One Arrested As Antigua Opposition Members’ Case Is Adjourned

Caribbean News Service (CNS).

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, Jun 08 2016 – At least one person was detained after supporters of the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) were prevented by police from gathering outside the court building where three former government ministers were appearing on fraud and other related charges.

Police have charged former finance minister and the UPP leader, Harold Lovell as well as former education minister Dr Jacqui Quinn and former health minister Wilmoth Daniel with larceny, fraudulent conversion and corruption in relation to the three Daewoo buses, estimated at more than EC$600,000 that were donated to the former UPP administration.

The police allege that the three former ministers had converted the buses for personal use and had them registered in their names while they were in public office.

The case has been adjourned September 8.

Police detained a former colleague, Trevor Young, after the supporters got into a scuffle with law enforcement officers who were preventing them from entering the St. John’s Magistrate’s Court.

The UPP supporters had also gathered outside the court in solidarity with former Speaker, and party chairman D. Gisele Isaac, who was attending court on an unrelated matter.

The UPP has claimed that the criminal charges filed against the three former ministers were “a poor attempt to cover up the political policing practised” by the Antigua and Barbuda government.

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