PM Browne Dismisses Yves Ephraim’s Claims as ‘False and Misleading’
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has dismissed commentary by Yves Ephraim regarding the government’s new property legislation, accusing him of spreading misinformation and misleading the public.
Speaking on his Browne and Browne Show, Browne said Ephraim “got it wrong” when he claimed the government could sell people’s properties after 30 days of nonpayment. The Prime Minister described the statement as “false” and “a lie.”
“I see this guy Yves Ephraim — he has a propensity to promote misinformation,” Browne said. “He picks up things that are not truthful, said by the opposition, and then takes this moralistic, sanctimonious position writing in the papers. But Yves, you need to get the facts.”
Browne said the Tax Administration and Procedure (Amendment) Bill does not authorize the government to seize or sell any property within such a short period. “It’s not true,” Browne said. “The law allows for process, and there’s no history of any sale of any property in this country — much less to be selling after five years.”
He said the Act clarifies how the government can address long-abandoned and derelict properties, not homes that are occupied. “We’re going to put a process in place to break down these properties and keep them clean,” he said. “If we get to the stage of selling, it’s only after many years of nonpayment.”
Browne also said he had corrected attorney Sheffield Bowen, who previously made the same 30-day claim, and noted that Boyne later acknowledged his error. “Sheffield is a lawyer, and he knows he got it wrong,” Browne said. “And now you have this dude — Yves — trying to get my attention, saying we’re going to sell people’s property in 30 days. Really?”
The Prime Minister accused Ephraim of deliberately misleading the public and described his behavior as “deceptive.” “It’s very unfortunate that he’s so deceptive,” Browne said. “And coming from somebody like him, the public is inclined to lean into what he’s saying and give it some credence.”
Browne said the government has no intention of taking people’s homes and that the amendment is designed to promote cleaner and safer communities. “We’re not trying to disenfranchise anyone of their property,” he said. “Our intent is to empower people through property ownership.”
