Former Cabinet Secretary says vehicle controversy could have been avoided with proper checks and balances

Former Cabinet Secretary Outlines How Proper Oversight Should Have Prevented Vehicle Scandal

Former Cabinet Secretary Hazel Spencer says the alleged EC $17 million government vehicle scandal could have been avoided if Antigua and Barbuda’s financial safeguards and approval systems had functioned properly.

Speaking at the Vehicle Gate town hall meeting, Spencer explained the correct procedure for capital spending — from Cabinet approval to Treasury verification — and described the apparent breakdown in oversight as “scandalous.”

“For $17 million to be spent on vehicles and no alarm raised at the Ministry of Finance or Treasury is mind-boggling,” he said, calling it a complete failure of ministerial accountability and administrative diligence.

Spencer outlined that every major government purchase must follow a strict process beginning with Cabinet approval, inclusion in the national estimates, and authorization by Parliament. A general warrant is then prepared and must be signed by the Minister of Finance before the Treasury releases any funds.

“The Treasury should check and ensure that everything is in order before the Treasury disposes of any disbursement or pays any supplier,” he said, noting that such checks are fundamental to financial discipline and transparency.

He emphasized that laws and systems are only as strong as the people entrusted to enforce them. “Public servants and ministers of government must be vigilant, must be honest, and must be prepared to do the right thing,” Spencer said. “If not, everything is going to tumble down.”

Spencer added that civil servants are protected under the law and have the authority to resist improper instructions from politicians. “They can stand up and not be easily intimidated or influenced to do the wrong thing,” he said. “Those who manage the system must have courage and integrity.”

His presentation formed part of a broader discussion on what opposition figures and former officials described as systemic failures in government oversight and financial control. Spencer’s remarks offered an insider’s view of how established procedures — if followed — could have prevented what he called a “catastrophic breakdown of accountability.”

He ended by warning that without respect for process and integrity in public office, such scandals will continue to undermine confidence in government institutions and erode the country’s financial governance.

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