ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Prime Minister Gaston Browne has confirmed that a senior official of the West Indies Oil Company (WIOC), in which Venezuela has a 25 per cent shareholding, had been questioned by United States authorities during a recent trip to the North American country.
Speaking on his weekly radio programme, Prime Minister Browne said he first became aware of the situation involving WIOC chief executive officer, Gregory Georges, through a report published in the local media.
“I saw the publication on Real News, and I spoke to Gregory Georges,” Browne said, adding that Georges had confirmed that he was detained and questioned by US authorities and that his electronic devices were temporarily taken during the process.
“He told me that he was questioned and that his laptop and phone were taken, but later returned to him,” Browne said, noting that WIOC’s Venezuelan shareholding predated the imposition of US sanctions on Venezuela.
Prime Minister Browne said that WIOC complies with the sanctions, adding, “There has been absolutely no violation whatsoever.”
Prime Minister Browne explained that the questioning appeared to be linked to ongoing international scrutiny surrounding Venezuela’s historical 25 per cent shareholding in WIOC.
“I’m just stating what the issues are as I know them,” Prime Minister Browne said without indicating whether any action would be taken against the WIOC official.
He told radio listeners that his comments were intended to clarify the situation amid heightened international attention on Antigua and Barbuda and its state-owned entities.
According to WIOC, it is the premier oil storage and petroleum products provider in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and the rest of the Eastern Caribbean.
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