UPDATE: January 10, 2012
Here is a little article we wrote back in August of 2008 where we explained that Prime Minister Thompson will be calling all manner of “special audits” looking into wrong-doing by the past BLP Arthur/Mottley Government – but that no persons will be held responsible due to a gentleman’s agreement between the DLP and BLP.Have a read and tell us – was BFP right on the money or not? Four years later and not one person charged.Prime Minister Thompson and his DLP told us that money flowed into overseas BLP bank accounts. The DLP told us that corruption was rampant. They told us that they would introduce Conflict of Interest rules, Integrity Legislation, Freedom of Information.Did the DLP lie to us?
The Big Show: Michael Lashley & Maxine McClean Pretend Something Will Happen!
Previous Arthur/Mottley BLP Government Shouldn’t Worry: The Fix Is In!
I think I’ve lost track of the number of “Special”, “Forensic” and “Special Forensic” audits talked about by the David Thompson DLP Government. Thompson and his gang are in their ninth month of governing Barbados and one thing is for sure…
The fix is in. There will be lots of shouting and posturing, but no real action will be taken to hold members of the previous administration to account for their corruption. And there will be no real action taken by the Thompson Government to recover any of the millions of our tax dollars that were given away in overpriced sweetheart government contracts by the Arthur/Mottley administration.
If Prime Minister Thompson and his government were serious about integrity and recovering our misspent tax dollars, we would have seen three serious indicators…
1/ Thompson and his DLP Government would have kept their promise to adopt a Ministerial Code from day one. (Instead, a rebellion by government members who want the DLP to have their turn at feeding at the public trough forced Thompson to cancel his integrity promises.)
2/ Barbados government policy from day one would have been that no government contracts were to be issued to businesses owned by elected or appointed government officials or their immediate family members. (Instead, the Prime Minister himself borrowed a business jet from people who have contracts with the Barbados government – a clear conflict of interest to which the PM’s only answer is silence.)
3/ On day one, the new Barbados government would have immediately moved to secure the paper and electronic business records of the government in all areas – and particularly in major projects over the past 14 years where tens of millions of tax dollars (and probably more) is totally unaccounted for. (This was not done. No use looking for those records now – nine months later! – But that was the Thompson plan all along… don’t force the issue.)
Good god – Mia Mottley, Owen Arthur and the rest of their cabal spent hundreds of millions of tax dollars on major projects like the prison and flyovers where standard business contracts simply do not exist!
So now, nine months into their administration, the Thompson Government has announced a handful of “special” audits here and there – as if anything will come of them. Nothing will come of them because it is all about show and show only. The one thing that the DLP Thompson Government will not do is to seriously investigate wrongdoing by members of the previous BLP government and hold named individuals accountable through criminal or civil action.
This is because Thompson and his government are starting their own feeding frenzy at the public trough, and they do not want a future BLP government to come looking for revenge.
In the end, we are a small island controlled by a handful of elites – who have a gentlemen’s agreement in place that harsh words will be the most lethal weapon allowed on the political playing field. If somebody big goes to jail, it might ruin the whole thing for all the piggies.
For that reason too, don’t expect any serious public release of past accounts.
You want the Barbados government to request the FBI evidence into prison builder VECO’s corrupt acts in Barbados? Not a chance.
You want to know the actual amount of tax money put into the GEMS Hotel fiasco? You want to know which hotels were bought and sold and by whom? You want to know how much David Shorey passed on to government officials in kickbacks and “consulting” contracts?
It is not going to happen on the Thompson government’s watch.
Former Minister of Tourism Noel Lynch shouldn’t worry: no one will ever ask him again just how he became a millionaire in three short years on a government salary!
Same old, same old. Through their inaction and pretended actions, David Thompson and his friends have now truly shown that they are part of the problem.
Ladies and gentlemen: the DLP piggies have arrived at the trough.
