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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, May 17, 2019 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Over the last several days, hundreds of nationals of St. Kitts and Nevis, both at home and abroad, took to the radio airwaves and utilized various social media platforms to reject and denounce the actions of international investors Alki David and Chase Ergen for their attempt to belittle the Office of the Prime Minister, the holder of that office and for attempting to take advantage of the potential establishment of the much talked about cannabis industry in the Federation.

“In their own words they came to St. Kitts to conquer us. They failed miserably in conquering the spirit, the pride and dignity of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis, who across the political divide condemned the profanity, the threats and nastiness associated with the dubious characters with whom Denzil Douglas continues to be associated with,” Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Harris said on the radio programme “Straight Talk” on WINNFM on Thursday, May 16.

Mr. David, a billionaire with ties to SwissX Labs, a company that specializes in products containing CBD (cannabidiol), has released several videos via social media of himself targeting threats towards Prime Minister Harris.

One by one, callers to the programme showed their national pride as they phoned in to air their concerns regarding the possible investments from individuals of such international disrepute and defended the honour of Dr. Harris and the Office of the Prime Minister. 

Elston “Ellie Matt” Nero was among those who phoned in to the programme. He said, “This man [Alki David] has made everybody so mad and I am personally so angry that this man could have the frontage to talk about my prime minister and my government as if we are trash; saying how he’s going to give the prime minister a legal fisting. I want to tell everybody in St. Kitts and Nevis, we all – Labour, PAM, NRP, CCM – need to stand up to people like this.”

Another caller stated that even if one disagrees with or dislikes the prime minister of the country, that person should at the very least show respect for the office itself. The caller noted, “We should not as Kittitians and Nevisians allow anybody to come into the country and disrespect firstly the holder of the office and secondly, the office and the entire country as a whole.”

Other callers were highly critical of the decision of the Leader of Opposition, Dr. Denzil Douglas to associate and align himself with these individuals and seeking to undertake a business venture with them—a venture many are of the view will disadvantage the local farmers who they say should be given first preference in building the marijuana industry. 

Prime Minister Harris added, “In my own view, the likes of Mr. David and Mr. Edwards are not persons which St. Kitts and Nevis needs to enter into partnership for its development because we will retrogress with them, and more than the shame and abomination which they represent is the fact that they were aided and abetted by Dr. Drew and by Denzil Douglas in demeaning the integrity and the dignity of our country, and those matters will be addressed in the fullness of time.”

Mr. David, as well as Mr. Chase Ergen, arrived in St. Kitts and Nevis last week onboard a private aircraft filled with substance later identified as genus of the plant cannabis. It was their intention to commence the cultivation of cannabis to capitalize on the planned establishment of the marijuana industry. The men, who were here on the invitation of their business associate and Dr. Denzil Douglas, were reportedly promised some 300 acres of land for the purpose of marijuana cultivation.