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Basseterre, St. Kitts — In a blistering press conference held Monday, June 2nd, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Public Infrastructure Minister Dr. Hon. Shawn Richards dropped political bombshells as he lashed out at the lack of transparency, millions in unpaid debt, and glaring double standards surrounding the controversial sale of Christophe Harbour to Safe Harbour.

Calling the situation a national disgrace and an insult to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Richards condemned both the Kristophe Harbour developers and the Labour-led government’s silence, stating that the sale — reportedly valued at US$25 million — was announced via press release while the nation and its leaders remained largely in the dark.

“I, too, found out about the sale through a press release,” Richards said, visibly frustrated. “Outside of that, the public has been fed crumbs. Where is the transparency? Where is the accountability?”

Richards went on to highlight a trail of unpaid obligations left behind by Christophe Harbour — including Social Security, National Bank, and the SIDF, all funded by the people’s money.

“Social Security was named as a beneficiary in the sale payout — and that’s an admission in itself. Christophe Harbour was not paying their legal obligations. Had that been an ordinary citizen like Ishani or Azad, they’d be dragged before the courts and jailed,” he declared.

THE SKELEC SCANDAL: A TALE OF TWO CUSTOMERS

But it was his revelations regarding SKELEC, the national electricity provider, that truly enraged the audience.

As former Minister with oversight of public infrastructure, Richards revealed that Christophe Harbour owed over EC$2.8 million in billed electricity — with nearly another EC$1 million unbilled at the time.

“Imagine this — the average man gets disconnected for being a few days late. But Christophe Harbour, collecting electricity payments from homeowners, wasn’t paying SKELEC at all! They were living large while passing the cost to others.”

Richards explained that homeowners within the development did not have individual meters — instead, Christophe Harbour acted as the middleman, charging residents for electricity and pocketing the payments while failing to pay SKELEC.

“You can’t punish the homeowners. They’re paying. But Christophe Harbour isn’t. So, in consultation with the Board and management, I gave the directive to disconnect the administration building. Enough was enough.”

PASSPORT MONEY FOR THE PRIVILEGED?

Dr. Richards also questioned how millions in CBI (passport) funds — meant to benefit the people — were diverted to private luxury developments like Christophe Harbour.

“Why were we using passport money — the people’s money — to prop up billionaires who turn around and don’t even pay what they owe?”

He slammed the current administration for failing to provide clear, full disclosures and demanded a full audit of Christophe Harbour’s dealings, especially regarding monies owed to SIDF, Social Security, and National Bank.

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Richards ended with a stern warning:

“We cannot have one set of rules for the powerful and another for the people. This isn’t just financial mismanagement — this is exploitation hiding behind luxury. The people deserve answers. And they deserve them now.”

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