Dominica Prime Minister Sues Journalist Matt Peltier – For Asking How He Became A Millionaire On A Public Servant’s Salary

Our cheap Super Bowl Sunday post for 2011!

What can I say? I picked Aaron Rodgers to lead the Packers to victory and I was correct. I win one beer that Robert would have bought for me anyway. I’m having to find another article to post for Sunday because Robert isn’t finished his promised article about why REDjet’s aircraft are the Pic’o the crop. And, as you might imagine, we’ve all had one or two drinks watching the game so I needed something quick.

The Times of Dominica blog just linked to an older BFP article about Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit so I’m bringing our article to the top for a day because it makes a few points as we look back over three years later…

• The article was published on October 24, 2007 and by that time DLP fans had turned on Barbados Free Press for continuing to call down then Opposition leader David Thompson for failing to declare that the DLP would bring in Integrity Legislation if elected.
• A month and a bit later in December of 2007 in the middle of the election campaign, the DLP and David Thompson declared that they would introduce Integrity Legislation and Freedom of Information laws within 100 days of forming a government.
• The DLP and David Thompson also promised that they would introduce a Ministerial Code addressing conflicts of interest “IMMEDIATELY” upon being elected.
• The DLP and David Thompson lied to us to get elected. The DLP is now in its fourth year of power with a majority government that can do whatever it wants in terms of legislation – but they didn’t so much as declare the Ministerial Code which they could have easily done by making it policy.
• Barbados still lacks Integrity Legislation, Freedom of Information, Ministerial Code etc etc etc. The DLP and Thompson lied.
• BLP Member of Parliament Dr. Duguid says that Barbados politicians will never introduce Integrity Legislation. It’s not going to happen according to Dr. Duguid, who is moving to Canada permanently to join his family there as soon as his term ends.

The comments section of this article from 2007 makes for interesting reading. Already the hardcore DLP supporters and insiders knew in October 2007 that they would never introduce Integrity Legislation.

Same old, same old ’bout hey!

Marcus

Here’s our original article published October 24, 2007…

Million Dollar Assets, $5,000 Salary!

Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit doesn’t like being asked how he became a millionaire on a politician’s salary – so he is suing The Times newspaper in Dominca and editor Journalist Matt Peltier.

To Matt Peltier’s everlasting credit, the journalist refused an opportunity to “apologize” for his terrible mistake of attempting to hold an elected official accountable for all that money that seems to appear out of nowhere when a person takes office most places in the Caribbean. Unlike our own Voice of Barbados radio that caved and paid off our millionaire Minister of Tourism Noel Lynch, the owners of The Times have decided to fight for freedom of the press in Dominica.

Our Heroes: The Times Of Dominica & Editor Matt Peltier!

It all started when The Times published an article asking how it was that the Prime Minister acquired a million dollars worth of real estate on his politician’s salary. You know, the kind of a story that The Nation News or the Barbados Advocate have NEVER investigated. The article Million Dollar Assets, $5,000 Salary sent Dominica politicians into a tizzy: How DARE the press ask where we got all that money! (hmmm… sounds like our own Minister of Tourism Noel Lynch, doesn’t it? Have a listen to Noel Lynch here)

When no apology was forthcoming, Prime Minister Skerrit launched a lawsuit – and no, he still hasn’t explained the sweetheart land deal that is at the center of the corruption.

A website in support of journalist Matt Peltier has been established – appropriately called The Matt Supporters Club – We Shall Resist This Creeping Dictatorship!

Here is a little sample of REAL INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM of the type that the Barbados lapdog press hasn’t the courage or integrity to do…

Our investigations reveal that on August 8th, 2005, Prime Minister Skerrit purchased a 2.06-acre portion of the Hartington Estate in Trafalgar. On September 1st, 2005, he purchased an additional 2.989 acres – part of the Wallhouse Estate. Indications are Skerrit paid cash in the Trafalgar transaction and secured bank financing for not more than 33% percent of the 2005 market price of the Wallhouse land.

Professionals in the field of land valuation indicate that at the time of purchase, fair market value for the Hartington Estate property was approximately $448,000.00 while the value estimate for the Wallhouse Property was $650,000.00. It however appears from the registration documents that the land was purchased for about $1.00 a square foot in the case of the Wall house property and $1.01 per square foot for the Trafalgar acquisition.

Since land in both areas have been sold at significantly higher rates, these suggested purchase prices raise questions about the land values used for the purpose of calculating taxes paid to the government for registration and the transfers of title to Skerrit.

Observers are noting that both acquisitions surfaced in the wake of the 2005 general election – an event characterized by the Dominica Labour Party’s lavish multi-million dollar spending at a time when it was burdening citizens with the most painful economic adjustment programme in the history of this country.

It is now widely expected that Mr. Skerrit will explain how he has been able to secure these and other personal assets conservatively valued at well over one million dollars on his legal income as a Minister of Government since February 2000…

… an excerpt from The Times article Million Dollar Assets, $5,000 Salary