Astaphan - SKN Cabinet Involved in Stanford Talks

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Regional

Tuesday, 23 October 2012 02:30

By Carol Williams

Antigua St. John's - Former Minister of Tourism in St. Kitts & Nevis Dwyer Astaphan has said he will make no apologies for his role in bringing now-disgraced financier Allen Stanford to his country.

In fact, Astaphan has asserted that the Cabinet of Dr. Denzil Douglas was involved in the talks with the former American billionaire.

"The process of engaging Mr. Stanford in discussions was a collective effort by the government," he told Caribarena.

"We were watchful every step of the way, so it only underscores the silliness of the prime minister to try to isolate any one of his ministers in this whole matter. Where does Stanford come into this discussion in St. Kitts & Nevis today? Maybe only the prime minister alone knows."

He said further: "I was part of the government that engaged Mr. Stanford. I don't think I need to apologise to anybody for that. While Mr. Stanford was doing business in St. Kitts, the government had absolutely no inkling of what was to come and I think the same can be said of many governments throughout the world."

The St. Kitts & Nevis Prime Minister told a radio programme last week that Astaphan had called him from Antigua asking for an agreement on  the price Stanford should pay for land to set up a complex outside the neighbouring country's Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport.

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Dr. Douglas said he informed the then minister that the investor should come to the country to negotiate the deal, which he alleged benefited Astaphan and his law firm.

But Astaphan, who has since been expelled from the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party, described the leader's comments as a red herring and totally irrelevant.

"The prime minister is having difficulties that are beyond him and he is looking for scapegoats," he said, at the same time charging that Dr. Douglas referred to him as a "white man bringing another white man to the country."

"We are a sister government to that of Antigua and we certainly did not want to and would not have done anything to hurt Antigua. At the same time we look for investments in the best interest of the country without compromising the integrity of the country and there's no doubt that some investment was made and I have no doubt the integrity of the country was not compromised."

Stanford, who at one point was Antigua & Barbuda's single largest private sector employer, was arrested in 2009 for masterminding a US$7 billion Ponzi scheme leaving hundreds of defrauded investors high and dry.

The 62-year-old was sentenced in June to 110 years in prison.

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