Social services minister testifies in libel case

Minister of Social Services Frankie Campbell testified yesterday that he “was hurt and annoyed” by a viral voice note that alleged he impregnated the daughter of a woman he was intimately involved with.

Campbell said the voice note subjected him to “ridicule and embarrassment”. 

Beach vendor Capprio Saunders is on trial before Magistrate Samuel McKinney for intentional libel in relation to the recording.

In his testimony, Campbell branded the claims made in the voice note that was circulated by WhatsApp as a “malicious lie” that injured his reputation.

His wife, Kathryn, was in court for moral support.

Campbell said, “It is most embarrassing having had the privilege to represent The Bahamas as far as the United Nations, speaking out against matters such as these, to have someone who doesn’t know me from Adam, suggest that I don’t have the moral standing to be such a representative.

“Since this, your worship, I’ve been the butt of many unpleasant jokes and subjected to ridicule and embarrassment.”

Campbell said he first learned of the claims when a staff member forwarded him the voice note on April 10, the court heard.

He said the message had been flagged as forwarded many times.

The prosecutor, ASP Clifford Daxon, asked, “What did you hear?”

Campbell replied, “A female voice, I later learned to be Capprio Saunders, said that I, Frankie Campbell, was the one who impregnated the daughter of his sweetheart.

“It did not stop there. The woman went on to ask, ‘Why did I do that? Why was I such a naughty boy?’

“She went on to say that she was not surprised, meaning she was not surprised that I did that because Haitians are known to go with their daughters. For the record, my mother is Haitian. She went on to suggest that my wife broke all the glass in the house, and that I told the pregnant girl not to abort the child. She commended me for having a biddy, a young girl.”

Campbell said, “Everything in the voice note is untrue. I was hurt and annoyed, knowing that’s not true, knowing that I had spent a significant time in my adult life protecting the vulnerable and the marginalized. In my present ministry, I had spent a lot of time speaking out against gender-based violence and the protection and uplifting of vulnerable girls.

“I was most appalled as the father of three beautiful daughters, and the grandfather of the most beautiful granddaughter, at the suggestion that I could have sex with them.”

While cross-examined by Saunders’ lawyer, Maria Daxon, Campbell acknowledged that Saunders did use the word alleged.

However, Campbell said the words alleged were canceled out by Saunders saying that she wasn’t surprised and asking why he did that.

Daxon asked Campbell, “Did you ever have extramarital affairs?”

The court did not permit Campbell to answer.

Daxon continued, “Do you have a son?

Campbell said that he did.

Daxon pressed, “Who do you have this son with?”

When questioned by the court of the relevance of the question, Daxon said that Campbell had been untruthful by saying he only had daughters.

However, Campbell said he mentioned his daughters in the context of the allegation that Haitians are known to go with their daughters.

He said, “I was infuriated by the mere suggestion. Never did I say that I only have three children.”

Daxon ended her cross-examination after McKinney told her, “This is not an inquiry. This is a trial. This is not a fishing expedition. If you have facts, you can put them to the witness.”

The trial continues on August 4.

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