Prime Minister of Antigua, Gaston Browne says his former education minister, Michael Browne, “is eligible to continue in the governance of our country” after he was found not guilty of a serious offense on Monday.
High Court judge, Justice Colin William, acquitted the former education minister of the two serious criminal charges against him.
The exact charges against Browne cannot be disclosed for legal reasons and Justice Williams spent at least two hours scrutinizing the evidence during the trial that lasted just over two weeks.
The Member of Parliament for All Saints West had always maintained his innocence and the High Court judge said the prosecution did not prove beyond all reasonable doubt that Browne was guilty of the offenses dating back to 2020.
In April this year, Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel-Edwards declared that there was enough evidence against Browne, who was represented by a three-member defence team led by Dr David Dorsett, assisted by Sir Gerald Watt QC and Jarid Hewlett.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne told Observer media that “if [Browne] is cleared of the allegations, then he is eligible to continue in the governance of our country”.
After he was charged last year, Browne was removed from his post as education minister and Prime Minister Browne said while he will resume his duties within the Antigua Barbuda Labour Party administration, it may not be as the minister of education.
CMC
![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/news/former-antigua-education-minister-found-not-guilty-of-serious-offenses/&media=https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Michael-browne.jpg&description=Prime Minister of Antigua, Gaston Browne says his former education minister, Michael Browne, “is eligible to continue in the governance".){kind=link}