Statement: St Lucia Labour Party responds to Joseph's 'empty request'

This is a statement from the St Lucia Labour Party

The St Lucia Labour Party notes the empty request from Guy Joseph for a debate on St Jude Hospital. The SLP believes that the issues surrounding the completion of St Jude are of a technical nature and Mr Joseph is not qualified or possesses the necessary technical competence to opine on these issues.

Instead, the SLP calls on Guy Joseph to respond to the following issues in which he has the knowledge and information:

1. Accept the invitation from Mr Richard Frederick, his former cabinet colleague who has publicly invited him to debate several issues including allegations of bribery.

2. Account for his tenure as President of the Minibus Association and the financial management of the gas station and financial rebates that he managed for the minibus drivers of Saint Lucia.

3. His role in matters listed in documents lodged in US Federal court, especially the many phone calls he made, as then Minister responsible for airports, to Antonio Azenza, during a period when Azenza’s company, A&M, was preparing to bid for, or being considered for the Hewanorra Reconstruction contract and what role he played in having the bidding process canceled when first A&M was not the bidder selected, followed later by A&M been handpicked by SLASPA.

4. His role, as Minister responsible for roads, in providing over twenty million dollars in direct awards to the same A&M, a company with no track record in road construction.

5. Why was that same company, A&M, given advance and mobilization payments to execute direct award contracts that they were supposed to finance themselves by the design finance award method. What was his role?

6. What was his role in the storage of hurricane relief supplies at the private residence of members of his family, in the aftermath of Hurricane Tomas

The St Lucia Labour Party believes that those are the issues that Guy Joseph has the knowledge and expertise to debate.