Published 8 November 2017
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
Public still waiting for PLP press conference on allegations of missing campaign funds
Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 8, 2017 – Seven months after promising to deal with allegations of unaccounted campaign funds in his People’s Labour Party (PLP), St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris is yet to call a PLP press conference to deal with the issue which surfaced following the February 16th 2015 General Elections.
During the prime minister’s press conference in April this year, Dr. Harris refused to touch the issue of unaccounted campaign funds stating the press conference was a government event and not a PLP function.
WINNFM’s Ken Richards had pointed out to Dr. Harris that campaign financing is part of his Team Unity Government’s good governance legislative agenda.
“Campaign financing that is part of good governance and that is a matter that is there, when that particular programme is put to the public then the public will be advised of it. You brought in too, the mischief being propagated by persons who are no longer with the PLP in large measure because of that mischief,” said Harris, with Richard’s noting that Harris was referring to a question from the media house about allegations from three former executive members of Harris’s Peoples Labour Party (PLP), of allegations of unaccounted for campaign funds.
“I would therefore caution those who want to propagate those mischief, that they will answer to the court. I myself, is not going to get into any to or fro but it is discouraging when media houses attempt to take hearsay without a scintilla of evidence from disaffected persons and attempt to propagate it as if there is some truth in it. Not one scintilla of evidence and that has been reported not just by myself, but by senior members of the party.
“In fact all you have from those stories are some hearsay. Not one credible bit of evidence has been put in the public domain, so why are we talking about this hearsay and propaganda that people are attempting to put on social media for others to follow. I have taken legal action because ultimately that is where the matter will resolve itself,” Harris told the press conference.
Court sources say however there is no record of court action by the prime minister with regard to the allegation of EC$10 million in unaccounted campaign funds.
WINNFM pointed out to Prime Minister Harris that his former PLP deputy leader Sam Condor, former PLP chairman Douglas Wattley and former secretary Clecton Phillip have been publicly calling for an inquiry into the alleged unaccounted for campaign funds when holding those positions.
The three, who are no longer executive members of the PLP after a new executive was voted in at the party’s convention in March, continue to maintain however, that there is need for an inquiry into the matter.
WINNFM follow-up question didn’t find favour with Dr. Harris.
“Yes, but if it is a question to do with the PLP, please that is a matter already before lawyers and I will not entertain any questions to do with that matter,” he said.
“For the record I am not entertaining that discussion. At an appropriate forum of the PLP, you could perhaps put that to the PLP. I am dealing here as the prime minister with matters relevant to the government and the accusation of members, whoever they are, of the PLP have no bearing on the functioning of this government and they are not matters that I raised or matters that I figure a press conference of the government should be diverted to,” prime minister Harris replied.
Photo: Dr. Timothy Harris
