Foreign Affairs Minister, E.P Chet Greene has described the issues surrounding the sale of the Alfa Nero superyacht and the controversy surrounding the disbursement of the sale proceeds as ‘a red herring’ (or diversion) being used by the opposition UPP and that the country ‘has seen this script before’.
Speaking on the Browne and Browne show on Saturday, Minister Greene said despite the recent utterances of the UPP regarding the sale of the Alfa Nero, the party had agreed with the government on the principle of selling the vessel because of the concerns, then, regarding the potential harm it posed to the entire yachting sector.
“While the government wanted to sell the vessel and to use the proceeds for the benefit of the country, the UPP suggested instead to sell the vessel and to send the money to Ukraine,” Greene, who is also chairman of the governing, ABLP recalled.
This he explained, is a clear indication that they did not oppose the sale. The difference was, what would the proceeds be used for; the benefit of Antigua and Barbuda or for Ukraine.
According to the Foreign Affairs Minister…everything regarding the sale of the yacht was done in accordance with legal advice and with the involvement of the US Government. Notably, he said the Biden Administration provided guidance on how the government should proceed with the sale. He added that while all relevant information related to the sale has been made public and widely circulated, the UPP is seeking to use the issue as a gateway to a possible return to office.
“What we are seeing is the UPP hitting the ultimate button, and we have been here before. I want to say to those who may have forgotten and to those who may not have been aware of what happened in the past; this is their modus operandi. Sir Lester Bird was demonized! He was sighted as having relations with a minor and the people listened; unsuspecting people believed. Just like Alfa Nero, they said it often enough that people start to say ‘it has to be true’. So they repeat it every day ad nauseam,” he stated.
He recalled that the efforts to ‘tarnish the reputation’ of the then ABLP Political Leader, Sir Lester, was central to the UPP’s campaign to win political power in 2004. Now, he added, without much hope of winning another election anytime soon, the party has latched on to the Alfa Nero story hoping to ride the crest to victory by demonizing current Prime Minister and ABLP Leader, Gaston Browne, this time around.
“It’s not about the truth anymore, it’s about ripping the country down; besmirching the leader’s image and character; that is the mission that they are on right now,” he declared as he disclosed insights into the strategies of the UPP he gleaned from inside sources.
