The following is the full text of an address by Hon Malcolm Guishard, Minister of Agriculture, Tourism and Culture, Telecommunications and Information, Lands, Housing, Cooperatives and Fisheries in the Nevis Island Administration and a member of the Federal Parliament on Monday June 19, 2006 in response to allegations including insider trading that are in circulation, relating to the sale of 80 acres of land at Pinneys Estate.

Citizens and residents,
I speak with you today in my capacity as a Minister in the Nevis Island Administration and a member of the Federal Parliament.

 

I am deeply concerned over the deteriorating level of public political discussion in our beloved island. In the past, I have chosen to ignore or trivialize direct personal attacks or criticisms, given the nature of the business of politics, especially in an election year. 

However, as a result of recent discussions in the local media surrounding Opposition allegations that a member of my family had been facilitated by me, in my capacity as a minister of government, in the purchase of state lands at Pinneys Estate, I have chosen to speak to you at this time.

 

I am aware, Ladies and Gentlemen, that rumors to this effect have been making the rounds in Nevis for the past two years. I am even in possession of newspaper clippings, which made similar assertions. To date, I have remained silent on the issue. However these rumours have highlighted the dangerous and far-reaching implications that result from the lies and innuendo that some NRP commentators and politicians spread in an effort to denigrate my character in an attempt to sell themselves to voters.

 

I have been accused by the Opposition Nevis Reformation Party of first selling 80 acres of Government owned lands to my brother Hilary Guishard. When this lie was exposed, I was then further accused of "insider trading" and influencing the sale of 80 acres of the said land.

 

I take this opportunity to state categorically that at no time have I facilitated nor influenced the sale of 80 acres of Government land or privately owned land to Hilary Guishard, or any other member of my family.

 

The facts are, and I challenge any member of the public especially the Nevis Reformation Party, to prove otherwise that the 80 acres of land at Pinneys was privately owned. It was registered in the Land Registry for in excess of 30 years to an entity called Pinney's Investment Company, with shareholdings by private individuals, the majority of whom reside in Europe with no affiliation to the Nevis Island Administration or any associated agency.

 

In the case of this particular sale, the intention of the owner to sell the land was circulated in real estate circles several years prior to that transaction and adjoining parcels of land had also been sold prior to this sale. As a matter of fact, Mr. Allistair Yearwood, of Oualie Realty on Tuesday 13th June, 2006, on the VON's "Let's Talk" program, stated that he was asked by the owners to sell these lands. Mr. Yearwood on that same program indicated that he had a foreign investor who was interested in purchasing one hundred and fifty acres of the same lands. Let me repeat Mr. Allister Yearwood (NRP's executive member) stated on VON "Lets Talk" program that he offered those lands to a foreign investor.

Simply put, the land had been on the market for sometime and the 80 acres bought by Hilary Guishard was among the last pieces that were sold. The purchase was therefore an arms-length transaction between two private parties, Pinneys Investment Company as the Seller and Hilary Guishard as the Purchaser.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, this was NOT an under-the-table deal as the mouthpieces of the NRP have sought to make you believe. Hilary Guishard OFFERED the Pinneys Investment Company US$650000 (EC$1,742000.00) for the land. It is important to note that AFTER the offer by Hilary Guishard, the Owners hired Allistair Yearwood to value the land. I must here make note of the fact that Mr. Allistair Yearwood is an executive member of the Nevis Reformation Party. Mr. Yearwood valued the land at US$640,000. (EC$1,715,000.00). Despite Mr. Yearwood's valuation, Hilary Guishard was asked by the Company to pay the amount he had originally offered. If my calculation is correct, he paid US$10,000.00 or EC$26800.00 more than Mr. Yearwood's valuation.

 

It was, as I said from the outset, a straight-forward, arms-length transaction, which had nothing to do with the government, other than that the government stood to collect the associated taxes and other transaction fees. The availability of the lands was public knowledge based on Mr. Yearwood's own admission on VON Radio on Tuesday 13th June, 2006. The price that was paid was higher than Mr. Yearwood's valuation.

