A public dispute surrounding the relocation and compensation of longtime Mount Pimard vendor Marie Farrell appears to have come to an abrupt end after social commentator Gregory Philbert retracted allegations he made against Tourism Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire and apologized for spreading misinformation.
The apology follows several days of controversy sparked by a video in which Philbert accused Hilaire and others involved in the Mount Pimard Beach Park project of mishandling compensation arrangements for Farrell.
However, in a statement posted to social media, Philbert reversed course.
“I spoke too soon and I was misled on the Miss Marie Farrell matter and I apologize to Minister Hilaire and his team for any misinformation I shared,” Philbert wrote.
He added: “I’m grateful the Ministry took care of her compensation and relocation, and I consider the matter resolved.”
The apology came after Hilaire publicly rejected the allegations and challenged those making the claims to provide evidence to the relevant authorities.
In a strongly worded social media post, the Tourism Minister described the allegations as fabricated and expressed frustration at what he characterized as repeated attempts to damage his reputation.
“For the record, from my recollection I don’t know Gregory Philbert, I have never spoken to him, shared his company nor received his advice,” Hilaire stated.
“I have no knowledge of any of the matters to which he refers. These are clearly fabricated.”
Hilaire also addressed Philbert’s claim that the two men were friends who regularly communicated.
“Gregory Philbert says that we are friends and always speak, but I can’t seem to find his number or address within my contacts,” the Minister remarked.
The Minister further challenged Philbert and political commentator Sohria Alexander to submit any evidence they possessed to the appropriate authorities.
“If Gregory Philbert or Sohria Alexander has any evidence on any of the matters that they refer to then make a formal filing to the Special Prosecutor or the Director of Public Prosecutions,” Hilaire stated.
One day after issuing that response, Hilaire released a detailed breakdown of the relocation and compensation package provided to Farrell as part of the Mount Pimard Beach Park development.
According to the Minister, Farrell was engaged throughout the process through meetings involving the Department of Crown Lands, Invest Saint Lucia and the National Conservation Authority.
He said she was given the opportunity to select her preferred location within the new beach park development and that several accommodations were made to support the continuation of her business.
Among those accommodations, Hilaire stated that a barbecue pit was constructed at Farrell’s request.
He further revealed that after relocation works were completed, Farrell requested cupboards and additional security measures for the facility, all of which were provided.
Addressing compensation directly, Hilaire disclosed that Farrell’s original structure was professionally appraised at EC$32,000.
However, he said the Government chose to compensate her based on a replacement value assessment of EC$58,000 rather than the lower appraised figure.
According to the Minister, that amount was paid in full.
In addition to the compensation payment, Farrell reportedly received weekly income-support payments of EC$4,450 over an eight-week period while construction was underway.
Those payments amounted to EC$35,600, bringing the total direct financial support package outlined by Hilaire to EC$93,600.
The Minister also noted that Farrell did not have a formal lease agreement with either Crown Lands or the National Conservation Authority for the site she previously occupied.
Despite this, he said the Government adopted what he described as a supportive and collaborative approach to ensure that she could continue operating her business after completion of the project.
Hilaire additionally sought to address concerns about transparency by noting that Farrell was accompanied throughout discussions by her nephew, Anthony Jordan, who has a paralegal background.
According to the Minister, all agreements and supporting documentation were reviewed with both Farrell and Jordan before payments were made and documents signed.
The controversy had attracted significant public attention after Philbert’s original video alleged that substantially larger compensation sums had been discussed and questioned whether Farrell had received what she was entitled to.
However, with Philbert now publicly acknowledging that he was misled and withdrawing his allegations, attention has shifted toward the details released by the Government and the broader challenges associated with balancing development projects with the interests of longstanding community stakeholders.
The Mount Pimard Beach Park project is expected to officially open to the public within the coming weeks.
