No work permit application has been received for controversial entertainer R. Kelly, according to Walton Brown, the Minister of Home Affairs.

According to a ministry statement, Mr Brown “takes very seriously any allegations made continuously over a number of years regarding a person’s character”.

Calls for protest brewed two weeks ago at rumours that the R & B performer, who has been linked to numerous accusations of sexual abuse, would perform on the island later this year.

Mr Brown said this afternoon that in considering the granting of a work permit, the minister was “required to take into consideration the character of the person”.

He added: “I would normally not comment on individual cases but, due to the heightened public concern, I feel compelled to comment in this instance.”

R. Kelly is not facing any criminal charges, but has been persistently entangled in controversy since allegations of sex abuse surfaced in 2002.