Antigua's prime minister swears he never met teen-age girl who claims she had sex with him

AP ^ | 5/17/02 | COLIN JAMES

[martin_fierro]

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua - Dismissing comparisons to former U.S. President Bill Clinton's affair with intern Monica Lewinsky, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda swore to supporters that he never met a teen-age girl who has accused him of having sex with her.

Swearing on a Bible, Prime Minister Lester Bird told supporters of his ruling Antigua Labor Party on Thursday night that he never met or spoke to the girl who made the allegations in a widely circulated videotape.

"It is not like Clinton, whether he knew her or whether he had sex with her," Bird, 64, said to the cheers of supporters who were wearing red, his party's color. "I don't even know this woman."

The videotaped interview of the girl was done in December by two journalists from the Observer media group, one of Antigua and Barbuda's largest and one that Bird says is overly critical of the Caribbean country's government.

The girl — who said she was born in Suriname on May 15, 1987, and carries a Guyanese passport — claims she met Bird and his brother, Ivor Bird, at a party, and had a sexual relationship first with Ivor and then with the prime minister. She also alleged she made payments for cocaine deals on behalf of Bird, his brother, and Chief of Staff Asot Michael.

The girl is now 15, and the allegations date to 1999, when she was 12.

"I going to raise this Bible to you tonight and I'm going to tell you (that) I speak the absolute truth ... I never met; I never saw; I never spoke to the that young lady, that minor," Bird said.

"And if ever they find out that that is not true, you won't have to wait for Lester Bird to resign. Lester Bird will resign before you ever have to ask that."

Bird called the allegations "wicked" and pointed to his affinity for his six children — all girls ranging from 5 to 32-years-old.

Bird is suing the girl, the Observer media group, opposition leader Baldwin Spencer and three of his colleagues, and journalists Julius Gittens and B.J. Reed for defamation.

Though he denies meeting the girl, Bird admits that he happens to have met her mother.

The prime minister also is seeking an injunction to stop any copying of the video.

The Observer media group, which owns newspapers and radio stations, said its reporters were investigating the girl's accusations and that the tape remained locked away and was not meant to be shown publicly.

The journalists, who identify themselves on tape as working for the Observer media group, said they taped the interview for accuracy.

Bird addressed the allegations only after people said they saw the video. It was not broadcast on television.

[martin_fierro]

Boy, does THIS ever sound familiar.

Here is Clinton's Legacy.

[1234]

girl's pic?

[martin_fierro]

I seriously doubt it's available anywhere. After all, we're talking about a little girl of 12 (15 now).

[yazd]

In the late 1960's I attended a sales meeting in a hotel conference room near a U.S. airport with Bird's father, V. C. Bird, who was the then prime minister of Antigua, his assistant, and another member of my firm. After we had made our presentation and the meeting came to an end, Bird, who had been bored by our presentation, turned to his assistant and said words to the effect, "Let's go to [...] and get some action," naming a part of the city well-known for prostitution.