Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle joined protesters outside the Ministry of Works on Tuesday, demanding accountability and an independent investigation into what he described as a “$15 million vehicle-gate scandal.”
Pringle, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for All Saints East and St. Luke, accused Prime Minister Gaston Browne of misleading the public and called for the Works Minister to step aside pending an inquiry.
“The public needs to know and not listen to the words of the prime minister who would have lied to us from the inception,” Pringle said. “You cannot be at the helm of the ministry and there’s a $15 million scandal within your ministry and you don’t know about it.”
He said the opposition has written to several offices — including the Cabinet, the Governor-General, and the Ecclesiastical Commission — requesting an independent probe into the alleged misuse of funds linked to vehicle imports and transfers within the Ministry of Works.
Pringle cited the prime minister’s past remarks about corruption and the movement of senior officials in the ministry, saying the government’s response has been inconsistent. He also expressed skepticism over digital evidence or statements circulated publicly, warning that “with the advent of AI, we cannot take his words or what it is they’re going to put out publicly because you can manipulate so many things.”
The opposition leader said the United Progressive Party plans to escalate its protest action, beginning with a nationwide motorcade on Sunday, November 9, to “raise awareness and involve the public.”
“We will continue to raise the awareness to the people of Antigua and Barbuda because this is only the beginning,” Pringle said. “No longer are we going to have things swept under the carpet.”
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has responded to today’s protest.
