Asot Owes Us an Explanation

The document that appeared in today's Observer is stunning. It is an agreement dated 17 December 1996 between the notorious Bruce Rappaport and Belwood Services, a company owned and operated by the ALP's Asot Michael.

It says as follows that the Government of Antigua & Barbuda will provide $403,334 a month over 20 years for debt repayment to to the company to whom the debt is owed, but, to Mr. Bruce Rappaport. Mr. Rappaport, according to the agreement, is authorised to represent the Government in negotiations with IHI Japan to try to obtain the best deal possible. Instead of doing the ethical thing and passing along any savings to the people of Antigua & Barbuda, the agreement stipulates that Asot Michael would recieve $1.2 million from Mr. Rappaport if he was able to secure a better deal from IHI Japan.

Mr. Michael could've passed along those savings to the people of Antigua & Barbuda. Instead, according to this agreement, he pocketed YOUR money. This is scandalous and wrong and Asot owes all of us an explanation. We deserve better than allegations of political trickery from Asot. We need to know why he engaged in this deal to defraud the people of Antigua & Barbuda of $1.2 million for his own personal gain.