(REAL News) — Further to their walk-out from the Lower House on Thursday, March 16, St. Phillip South MP Sherfield Bowen says the United Progressive Party parliamentarians cannot support the Government’s proposal to amend the Port Authority Act.
An attorney by profession, Bowen says the Browne Administration could not simply hand the Opposition MPs the proposed stipulations this morning and expect them to engage in a debate shortly thereafter.
Bowen explains that he and his colleagues were given the Bill only minutes before the debate began, and he stresses that they needed time to thoroughly peruse the document beforehand.
According to the St. Phillip South representative, the proposed legislation seeks to amend the Act and give the Government the right to seize any ship that is stranded in the country’s waters; sell it after 10 days’ public notice; and keep the proceeds, regardless of any bank liens that might be attached to the vessel.
The proposed amendments are related to the disposal of a 269-foot luxury vessel, the Alfa Nero, purportedly owned by a Russian oligarch, that has been moored at the Antigua Yacht Club Marina in Falmouth Harbour since February 2022.
Bowen posits that the intention of the Administration to change the legislation to allow it to auction the ship shows the Browne regime is cash strapped.
Earlier this month, the Administration announced that the vessel had been prevented from leaving the port.
This was because an official search was needed to determine whether the ultimate beneficiary owner had been named on international sanction lists, following the Russian invasion of The Ukraine.
Bowen was questioned on the allegation that the Government is trying to sell the ship in an effort to counter the dwindling revenue from the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP), partially because of a crackdown by the United States authorities.
If the US government did, in fact, authorise the sale of the vessel, then the agreement should be included in the Bill, Bowen says.
He adds that any proposed proceeds from the ship should go to the Ukranian authorities, and any asset deemed to be in connection with the war should go to the Ukraine government and not the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.
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You all were right to walk out.
Let gaston and his gang talk to their favorite parliamentarian – jerry watt.
Even if the Government is cash strapped help the Country and the people but that is his selfish and hostile opinion if that vessel should sink or any leakage from sewage or oil tanks into that harbor we are in big trouble vessels that are out of compliance for long periods tend to create hazards in ports so our PM is wise and the law permits the Country to do right by its citizens he does not know better Country first always.
@ Political Giant
You are more of a WIMP, as opposed to a ‘G’iant 😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒
Pringle head empty, but he NEVER KILLED anyone!!!
JUSTICE FOR TESSA BARTHLEY!!
OPEN BACK THE CASE
JUSTICE FOR TESSA BARTHLEY!!!
OPEN BACK THE CASE
JUSTICE FOR TESSA BARTHLEY!!!
OPEN BACK THE CASE
JUSTICE FOR TESSA BARTHLEY!!!!
OPEN BACK THE CASE
JUSTICE FOR TESSA BARTHLEY!!!!
OPEN BACK THE CASE
JUSTICE FOR TESSA BARTHLEY!!!!!
OPEN BACK THE CASE
JUSTICE FOR TESSA BARTHLEY!!!!!
OPEN BACK THE CASE
JUSTICE FOR TESSA BARTHLEY!!!!!
OPEN BACK THE CASE
JUSTICE FOR TESSA BARTHLEY!!!!
OPEN BACK THE CASE
“Ms. Barthley, 22, was shot in the neck on Dec. 16 at Mr. Bowen’s office. The police said Mr. Bowen’s gun went off during a scuffle. Ms. Barthley was put on life support but died Tuesday of a heart attack, hospital officials said.”
Emergency Medical Services were there attending to Ms. Barthley. There was blood on her neck. The detectives spoke with Bowen. He handed over to Sergeant Edwards a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL which contained 8 rounds of ammunition. The police recovered a spent shell and other items from the scene of the incident. Bowen was detained.
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
a black PIETRO BERETTA .25 PISTOL
Bowen, a lawyer and accountant by profession, was charged for the murder of Tessa Barthley. Ms. Barthley was shot in her neck on 16 th December 2003 outside Bowen’s office at Nevis Street, St. John’s. She died on 23 rd December 2003.
@ tessa, time for your medication 💊….
