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A sensational political firestorm is sweeping across the Eastern Caribbean as Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, has expressed outrage over the construction of a $22 million Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Governor’s residence on St. Kitts, branding the project a “veritable palace” and a “monumental blunder.”

The explosive revelation stems from a confidential letter leaked via media note from Alex Christian. The letter, dated February 17, 2025, and allegedly addressed to Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who chairs the ECCU Monetary Council, lays bare Gonsalves’ shock and dismay at the excessive spending on the official residence for ECCB Governor Timothy Antoine.

In the leaked document, Dr. Gonsalves described the mansion — reportedly spanning 10,000 square feet — as “an absolute scandal” and an “unacceptable extravagance” at a time when the region’s poor and working-class citizens are grappling with rising food prices and increased poverty.

“This act of excessive spending is an outrage! The ECCU cannot afford a Governor who has an appetite for such unaffordable opulence,” Gonsalves declared in the searing letter.

He further blasted the ECCB Governor for demonstrating “a total lack of sensitivity and prudence”, calling for the Monetary Council to consider whether the Governor’s continued leadership is “tenable in all the circumstances.”

According to the SVG Prime Minister, the massive project is so far advanced that it must be completed — but he proposed that the ECCB sell the property to the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis or convert it into a luxury tourist accommodation rather than allowing the Governor to reside there.

The letter has ignited widespread debate across the region, with critics condemning the ECCB for what many describe as lavish spending amid economic hardship.

With the scandal now in the public domain, all eyes are on the ECCU Monetary Council to determine whether the embattled ECCB Governor will be forced to step down or defend his palace of controversy.

Stay tuned as this developing story unfolds.

#ECCBScandal #PalaceGate #CaribbeanPolitics #PublicOutrage #AccountabilityNow