Simon to challenge DCA in court for stripping message from his billboard; says dictatorship has taken over

St. Mary’s South MP Kelvin “Shugy ” Simon is threatening legal
action against the Development Control Authority (DCA) over the
removal of a canvas from his billboard in Bolans.

According to reports, on Friday, March 22, officials from the DCA
and police officers removed the canvas, which carried information
related to the Global Bank of Commerce and Chief Executive
Officer Brian Stuart-Young with regard to the Jack Stroll matter.

What is taking place in Antigua and Barbuda under the Gaston
Browne Administration is very disheartening, MP Simon says. And
it is not the way in which a country that claims to be a democracy –
and believes in its principles – should be run.

Simon notes that Prime Minister Browne is seeking, by all means, to
protect the embattled Stuart-Young.

Once something about the bank’s CEO is placed in the public sphere
– even statements that are factual and not defamatory – Browne
uses his powers and steps in, the St. Mary’s South MP says.

Last Friday, the billboard’s message was unveiled. It carried the
CEO’s image and was captioned, “This is Brian Stuart-Young, the CEO
of the Global Bank of Commerce.”

It continued: “The Global Bank of Commerce owes Jack Stroll
millions of US dollars that it has not paid.”

REAL News posted a photo of the billboard, headlined “The
billboard bandit strikes again,”  since a similar message had gone up
in another location one week before and been quickly taken down.
According to Simon, in this latest instance, the message was torn
down less than 24 hours after the canvas was put up.

This time, he points out, the DCA did not leave a notice – as would be
its standard practice – but the removal of the canvas was recorded
on video.

Accordingly, Simon says he has the vehicle number and the image of
the persons who were sent to remove the canvas. 
Simon says the DCA is a body that should be functioning
independently; however, it appears that its officials are bowing to
political pressure.

Therefore, the MP wants to know why the prime minister is hell-
bent on defending Stuart-Young – who is a co-defendant in the Stroll
lawsuit – and protecting him from censure.

The St. Mary’s South MP says the people of this country now appear
to be living under a dictatorship.

He notes that the billboard is not new, as it has stood on private
property since the October 2023 by-election, and never attracted
the attention of the DCA when it carried only his photo.

Simon states that he received no prior notice from the DCA about its
intended action, adding that he was given permission to operate
from that property.

As a result, he says he will be taking the DCA to court because its
action was not just or right, and freedom of speech must not be
stifled.

It is about time that someone challenges the Government and those
agencies which are its political tools, he declares.

The matter has been reported to the Johnsons Point Police Station.
The week before, a similar incident took place. A billboard
belonging to UPP Senator Johnathan Joseph was stripped of a canvas
carrying a message about the Global Bank of Commerce and its CEO.
However, in that case, a DCA notice was left on the billboard. 

Simon says the issue is not the billboards – since the original covers
are left intact – but what is being posted on them, as the corruption
of some persons in authority and in certain positions is being
exposed.