Twitter smear campaign launched against Bassant
By
Anselm Gibbs
Story Created:
Mar 21, 2013 at 9:54 PM ECT
Story Updated:
Mar 22, 2013 at 6:32 AM ECT
Days after CCN journalist Mark Bassant reported exclusively on National Security Minister Jack Warner's sons Daryan and Darryl and rumours of a possible investigation by United States authorities, he found himself the target of an apparent smear campaign yesterday.
There is a Twitter account being operated under the name "@RealMarkBassant" with the first message or "tweet" being posted at 12.57 p.m. yesterday.
The problem: It is not Bassant's Twitter account.
"Friends. I've decided not to reactivate my old accounts for security reasons. Please follow me using this new account. Spread the word," the first tweet from the fake Twitter account stated.
Bassant clarified yesterday that the account is not being managed by him and he has not sent out any messages.
"I'm shocked, I'm appalled even, that somebody would actually try do something like this and create an account, and tweet all these things that I have not said," Bassant told the Express.
"I think it's a smear campaign against me. I don't know for what reason, but I hope that the person stops and desists from such behaviour."
Bassant's official Twitter account is under the name "@MarkBassant 1".
