Chain Gang Exposed: Gaston’s Culture Of Creative Enrichment Blows Wide Open

By Harold Lovell

October 2025
A $15 million vehicle procurement scandal is shaking the very foundations of the government. But this is only the latest symptom of a deeper disease: a culture of creative self-enrichment cultivated under Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s leadership.

From the moment Browne took office, he redefined political entrepreneurship into something far more dangerous — a blurring of the line between public service and private profit.

THE ROOTS OF A CULTURE
In his first year as Prime Minister, Gaston Browne and his son flipped land at Long Bay, turning an overnight profit that made them instant millionaires.

That deal, defended at the time as “a smart investment,” set the tone for an era in which political power and personal gain became indistinguishable.

PATTERNS OF POWER AND PROFIT
The abuse of passports under the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP) was equally troubling.

A shadowy WIOC share deal that involved a wealthy Chinese businessman who allegedly received 120 passports in exchange for his investment in the West Indies Oil Company. The said gentleman has not been seen or heard from for the past 10 years. Reliable sources say that he is in prison in China. It is believed that he got caught in the Chinese government’s crackdown on corruption. Amazingly, no one in government has ever clarified who owns that portion of WIOC.

The pattern deepened with the Antigua Airways fiasco, where Prime Minister Browne claimed he had been “duped” by foreign partners. Nearly 1,000 African nationals arrived through Antigua Airways, with no documented records of their departure. Yet, years later, the public remains baffled and uneasy — still without answers about the airline’s finances, ownership, or ultimate fate.

THE “CHAIN GANG” NETWORK
The latest internal report alleges that hundreds of vehicles, valued at over EC $15 million, were purchased and distributed without Cabinet authorization or proper financial oversight.

The Chain Gang Scandal, reportedly involved senior officials across the Ministry of Public Works, Transport Board, Treasury, The Royal police force , and Procurement Board.

Documents suggest that vehicles were secretly assigned, falsely classified, and diverted for private use.

A SYSTEM LEARNING FROM ITS LEADER
None of this could have flourished without the political climate Gaston Browne himself engineered one where loyalty is rewarded with state benefits, scrutiny is punished, and access to privilege depends on proximity to power.

His ongoing habit of courting disgruntled Opposition members with contracts, jobs, and perks has normalized transactional politics and entrenched a culture of entitlement and impunity.

CALLS FOR A PUBLIC INQUIRY
I fully support the call of the United Progressive Party a full, independent investigation into the scandal. An investigation would allow all the facts to be properly presented and where each person is treated fairly. It is unacceptable for persons to be tried and convicted by one man on a radio show. We heard the facts that he selected for us to hear, he exonerated his wife and he convicted several civil servants and business people.

Really? Is that what this country has come to? Where one man. El Supremo, sits as, complainant, investigator prosecutor, judge and jury?

Strangely but not surprisingly, the name of the alleged mastermind behind the racket was deliberately not mentioned. Why not? Everyone knows who this person is. Is it not the same Prime Minister who has empowered this man, appointing him as Chairman of one of the most powerful statutory boards? He has become so influential , that he can stroll into the Treasury at anytime and receive VIP treatment. He has government ministers and top officials on speed dial. It is alleged that he is the contractor on the PMs new mansion at Marble Hill. He has received lucrative government contracts to build and refurbish government buildings to build roads and to provide other services. Why has he suddenly become invisible? Why is Gaston Browne shielding the Baron of Weatherills, the Ambassador extraordinaire and plenipotentiary. Who is holding secrets for whom? Why crucify men and women who cannot defend themselves but let the chief culprit go scot free?

THE COST OF “CREATIVE ENRICHMENT”
Ironically, Prime Minister Gaston Browne holds the portfolio for Corporate Governance, yet under his watch, governance itself has become a casualty. His oversight of this latest Chain Gang Scandal raises serious questions about what other irregularities and abuses remain buried beneath the surface.

From Long Bay to the Chain Gang, the pattern is unmistakable; a government where public assets are treated as private opportunities and accountability is an afterthought.

What began as a slogan for “creative enrichment” has devolved into a blueprint for looting the Treasury in broad daylight.
Until we have true transparency and justice is served, the chain that binds corruption will only tighten , link by link.