PLP Deputy accused of 'Internet lies'
By TANEKA THOMPSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net:
CULTURE Minister Charles Maynard yesterday accused Opposition Deputy Leader Philip "Brave" Davis of hiring Internet bloggers to post "scandalous lies" that link him to alleged corruption and extra-marital affairs.
Mr Davis strongly denied the allegations when contacted by The Tribune yesterday morning and said he had no idea who is behind the website in question. He added that he had no time for - and did not condone - smear campaigns or personal attacks on fellow politicians.
The post in question, published on Monday, lashed out at Mr Maynard for criticisms made on a talk show earlier this week - and also in the House of Assembly last month - alleging that criminal defense attorneys and Mr Davis specifically who "profited" from and "manipulated" the slow-moving legal system.
According to Mr Maynard, every time he publicly criticises Mr Davis a scathing story about him appears on the website, making it "obvious" to him who is driving the rumours.
"I know as a fact that Brave Davis is behind it, that the person who does this works directly for him." Mr Davis emphatically denied the accusation.
"I don't think that it's fair for me to say something in the House - generally speaking and also directed to him in terms of how I felt about what he would have done earlier in his law practice - and his way of dealing with it is to have these scandalous things on blogs.
"It was so obvious in this latest attack, yesterday I appeared on a talk show and said something about him and they allude to that (in the blog) and it makes it obvious. It's immature (and) does nothing to forward the political system," Mr Maynard said.
Mr Davis, on the other hand, said he had no part in the disparaging remarks made against the minister adding that he cannot control the thoughts and actions of persons who may support him.
"That's unfortunate if he thinks every time he talks negatively about me he is negatively attacked - then he ought to consider whether he should be negatively attacking me. If he is attacking me and he finds himself being attacked, just as he has supporters out there I have supporters too. I have no interest in nor will I condone negative attacks on anyone. I have no interest in running any negative campaign - we have too many challenges in our country," the PLP Member of Parliament for Cat Island and Rum Cay said when asked about the allegations.
He continued:" "I don't need anyone to respond for me...But I am heartened to know that people feel sufficiently warm about me to come to my defence if they feel I am unduly attacked. Of course I am not going to sit by idly and allow people to attack (others)."
When asked directly if the website is run by PLP operatives, Mr Davis said: "I wouldn't say that's the case." He told The Tribune that the comments posted were "crossing the line."
Among other things, the post also alleges that the minister engaged in extra-marital affairs while on official duty at the World Cup match in South Africa and benefited from alleged criminal proceeds passed down to him by his father, Andrew "Dud" Maynard, a former PLP chairman.
Mr Maynard said his father, a veteran politician, can handle the aspersions but they take a harder toll on his wife.
"From my father's point of view he's been in politics all his life and knows it gets dirty. My wife is new to politics and not very happy about it - to me it's a new low.
"It goes out into the public domain, despite the fact that it's lies, it's still something that nobody would like to be said about them."
Still it doesn't appear that Mr Maynard plans to sue the handlers of the website for defamation.
He explained that Bahamian law has not caught up with the influence of the world wide web.
He said he hopes the Ingraham administration can advance some sort of legislative reform to address these matters, particularly before the next general election when campaigns on both sides of the party divide will heat up.
July 07, 2010
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