CASTRIES, St. Lucia, Aug 14, CMC – St. Lucia’s Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre Monday remained tightlipped as to the future of his embattled Housing, Local Government and Urban Renewal Minister, Richard Frederick, who has hinted at taking civil and criminal action against his accusers after the police last week said that an allegation made against him had not been sustained.
“You can expect to get a statement or hear something about that very shortly,” Prime Minister Pierre told the weekly news conference, telling reporters “as of today Mr. Frederick is still on location”.
Last week, Police Commissioner Verne Garde told a news conference that following weeks of investigations into the allegation against Frederick, which he did not disclose “the allegation was not sustained.
“I did give instructions for the matter to be continually investigated so that we can get all the facts in the matter. An allegation was made. We looked into the particular allegation and the allegation was not sustained,” Garde said.
Garde said that his own review of the investigative file led him to support the findings of the investigating officer, telling reporters “I have currently with me the file from the investigative officer. I have gone through the file and I agree with the recommendation of the investigating officer.
“In my view, it’s a very thorough investigation, though it was very complicated. Investigations like that…in my view, should be given adequate time to deal with,” he said, adding that the investigator had to travel overseas “to try to secure the statement.
“We secured that statement and after we secured the statement we did follow-up investigations in regards to the allegations. Based on all of the investigations which we did, which is quite voluminous, we were not able to sustain the allegation,” Garde said.
In his first public comment on the issue, Frederick, who is still on leave from his ministerial position, called into his weekly television programme , said he is considering both civil and criminal options for what he called false claims.
“This time I will accept no apology, none whatsoever. It is high time, people, I have taken blows, I give blows, I give blows, but no one can say a story about it. No one can ever say Richard Frederick said this and it is totally untrue. I have been on the receiving end and what is sad, people calling for my resignation. Resignation for what?”
Frederick told viewers that calls for his resignation rest on an unproven claim.
“I sit in the serving cabinet at the behest of the prime minister and he at any time can tell me boy pack up and leave. But to ask me to resign on fabrications, it just means that tomorrow, two people can make a report against any minister, can concoct any story and then we will have to ask them to resign. Where does it end?
Frederick said that data on his phone will back up his innocence even as he maintained he will be seeking legal action in the matter.
“I will do what I have to do and I am still contemplating taking action, both civil and criminal, because what I went through, what I’ve gone through, all that I’ve been done, said, and I’ve said absolutely nothing, “ the 60 year-old lawyer said, adding “I have evidence in my phone that can cause destruction in people’s lives. I have a lot, a lot of evidence on my phone and probably if I did not have it, I would have been in hot water”.
Last week, the Police Commissioner cautioned against the spread of misinformation on social media, saying that unverified claims can discourage victims from coming forward to seek justice.
He urged the public to allow facts, not speculation, to guide the conversation, calling for an end to the circulation of unsubstantiated rumours that have not been proven to be true.
CMC/aj/ir/2026