Former UPP Ministers – Lovell, Daniel and Quinn – to go on trial in November in ‘Bus Cases’ pursued by Browne Administration

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Lovell_Daniel_Quinn

Following several adjournments of what has been referred to as “The Buses Case,” which involves three former United Progressive Party ministers, a trial date has been set for November.

Political Leader Harold Lovell and his two former deputies, Dr. Jacqui Quinn and Willmoth Daniel, were arraigned in the High Court earlier this year and all entered pleas of not guilty to the three charges leveled against each of them.

June 14, 2021, was the last date set for the trial to commence, but attorney-at-law Leon “Chaku” Symister says that final case management was concluded on Tuesday, October 5.

Symister says the matter has been dragging on for years, but he is confident that, at the end of the day, the trio will be vindicated.

The matter, which began in 2015, was initially dismissed in the lower court by Magistrate Conliffe Clarke.

However, following an appeal by the Crown, the case was taken before Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh, who reviewed the case and decided that there was sufficient evidence to send it to the High Court for trial before a judge and jury.

Symister says the delays experienced with this case are not at all unusual.

The buses were donated by a friendly government.  But from among seven (7) former UPP ministers who utilized them for community transportation, only these three senior Party members were singled out for prosecution.

It is widely accepted that the Gaston Browne Administration is prosecuting Lovell, Quinn and Daniel because they were the only three representatives that remained in active politics after the 2014 elections. (REAL NEWS)

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42 COMMENTS

  2. Judge Walsh.. Asot going to talk you business. He did say you into Bobol… Not me say!!! so a sitting Minister of Government say so and was planning to expose you and then you went silent..
    If anything 2 of the 3 should get a slap on the wrist for stupidity… There is no way Jacky and Harold planned to swindle no bus from the state.. No Wilmoth did trun his into a strip joint for profit. That’s a problem!!!

  3. This big waste of time should have been dismissed not adjourned. The misuse of the justice system by the ALP is a disgrace.

    • If it were alp ministers, would u have said the same thing?

      Sounds like you believe that Sherfield Bowen should become the minister of Gender Affairs – tasked with protecting women and bringing an end to gender-vased violence.

        • Ms. Nobody, stay out of grown people conversation until you earn qualifications. You and tanny rose running competition.

        • I wish you would stop usurping my name and find one of your own. I would never write the rubbish you post.

        • Just do you know Mr Braying Arse I’m grown woman with a steady job never ask a politician for anything in my life. Go take your grips to the Lord in prayer 🙏🏾 Mr ALP Complex Byam😂

  4. UPP taking a big chance with their leader having to face a legal challenge. What if he gets convicted? Then who will they replace the leadership with? Big gamble if you ask me.

    • Did Cutie Benjamin didn’t had a legal challenge when he run in the 2014 general election and won? So, what is the difference now with Lovell? Lovell is about a bus and Cutie was about forging a passport. What goes for one should go for the others. Just buses they can find the UPP government corruption did during their tenure? Can imagine what will be found if and whenever the ABLP departs office in the next general election? I am waiting to see a whole long list of corruptions especially with CIF Money, missing revenue at the Port, cemetery money, and more. Lord Jesus help us here in little Wadadli.

      • You can compare the two and tell me which is more severe in nature. And Cuties one was in the Magistrate Court. and thrown out long before. But overzealous police officer still wanted to pursue the matter thinking he could play politics with the court. And by the way the corruption under the UPP is and was much bigger than just busses. I always need to remind you guys of the John Ashe scandal in which all the money trail led to the then PM Spencer, which he confessed to have put into the accounts of the Party. Then we have the Fencing Scandal and the Jasco bathroom scandal. This is just to name a few for you. And in 2004 you guys already claimed about so many corruptions scandal from the ALP, but you never were able to proof anything in the ten years you were in office. So come back with a new song.

        • @From the Piss-Sidelines: Who was the Lawyer that held on to the money that belong to his client from the sale of a Property in Jolly Harbor? That Lawyer kept the funds for over 2 years,PLUS. The lady from Switzerland was so fed up. She took that matter to the Court. On the day the case was to be heard by a Judge. That Lawyer met the lady and her Lawyer on the steps of the Court and gave the lady a check for the hundreds of thousands in question. Could you tell me,why the false Passport Lawyer, tried to grab on to that Client’s money. That Lawyer is a Senior Member of Cabinet with multiple Ministerial Portfolios. Could he be trusted?

          • You seem to know everything other than what the issue here is about. Good luck. This issue is separate from any other issue you want to bring up.

        • Who was that over zealous police officer. Is this why Cutie went after Wendell Robinson???? Asking for a friend…👀

        • @ Sideline
          You seem to know a lot about labour. Did you know of all the millions of dollars of government lands that were stolen at Emerald Cove? Or you were not around then? Some of those lands appear to being auctioned by a family member of one of the thieves for $10million US. So you see, these people who are sitting on millions of stolen government assets are pretending they are so pure and going after former politicians for old busses which they never owned. The amount of government assets stolen by politicians would have made Antigua a paradise with proper roads and reliable water. If Harold, Jacqui and Daniel wanted to steal the busses, they should have set up corporations, like all them thieving politicians do and hide them there.
          Gaston said he is going to call an election soon. Is it possible this why this case is coming up now. All politics. It appears that the labour government can get people in the judiciary to do their biddings.

