Former Prime Minister Dr. Winston Baldwin Spencer has joined the call for an independent investigation into the vehicle procurement and distribution scandal at the Ministry of Works, denouncing what he described as “hypocrisy” by Prime Minister Gaston Browne for resisting a public inquiry while targeting opposition figures for lesser issues.
Speaking on the picket line outside the Ministry of Works, Dr. Spencer said he is “totally and completely in favor” of the United Progressive Party’s (UPP) demand for an impartial investigation to “get to the root of the matter” and restore public confidence.
“It is important enough for us to want to see that this happens,” Spencer said. “The nation of Antigua and Barbuda is really down the pits with all these things happening.” He argued that the inquiry should be conducted “through a proper process” free from political interference.
Dr. Spencer took aim at Prime Minister Browne’s claim that an inquiry would amount to a “name and shame exercise,” noting that the Prime Minister had previously pursued legal action against three former ministers over the community use of government vehicles. “The Prime Minister recognizes the gravity of the situation and the fact that he and his wife are implicated,” Spencer said. “It’s a question of not wanting to go the route of a public inquiry because of that connection”.
He described the UPP’s call for an independent investigation as “based on real justice,” adding that “whoever is culpable in this case will face whatever they have to face.”
The former Prime Minister also criticized Browne’s recent remarks about national hero Sir Vivian Richards, calling them “most unfortunate.” Browne reportedly dismissed Richards’s call for accountability in the scandal. “It was most unfortunate to hear the Prime Minister speaking in those terms with respect to Sir Vivian,” Spencer said. “He is respected worldwide as one of the chief architects of sports in the world — not only a hero for Antigua and Barbuda, but for the entire Caribbean”.
Dr. Spencer’s remarks came as opposition members, including UPP Leader Jamale Pringle, staged a picket outside the Ministry of Works demanding an independent investigation into the alleged misuse of government resources.