Opposition insists the Hilaire CIP Case ruling postpones accountability, not justice
CASTRIES, St. Lucia — The United Workers Party (UWP) has responded sharply to the latest High Court ruling in the Hilaire CIP Case, describing it as “a postponement of justice” rather than a victory for the Labour administration.
In a statement released by the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, the UWP said the decision in the matter brought by Opposition Leader Allen Chastanet against Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire and the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP) Board did not clear Hilaire of wrongdoing or legitimize controversial investment projects.
According to the party, the court’s refusal to grant an injunction simply delays scrutiny of what it calls “serious irregularities” surrounding the Galaxy and Bemax development agreements, which are at the center of the Hilaire CIP Case.
The Opposition claimed the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) government has been in “crisis mode” since the lawsuit was filed, suspending projects, terminating major contracts, and rushing to publish overdue CIP reports. The UWP maintained that without the case, Saint Lucians would still be unaware of how nearly US $2 billion in public funds were allegedly mishandled.
This latest court decision follows months of public debate and growing scrutiny of Hilaire’s management of the Citizenship by Investment Programme. Earlier reports, including Unitedpac St Lucia News’ in-depth coverage of the Hilaire CIP scandal and RICO case speculation involving the U.S. Department of Justice, have highlighted mounting calls for full transparency and legal accountability in Saint Lucia’s investment programme.
The party stressed that the High Court’s ruling did not examine evidence or absolve Hilaire of misconduct. Instead, it said the substantive hearing set for January 2026 will determine whether procurement laws were breached and whether public funds were misused under Hilaire’s oversight of the Citizenship by Investment Programme.
Below is the full text of the press release issued by the Office of the Leader of the Opposition:
PRESS RELEASE: Justice Delayed, Not Denied. Hilaire’s Reckoning Is Coming
The United Workers Party notes today’s High Court decision in the case brought by Opposition Leader Hon. Allen Chastanet against Dr. Ernest Hilaire and the Citizenship by Investment Board.
Make no mistake: this is not a victory. It is a postponement of justice.
The Court did not examine the evidence. It did not vindicate Dr. Hilaire. It did not legitimize the CIP scandal. It simply refused to stop projects that Hilaire himself had already suspended in panic after being exposed.
Since the Opposition filed this lawsuit, the SLP government has been in crisis mode:
● Suspending the very projects they claimed were legitimate
● Terminating Galaxy and Bemax agreements they claimed were proper
● Rushing to publish CIP reports more than a year past due
This legal action forced the government into transparency they never intended to provide. Without this case, Saint Lucians would still be in the dark about how nearly US $2 billion in public funds were mishandled under Dr. Hilaire’s watch.
The substantive case, the one that will determine whether Dr. Hilaire acted illegally, bent procurement laws, or mismanaged the CIP, is still to come. That hearing will take place in January 2026.
Until then, no one in government should be celebrating as social media maneuvering cannot erase the disturbing facts:
● The Galaxy agreements were quietly amended, inflating project costs from US $300 million to US $1.2 billion, with US $180 million in commissions diverted to private entities while the State received nothing.
● CIP funds intended for national infrastructure — over US $600 million — were handed to Galaxy, with no proper oversight and no accounting for escrow accounts as required by law.
● The illegal bypassing of the Finance Act and public-procurement laws, leaving taxpayers exposed and investors misled.
And all of this for a hotel that still doesn’t exist and for which Saint Lucia has received zero value in return for this massive expenditure.
The real trial begins in January 2026, when the Court will finally examine:
● Who approved inflating project costs by 400%
● Where the US $600 million in infrastructure funds actually went
● Why procurement laws were systematically ignored
● How US $180 million in commissions left the country while Saint Lucia got nothing
● Why there is still no hotel despite nearly US $2 billion given to Galaxy
● Where is the CIP money, and who really benefited?
The United Workers Party exists to defend the people’s interest. We will continue demanding:
● Full transparency on every CIP transaction
● Publication of all contracts and escrow reports
● Recovery of misused public funds
● Accountability for those who violated the public trust
This ruling is not the end. It is the beginning.
The evidence will be heard. The facts will be examined. The truth will emerge.
And when it does, Saint Lucians will finally understand the full scale of what was done to their Citizenship by Investment Programme under this Labour Party administration.
The United Workers Party remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the protection of Saint Lucia’s national interests.
End of statement.
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