During Monday’s press briefing, one reporter sought to draw to Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre’s attention an allegation made by Phillip Martinez.
Martinez and his MSR Media have filed a Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organisations (RICO) civil lawsuit in US Federal court alleging wrongdoing in the Citizenship By Investment Programmes in Saint Kitts and Saint Lucia.
The reporter alluded to the Saint Lucian prime minister having denied prior knowledge of Mc Claude Emmanuel, the Chief Executive Officer of Saint Lucia’s CIP, meeting with Martinez in Washington in June, with Martinez suggesting the contrary.
“That’s the bombshell?” responded Pierre, referencing recent opposition-related online posts that a bombshell was about to drop about the Martinez CIP saga.
“I am saying nothing about CIP so don’t ask me,” Pierre said.
The prime minister then went on to say that there was a case in the courts, and if there is evidence, that is where it should be tried.
“File everything in the American court, get all the evidence, let the American court disclose and I will take action if the American courts says that any of my ministers committed any fraud. I will take action,” Pierre declared.
According to the PM, he would not make any statement to create a sideshow and try the case out of court.
He questioned why the case had not attracted as much drama in St. Kitts and Nevis, even with two former prime ministers being named and what he described as “big wheels” being involved.
“In terms of passports, the problem arises in St. Kitts, but we are assuming that we must get involved in Saint Lucia and you want me to get involved,” Pierre said.
” I’m not getting involved. So I’m saying nothing. So tell the promoters of the bombshell I’m not going to report, I’m not going to answer, tell the promoters of the bombshell, I have no concern with the bombshell. Tell the promoters of the bombshell, I’m not speaking to anybody. Tell the promoters of the bombshell, that Phillip J. Pierre will not get involved, so the bombshell can explode, it can bomb. I am not involved…there is a case in the courts you have bombshells, you have shells, you have ballistic missiles, put it in the court. Go to the court with all these missiles and let them explode and if Phillip J Pierre is guilty, the court will say Phillip J Pierre is guilty. So that’s all I’m saying about that,” Pierre said.
He then stated his four-point position as follows: one: that there was a matter in court, two: there is an audit report that is coming out very shortly, three: when the time is right, an international firm will look over the CIP and four: the CIP Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) has been signed.
The MOA alluded to by prime minister Pierre was signed in June 2024 in compliance with practices of other OECS countries and their CIP programme.
It called for common standards and procedures in Pricing, Information Sharing and Transparency Standards, Regulation, Security Screening and Framework, Regulation of Agents, Marketing & Promotion of Programmes, Joint Training and Capacity Building, Dispute Resolution, and Amendment and Termination.
