SXMElections.com

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Prime Minister Gaston Browne has called on an opposition politician to spare the country the loss of scare financial resources by withdrawing an allegation he made regarding the disappearance of money from the Citizenship Investment Programme (CIP).

Prime Minister Browne told legislators that opposition Senator Damani Tabor’s claim that EC$500,000 had been missing from the CIP unit is mischievous and that the government could save funds that are being used to pay Canadian-based financial forensic investigator Robert Lindquist.

In February, the government enlisted the Christian Council to select someone to determine if the money was missing as had been claimed by the opposition legislator.

“If it is that the person was being malicious, he can probably spare the nation the trouble and just to say it is not true and that he was being mischievous,” Browne said.

He told Parliament that if the member of the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) “does not relent and we have to spend tens of thousands of dollars …to do an investigation then clearly that person will be guilty of public mischief if and when found guilty.

“Clearly there could be consequences,” Browne said, adding that he was extending “an olive branch to Mr. Tabor to come to the nation and let the people of Antigua and Barbuda know that you were being mischievous, that you have no evidence to that effect.

“We will still continue with the investigation but at least it could maybe shorten the duration of the investigation and save tax payers tens of thousands of dollars,” he added.

Under the Public Order Act, a person who is convicted of making false statements about public officials could face up to two years in jail.

Prime Minister Browne told legislators that the police are investigating the allegation.

“We have also turned the matter over to the police and I know that the police have been conducting investigations, they have interviewed members of the Treasury Department including the accounting general …and they have also interviewed the accountant at the CIP unit.”

He said he understood that the only person whom the police have not yet been able to interview “is the individual who made the allegation.

“I understand Mr. Speaker he is in hiding,” Browne added.