Ritz Carlton Will Continue
Story By
Clinton Reynolds

The government sources say with that arrangement, the government and people of St. Lucia would have borne all the risk of the project with the Ritz Carlton bearing no risk. With the changes signed between government and the representatives of the resort Monday, the Ritz Carlton will have six months to provide some capital input for the project. Monday’s signing followed an emergency cabinet meeting earlier in the day, where housing minister – Richard Frederick and the minister responsible for the national development corporation – Rufus Bousquet expressed trepidation about the previous arrangements.

There are further reports that Frederick and Bousquet held talks with representatives of the resort last week. The multi-million dollar resort is just one of many luxury accommodations being constructed here. The deal with the Ritz Carlton hotel was signed under the previous administration.

The Ports Police Officer says she submitted to questioning without reservations. She says the whole experience has been traumatic for her and her family – she has not found the nerve to discuss the issue with her mom, because of the embarrassment.

Mathurin is headed back to court on September 12 where she’s pleading not guilty to the charge of handling stolen goods. In all this, Mathurin says her colleagues have not been very supportive. SLASPA would not comment immediately to the claims saying that the matter was under active investigation.

The ports police officer at the heart of the computer theft investigation has also claimed harassment by her employers. Mathurin alleges that she has had issues related to conflicts on the job which she has raised with the appropriate authorities at SLASPA, but nothing was done. The officer claims she has been targeted by officials of the authority for no good reason and even attempts made to block her studies at the teachers’ college.

However, officials of the air and sea ports authority have denied the claims. Chief of ports police – Kennedy Francis says SLASPA has had to discipline the officer for various infractions. SLASPA says it will have to investigate other claims made by the officer with respect to complains brought to the attention to its human resource department that have not been addressed.

The police force is trying to determine if there is any misconduct to be investigated in relation to one of its own.
This stems from reports that an officer attached to the La Caye police station was found in an allegedly compromising position with a young male. This case has emerged just months after a police constable attached to the Marchand police station was arrested and charged with wrongful imprisonment and sexual assault of an under aged boy.

Reports indicate that on Friday night the officer in this case was discovered in a private vehicle on the Vigie beach with the young man. Reports indicate that special services officers on patrol in the area found their colleague and the young boy in a compromising situation. Police sources say the teenager was instructed to have his parent accompany him to make an official police report the following day – and that was done.

However, the young man is insisting there was no sexual contact between himself and the officer. Sources say the young man maintains he and the officer were simply having a conversation. Sources say the officer has not been arrested, but has been removed from his duties as an investigation is launched.

Did Health Minister Dr Keith Mondesir misunderstand a recent statement from Opposition Leader – Dr Kenny Anthony? That is the observation of the Leader of the Opposition. Dr Anthony says the stated intention of his Party to look into what he says was an illegal move by Cabinet was not a personal move against the Health Minister. Dr Anthony says Cabinet – in the absence of the Prime Minister – voted to include the private residence of the Health Minister under the Tourism Incentives Act. He says the move was designed

to safeguard the Minister from possible prosecution by the Customs Department. At the same time, the Leader of the Opposition repeated an earlier invitation to the Health Minister to sue him on an earlier statement he made on the same matter. That invitation also dealt with the Tuxedo Villas affair. Dr Kenny Anthony says the SLP is still seeking advice about whether they should pursue this matter through the courts. He says further developments on the matter will be made public later this week. Prime Minister Stephenson King has not responded to the statement made last week by the SLP leader.

But Allen Chastanet insists that the intent is not to create undue panic. The Tourism Ministers says the leaflet will serve as a guide to visitors, referencing an attack on Canada’s Next Top Model winner here recently. However, the Taxi Union President is not buying it. Joseph says it appears that the intent is to punish the smaller players in the tourism industry.

Chastanet says the island has the responsibility of telling people what they should and should not do when on vacation on the island. But the better approach could only be told in time.

Forty-two students from the Saint Lucia campus of Monroe College graduated on Sunday with Bachelors degrees in Business Administration, Criminal Justice and Hospitality. That ceremony was held at the William Jefferson Ballroom at the Sandals Grande hotel. The University was singled out for its provision of tertiary level education in Saint Lucia. That accolade came from Education Minister Arsene James. James says Monroe provides what the escalating price of oil has placed out of the reach of the average Saint Lucian. They

were especially commended for providing that service at home. The US Ambassador to Barbados delivered the commencement address. Mary Ourisman had these words of advice to graduates. The graduating class was also addressed by College Dean – Ramesh Sinanan. He encouraged them to look beyond technology to the humanity he says was more important to living a full and just life.

The graduating class comprised of Associate Degree recipients from Sir Arthur Lewis Community College as well as college students from UWI and the Monroe faculty in New York. They were students who completed their course work in part-time and full-time study at Monroe.

Three houses of Rastafari have come together to celebrate the birthday of Marcus Garvey. Their committee unveiled the plans for the observance on Monday. Valence James from the Nyabinghi House says that celebration comes with one single most important message. Marcus Garvey is not a hero only to Rastafarians. The day and the observance is an important one to people who practice the Rastafarian faith. Activities for the birthday celebrated on Sunday August 17th will start on Friday with an exhibition at the Castries City

The George Charles foundation has recruited a regional trade unionist to deliver the annual George Charles memorial lecture. This year’s event will take place on Thursday at the mount of prayer, Coubaril. Sir Roy Trotman, a long serving general secretary of the Barbados workers union will focus on the historical legacy of labour leadership in Caribbean development.

This year, the lecture seeks to educate locals on trade unionism, while remembering the contribution of Sir George Charles to St. Lucia’s trade union movement. Sir George Charles – a founding member of the Saint Lucia Labour Party – worked at an oil company where he became involved in workers rights and in the 1940’s was a eminent trade union leader. Charles was a former minister of education and social welfare and St. Lucia’s first chief minister.