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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, May 14, 2019 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Right-thinking citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis have taken a united stance against international businessman, Alkiviades “Alki” David, who has over the last several hours launched a damning and disrespectful attack on the country’s Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris.

In one instance Alki David said with a clenched fist, “Mr. Harris, PM, you’re going to get a fisting.” He added, “Literally a legal fisting like no other.”

Mr. David, who was arrested and charged last week by the Anti-Narcotics Unit at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport with Possession with Intent to Supply, Possession of Controlled Drugs and Importation of a Controlled Druginto the Federation after a search of his private plane by Customs authorities, utilized his social media platforms to release several short video clips of himself directing threats towards Prime Minister Harris.

Mr. David exhibited further bizarre behaviour on the afternoon of Monday, May 13, when he went on a profanity-laced rant during a press conference at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort that was at the time being carried live on a local radio station and social media.

Present at that press conference was Dr. Douglas and the Labour Party candidate for Constituency #8, Dr. Terrance Drew – none of whom sought to interject, stop Mr. David, or apologize for his disrespectful actions.

In recent days, it has been made clear that Mr. David is a close business associate of Opposition Leader, Dr. Denzil Douglas.

Later on Monday, a group of nationals, under the tagline “Concerned Citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis,” penned a response to Mr. David’s distasteful behavior in a letter circulated on social media. In it they noted that, “As a people, we Kittitians and Nevisians should never ever allow anyone, whether billionaires or not, to come into our country and disrespect our people and their interests nor our elected leaders.”

The Concerned Citizens issued a clarion call for all “right thinking citizens of all political persuasions” to “roundly condemn” what took place on Monday and the offensive behaviour that was broadcast live throughout the country and the world.

They went on to state that the “veiled threats directed at our Prime Minister must not and should not be tolerated under any circumstance.” They went on to call on Dr. Douglas to issue an immediately apology “for his part in the unprecedented nature and content of the Press Conference.”

The right-thinking group of citizens also encouraged Dr. Douglas and Dr. Drew to disassociate themselves from the likes of Mr. David, who himself has had several legal troubles in recent times.  

“It [his profanity-laced rant] was a shameful exercise and surely in hindsight the former Prime Minister now recognizes that, at best, he made an error in judgement or at worst, he was motivated by money and its benefits especially as it relates to his singular desire to become the Prime Minister again. Similarly, we call on Dr. Terrance Drew to also disassociate himself from what took place and to publicly apologize to the nation for the profanity laced News Conference which was held today (Monday, May 13) by one Alki David,” the letter reads.

It has been confirmed via an official press release issued on behalf of SwissX Labs, a company that specializes in products containing CBD (cannabidiol), that Dr. Douglas “is working closing” with Mr. David and his associates to reap the benefits from a potential vibrant marijuana industry in St. Kitts and Nevis.

On the airwaves and on social media, this partnership has been roundly criticized by citizens and residents, who have raised emphatic objection, saying that it will disadvantage the local farmers who they say should be given first preference in building the marijuana industry.  

Prime Minister Harris has stated resolutely that “non-nationals would not be permitted to secure advantages over nationals of our Federation as we set about to build out a marijuana industry.” 

See Concerned Citizens Letter below: