More information is emerging about the apparent abuse of state resources under the Unity Labour Party (ULP) administration, which was voted out of office on Nov. 27.
In one such case, a senior member of the ULP government “approved” the payment by the National Lotteries Authority (NLA) of EC$250,000 to a local contractor, for work on the Langley Park Playing Field, just eight days before the election.
The contractor cashed the cheque the following day, receiving 2,500 EC$100 bills from the bank, leading to questions about what the money was really for, as no work was done on the playing field.
Documents obtained by iWitness News and confirmed to be authentic by sources in the know show the local contractor submitted an undated document to the NLA requesting the EC$250,000.
The document, which was in reference to “The Langley Park Proposed Playing Field”, was addressed to a member of the NLA management team, who was referred to by their gender honorific and surname.
The document said that it was sent “in pursuant (sic) of the conversation held” with the minister, who was identified by the office that he held.
The document mentioned, in bullet points, the “use of Saw men to cut trees on site”, “Use of a Bull Dozer (sic) to take out tree stumps and make level as possible”, “Use of A Grader to then provide a level Playing surface”, “Cut Foundation and Cost concrete to toilet structure”, “To frame structure using 6″ blocks and concrete”.
While these were all the details provided in the document, the contractor said the “Requested sum to said works” (sic) was $250,000.
The request was “approved” by a signature that resembles that of the former minister, followed, seemingly in the same handwriting, by the abbreviation of the minister’s office and the date: “19.11.25”.
iWitness News was reliably informed that representatives of the new board of directors of the NLA visited the playing field site in March, only to find that no additional work had been done.
The Langley Park Playing Field has been in the news several times since 2020, including because the ULP government was accused of holding two groundbreaking ceremonies for its construction.
On Sept. 9, 2020, while campaigning for the general election that would be held on Nov. 5 of that year, then-MP for North Windward, Montgomery Daniel, promised the construction of a playing field at Langley Park.
“We would establish a playing field at Langley Park so that we will be able to move on,” said Daniel, who went on to be re-elected to a fifth term on the ULP ticket.
However, the playing field had not materialised by May 2023, when then-opposition senator, now MP for North Windward, Shevern John, referred to the Langley Park playing field as an illustration of ULP “failed promises” in the constituency.
“To the people of Langley Park, Chapmans, Bay Road, I said to you last election, that I will develop at least one playing field in your area. They hurriedly went and break ground for a playing field in that area,” John said at the New Democratic Party’s “Hope” rally on May 13, 2023.
“Where is the playing field today? Where is it? It is nowhere because they have not allocated anything for it. They have no development plan for the people of this constituency. Another failed promise.”
Daniel, however, reiterated his promise of a playing field in Langley Park during the 2025 budget, telling Parliament on Jan. 15 that year: “At Langley Park, we continue to do several road programs. We continue to build a number of houses, and this year we will have the playing facility established in that area.”
On Oct. 25, 2025, John again cited the Langley Park Playing Field as an example of the ULP government’s unfulfilled promises.
“Langley Park, your playing field will be delivered to you. Never mind. There has been two groundbreaking ceremonies for the same playing field and nothing can be delivered,” John said.
Then, on Feb. 13, 2026, John, then Parliamentary representative for North Windward and a government minister, said the NDP government will make the playing field a reality.
In the 2026 Budget Debate, John, now as a government minister, referred to the history of the Langley Park Playing Field, saying the NDP government will make it usable.
“The Langley Park playing field, which … had a groundbreaking twice — twice, Madam Speaker. … We will ensure that it is graded properly and that the necessary infrastructure are in place so the people of Langley Park can play their games there,” John said.
