KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, Feb. 27, IWN – Investor Dave Ames has described as “an outrageous lie” a reported allegation that he went to the office of Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves with a bag of money and left without it.
“The BBC has accused the Prime Minister of St. Vincent Dr Ralph Gonsalves of accepting from me a suitcase of money in order to receive my citizenship. This is an outrageous lie,” a U.K. publication quoted Ames as saying in a statement.
“Sam Commissiong, my solicitor in St. Vincent, has attended each and every meeting I have had with the Prime Minister and will confirm the allegation is completely false,” Ames further said in the statement.
The allegation surfaced after BBC journalist Paul Kenyon told Gonsalves in Barbados on Feb. 17 that he has three witnesses who are prepared to say that Ames took the money to the Prime Minister’s office.
Gonsalves had also denied the allegation and has said separately that Commissiong attended every meeting he had with Ames.
Ames is chair of Harlequin Property, the company that owns Buccament Bay Resort.
He is a British businessman, who was granted citizenship because of his investment in this country.
Gonsalves on Monday described his relationship with Ames as a professional one.