‘Wiped Computer’ matter still under investigation – Foreign Affairs Minister

THE CLAIM that the computers at the St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Consulate in NewYork (NY) were wiped is still being investigated by the New Democratic Party (NDP) government.

That is what Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment and Diaspora Affairs Fitzgerald Bramble, told persons at a town hall meeting in NewYork on Sunday, September 20,2026. He said that investigations take time and the matter is still under scrutiny.

“…what I stated about the previous Consul General is a fact. The computers were wiped, and we are still investigating,” Bramble insisted at the town hall meeting. Back in April this year, Minister Bramble said in the House of Assembly, that government had started the process of re-imagining, redefining and restructuring the roles of the country’s overseas missions, but the process has been challenging.

“Quite frankly, the process of transition has been very disappointing…primarily because of some unfavourable realities that we have encountered and inherited,” he had said.

“I’ll give you an example. In the Consulate in NewYork, and I really want the general public to hear this, this is not to rubbish anybody, but as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I have a responsibility to my prime minister, to my Cabinet colleagues, to this parliament, and to the people of East Kingstown and to the people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, to let them know what I’m working with,” the Minister said.

He added, “…the Consulate in New York, when our new Counsel General [Roland ‘Patel’] Matthews took office, he reported to me that every single one of our computer systems were completely wiped, completely wiped”.

The Foreign Affairs Minister said in Parliament that the computers the new Consul General met had no information, “on anything that happened in the Consulate in NewYork …”.

“That is what we’re working with,” Minister Bramble said back in April. Last Sunday in NewYork, Minister Bramble, responding to a question said that everything takes time.

“…in response to your general question about whether this is business as usual, of course, it cannot be business as usual.

“ Simply because we don’t come forward with something in your timing doesn’t mean that it’s not forthcoming,” Bramble said.

“But what I will say, and I’m sure prime minister will elaborate if he so chooses. Our government is a government of accountability. It’s a government of transparency, and we will make sure that any discovery of any corruption or anything that existed before will be dealt with appropriately,” Bramble told the gathering. The claim in Parliament by the Foreign Affairs Minister was stoutly rejected by the former Consul General, Rondy Mc Intosh who indicated he had done all within his power to facilitate the smooth transition of the incoming Consul General.