KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent – NICE Radio manager Douglas De Freitas says he does not know what the New Democratic Party (NDP) is doing even as the station hangs in the balance because of EC$250,000 in damages awarded to Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.
The station was implicated in a law suit because of statement’s that Eduardo “E.G.” Lynch, host of the NDP’s “New Times”, made about Gonsalves on NICE Radio eight years ago.
The defendants have lost three appeals and were recently served notice to pay the monies.
De Freitas told I-Witness News in a recent interview that his company does not have the money to settle the case but listeners have contributed EC$29,000 to a fund.
He told Nice Radio listeners on Monday that he will make a final appeal to raise the monies.
“As I have told you, I already made up my mind on what can happen to this station, because, remember Prime Minister Gonsalves is not an easy piece of meat to deal with, for those who think so,” De Freitas said.
“I am saying to you people, I am going to make one more appeal about an appeal fund for saving NICE Radio, because I don’t know where the NDP stands on certain issues, whilst they have an obligation – I am putting it out there,” he said.
“This is my investment, my home, my house, my family. I am not afraid of that. I am just speaking the truth as it is. I am going to make one more appeal to the public of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and we will have one radio programme,” he emphasised.
De Freitas said that if the programme fails to “bring fruit to having and keeping this radio station on the air, then we realise that the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines don’t want it.
“… I will speak more about that on Wednesday night after I meet with the legal people …” De Freitas further said.
“But whatever fate beholds this radio station, it will be the will of the Almighty God and not because of a man pursuing a particular issue. I jut want you to understand that. I am not fearful in what man can do to me. I am more interested in what democracy truly is in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” he added.
De Freitas, who describes Gonsalves as “as communist” who does not like “dissenting voices” said that NICE Radio was for years the only radio station speaking out against the Prime Minsiter’s policies.
He further said that the radio station is not owned by the NDP “as Ralph and all the other will have people to believe”.