A transparency advocate, a political analyst and a former senator have agreed that Prime Minister Gaston Browne owes the public an explanation as to why the two most senior officers of the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) have resigned.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Disclosure Today, Rishi Maharaj said because “this unit collects a lot of revenue that is used by the government” the public “at least has a right to know the reason for the individuals resigning”.
He declared, “If the programme falls under the prime minister then the prime minister has the responsibility under the Act of reporting to Parliament and so the onus is on him to provide the information as to why they resigned.”
The former CEO of the CIU Chisanga Chekwe tendered his resignation in recent months and was due to leave the unit in April. Deputy CEO Thomas Anthony – who was Acting CEO prior to Chekwe’s arrival – resigned sometime last week and it is unknown whether it was immediate. PM Browne has refused to say why they resigned.
Maharaj added that “since they have already resigned” and “no longer hold duty under the office” the two men are not the ones to seek answers from.
“They will probably tell you to go back to the prime minister,” the Disclosure Today CEO said, adding that Browne also has an obligation to say whether “the resignations are going to have an impact on how the programme is run”.
Maharaj was speaking on Sunday’s Big Issues programme on OBSERVER Radio.
He was joined by Director of Political Affairs at United States (US)
based firm, Paramount Communications, Dr Os-wald Thomas who agreed that “in the interest of transparency and the international reputation of the programme” it was important for “the Cabinet to say to the nation or publish on the CIU website the reasons why the persons have said they are leaving the unit”.
Dr Thomas, who once advised members of the ruling Antigua & Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) queried, “Was this an amicable divorce or a contentious divorce?”