ST JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC):

The legal spokesman for former junior finance minister Asot Michael has responded to charges that have been levelled against the previous Antigua Labour Party (ALP) government, saying the Baldwin Spencer administration is engaging in 'recycled political manipulation'.

"It is an attempt to recycle a political storytelling that they started off in 2004," charged prominent attorney Anthony Astaphan.

"It seems that they (the government) are using the processes of the court and the resources of the state and the machinery available to them to various courts in the various jurisdictions to get 'information' and then take it terribly out of context and plaster it on the wall and say 'here you are'," he added.

Top ALP members

Astaphan was reacting to Tuesday's disclosure by Attorney General Justin Simon that a report, which implicates top ALP members in the alleged misappropriation of more than US$60 million in public funds, had been forwarded to police for further investigations.

The two key defendants in the matter, which dates back to December 1996 when the ALP was still in power, are said to be former Prime Minister Lester Bird and Michael, who was brought into the cabinet by way of the Senate.

But with the country on the threshold of general elections, Astaphan is questioning the timing of the State's move.

"I think that's not only an abuse of the process, I think that's a very serious contempt of the court to use the machinations of the court for political purposes of this kind," he said on the Bird family-owned ZDK radio on Tuesday night.

However, Simon has indicated that the government acted in good faith, while suggesting that the timing of the announcement was not election related.

Civil actions

"You will no doubt recognise the importance and significance of this recent development as this administration seeks to recover, through a number of civil actions, the various monies and parcels of land which we allege were fraudulently appropriated by certain members of the former adminis-tration for their own personal gain and enrichment and to the detriment and financial pain of the people of this country," Simon told reporters.

He noted that government, though an agreement reached with one of the defendants, has so far been able to recoup US$12 million.

Government is, however, seeking special damages in the sum of US$14 million plus interest, in addition to general damages and exemplary damages for fraudulent misrepresentation and misfeasance in public office.

Apart from Bird and Michael, the other defendants in the claim are Bellwood Services S.A.- a Panamanian company; Patrick A. Michael Co. Ltd ; Bruce Rappaport and his Hong Kong-based IHI Debt Settlement Company Ltd. and Debt Settlement Administrators LLC of Florida.