Western Union officials faced pointed questions from Solicitor General
Lebrecht Hesse yesterday, as the company announced that it would
immediately resume its money transfer services to and from Antigua
& Barbuda.
Since Western Union suspended its operations in Antigua in January,
there have been suggestions by government officials, including Antigua
& Barbuda's Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation Dr. John
Ashe, that the closure was related to the ongoing trade dispute with
the US government over Internet gaming.
Thus far, there has been no move by the US to remove legal
restrictions of cross-border gaming with Antigua-based gaming
companies.
Pointing out that Western Union is a US corporation, Hesse asked
Western Union's Regional Vice-president for the Caribbean, Tarcisio
Bortoletto how US law will impact its operations in Antigua &
Barbuda and how the company would react when the laws of the two
countries conflict.
He maintained, in addition, that the closure of Western Union's
services was an internal decision, and that the company was not
pressured by any government including, by implication, the US.
At the time when Western Union's offices were closed, it offered
the public no warning before the abrupt cessation of service. The
solicitor general was the first government official to publicly confirm
that the government had been similarly left in the dark and called
Bortoletto to the carpet over the procedural faux pas.
The Western Union representative shied away from answering the
direct question of why the government was not informed, but apologised
for creating an impression of unreliability and gave his assurance that
future services would be of a high standard.
Western Union began operating yesterday from Bargain Centre
Supermarket at Perry Bay. The new service will be offered by the
Jamaican company Grace, Kennedy & Company Ltd., and not by long
time local provider British American Insurance Company Ltd.
Despite the resumption of services, Bortoletto has offered little
explanation as to why the service was suspended in the first place and
declined to go into details why Western Union ended its relationship
with British American. Explaining that he was not free to divulge
certain contractual agreements between Western Union and its former
agent in Antigua, Bortoletto said the service was initially suspended
to conduct a review of internal policies.
Noel Greenland, international marketing manager for Grace Kennedy
information services noted that although Western Union's services were
open to the public yesterday, there will be a grand opening from 5 - 6
May. By that time, Western Union is expected o be operating from three
additional locations at Jolly Harbour, Long Street and Woods Centre.
ANTIGUA SUN
