Errors Were Corrected in $15M Government “Vehicle Gate Scandal” Investigation, Says Merchant

The government has announced the conclusion of a long-running investigation into the improper procurement of government vehicles and the evasion of taxes, revealing that the Ministry of Finance has successfully recouped funds linked to the matter.

Speaking during last Thursday’s post-Cabinet press briefing, Director General of Communications in the Prime Minister’s Office, Maurice Merchant said the probe centered on the unauthorized acquisition of hundreds of vehicles valued at more than EC$15 million, which were reportedly obtained without proper financial oversight and in breach of established procurement and tax procedures.

Merchant told reporters that the Financial Secretary and the Ministry of Finance engaged several of the dealerships involved and reached agreements to recover misdirected funds.

“The Financial Secretary and the Ministry of Finance have reached agreements with several concerned dealerships. Through these arrangements, funds were recouped from the dealers involved, and the Ministry now deems the matter settled,” Merchant stated.

According to Merchant, the companies were able to identify where administrative and procedural errors occurred. Those issues, he said, were corrected through repayments made to the government, effectively bringing closure to the financial aspects of the case.

However, the announcement has reignited criticism from the Opposition, which has consistently argued that the issue goes beyond simple “errors” and warrants greater transparency and potential accountability.

Opposition figures have previously alleged that the procurement process was circumvented, raising concerns about whether established tendering rules and financial regulations were deliberately ignored.

They have also questioned how such a large volume of vehicles—reportedly worth over EC$15 million—could have been acquired without triggering earlier detection within the government’s financial control systems.

Some opposition members have further contended that while recouping funds is necessary, it does not automatically settle questions of accountability.

They argue that without a detailed public report outlining how the breaches occurred and what safeguards are now in place, public confidence may remain shaken.

Merchant, however, indicated that from the Ministry of Finance’s standpoint, the financial discrepancies have been addressed and the matter is now considered closed.