prime Minister.” It also emphasized the importance of responsible public discourse, particularly in politically charged environments.
While reaffirming his commitment to free expression and press freedom, Dr. Drew stressed that such freedoms should not be abused to circulate misinformation or defamatory content with the intent to harm.
Further updates on the matter will be shared as necessary.
