BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A group of nationals, under the tagline ‘Concerned Citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis’, have expressed their condemnation of US businessman Alkiviades ‘Alki’ David’s disrespect and veiled threats to Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris.
According to a press release from the Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister, the Concerned Citizens had penned a response to David’s distasteful behaviour in a letter circulated on social media.
In it, the release said, they noted that “as a people, we Kittitians and Nevisians should never ever allow anyone, whether billionaires or not, to come into our country and disrespect our people and their interests nor our elected leaders”.
David had arrived at the Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw International Airport early Tuesday morning (May 7) aboard his private jet with a cargo of what was said to be controlled drugs.
Following an investigation, David was arrested at the airport on Thursday (May 9) by members of the Anti-Narcotics Unit when he tried to leave the Federation. He was subsequently charged with Possession with Intent to Supply, Possession of Controlled Drugs and Importation of a Controlled Drug into the Federation.
A police communiqué stated that he had appeared at the Basseterre Magistrate’s Court on the following day and was granted bail in the sum of $30,000 to be paid forthwith and a sum of $50,000 with two sureties.
He was also ordered to surrender all travel documents and to report to the Frigate Bay Police Station on a daily basis.
However, on appearance at the Basseterre Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning (May 15), his bail conditions revoked and a new set of conditions were implemented.
His new conditions were a cash bail of EC$300,000 and EC$600,000 with two sureties for his appearance at the Basseterre Magistrate Court on Monday, September 23, 2019.
The press release stated that David had held a press conference on Monday (May 13) at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort, which was carried live on a local radio station and social media.
It also stated that during the press conference he had exhibited bizarre behaviour when he went on a profanity-laced rant, and that in one instance he said with a clenched fist, “Mr. Harris, PM, you’re going to get a fisting.” He added, “Literally a legal fisting like no other.”
“Present at that press conference weres Dr. Douglas and the Labour Party candidate for Constituency #8, Dr. Terrance Drew – none of whom sought to interject, stop Mr. David, or apologize for his disrespectful actions,” the release said.
“In recent days,” the release added, “it has been made clear that Mr. David is a close business associate of Opposition Leader, Dr. Denzil Douglas.”
The release also stated that the Concerned Citizens had issued a clarion call for all “right thinking citizens of all political persuasions” to “roundly condemn” what took place on Monday and the offensive behaviour that was broadcast live throughout the country and the world.
“They went on to state that the ‘veiled threats directed at our Prime Minister must not and should not be tolerated under any circumstance’. They went on to call on Dr. Douglas to issue an immediately apology ‘for his part in the unprecedented nature and content of the Press Conference’, it added.
The right-thinking group of citizens, the release said, also encouraged Dr. Douglas and Dr. Drew to disassociate themselves from the likes of Mr. David, who himself has had several legal troubles in recent times.
“It [his profanity-laced rant] was a shameful exercise and surely in hindsight the former Prime Minister now recognizes that, at best, he made an error in judgement or at worst, he was motivated by money and its benefits especially as it relates to his singular desire to become the Prime Minister again. Similarly, we call on Dr. Terrance Drew to also disassociate himself from what took place and to publicly apologize to the nation for the profanity laced News Conference which was held today (Monday, May 13) by one Alki David,” the press release quoted the Concerned Citizens as saying in the letter.
“It has been confirmed via an official press release issued on behalf of SwissX Labs, a company that specializes in products containing CBD (cannabidiol), that Dr. Douglas ‘is working closely’ with Mr. David and his associates to reap the benefits from a potential vibrant marijuana industry in St. Kitts and Nevis,” the release read.
It further stated that on the airwaves and on social media, this partnership has been roundly criticized by citizens and residents, who have raised emphatic objection, saying that it will disadvantage the local farmers who they say should be given first preference in building the marijuana industry.
In conclusion, the release read: “Prime Minister Harris has stated resolutely that “non-nationals would not be permitted to secure advantages over nationals of our Federation as we set about to build out a marijuana industry.”
