Published 21 May 2018
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
By: Media Source
PM Harris slammed on social media for failing to come clean on the Virdee-St. Kitts-Antigua-London scandal
Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 21, 2018 – Social media is abuzz with condemnation of Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris’ response to secretly taped telephone calls which emerged in a judgment in a British Court, in which property tycoon Peter Singh Virdee is accused of bribing Dr. Harris and Caribbean politicians.
At an in-house political meeting at a public school in Tabernacle on Sunday, Dr. Harris said he will not follow Hon. Asot Michael of Antigua and Barbuda, who resigned from that country’s cabinet, after being named, like Harris, in the matter before the British High Court.
Although his name and official title appear in the 47-page judgment several times in the transcripts of the recorded phone conversations, Dr. Harris told the meeting: “Answer to what? Is my name being called in something? And if dem a talk tralala, what a ass me got in a dat. What cause me got in a dat? Dem up in England, dem a talk tralala, tralala and hear say and dem say.”
Sidestepping his stop in London on his way to Dubai and return in March 2016, during which calls were recorded by German police, Dr. Harris instead referred to his recent visit to London for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting “when I met with the Queen and sat at the Queen’s table for dinner, ah met with the princess, a met with the prince and with the prime minister at No. 10 Downing Street. They wined me and dined me like a distinguished prime minister.”
Dr. Harris also steered clear of court transcripts which indicated he begged Peter Virdee for a watch and a pair of shoes.
“Interestingly, he did not dismissed as untrue the claims by Peter Singh Virdee that ‘the PM of St. Kitts asked for dinner, an after party, an expensive watch and shoes.”
“Dr Harris who has been called upon to resign by nationals at home and abroad amidst the bribery scandal, never denied knowing, meeting, or speaking to the London billionaire in a video clip of the meeting posted on social media,” said veteran broadcaster and businessman, Canady Browne.
“Based on the 17 minutes and 11 seconds video I’ve seen and listened, Dr. Harris did not deny or confirm reports that Mr. Virdee is an economic citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis. Neither did he address the former PM claims that Virdee hold a St. Kitts and Nevis diplomatic passport,” said Browne on his FaceBook page.
British-based Kittitian Cleo Cogger noted that Harris “sweated profusely in his efforts, he fraughted and wiped and l am still not convinced. He needs to try again and speak like the PM of Antigua so that the entire world can understand what he has to say.”
Washington, DC-based Everton “Obi” Powell noted that in response to the allegation of bribery accusations and calls for his resignation, Prime Minister Harris “even hit back at Premier (of Nevis and Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs) Mark Brantley for calling on him to address the issue.”
“He dismissed the very troubling issue of bribery accusations and calls for his resignation,” said Powell, who added:
“It’s a case of ethics and morality in leadership. Tim what you think is tralala, your fellow leader PM Gaston Browne of Antigua, thought it was morally and ethically over the top, so much so he forced his minister to resign.”
“No wonder our country lead the Caribbean in murder and crime rate…no accountability from the top. No decency, no good governance and no accountability even though Tim and his Unity construct came to power promising to do better in a new paradigm shift,” said the Nevisian blogger.
Photo 1- Prime Minister Timothy Harris
Photo 2 – Peter Virdee
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