Former Antigua ministers back to court in June

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Three former government ministers, including the leader of the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP), Harold Lovell, will re-appear in the High Court on June 14 on charges relating to the donation of three buses to the Antigua and Barbuda government.

Apart from Lovell, the otters charged are former education minister Dr Jacqui Quinn and former deputy prime minister Wilmoth Daniel.

They are accused of corruption, conversion and embezzlement in relation to three Daewoo buses worth over EC$600 000 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) that were donated to the former UPP administration by the government of South Korea.

The three former ministers have been accused of converting the buses for their personal use and had them registered at the Antigua and Barbuda Transport Board in their names, while they were in public office.

When they appeared before Justice Colin Williams on Wednesday, all three, represented by attorney Leon Chakue Symister, all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The case was first dismissed in 2017 by Magistrate Conliffe Clarke, but in 2019, Director of Public Prosecutions Anthony Armstrong refiled the case on an issue of improper application of procedure.

The matter was then heard by Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh, who ruled that there was enough prima facie evidence against the three accused, and, in June, 2020, she committed the matter to the High Court. (CMC)