PM Browne Wants UPP Chairperson to Apologize Over Alfa Nero Proceeds Remarks

Prime Minister Gaston Browne says the United Progressive Party (UPP) Chairperson D. Giselle Isaac should apologize to the people of Antigua and Barbuda over statements she made about the Alfa Nero proceeds.

Isaac believes that part, if not all of the proceeds from the sale of the Alfa Nero should go to the people of Ukraine.

“Our position has been that the money rightfully belongs to the people of Ukraine, they are the victims of Russian aggression”, Isaac said in a recent radio interview.

The mega yacht was sold at US 67.6 million dollars on June 16, to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

In response to Isaac’s statement, PM Browne explained that just getting the vessel delisted was a very difficult situation.

“Then you have all of these litigations, why would we go through all that trouble and then go and give the money to Ukraine?”, Browne questioned.

“When the Chairman of the UPP, the opposition party in this country, would have taken the decision, that we must bypass the people of Antigua and Barbuda, that we should not assist them, but we should send this money that we fought extremely hard to secure, and whatever risk we would have taken on, that we should send the money to Ukraine, it shows a level of disloyalty and contempt to the people, that should be punishable”, he added.

Adding, “I guess she is saying if they were in government that they would have sent the money to Ukraine…But she is so duplicitous, they would have kept the money and spent it on Antiguans and Barbudans, why is she now suggesting that the Labor Party should do otherwise.”

The Prime Minister concluded that “anyhow you look at it, it is a most unfortunate statement that was made by Giselle Isaac and I think she ought to apologize to the people of Antigua and Barbuda.”