Grenadian Newspaper apologizes to MP David over misleading headline

Hon. Peter David

St. George’s, July 20, 2012 – The Grenada Informer has apologized to Peter David, a senior official of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), over a headline printed in the July 13 edition of the paper.

On page one of this weekend’s issue of the newspaper, Grenada Informer expressed deep regrets for “any inconvenience, embarrassment, or considerable distress caused to Hon. Peter David by the misleading headline, and therefore sincerely apologizes accordingly.’’

The offending headline read, “Peter David admits to conspiracy against leader.’’ It was accompanied by a photo of David, the NDC General Secretary who resigned from government as Tourism Minister in April.

Grenada Informer reported that David had revealed that unnamed members of the NDC made attempts almost a decade ago to remove Tillman Thomas as party leader.

David, who disclosed the information in a GBN Television interview, said he successfully opposed and helped stop the attempted removal of the Thomas as NDC leader.

In its apology, Grenada Informer said it never was its intention “to convey to its readership and the public, the impression that Hon. Peter David was himself involved in any conspiracy against the Prime Minister and leader of the National Democratic Congress.’’

According to the paper, “the words ‘admit to’, in the headline, were meant to be interpreted as ‘aware of’’’.

Grenada Informer said it “retracts the headline and undertakes not to repeat those allegations in that form or otherwise.’’

David, who is out of the country visiting family in the United States, was unavailable for comment.

However, informed sources close to him say that he was bombarded by numerous phone calls from relatives, friends and supporters, who were angry at the headline that Grenada Informer itself agreed was misleading.

It is believed that the matter was taken up with the newspaper, on David’s behalf, by a prominent St. George’s lawyer.