ST. LUCIA- Senior police officer takes offense at statements posted on social media.

CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – A senior police officer says he has instructed his lawyers to take the “appropriate” legal action against a blogger and political activist over what he said were “reckless and false statements” posted on social media and “included a picture of me and my name.”

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sean Alexander said the “scandalous and outrageous statements” on June 9 were made about him in his capacity as the officer in charge of Immigration here.

“The distasteful post …. has since been republished on various forms of social and electronic media,” he said, including those linked to the opposition here.

He said, having read the posts. It is clear that the blogger and political activist “deliberately made these false accusations against me, attaching my picture, with the calculated intention to cause serious harm to my character and my reputation to score political points or social media relevancy.

“The scandalous content of the post, coupled with the magnitude of its vast publication, has caused severe damage to my otherwise unblemished character and reputation as a civil servant with over 34 years of service to my country,” Alexander said in a statement, adding “I want to deny the allegations categorically

“I take these defamatory allegations seriously and have promptly instructed my lawyers to take the appropriate action seeking an immediate retraction and apology …to be published similarly to the false statements she made about me,” he said, adding, “I have also filed the necessary complaints under the Criminal Code and Electronic Crimes Act.”

Alexander said while he encourages “healthy debate on political and public issues as part of the right to freedom of expression and speech, these rights must be exercised responsibly. I will not become collateral damage”.

He said the blogger and political activist “has no regard for the truth or the hurt and damage caused by her unsubstantiated and irresponsible claims to me and my family.

“She has shown political immaturity and reckless disregard for my reputation and has spewed vile, scandalous, and defamatory statements about my good name,” the senior police officer said, adding, “I will not stand for this, and I intend to pursue this matter …vigorously and to the fullest extent of the Law”.