Govt orders Canouan Group CEO to leave SVG

The Governor General has issued an exclusion order for Batu Erem, Canouan Group CEO and Vice-President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Hotel Association (SVGHTA).

The order was issued after a July 4 interaction between Erem, who is said to have been born in Turkey, and Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves in the southern Grenadines island.

The order came despite a July 5 letter from Erem to Gonsalves and the SVGHTA in which Erem expressed “regret” over the tone of an interaction between him and Gonsalves one day earlier.

He said he had not intended for his meeting with Gonsalves, four days after the devastation wrought by Hurricane Beryl, “to be marked by a confrontational tone”.

On Tuesday, in Canouan, iWitness News asked Gonsalves if it was true that the government had decided “to deport” Erem.

“Not deport. The Governor General issued an exclusion order,” the prime minister said.

“It’s an order which the governor-general if she deems that any person who is an alien who is not conducive to good order and peace that he can be [excluded from the country].”

Asked if there was any particular action or activity that had informed the head of state’s decision, Gonsalves said, “I can’t discuss that. I don’t go behind the Governor General’s determination.”

He said that the decision is subject to review, adding that the order, issued under the Exclusion of Aliens Act, can be reviewed.

In his July 5 letter, Erem addressed “the events that occurred” during the “recent meeting” between him and Gonsalves on Canouan.

He said that as the representative of the Canouan Group and vice president of the SVGHTA, he had been working closely with the tourism bodies of the government to benefit Canouan and increase tourism recognition and prosperity for all of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

“Our first meeting occurred under stressful circumstances during an emergency crisis,” Erem said.

“After four days of intense efforts to support our community, I did not intend for our interaction to be marked by a confrontational tone. If my response seemed animated, please understand that it was driven by a deep passion for the island and its people.”

Erem said he did not have an opportunity to elaborate during his meeting with Gonsalves and used his letter to share “the specific actions we have undertaken in response to Hurricane Beryl and that directly and immediately benefited the community”.

He mentioned visiting each shelter with the police task force to ensure everyone’s safety and providing all the company’s beach beds to shelters.

Erem said the Canouan Group had been assisting in relocating individuals from government-issued shelters that lost their roofs, supporting local businesses with ingredients to feed villages and supplying drinking water.

He said that they had turned the health club at Soho House into a shelter, provided charging stations for villagers and staff and had been continuously helping the town, which had delayed the company’s own property damage assessments.

Erem said that the group had brought in a plane of supplies from Barbados and a boat of supplies from St. Vincent, provided diesel to local heavy equipment owners to clear roads and reactivated the airport by fixing the tower, restoring power, and supplying diesel, “which surely assisted your arrival today”.

“Our focus has been on immediate relief and the longer-term goal of rebuilding the community and infrastructure. Witnesses to these efforts, including Sergeant Karla Timm and numerous town residents, can attest to our commitment,” Erem said in his letter to Gonsalves. 

He said that receiving recognition for the immediate relief efforts initiated by the Canouan Group was not necessary, “nor did I have a means to communicate these efforts effectively due to the disaster’s impact.

“However, I was surprised and concerned by the accusation of obstructing relief efforts and the threat of deportation when I sought clarification. I was only later in the day made aware that these might have been caused by a letter sent by Mandarin Oriental independently of myself or my authority.”

Erem said he intended to “foster a cooperative and positive relationship, understanding the significant responsibilities we carry in rebuilding this nation.

“I deeply regret that our introduction started on such a note and hope we can leave any misunderstandings behind. I look forward to continuing our work together and supporting the government’s efforts in any way possible,” Erem wrote.

A source familiar with the development told iWitness News that Erem was trying to organise a steering committee for aid coordination on Canouan following the July 1 devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl, which damaged 95% of buildings in the Southern Grenadines.

The source said that Gonsalves told Erem that there is only one government in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and noted that Canouan is part of SVG.

The source said the prime minister further told Erem that all aid would be distributed through the state operation at the Canouan Police Station, under Timm’s leadership.

The source told iWitness News that the prime minister is alleged to have threatened to have Erem deported by the following day.

“It was a public thing as this happened on the steps of the police station the Thursday after the hurricane,” the source said, adding that they had since learnt that it was the first time that Gonsalves and Erem were meeting each other.

The government has leased two-thirds of Canouan to private investors for 99 years and the investors have been contributing to public infrastructure and other things on the island.

However, it appears that there has been a rift between the investors and the government over the last few years.

Land and property sales have fallen, resulting in the island — which is marketed as the destination to which billionaires go to escape millionaires — generating very little to the national coffers in recent years.