Hilaire Provides Press With Ownership Papers For His SUV!

[dropcap]I [/dropcap]want the member for Castries South to know, through you Mr. Speaker, that the investigation on his vehicle started in 2015 and the United Workers Party was not in government in 2015.” The MP for Castries South is Mr. Ernest Hilaire. The MP who loudly referenced the 2015 investigation at last Tuesday’s House meeting was Southeast Castries MP Mr. Guy Joseph.

At a press conference convened by the Saint Lucia Labour Party on Tuesday this week, Hilaire told reporters: “The allegation that I am in possession of a stolen government vehicle is utter rubbish. So, too, is the allegation by perhaps one of the politicians with the worst reputation, the Honourable Guy Joseph.”

He went on: “There is no question that Guy Mayers [Saint Lucia’s High Commissioner in the UK] deliberately and maliciously misled the Cabinet secretary to believe that a vehicle was purchased by the High Commission and that the said vehicle is in my possession.” The MP insisted he had personally purchased a Land Rover which was delivered to the High Commission when Mayers replaced him. Hilaire’s vehicle was shipped to Saint Lucia following his removal from office by the present administration.

According to Hilaire, it was Guy Mayers who had prompted the Cabinet secretary to launch an investigation. “What is truly baffling is that the documents Guy Mayers provided showed that the original supplier’s quotation was not in the name of the High Commission. He also provided documents to media personnel to show payment for the vehicle was not made by the High Commission, neither was the submission application to purchase a duty-free vehicle.

“The truth is the vehicle was purchased by me,” said Hilaire. “I have evidence that the monies were transferred from my bank account for payment to the car manufacturer and dealer . . . There is no evidence that any investigation was started in 2015. Documents show the vehicle arrived in Saint Lucia at the end of December 2015 and the request for an investigation made in 2017.”

As for the prime minister’s promise to investigate what has become known as the Juffali affair, Mr. Hilaire said: “Nobody has officially informed me of the investigation; nobody has asked me any questions. The prime minister is free to have his investigations. He also has to report on numerous investigations that involve himself or other members of his Cabinet. So if you’re really interested in accountability and transparency, then tell Saint Lucians about all the investigations.”

At the start of his budget address last Tuesday, Prime Minister Chastanet also referenced the contract that his immediate predecessor Kenny Anthony had entered into with an American oil speculator named Jack Grynberg in 2000. He referred to Grynberg a second time at his pre-Cabinet press briefing on Monday: “Why was the contract signed? I think that’s what a lot of Saint Lucians want to know. What was the expectation? Why would you sign off and give away the mining rights of your ocean bed without the expectation of something happening?”

Many members of the SLP have described the prime minister’s investigations as “malicious”. During his contribution to last Thursday’s budget debate Kenny Anthony said Chastanet had not taken the initiative to provide transparency. “As you know,” he said, “the STAR publisher has repeatedly on his TV programme been championing the prime minister to launch legal action against me.” (Mr. Rick Wayne insists he has never talked about legal action in the matter of Grynberg; only that those involved account for their actions!)

Added Kenny Anthony: “Everybody, every Saint Lucian, knows that it’s part of the weekly tirade that issues from him for his appearances on his own programme and, of course, his own newspaper. He’s also on record as saying to the people of Saint Lucia that if the prime minister does not take action against me in respect to the Grynberg matter that he [Rick Wayne] will campaign against him.” (Mr. Wayne: “The promise to get to the bottom of Grynberg was a major plank of Allen Chastanet’s election platform. As was his promise to reduce VAT. I have openly and repeatedly stated that voters must take responsibility when those they elect to office forget the pledges that got them elected.)

Kenny Anthony has never revealed to parliament how the government of Saint Lucia became involved with Jack Grynberg, now with a breach of contract suit pending before the ICSID. Pressed for further comment at his party’s press conference this week, he said: “I don’t think you could want more declarations than that!”