Expression
Minister Konris Maynard threatens legal action over defamatory allegations by Duncan Wattley
On 17th January 2024, Konris Maynard, Minister of Energy, Public Utilities, Information, Communication and Technology and Post, threatened legal action against political scientist and social activist Duncan “Big Lice” Wattley. Maynard accused Wattley of defamation in a social media broadcast. Wattley alleged that Maynard was involved in “shady deals and fraudulent practices for personal enrichment and constructing his home.” Minister Maynard has labelled these claims as “blatant lies” and stated that Wattley’s actions will not be dismissed as mere “political commentary,” “Country Above Self,” or “unfettered freedom of speech.” Consequently, Maynard has demanded a retraction of the allegations and an apology.
Media excluded from some tourism-related events
On 30th January 2024, the Media Association of St. Kitts and Nevis raised concerns about the exclusion of private media from certain tourism-related activities. According to their press release, media workers were not invited to events organised by the Ministry of Tourism at the sea and airports and no official explanation for this decision was provided.
On the same day, the world’s largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, made its inaugural call at Port Zante in St. Kitts, with an official welcome ceremony on board, yet private sector media were excluded from this event. The press release followed the Media Association’s attempts to address these concerns directly with the minister, which had gone unanswered.
On 7th February 2024, Prime Minister Terrance Michael Drew acknowledged the issue and suggested that security-related accommodation limits might be the cause. The Media Association declared that it is open to negotiating arrangements to ensure media representation at events, even if restricted to one representative per event.
Following this, Minister of Tourism Marsha Henderson, who oversees the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA), stated there is a specific security regulation at seaports and airports according to international standards. Also, she was willing to meet with the Media Association of St. Kitts and Nevis regarding excluding the private media sector from covering significant tourism events at the ports. Minister Henderson made this announcement in response to a media question during a press conference with the Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues on 13th February 2024. The Media Association had previously written to the Minister in January 2024 after noticing this issue, which began in 2023. Although the association has met with the Minister, no information on the outcome of this meeting has been made public.