The Unity Labour Party (ULP) is “overripe” with corruption although it came to office in March 2001 making similar accusations against the then New Democratic Party (NDP) government, says Central Kingstown MP St. Clair Leacock.
“We had Ralph (PM Ralph Gonsalves) telling us that corruption was plentiful in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Lord have mercy. If it was plentiful then, it overripe now,” Leacock said.
“I have never, ever seen so much corruption in the history of St. Vincent and the Grenadines as obtains now,” he told a “Season of Reason” village meeting in Block 2000 on Saturday.
“Itis as bad enough that sometimes they say a thief from a thief make God laugh. This Unity Labor Party is rotten to the core.”
Leacock said he can prove that the ULP is corrupt.
“I have said here on platforms, I’ve said on radio, I’ve said it anywhere. If they had lost the election a season or two ago, a lot of them would have been in jail for misbehaving in public office,” he said.
The MP said that over EC$100 million from PetroCaribe — Venezuela’s oil initiative with several Caribbean countries, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines — was spent without the authority of the Parliament of SVG.
“Up to today, even when we are investing millions of dollars in the Argyle International Airport, we still can’t get an audit by the Director of Audit of that nearly $1 billion spent on Argyle airport.”
Leacock said SVG is “in such a bad way now that we’re not paying attention to it.
“But the government has actually got to the stage that they are taking a loan to pay a loan,” he said and described the situation as someone crediting from one village shop after the other after running up a bill at the previous shop.
Leacock said the government borrowed money from the National Insurance Service, floated a bond, and did not send the money through the Consolidated Fund, as the law dictates.
“It goes right back. National Properties borrow money, they float a bond. In other words, they borrow money to pay back National Properties.”
He noted that millions of dollars from the NIS were invested in the Holiday Inn at Diamond.
“… that money ain’t coming back in a hurry,” Leacock said. “And you know the price you’re paying for it? Instead of your NIS benefits going up at the end of the month, going back to pay for the money that they invest out there, which will take 30, 40, 50 years to recover,” Leacock said.
“They’re not concerned about you. They’re not concerned about me. They’re concerned about staying in office at all costs. This is a country that has never, ever been in as bad a shape as it is.”
I truly wish you all should come with a good plan to lower the crime rate in SVG. Almost every week there is a killing in the country. Where do all these guns and drugs come from?
People’s lives are not worth anything in this climate. The youth just waiting to get a USA visa. It is shameful.
Leacock it was a fact that both parties have seen their day with corruption. There is an old adage that says'” who don’t Remember the past is condemned to repeat it.” What will you say when certain members of the NDP government acquired land in Cannouan for ten cents a square fl? Not so fast Leacock, you know what the good book says about ghe beam and the mote?