 

Further, the Nevis Island Administration never placed any caveat on the lands. Neither did the Administration remove any caveat from those lands. A caveat had been placed on the land by one Mr. Steele Douglas this caveat was later removed by an Order of the court (Claim No. NEV HCV 101 OF 2001. Decision handed down by Justice Rawlins

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I, like you, am at a loss to understand what was there, about this sale that caused the Nevis Reformation Party to take to the airwaves and the newspapers in such glee with their lies, deception and propaganda. I do not know how the name Malcolm Guishard featured in that transaction. But, in the minds of the Nevis Reformation Party, it did.

 

I could understand the outrage of the NRP and the country if it was a case of my buying or of my causing to have sold to any member of my family, state owned lands at below market prices. I could understand the scandal that would and should have been created had I purchased land from the government at below market prices.

 

Were I to be guilty of such, I would be the first to declare myself as unfit to hold public office. That is why I felt it necessary to set the record on this matter straight.

That is also why I invite members of the public of Nevis to consider information, which was recently brought to my attention concerning a rather interesting land transaction that took place under the Nevis Reformation Party's Administration.

 

I invite leading members of the Nevis Reformation Party to keep the discussion on propriety in public life going, by sharing their thoughts on what I am about to reveal. 

The Leader of the Nevis Reformation Party Mr. Joseph Parry while holding the Portfolios of Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Tourism in the Nevis Island Administration purchased 10 acres for the handsome and princely sum of EC$30,000.00 or a mere .06cents per sq ft at a time when lands were being offered on the market for $2.00 and $3.00 per square foot, our then Minister of Lands, Mr. Joseph Parry saw nothing wrong with that transaction. (this transaction is recorded at the lands registry in Liber No. CR Vol 49. Folio No. 847-50).

 

 I would now pose to him the question how many persons on Nevis were aware that lands could be bought at .06cents per sq. ft.? In my opinion if lands were advertised to the general populace on Nevis at that price there could well have been a number of Nevisians proudly holding certificates of titles for their own lands.

 

The average person on Nevis purchasing lands from the Nevis Housing and Land Development Corporation would purchase an average 10000 sq. ft. of land at a cost of EC$32500.00 or $3.25 per sq ft. How many persons would have benefited if they were given the same opportunity as Mr. Parry to purchase lands at .06cents per sq ft? 

How much more land was available? Did the general public know that lands were for sale at this low price?

 

It is my opinion that Mr. Parry acting in his capacity as Chairman of the Nevis Housing and Land Development Corporation should have encouraged his Board to purchase some or all of these lands for resale to the people of Nevis whom he claims to love and serve.

 

I have been informed that it was the intention of the previous Administration to construct the Deep Water Port closer to these lands than it is presently constructed and I stand to be corrected. The present site was chosen by the Concerned Citizens Movement Administration.

 

The Daniel's family Felix Daniel, Hastings Daniel, Hensley and Lynette Daniel all purchased land at Prospect Estate from the NRP Administration for a mere .27cents per. sq. ft. with each member of this family purchasing approximately one half of an acre of land. These lands were purchased from Government at this price when other persons were being asked to pay more for their land around the same period.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I appeal to you to analyze the submissions that are made to you in the weeks ahead. It is said that desperate people are prone to doing desperate things therefore I expect that the behaviour of the lead members of the Nevis Reformation Party would continue.

 

My dear people, we have come a long way. We have moved beyond the politics of character assassination and innuendo. Through our hard work and sacrifices Nevis is once again the Gem of the Caribbean, one of the more sought after destinations in the World. Nevis now has a literacy rate of ninety eight percent, we are a people who demand and deserve respect. Once again we have come along way during the past fourteen years and I urge you to resist any attempt at taking us back from whence we came

 

I urge you to seek out the facts before coming to any conclusion.

May God bless you.