KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, Feb. 26, IWN – A BBC official says while Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves wants to be treated like his British counterparts, they would not behave as he did at a press conference on Monday.
Matthew Chapman, the producer of a BBC “Panorama” programme to be made about Harlequin Property, told I-Witness News on Tuesday that the show will be writing to Gonsalves and he can decide whether to share with the nation the content of the letter.
“I find it interesting that Mr. Gonsalves wants to be treated equally with the likes of Gordon Brown and David Cameron. However I can confidently say that no British Prime Minister would stoop to waving private and confidential documents around during a press conference, openly displaying the personal details of people who had applied to enter the country,” told I-Witness News.
He was responding to request for a comment regarding a statement by Gonsalves that BBC journalists Matthew Hill and Paul Kenyon made a false declaration on their immigration forms when they entered St. Vincent and the Grenadines earlier this month.
Gonsalves, who is also Minister of National Security, briefly displayed at the press conference what he said were the immigration forms signed by Hill and Kenyon.
He said the men had indicated on the forms that they had come to the country as tourists, but had in fact come to work.
Gonsalves, who is Minister of National Security, said the men committed an offence that is punishable in any country, by imprisonment.
Read: BBC journalists committed ‘immigration offence’ in SVG
It is the latest development in the fallout from an encounter between Gonsalves, and Hill and Kenyon aboard a landed aircraft in Barbados on Feb. 17.
Kenyon told I-Witness News on Feb. 17 that they had failed to secure an interview with Gonsalves during their four-day visit to this country and “tackled” him when they saw him on the aircraft in Barbados.
Gonsalves said the men asked him about an allegation that investor Dave Ames came to his office with a bag of money and left without it.
But Gonsalves said the British journalists were rude and accused them on accosting him.
He further pointed out that he was no less a prime minister than Britain’s Gordon Browne or David Cameron and deserve similar courtesies.
He told a press conference on Monday that he had written to the chair of the BBC Trust to complain about the encounter.
Gonsalves further said that “a professional gentleman”, who was prepared to go on the record, had informed him that the BBC journalists had displayed on a hand-held device at a hotel in St. Vincent a video in which the allegation about the bag of money is made.
But Chapman told I-Witness News on Tuesday, “We will not be sharing details of our filming or allegations with anyone other than those directly affected.
“We will very shortly be sending a private letter to Mr. Gonsalves about our programme and it will be up to him to decide whether he wishes to share its’ contents with the nation,” the BBC producer told I-Witness News.
Watch a shame and disgrace. SVG PM in another scandal, making our country look bad all over the world. Very shameful time for Vincy indeed,
These are professional journalists that cannot be bullied, cannot be controlled by intimidating behaviour, and deal with worse than Gonsalves on a daily basis.
I hope Gonsalves that you will show us the letter, you are great at revealing other peoples personal affairs, now show us a glance into yours.
My problem all along has been with Gonsalves being a liar, a self confessed liar. Unfortunately for him, since he told us that he tells lies, I just cannot believe anything that he says without proof or evidence.
Gonsalves because you are known to tell lies, you must either bring forward the professional man who you claim viewed the video that no one else knows about, or simply shut up. Its time to stop behaving like a stupid spoilt child who needs his legs slapped. Start behaving like a British Prime Minister, then you can be treated like one.
Mathew Chapman meant to say that the PRIME MINISTERS in question from Britain would have BEHAVED WORSE than Dr. Gonsalves.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/06/11/gordon-brown-hints-murdoch-and-brooks-misled-leveson-inquiry.html
Mr. Chapman, next time, when your reporters visit a SOVEREIGN NATION, make sure you INSTRUCT them to DECLARE why they’re in that COUNTRY, else next time the AUTHORITIES should ARREST them for making a FALSE DECLARATION
We will not be sharing details of our filming or allegations with anyone other than those directly affected”….yet another indication that these white boys are just blowing hot air. If these white boys had something substantial on Ralphie, they would not be beating around the bush and the proper authorities would have been involved…PLUS you want to tell me the OPPOSITION WOULD BE SITTING ON THIS BOMBSHELL UNTIL SOME HALF-ARSE PROGRAM AIR OVERSEAS SOMETIME IN MARCH, BEFORE THEY SAY SOMETHING?PLEASE!!!….IF THIS WAS CREDIBLE, THE OPPOSITION WOULD BE MEASURING THE DRAPES IN THE VARIOUS MINISTRIES….AND EUSTACE WOULD BE DOWN BY OT ORDERING THE BEST MAHOGANY DESK.
I despise Ralphie, but I am not throwing Ralphie under the bus(yet) for these white boys…As a Vincy, I am really disappointed with Ralphie punk-arse behavior towards these white boys…when he supposed to behave like a tyrant, and drop some “stinking dirty dog” language on these fools…he dey in a corner whimpering like Manti Te’o…SMH.
