The Member of Parliament (MP) for All Saints West, Anthony Smith is standing with fellow Opposition MP Richard Lewis on his call against any misuse of power to conceal information as it relates to IF Antigua and the Ministry of Housing and Lands.
MP Lewis and members of the Opposition have been pressuring Prime Minister Gaston Browne to answer questions regarding the West Indies Oil Company’s decision to sell the Friars Hill Road property to IF Antigua, whose son, Gaston Browne III, reportedly serves as its only director.
In a press release, MP Smith said: “Considering recent events regarding the renovation of property associated with Prime Minister Gaston Browne, we are compelled to address the serious allegations surrounding the potential misallocation of public funds.
“It is our duty to ensure that the stewardship of government resources is conducted with the utmost integrity and in accordance with established protocols,” he said.
Smith added that whether or not the government is renting the property effectively for free was beside the point.
“The Prime Minister is an employee of the people of Antigua and Barbuda, and the use or misuse of the country’s resources must be accounted for.
“As such, any surreptitious transaction needs to be highlighted and the culprits exposed. If there is any criminality, the wrongdoers should be prosecuted. Transparency should always be the motto of government operations and not some talking point for malefactors,” he said.
Among some of his chief concerns were the potential for misuse of public funds, and an alleged conflict of interest.
He noted that by virtue of Minister of Lands Maria Browne sitting on the West Indies Oil Company’s Board, the transaction becomes problematic, since “procurement of the aforementioned property appears to have circumvented the standard due diligence and competitive bidding processes that are the hallmark of transparent governance.
“It begs the question, Gaston Browne, Maria Browne, and Gaston Browne III serve as the chief principals of distinct entities, namely the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Public Works, the ministries of Lands and the Development Control Authority.
“Are decisions made in the office or around the family dinner table? Can there really be “recusal” in any of the decisions made? As a nation, we must uncover the chief decision maker in the deals, and subsequently ask if the recusal of oneself is truly possible in this case,” he noted.
Smith said that members of the Prime Minister’s party “need to stand and let the public know where they stand in this undercover business deal” and that failure to do so mean that “the consequences and any legal ramification of this deal will be on the head of every party-member.”
He concluded his statement by saying “we stand at a crossroads as a nation where the path we choose will define our legacy.
“Let us choose the path of integrity, ensuring that every action we take fortifies the trust placed in us by the citizens we serve.”