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Hon. Faber's Private Life In A Tailspin Again
posted (September 8, 2014)
The news went out like wildfire on Saturday afternoon: a police report had been filed by Minister Patrick Faber's female friend - and she alleged that he assaulted her.

On Saturday morning at 5:00 am, 25 year old Nickesha Polanco went to the Ladyville Police Station to report that Faber had choked her, pulled her by the hair, and puncher her twice in the face.

Polanco works as a license officer in the Ministry of Education - and if we are to judge by facebook photos and postings, she and her Minister had an intimate friendship. She told police that on Friday night, she was having her 25th birthday party at his home in Ladyville. At 2:30 on Saturday morning, she was in his bedroom using her cell phone - which, she claims, caused Faber to go into a rage. She says he choked her, and when she called her friend to help, he dragged her by her hair into the corridor. She claims he also assaulted another female.

So, she made this extraordinary report against the minister of education, but as often happens in such matters, she never followed up. She didn't come back with the medico legal form to classify her injuries, and according to Faber she later withdrew the report. The media grilled him about it this morning when we met him at another ministry of education event. Here's what he said - or didn't say - about the allegations:..

Jules Vasquez
"A complaint was made at the Ladyville Police Station about a young lady who works in the Ministry of Education alleging that she was in your home and you assaulted her. What is your response to that?"

Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"A report was made and in fact I believe subsequent to that, that report has been withdrawn for the mere reason that the situation did not occur as it was reported. So it was withdrawn and so there is no issue there any longer. The reason why it was withdrawn is because in the first place it did not happen in the manner in which it was reported."

Reporter
"Can you say how exactly it happened?"

Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"No I won't. I said that I will not get into the details for the matter of the friendship that exists. We don't have any kind of animosity and I want it to stay that way."

Reporter
"Categorically, did you hit the young lady?"

Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"I am saying it did not happen in the manner in which it was reported okay. The matter that occurred is a private matter. It is only public if there is an issue with the police. There is no such issue any longer and I hope that people and you in the media will respect that."

Reporter
"Do you believe that it's no longer an issue because of you own intervention?"

Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"Not at all. I did not intervene in the matter in a way that people or that you are suggesting at all."

So, those are his remarks about the alleged assault. The bottom line is that he won't be criminally charged - which often happens in domestic cases - and, he is not expected to get suspended from Cabinet or stripped of his portfolio.

True, others like Juan Coy and Edmund Castro in the first term, and Mark King and Elvin Penner in the second have been disciplined and suspended, or in Penner's case fired, but…all those happened on the first weekday after allegations of wrongdoing or excess had emerged. And today has come and gone without a word from the Prime Minister's office - so it seems that Faber has escaped, basically, on a technicality that no criminal charge was filed, and that, at this point, it is his word against his accuser.

But there are deeper issues about improper and unbecoming behavior, and we also grilled him on this this morning:..

Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"The young lady is my friend. All of you know that if fact my wife and I have undergone a separation - that is going in to almost a year now and we had an unfortunate squabble if you will, but nothing like what has been reporter. I want for the record to say to people that I try to be an outstanding citizen. I am human and I have a personal life. I am a young man, I am not an old man, I am 36 years old and while I understand fully that I am a public figure I do have private activities in my life and it is true that if a compliant is made then it is the business of the public. That complaint has been withdrawn. As far as I know the police doesn't have any issues with me. The young lady that you speak of has no issues with me certainly and in an effort to try to protect whatever friendship is there too I won't say anything more than that. But there is no issue that is left in the ballad so that people have to be concerned."

Jules Vasquez
"Sir, a number of issues immediately arise; first of all she is an employee at the Ministry of Education. She said that she has known you for 9 years, she is 25, which would make her 16 at the time of first knowing you. I am saying that is that okay to have a birthday party, she claims to have been in your bedroom 4....."

Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"First of all I am not going to get into the details but that is a loaded statement that you just made. You are assuming that because I've known her from......"

Jules Vasquez
"No, I am just saying that you've known her for 9 years - it a long relationship."

Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"I am not going to get into the details for the mere matter that you or anybody else, maybe not you Jules, but somebody else may well twist and turn things - If it was that Jules Vasquez was indicating just now that I may have had some kind of inappropriate relationship with her from the time she was very young - man that's nonsense. That absolute nonsense."

Jules Vasquez
"I wasn't implying that sir, I am just saying that there indicates that there is a long friendship and I'm saying that an age of consent she claims to have been in your bedroom on the night of your birthday party. Is it appropriate for you as minister to be having a birthday party with a staffer who has known you from a young age and no doubt I would imagine should look up to you?"

Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"You as well as I know there is nothing illegal, there is nothing inappropriate at that."

Jules Vasquez
"Absolutely, I am not saying that, but is it improper sir?"

Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"Gentleman and ladies I will now end this. I think I've said enough and as I've said, the more..."

Reporter
"One last question though. Are you concerned that these incident may have a negative impact on your political career in the future?"

Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"No, because I know. I will challenge anyone of you to say where it is that this is coming from. It is coming from one Rhenae Nunez who is an avid supporter/fanatic/die hard, crazy person from the People's United Party who seeks to attack the credibility of UDP ministers and UDP officials. You will see that this is now her trend from what had happened from previously this year with my wife and my marriage issues. It is now that she is trying to paint this negative picture which I will not allow her to do. The people of Collet of course are not going to view me any differently because of this smear tactic because they know that's merely what it is a smear tactic and I'll leave it at that."

Jules Vasquez
"Are you concerned the Prime Minister will suspend you?"

Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"Not at all."

Jules Vasquez
"But he suspended Mark King, no police....."

Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"I am finished."

And now that he has publicly engaged Rhenae Nunez, we also had to get a comment from her.

She sent the press a statement via email this evening. It says, quote, "the ramblings of one who seems to be suffering from alcoholic dementia doesn't require a response from me. He needs professional help!"

She goes unto say, quote, "I didn't concoct the report, neither did I file it. I reported what was sent to me by police who are frustrated with the behavior of persons such as yourself who act with impunity. end quote.

And responding to the allegation that she is crazy, Nunez said, quote,

"Only a "crazy" man who is married and is a member of parliament and a member of cabinet engages in an inappropriate relationship with a member of his staff."

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