AG Benjamin should apologize for engaging in Alfa Nero matter that involved his son on the other side, Tabor says

The United Progressive Party (UPP) intends to apply pressure on
the Gaston Browne Administration over the recent allegation that
Attorney-General Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin might have been
engaged in a conflict-of-interest matter that involved one of his sons.
 
Court documents have confirmed that attorney Damien Benjamin
represented the second-highest bidder in the Alfa Nero auction,
Warren Halle, who reportedly had submitted an offer of US$66
million for the vessel.
 
Damani Tabor, the UPP’s public relations officer, notes that while the
senior Benjamin was involved in the Government’s efforts to sell the
previously Russian-owned yacht to bid-winner Eric Schmidt, his son
was on the other side of the transaction.
 

According to court documents, the younger Benjamin charged Halle
approximately EC$400,000 for his services up to the point of the
auction for work done on his behalf.
 
Tabor says that in any reasonable government, or well-run private
company, members of the same family would not be allowed to
work on opposite sides of a transaction.

Accordingly, he says the attorney-general should have done the
honourable thing and recused himself from the proceedings, having
knowledge that his son was working for the other side.
 
Tabor says this appears to be a case of a conflict of interest – for
which the Antigua Labour Party government is well known.
 
Further, he says, this scenario damages the perception of Antigua
and Barbuda in regional and international circles, as far as
corruption in governance and improper procedures are concerned.
 
The UPP officer is therefore calling for the attorney-general to
apologize for engaging in this inappropriate transaction, and to
recuse himself from any further transaction in which his son, or any
other family member, might be involved on the opposing side.

Schmidt, a former Google CEO and software engineer whose bid was
US$67.6 million, has since backed out of the deal.

Members of the legal fraternity told REAL News, over a week ago,
that Halle, too, has withdrawn his offer.