Former Antigua PM Admits Receiving Money From U S-Charged Former Diplomat

ST.JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Former Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer Friday, said he had received funds from former Antigua and Barbuda Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dr. John Ashe, who is now facing criminal charges in the United States.

In a statement, Spencer said he had received funds from Ashe on behalf of the United Progressive Party (UPP).

He said as the then leader of the party “I was actively engaged in soliciting funds for the maintenance of the party and for the election 2014 campaign”.

Spencer, who lost the election to the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ALP) last year, said that Ashe was asked “for assistance in raising funds, and persons and organizations of goodwill,  and as such I did not hesitate to accept through him donations for the exclusive benefit of the United Progressive Party”

Spencer said, he never had reason to doubt Ashe’s integrity “as a senior seasoned and highly respected diplomat, of more than 20 years outstanding.

“He was a diplomat from 1989 to 2014. Dr. Ashe served the government of Antigua and Barbuda, both the ALP and the UPP administrations with distinctions,” Spencer said, adding that during his tenure “this country benefitted from a number of initiatives and alliances with friendly governments and organisations, and he never at any time gave me reasons to look…at him or the contributions he spearheaded”.

He said as proof of the esteem in which Ashe was held, his bid for the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly in 2013 “was not only uncontested but actively supported by all members of the…nations”.

Earlier this week, US federal prosecutors said that Ashe and a Chinese billionaire real estate developer, from the territory of Macau were arrested and accused of engaging in a broad corruption scheme.

Ashe was one of six people identified in a criminal complaint outlining a bribery scheme that involved more than one million US dollars in payments from sources in China, for assistance in real estate deals and other business interests.

The complaint alleges a broad pattern of corruption by Ashe, who is accused of using the bribes to support a lavish lifestyle: spending US$59,000 on hand-tailored suits in Hong Kong in 2013 and 2014, buying two Rolex watches in 2014 for US$54,000, and later that year paying US$40,000 to lease a new BMW X5.

He also bought a membership at a South Carolina country club for US$69,000, and solicited money to construct a US$30,000 basketball court at his home in Dobbs Ferry, New York, according to the complaint.

“If proven, today’s charges will confirm that the cancer of corruption that plagues too many local and state governments, infects the United Nations as well,” Preet Bharara, the United States attorney in Manhattan, told reporters.

Ashe, according to the complaint, took payments from Ng and used “his official position to obtain for Ng potentially lucrative investments in Antigua”.

Spencer in his statement said, Ashe was so well respected here that last month the current administration of Prime Minister Gaston Browne “was pleased to work with Dr. Ashe in his capacity as a member of the south-south cooperation group recognised by the United Nations.

“Hence, I repeat, I had absolutely no cause to distrust him or to suspect the source of the donations he brought to the party,” Spencer said, adding “I am not offering you the public excuses, rather I am simply stating the reasons why I did not treat Dr. Ashe’s actions with suspicion”.

Spencer said he does not now “and never have condoned any criminal activity, alleged or real that occasioned any donation to the party”.

“I reiterate further, that while I am deeply saddened by the circumstances in which Dr. Ashe now finds himself, based on the court document, he gravely misrepresented the United Progressive Party government, by implying that bribe money was necessary to gain an audience with me or my colleague ministers.

“That was never the case during the 10 years of our administration, Spencer said, adding he is aware of people who wished to exploit the situation, “purely for political grandstanding”.

But he said, these people “were not seeing clearly” adding “this is not a moment to gloat, rather it is an opportunity to reflect, as we close the 34^th year of our political independence on what this episode has done to the image of Antigua and Barbuda, to the integrity of the United Nations and to relations between ourselves and the United States and the rest of the world.”

Spencer said he remains grateful to all those who have stood in solidarity with him, and “retain their faith in my character and stewardship”.

“I assure you your faith is not misplaced,” he said.