By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Monday 21st May 2018)-Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris is challenging critics accusing him of being involved in the Peter Virdee bribery scandal to bring evidence to the court of law because he is “innocent” and as such he is not going to resign from office.
Speaking before an audience last night ( Sunday) at his Open Forum held at the Edgar T. Morris Primary School in his home community of Tabernacle (located within his constituency), Dr. Harris, in rejecting calls by the SKNLP to resign, exclaimed that he will not do so.
44-year-old billionaire businessman Peter Virdee is accused of bribing Caribbean officials as gathered from legally recorded telephone conversations by German authorities.
As gathered from media reports in the UK, the matter came about in a London high court judgement earlier this month after a court matter involving Virdee and his business associate Dieter Trutschler who are accused of tax fraud.
PM Harris claimed that nobody can bribe him.
“Nobody can bribe me! Nobody can bribe me! I born poor. I understand hard life …In understand poverty. You think champagne can get me to change me mind?! That is why ah don’t drink it! You think wine could impact my judgement on behalf of the people?! I hardly drink it!…Watch and shoe and vanities, dem could impact my mind and my judgement on behalf of my people?! Never! Craziness! That is craziness! And that is out of order! Out of order! Out of order!”
Referring to telephone conversation documents used in court as having been taken “unlawfully” by the authorities according to “the people”, Dr. Harris described the bribery scandal allegations as “hearsay” and challenged those who claim otherwise in this matter being investigated by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in Germany.
“I innocent. If you have evidence to the contrary bring it to the court of law. That’s all,” he remarked.
“I wanted to make it very clear we came here to report that I am not resigning tonight! A not resigning tomorrow, ah not resigning next week! A not resigning next year so long as God give me wellness and soundness of body and mind. We will go as we promised ten years of service for Dr. Timothy Harris as the Federation’s Prime Minister. That is what we committed to the people,” said PM Harris at this week’s meeting.
Additionally, he pledged to continue looking after the affairs of the country saying: “Don’t be bothered by this. You understand? This will pass for this is a hearsay and I am not going to get myself in that …when people say go on the radio and make a big statement. No matter what you say Douglas would continue the lie. I will continue to focus on you.”
“Some of them with their confused minds over the couple of days, dey say dey want Timothy to answer. Answer to what? Answer to what?! Is my name being called in something and if dem a talk chalala, wha cause me got inna dat?!What cause me got inna dat?! Dem up a England, dem a talk chalala and hearsay and dem say. Me dung ah St.Kitts working hard for the people, wha cause me ah sing chalala for? What am I to say? People ah talk and people ah say what they like; I am not there with them,” he told also.
In supporting his argument, however, he pointed to a timeframe of travel to London this year which conflicts the period given in court records surrounding the allegations.
The SKNLP is claiming to have pinned 2016 travel locations of PM Harris which allegedly links him (Dr. Harris) to the controversial matter as have been publicised by Party Leader and immediate former Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglas.
Dr. Harris indirectly referred to the time period of last month (April) this year when he visited the United Kingdom’s capital.
“When I was in London, ah met with the Queen, a sat at de Queen table for dinner, a met wid de Princess, a met wid de Prince; me nuh been ah hide . A met wid de Prime Minister at number 10 Downing Street and a met with her for dinner and it was their security taking me around and around… Nobody ask me no question when a was dere inna dey reach. Dey wine me and dey dine me like a distinguished prime minister that I am…”
He continued: “Now I come home and people a chat chalala. A not getting myself in that! So those who have made demselves a poppy show on de radio ‘Timothy must say something’. How ah going say something and a not dere wid dem! How ah going say when ah don’t know what is de truth from de lie for what people ah say! How am I going to say when at paragraph 86 of the judgement, the judges say that they can’t adjudicate with respect the reliability of the transcript. They won’t getting into that because it was a motion…The substantive matter not yet heard. The people were saying the police captured document unlawfully and they went to get the judge to review so the judge look at the transcript and the judge said at paragraph 86 nothing they say in the judgment is a final adjudication of the precise meaning of the transcript. De Judges say they ain’t getting into what the transcripts means but down here some people who want to be in things want to bring me in and to say that me involved in bribery.”