Former PLP Chairman questions alleged sale of Brighton Estate house to a sister of PM Harris

By: E. Williams

Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 24, 2018 –Douglas Wattley, the former Chairman of Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris’ People’s Labour Party (PLP), is questioning the alleged sale of the Brighton Estate house at a reduced price, to one of Dr. Harris’ sisters.

In a recent FaceBook posting, Wattley noted that the Brighton’s Estate house was put up for sale by the Privatization Unit – an organization set up under the Denzil Douglas Administration to, among other things, sell off stale Government assets. Estate properties have been offered for sale, across the island, to the public under this arrangement.

“I am told that the stated price of the Brighton’s property was about EC$370,000. I suspect that the price was influenced by the proximity of the property to the Windsor University, future planned development in the area and the comparative prices of land in that area. I am reliably informed that the then occupants of the house tried to purchase it, but found the price exorbitant even if it may have been the market rate. Later, a gentleman, Mr. Dore, of Ottley’s Village, offered to pay EC$190,000 for the house and was informed that the transaction would be allowed. Under any measure, that was a hefty discount. But that may have been a ploy,” Wattley posted.

He added: “Mr. Dore met me one day and told me that he had the money in his account ready to pay cash for the building only to be told that the initial decision to sell him the house was rescinded. I thought that was strange because I am sure that his parents and quite possibly he had worked on that very estate in the past. For that reason alone I wouldn’t have protested if he were allowed to buy the house.”

“But there was obviously more in the mortar than the pestle. When I checked into the matter, I was told that the house has been offered for sale to one of the Prime Minister’s siblings instead. But I was more alarmed to be told that the house was offered at a price of about EC$145,000 EC. What a steal! Since the hurricane, I was told that there has been a request to further reduce the price of the house. If this is true, all I can say is – wow!”

Wattley continued: “So isn’t that a classic case of nepotism? Nepotism is a term used to classify a corrupt act where an individual uses his or her position of power to do favours for his family and provide them with advantages over others. I will have more to say in the coming days about this issue. Suffice it say, this fellow and his family are going to own half of St. Kitts in record time. By the way, didn’t he call me greedy at one time? Hmmmmm!”

It is said that several acres of land surrounding the property are also part of the sale.

The former PLP chairman and several executive and founding members of the PLP were unceremoniously removed from the inaugural convention of the PLP in March last year for demanding accountability, transparency and good governance in the near three-year-old coalition government.

Photo: Douglas Wattley