Last night, we showed you what Former Prime Minister Dean Barrow had to say about why it is that the Briceno Government, and you the taxpayers, have been ordered to pay former Deputy Prime Minister Hugo Patt 145 thousand dollars. That's because the PUP-led Commission of Inquiry into the Sale of Government Assets unfairly defamed Patt because of the failure to follow important natural justice steps.
That press encounter allowed us the opportunity to ask Barrow about Prime Minister John Briceno's disclosure to Senator Michael Peyrefitte in which he alleges that the Barrow family of law firms were paid many millions of dollars for services rendered to the government. We also inquired about the impending legal battle that's going to take place between the government and Brads Gaming. As we told you, the Briceno government has made the decision to legislate a 12.5% lottery tax on Boledo, lottery, and jackpot. According to the PM, with this tax, his government is getting its hands on millions of dollars in lost tax revenues, which the Barrow Administration didn't seek to collect.
As viewers are aware, the ruling government has always had a quarrel against the Brads Toledo contract
Of course, there is also the very public allegation from members of the ruling government that the former Prime Minister's son, Anwar Barrow, is a shareholder in Brads. In fact, the Prime Minister repeated that allegation in the National Assembly at the May 13th Meeting of the House of Representatives.
We pick up yesterday's conversation with Dean Barrow when we asked about Prime Minister Briceno's allegation. Here's what Barrow had to say:
Daniel Ortiz
"Of the Boledo Contract, trying to suggest that-"
Dean Barrow - Former Prime Minister/ Attorney For Brads
"That he's a shareholder or stakeholder in? I don't know about that, but what does that have to do with the current challenge before the courts? Remember, you know, that the Prime Minister had made that point, as you said, in the National Assembly, where his speech was protected, when he was Leader of the Opposition. After the change of government, this sent the FIU to, in fact, investigate the Brad's contract, you know. Nothing came of it because that contract was tendered. Every requirement was complied with. It was taken to the House of Representatives and laid before the House before it was implemented. There is nothing wrong that the government did in awarding that contract to Brads. Brads won the contract fair and square. Our position that there was nothing wrong with that contract has been completely vindicated because neither the FIU nor any entity in government has been able to find anything wrong. So you come now, you decide, well we have a vendetta against Brad's and this contract, so we can't do anything in terms of the legitimacy of the contract. But we will get at them by imposing this 12.5% monthly tax on their gross revenues. That is clearly punitive in nature. that is spite. That is pursuing a vendetta, and while nobody knows how a court will rule, I feel confident that that is more likely than not to be struck down because it is wrong."
Daniel Ortiz
"You have the ruling government insisting that your family was enriched during your time in office. You have the prime minister disclosing these - well, you've said he hadn't provided any records to justify the figures he insists. And then. Now, you're representing Brad's."
Dean Barrow
"I'm a private lawyer, and remember, this is not even about the contract. This is not a case that arises because there has been any legal challenge to the contract by the current government. No, this arises because the Minister of Lotteries, who is the Prime Minister, has in fact passed this SI imposing this absolutely draconian, punitive tax on Brads."
This evening, we contacted Anwar Barrow via WhatsApp for comment, but up to news time, he has not responded to our requests. We'll tell you what happens in the lawsuit from Brads Gaming, whenever it progresses in the Supreme Court.
