Sad days for SVG

Editor: It was a very sad day for St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) when just about the time that some citizens were expressing concern that there needed to be some serious attention given to our Police Dept, with a view to arresting the obvious decline in the quality of service of that important body, there appeared in newspapers reports that a son of a respected officer of yesteryear had been identified as an active player, associated with a notorious felon, an expatriate, who had defrauded our country of millions of dollars.{{more}}

Seeing the face of that son who had distinguished himself in his field and who had been held to be a person on whom the country could have depended to carry our cause with honour, but there he was disgracefully linked to the mischief of a rogue who had apparently been a person of interest to the British Police Dept that was sad indeed!

But worse than that was to come, for within the week, it was reported that our Prime Minister was saying that Mr Ames, the rogue referred to above, had left the country “legitimately”. The facts, as reported, are that David Ames, former CEO of the much lauded “Buccament Bay Resorts”, had been summoned to or was to have been summoned to appear in court to answer charges of theft of substantial sums of money. It was reported that before the law officers could catch up with him, the gentleman had left the state in the comfort of a fishing boat, in which he took off from the port of Chateaubelair.

Ordinary citizens are still grappling with the declaration by Prime Minister Gonsalves that Mr Ames had left the country “legitimately”. The episode begs the question, “When was it that the police had made the determination that Ames should have been made to attend court to answer the charges against him?”

Some wonder whether the energetic defense of the legality of Ames’ departure by Gonsalves was prompted by some sense of connectivity and harmony of spirit, for indeed, it has been documented that similar to the way that Ames had withheld monies deducted from the wages of employees of Buccament Bay Resorts, and not paid them to the NIS, monies had for some time been deducted from the wages of public servants, but had not been paid in to the NIS.

It was a most unfortunate exposition by Dr Gonsalves; the clumsy defense of the stealthy departure of Mr Ames served merely to increase the suspicions that Mr Ames had had the assistance and support from well placed persons. And this/these “Ames Games” coming so close to the Ann Joshua Cobblestone Inn “manoeuvres”, has further tarnished the image of Dr Gonsalves and has exposed him as not being a reliable source of the truth, whose impetus for action seems to come from a juvenile spirit of revenge. One cannot help recalling his “coconut in the teeth” story. These recent issues may well be valuable in the appreciation of the dynamics which have resulted in the neutralizing of the Bigger Bigs establishment.

The question for discussion is whether on the basis of these happenings, there is now enough evidence before the people, on which to determine that Dr Gonsalves does not any longer represent the best interests of the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines; that he cannot or should not any longer be entrusted with the leadership of this state; and his continued presence in Parliament would be inimical to the welfare of the people.

Le Roy Providence