Discomfort in Ruling Party Over Prime Minister’s Family Involvement in Government Deals- Lewis

1. While many a struggling to keep up with high cost of living and efforts to keep up with a ever changing local and global economy, this man continues to play Russian Roulette with the peoples money and affairs.

   Tax payers money is not yours to do as you wish Gatson. You get a salary, take your salary and build your own wealth like every other business entire in Antigua, and stop using the resources of the country to pad the bank accounts of your family members and friend.

   I’m any other first world country, your arse would have been brought up on charges, or at least an investigation into your corrupt practices, which wide out the open for all to see.

   Y’all hide Allen Stanford for years, while he rip off billions from investor’s, and here we are again with the same crooked practices, setting up your son and your wife in high positions to protect your loots.

   Do not stop Mr lewis..y’all drop the ball on the Antigua Airways debacle, the Air Peace disaster, the Alpha Nargo BS, so don’t y’all dare drop the ball on this one and the New Lait deal that have all kind of nepherios practices written all over that deal.

   I wouldn’t give a damn if they were steeling salt water in abundance, but to be steeling and robbing from hard working poor people, just doesn’t settle well with me and I lot of good people in this country…not one bit.

2. Lewis, your assertions are of a high value and valid. You need to identify, with specificity, what laws were violated. This can’t be feelings and assumption. Your investigation is going good but you have only scratched the surface. This matter with WIOC is particularly vexing because it involves the public purse. The rent free argument is just that an argument. It’s not legitimate!!!
   By the way, WIOC is a publicly traded company. If the Eastern Caribbean Regulatory Commission has to be brought in to look at the practices of a listed company then so be it…..that should make a few board members concerned..

3. This is way beyond discomfort. It is disturbing and disgusting.
   Prime Minister Gaston Browne who is always quick to react to his critics, is making an astonishing political public relations blunder with his silence.

   This will not be “as the dog bark the donkey moves on”. The bits of information in the public domain raises serious questions that the Prime Minister needs to answer and the public needs to know.
   Their high taxes they are paying as a result of these type of things that does not benefit the tax payers requires full disclosure.

   There are three segments to this transaction that requires further answers: (1) The WOIC sale of the buildings to IF. How did that come about? (2) The financing and underwriting of the acquisition. (3) The loan payments schedule and the DCA rental payments schedule.
   Some additional questions to the Prime Minister:
   Did the entity that finance the purchase provided the loan based on the DCA rental revenue?
   Did the entity that provided the loan give a grace period to start paying back the loan?
   Was any such grace period for loan payment on a contiguous date with the date when DCA starts paying rent, or 30 days after the first loan payment.

4. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Gaston Browne appears to be getting away with a lot of the peoples assets for the past ten years because of no opposition in parliament. He was on his radio station talking about a marina at dredge bay. The question is who owns all the lands down there and who did they acquire them from.
   As to the properties on Friars Hill road, why would DCA pay rent after the hundreds of thousands the government paid to repair the buildings. Don’t worry, the properties will soon be flipped for thousand more after the government spent thousands to repair them..

5. It’s good to have an opposition in Parliament. The opposition is doing it’s job – asking questions and seeking truth. The PM really should not have his family involved in so many government dealings. They have enough money to run businesses in the private sector and make a good living. There are many other qualified people who can sit on boards and engage in legitimate business with the government. It is best to avoid even the appearance of evil as it is at the very least a distraction from more important things and at the worst having family and friends involved compromises the nation’s ability to spend well on the things people need to survive.

   • Do these people care about how Antiguans survive? They care only about themselves and family. They can only get rich by stealing public property. This to them is easier than running a legitimate business. It baffles me how people can be so greedy. When will they ever have enough? Greedy people don’t know when them belly full. They will feed and feed until they vomit or jailed.

6. The PMs wife is a Board Member of West Indies Oil Company and she also heads the ministerial portfolio for the Department’s that are housed at this Friars Hill Road facility. Hmmmm

7. I think the litany of land deals, purchases and flips, rents and other unethical “insider trading” chinanigans should be brought to light to the Antiguan people. I have heard allegations thst even baby mothers and past girlfriends
   are fronting for some of these land deals. Seems like they take us for fools!
   A comprehensive expose should be brought up in parliament! Let the PM deny them there.

8. Unless the laws have been voided, there are all kinds of violations here. Gaston Browne needs to be hauled into court for his insider trading and corruption. Again, a public servant does not make enough to be a millionaire. Where did this man’s wealth come from?
   And he is just one of many of his people involved in these skulduggery. Recall, Choco Western said it requires brain to “tief.”
   Our country is as rotten and corrupt as it as ever been under this idiot.

   • Put your real name where your words are. The man has been involved in business from long time. He did a housing project and all. Wealth creation comes from ingenuity. It is not always theft which seems to be all you have been exposed to. A course in business investments may help you gather some insights.

9. FLIPPING.
   So give ownership to Sonny.
   Building not suitable to meet government needs.
   Government Fix up the property for Sonny.
   Not one cent out of the pockets of Sonny.
   Upon Completion Sonny owns a building of much greater value.
   Sonny can now charger higher rent.

   • Sonny gives the tenant who fixed up the property ample time to live out the cost to retrofit. It happens all over the world and gives value because the tenant would have had to pay much more if it were to rent a turn key facility in the same area. I don’t see a problem.

10. Mr. Lewis needs to look at what is going on at the Antigua Port Authority. Telemaque is doing what he wants and getting involved with outside parties and contracts which no one knows about.

11. ABLP, if you want to hold on to any smidgen of integrity that you may or may not have; just oust, get rid, or internally vote Gaston Browne out of office.

    I predict that the ABLP will NEVER return to power if you don’t act soon.

    THIS SELF-INDULGENCE CANNOT CONTINUE!

12. I am certain I heard Maria Browne say that over $400,000 was taken from treasury, presumably by her, to acquire palm trees, but the money was diverted elsewhere. Why has the opposition allowed her to get away with this statement without letting her say where the money went. When issues come up, they are not followed up so these people get away with not being held accountable. I guess the opposition is overwhelmed by all the shenanigans going on by the Antiguan government.

13. Since when have we become so clouded in our thinking? Saving the government money is now an issue? Richard looking issue to take him into leadership. I personally see nothing wrong with how this property was rented especially when I see all kinds of other skin tones getting way more but nothing is ever said about that. Maybe because these same other people are the ones who oil the palms of most politicians. Let us not let any one blindfold us as to who really makes the millions off of government. The two H surnames and plenty of similar tongue twisting last names of different hues. Remember it is better we fight together not among one another. We can do better.

    • How condescending and patronising @ Jamesha M.

      How do you know that the respondent isn’t clued-up on business and financial matters.

      ARE YOU BTW?

      And after what has happened to a number of our Custom Officers in recent years, why shouldn’t people want to keep their identities out of the public domain … there are some wicked and evil people residing in Antigua.

      If you want to give your FULL name, by all means go ahead, but don’t vilify those who want to remain anonymous for safety – or any other valid – reasons.

      HOW SUPERCILIOUS OF YOU …

    • *[In response to your comment to @ Watching]

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