Former agriculture minister under the United Workers Party (UWP), Atherton Martin, accuses the Skerrit-led government of huge external debts and the disappearance of $1 billion fund generated from passport sales.
The agronomist and social activist, Martin said Dominica owed less than $400 million for the four years the UWP was in power before leaving in 1999, which is about one-third of the $1 billion the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) cannot account for at the moment.
According to the former minister, an independent investigation should be conducted to unravel the disappearance of the money, or it may be a case of the legendary Alibaba and the 40 thieves all over again.
“Not even the national debt at the time of departure of the UWP was more than a third of the amount of money that now cannot be explained,” he said. “UWP had $400 million debt and you have by abracadabra disappeared $1+ billion. So today we drill down…on Alibaba and the 40 thieves. And if we start counting tonight I’m sure that we can count the names of at least 40 thieves who have joined Alibaba to disappear these billion dollars.”
Martin raised this issue following the concerns expressed by opposition leader Lennox Linton that the present government cannot efficiently account for significant funds coming into the country or generated over time.
“How can it be possible in the budget debate in the Parliament of a country…that the minister responsible for presenting the budget cannot explain a shortfall of over one billion dollars which is equivalent to the total budget he has just presented?” Martin asked.
The 73-year-old stateman said he had come across people who would ask him if he had evidence that the present administration actually misplaced $1 billion. He said he met someone recently who asked him for evidence that the government vacated such amount.
“It took every ounce of restraint in my 73-year-old body from hitting that person,” Martin revealed. “I prayed, I meditated, and I walked away. Asking me where is the evidence!”
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