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By Juneth Webson |
In the taped interview a girl alleges that Browns Bay was the drop point for the drugs that were brought into Antigua from Venezuela and other points. She further alleges that at twelve she was asked by a member of the Bird family to be a translator and go between for their shipment of drugs into Antigua. It is now significant that this is the same area that police was chasing the Columbians with drugs on July 3, 2002. A coincidence? Or does the proximity lend some credibility to girl's story.
If true this would be a sad story, about the perversion of a young innocent child, by men in high position in Antigua's society. At fourteen she told her story to employees of the Observer Group.
Her indoctrination into this fast life started when she was twelve. By fourteen she had seen and done it all. Illicit behavior in public office, breaches of the Sexual Offences Act, conspiracy, corruption of government officials, government officials and private individuals participating in drug trafficking and use, perversion of a minor and possible murder, are all a part of her story.
Her story brings to the forefront a society in trouble, where illicit sexual behavior by grown men with children has been permissible for years. Recently the age of consent for a man with a female partner was changed to thirteen to suit the wiles of an old man. It has since been changed to seventeen because of the cases that were appearing in court. It seems as if somebody finally got a conscious in Antigua, but not enough to protect the children.
With respect to the allegations made in the video Prime Minister Lester Bird swore on the Bible that he never had sex with -- and didn't even know -- the teenager who claimed that she she had sexual relations with both Bird and his brother, Ivor Bird, in 1999, when she was 12 and she made payments for cocaine deals on behalf of Bird, his brother, and Chief of Staff Asot Michael..
His government already under pressure over allegations of corruption in management of the national health insurance scheme, Bird has in the past fortnight been citing a rearsguard action since the emergence of a video recording in which then Monique Arua made the claims. The girl said she was born in Suriname on May 15, 1987, and carries a Guyanese passport
The recording was made with the support of the Observer Group which operates the Daily Observer newspaper and Observer Radio, that are highly critical of the Bird administration.
Bird, 64, claiming slander and libel, has sued Arua, Samuel and Winston Derrick, the brothers who own the Observer Group, and journalist Julius Gittens and Betty Reid who conducted the interview. He also asked for an injunction against the Observer Media group, which employs the two journalists, to prevent further reproduction and distribution of the tape.
Meanwhile the opposition has called on the Prime Minister to step aside until independent authorities investigate the allegations.
"It is absolutely essential that we restore some degree of dignity and pride in this country," opposition leader Baldwin Spencer, said.He added that his United Progressive Party has asked the US and British embassies to help investigate.
Antiguan police are investigating the allegations. Although the investigation is headed by British police force consultant, Spencer says the consultant has been working for the government's anti-drug and money laundering programme for nearly a year and is likely to be biased.
Bird has asked Colin Werburton, a retired officer of Britain Midlands police, now an adviser to the Antiguan Constabulary, to investigate the allegations against him but has so far rejected the Opposition calls for a public inquiry..
Authorities are also investigating the veracity of the allegations, as well as those who distributed the videotape.