I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT MR. CHAPMAN COMMENTS ON THE PM’S CONDUCT AFTER THE FACT THAT HE WAS “TAKCLED” (KENYON’S OWN WORD) BUT HAS NOT COMMENTED ON WHETHER A BRITISH PRIME MINISTER WOULD HAVE BEEN “TACKLED” BY BBC JOURNALISTS ON BOARD AN AIRCRAFT OR WHETHER BBC JOURNALISTS WOULD DO SUCH AN ACT ON BRITISH AIRWAYS OR VIRGIN ATLANTIC OR FURTHER WHETHER THEY WOULD HAVE THEIR CAMERA’S ROLLING IN A SECURITY AREA AT ANY BRISTISH AIRPORT, THEN AGAIN PERHAPS THESE QUESTIONS WERE NOT PUT TO HIM.
At least have the decency to type in lower case.
And I am going to try to respond to that nonsense of yours. Questioning the BBC’s journalistic practices is something that people like yourselves cannot do. This is not some local news outlet that you can sensor. If you think that they did anything wrong, then tell the PM to sue them. And as a Vincentian, I would support him on such a lawsuit. But the PM as a lawyer, knows full well that if anything as bad as he said happened, when they ‘acosted’ him then obtaining a copy of the video tape would be easily done, and then all of Vincy and the world, would see the evidence. Until then, act like a man of class and wait and see what is on the video. I am tired of a few people in Vincy in the current government making our country look bad.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines really need journalists with some backbone.
Moreover, we clearly do not have any INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS of stature in SVG. All we have are reporters who just report what they have been told. Frankly, the reporters in SVG are just PLAIN LAZY.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: “Whenever you read a story in a newspaper or magazine that takes an in-depth look at an issue, it is usually the work of an investigative reporter. An investigative reporter often writes about events that involve corruption, issues of public interest, and local or world events.
The investigative reporter researches, interprets, and communicates the news. The story he or she is researching can take anything from weeks to months to research and write. With the investigative reporter, it is a case of going deeper, getting to the root of the story, and presenting it to the public. The investigative reporter will usually make sure to cover all angles and present the most comprehensive, unbiased view.
Accuracy and detail are very important aspects for the investigative reporter. This is because many of the stories he or she covers concern people’s lives and may have consequences in the future. The details that the investigative reporter researches and then writes about must be 100% truthful, and sources must be thoroughly checked and rechecked.
Similarly, ethics is another important factor in this type of journalism. There are many stories printed every day by unethical writers. A printed story has the power to ruin people’s lives and bring down governments. If the truth has been twisted to represent a particular point of view, it can leave people’s lives irreparably damaged. If the true story emerges, then unethical reporting can also leave the writer with damaged credibility.”
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-investigative-reporter.htm
Powa, you need a napkin?
Press Secretary STIN KING HANDS, its perhaps fortunate that you were not aboard the aircraft with your gun, I feel quite sure you would of ensured the program ended right there. We know your capable of that, you have told us so over other matters.
King said on Chris Too Kool Jones AM Mayhem on Hot FM that he contemplated killing one Brian Alexander on the weekend. Kings thoughts about killing were in connection to a comment that Alexander reportedly posted on a social networking Web site. Something about his life style?
Now if you react in such a way over a life style matter on facebook, how will you react over something that threatens to air on Panorama about the boss?
VINCYNEEDASHOWAPOWA, I never ever thought I would agree with a blog that you wrote.
You are 100% right when you say St. Vincent and the Grenadines really need journalists with some backbone. Moreover, we clearly do not have any INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS of stature in SVG. All we have are reporters who just report what they have been told.
VINCYPOWA, yes they report what they are told to report by Gonsalves, what else do you expect from people who are branded “Chattering Nabobs” by GONSALVES. The disrespect he has heaped on local journalists, they have had there spirit broken by this form of name calling and bullying. They are frightened of Gonsalves, frightened of the tongue lashing, the public and private belittling. In some cases isnt advertising revenue given or removed subject to the reporters knowing their place? and their editors ensuring nothing gets printed that would offend Gonsalves.
As for ethics VP, that is something that you need to learn more about, you come on all these news sites and attack and bully contributors, bloggers and even the editor. You tell lies and poo-poo the truth, anything to protect your boss from the truth.
I believe the free press is being stifled by the fear of a single man, and the continual threat of being sued, and perhaps never working again in SVG, perhaps even online contributors and publishers are being affected. Its not just yourself you need to worry about its your family and even your extended family.
Now its ever so simple, if what the Panorama reporters say is true, lets see the program. Quit all the crap about Gonsalves wishing to be a grand lodge Prime Minister member. That he will have to earn, like the titles Honourable and Excellency, which in my view he certainly doesnt deserve.