Let me ask this learned lawyer the question
If he is not in agreement with what the amendment to a bill seeks to do, all he had to do is stay in parliament and ask the mover of the bill questions and then if gebod not please vote against it. And as a lawyer he may one day have to represent a client phased in that situation. We are a country of laws. He is now lawmaker so why not stay and contribute to make the law better.
Question? If you drive a car or a truck and you leave it in the middle of the road and abandon it, can the government take it and sell it to recover the cost of removing it? Or should it stay on the road and form a road hazard? Just the other day with the National cleanup campaign the government was removing many derelict vehicles from the roadsides in all the villages. Was there a special law needed to do so. They did give people notice of the action.
Dear shxxhead please take you pay and just shut up. The US has pulled the PM Antigua into the war, encouraging him to save our CIP, but instead we will enrage Russia into war action against the islands of the Caribbean.
@ From The Sideline
Did you suggest that to Gaston, Cutie, Robin and the representative from St Peter during 2004 – 2014 when they CONSTANTLY WALKED OUT OF PARLIAMENT?
All of you minions are just a bunch of hypocrites.
Move out the way bitch!
@From The Sideline
Did the government ask the owner of the yacht to move it? That’s what the government should do and not get involved with America and their sanctions. Oh but it is sanctioned so it is not allowed to leave. Is the US behind this move and holding our CIP hostage? At least the government gave notice to derelict vehicle owners to move their vehicles.
Gaston wants to operate like there is no opposition in government and can disrespect the opposition. The government never stated the emergency and I doubt there is any. The labour government don’t want to follow the law and the opposition was right to walk out. This is just the beginning.
If you had listened to the debate, you would not be asking these questions. The government has been investigating and searching for the owner to come forward. And to this day no one is coming forward to claim ownership of the yacht. And as the PM said the captain who with as many as five crew members has given notice that they too will be abandoning the ship very soon. The ship as for now is not insured and is forming a hazard not just for the marina, but for the entire eco system out there. The ship could not leave Antigua as it is sanctioned and as soon as it is in international waters the Americans will intercept it. But the captain also claims the ship is in very bad condition and is not seaworthy. The liability left behind today is huge. over US$6million in fuel and port charges. As the PM said this should not be a contentious amendment to a bill. It is only done to ensure Antigua and Barbuda is acting within the power of its own laws, which the government can enact from time to time. And the Opposition by walking out of Parliament has shown not to be ready to govern and responsibility as part of being in government. They did the same thing during Covid lockdown. They do not take responsibility when it is needed. I guess they can use my pseudonym. From The Sideline.
Sidelines so you want them to stay and continue the disrespect of dropping bills on their desk mere hours before a debate? Bull shit!
What is the urgency that a day or two delay was going to impact? You and your cult leader believe that because they have the numbers and the speaker on their side, they can ram anything thru without the given the opposition time to review the bill.
They had the benefit of legal counsel but the opposition should not get any, the boat has been sitting there for months but a day or two delay is going to make a big deal.
I guess they had to rush because they wealthy buyers are nervous or someone is holding a big stick over their head. Or could it be like the losarenco fund, they are hoping to get a windfall by selling the boat?
That is why you have to always be prepared when going to Parliament, cause situations such as this can always occur. And the Standing Order makes room for this. It’s called “emergency, or National Security. It will not always give you the time to go and seek advice. We have seen that also in the USA Congress where members are asked to vote on a bill that they nor their staff have had the time to peruse. But when you do not have the brain to think on your feet that is what happens. You are caught with your pants down. You know I remember sometimes in class when the teacher comes without warning and gives a test. You think you can tell him or her that it is not fair. Tells you to always be prepared. And in this case, it was an amendment to a bill that was only two pages. They could have raised questions out of that and put that forward to the drafters and the PM. Buit walking out was their only way. not understanding their responsibility as law makers.
