People's National Movement (PNM) leader Dr Keith Rowley yesterday demanded an immediate apology from National Security Minister Jack Warner.

"I simply want to say that once again Mr Warner has slandered the PNM," he said in a telephone interview yesterday.

"I object to his vulgar statements, it damaging to the country, it is an insult to the PNM and I am demanding an apology," he said.

Rowley was responding to Warner's condemnation of the party for being the "sponsor" of a murder in Laventille yesterday morning, which broke the 30-day cease-fire in the area.

"This slander of the PNM must not go unnoticed and I call on him to retract that statement," Rowley said.

"This is just a continuation of what Mr Warner was saying in Parliament and it is in keeping with the conduct of the minister," he said.

Rowley said Warner was counting the days of the cease-fire now and rather than dealing with the loss of life, he was "slandering" the PNM.

Rowley said Warner continued with his actions despite the negative impact on the country's international reputation and claimed Warner was being encouraged by the Prime Minister.

"The Minister's statements reverberate around the world. How is it going to play out internationally that a government minister is saying that the killing of a man was sponsored by the Opposition in order to make the Government look bad?" he asked.

"The Minister of National Security has to apologise to the PNM. It is unnecessary, unbelievable and vulgar," he said.

Rowley said that Warner's current statement was more proof that he was "unsuitable" for his post. He recalled that just last week, Warner made public private police investigations into alleged death threats he had received.

"He is not the Commissioner of Police, he is a politician looking to score political points," he said.

With regard to the gag order on the Police Service, Rowley said this is another Government attempt to "lie" to the nation.

"Their intent is not to give information and that is to benefit who? Not the citizens. They are laying the groundwork to lie to the people," he said.