Statement by hon dr ernest hilaire slp press conference-september 3 2020

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STATEMENT BY HON DR ERNEST HILARE
AT THE SAINT LUCIA LABOUR PARTY’S PRESS CONFERENCE
SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
Petty Prime Minister, sued in his personal capacity, now using resources of the
state to execute political persecution
The insecure and infantile Prime Minister Allen Chastanet’s uncontrollable and disturbing
obsession with me continues and has intensified.
Previously, I responded to oral statements, insinuations and comments regarding the
purchase, importation and ownership of two vehicles. Now, the Prime Minister has
shamefully weaponized his official office, misuses the resources of the state and taken
matters to a new level. He has now reduced the Office of Prime Minister to a weapon against
a political opponent in executing a baseless and vindictive witch-hunt against me.
I am advised that the official statement of September 2, 2020, from the Prime Minister’s
Office constitutes a further defamation against me. Accordingly, I have instructed my
Attorneys to take further legal action on my behalf to the fullest extent of the law to protect
my reputation and constitutional rights. In this regard, I will say very little directly about the
contents of the Office of the Prime Minister’s Statement, lest I be held in contempt of Court. I
am also limited in what documents that I can share with you at this time.

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Though I have previously responded in detail to the various attacks by the Prime Minister and
his surrogates in their five-year campaign against me, some facts are worth repeating.
Firstly, they claimed that I had stolen a state asset. Secondly, that I had bought the vehicle
with monies given to me by Juffali. So I then provided my bank statements to the media and
the Court proving beyond any doubt that I had paid for my vehicle with my personal funds.
Then there was a third spin. Nancy Charles questioned my ability to purchase two vehicles
and suggested I was involved in money laundering. That claim was also stated in an untested
affidavit filed by Allen Chastanet. I provided evidence that my brother had paid for his
vehicle via a loan from a local credit union. A loan he continues to service. Now there is a
fourth spin. Not that the vehicle does not belong to me, not that it is stolen but that I had
defrauded the UK Government! Not the Saint Lucian Government but the UK Government
by not paying VAT. How much is the VAT? £5,351.23! So this latest attack is I did not pay
VAT, not to the Saint Lucia Government but to the UK Government in the amount of
£5,351.23.
I maintain, as I always have, that I committed no infractions or breaches nor were my actions
even unusual. I wish to specifically and categorically state the following points for the benefit
of the public:
The purchase of an item, vehicle or otherwise, for a relative or a friend is a normal, legal and
legitimate transaction the world over. Such transactions are executed thousands of times per
day and Saint Lucia is no exception. There is nothing in the laws of Saint Lucia which
prohibits such transactions. Let me give you an example. You want a new flat screen TV or a
barrel. You send the money to a brother or sister in the US to buy and ship to Saint Lucia for
you. Is that illegal? Items which are bought for export does not include VAT and if it does,
you can reclaim the VAT once it is exported. Ask thousands of Saint Lucians if that is not
true. The simple question is how could I have defrauded the UK Government when they have
lost nothing. Even if the VAT was to be paid, then surely the monies would be repaid to me
once the vehicle is exported!
At all material times Mr. Tafawa Williams was acting as my agent as he is legally and
properly entitled to do and all documentation associated with the transaction was legal and
legitimate.
Mr. Williams acted as my agent as the transaction related to the vehicle could not have been
completed prior to my departure from London. I acted on advice that I should have an agent
act on my behalf given that I would not be there to personally receive the vehicle.
Mr. Williams was a member of Staff and was accredited as a diplomat enjoying duty free
privileges. However, Mr. Williams already had a diplomatic car registered in his name and
could not have registered the vehicle in order that it could be received and shipped to me. The
High Commission was advised to facilitate the transaction under its name. I paid for the
vehicle, the High Commission received it on my behalf, had it registered, then shipped the
vehicle to Saint Lucia together with my other personal effects. The country of destination
was always intended to be and stated on all relevant documentation as Saint Lucia. There was
no hiding as to where the vehicle was going to Mr. Williams has since last night, issued a
statement on the Prime Minister’s allegations showing these allegations as nothing but lies.

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Unlike the Prime Minister, I observed all the relevant laws and legal provisions and was in
contravention of none in the purchase and importation of the vehicles.
This unhealthy sustained persecution of me, by the Prime Minister and his agents, and now
using the Office of the Prime Minister, and the resources of the state, is nothing more than a
vile campaign of malice intended to tarnish my good image and reputation.
It is evident that the Prime Minister and his party have recognised that they have lost the
confidence of the Saint Lucian people who are eager to remove them from Government. In a
desperate bid to create a public distraction from his woeful and abysmal record as Prime
Minister and the performance of the UWP government underpinned by overt corruption, the
petty Prime Minister and his underlings have conjured up a dead horse non-story against me.
His continued deceit and lies by using selective Court documents, while not disclosing the
documents which will tell a different story, further bears out his unethical character.
That I am his target confirms the widely held view that he is threatened by my political
profile and the confidence that the people of Castries South, in particular and Saint Lucia,
generally, have in me and my record as a distinguished professional who has served without
blemish at home, in the Caribbean and internationally. Trust me; if he succeeds against me
then it will be colleague after colleague. But, unlike the Prime Minister, neither me nor any of
my colleagues have never been viewed as incompetent or declared a liar by any Court, let
alone 3 Judges of the Court of Appeal.
Finally, I challenge the Prime Minister that if he is convinced that I have acted in
contravention of the law and he "respects" the Rule of Law, then let him and his underlings
take Court action to repossess any property which I am in possession of which he believes is
not rightfully owned by me. I shall continue the exercise my right to sue for abuse of public
office and malicious persecution. And of course he will have to face a political response
never seen before.
Unlike the Prime Minister, we are eager to have our case heard before a court, unlike him
who seems to prefer to engage in stalling and delaying tactics, just like the Boundaries
Commission case, just like the Soufriere Town Council malfeasance case. Is it because he’s
frightened of being exposed in a court of law once again for who he really is? A compulsive
Liar
I also challenge the Prime Minister that if he truly believes in the Rule of Law, do not focus
on a false claim that I defrauded the UK Government of £ 5,351.23 but now explain to Saint
Lucians the following:
- Where is the rule of law for the case against him on the use of the Soufriere Town
Hall funds;
- Where is the rule of law for the Assenza case where he made numerous calls to
various parties involved including Mr. Assenza;
- Where is the rule of law in the WIPAY matter that he promised to investigate;
- Where is the rule of law to investigate the claims by a fired Minister that there are
members of Cabinet involved in criminal activity;

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- Where is the rule of law into the Range Development Scandal and where is the
promised Joint Statement to explain what happened;
- Where is the rule of law in the PAJOAH letter and the investigation into Guy Joseph
for issuing an illegal letter soliciting millions of dollars?
I can go on and on about the disrespect and breach of the rule of law by this Prime Minister
and his Cabinet.
This is my final statement on this matter as, unlike the Prime Minister, I truly believe in the
Rule of Law and do not wish to subvert the course of justice in a matter already before the
Court, so the Prime Minister should bear patience and see if his untested selective "truth"
stands up in Court during cross examination, as my Attorneys will act on my behalf further.
BREAD * JUSTICE * FREEDOM