Former Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has raised ethical and legal questions regarding state contracts awarded to entities linked to sitting parliamentarians and trade unions, highlighting high-value cleaning agreements at Argyle International Airport (AIA).
Speaking on Star Radio, Gonsalves called on the Attorney General to seek a formal High Court ruling to clarify constitutional prohibitions against sitting Members of Parliament holding state service contracts.
Gonsalves detailed several cleaning contracts granted at AIA facilities, including an $18,000 monthly contract to Ukan Services—a commercial entity affiliated with the Public Service Union (PSU)—to clean the Civil Aviation Department compound and airfield lighting station. He also cited a $15,000 per month contract awarded to the Teachers’ Union to clean the airport’s cargo building and vehicle garage, questioning whether the organization possesses the relevant operational capacity for such work.
Gonsalves directed specific scrutiny toward “Vincy Clean,” a commercial enterprise in which he identified politician Sinclair Leake as a “major force”. Citing recent searches at the Commerce and Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), Gonsalves stated that corporate records list Leake, his wife, and one of his children as company directors, with no corporate filings submitted since 2020.
Addressing broader governance standards, Gonsalves argued that state contracts involving sitting parliamentary figures present serious conflict of interest concerns. Citing Section 26(1)(h) of the Constitution of St. Vincent and the Grenadines alongside Section 36 of the Representation of the People Act, he emphasized that holding an interest in a contract for services with the government serves as grounds for parliamentary disqualification.
Gonsalves raised the central legal question of whether statutory disqualifications extend beyond central government ministries to wholly state-owned corporate entities like AIA. To resolve the ambiguity, Gonsalves urged the government to seek judicial guidance:
“Maybe the Attorney General should do the country a favor and have an Attorney General’s reference being made for clarification as to the meaning of contract for services with the government and how that relates to somebody who is a member of the parliament.”
Gonsalves also addressed political comparisons regarding his family’s past commercial activity, specifically his wife Eloise Gonsalves’ former operation of the High Flyers restaurant at Argyle International Airport.
Drawing a distinction between receiving public funds and paying lease fees, Gonsalves pointed out that his wife operated as a tenant who paid monthly rent directly to AIA, fully funded her own electrical and interior installations, and maintained all National Insurance Services (NIS) contributions.
By contrast, vendor cleaning contracts involve state entities disbursing public funds directly to corporate entities owned or controlled by political figures.
