Sascha Wilson
Ashlyn Williams, the woman who claims to be homeless and was sleeping in front of the office of San Fernando East MP Brian Manning, is refuting claims by Manning that she is being dishonest.
Hitting back as the MP who claimed she staged the event, Williams said Manning is acting unprofessionally and is tarnishing her name.
At a school supplies distribution, Manning said, “Upon investigation, a lot of what has been said...we have found to be inaccurate and that the event was staged.”
Adding that she could provide no proof of her claims, he said his office will still try to help her.
Williams told Guardian Media that in April she had an issue with one of her neighbours who tried forcing her out by first cutting down her fruit trees and eventually demolishing her house. Her mother died in 1999, her father in 2005 and her son in 2012.
She has no other family around to help her.
Since then she has been bouncing around by people, but Williams said she has outsourced all her options and is now sleeping on the streets.
In a telephone interview yesterday, she said, “I am 57 years old why would I stage anything? I want back my house, I had a home.”
Denying that her actions were politically motivated, she said, “Right now Mr Manning is staining my character without doing his homework.”
She said when her house was destroyed she went to the Mon Repos Police Station, the Land Settlement Agency and HDC and to Manning for assistance.
“As far as Mr Manning is concerned he is being very unprofessional because I looked at all the articles I listened to the interview he went from one extreme as far as saying he is not aware of the incident to the staff is working with me that is a blatant lie,” she added.
Apart from being a Cepep worker, she says she also does other jobs like plumbing, interior designing and lawn cutting.
Saying she has newspaper clipping and other documents to support her claims, she said, “I have no reason to lie. I am not mad. I have an issue that I have been reaching out (for help).”
Saying she has run out of places to stay, she lamented, “My only option is to be on the PNM balcony. You know what Mr Manning did after it appeared in the Guardian, he sent the authorities...and said the authorities were alerted and I would be no longer able to stay there.”
Meanwhile, Williams said she will continue to sleep on the streets until she gets help.