MINISTER of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony has refuted, as unwarranted, the recent criticisms in the Press about his daughter, Ashley Anthony’s publication of her novel ‘Mysterious Association and the Virtu Gems’.

In an invited response, he told members of the media, on Thursday, at the Guyana National Museum, Company Path, Georgetown, that persons should see the publishing for what it is, “a good attempt by a child in Guyana to have a publication.”
According to him, it has met the scrutiny of persons managing the Caribbean Press, including Professor David Dabydeen and, as such, from a literary point of view, he thinks that it would have met those types of rigid academic requirements.
“You know, we live in a very contentious environment and, sometimes, people’s achievements can be skewed and there are persons who are always out there trying to do that,” the Minister said.
Noting that one of the allegations levelled against him is that he used government resources to fund what is made out to be a private initiative, he firmly stated that this was not the case.
“And I want to say, very clearly, that there’s no government money that has been involved. I have paid for the publication of this book entirely from my own resources and it is, therefore, very hurtful when people try to misrepresent this and paint it as something else,” he emphasised.

CLEARLY LIBELOUS
Anthony indicated that he had an attorney send a letter to both the Stabroek News and the person who has been writing the letters to the newspaper, warning them that what they have written or caused to be published is clearly libelous.
He stated, further, that those persons should issue the appropriate apologies “and let’s move on with it”.
Anthony said the least the persons could have done was ask him for a comment, which was not done.
“And I think, in the interest of fairness, that is something that you should do,” he asserted.
The minister pointed out that when something is published about a person and they, in return, have to respond to that, it seems as though they are defending themselves and, in this case, there is nothing to defend.
He maintained that the person who is making the accusation should be the one held at a higher scrutiny.
“…but I guess this is the kind of environment in which we live,” Anthony remarked.
He said, if there is need to understand the policies of the Caribbean Press, those questions can be referred to its head, Professor David Dabydeen and he is sure the latter would be willing to take those calls and answer any query that people have.