BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS – Former Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas says the nation cannot believe anything that Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris has to say on the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) and the so-called investigation that he has carried out.
Dr. Douglas accused Dr. Harris of playing politics with the SIDF, which his St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Administration used to successfully transition the economy.
Reiterating that Prime Minister Harris has carried two previous investigations on the SIDF, Dr. Douglas accused Harris “of lying to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
He said one of the investigations has been carried out by an individual, who has since being given a responsibility with regard to the SIDF and “nothing has been found.”
“This is what was concluded. When Harris has begun to believe his own propaganda he cannot even trust and believe the words of persons close to him and whom you have put in place. So he says now something has to be there and so he brings in another company and in bringing in that company it is steeped in corruption,” said Dr. Douglas, who explained:
“The lawyer who has been engaged in that last investigation according to him is someone who was involved in the constitutional boundary cases that we had before the election. And that is why people are saying it is just a payoff to provide money and jobs,” said Dr. Douglas who reiterated there is “nothing wrong with the SIDF and the spending of money.”
“The Labour Government has used the SIDF as a means of assisting in the transition of the economy from one dependent on sugar agriculture to one now dependent on services. The Labour Government has stimulated the economy with funds from the SIDF,” said Dr. Douglas, who pointed out how foolish Prime Minister Harris is.
“Here is the St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme in which the SIDF is just a branch of that programme and if he publicly goes around the world and says that the SIDF is a corrupt scheme, how does he expects persons are going to invest in what Harris himself as the Prime Minister says is a corrupt scheme. And then Harris foolishly makes an announcement that the new programme is a platinum programme and at the relaunching, says he is going to appoint agents from around the world to be given US$15,000 for every investors that is brought to St. Kitts and Nevis and in the same breath he is attempting to stimulate what has become dead, every time he gets an opportunity he is calling down the very same programme that he wants to be stimulated,” said Dr. Douglas on Wednesday’s “Issues” programme on Freedom FM and Kyss FM.
He stated that Prime Minister Harris does not know what he is doing.
“He is witch hunting against persons who have sacrificed and worked hard to make sure that the SIDF funds were put to proper use. He just cannot believe nothing is wrong and is making false accusations against persons,” said Dr. Douglas.
“I dare him to bring anyone who he has identified to be involved in any wrong doing. Bring them to justice. Charge them and take them to court. I dare him to do that because I know he will not be able to do as he is just politicking as usual and wasting peoples’ time.”
Speaking in the National Assembly Tuesday, Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher 2 (Central Basseterre), Hon. Marcella Liburd called Harris to make the reports of all investigations public.
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