Campbell says he has been “the butt of many unpleasant jokes, subjected to ridicule and embarrassment” since viral voice note
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Minister of Social Services Frankie Campbell yesterday denied allegations about him fathering a child with the daughter of an alleged “sweetheart”, calling the comments “malicious lies”.
Campbell testified before Magistrate Samuel McKinney in an ongoing trial against Capprio Saunders, who is accused of intentional libel.
Saunders, 49, has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
During his testimony, Campbell said he learned on April 10, 2021 about voice notes about him being circulated, and that he was sent the audio by multiple people.
He said the voice note was of a female voice, which he later found out to be Saunders’.
He acknowledged that the audio recording started with the speaker saying “it’s alleged” that he impregnated the daughter of his sweetheart, and he further outlined additional claims made in the recording — one of which had to do with his mother being Haitian.
The speaker in the voice note, which was played in court and entered as evidence, said: “Frankie Campbell, you naughty boy, why did you do something like that?”
The speaker claimed “Haitians is go with they own daughter, so what you expect”; and alleged Campbell’s wife damaged every glass in their home upon finding out about the matter and that the minister told the girl not to get an abortion.
Campbell insisted, however, that “everything in the voice note is untrue”.
He noted that the contents of the voice note affected him not only as a husband but also as a father and public official.
He said he was “hurt and annoyed” by the false statements because he spent a major part of his adult life as a police officer protecting the vulnerable and marginalized and his current ministry focuses on gender-based violence and the protection of women and girls.
“I was mostly appalled as the father of three daughters and the grandfather of a beautiful granddaughter at the suggestion that I would have had sex with them,” Campbell continued.
“In my professional capacity, it is embarrassing, having had the privilege to represent The Bahamas as far as the United Nations, speaking out against matters such as these, to have someone who doesn’t know me from Adam suggest that I don’t have the moral standing to be such a representative.
“Since this, I’ve been the butt of many unpleasant jokes, subjected to ridicule and embarrassment.”
Attorney Maria Daxon, who represented Saunders, questioned Campbell during the cross-examination.
The senior attorney asserted that everything her client said was “alleged” — a word Campbell acknowledged hearing at least four times in the voice note.
However, Campbell insisted that while he heard the word multiple times, other utterances went far beyond simple allegations.
He said: “To my mind, I am satisfied that she was not alleging or really asking when she said, ‘Why you do that?’ [and] when she said ‘I’m not surprised’.
“…In my mind, she could have said “it’s alleged” one million times but it’s beyond alleged. Once she said ‘I’m not surprised’, it’s beyond alleged in my mind.”
Campbell added: “Your client, in a voice note, told a malicious lie.”
Daxon further attempted to question the sitting minister about the claims contained in the recording, asking whether Campbell ever had any extramarital affairs or whether he currently has a sweetheart.
Magistrate McKinney quickly shut down that line of questioning, insisting that Daxon was attempting to go on a “fishing expedition”.
“This is not an inquiry. This is a trial,” he said.
The trial is expected to resume on August 4, 2021.
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