Caribbean News Now!

By Caribbean News Now contributor

CASTRIES, St Lucia -- The Lucian People's Movement (LPM) has insisted that, while it claims that the government of Saint Lucia is “completely in bed with Sandals” over the proposed construction of overwater bungalows at Pigeon Point, this should not deter or silence the voices of all Saint Lucians who are truly concerned about the impingement on their sovereignty and patrimony by huge corporations, whose only concern is “maximizing profit at the expense of the people of Saint Lucia.”

According to the political leader of the LPM, Therold Prudent, "The time has come when the people of Saint Lucia must weigh the quantity and quality of the jobs that may derive from the proposed project, and whether there are guarantees of long term job security in the agreement between the government of Saint Lucia and Sandals, versus the ecological damage to our ecosystem, the restrictions in the personal rights and movement of the people of Saint Lucia in accessing their beaches, including a dramatically redrawn or narrowing of the expanse of sea that has served as the economic base and livelihood of the fishermen and people of Gros Islet for hundreds of years."

Prudent added that "Saint Lucians must make full use of the powers bestowed upon them by the constitution, which is the right within a democracy to guide and challenge their government, especially when that government is not clear or forthcoming in terms of where it truly stands on questions of Saint Lucia's patrimony. I also don't believe that it was the intent of the people of Saint Lucia to elect a government or governments which take its directives from multinational corporations, as opposed to the other way around."

“As one who was born and raised in Gros Islet, and a proud custodian of its earliest history and unique way of life,” Prudent said that, not only has he borne personal witness to the destruction of the local marine life throughout the so-called years of development, and the near elimination of a once-thriving fishing industry in Gros Islet, which first started with the construction of the Pigeon Island Causeway in the 70s, but that the people of Gros Islet and Saint Lucia by extension have more to lose from these government-sanctioned experimentations and ventures.

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Ray:

Strange how this hit the news in every country except St. Lucia...?!

"Special prosecutors in the Turks & Caicos Islands said Sandals Resorts will pay $12 million as part of a probe into corruption, with the agreement involving no admission of liability.

A statement from the Turks and Caicos Governor’s office said: “The Special Investigation Prosecution Team (SIPT) and the Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) have reached an agreement with Sandals and its directors and officers in respect of the SIPT investigations.

“This agreement is without any admission of liability by the company, its directors and/or officers. It does not however prevent the prosecution of any other persons in respect of any facts and matters.

“The agreement, which involves a payment of USD$12 million to TCIG, is due in part to the co-operation of the company with the United States authorities to a degree that has been acknowledged to be both extraordinary and unique and included the early and voluntary release of valuable evidence that has been shared with the SIPT. That information has materially assisted SIPT’s investigations.”

The statement provided no further details, but Fox News reported that in 2011, Sandals counsel Dimitri Singh said a former senior Sandals officer was linked to “various unauthorized transactions” and said the Jamaica-based resort company was voluntarily cooperating with international authorities probing former islands officials.

So far around a dozen people, including developers and former Turks and Caicos government ministers, have been indicted on corruption-related charges. Earlier this month, British officials said they were starting extradition proceedings for former premier Michael Misick, who was arrested in December 2012 in Brazil."

http://bernews.com/2013/01/sipt-sandals-resorts-reach-12m-agreement/

Marlon Mills:

Well done! We have exactly the same problem brewing in St Vincent and the Grenadines and it is creating havock with the environment. By the time these politicians and the greedy investors are finished with these tiny island nations there will be nothing left for locals.

It is good to see others standing against up these economic and ecological hitmen.

Marlon Mills:

Well done! We have exactly the same problem brewing in St Vincent and the Grenadines and it is creating havock with the environment. By the time these politicians and the greedy investors are finished with these tiny island nations there will be nothing left for locals.

It is good to see others standing against up these economic and ecological hitmen.