Browne says he found no evidence that Ambassador Johann Hesse broke the law.

However, Prime Minister Gaston Browne confirmed that Cabinet fired Hesse. The dismissal followed his failure to disclose a $450,000 commission. The payment went to his business partner during the 2024 sale of the Alfa Nero yacht.

Browne spoke for several minutes on his Browne and Browne programme on Pointe FM. During the broadcast, he explained Cabinet’s review of the matter. He said officials examined the circumstances carefully. Moreover, he stated that “on the face of it” the deal did not appear corrupt.

“There’s no evidence of illegality,” Browne said. He explained that Hesse and Rufus Gobat cited a private business relationship. That relationship involved U.S.-based brokerage firm Northrop & Johnson.

According to Browne, the government had no knowledge of that arrangement. He said officials first learned of it months ago. At that time, U.S. attorney Martin De Luca sent legal correspondence. The letter alleged that Browne’s family benefited from a commission.

Browne rejected that claim. He said neither he nor Cabinet knew of any such payment. Furthermore, he stressed that the government mandated Darwin Telemaque to handle the yacht’s sale. He added that officials never discussed representation with Hesse or Gobat.

Later, court filings revealed the $450,000 commission. As a result, Cabinet questioned Hesse. During a meeting last Wednesday, Hesse and Gobat appeared online. Hesse said Gobat had worked with Northrop for over a decade. He added that Northrop agreed to pay 25 percent of its net commission for introducing a client.

Browne emphasized that the government’s payment to Northrop was standard practice. He said officials negotiated the brokerage fee down from nine percent to five percent. That amount totaled about US$2 million.

Still, Cabinet objected to the lack of disclosure. Browne said Hesse should have informed officials earlier. Instead, the government dismissed the claims as fabricated. Therefore, Cabinet relieved Hesse of his ambassadorial post.

In closing, Browne reiterated that no public funds were involved beyond the standard brokerage payment. He said Cabinet acted over disclosure, not corruption.