Before anyone jumps to judge people and execute before trial, maybe we should consider internal policial fighting and scapegoating more than anything else. Unless you know e trio personally or know for a FACT they did something wrong, don't assume they are guilty!

L O L, Think Tank, a Thief thanks! the later Eric Willians spoke about you all.

They need to investigate ALL statutory bodies...... they will find abuse of power and resources. They need to start with ABDB.

I am not one to argue with the truth ... take a gold star for that last comment. You show great promise with respect to your analitical abilities. You are definitely Think Tank material.

I want to take this opportunity to personally invite you to become a part of the previously described patriotic initiative. Send me an e-mail at newvisionbraintrustgmail.com and you will receive a timely response for us to start working together to save our country.

Tenman, all of ideas that both you and Village Boi have presented make very good sense, but none of it constitute a argument against the viability of a third part in Antigua, where the polls show that more than 40% of the electorate does not want either ALP or UPP.

You know that there are literally hundreds of brilliant Antiguans at home and abroad in that little pond you mentioned who would do a much better job than the ALP or UPP crop of failures.

Both ALP and UPP had their chances to show the country what they are made of and the people are saying NO to both based on their track records.

UPP is a big dissapointment, but ALP's 28 years of atrocities against the people of Antigua is not easy to forget.

If you want to get the true sense of the public sentiment towards ALP you simply need to realize that UPP won the last election based on reminding the people of the ALP's 28 years of terror.

The truth is that there are many persons in the same position as me, we will not vote for UPP, because they have failed to deliver, but we cannot vote for ALP, because we know what they stand for.

@ Professor it starts with all of us especially those who have been in it from the beinning in antigua and barbuda feeling the heat and not just those have been away and now returning...... ..the national motto say EACH ENDEAVOR ALL ACHIVING! We need to unity this nation so that we can demand the changes that will better our life and create better governance.

We need to get to the ppl at the end of the ladder that is getting all the BS from what is coming from the top of the ladder.....Who feels it knows it betters.

We need to educate our ppl as to what is really happening cause alot of them at the end of the ladder dont know, they r too busy trying to figure out how to survive in this life and dont have the time to really understand the issues and how issues affect them. EDUCATION AND UNDERSTANDING IS THE KEY TO CHANGE AND PROGRESS

UPP Extradite Leroy King to the US now UPPM let him face the music for thae Allan Stanford Bribe, if others o down with him then so be it. DO THIS if you want me to believe you are serious about stopping corruption

Well it is hitting the fan all arouns, it is high time, but still too little to late

Village Boi, well said. Many miss that political parties are made up of our very own people. We pretend that they come from mars. Any new party will have to get its people from the very same pond. The UPP in essence is a relatively new party. I recall quite a few MP's before they got voted in. Many of them would be here blogging or marching against their present self, if they had not been elected or selected. Conversing with them now, they will tell you they are on the right track and have received confirmation from trusted advisers. Some of us who are critical of them when their backs are turned, face to face, will tell them they are doing great because we wish to be in their good graces. We will tell them that their critics are just jealous or crazy. Most times its not the politicians who attack critics, its their rapid supporters, in an effort to prove loyalty
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To Morris, Skyewill, Tenman, fnpsr, Antiguan Abroad, Dig it and all of the other talented Patriots who want to see a better Antigua, it starts with us, taking a stand to do something meaningful together.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The people of Antigua and barbuda are depending on all of you leaders to do something more than talk, something that will improve the plight of our country.

I am inviting all of you patriots with useful skills to invest your human capital in a supremely profitable initiative. Let's create some professional plans for the establishment of viable, workable, profitable projects: we have the skills on board to finance good projects, which will create jobs and all of the members of our organization will make money together from their contributions.

It matters not whether ALP finds unity or UPP finds competence, we can stand together now and begin to end the unnecessary joblessness and suffering in our country.

To all persons interested in contributing ideas and/or actively participating in the new Think Tank that I previously mentioned and outlined in this forum, please send a short message to newvisionbraintrustgmail.com indicating your interest along with a brief explanation of your area or areas of expertise, as well as how you could best serve our patriotic initiative. We would appreciate if you would also provide a resume or similar document.
Our desire is to create an inclusive, informal organization of patriots that are willing to work together regardless of political affiliation, to create the strategies and plans required rescue our country from the unwilling led by the unknowing.

The ideas generated by our organization will be packaged to receive low interest international financing, which will provide funds for our organization and its members. One of our goals is to demonstrate with real projects that we are qualified to be the government or to advise the government depending on the will of the electorate.

A full explanation of the initiative will be made available on Caribarena.

While ABIA is enjoying a rare moment of introspection, maybe the Board will tell us if it was OK to sell nearly all of the factory shells to a single family, below market value, without advertising their availability to the general public.

The heads at ABIA can also explain to us why they can hypocritically press for certain standards here that they never upheld in NY.

