By Robert A Emmanuel
Barbuda MP Trevor Walker has once again called on the government to release an audited financial report detailing how international funds donated towards Hurricane Irma recovery efforts were used.
Speaking at the first meeting of the Barbuda Council on Tuesday, Walker told fellow Council members of a recent phone call with Steve Morgan of British charitable body, the Steve Morgan Foundation, to discuss their concerns about the lack of transparency as it relates to the US$1 million the Foundation donated to help Barbuda recover from the devastating storm.
Observer reached out to the Steve Morgan Foundation for comment on the matter. Morgan’s personal assistant Jennifer McNab responded to our email noting, “Following Hurricane Irma, Steve Morgan, who has a home on Jumby Bay, wanted to help with the rescue and rebuilding of Barbuda through his personal charitable foundation.”
She explained that Morgan had sent the funds through an account at the Global Bank of Commerce (GBC) in September 2017.
“Since then, there has been a series of requests and chase-up emails to find out what has happened with the funds [including] numerous emails since 2018, telephone calls with Prime Minister Gaston Browne and numerous emails from Steve Morgan to the Prime Minister.
“Shortly before the last general election, Steve met with the Prime Minster who promised to release these funds for their original intended purpose to benefit the people of Barbuda. However, since then nothing has happened,” McNab responded.
She added that they were “deeply upset” that the money given in good faith for the benefit of Barbuda in rebuilding currently remains in the Global Bank of Commerce, and despite “numerous efforts for the money to be used for the purpose it was given, this is still not the case”.
MP Walker, meanwhile, on Tuesday’s ‘Connecting with Dave Lester Payne’ show told Observer’s Elesha George that if the government adhered to its claims of transparency and accountability then it should release a detailed report on how these monies were used.
Observer reached out to Global Bank of Commerce CEO Brian Stuart-Young for comment, but was unsuccessful up to news time. PM Browne has also been approached for comment.