Prominent attorney Jomo Thomas has raised corruption allegations regarding the expenditure of upwards of $12 million by the National Lotteries Authority (NLA) on land surrounding the former casino in Penniston.
On Tuesday, Thomas described the development project as a “scheme” executed under the former Unity Labour Party (ULP) administration, leaving the country with “nothing to show” for the multi-million-dollar outlay.
Thomas alleged that the Casino Land project was fraught with double-dealing, co-mingling, insider dealing, and corrupt practices within the National Lottery. Specifically, he asserted that the individuals directly tasked with administering the project were the identical parties contracted to execute the work, creating a direct conflict of interest.
According to Thomas, the National Lottery paid millions of dollars to acquire land surrounding the site of the old casino, which was destroyed around 2013 and subsequently allocated more than the purchase price toward a proposed development project.
He stated that while upwards of $12 million in Vincentian public funds was disbursed for the site, anyone driving to the Penniston location today will find no tangible evidence of completed construction or development.
Thomas urged citizens to visit the area themselves, asserting that the stark absence of physical progress relative to the massive expenditure would leave taxpayers shocked, angry, and dismayed.
Accusing the former ULP government of using the NLA as its personal “ATM machine” and “piggy bank” during its 24 years in office, Thomas questioned how $12 million could be spent without raising internal red flags or public accountability.
Emphasizing that St. Vincent and the Grenadines is navigating a severe “financial precipice,” Thomas urged the current administration which took office on November 27, 2025, to “crank up the machinery” and initiate formal financial investigations.
To maintain neutrality and neutralize claims of a local political “witch hunt,” Thomas advised the government to retain top regional or international financial auditing firms and collaborate with external law enforcement bodies such as the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
He argued that independent forensic investigators and professional quantity surveyors could systematically assess site developments against billed costs, uncover stashed funds, and gather evidence of criminal culpability to hold offenders accountable and recover misappropriated assets.
Thomas placed the Casino Land controversy within a broader context of financial governance deficiencies. He highlighted previous instances of financial opacity, pointing to the PetroCaribe program where up to $750 million was utilized before the operating entity became insolvent in 2021, a fact hidden from the public until 2024.
Additionally, Thomas noted that the national Audit Department remains severely underfunded and understaffed, lagging years behind schedule with current reviews only reaching 2021/2022 records.
To combat ongoing risks, he advocated for legislative reforms mandating automatic forensic audits for outgoing governments, alongside efforts to rebuild strong, independent civil society organizations to serve as public watchdogs.
