Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne has announced plans to take legal action against individuals he accuses of waging a coordinated campaign to damage his reputation both locally and abroad.

Speaking on his _Browne and Browne_ programme on Pointe FM, the Prime Minister said the time had come to go on the offensive after years of enduring what he called malicious and unfounded accusations.

“These people are now routinely trying to literally destroy my integrity by taking me to international entities, courts, and tribunals to try and sully my name,” Browne said. “I don’t know that I can just sit back and defend—I have to go on the offensive.”

He said the continued legal attacks—often involving foreign advocacy groups—are not only targeting him personally but are costing the government significant sums in legal fees. He referenced the ongoing Alfa Nero litigation, which he said could cost the government up to US$400,000 in legal defence.

“They don’t have money, so they can’t get hurt financially,” he said of his detractors. “Well, you can bankrupt them. They’re bankrupt already—officially.”

Browne clarified that his intention to sue is not about silencing free speech. “We believe in diversity of views,” he said. “And I think I’m one of the most tolerant prime ministers anywhere in the world when it comes to taking criticism. But this is beyond criticism—it’s defamation.”

The Prime Minister also alluded to previous cases involving the PLH project in Barbuda and legal complaints supported by international NGOs like the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), which he claims were part of an effort to falsely tie him to corruption.

“There were lies told—that I owned PLH, that I was getting kickbacks. They took us to court and lost, but PLH had to spend over a million dollars defending the case,” Browne said.

He warned that some of his associates had been subjected to legal inquiries aimed at uncovering alleged transactions involving him. “Even people who are wealthy, who may have some kind of friendship with me—they’ve used certain legal systems to try and interrogate them,” he said.

Dismissing suggestions that he has used public office for personal gain, Browne said, “I’m not a greedy man. Even before I became Prime Minister, I could take care of my obligations. I didn’t come into office looking for opportunities to enrich myself.”

The Prime Minister said more details would be revealed in time but maintained that a firm legal response is now necessary to put an end to what he called a campaign of “character assassination.”