Prime Minister Gaston Browne addressed concerns about a potential conflict of interest in the sale of a building by the West Indies Oil Company (WIOC) to his son during a parliamentary session last week. He vehemently denied any conflict of interest and emphasized that the matter had already been extensively discussed.
Regarding financial benefits, Browne stated that “there’s no benefit, no rent has been paid,” and explained that improvements to the property were made for the comfort of ministry officials. He also clarified that “no one was deprived of the opportunity to purchase the property,” as the properties had been on the market for over 15 years following the departure of the American University.
Addressing allegations of favoritism, Browne reiterated that “there’s no financial benefit for anyone, so therefore the issue of a conflict of interest does not arise.” He pointed out that the ministry had independently caused an area of Crown Land to be paved for a parking lot, emphasizing the transparency of the transaction.
Dismissing the allegations, Browne stated, “We have indicated that this issue about the rental of the property that there’s no conflict.” He suggested that the opposition members were seeking attention and attempting to generate controversy stating “I know, Mr. Speaker, that the two members on the other side, they are seeking attention. Obviously, they can’t stand on their own steam, so they’re trying to generate some kind of controversy.”
