Yearbook 2017
Saint Lucia. In March, MP Ernest Hilaire sued Prime Minister Allen Chastanet for slander. According to Hilaire, who represents the opposition party Saint Lucia’s Labor Party (SLP), Chastanet had called him dishonest and unreliable, claiming that Hilaire had been involved in financial irregularities during his time as Saint Lucia’s high commissioner in the UK.
According to Countryaah.com, the party rally continued in May when Guy Joseph, minister responsible for economic development, housing and transport, was asked by an opposition politician to answer questions about the bribery charges directed at him. For several years, Joseph has been accused of offering bribes to the then Prime Minister Kenny Anthony during his last term as Minister (2006-15) to allow certain special companies to receive lucrative construction contracts. The fact that this was once again relevant must have been due to Guy Joseph himself making accusations against several SLP politicians about irregularities committed during their time as ministers.
Saint Lucia was one of 17 countries and territories listed on the EU’s first black list of tax havens, published in December.
