Tourism Minister and Castries South Parliamentarian Dr Ernest Hilaire has filed a lawsuit against the United Workers Party (UWP) Mobilisation Officer, Nancy Charles.
He made the announcement at Tuesday’s Sitting of the House of Assembly, alleging that Nancy Charles had made some serious allegations which have severely harmed his character and professional reputation.
He is demanding substantial damages and an unequivocal retraction of her defamatory comments.
Dr. Hilaire said he has had enough of such baseless accusations, and that over the past three years, he has consistently demonstrated diligence in his ministerial role and as a parliamentary representative for the Castries South constituency.
“But the politics is starting. Elections are coming in 2026 and it’s time for me to start firing because I can fight,” He declared.
To all his political opponents Dr Hilaire said, “There comes a time when you must say to them, enough is enough.”
“The most bizarre one has been Nancy Charles,” he emphasised. “She’s been everywhere, especially last week, saying a lot of things… including playing some recording from Michael Holding about something that happened in West Indies cricket-a loan granted in December 2013.”
Dr. Hilaire categorically refuted these allegations, clarifying that he served as Saint Lucia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom at that time and was not affiliated to the WICB. He denounced the claims as deliberate distortions designed to tarnish his image.
To reinforce his position, Dr. Hilaire announced that Charles will be served with legal papers imminently. “Nancy Charles will receive a letter ordering her to appear in court to substantiate her claims and provide evidence proving that her statements are true,” he said.
Dr. Hilaire vowed to adopt a more aggressive strategy to defend his integrity and reputation, declaring, “Next year, I’m going to be a political fighter,” insisting that this will be a “political fight” devoid of physical confrontations.
Hilaire framed the upcoming battles as twofold: confronting the allegations in court and directly engaging voters. He stressed that those making accusations must be compelled to provide concrete evidence of any alleged wrongdoing.
Efforts to contact Charles for a comment were unsuccessful however, several UWP supporters have stated that Hilaire’s lawsuit against Charles is an attempt to suppress political dissent and intimidate party members, further that his allegations are baseless and that the lawsuit reflects a broader pattern of silencing valid criticism.