BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Jan. 13, 2010 (Labour Secretariat) — Leader of the People’s Action Movement (PAM), Lindsay Grant, has confessed that he was involved in a US $1.7 million bribery deal with an unknown foreign investor, who he could only describe as a white “business executive representing some large company” with a British accent by the name of a Graham Wells.
According to Grant, he was invited to the Marriott Hotel to meet with Mr. Graham Wells.
They met in Room 111. Mr. Wells was interested in meeting with Grant because he had heard that Labour would lose the election and that Grant would become the next Prime Minister. Grant said that Mr. Wells wanted to buy 200 acres of crown lands at Brotherson’s Estate on the outskirts of Newton Ground Village at a price of US$20,000 per acre. (It is understood that land in that area is valued at close to US $100,000).
However, Grant claimed that he told Mr. Wells that he could not sell “the patrimony of the people of this country for no US$20,000.” He said that his party’s policy is to lease large expanses of land and not to sell it.
Mr. Grant went on to say that the investor, Mr. Wells, offered him funding for his party because it was an election year and his party seemed to be in dire need of money.
“How much money you want? …I say how much would you be willing to give? He says we are willing to give US$1.5 million. So when he said that I say no. I say how $1.7 sounds? He said I will have to go back to my principals but I believe that could work $1.7,” Grant confessed at his party’s meeting last Sunday night, January 10, in Sandy Point.
Grant then went on to say that he accepted the offer of 1.7 million for his party.
Later in the negotiations, the man according to Grant offered him personal gifts but he denied taking them.
“I say let me tell you something too, when you making that $1.5 or $1.7 million it is the party that you are giving it to, not Lindsay Grant, and you are making a business decision that you want to make. If you don’t want to make that business decision with the $1.5 million it is a matter for you. But Lindsay Grant wants no shares, no money, no house,” Grant admitted at his party’s meeting in Sandy Point.
Grant’s own confession at his party’s public meeting in Sandy Point last Sunday night has raised eyebrows about his poor judgment and corrupt tendencies as leader of a political party, as one who is aspiring to elected political office and worst yet, as a man desirous of becoming Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Grant has accused Prime Minister Douglas and members of his team of entangling him in the bribery web, a charge that the Prime Minister and his team have categorically denied.
Prime Minister Douglas has called into question the character and sound judgment of Mr. Grant upon hearing Mr. Grant’s own bribery confession and said that he would like to hear the entire story.
Mr. Grant has been heavily criticized by insiders of his party and his leadership abilities have now been placed under the microscope following his confession to involvement in the bribery scandal.
