Beache denies talking to Baptiste about NCB

If it was up to Glen Beache, he would have been doing his own thing right now.

At a press conference on Tuesday, March 29th, the Chief Executive Officer of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority disclosed that rumours{{more}} that he had left active politics to take up that executive position are untrue.

Beache indicated that he had already made plans for life after politics, when he decided that he was not going to contest the 2010 General elections.

“I had no intentions of taking up this position… I had already made up my mind that I was leaving politics and had already started to put things in place… one of those things was the registration of a company called Lonsdale St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”

Beache, the ex-Minister of Tourism said that his marketing company was completely different to that of Lonsdale Saatchi and Saatchi Trinidad and Tobago, which is responsible for the regional tourism marketing of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

“About three months before elections last year when our business plan was finished we realized it wouldn’t work; Vincentian companies just don’t want to spend that kind of money on marketing and advertising, so we shelved it. The company is still registered; it is still owned by Ken (Attale), myself and my wife and his financial controller in Trinidad.

“But I know that comments have been made that my company is responsible for four million out of the 14 that the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority has to spend. Let me make it clear that there is no truth to it.

“If anybody can find any evidence to say that I have done anything outside of my capacity as CEO for the Tourism Authority, please point it out to me. Therefore, the board will have the right to fire me.”

As for his appointment as CEO of the Authority, where he is also currently serving as Marketing Manager, Beache said that his qualifications and experience speak for themselves, and that he is more than qualified to be in that position.

He also said that rumours that he is making more than $25,000 are false, and that his contract is in public domain so it can be verified.

The former minister also took the opportunity to debunk another statement made by his former Communications Officer and now New Democratic Party Senator Anesia Baptiste, denying that he had shared any business advice with her.

“I never had any discussions with Ms Baptiste about anything with NCB bank. I have never seen NCB’s overdraft in my life; not as a Cabinet Minister and now that I am CEO even worse.

“And if I was going to give anybody that advice I would give it to my personal friends who I know bank with NCB. Ms Baptiste and I have never been that close for me to give that advise if it was true.

“I’m basically saying that there was no conversation about that or even close to it. No conversation with her at all.”