(See video at end of post)
Former diplomat, Edson Augustus returned to St. Vincent on Monday, 10 days after his recall, was debriefed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and left again that same day.
The former deputy consul general at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Consulate in New York was recalled after admitting to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves on Feb. 6 that he was offering, for a fee, to help persons in New York to source Permanent Resident Card, commonly called “Green Cards”.
The government discontinued Augustus’s salary last week after he failed to obey the recall.
Gonsalves told a press conference today (Tuesday) that his government did not give Augustus a timeframe within which to return to Kingstown.
“But I would expect he will return as promptly as all the circumstances would admit,” the Prime Minister said, adding that one would have expected that Augustus would have returned to St. Vincent early the week beginning Feb. 9.
Gonsalves said Augustus arrived in St. Vincent on Monday, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sen. Camillo Gonsalves and Permanent Secretary in that ministry, Nathaniel Williams.
“And they would have questioned him on many things.”
Gonsalves said he was informed that Augustus left St. Vincent for Trinidad that same day.
“Whether he is in Trinidad or not – I mean, he was no longer in the employ of the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He has family and friends in different places, also in Trinidad, from what I understand,” Gonsalves said.
The Gonsalves government has said that while Augustus acted outside of the scope of his employment, he did not break any of the laws of SVG when he took money from persons and promised to help them to secure Green Cards.
“If he says, ‘Give me some money and I can help you out’, I don’t think there is enough basis there for a crime, even in the United States. But what we know him to have done, doesn’t amount to a crime in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” Sen. Gonsalves said in a television interview broadcast on Sunday.
He further said he does not think the former deputy consul general’s action could negatively affect Vincentians applying for visas or other status in the United States.
“This is a situation where somebody, for want of a better word, was preying on the vulnerabilities of Vincentians in the diaspora,” the Foreign Affairs Minister said.
Wow. Ardon Graham talked and he had to surrender his travel documents, Anesia also just talked and had to surrender her travel documents. The actions of Augustus are security threats to two or more countries and he is free to roam.
looking at the Video I felt it for the Prime minister, look at his face, expression and body language downright shame i wonder when is the ULP next visit to Crown Heights , suree be he will try and avoid he should send Burns to polish talks.
I hope no one is silly enough to be fooled by his play acting, he deserves another Oscar for his performance.
But lets not forget, he is to blame for employing this man, so what you see is him feeling sorry for himself and looking pity from us. Well for me that doesn’t cut no ice.
What a load of rubbish. There is shame in the PM in eyes look at his body language. Why didnt you let the guy join you at that meeting with the press to tell the people what really went on? There is more to why he is left to just leave like that.
If the PM is a shame, what wrong with that? I am a shame also, because I am a vincentian, and when our Vincentian brothers and sisters done wrong or good on the international or local ground, we are affected negatively or positively somewhere or the other. So there is no wrong in the PM being shame or feeling shameful. Any parent that have children will fell shameful if the children do not live up to their expectation. No man is immune from these things, I do not care what your political, social, religious background or view our live can be affected by what our fellow men do.
Debriefed, I can understand Gonsalves taking the shirt off the mans back, but his trousers that’s another matter.
Gonsalves says
If he says, Give me some money and I can help you out, I dont think there is enough basis there for a crime, even in the United States. But what we know him to have done, doesnt amount to a crime in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
It really was not the prime minister’s decision to make if he had committed a crime, it was for the DPP as an independent member of our judiciary system to make that determination. Was Williams even asked for a ruleing on this matter.
I suppose it is expecting to much, to expect any comments about morality from Gonsalves.
Haahah. I just have to laugh. Dr Ralph look like father Christmas trying to tell the kids why they didn’t get their christmas gifts. Maybe the slay hit some of bad road in SVG and turn over with all their toys on board.
I’m glad that the PM can laugh about something as serious as this,Vincentians have been defrauded of monies and the conman is still flying all over the place. But when election come and the government changes a lot of people in SVG are going to OWN THE JAIL. for all the corruption that happened in SVG.
If he says, Give me some money and I can help you out, I dont think there is enough basis there for a crime, even in the United States.” – Senator Camillo Gonsalves.
“Even in the United Sates.?” Does the good Senator hold American values at the bottom of the barrel?
Wait. THEY FIRED SOMEBODY? On “what we know him to have done, doesnt amount to a crime in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Can an undersized deputy, deputy, consul general who cannot even make full consul general, from one of the smallest poor country in the Caribbean with a population a fraction of number of employees at Walmart’s influence who gets to reside in the United States of America?
If he says, Give me some money and I can help you out” – Senator Camillo Gonsalves. The question is: Can he help them out?
“But what we know him to have done, doesnt amount to a crime in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Camillo Gonsalves on his ex-deputy consul general. Is that complementary to the consul general or derogatory to our laws?
So they fired him. Was that to cut him lose? Or to cut them lose?
Can anyone in NY let us know if there is any truth in rumours that there was also promises of help with green cards in return for sex?
Why was he allowed to leave without a full investigation and a ruling by the DPP, I thought it was the DPP prerogative to make such decisions, turns out its the two Gonsalves, what other legal matters have they made the DPP’s decision on?
If it had been an NDP, thirty minutes after Augustus had left the meeting and was sitting in a restaurant, he would of been besieged by military dressed police officers and arrested. Had his travel documents taken from him and would of been harassed for weeks and months. Instead he was allowed to leave the state least he causes more embarrassment for the man that employed him.
while not condoning the action of the deputy, he must consider himself rather fortunate that the persons who he tried to scam are undocumented and therefore have the fear of going forward in the US. without these persons going forward again because of the status it is unlikely that he can be charge for deception, be cause by law a man is innocent until proven. look at a disgrace of a man.
So, he did nothing wrong, yet you let him go. That”s a strange one.
He should of been given to the three policmen for interogation. They could of tortured the truth from him, even got him to say anything they wanted, if they hit him hard enough for long enough.
I am wondering if he carries other secrets that he has been hurried out of the country again?
Something stinks about the whole thing.