Further Reading
Nation News: Lashley to look into Del Sol deal
Barbados Advocate: Special Audit Coming For NHC
BFP:
Ho Hum… Another Barbados Government Audit Discovers Wrongdoing That Nobody Will Go To Jail For
Ho Hum – Another ‘Special Forensic Audit’ To Nowhere In Barbados
The GEMS Hotel Scandal Continues Under New Barbados Government
Barbados Free Press 
Six months ago I accused you BFP of being destructively pessimistic in not giving Thompson and the DLP a chance.
I admit it. You were right. I was wrong. Nothing has changed except the faces.
BFP can you tell us how you would investigate and bring charges against former Government members for corruption?
Barbados is still a democracy so you can’t just charge people without having evidence to back it up.
I understand the need for you to keep interest in this blog with sensationalist headlines and stories but surely you understand that Auditing the NHC is logical.
I hope one of our legal “experts” can tell us what the options are for Government to deal with corruption by the past administration.
It is one thing to make assumptions that “duh got de money duh tief in numbered overseas bank accounts” but where is the evidence?
If there is a better way for Government to find the “corruptionthan Forensic audits can somebody tell us?
**************************
BFP says,
How? Well, Hants, there are dozens of investigative techniques and strategies that could be employed by the government. As a start, they could use the “Campaign Donation” cheque that Owen Arthur stole from his party and put into his personal bank account until he was caught… they could have his old friend the Chief Justice issue an order for investigators to examine the entire contents of his bank account based upon his use of the account to launder the campaign funds.
That would be a start wouldn’t it? Perfectly logical and legal.
But it will NEVER happen.
Thompson hasn’t the courage, nor does he want to charge anyone from the BLP because it will come back unto him.
But Hants, I thought the government, when in opposition was confident it had evidence. It was often trumpeted that hard evidence would be revealed. Are you saying that the allegations were without evidence?
We have been told confidently by everyone that there is evidence and so I have assumed there is. But I cant understand why nothing happens. As I have said before, if for some reason those with evidence doubt the ability of the Barbadian legal and justice system to use the evidence, we can always use the US justice system if the corrupters were US based. In other words not being able to use the Barbados system is a shame in itself, but not an obstacle to following up hard evidence.
Other OECD countries will also allow us to take a case against companies that are domiciled there (as recommended by the OECD anti-corruption rules). Giving money for favours is more often illegal than accepting the money – though both should be. Once the corrupters are brought to book, the corrupted will be revealed and can be charged subsequently. But all this requires real evidence.
Thomas Gresham says
“But Hants, I thought the government, when in opposition was confident it had evidence. It was often trumpeted that hard evidence would be revealed. Are you saying that the allegations were without evidence?”
No.
What I can say is that I personally believe there was “influence pedaling” particularly as it related to Permission to develope land.
TG, are you saying that the Barbados Government can criminally prosecute a national of a foreign state in that state? What ever gave you such an idea? The DLP, during the election campaign, were like BFP…mere accusations without any real admissible evidence.
“When Pinelands Creative Workshop (PCW) put in its proposal to the Minister of Housing in 2002, to partner with Government on the housing project in Lower Burney, it was at first met with some caution.
After several meetings between PCW, the Minister of Social Transformation, the Minister of Housing and his advisors, it was agreed that PCW should be given the opportunity to prove itself at another level of developmental activity.” Quote from:
Senator Maxine McClean is stated to be the Chair of the Pinelands Creative Workshop on this website:
http://pinelandsbarbados.org/pcw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=168
Lower Burney was acquired from Kingsland Estates Limited.
Dear Juris,
Not exactly. What I am saying is that if we have evidence that Veco, a US-based company tried to corrupt Barbadian officials, we can pass that on to the US Justice department. This is illegal under US law (even if the crime is overseas) and they have a track record of prosecuting foreign cases of corruption where the entity has some US conection.
The US Department of Justice brought 16 foreign corruption cases last year. It is still continuing to probe whether BAE violated US bribery laws in its dealings with Saudi Arabia, even though BAE is a UK company and the corrupted were the Saudis.
So, if there is evidence on a US-based company like Veco, pass it on to the US Justice Department. Corrupting is as (sometimes more) illegal as being corrupted. The case would bring out further evidence on the corrupted.
