PM denies giving diplomatic passport, $100,000 waiver to Hartley Henry

Prime Minister Mia Mottley on Sunday rubbished reports that she had given political consultant Hartely Henry a diplomatic passport and waived $100,000 in duty on a car for him.

Speaking from Washington on Sunday on the call-in programme Down To Brass Tacks on Starcom Network Inc., Mottley said to the best of her knowledge, the car that Henry is driving he’s had for more than two years.

“So, I would have had to have had extraordinary powers to grant him those duty waivers from the Opposition benches,” she said.

“To the best of my knowledge Mr. Henry certainly does not have a Barbados diplomatic passport. In fact, when I asked him, he told me that the only time he’s ever had any form of official passport was in 2008 and he surrendered it when [Prime Minister] David Thompson died.”

The Prime Minister said those spreading the rumours are seeking to destabilize the country, adding that other rumours and other forms of fake news have been abounding almost on a weekly basis within the last two months.

“But that is what others would want to divert the country with when they can’t speak to us on substance,” Mottley said.

“But I imagine that there are those who feel that they have to stand up for something. Although, I must tell you, that if you get less than one point five per cent of the popular vote, or if you get beaten 30-love, I would want to believe that you go back to your philosophical roots if you are the established party.”

The Prime Minister said to continue to engage in distractions that can only seek to destabilize the country is unfortunate.

She said Barbados has enough to contend with on its own and she is urging the country to stand with her as she works to make a difference.

“Believe you me, I still am of the view that if we work together . . . we’re going to carry the country in the right direction and hopefully at the right pace to make a difference to more and more of our people,” the Prime Minister said.