The brother of Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister, Gaston Browne has been found guilty of raping an underage girl.
Addison Browne, 43, was found guilty of raping a 13-year-old girl in the Antigua High Court of Justice, after a week-long trial.
According to reports, in April 2019 Browne tied up the girl, trapping her in his vehicle and proceeded to rape her in the car that was parked under a tree.
The girl told the court that Addison Browne was not a stranger to her, she knew him as a bus driver who worked in the area.
She said that on the day of the incident, she was with her aunt and the accused was giving them a ride to town, however, her aunt realised she had misplaced her phone and asked that he take her (the girl) back home.
The 13-year-old girl told police she was drowsy because of medication that was prescribed for her after an unrelated accident, and fell asleep.
She said she woke up to find that her hands and feet were tied with rope. The accused, Addison Browne, then removed her underwear and raped her in the vehicle that was parked under a tree.
When he was finished, the young girl said he drove her home and only untied her when she got there, threatening to kill her and her mother if she told anyone what had happened.
Browne refuted the girls claims, saying he was set up.
He said the mother of the alleged victim had asked him for $10,000 the week prior to the alleged incident and insinuated that the rape allegations were made because he refused to pay her.
Browne was found guilty and is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on July 15.
SOURCE: ANTIGUA NEWSROOM