“When Pinelands Creative Workshop (PCW) put in its proposal to the Minister of Housing in 2002, to partner with Government on the housing project in Lower Burney, it was at first met with some caution.
After several meetings between PCW, the Minister of Social Transformation, the Minister of Housing and his advisors, it was agreed that PCW should be given the opportunity to prove itself at another level of developmental activity.” see BFP
on-power-authority-and-governance-in-barbados-and-land-transfers
Senator Maxine McClean is stated to be the Chair of the Pinelands Creative Workshop on the PCW website.
Lower Burney was acquired from Kingsland Estates Limited.
_____________
My original comment has the links. Was it blocked by a spam filter?
It is one thing to make assumptions that “duh got de money duh tief in numbered overseas bank accounts” but where is the evidence?
………………………………………………………………………………….
This is the same point that I keep making. Ministers barely hear talk about something and presto!, you hearing about forensic here and forensic there without any concrete evidence. Let’s focus on keeping this economy on track, ease up on the daily forensic excuse. Get your Accountants to submit reports and let them work for the money we are paying them. Let’s see some creative economic ideas. Let’s keep the financial wheels turning for the future of our children and our children’s children.
Senator Maxine McClean is stated to be the Chair of the Pinelands Creative Workshop on the PCW website.
………………………………………………………………………………….
Is this true?
more foam, no beer
Tell me Why says
“Ministers barely hear talk about something and presto!, you hearing about forensic here and forensic there.”
Don’t get too carried away.
Prehaps the forensic audits will soon be replaced by criminal investigations.
Just a thought.
This is a sidetracked issue that needs to be addressed.
Can anyone state how come the HIV Commission operating as a non-profit entity should be sponsoring Cricket and now being one of the sponsors for 2008 Olympics on CBC. Where are the large outlay of funds coming from? Am I to believe that the commission is using donated funds to sponsor these events? BFP. are you still on a crop over sabbatical, thus the reason of missing this abused of funds.
Dear Hants,
You have been saying this for quite a while now. I admire your tenacity. I also do not disagree with you that it takes time to bring a case, though, given how politically charged this would be I would have expected to hear something about an investigation in which the DPP is considering to bring charges.
Tell me how long you think it is reasonable for us to wait?
At what point would you decide that the balance of evidence is moving against them bringing charges, (either because the current lot is as corrupt as the last lot, or because there os no evidence). Is that six months? Is that 9 months? Is it 12 months? What is a reasonable time frame for us to be alerted to charges. Remember the accused would have ot be given time and notification too so its not as if we will wake up one day and see people appearing in court.
Whenever I come up with a forecast in my professional life, I always set up a condition which if reached I will change my mind or forecast. Do you have a condition other than time?
@Tell me Why
Surely you know that the HIV Commission has to get its message out to the public. Wouldn’t sponsoring the Olympics where we could anticipate a large young audience would be a good opportunity? It is no secret that the HIV Commission gets a subvention and also has been drawing down on a World Bank loan.
Audits, investigations…waste of time and money.
After cabinet press briefings must be used to announce something of substance.
CMC wanted to know whay they were called to the press conference.
Where is the PM, why are we still not hearing about the overseas assignments of ministers.
You know what the government has changed but the modus operandi remains the same. I voted for change but I ain’t seeing nun.
Where is slimy sylvan??????????
We could start with the cheque that Owen Arthur received as a “political contribution” to the BLP but instead put it into his personal bank account.
Thompson has that cheque.
Were any laws broken? Charge Arthur!
Were no laws broken? That makes BFP’s point that Thompson broke his promise on integrity legislation because the DLP wants to feed at the piggy trough now that it is their turn.
Thomas Gresham says
“Do you have a condition other than time?”
No.
But I would like one of our “legal minds” on this blog to tell us what is a reasonable expectation with regards to the time it should take to investigate and prosecute the “alleged” .
Who do we believe the minister of housing or the official from BMFC?
