Prime Minister Gaston Browne has told individuals with evidence of corruption within his administration to come forward.
“If they have any evidence of wrongdoing bring the evidence,” Browne said.
He was responding to a question on Pointe FM about members of his Cabinet personally benefiting from contracts.
“If they have for example the over pricing of any contract or any procurement that could have facilitated any kickbacks bring the evidence. Even though that may not necessarily be conclusive it could be suggestive,” Browne said.
He said the opposition United Progressive Party must provide the evidence to back up their allegations.
“We in opposition would have been able to provide all the inflated contracts during their tenure, they have not been able to produce one.”
The prime minister has also said that there are processes to reduce corruption in contracting and procurement.
“And one of the things we have done within my administration is that we have reduced or eliminated practically in all instances the opportunity for theft.
“So all contracts have to be evaluated and where there are procurements, there has to be several bids, it has to go through the Tenders Board and through that process we have been able to eliminate the opportunity for inflated contracts and kickbacks,” he said.
Browne said personally he does not need corruption money.
“I have said unequivocally I have never gotten any borball money from government. I have never gotten none and I don’t need any.”
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Is this to make people think there is no corruption…trying to call the bluff?
So wait getting government land for $25,000 EC an acre and reselling a piece for millions or the clear clear clearrrrr recordings from IHI with the kick backs over the years is not blatant corruption? when ordinary citizens haffu buy land of 0.05 of an acre for the same $25,000 EC eh… Corrupt politicians better fix 1735 so they can have a good accommodation when justice comes their way…
Guy the courts already ruled on that and label it a kind of gratuity awarded for good service. Personns outside of public office also good similar lands for similar price for similar purpose. Government is currently (some 15 years after the example you sited) offering lands to locals for as low as 3.00 per sq foot. Persons have bee successful in their application and are now living in homes for 300K which are actually valued at 450K
IS THIS REALLY THE PM OF A&B! WHAT ABOUT THE MICHAEL FREELAND ALLEGATION? WHAT ABOUT THE CUSTOMS INQUIRIES? WHAT ABOUT THE BARBUDA FREE CONCERT DONATION? WHAT ABOUT GASTON BROWN JR EQUIPPEMENTS ON GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS? WHAT ABOUT LAND GRAB FOR FAMILIES IN BOOBY ALLEY & MARBLE HILL? IS PM JOKING OR IS HE FOR REAL? LEADERSHIP MATTERS.
You are doing the same thing. You make accusations but you never even bother to come with evidence. And that is what you guys constantly are doing. Look at the buses scandal. The evidence is presented the buses were donated to the government of Antigua and Barbuda by South Korea and ended up in the names of three parliamentarians. Now they have to answer the charges of corruption.
What is the details of the 10 acrs of land, you recently got for so-called agriculture? How come people waiting for years can’t get an answer. To add insult to injury, what they gave you, was refused and the demand made for another area gladly fulfilled.
Explain how your son who benefited from Antigua’s education fund AND who didn’t need said funds, turned a millionaire right after graduating from university . If he had the funds to buy all that right after graduating, he clearly had the funds to put himself through university and did not need help with his education. A student with potential but not the financial means is more deserving of the education assistance, NOT your son. On the other hand, how does your son come into millions of dollars right after graduating from university?
There is no transparency with you and your machine.
If I were you Gaston, I would keep my mouth shut. It is funny that some people can only become rich after they enter politics. You said you didn’t need land in Barbuda because you have enough in Antigua. Did you inherit these lands or acquired government lands. Don’t worry you or your children will one day account for all your wealth. The daughter of Angola’s former president was at one time the richest woman in Africa. She had all the trappings of wealth, the mansions, yacht etc. She was arrested and jailed by the current government and had her world wide asset seized. Old people use to time longer Han rope.
There is not any CORRUPTION INSIDE OF THE ABLP.IF THAT IS SO TRUE THEN I SHOULD BE ABLE TO WORK ON WATER.I do not think that is humanly possible.Is there any BOBOL IN THE ABLP? Is BOBOL a form of corruption?
We live in a time of man’s history where good is called evil and evil is called good. Wickedness and corruption have become so ingrained in the psyche of our ploitrickians and most of humanity; that there is no sense of right from wrong.
All of us will one day soon stand before the judgment throne of the universe. It is Appointed to man once to die…after this ” the judgement”. So you can jump high or jump low……however you jump, there is no escaping when your name comes up for judgement.
What will it profit a man to gain the world but lose his soul ?
The politrickians are on the job for one reason only and that is to enrich themselves and their cronies.
