– tells SN to issue retraction and apology for falsity

SOLICITOR General Nigel Hawke has called on the Stabroek News to recant and issue a public apology regarding its false article that he resigned, with immediate effect, on Wednesday, February 20, 2019, following the Court Appeal matter regarding the no-confidence motion.

The article in question was published in the newspaper’s Thursday, February 21, 2019 edition and titled: ‘Solicitor General Resigns’.

Although the Stabroek newspaper hinged its report on being “reliably informed”, Hawke confirmed to the Chronicle Newspaper yesterday (Thursday, February 21) that the report was both misguided and void of the truth.

“When I saw the article, I was taken aback because I knew, for a fact, that there was no resignation and the first thought that came to me is how would we have sunken so low. The first and carnal rule of journalism is simply [where] they could have confirmed from me and if not me, the better place to confirm was the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry as to whether she’s in receipt of a resignation,” he said.

His disappointment expressed in the newspaper’s ethics and standards was coupled with his regret that the viral story caused his family much worry.

“This thing has caused much trepidation to my family. It’s gone viral; people calling me: my mother, my grandmother, my father, everybody,” he said.

The article, which Mr. Hawke believes was intended to create mischief, stated that: “Shortly after returning from court, he [Hawke] was locked in a closed- door meeting with [Attorney General Basil] Williams for about 15 minutes. Reports are that the former magistrate, who spent some time in Belize, emerged from the building with his belongings and left the area in a taxi. A vehicle had been assigned to him.”
However, Hawke has discredited these reports.

“The report has a litany of inaccuracies. They said I left in some taxi; it was my brother who came to pick me up. I left with my bag, my books that I usually [carry]. They said I left the vehicle that I was assigned. The vehicle sometimes is left there many nights. Sometimes I go home with it; sometimes I don’t, that’s the reality,” he cleared up.
Hawke regrets that there were hints of connections, linking the issues which arose, during the appeal challenging the ruling of the High Court in the no-confidence motion cases on Wednesday, to his presumed resignation.

“The way that they put the story over is as though, because of the error or the inadvertent slip in the Court of Appeal, that somehow I resigned. But I was not involved in the filing of those matters,” he said.

He added that such a time in the country’s history was not for the sowing of “seeds of discord” but for the nation to come together toward a solution to the matter at hand.
“I’m asking Stabroek News to do the correct thing: issue a public apology to me; recant the story because it is absolutely false and inaccurate. It is calculated clearly to cause mischief,” he stated.

“I’m really disappointed that Stabroek News would do that and, in fact, I’m of the view that if they don’t want to recant it, I will take advice from my lawyers.”