By LR LiburdSt. Kitts-Nevis Observer
Opposition Leader the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas and former Education Minister Senator Nigel Carty are questioning the amount of money allegedly spent on upgrading security at the home of Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris, while calling for the establishing of the Public Accounts Committee.
The call for the Public Accounts Committee comes in light of South Africa’s highest court ruling that President Jacob Zuma had violated the Constitution in a long-running scandal involving Government money spent on upgrades to his home.
According to reports coming out of South Africa, President Zuma said he would pay back part of it in accordance with the ruling, but that he had never meant to undermine the Constitution.
Speaking recently on a local radio call-in programme, Dr. Douglas, who is also Leader of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party, said a similar situation exists in the twin-island Federation that involves the use of public funds.
“One should be warned that a similar situation does not arise where the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis is taken to court in order to force him to repay moneies, Government money, which he has spent to improve his private home.”
He also made reference to the situation that involves the Turks and Caicos former Premier Michael Misick.
“Of course, close to home in the United States Virgin Islands, we know that the former Governor was also in a similar situation, forced to repay Government monies he had spent on the improvement of his own private home.”
With fingers pointing at PM Harris, Dr. Douglas declared that he knows money was spent for security purposes on his residence but he does not know how much.
“Here in St. Kitts and Nevis, obviously, we are not certain how much money has been spent. We know that money has been spent. We, because we don’t have the benefits of the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament, cannot call for the receipts and the accounts of Government money spent on the improvement of Timothy Harris’ home. But following the trend that we’re seeing from South Africa and also of course the United States Virgin Islands, we believe that if the facts are brought clearly to us and we can prove that these Government funds have actually been used to upgrade Dr. Harris’ private home, then of course we will press in a similar way for these monies to be repaid to the taxpayers of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
The former Prime Minister claimed that the Federation is a modern country “where certain specific institutions are put in place for checks and balances” but they are “not functioning at all in St. Kitts and Nevis”.
Commenting on the Jacob Zuma’s situation, Carty pointed out that people in public office are expected to operate at the highest levels of probity and honesty, because it is all about serving the public’s interest.
“I believe that any court anywhere in any democratic part of the world would insist that leaders are not simply able to use resources simply because they are in power. Therefore, I believe the court is very much correct in ruling the way it did in terms of ordering Jacob Zuma to repay the funds to the treasury of the people of South Africa.”
He likened Zuma’s situation to what he assumed has occurred in the Federation.
“The same thing needs to be said in this case, and this is why the Labour Party has been saying for a long time that Dr. Timothy Harris needs to repay the money that he took from the Government treasury that he claimed he spent on his house for security purposes. Even if that were to be the case, even if he needed to improve his home in a modest way for security purposes, I think those funds ought to be approved.”
Ulike Dr. Douglas, the former Minister of Education had put a high price to the security measures Dr. Harris allegedly put in place at his residence, while also calling on the Government to institute the Public Accounts Committee.
“The question that haunts a lot of people, including myself, is how is it that Timothy Harris knew a few days after the elections that he needed…to upgrade security in his home. I don’t believe that at all. So I believe that we need to have the Public Accounts Committee put in place and I believe these are the reasons why Dr. Timothy Harris and his Government don’t want the Accounts Committee to begin to operate, because these are the kinds of matters they have to look into.”
Reports are that Zuma is accused of using ill-gotten wealth to upgrade his home with a swimming pool and amphitheatre and he had denied any wrongdoing.
He however reportedly said that he would pay back part of it in accordance with the court ruling, but that he had never meant to undermine the Constitution.