The truth is that there is still hope. Yes, Hope to change and travel along the correct path.
I do not judge any man. That is a job only the Creator can do.
I can only admonish the misleaders to consider their ways. Righteousness exalts a nation, but Wrongteousness will be our destruction.
Antiguans: WAKE UP…… FACE THE TRUTH…… YOU ARE WANTING…. YOUR WAYS ARE FULL OF EVIL & CORRUPTION !
The cry still goes out: LOOK TO THE TRUE GOD.
WORLD “CRYSIS”: END SOON COME, Mr. crime minister !
so he’s not saying he and his government are not corrupt, he’s just saying there is no material evidence
He is not saying there is no corruption but that nobody has provided evidence. When all the people who know of the corrupt schemes are part of the Cabal do you expect them to provide evidence and expose themselves?.
He’s trying to close the back door! Tell him, so that he can sweep it clean, and close it up!!! Comical!!!!
So far there is NO evidence of corruption. NONE. Rumors and gossip have to be verified with evidence, otherwise it’s just ignorant people making a big stink. PHEW!
Even the Odebrecht scandal smacks of corruption. However, since you are asking for compelling evidence, I hope when it finally comes all will be able to deal with the consequences.
You keep on surprising me as a lawyer. The PM said bring evidence and what do you do. Make more baseless claims. One evidence we did see are the checks written out to Lawyer Lovell who first claimed he had nothing to do with these people. IF you open that pandora’s box Lovell and his friends at ABIB will have a lo to answer So you better leave that story alone.
@From the Sideline
Lovell did work for his client and Gaston provided his invoice to confirm work done. Where is the crime here. How did Gaston get a copy of the invoice anyway? 3mill EURO was paid and claimed to be fees and then claimed to have been repaid. We must be all fools like you to believe that anyone would repay money for work done. Where is the evidence that any amount was repaid and to whom. Gaston is good at getting evidence. It seems a certain individual is good at getting other people to do the dirty work. Don’t worry Uncle Sam knows everything.
First of all why was Lovell first lying about his relationship with the group. Did he tried to hide it. And only when the PM showed the checks and the invoices the monkey came out. And we would not question the amount of money for the work done. Second was any money ever paid to the PM? No it was a paid to a CIP agent who received it as part of fees for investment. What does the PM has to do with that? And the very same person when that story came to light was removed as ambassador for Antigua. The PM is clear with these things. Even his senior minister Asot when he got involved in a scandal was removed out of cabinet. Up to now he cannot get back. But did you see anyone got fired from the Baldwin Spencer administration when skulduggery was taking place. I mean we saw the trail of money from John Ashe and the Chinese all the way in to the bank account of Spencer, who claimed the money was given to the party. Making the entire party corrupt and tainted. You guys need to come better when you want to point fingers of corruption at Gaston Brown Labour Party administration. As he said bring the evidence so he can deal with it.
Smart people don’t get involved in certain things they use fronts. They can then appear to distance themselves when they see trouble. If Mr. James did not commit a crime why was he fired? You said he was a CIP agent and the payment was a fee which he said he repaid. Lovell had no obligation to discuss what went on between himself and his client. Have you heard of Solicitor client privilege? You people are real clowns. We are talking about a 3million bribe and the best Gaston can do is present an invoice for less than $14,000 for work done. The truth will come out one day as the US spy agencies know everything.
O what a tangled web we weave when we try to deceive.
From the Sideline if Gaston Browne is so confident that Harold Lovell is involved in the Odebrecht scandal why didn’t he have a full scale inquiry and let the chips fall where they may? I will leave that question for you to ponder. I still maintain that if this matter is ever fully investigated either by us or the US government, you will be certainly shocked to see who are the main actors.
Gaston has never claimed such a thing. And the reason why he never had any investigation into any UPP corruption scandal is because he always said he has no money to waste to be told he is having a witch hunt on his political opponents. Not like the witch hunt of the IHI case that never went anywhere even after millions of our tax dollars were spent. Look at the John Ash scandal. He could removed John Ashe ambassador’s status but he refused to sell out a country man to the USA. And we know that trail was leading straight to the PM Baldwin and others of the UPP. The money trail had showed that. Ask Mansoor? And let me tell you I move in circles and I know who is involved in the Brazilian connection. Started at ABIB. and the UPP was in bed with ABIB. Remember the airport runway extension. As Lennox used to say “every deal is a steal”
The IHI case never went anywhere because the powers that be were in bed with certain individuals. As Baldwin said he didn’t have the power to lock any body. Wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of money past hands to keep the case out of court. Why wasn’t the case brought to court so it could be proven no crime was committed? I am not as foolish as many Antiguans. Do you really move in the inner circle or are you a want to be?
