Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin and Mr. Yida Zhang
Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin has strongly rejected allegations that the Browne Administration is considering allowing the YIDA property to become a sovereign state within Antigua.
“Nonsense. That’s totally ridiculous. I’m surprised that anybody with any common sense could say that,” Benjamin told Observer Media when asked about the claims.
The Attorney General emphasized that YIDA remains subject to national laws: “Every aspect of the activity, it is subject to the laws of the nation, of the government, and the nation.”
He dismissed the reports as fabricated, calling them “so-called imagination” and “some personal person’s design to undermine the good intention of the economic zone.”
Benjamin’s response comes roughly two weeks after Real News published claims from unnamed insiders describing an alleged plan to allow YIDA to operate as an exempt state within Antigua and Barbuda. The publication alleged the state would be exempt from local laws while being governed by the country’s Constitution, and would potentially have its own Parliament, government, and currency.
The sources cited in the Real News report claimed legal advisors were opposed to the arrangement but that the Attorney General was “unmoved and already gung-ho on the dual system.”
The allegations also suggested such arrangements would have implications for OECS and CARICOM groupings, particularly the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union and Central Bank.
Benjamin categorically rejected all aspects of the claims as having no basis in fact.
as far as Antigua and Barbuda is concerned anyone who believes a word that comes out of this mans mouth is an absolute fool!
the man has no honour, no shame and no ethitics!
People needed clarity on this. Investment zones aren’t the same as sovereignty, and the misinformation was confusing the conversation
Real News may have pushed the claim, but the bigger issue is why citizens believe that a private investor could ever be granted that level of autonomy
If there’s nothing to hide, publish the agreements. Strong denial is one thing documentation is what restores trust
Benjamin’s response was forceful, but the government can’t keep brushing off concerns as ‘imagination.’ People want clarity, not insult.
Comment *Calling the allegation ‘nonsense’ may shut down the rumour, but it won’t erase public concern. Transparency about YIDA’s terms is the only cure
If the claim is truly absurd, then clear communication would make it disappear faster than outrage. Transparency beats indignation every time.