ST. LUCIA-PM says he will not be rushed into deciding the future of the embattled minister.

CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre says he will not be “rushed” into making any decision regarding his Housing, Local Government and Urban Renewal Minister, Richard Frederick, who is the subject of a police investigation and who has proceeded on annual leave.

Earlier this month, the Pierre government, which enjoys a 16-1 majority in Parliament, reaffirmed its “respect for the independence” of the police and the “rule of law” as it acknowledged that it had been notified that Frederick had been detained for questioning.

Frederick, who appeared on his television program the night after police questioned him, said that he “has nothing to fear”. Pierre, speaking at the weekly Cabinet news conference, told reporters that he has always been “deliberate” in his actions and thinks of what he has to do.

“And before you ask me, I’m going to tell you, I’m making no statement on the Richard Fredericks issue, because the police are continuing their investigations, and I’m making absolutely no statement on it at this point.

‘I’m awaiting the police investigation. When the police have investigated, when the police have concluded, the prime minister will decide on the future of Minister Richard Fredericks in the cabinet of St. Lucia”.

Pierre told reporters that “right now I’m making no statement and no amount of slander, no amount of talk shows, no amount of memes, no amount of Facebook posting, will make me make any statement in public, to Richard Fredericks, until the police have completed the investigation,” Pierre said.

When it announced earlier this week that Frederick was proceeding on annual leave, a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister thanked the public “for its understanding” while remaining “committed to the uninterrupted delivery of services throughout this period”.

The 60-year-old attorney and former police officer told viewers that while he would not divulge the reasons behind the police investigation, “what I do know is this man you see there, call me what you want, call me this, call me that, but there are certain things I don’t cross boundaries on, never and never will, okay.

“I don’t cross those boundaries. I have five daughters, five,” he said, confirming that the police were investigating “certain allegations” against him.