Pringle Calls for Vehicle Scandal Probe to Extend to Quarries and Cement Factory
Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle is urging that the ongoing calls for a forensic investigation into the government’s vehicle procurement scandal be broadened to include two additional areas within the Ministry of Works — the quarries and the cement factory.
Speaking during a second day of protest outside the ministry, the United Progressive Party (UPP) leader said the issues were linked by a wider pattern of alleged mismanagement and lack of transparency.
“We’re persistent,” Pringle said. “We believe that it is necessary for a forensic independent investigation into this vehicle-gate scandal and the information that is coming to us. We need a deeper investigation into the Ministry of Works as it relates to the quarries and the cement factory.”
He also cited reports of $15 million allegedly siphoned off from the ministry and said the headquarters is “suffering tremendously from mold infestation.”
Pringle stressed that the opposition will maintain pressure until a full investigation is launched. “We cannot continue to have this government hide or stifle accountability and transparency in Antigua and Barbuda,” he said. “We will be here until we get such investigation into the matters I’ve mentioned.”
The demonstration outside the Ministry of Works marked the second consecutive day of picketing by the UPP, which is calling for independent oversight into government operations.
