ONDCP Employees “Cheating the System,” PM Claims

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has accused some employees of the Office of National Drug and Money-Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP) of “cheating the system” by collecting full salaries while allegedly refusing to work full days.

Browne has warned that the agency could be shut down and its drug-enforcement and money-laundering responsibilities transferred to a specialised unit within the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda if the situation continues.

Speaking on Saturday during the Browne and Browne Show on Pointe FM, the Prime Minister said some ONDCP employees were leaving work at midday, despite the Government addressing concerns about mould and other conditions at the agency’s offices.

“If you, by the nature of your action, are a quasi-law-enforcement entity and an essential service, and have decided that you should not go to work, what are we supposed to do allow you to continue to cheat the system and collect full pay?” Browne asked.

According to the Prime Minister, some employees remained away from work for as long as five months after raising health and safety concerns.

“Those who refuse to return to work are a bunch of indisciplined officers who do not wish to work, but continue to collect their full salary. They are gaming the system, using every opportunity to stay home or work half day. Even a burst pipe which was resolved in a matter of hours, became a source of industrial actin for them. They are literally making themselves redundant”, PM Browne said.

Additionally, the PM claimed that the Public Works Department subsequently completed renovations to the building, while Chief Government Chemist Dr Linroy Christian conducted an assessment and determined that the facility was suitable for normal operations.

Employees were also reportedly medically tested to determine whether exposure to mould had caused respiratory illnesses or other health complications.

“Everything they have asked for, we have done. Even to get tested to see if they have any form of respiratory disease because of the incidence of mould in the building,” Browne said.

He said the tests returned negative results but alleged that some employees, with the support of their union, continued to leave work at midday rather than complete a full working day.

“When a government goes the extra mile to make sure that the staff is fine, after you have fixed what was wrong, they are still refusing to go to work,” he added.

The Prime Minister said he received correspondence from ONDCP Director Colonel Edward Croft outlining the measures taken to improve the working environment and confirming Dr Christian’s recommendation that normal operations could resume.

Browne described the employees’ alleged conduct as disruptive and undisciplined, arguing that it was particularly unacceptable given the ONDCP’s role as a quasi-law-enforcement agency responsible for combating drug trafficking and money laundering.

He also questioned the agency’s recent operational performance, claiming it had not assisted in apprehending anyone for several years.

Browne warned that the Government could dissolve the ONDCP and place its responsibilities under a specialised arm of the police force.

“I would rather lock it down. The country would be better served if these duties were performed by an arm within the police force,” the Prime Minister declared.

He said his administration has a responsibility to prevent abuse within the public service and would take decisive action whenever employees failed to meet their obligations.