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HEALTH Minister and St Joseph MP Terrence Deyalsingh has denied claims by the UNC that he used taxpayer-funded water bottles from the ministry to campaign in his constituency.

In a letter to the Integrity Commission's chairman Haydn Gittens, UNC chairman Davendranath Tancoo lodged a formal complaint against what he called Deyalsingh's "apparent blatant misuse of state resources for political campaigning."

"It has come to our attention that large, Ministry of Health-branded water bottles, along with campaign-style cards featuring Minister Deyalsingh in PNM attire, were distributed to residents of a townhouse complex in St Joseph. Reports indicate that this distribution was facilitated using state funds under the guise of a Ministry of Health initiative. At the time Mr Deyalsingh was the named candidate for the Constituency of St Joseph and it is my assertion that by including political campaign material as a candidate seeking election, together with ministry-funded material, Mr Deyalsingh engaged in conduct that can be considered inappropriate and contrary to the law."