          • Listen you guys have all the proof to other allege crimes. But yet after ten years in office you guys were not able to come up with one case successfully in court. So, keep playing your public assassination game. It worked in 2004, but it will not work in this day and age. Transferring government property into your own name is criminal. Is theft and is misbehavior in public office. Simple as that. Therefore, the issue remains, how did the busses end up in these persons’ names. They must answer that. And for Mr. Daniel, why was the bus transferred into a mobile brothel? And for the others, why were the buses outfitted in party paraphernalia.

  5. This is a sad situation. The charges are serious. The accused should step down from any political activity until this matter is settled by the courts. Guilty or innocent, let the courts decide. How sad.

    • Has Jackie given back even a penny to Medical Benefits for the ginormous cost of her cancer treatment? Jackie you’re a real politician – enjoy taxpayers money and not a care to payback zilch. That’s not how Teacher Mary raised you. Can the average “pickey head” person be afforded the same luxury if faced with similar health threat?? As if the money to cover your health treatment wasn’t enough of a “gift”, now you get yourself entangled in taking a gift intended for the people and allegedly put it to personal use.

      MBS money for personal use
      Buses for personal use

      I see a pattern here with you Jackie. E nah look good!

      • Did Michael Browne return the money that was spent when he was airlifted to the Cayman Islands when he had the heart attack?

        • The costs were covered by his medical insurance. You can have the same access depending on which company you get medical insurance with.

          Now back to Jackie Quinn. What say you? Sounds like you don’t have medical insurance. If you were to develop cancer, do you think MBS would cough up half a million US$ to take care of YOU?

          • Sidelines,Tenman,Smh and all other Gaston Hangers On:-

            Did anyone get arrested and charged for the E-BOOKS FIASCO THAT COST THE PEOPLE MANY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.IN THE END THOSE DAMN EBOOKS DID NOT WORK,THEY WERE BEING USED AS DOOR STOPPERS.WHY NO ONE WAS CHARGE WITH A CRIME?WHO ENRICHED SELF FROM THAT TRANSACTION?WHO BUILT A MEGA HOUSE AT FIVE ISLANDS.

    • Did Cutie Benjamin step down when he was accused of passport forgery? No, he still runs in the 2014 general election. How quickly do you people forget that case with another politician who is now holding one of the highest offices in this county? He was even appointed Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs while the passport forgery case was still much alive in the High Court.

          • The matter involving the Attorney General Cutie Benjamin was a High Court matter and if for no other reason the amount of money involved far exceeded the jurisdiction of the Magistrate Court.

  6. Na matter was ABLP do…you can find one case against all the opposition party dem..even DNA stan one chance…there is NO WAY me can vote ABLP again. And I am glad you Mr prime minister say you have no problem losing the election. Right now I don’t even know why we need to wait until election to dump the ABLP crew.

    • Whenever the elections are called your false elusions will be exposed and hope you can take the loss at that time. You know Harold had to be taken to MSJMC when he got the outcome of having won only ONE seat by a narrow margin. This time around it will be ZERO. Prepare yourself from some heart attacks. When the big red train start moving nothing can stop it. We have demonstrated that time and time again. You won 2004 with many lies. 2009 you escape by some cleaver election maneuvering. 2014 you lost with a couple of seats holding 2018 you lost with one seat holding. 2023 you will lose is ALL. Whap in your tail.

      • @Sideline
        I am not a politician or even a member of the UPP. If you want to know about the stolen lands at Emerald Cove, you can research it. You see when you set up dummy corporations to buy government lands for pennies a square foot and then resell them for millions, you are stealing government assets. One good thing, when you die, you can’t take it with you. Ask Lester Bird. The labour government is so keen on charging the opposition, why don’t they have a look at themselves?
        The labour government is so corrupt, that it is said they have some of the judiciary in their pockets to protect them from being investigated. Hope one day the people will wake up and get rid of these thieves and corrupt politicians, and also the reported corrupt people in the Judiciary. Why are Antiguans satisfied with lack of government services, while the politicians get rich off the country’s resources? A lot of 🐜 tiguans are stupid, so they have the government they vote for.
        You sideline know nothing about the corrupt right under your nose because you refuse to smell.

      • Hope you are not loosing your soul for crumbs, and are being well paid to buy your soul out of purgatory. The Roman Catholic Church in the past would accept large payments to do this.

  7. Where do you get your information that Michael Browne’s medical cost was paid by Medical Insurance? Do you work at MBS to know that the money didn’t come from there as it did for Jackie Quinn? Ministers of Government medical expenses for overseas are normally coming from MBS. Check the books and those hidden figures… are looking for another Elmeade Jarvis saga?

  8. HAROLD LOVELL should step down. These are SERIOUS charges. You cannot lead a Political Party with these chargeds hanging over your head. Harold resign now.

  9. It should not matter which Politrickians you support or your Political alignment. Wrong is Wrong and can’t be made right. These are some of the reasons why some Politicians feel that they can do anything and get away with it. Cause you dumb blind followers will condone their foolishness.

  10. If the allegations are true and locked in tight then everything mash up ! Boat over the waterfalls! All man jack in the water !

  11. Just the other Max Fernandez was using a G plate to hand out political gifts.

    When a politician uses the people’s resources for political upmanship its called corruption.

    It is not ok that the resources of the people is abused that way.

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