PARADISE, Westmoreland — Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Daryl Vaz has suggested that embattled general secretary of the People’s National Party (PNP) Dr Dayton Campbell, who he has sued, should be wary of advice from his Comrade, Senator Peter Bunting.

“Peter Bunting is not a lawyer and if he listens to him, he would be stupid,” Vaz told the Jamaica Observer in Westmoreland on Wednesday when asked to respond to comments Bunting made Sunday at a St James Southern Constituency Conference.

The PNP senator suggested that Dr Campbell should not be worried about lawsuits from three members of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) who have claimed Dr Campbell used the political platform to defame them.

“My general secretary, who stands like a giant, can brush off all of those. Don’t worry about those little lawsuits. He is not frightened of lawsuits,” Bunting said on Sunday.

He also shared his experience of suing Cabinet members on the governing party’s side.

“When we reach arbitration, they quickly apologise to me. And I can tell you, all now they have not finished paying me the money that I was awarded,” he said.

“We are no neophytes in this thing. We understand how it goes and we understand the strategy in politics,” added Bunting.

Vaz slapped Dr Campbell with a defamation lawsuit on August 4. Then news came on August 12 that Member of Parliament for St Thomas Western James Robertson and former MP for St Ann North Western Othniel Lawrence had written to Dr Campbell seeking retractions and financial compensation or risk being sued for comments he reportedly made.

Giving an update on the status of his suit on Wednesday, Vaz said a date will be decided when the courts return from break in September.

“That case will be pursued to its final determination by the judge,” he said.