The United Workers Party has raised questions about what it claims is the “continued plundering of the resources” of the Soufriere Regional Development Foundation (SRDF).
In a press release, the party called for accountability and an investigation to be launched into a road concreting project undertaken by the foundation on a section of Smith Street in Soufriere and other “highly questionable actions” relating to finance.
The UWP has called on the prime minister to investigate the dealings of the SRDF.
The party’s entire press release is posted below:
The Soufriere/Fond St. Jacques UWP Constituency Branch is appalled by the continued plundering of the resources of the Soufriere Foundation by the Soufriere/Fond St. Jacques.
The most recent violation is the concreting of a section of Smith Street in Soufriere which stops at the doorstep of the Chief Executive Officer of the Soufriere Foundation, Walter Francois. The blatant effrontery of the Soufriere Foundation is further aggravated by their shameless and preferential awarding of the $65,000.00 contract to Walter Francois’ well-known supporter.
The people of Soufriere/Fond St. Jacques demand answers to the following questions:
1. Why did the concrete works stop at the doorstep of the CEO of the Soufriere Foundation and not continue to the end of the road?
2. Who estimated the contracted works; and is $65,000.00 the true value of the completed works?
3. Wouldn’t the $65,000.00 be better invested in reinforcing the river bank wall which would have moderated the flooding suffered by Soufriere as a result of the Christmas Eve trough rather than rehabilitating the road for Walter Francois?
This egregious incident follows several similar highly questionable actions by the Soufriere Foundation including the payment of $65,000 in 2012 to a then director of the board for his claim for wrongful dismissal in 2008 while he served as the executive director.
The bullying of the board by the parliamentary representative into hiring Walter Francois, a discredited and disgraced former parliamentary pepresentative for Soufriere/Fond St. Jacques, as the chief executive officer in 2012, despite the strong disagreement of the board of directors. The resignation of both chairpersons appointed by the prime minister as a result of their inability to work with Francois in less than two years, to name a few.
The Soufriere/Fond St. Jacques UWP Constituency Branch and the majority of the people of Soufriere were never in support of the appointment of Walter Francois to head the esteemed Soufriere Foundation and we are not surprised at his ignoble tenure to date.
Therefore, the Soufriere/Fond St. Jacques UWP Constituency Branch appeals to the prime minister on behalf of the people of Soufriere/Fond St. Jacques to investigate the operations of the Soufriere Foundation in the name of good governance and the integrity of this stellar institution and to bring to an end the exploitation of the institution of the people of Soufriere/Fond St. Jacques.
Francois when contacted by St. Lucia News Online declined to comment on the matter stating that he would “neither confirm nor deny” the accusations.