Opposition Senator Damion Crawford is facing the threat of a multi-million dollar defamation suit from Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie unless he retracts and apologises for controversial comments he made recently.

The attorney for McKenzie on Tuesday wrote to Crawford about comments the former People’s National Party (PNP) vice president made during a Portmore stakeholders meeting convened by the party on Sunday.

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Minister McKenzie’s lawyer, Lemar Neale, told Crawford that his comments were defamatory.

“The words uttered by you at the public meeting have been widely circulated on social media and were published to a substantial but unquantifiable number of attendees, viewers and listeners. The statements uttered by you are patently false,” Neale stated.

Neale further told Crawford that his “false and reckless utterances are particularly egregious” given his position as a lawmaker.

The attorney charged that the utterances were made without any credible basis, and were deliberate and calculated to disparage McKenzie in his office as a parliamentarian.

“The intended effect of the statements is to lower our client in the estimation of right-thinking members of society generally, and to expose him to public odium, contempt and ridicule. We are instructed that the defamatory statements have caused serious injury to our client’s professional and business reputation, and he has suffered considerable embarrassment and distress,” McKenzie’s lawyer stated.

Crawford has been told to within three days publish a retraction of the statements on all digital platforms including his social media pages as well as in the print media.

McKenzie’s lawyers have also demanded that Crawford tender a full and unreserved apology.

The legal team for the minister has also told Crawford to enter into discussion with a view to providing compensation to McKenzie.

“You will appreciate, of course, that if we do not hear from you within the time period stipulated above, we have our client’s instructions to commence proceedings for defamation against you, without further reference to you. Be guided accordingly,” the attorney said.