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.
Pierre is doing the right thing. He avoided being goaded into making statements about an impending case. The public just has to wait to see how this affair falls out. There might be someone in his cabinet shaking in his boots despite his public bravado. My assurance to that shady individual, Federal prison time is better than State prison.
I am not a lawyer and I am not trying to play one. But isn’t the RICO Act part of a US federal law solely for those within certain US jurisdictions? Is St. Lucia part of the USA or does it fall within the jurisdictions of US laws? I believe that nations are taken to the World Court, the ICJ, the ICC, and the WTO to settle disputes and not a third-party court. Many years ago, The United States stated quite emphatically that Nigerians residing in the oil-rich Delta region couldn’t file a lawsuit in US court against Exon-Mobil because they were not United States citizens. Now the imbecilic Chastanet is siding with the convicted criminal, Martinez, to file a lawsuit against the St. Lucia government in a US court. How ironic! RICO Act does not apply to St. Lucia and Martinez should be told to go to hell.
@ Ras Biko
18 U.S.C. § 1962(c), makes it “unlawful for any person employed by or associated with any enterprise engaged in, or the activities of which affect, interstate or foreign commerce, to conduct or participate, directly or indirectly, in the conduct of such enterprise’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity or collection of unlawful debt.” In other words, if you are involved with a group of people who use an organization for purposes that are illegal under U.S. law, there is a chance you are violating RICO.
I have asked that question several times and have been chastised by the UWP. I even want to take Chastanet to court for this
Now he is trying to shield himself from this. Allen Chastanet how many passports did you sell during your reign in office? We St. Lucians really want to know.
And we tax payer have to foot the bill ..
Do we need the US to put this thing to rest. Can those involved be accountable to us, St Lucians and give us the information that we need. Lids Joseph did the right thing, she asked for clarification but look at the arrogance with which she was ridiculed. St lucians are settling for mockery. If you think chastenet and his ‘zelegs’ are foolish, then what about us who are accepting piss in our eyes? We are ignoring the behaviour of these politicians. We’ll before I can love any politician, I’m putting my country first. Please talk to us, tell us the truth about CIP. I do not need Martinez to do so for me. Something smells fishy get it cleaned.
No minister can be prosecuted in st Lucia for laundering funds u will never see that once every body gets paid, u will see that in the after life
@Ras Biko, where are the bank accounts located ? This should answer all of your questions.
Another Juffslli situation on repeat