Opposition Senator Lambert Brown has withdrawn what has emerged to be an inaccurate claim from the ranks of the People’s National Party (PNP) that the Government had indicated that Parliament would have been suspended effective June 24 this year, a week ahead of the planned July 2 date for recess.

Another Opposition senator, Donna Scott Mottley had made the claim during a PNP meeting, where she accused the Government of rushing to shut down Parliament in a bid to avoid tabling of the Integrity Commission’s Annual report. The report was tabled in the Senate last week and the House of Representatives earlier this week.

During last week’s sitting of the Senate, Government Senator Abka Fitz-Henley dismissed Scott Mottley’s claim. Fitz-Henley told Parliament that the Opposition Senator was being untruthful.

But Senator Brown defended Scott Mottley and claimed that government House leader Edmund Bartlett had indicated to his Opposition counterpart Phillip Paulwell that the Parliament would be suspended on June 24.

“The member is misleading the Senate because the leader of government business in the House conveyed to Phillip Paulwell that the parliamentary year would have come to an end last week. It is on that basis that Senator Scott Mottley has spoken. The parliamentary secretary knows not what he speaks,” Senator Brown had commented as he pushed back at Fitz-Henley who stood by his rejection of the allegation.

However, both Bartlett and Paulwell have since publicly denied that a conversation took place between them where an indication was given that Parliament would be suspended effective June 24 this year.

During the sitting of the upper house on Friday, Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson confronted Brown with the denial made by Paulwell.

“Of course, Member of Parliament Paulwell came out in his capacity as leader of Opposition Business in the House to say ‘what was said is that the sectoral debate was ending one week earlier than planned, on June 24 instead of July 2. But Mr Bartlett did not say that we would be on recess. There was the assumption that we would not be meeting but that was not said to me by Mr Bartlett’. So Senator Brown, I am going to invite you to withdraw,” Tavares-Finson said.

Senator Brown responded by saying that he places premium on truth and would therefore withdraw his allegation.

“When I made the comment, I was operating under the assumption that the words were conveyed to member Paulwell, I have since learnt from member Paulwell that it was an assumption he communicated to me, I therefore withdraw any statement which would reflect that member Bartlett said that the Parliament was going to be closing in June 24,” Brown said.