Opposition Leader Ralph Gonsalves raised several points regarding his son, Storm Gonsalves, primarily to defend him against allegations of corruption and to describe his professional background.
Gonsalves on Wednesday addressed claims made by political opponents that Storm acquired land in Bequia through corrupt practices involving the government.
He clarified that the purchase was an “arms-length transaction” and that neither he nor the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines had any involvement or interference in the deal.
He noted that the government had actually tried to buy that specific land in 2017, but the owner’s lawyer stated at the time that she was not selling.
“Storm eventually purchased the land during the COVID-19 pandemic, a transaction, i was not even aware of at the time”.
Gonsalves emphasized that Storm is a long-time entrepreneur who operates independently of his father and highlighted that Storm had complained publicly about never winning a government contract, despite submitting tenders for the provision of goods and services.
He stated that Storm felt there might have been against him because of his father’s role as Prime Minister.
Gonsalves described his son as a risk-taker who is “quite capable of defending himself”.
The Opposition leader said Storm studied law in the United Kingdom and while he is a trained lawyer, he decided not to practice law, choosing instead to focus on being an entrepreneur.
Storm who was born in 1992 will be 34 years old later this year. Gonsalves said his son should be encouraged as a young entrepreneur rather than being made an “object of envy or jealousy” due to political reasons.
Gonsalves has also stated his intentions to take legal action against Hot 97 and its owner, Luke Boyea, over statements aired on the station concerning the sale of lands in Bequia.