@FromTheSideline you have alot of balls to even mention the IHI Scandal. I once saw an article online where that is used as a case study in corruption. I am sure you have heard the scoundrels in their own voice in the caribarena tapes.
It was not for want of trying why these vagabond never face the music, it was police collusion and incompetence along with files magically vanishing from the court and don’t forget the bombing of the investigators office on tanner Street
You have the evidence already. Why suppress see it? Leave it to speculation. See the United States v. R. Allen Stanford; United States v. Leroy King; United States v. John Ashe; How long has one of your cabinet members have been the minister of APUA? You want evidence. It sits in your cabinet. See the United States v. Jack a Warner. The alphabet boys will surround you and your gang like a bee hive. You would not know where to turn. The stings will be coming from every direction.It’s not because you don’t love your country. You love your self first. Swiss America indictment and its founder may have taught you how to duck and weave. Hide and conceal. You must remember history. Inmate Stanford was educated that way as well. When the alphabet boys put a bullseye on you! Your resources and time will not outlast them. As they say. Time longer than rope.
“If they have for example the over pricing of any contract or any procurement that could have facilitated any kickbacks bring the evidence even though that may not necessarily be conclusive it could be suggestive”. Kindly review Medical PO/prices for equipment that was given to the GoF within the first few months of the ABLP governance if that is not overpriced then no one got a kick back from YIDA (syc)…..Talking about Boboll those Statutory Corporations is where Politicians and their cronies in ALL political parties do their fleecing of the public’s purse. Now does anyone think the GoF (enablers) will volunteer info when they are the go-to enablers for Politicians to fleece the governments purse and enrich themselves? Bunch ah Tricksters!
Does a foreign developer paying for lavish birthday celebrations for a parliamentary representative count as corruption? Asking for someone with evidence.
@DC. You are right smart people use a front. That is why Baldwin and Harold cannot be considered smart. Baldwin had monies directly given to him and confessed. Harold had a bus put into his name. Two dumb individuals that want to run a country. No wander the country was deep in trouble. And aren’t you glad that we do have a separation of power, cause if Baldwin had that power to lock up whom he wanted I cannot imagine where we would be today. Total dictator sip. He started by firing the entire top brass of the police and even installed a special prosecutor. But the Judiciary would not allow him to do as he pleased. When you made accusations and cannot proof them it leaves you frustrated I understand that. But that is the law almost everywhere. Innocent till proven guilty. Not Guilty till proven innocent. And again you have the freedom to make accusations in public about Mr. James receiving a bribe. But do you have the proof of a bribe. If it were so there would have been a request for his extradition. But I know you guys hatred is blinding you and eating you out from within. And the PM was clear with his policy, once you have a stain of any wrong doing proven or not, you cannot be part of his government, Just look at Asot Michael and other Ambassadors that had to resign. He is not like Baldwin who first claimed One strike and your out, but when it came to it he never had the balls to fire anyone.
@
@From the sideline
Career criminals are smart. Thieves are smart. The head of the Italian mafia is smart. Crooks are smart. These individuals have to be smart to avoid capture by law enforcement, and most times involve other individuals to cover their tracks .. It obvious that your definition and my definition of smartness differs so I will agree with you that Baldwin and Harold are not smart. They are however very decent people. Has anyone ever accused them of stealing government’s assets and bragging about how rich they are?
Regarding the Odebrecht Payment and Mr. James. The amount was alleged to have paid as bribe to prevent a certain bank in Antigua from releasing certain information regarding illegal payments. Did Mr. James have so much influence on the bank to stop them from releasing information? Mr. James did get a good cussing out from the PM including that he did not come from any where and what his father did for a living. The PM said he fired him and no one has heard from him since.
I guess there is one lesson to be learnt, don’t lie with a snake because you will definitely get bitten.
If Gaston has information that Harold was involved in a bribe why doesn’t he make it public? Withholding such information would make you a despicable leader and just as guilty as the bribe taker.
@Cool Ruler.
The case never went anywhere because of the ineptness of the UPP. They so wanted to lock up persons and did not let the law run its course. And the defendants had a very good legal team that fought back hard. And the inept AG well I believe he lost more cases for the government than any other AG in the history of the country. And those losses has cost us plenty monies. Politicians can talk about locking up their opponents but they do not have the power to do so, unless we become a dictatorship.
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