Investor Dave Ames. (Internet photo)
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, Feb. 27, IWN – Investor Dave Ames has described as “an outrageous lie” a reported allegation that he went to the office of Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves with a bag of money and left without it.
“The BBC has accused the Prime Minister of St. Vincent Dr Ralph Gonsalves of accepting from me a suitcase of money in order to receive my citizenship. This is an outrageous lie,” a U.K. publication quoted Ames as saying in a statement.
“Sam Commissiong, my solicitor in St. Vincent, has attended each and every meeting I have had with the Prime Minister and will confirm the allegation is completely false,” Ames further said in the statement.
The allegation surfaced after BBC journalist Paul Kenyon told Gonsalves in Barbados on Feb. 17 that he has three witnesses who are prepared to say that Ames took the money to the Prime Minister’s office.
Gonsalves had also denied the allegation and has said separately that Commissiong attended every meeting he had with Ames.
Ames is chair of Harlequin Property, the company that owns Buccament Bay Resort.
He is a British businessman, who was granted citizenship because of his investment in this country.
Gonsalves on Monday described his relationship with Ames as a professional one.
I-Witness News Legacy Site 
Kenton, we heard this news since last week, so how come it is only now that you’re reporting it?
The PRIME MINISTER even told the MEDIA HOUSES and REPORTERS in SVG to speak to Sam Commissiong to corroborate what he was saying to be the truth when he called into a local radio station from Haiti where he was attending the CARICOM meeting, so how come none did?
The reporters in SVG are just PLAIN LAZY.
They have no INVESTIGATIVE or JOURNALISTIC SPIRIT whatsoever. All they do is just report what they hear at a press conference or from a call in program.
Posted by VINCYPOWA | February 27, 2013, 11:20VINCYPOWA, what else do you expect from people who are branded “Chattering Nabobs” by GONSALVES. The disrespect he has heaped on local journalists, they have had there spirit broken by this form of name calling bullying.
And you VINCYPOWA continue with your disrespect of not just journalists, but of all Vincentians who seek decency from their leaders.
I am sure that KENTON CHANCE is doing his best, and its far better than the rest, newspapers that are frightened to publish. Kenton takes his time and try’s to get things right, he is a fair and considerate person. Certainly the best and most qualified local journalist that SVG has ever seen.
VINCYPOWA, as you are a known mouth piece of GONSALVES, I consider whatever attack you make on Kenton as an attack by Gonsalves.
Posted by peterbinose | February 27, 2013, 14:01“The BBC has accused the Prime Minister of St. Vincent Dr Ralph Gonsalves of accepting from me a suitcase of money in order to receive my citizenship.”……. Another twist in the BBC journalist/Gonsalves conversation. Didn’t Gonsalves say …”and left without it”….?, how did ‘citizenship’ get in?, ooohhh i get it now, it WASN’T for citizenship but for…..???? Ames probably had the cameras rolling to use when he’s ready to turn state witness.
Posted by Kelroy S (@kelroyy) | February 27, 2013, 18:35I am not sure when the citizanship aspect came in, as far as I have noticed it was introduced by Ames, no one else mentioned it, the BBC didn’t.
Posted by peterbinose | March 5, 2013, 20:17VINCYNEEDSASHOWERPOWA, Samuel Commissiong will have plenty of questions asked of him by the Panorama program. Including the application of the registrars stamp fiasco.
VINCYPOWA, well stinker, why don’t you tell the people all about Sam Commissiong’s past.
Posted by peterbinose | March 5, 2013, 20:24