Barbuda Member of Parliament, Trevor Walker, has reiterated his request for the government to provide a detailed audited report on the allocation of international funds earmarked for Hurricane Irma recovery. This call gains urgency amid reports of financial difficulties faced by the Global Bank of Commerce (GBC), the institution where the funds were deposited. During the first Barbuda Council meeting, Walker discussed his recent interaction with Steve Morgan of the British Steve Morgan Foundation, highlighting concerns about the US$1 million donation made by the Foundation for Barbuda’s rehabilitation, which remains unutilized.
Jennifer McNab, personal assistant to Steve Morgan, confirmed the foundation’s commitment to aiding Barbuda’s recovery post-Hurricane Irma. In September 2017, Morgan, who owns property on Jumby Bay, routed the donation through GBC. Since then, the Foundation has made numerous attempts to track the fund’s application, including communications with Prime Minister Gaston Browne and direct emails from Morgan himself.
Despite previous assurances from Prime Minister Browne, particularly before the last general election, to allocate the funds for their intended purpose, there has been no progress. The situation is further complicated by the financial issues plaguing GBC, which has struggled to fulfill its obligations to depositors. McNab expressed the Foundation’s deep concern that the funds, given in good faith to assist in Barbuda’s reconstruction, are still tied up in the bank, unutilized, amidst GBC’s ongoing financial challenges.
Walker, in his appearance on the ‘Connecting with Dave Lester Payne’ radio show, informed Observer’s Elesha George that the government, which often touts its commitment to transparency and accountability, must clarify how these funds were managed, especially in light of the Prime Minister’s acknowledgment of GBC’s financial difficulties.
Attempts to secure comments from Brian Stuart-Young, CEO of Global Bank of Commerce, were unsuccessful at the time of this report. Prime Minister Browne has also been approached for further clarification on this matter.
