Atherley wants official inquiry into jab ‘scam’

Opposition Leader Bishop Joseph Atherley on Friday called for an official inquiry into what he has dubbed as “vaccinegate” – the controversy surrounding the failed bid to buy COVID-19 vaccines for the Government by a firm owned business owner.

Court documents in a lawsuit filed in the US revealed this week that Radical Investments Limited (RIL), whose principal is Mark Maloney, the cement and construction magnate, claims to have been “deceptively” lured into an “elaborate” $20 million (US$10.2 million) scam for one million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that never came.

The vaccine fiasco also involved the governments of The Bahamas and St Lucia as would-be buyers of the jabs.

The RIL which is headquartered in St Lucia had entered into a deal with Good Vibrations, a Floridian entertainment firm, to procure the jabs from AstraZeneca.

The St Lucian government has confirmed paying $5.4 million (EC$7.3 million) in the last months of the Allen Chastanet administration to RIL. But on Wednesday, Acting Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw flatly refuted suggestions that Barbadian taxpayers dollars had been paid to the firm.

“I want to make it abundantly clear that no taxpayer resources have actually been expended or directly given to the company for the particular sourcing of these vaccines,” she said then.

But Bishop Atherley contended that notwithstanding Government’s declarations, the country should be informed about whether any source of vaccine-related funding was used as an initial contribution in the failed venture.

He maintained: “The Government has a duty to assure Barbadians on the integrity of our procurement process and protect the reputation of the government itself and the country in the arena of global commerce.”

“Vaccinegate” could potentially smear not only the country’s reputation but the image of the Government and private sector interests “if not properly investigated and transparency and accuracy established”, he said.

The leader of the People’s Party for Democracy and Development cited several issues that should be addressed. He asked: “What, if any, were the specific arrangements between the Government of Barbados and Radical Investments? When were these arrangements put into effect and at what time were they brought to an end and on what basis was Radical Investments chosen as an agency in this attempted procurement exercise?”

The Opposition Leader also suggested that there were lingering concerns about Radical Investment’s track record in procuring medical and health-related supplies as well as the level and nature of communication between Radical Investment, AstraZeneca, the St Lucian and Bahamian governments and other interests named in the affair.

On Wednesday, Bradshaw said that the agreement with Radical was established at a time when the world was in a “desperate vaccine race” and that Government was hearing offers from private entities capable of sourcing the jabs. (SD)