United Progressive Party (UPP) caretaker for All Saints West, Harold Lovell, has accused Prime Minister Gaston Browne of attempting to cover up the ongoing “chain gang” vehicle scandal through what he calls a series of hasty and diversionary announcements.
In a statement on Thursday, Lovell said Browne’s recent rollout of new vehicle policies, promises of public auctions, a $10 million repayment deal, and the launch of a “People’s Restitution Fund” are not genuine reforms but “acts of desperation.”
“Every new announcement proves the gravity of the problem, but none address the operatives at the center of the scandal,” Lovell said. He added “The people of Antigua and Barbuda deserve transparency, not theatrics.”
Lovell argued that Browne’s approach amounts to “reform without investigation or accountability,” suggesting that the repayment deals are politically motivated.
“When a Prime Minister negotiates repayments before a full probe, that’s not justice, that’s just a smokescreen,” he said.
The UPP is calling for a full forensic investigation led by independent bodies, including the Integrity Commission, the Auditor General’s Office, and civil society observers. Lovell said only such an inquiry could restore public trust.
“Every time Gaston Browne announces a new policy, he closes another door to the truth,” Lovell said. “He’s using window dressing to keep the light out, but the people of Antigua and Barbuda will not stay in the dark.”
