P.M. Flays ‘Trust’ Director

THE controversy surrounding the proposed dolphin park at Pigeon Island continued this week with charges of false statements being made against the St. Lucia National Trust’s director BishnuTulsie by Prime Minister Allen Chastanet.

Chastanet claimed that Tulsie made some false statements at a press conference last week on the proposed project. He lashed out at Tulsie and asked that the Trust director retract those statements.

However The VOICE has learned through Trust members that Tulsie is unaware of making false statements at the press conference and wants the Prime Minister to be specific in pointing out the alleged false statements.

Tulsie was contacted and asked to respond to the Prime Minister’s allegations however declined simply saying “no comment” for the time being.

But Nicole McDonald, the Prime Minister’s Senior Communications Officer told The VOICE that one of the statements made by Tulsie was that the cemetery at the Pigeon island Park would be desecrated if the dolphinarium is to go ahead.

“That’s not true,” McDonald said. “He (Tulsie) also said the government by passed the National Trust. This is not true because the developer went to them (the Trust). They also said the coral reef will be destroyed.”

“The National Trust and Tulsie at the press conference said certain things that were not based on fact,” McDonald said.

However Chastanet, in making the allegations did not indicate what those “false statements” were. Neither did he say when and where those statements were made.

“Tulsie went on record and made certain allegations, of which they are false, and I am asking him to retract those statements, Chastanet told reporters Monday.

He criticized the Trust for the manner in which they threated the project’s investors at their last meeting two weeks ago, saying the Trust was “irresponsible” in its decision to object to the dolphin park not only at Pigeon Island but elsewhere in the country.

“It is irresponsible and subjective of the Trust not to have the dolphin park at Pigeon Island and anywhere else. I’m questioning what’s the real cause behind this thing? I am encouraging the National trust to allow due process to take place,” Chastanet said.

The Prime Minister claimed he had not lobbied or tried to influence anyone on the Trust council or elsewhere in getting approval for the project.

Referencing the Trust’s quarterly meeting two weeks ago where the dolphin park proposal was introduced to members by the developers, Chastanet said he was disappointed in the manner in which the developers were treated.

“The level of abuse that took place at that meeting was disrespectful. I am extremely disappointed in how the investors were dealt with. All they were doing was making a request. The level of abusiveness that took place at that meeting was unbecoming and disrespectful, particularly in the environment where we are trying to attract investors. We need to stop this emotional argument,” Chastanet said.

He promised that the proposed project would go through whatever processes available by law and that it would not bypass any of them.

Tulsie, on the other hand, has promised to do whatever possible within the confines of the law to oppose the dolphin park, saying it was the mandate given him by the 600 financial members of the Trust at their last meeting. He also promised to take the matter to the court of public opinion should the Trust lose its legal struggles to stop the proposed project from becoming a reality.