BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FORMER Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas is claiming that a circulating document with his photograph and a passport graphic bearing a stamp marked “revoked” is bogus and was fabricated by a local propagandist.
“The origin of the fabricated document seems to point to an internet-based service which is well known for its propaganda against the Labour Administration which I led. It’s operated by the PAM/Unity propagandist Wallis Wilkin,” Dr. Douglas said in a statement issued by Charles Jong.
The former Prime Minister stated that it is a continuation of the attempts to tarnish his image and legacy of nearly 20 years of catapulting St. Kitts and Nevis to leading developmental positions in the Caribbean region.
He also stated that the document is being used as a method to distract the populace from the newly-elected Team Unity Government’s failings.
“This latest effort is an attempt to distract the electorate from the failings of the Dr. Harris government to deliver on the promises it made to the people of SKN during the recent campaign.”
Dr. Douglas claimed that no such document from the US was ever in his possession and that Prime Minister Harris and Foreign Affairs Minister Brantley had revoked the diplomatic passports of former Ministers of his Government.
“I understand however that PM Harris and Foreign Minister Brantley have revoked the diplomatic passports issued to former ministers of the Labour Administration even though on assuming office they met in place a policy of former Heads of State and Government and others continuing to hold diplomatic passports.
“In this circumstance where a visa was issued in the diplomatic passport which has been recalled/cancelled, we’ve been advised that we need to apply for new visas in our regular passports.”
He has accused Dr. Harris of using propaganda to draw attention off the victimisation meted out to supporters of the labour Party and senior public servants.
“It is an attempt by Dr. Harris and his propagandists to divert the attention of SKN and regional citizens from the atrocities of victimisation being practised against Labour supporters, senior public servants who have been locked out of their offices and sent on forced leave, the Supervisor of Elections and staff of the electoral office who have been barred from occupying their offices where some of the ballot boxes from the recent elections were stored but which are now under the control of the Chairman of the ruling PAM political party who is not even a public servant.”
Dr. Douglas also accused Dr. Harris of pedalling untruths with the aim of diverting attention from the recent homicides and to execute his vendetta against Commissioner of Police Celvin ‘CG’ Walwyn and certain ranks in the Police Force.
“This fabricated story is the latest attempt by Dr Harris to distract attention from the recent increase in gun-related murders and criminal activity in the Federation while he carries out his vendetta against the Police Force with his spate of demotions and transfers of men and women of decades of dedicated service, and ridicules and abuses the COP CG Walwyn who has been forced to demit office although he has unserved years on an existing contract.
“The victimisation meted out to the COP is similar to that received by the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of the Attorney General, Justice and Legal Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of National Security all of whom have been sent on pre-dismissal leave, and also the Ambassadors, Heads of Embassies and Missions all of whom have been asked to resign immediately by PM Harris.”
In a recent article posted by Times Caribbean headlined “US Government REVOKED Visa of Former St. Kitts-Nevis Prime Minister”, the author stated that the information concerning the revocation of Dr. Douglas’ diplomatic visa was obtained from sources close to the Team Unity Administration.
“Sources close to the new Team UNITY Administration are stating that just one week before the February 16th Elections the US government REVOKED the visa of Dr. Denzil Douglas. They also indicated that this was confirmed after investigation of a number of files in Government Headquarters and was later verified by the US embassy.”
The article, among other allegations, stated that the revocation was due to Dr. Douglas not adhering to international standards in connection with the processing and management of the country’s Citizenship by Investment Programme.
“Dr. Douglas was allegedly stripped of his diplomatic visa due to his refusal to adhere to international standards and various advisories in the processing of our passports and management of our citizenship by investment scheme. The new Team Unity government has already met with top US officials and pledged to revamp the entire scheme in order to restore our reputation and integrity on the world scale.”
When contacted for a comment, Wallis Wilkin told SKNVibes: “I am not certain what Dr. Douglas is speaking about.”
This media house had made several attempts today (Mar. 10) to contact Prime Minister Harris and Attorney-General Byron for a comment on this matter, but they could not have been reached.
However, according to a WINN FM’s article (Former Prime Minister’s US Visa Revoked), no official confirmation has yet been had from the Team Unity Administration, “but sources close to the government have supported reports on social media and elsewhere that the US visa of then prime minister Denzil Douglas was revoked by the Americans one week before the February 16 general elections”.
The local media house stated that the then government’s non-compliance with US advisories on the Federation’s Economic Citizenship Programme was the reason identified for the revocation.
The Americans, it added, are quoted as saying that the timing of the revoking of the visa was not done to deliberately coincide with the election campaign, but was the result of a gradual process.
WINN FM also stated: “With a new government firmly in place after the national poll, the suggestion is that the new administration only became aware of the visa being revoked during talks with American officials.”
It further stated that the impression given is that the Team Unity Government was left in the dark about this and other matters, apparently because government files went missing or were misplaced during the transition between the old and new administrations.
A recent advisory has reportedly been issued against the citizenship programme, as a follow up to the one issued in May 2014.
