Basseterre, St.Kitts,– The Sunday Times has alleged that six small countries, including St Kitts - Nevis, have been accepting bribes to support Japan's highly controversial pro-whaling position.The widely read and respected British Newspaper conducted an undercover investigation that exposed Japanese officials' unethical bribery tactics. The startling revelation came ahead of a meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) scheduled for June 21st to 25th in Agadir, Morrocco, where Japan will be aggressively lobbying for an end to the 24-year moratorium on commercial whaling.
According to the newspaper, the government of St Kitts and Nevis among 5 other small countries all entered negotiations to sell their votes. The newspaper said that reporters, posing as representatives of a billionaire conservationist, approached officials from pro-whaling countries and made various offers to change their vote including envelopes of cash, prostitutes, plane tickets, all expense paid stays at high-end hotels in addition to some aid.
The Times said it had filmed government officials making several admissions about getting something in return for taking a pro-whaling stance.
It did not specify the amount of cash, number of prostitutes or the particular aid that St Kitts-Nevis received.
However, the newspaper article states that fisheries officials in other countries admitted they received aid from Japan and had received huge cash payments in envelopes at IWC meetings from Japanese officials including up to US$1000 per day spending money and all the expenses of the government officials or delegates at the IWC were taken care of by the Japanese.
Deputy Political leader of the Opposition party the People's Action Movement the Hon. Eugene Hamilton has called on the St.Kitts-Nevis Denzil Douglas led Labour administration to indicate to the nation which Minister was involved in the negotiations and what exactly did that Minister receive on behalf of the country and on his own personal behalf.
"I am concerned about the negative press our country is receiving over this matter of our government officials accepting bribes for our country's vote at the International Whaling Commission," said MP Eugene Hamilton. "What is more concerning to me, my party and frankly the entire nation is what exactly did our Ministers negotiate for and exactly what did they receive on behalf of the country or on their own behalf for that matter, in return for their vote. It is well known that our fisheries complex' was built as a result of Japanese aid. However the undercover operation by the Sunday Times revealed that government officials not only received aid but also envelopes of hard cash, the immoral use of prostitutes, all- expense paid hotel stays and free plane rides and who knows what else . So I am of the view that our country is owed an explanation about exactly what our country received and what our government officials received in return for our country's support of Japanese Whaling. Japanese whaling is a highly controversial issue and incidents of bribery involving our minister of government and officials puts our country in a very negative light internationally," Hamilton continued.
