PM: I will defend myself

THE Prime Minister rejected a daily newspaper editorial which claimed he never declared the purchase of a townhouse in Tobago to the Integrity Commission.

Dr Rowley vowed to defend himself against any type of disinformation aimed at ruining his reputation.

In a statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister, Rowley said, "Today, January 7, 2024, in its editorial, the Sunday Guardian had this to say, 'It was regrettable that Dr Rowley has so many assets that he forgot to include a recently purchased townhouse in his declaration.'"

He added, "This is printed and published as a statement of fact after the editor accused me of being 'shameless' for having the temerity to defend my reputation from persistent baseless allegations originating from UNC platforms and relentlessly pursued by elements of the Integrity Commission."

Rowley said, "What is regrettable is that a national newspaper could so recklessly tamper with a person's reputation by publishing disinformation which has, as its only purpose, providing support for lies told in the political arena."

He added that what is shameless is that this disinformation in an editorial is published "in the face of mountains of evidence to the contrary, in the public domain, even in the files of the said newspaper."

Rowley said, "I want to make it abundantly clear that, at no time, did I or any person acting on my behalf, including my attorneys, ever advance, anywhere, that I did not include my townhouse in my declaration and further that this occurred because I forgot to do so."

Initially, Rowley hinted that he considered ignoring the editorial and its contents.

"No chance. I intend to stick with the facts of every situation and defend myself at every turn, regardless of the source or station."

Rowley said his objection to what he described as lies and disinformation aimed at his reputation is not an attack on the commission or an attempt to place himself above the law.