PM says Antigua Government never received US$1M From Morgan Trust for Barbuda Recovery

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PM with UN Secretary-General during a visit to Barbuda 2017

Prime Minister Gaston Browne responded to Barbuda Member of Parliament Trevor Walker’s request for transparency regarding funds allocated for Barbuda’s rehabilitation after Hurricane Irma. Walker, in a recent radio interview, mentioned concerns raised by Steve Morgan of the Steve Morgan Foundation, which donated $1 million to aid Barbuda’s recovery.

PM Browne clarified that the government never received the $1 million deposited in the Morgan Trust account with GBC due to the bank’s financial difficulties. The government intended to transfer the funds to Global Bank of Commerce (GBC) for the Barbuda Luis Hill Housing project. However, GBC faced issues with its corresponding bank in receivership, preventing the transfer.

Although the government holds no liability for the Morgan deposit, Browne stated that $1 million would be made available for constructing homes in Barbuda’s Luis Hill, with the credit extended to the Morgan Trust. He emphasized that the government couldn’t be held accountable for funds held in escrow at GBC, which they hadn’t received.

Information Minister Melford Nicholas corroborated Browne’s remarks, confirming that the government never received the funds. To address the issue promptly, Nicholas announced that funds would be made available for the Lis Hill Development in Barbuda, with a meeting scheduled to expedite the project in collaboration with the adjudicator of lands for Barbuda and the Attorney General’s office. Regulatory issues with GBC were cited as the reason for the funds being locked within the bank.

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27 COMMENTS

  1. Given the nature of the article, I believe Mr. PM needs to expand on why “GBC faced issues with its corresponding bank in receivership, preventing the transfer.”

    Why is this the case? What is the full story?

  2. Someone is damn well LYING. You STACHE,is saying the money was not received by the Government. Melford Nicholas did say, the Government would be giving the money to Barbuda to do the project. The man gave the money through Global Bank.Who in the Administration sanctioned that? That same Bank could not pay a customer his money. Our Prime Minister went on the air calling the man greedy.That man wanted his money not the people’s money. Why is this Administration in bed with Global Bank. When you bed with DAWGS you would arise with fleas. Is Global Bank a Laundromat?

    • What financial dunce, do you mean a financial cook? If Stuart left the bank, is it because he didn’t account for all the financial dealings?. Or is he trying to avoid taking? Can he be brought back for questioning?
      Gaston, you seem to like to gravitate to shady people. Look no further than the shady no show investors.

  3. WHY IS GLOBAL BANK OF COMMERCE STILL ALLOWED TO OPERATE? This bank clearly is in trouble, cannot pay its depositors and yet the FSRC does NOTHING!!!! What the hell? This bank needs to have a receiver appointed to take over the bank and find out what is really going on. It should have been put into receivership years ago. Why has this not happened? FSRC is being negligent in its duties. If I was a depositor, I would sue the FSRC and its officers for dereliction of duties.

  4. @ Gaston

    ……. and ABLP are dam liars, they claim to be the virtue of financial wizardry but running an insolvent bank BUT because they have criticise ABIB under UPP so badly they trying to prevent an explosive situation from coming out.
    They are nothing but thieves. How only since Trevor exposed them that a Housing project will be started. ABLP has and will always be the MOST CORRUPT PARTY EVER, with the likes of GASTON and CUTIE and MOLWYN and CHET you cannot expect any better.
    THIS IS A BIG BIG SCANDAL.

  5. Trevor Walker and the Barbudan’s were right all along about Gaston Browne and his lack of monetary transparency folks. One thing is sure, there’s a lot more to come.

    GIRD YOUR LOINS ABLP SUPPORTERS!

    I said all along, that Gaston was using litigation as a dead cat narrative to deflect the troubles of this useless and out of touch government.

    GIRD YOUR LOINS ABLP SUPPORTERS!

    BTW, what do the voting Barbudans and All Saints residents have in common?

    They recognised that the country under the tutelage of Gaston Browne is detrimental to their ECONOMIC well being.

    • … And in addition, the British Philanthropist Steve Morgan also wants clarification from Prime Minister Browne of the $1 Million donated for Hurricane Irma, that was to be used in Barbuda’s overall recovery.

      WHY DOESN’T GASTON LIKE TRANSPARENCY?

      • @ BRIXTONIAN

        When will Brixtonian stop behaving like a DUNCE ? The money was never received…..I am at a loss to understand
        why you don’t understand. You cannot transfer what was never received

  6. Hahaha ! Behold transparency and accountability as eschewed by the masking by the few. Snakes can shed their skins: but they still remain snakes. Cabal Governance is not for everyone. And the Buck stops where !? A coo dey! 😥 & 😠 is more than a state of mind. Follow the money trails from the power house to the poor house: only to witness the cuddling fool and, his buffoons playing games of illusions on us, like a misbegotten aberration made real from a lie.

  7. So whay de Barbuda money?? Is it stuck in the bank?? And, just like not wanting to rock the boat, they don’t want to “unstick” the money from the bank? I am I right in hearing that they will instead take money from the consolidated fund to substitute for the stuck money?
    Poor Antigua and Barbuda!!

  8. Trevor Walker and the opposition raise issues but do they ever dig deeper and investigate? Gaston gives flippant responses
    knowing that there will be no follow up. Eventually nothing happens and the issue is dead.
    Opposition, do your job. Use your legal minds and investigators to investigate. That is the duty of an opposition.
    What is the purpose of GBC with a manager well connected to Gaston Browne? Did all the Barbuda relief money go into AGB? Is the person right who says it is a laundry mat.

  9. Again, this is what you get when a financial dunce is in control of a country’s finances. How boldly he defended Brian Stuart Young claiming he’s no crook, yet the man had to resign under controversial circumstances. Oh, there’s more to come. A lot more. This government is corrupt and we deserve to see what happened to 13 billion dollars.

  10. This is how a scam works. Thief the money and say it disappeared. Then use government money to cover what the money was for. Of course you need collaborators.

    • And there you have it in one, my fellow concerned citizens of Antigua & Barbuda.

      Well said @ Them so lie 👏🏾

      My word can’t the ABLP put Daryl Matthew’s in charge until UPP come to power in 2028?

      He can’t be any worse, can he? 🤔

  11. Giles may be right about upp coming to office, because he probably know all the major civil servants, police commissioner and some judiciary as in dpp Anthony Armstrong and Joanne Walsh , FSRC who are paid off to keep Gaston in office, but Stanford , Mr King and elmeade Jarvis should come to mind.

  12. Where is the Financial Secretary and Accountant General in all of this? Shouldn’t they know about every cent donated to Antigua and Barbuda? Shouldn’t they know about every cent in the CIP account? It’s sounding like Antigua and Barbuda have accounts all over and monies are passed without both the Financial Secretary and Accountant General knowing about them. I hope I’m wrong. Both offices should be giving Antiguans and Barbudans a quarterly report at least. In so doing, citizens will get when their taxes have to be raised.

  13. Prove that I am corrupt and a thief. Prove that I take money from the treasury. Why should I take money from the treasury when the money didn’t go into treasury in the first place? You think me stupid? Taking money from treasury leaves a trail.

  14. Is an offshore bank headed by a good friend of the PM the bank of choice for him? We should all be asking why. As someone said previously, is it a washing machine?
    What happened to the $3million disaster insurance money the government received? Barbados acknowledged receiving the money and told its citizens what the money will be used for. Gaston tell us what happened to Antigua funds.

Comments are closed.