To all those making excuses for P.M. Thompson please save your breath to pray for better weather cause that has got a better chance of happening. New government maybe worse than the old one.
Consider this story June 20 BFP:
Barbados Hurricane Disaster Money Fraud
It seems that when Hurricane Ivan went by here in 2004 the home of Theophilus Barrow was destroyed. Our illustrious government soon created a $4 million dollar emergency fund and money was paid out so that Mr. Barrow’s home would soon be rebuilt. The money was stolen and Theophilus, a fine man, has no house.
Simple case easy to understand. How difficult is it to find who got the money and charge them? Show some backbone. If all records are missing then charge those that were supposed to keep records because they destroyed them to cover up the thiefery. Fire them. Name them.
This is a real simple case and will show that burying the records is not gonna save your skin. Also show that the stealing times are over.
Surely you know that the HIV Commission has to get its message out to the public. Wouldn’t sponsoring the Olympics where we could anticipate a large young audience would be a good opportunity?
………………………………………………………………………………….
Definitely not, David. We are not talking about a 30 second on prime time, we are talking about nearly an entire day multiply by the period of the Olympics. That is nuff money. How come only Cable & Wireless and the HIV Commission sponsored the live commentary. Could part of that money could have been used to supply drugs to the disadvantaged? The real sexual activity will be at the games site. By the way, I can’t remember seeing any HIV ads, just a voice over stating that the HIV and Cable & Wireless are the sponsors of the broadcast. Poor marketing and inappropriate audience.
BFP
I am surprised of you not espousing on the hefty 91 million after-tax profits by Cable & Wireless. This shows the Barbadians are being rip off by this cable giant. Don’t you feel that PM Thompson should have taxed this company on profits instead of taxing Barbadians. Do you feel $10 million will affect the bottom line of this company. Your comment BFP.
************
BFP says,
thanks for the heads-up TMW. We’ll have to look into it, unless you’d like to write up an article for BFP ? That would be great!
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Well? Where is the action from the DLP government? Where is the integrity legislation?
Where is the Ministerial Code? Where is the Freedom of Information Legislation?
What happened with all the audits? Hardwood? Thompson says millions are stashed in offshore accounts?
Where are the audits? The Charges? The special reports? The books for Gems hotel scandal?
Right on the money BFP,sorry to say that it will almost be a year since this article was written..Owen still free,Barney,Mascoll,the guy that build a house for he woman in st.george,i won’t even mention the rest of the slime..Lord..at least Tompson lower bottle gas after all these killer new taxes he put upon already burdened bajans..lol
Shhh..don’t wake up them bajans out of their dreamland..they just might remember these broken promises.
The reason we are not hearing anything is that they have their mouths firmly planted on the teats of the Mother Pig ( Expense accounts and the Treasury ).
These are emaciated newborns who have had some serious catching up to do.
Judging from some of the photos on BFP some of them are already set for slaughter.
We will hear from them in about six months from now when they realize that the game is just about over at which time a whole host of new empty promises will be made at the same time as they devise a feeding frenzy of projects they can “tief” from just in case they don’t get reelected.
Is the fix in for the man in the Coastal Zone Management Unit who allegedly received a kickback? Why do we not hear about the file cabinet that was stolen out of the Coastal office when the heat was on? It would be simple to investigate and prosecute a BLP man but the DLP will not do it!
This is called political posturing!! Why is that we have heard nothing about the special audit on Hardwood Housing and the UDC which commenced months ago? Will the Minister ever tell us how much he is spending on these audits?
How soon we forget. How quickly the DLP commenters at BFP turned against Barbados Free Press for continuing to press for integrity.
Where are all those voters who shouted for integrity laws during the Arthur administration? The BLP are quiet for their own reasons. The DLP are quiet for their reasons.
Shame on David Thompson and his piggies.
Well on a lighter note, today is Aunty Mathilda Lewis’ 113th birthday, but she is in Guyana, however, she is decended from the Tate Family of Barbados, and at one time earlier in life, was to make the trip to Barbados from Guyana, but she was afraid to make the crossing over water, so she remained in Guyana.
