Barbados Editor threatened by PM’s advisor

(Barbados Nation) Editor of the Sunday Sun, Carol Martindale, on Saturday received the threat “to do the right thing” or have her reputation destroyed.

The threat came from Hartley Henry, senior political advisor to Prime Minister David Thompson.

Just before 2 p.m. Henry called Martindale to warn her that the results of the poll conducted for the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and released on Saturday get the same Front Page treatment as polls done on behalf of this newspaper.

Henry expressed annoyance with the publication of the past several SUNDAY SUN editions, charging they were geared towards publicizing and enhancing the image of Opposition Leader Mia Mottley.

He said: “For the last couple of months the SUNDAY SUN has become the mouthpiece of Mia Mottley. If the story [referring to reports of the CARDES Poll] is not played the right way, I would turn Barbados against you,” he told a shocked Martindale.

He also mentioned to her about “doing the right thing”.

The Royal Barbados Police were immediately summoned to the NATION’S Fontabelle, St Michael offices where a report of Henry’s threatening telephone conversation was made to investigators from the Criminal Investigations Department.

Another editor, who was close by, was also privy to a part of the telephone conversation.

THE NATION has sent an official complaint to Prime Minister David Thompson and has also lodged complaints with the Inter-American Press Association and the World Press Freedom Committee and copied these letters to the Barbados Association of Journalists.