I think the majority of ppl lack information and understanding what is happening in the governemnt and the effects of them on us in the future and there is a needed to understand what is the funcation of the Government, the role that the constitution plays and how it impacts our life.
We as a ppl we sit and talk no action, we r a divided nation and we first have to get the ppl unity to demand change in how things r done and where our country is going.

Let me first say, I am 28 years old, I am presently living abroad due to a great opporunity that was given to me, with that said. I am fearfully for my dear beloveded country of Antigua and Barbuda, we need a change in our government and the way they do business and we need to have a constitutional reform to update out laws and proceduces etc and WE AS A PEOPLE NEED TO DEMAND ANSWERS FROM THE ADMINISTATION THAT WE EMPLOYED TO DO A JOB.

Now i hear ppl taking about creating a ALTERNATIVE PARTY, honestly i dont think we need a NEW PARTY, cause at first all will go well and they will say what we want to hear but after a while they will fall in the same line as the others......... .We as a nation need a organsition or group that well help to educate the ppl about what is going on and lead charge for change and my recommandations that will make a impact.

Oh well, now that he has some free time on his hands maybe Fitzmaurice Christian will find the time to tell us where the Romantic Rhythms money went. I won't shed a tear for people who collaborate to misuse the public's purse.

Shameful, another shameful act under the corrupt UPP Mal-Administrat ion!

As usual, we are always chasing the horse after it has left the barn. What is lacking here, are proper procedures in place to monitor and audit the use of the government credit card. If the procedures were in place, at the very first instance of an unauthorized use of the government credit card, the use of the card would have been suspended, pending an investigation.

“Let’s fix the little things before we attempt to fix the big things.”

Antiguan Abroad, as usual, very well said. If you would permit me I would go further and add that anything that was bought with the stolen loot should be confiscated.

I live in Illinois and we just had a state official charged with misusing his government credit card.

"Let's fix the little things with RWE before we attempt to fix the big things.

Personally, i'm just tired of all these think tank specialists! We first need a septic tank to put all these corrupt ministers and their cronies! Think on that first!

my comments are being censored but what I said before is that they need to look seriously into allegation being made at the ABHTI Hospitality Institute. With the two back to back stories on APUA and now ABIA, I think there is merit to examining the hotel school too.

Also Transport Board, Board of Education, Social Security and Medical benefits need to be examined

I have always taken comfort in the fact that every long rope must have an end. It is refreshing to see that corruption is being exposed at APUA, ABIA and even ABAA and that corrective and disciplinary action is being taken to rectify each situation. I am inviting the auditors and investigators to check out a particular institute and specifically the xx xx, xx xx, finance xx and the entire xx. Check out where all the money from dinners served by students who are not paid is going. Check out why students had to pay for their own graduation when they were told that the 1000's of dollars in tips was for said graduation. Check out why the salaries at this place are so inflated. Check out the allegations of manipulated curricula and grades being made by the students for years. Check out the lack of safety and health standards. When you are done checking I am sure we will have another headline story soon.

It's a great idea, jumbee picknee also had that same idea....Crank it up!

There is a story running around town about a fat cat getting cream from unsuspecting investors, this fat cat is not an elected politician but a high profile administrator with a fancy title! Has anyone else heard this story which involves a proposed loan to a relative to avoid detection? These beaurocrats are meant to protect and serve us the people and not to settle there own financial problems by abusing the office they represent. If this person hears this I would suggest that they tender there immediate resignation to avoid further embar**ment to this illustrious office.

Mr. Christian is this you? Your name calling as a xxxx? You were the one pointing fingers on a certain person a few years back talking about the abused of government money into the romantic rhytems funds...Lawd mi know your day would have come but not like this....Just to show, let him without sins cast the first stone. There is vacancy at this address. 1 Caranation street unit 1735 City of St.Johns, Antigua at her majesty Inn......(Shame on you).

The "Think Tank" is a wonderful idea, where do I send my resume?

Thank you my friend. You are also on the short list of potential participants in the Think Tank that we are planning to establish.

I have been an over achiever all of my life and I could not continue to look at all of the problems facing our country and decide that all I could do is just talk. I know that there are many Antiguan patriots like myself at home and abroad that truly want to make a meaningful contribution to our country.

I also need the support of all of the patriotic, non-partisan bloggers whose brilliant ideas, comments and suggestions have shown, time and time again, that they deserve to be at the head of the class.

The goal of the Think Tank organization is the creation, peer review, financing and implenentation of solutions that will move Antigua forward.

Political and quasi political power is a secondary goal; who better to implement great ideas than the persons who created them.

It is a mission whose time has come and I am hoping that we are all willing to step up to the plate and make the comittment to change Antigua permanently for the better.

Ah AH!! MAYBE we need an accounting of ALL the Government credit cards - the back door to our little nest egg of "Consumable Expenses" ???-
Beautiful perk this! Can only IMAGINE the monthly total -
Does anyone know the criteria for obtaining a statuatory body or ministerial - or lacky credit card?

Professor, is that you? Welcome back! Well, ABIA surely get "dunce cap" today!

