Eustace: How many passports have been given to foreign investors?

Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace has questioned the validity of the citizenship of Harlequin Resorts Chairman Dave Ames.{{more}}

In a press release issued on Tuesday, June 19 by the New Democratic Party, of which Eustace is leader, the question was posed to Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, as to how many passports has been given to foreign investors in St Vincent and the Grenadines since he became Prime Minister.

“Buccament Bay Resorts investor David Ames boasted that he is a citizen of St Vincent and the Grenadines, and it is only fair that the Prime Minister give details of when he started to dole out passports in recognition of the investment,” the release stated.

During an interview with SEARCHLIGHT and in a subsequent press statement, Ames indicated that he was now a Vincentian citizen and businessman, who needed to speak out against the negative comments made about Harlequin Resorts, and its local investment, the Buccament Bay Resorts.

Eustace in the press release, called Ames’ Vincentian passport and citizenship a ‘gift’ from Dr Gonsalves, which amounts to economic citizenship.

The release further stated “We are not suffering from amnesia; we remember the frantic call by the Prime Minister during the election, that the NDP would be selling passports….”

It quoted Eustace as saying that “What Gonsalves has been practicing is surely something else, which he must explain to the people of St Vincent… even as David Ames and his various companies face no less than ten High Court law suits from investors and contractors involved in the Buccament Bay Resorts.

“We wait to see what due diligence would uncover about the Buccament Bay Project and its principals. The Prime Minister must be required to explain to Vincentians what background checks were done prior to the gifting of the passport and citizenship to David Ames,” Eustace said.

Prime Minister Gonsalves, speaking on the topic of economic citizenship in a previous edition of Searchlight, pointed out that as far as his administration is concerned, there is one class of citizenship.

“It is not a commodity for sale. It is not to be part of a transaction…. We saw that experience in 2010 in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and what was promised was economic citizenship that is happening in other places in the region…. I personally stand unequivocally opposed to the sale of our citizenship….”