ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — The minority opposition Democratic National Alliance (DNA) is questioning the “haste” in which Prime Minister Gaston Browne removed his Investment and Tourism Minister Asot Michael from his cabinet following his detention in Britain on Monday.

In a statement, the DNA said that while like the rest of the country it will “follow this unprecedented development with keen interest,” it has taken note of the “rapid” move by the prime minister to revoke the appointment.

“It is a well-established legal principle that every accused is innocent until proven guilty. However the DNA finds it more than curious that Prime Minister Browne acted with rapid fire in revoking Minister Michael’s appointment as a Cabinet Minister and relieving him of all portfolio responsibilities,” the DNA said in the statement.

The DNA said that the detention of Michael at the Gatwick Airport on Monday is “another blow” to the reputation of Antigua and Barbuda.

In a statement Tuesday, Michael said it was “unfortunate” that Prime Minister Browne did not contact him before relieving him of his portfolio after he was detained in London on Monday.

“I fully accept and respect the prime minister’s right to appoint and remove ministers in his Government. However, in the circumstances, I consider that the prime minister’s decision, in this case, to relieve me of my ministerial responsibilities, is likely to be due to a misapprehension of what has taken place, and second-hand information, indeed misinformation.

“I do not consider that any justifiable question has arisen that I have failed to comply with the highest possible standards required of public office,” Michael added.

Prime Minister Browne, who acknowledged that he had “no firm details of the reasons for Mr Michael’s arrest,” nonetheless said that he had advised Governor General, Sir Rodney Williams to revoke immediately Michael appointment “pending the outcome of his arrest Monday morning by the Metropolitan Police in London”.

Read: Antigua PM prematurely revokes tourism minister’s appointment after arrest

Browne, who is presently in Jordan, said he received news from Antigua and Barbuda’s High Commissioner in London, Karen-Mae Hill, that Michael was arrested on his arrival in England early Monday.

“…The arrest itself is sufficient for me to revoke immediately his appointment as a Cabinet member and to relieve him of all Ministerial portfolios until this matter is resolved,” Browne said, adding “I have repeatedly stated that I expect every member of my government to comply with the highest possible standards required of public office, and while Mr Michael might establish his innocence in time, the fact that he has been arrested, obliges me to relieve him of all government duties,” he added.

But Michael said he was “sorry that the prime minister did not contact me before the press release was issued.

“I propose to speak to him as soon as possible, and to explain the situation,” Michael said, adding that he had also been informed that a local radio broadcast had indicated “that the police in England informed me that I would be required for further questioning.

“This is untrue. The police did not say this to me,” he added.