Corrunption is wide spread and fully acceptable under their bosses, the UPP. So what is the problem? isn't PM makes at least two hundred thousand dollars a month in per diems? TAX FREE ? He is never in Antigua and only comes here to change his suitcase. Fences. Car Park. Chinese Generators. 4 million added on to dredge harbour. Sidewalks. etc etc etc.

This house of cards is going to fall right from the very top mark my words, the credit card fiasco is nothing compared to the blatant and outright abuse being carried out by the xx the top of this quango.

My friends, how is it that our country in a financial mess, with late payments to public servants and debt obligations to the IMF and other international/r egional entities, and no proper measures in place by the MOF to stop these "abuse of privilege" or even "wasteful spending." It goes to show where are our priorities are? And, what has ABIA done to find FDI or help this economy? Oh, they once had ZackyMann, who promised 800 jobs (all pie in the sky, of course) but this was one big "bluff." It is time the GOAB pull the plug on ABIA, and use that resource to pay its workers on-home or pay off some of its debts!

The reluctance to act appropriately stems from the fact that many of the leaders are doing the same or similar and are afraid of being caught and facing the same fate.

Season's greetings, It is very nice to see that your comments are right on the money as usual. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

If I am not mistaken I recall some time ago you intimated to the fact that you would be disposed to the idea of being a part of a new political organization in Antigua.

A Few Good Men and Women (Patriots) of ways and means are planning on a Video Conference to determine the viability of forming a new kind of intellectual/po litical organization. It will be an invitation only, brainstorming, get to know each other kind of event.

The first priority is to create the Think Tank which will begin to synthesize (thesis vs anti-thesis) the solutions to get the country off dry dock. It is from that talent we will certainly find the beginings of a political alternative to corruption and incompetence. Regardless of how we do at the polls, the worse case scenario is that we create a very needed Think Tank for the development of our nation.

I am sure that you are aware that we have an implied mandate from 41% of the electorate. I will provide details.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, someone should look a little further up the chain if they really want to discover abuse. The ABIA was established to stop the very thing that is going on and credit cards is the least of their worries.

Jimmy, he is married to the Charlesworth Samuel (Former UPP MP) daughter, Megan Samuel Fields .Turns out she is currently a director and treasurer at PDV Caribe Antigua and Barbuda Limited. Her former qualifications include being CFO at Cable & Wireless between August 2002 – September 2008. Here resume can be found at www.linkedin.com/pub/megan-samuel-fields/12/992/b9a

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another statutory board filled with supporters producing very little. am sure very well paid yet abusing the institution resources. when you have persons in govt not setting an example by prosecuting individuals when caught in fraudulent activities it permeates the entire service. imagine a project cost 8.6 million and to avoid the tenders board they allowed a contractor split the contract in to 20,000 contracts. amazing level of corruption. this govt is soo callous with tax payers money. we have persons with a company credit card stealing and persons working for $2000.00 per month today 12th December have yet to be paid for November.
since 2008 we waiting for audited statements for romantic rhythms concert. 4 years now.

Isn't this Field a Bajan who is married into a UPP family? So much for nepotism! Let the Transparency begin! I think that it has reached the stage now where the most closely "connected" person will outlast the others while this UPP administration quickly starts to implode upon itself.

If anyone is accused of "abusing" a corporate credit card assigned to him, why has he not been arrested and charged? Antigua is probably one of the few remaining countries in the world where theft is allowed to run rampant and go unpunished in government service. The legal standard should be quite simple in application and logic - if you steal, whether as a private individual and more especially, as an agent charged with the public trust - you will be arrested, go to jail and tried....in that order. If you are found guilty, you should not only be compelled to pay back all you stole, you should go to prison for a very long time. Why is this concept so foreign to the Antiguan mentality? Time and again, allegations and even convictions of theft have either gone unpunished or are very lightly punished. It should not matter who you are...a thief is a thief. Only this morning, I read in another online publication that the premier of the Cayman Islands had been arrested and jailed for the very same accusation - "misuse" of a government credit card. Only in Antigua is this type of behavior (and behavior even much more egregious) considered no big deal. Shameful!

Caribarena, these are serious charges aGAINST THESE PEOPLE, BUT IT IS HOPED THAT "INFORMED SOURCES" NOT SETTING YOU UP. tO PUBLISH THEIR NAMES BEFORE THEIR GUILT IS ESTRABLISHED IS SERIOUS BUSINESS IF THE CHARGES ARE NOT TRUE. sO, WE KNOW YOU MUST HAVE HAD MORE THAN YOU ARE TELLING US. iT IS THEREFORE GOOD TO SEE THE GOVERNMENT NOT COVERING UP THESE THINGS!!!

It seems like a disease, misused credit cards in statutory bodies. Go and check out FSRC and find out why the CC were taken away from a member of management

The free rides ends here for these do nothings. UPP it maybe too late. Clean house of non performers, ALL OF THEM, even Ministers who need consultants to do their jobs yet get nothing done: fire, fire fire ALL, ALL, ALL.

I think that there is more to the suspension of these senior officers.
Could this be an abuse of power by the Board of Directors?