CNS
ST JOHN’S, Antigua, Dec 30 2016 – Prime Minister Gaston Browne Friday announced that he had retained lawyers to pursue legal action against the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) and its public relations officer, Damani Tabor.
Browne claimed that he has been libeled in a press release issued by Tabor on UPP letterhead paper and in his capacity as its public relations officer as his government continues its investigations into claims linking it to corrupt activities related to the Brazilian multinational, Odebrecht S. A. and the energy company, Petrobras.
Prime Minister Browne said that the release “falsely and maliciously states in its headline, “Gaston Browne implicated in Bribery Scandal”, and proceeds to attach a document written in Portuguese from a Court in Brazil, along with a crude English translation.
“However, nowhere in the documents is there any reference that “implicates” the Prime Minister as claimed by Tabor and the UPP. The documents say no more than that Casroy James presented officials of Mienl bank to the Prime Minister.”
Earlier this week Browne said he had dismissed Honorary Consul to Brazil Luis Franca and had asked the Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Casroy James, for an explanation.
There has been no response as yet from either the UPP or Tabor to the actions being taken by Prime Minister Browne.