Pearl “FOOTS” Quinn
Gladys Potter EMPTY HEAD
Franz DeFreitas G-R-E-A-T-F-U-L
Cleon DON’T TELL DADDY HOWDY
Pringle CA-CAPA-TI-TAH and MASKses
Serpent FARMing FOOL & DICTATOR
Peter Redz CAN’T TALK
Jonathan “VOTE ALP”
King Lyadd Lovell Limpy Joe IMF
Alex TALK LIKE A DUMMY
Sean LAZY FORNICATOR
APOSTLE SHUGY SIMON
Alister “inTERllectual” Thomas
Richard “BULLY BEEF” Lewis
BUT NONE OF THEM EVER!!!! TOOK THE LIFE OF AN UNARMED BLACK GIRL!!! 😢 😭 😢 😭
Everybody just calm down and let’s follow this thing logically using the history we know of this man. GASTON BROWNE’S WHOLE INTENTION IS TO ACQUIRE THE YACHT FOR HIMSELF.
You can actually see the wheels turning in his brain. He is already seeing himself parking it at Jolly Beach.
Sounds off? Pay attention. Gaston Brown is on another wavelength than the people of Antigua and Barbuda. He is not interested in developing agriculture (sorry Serpent). That has no instant and bulk money in it. He is not interested in developing a proper social agenda. That is money going out. He wants money coming in. And fast. Like construction, land, hotel resorts, an impounded superyacht. You get the picture.
By going to the house to do first second and third, what is so different about that? He has been doing it for years and getting away with it. What’s wrong with you people? You all are killing the man’s vibes. He is not accustomed to all this dissent. Enough to make him mad.
PS, please make sure he is taking the prescribed meds.
The walkout by the opposition was justified. The reason given by Bowen makes a lot of sense. Unlike some useless brain dead idiots on this site who don’t even know whether they are coming or going. Time for people to stop been political prostitutes . This is one of the main reason why we are in the state that we are in . Soo many singing for their supper and are nothing but enemies of the state. When will our people emancipate themselves from mental slavery and free up their minds? Lets keep on fighting for the good of the nation and not our pockets. Nuff said
I fail to see the urgency here, but then again, can we expect anything else from Gaston Browne, whom I think is behind this move? Why not come to the public and explain the reason for all of this? But then again, this government has hidden so many things, operating in a clandestine, secretive, suspicious way, and having the gall to use the word, ‘transparent.’
What’s done in the dark will eventually be made manifest, and karma is another thing. Brace yourself, there’s more to come.
This will cause great harm to A&B , for reasons the Government has not thought about.
Making a law that allows seizure ignoring existing liens makes boat mortgages unworkable in A&B.
Many of the super yachts that come to A&B use boat mortgages – even rich people use them for tax reasons.
The conditions of the boat mortgages do not allow owners to take their superyachts into waters with laws like this. The news about this will spread in just days throughout the superyacht industry.
Result : Many of the superyachts that spend 100,000s of dollars will leave and never return and many businesses in English Harbour that rely of work from superyachts ( marine, catering, entertainment, transport ) will suffer.
This will be the direct result of rushing to make this law without giving time to think this through.
ONE THOUGHT OR TWO
Parliamentary Procedure: I want to sing: Baptized, washed daily and cleansed in the Caribbean Sea of Rat Island bay. …..and ask: What if the Government, when it was preparing the ‘Emergency Bill’ to amend the Port Authority Act, reached out to the Opposition to give a heads-up to indicate the ‘Bill’ will not be ready for the required seven-day notification?
Do you think there would be a walk out?
The choices we make will always determine the outcomes.
Let us interact with humility, grace, good intentions!
Related to the ‘Emergency Bill’, the Opposition claims the Government Is cash-strapped and partly the reason to sell the super yacht. Mrs. Rasona Davis-Crump (congratulations and blessings!), a financial strategist, can be an important contributor on this issue arising out of the 2023 Budget.
BTW, I bid US$1 for the super yacht with plans to arrange charters in the Caribbean and other locations. The net proceeds will go to establish an A&B Marine/Sailing School for all Public School youths, with the School becoming in the future,a unit of the UWI Five Islands.
One day, an Antiguan & Barbudan captain of ‘Sir Vivian Richards cruise line’ will homeport in St. John’s!
Save our Humanity, Save our Youths, Save our Environment, Save our Soil!!!
Respect
@Ratwell
And the yacht will last a year and then dry docked as the present government does not maintain its properties. Does the multipurpose centre donated by the Chinese come to mind?
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