PM explains sale rather than exchange of Montgomery Daniel’s lands l Page 2

Deputy Prime Minister Montgomery Daniel, waited for about a year before receiving payment for lands in Sandy Bay which he had sold to two private companies.

Disclosure of this was made by Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves in response to an Opposition question in Parliament on Thursday, November 28, 2024.

The question about Daniel’s lands in Sandy Bay, which were sold to build houses for displaced families after the 2021 volcanic eruptions, was asked by opposition Senator, Shevern John.

On the Order Paper, John had posed the question to Daniel, who is also Minister of Transport and Works. After she read the question Daniel rose as if to give an answer.

He however informed the House that “as a Member of the Cabinet, I had very little to do with this property sale”.

He asked instead that the Prime Minister provide an answer to the question regarding the sale of six acres of lands at Sandy Bay, on which Daniel also had his dwelling house.

Gonsalves had announced two years ago that Daniel’s lands at Sandy Bay were to have been swapped for government lands at Orange Hill and used for the construction of houses for persons whose homes were affected by the eruptions of La Soufriere, while the house would be renovated for use as a clinic.

Indicating that the question was seeking to create mischief, Dr Gonsalves nevertheless provided an answer. He said the lands in question were sold to two private companies: The Volcano Relief Housing Ltd, and the Mustique Charitable Trust Property Company Ltd.

The prime minister explained that after the volcanic eruptions, those lands were the preferred lands on which the people of Sandy Bay wanted to relocate.

“Montgomery Daniel did not receive payment for his land from the Volcano Relief Housing Ltd and from the Mustique Charitable Trust Property Company Ltd, until one year after the houses were built, and people moved in,” Gonsalves pointed out.

He went on to state that the Mustique Charitable Trust had allocated a certain amount of money to assist with the rebuilding of houses after the volcanic eruption in 2021.

This company which also assisted with the construction of houses at Orange Hill, also bought the lands from Daniel, including his dwelling House, Gonsalves further explained.

He said Daniel has been paying rent to occupy the said dwelling house, his former home, temporarily.

Further, that the minister is in the process of building a house, which is nearing completion.

Twenty houses were built on a portion of the lands and were distributed to families who needed to be relocated to a safer area in Sandy Bay.

Daniel will soon be moving out of the dwelling house in Sandy Bay, and Gonsalves said the building will then be transformed into a health and wellness facility. The Prime Minister gave the assurance that Daniel’s lands at Sandy Bay were sold to private entities for the welfare of the people.