Prime Minister Gaston Browne speaking on Pointe TV (screenshot of Pointe FM)
Prime Minister Gaston Browne said that the Cabinet has relieved Ambassador to the African Union Johann Hesse of his duties, citing his failure to disclose that a UK-registered company owned by his business partner received a $450,000 commission related to the sale of the luxury superyacht Alfa Nero.
Prime Minister Browne announced the decision during his weekly radio show on Saturday, emphasizing that while no evidence of corruption or conflict of interest was found, Ambassador Hesse failed to disclose the transaction in a timely manner.
On Thursday, Director of Communications Maurice Merchant told the public that Hesse informed Cabinet that the introductory fee was paid to a UK-registered company, Caribbean Lifestyle Services Limited, owned by his business partner Rufus Gobart.
The payment was made by yacht brokerage firm Northrop and Johnson, which received a 5% commission from the Antigua and Barbuda government for facilitating the Alfa Nero sale.
Alfa Nero
Hesse and Gobart maintained that the $450,000 represented 25% of Northrop’s net commission, earned through their longstanding business relationship with the brokerage firm. They stated the funds were properly declared to UK tax authorities.
Prime Minister Browne reiterated that the Cabinet had no prior knowledge of the private business arrangement between Hesse, Gobart, and the yacht broker.
“We first learned about the transaction when documents were filed in court,” he said. “We had absolutely no knowledge that anyone [employed by the government] benefited from any commission whatsoever.”
Both Hesse and Gobart have since affidavits confirming that no government official, Cabinet member, or family member of any government official received any benefit from the commission.
While the Cabinet found no evidence of illegal activity, the Prime Minister said the Cabinet “felt that he had an obligation to disclose sooner because the matter was in the public domain for several months.”
“Even in my case, the fact that my name and family members were called, at least he could have said to us, ‘Look, we did get this commission,’ and at least we could have made it public,” the Prime Minister explained.
There’s no evidence of illegality,” the Prime Minister added. “It’s just an issue that we felt that he should have notified us. The appearance or the perception of conflict would arise just because of a lack of disclosure.”
The government maintains that all documentation related to the Alfa Nero sale has been released and considers the broader matter largely settled, though officials say they remain prepared to defend their actions against what they describe as politically motivated claims.
The Alfa Nero, a 267-foot luxury yacht, has been the subject of repeated legal and political scrutiny since its acquisition and sale by the government.
That’s a bit deceitful. The government has to do what it has to do to protect itself
The way I see that matter is that our beloved PM may have unintentionally done more damage to his own administration’s credibility than to that ambassador by relieving him of duty over the Alfa Nero commission issue. By the Prime Minister’s own words, there is no evidence of illegality. No corruption. No diversion of state funds. No benefit to any government official. The $450,000 commission connected to the sale of the Alfa Nero was reportedly paid by the brokerage firm from its earned commission, declared abroad, and supported by affidavits.
So what exactly warranted such a drastic move?
I totally agree
Was this an oversight in communication, or a breach serious enough to warrant removal?
If the government maintains the Alfa Nero matter is “largely settled,” then why does this action reopen public doubt? And does relieving Hesse actually close the chapter or extend it?
Was there a formal requirement for disclosure of private business commissions unrelated to government funds?