Happy Birthday Dear Aunty Mathilda and I love you and I know you would be thrilled to know that I have alerted the dear poeple of the great country of Barbados of your milestone. God Bless.
Given that several commentators on this blog have profess their aptitude on Caribbean poltical affairs, I confess myself disappointed that matters such as FOI, Integrity Legislation, inter alia would consume so much time and thought. From political independence, it is widely viewed that politicians merely reproduced the mores of their former colonial masters.
It is not being argued here that has not been levels of development across the region. Indeed, a cursory observation of the social infrastructure of many Caribbean states shows higher levels of development in some of the more “developed” states of the world. What is being argued is that there has been relatively no moral compass for politicians to follow.
Politics in the West Indies is largely corrupt so that what you see is the oscillation of power between two political parties. Moreover, politics is rather crude and vulgar so that it becomes easy for a demagogue to gain political control of the state machinery than a well-reasoned individual.
The masses are not primarily concerned about governmental procedures, structures or policies. No! What excites the uninformed masses is who is a homosexual, who got “horn”, who has an outside woman… in short, things that they can generally relate to. Added to this, there exists a group of men and women whose primary objective is to exact their pound of flesh for their ballot.
Politiciams are acutely aware that the masses constitute the majority vote and would behave to suit. The promise of FOI and Integrity Legislation has run its course…elections are over. However, you can be certain that at the right time, more token noises will be heard. It is true that there are those who are honestly interested in good governance, but they are in the minority and can easily be quieted by inclusion or by other methods of instruction.
Hope lies with the masses…and even upon writing that statement, I could not resist scoffing. This is preferred politics for those whose “X” really matters.
Denis Lowe was all for integrity rules until he got elected. MINISTER Lowe has no use for Denis Lowe anymore. The old Denis is long gone.
This DLP commenter at BFP has not turned against Barbados Free Press for continuing to press for integrity.
BFP bowling bouncers and I ducking.
It is regrettable that the ITAL promise was not kept within the time frame but governing during the worse world recession since the depression is not easy.
I continue to be a DLP and BFP supporter.
IMHO both are good for Barbados.
Politiicians promise the world until they are elected…
Government in Barbados, and it doesn’t matter whether it is BLP or DLP, is like a multiheaded snake that embraces itself. In a small place there is too much intertwining of friends, family and business associates. If the wheels of justice were to ever turn and those guilty of theft of public funds, the enriching of family and friends through awarding contracts not tendered out or the misappropriation of lands and property, Pandora’s box will be opened.
I hate to admit it but this article was 100% correct when it was written a year ago and it is 1000% correct today.
I believed David Thompson and I voted for him. Today I feel dirty and used.
Not to worry, if u stayed with Owen it would have been the same. “The more things change the more they remain the same”
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We boast about our literacy rating yet it seems to me that we don’t connect the dots between government misdeeds and how they impact each taxpayer . For instance the “Government” money that the politicians launder into houses in Florida, and bank accounts in Bahamas, Switzerland, Scandinavia and elsewhere is the is the same money that the supermarket, gas station, laundry collect from you for the government , yet nobody isn’t vex and getting on bad about their money?
Same with the 80 acre Government\Crown\ Taxpayer owned estate , 80 acres is a lot of land 80 acres is COW or BS&T size land… can you imagine COW or BS&T allowing somebody to steal , give away,run away with or not clearly account for 80 acres of their land. Taxpayers should realize that the proceeds from the sale of Government land should go into the Government till to help reduce taxpayer’ obligations. Why up to now nobody isn’t vex and getting on bad for their money
I voted for change, last election
and I am very much inclined to again vote for change this time around
although I shall prob. vote for the DLP guy in my area
because he exceeds the BLP offering.
Were it not for that factor, I would be voting BLP for the sake of change
-NOT because I like Oweing with Owen
I too feel dirty and used, not to mention hopeless at the distinct lack of choice
I voted for change too, but change this time won’t be Owen Arthur. Change will be anybody but a D or a B. We don’t have to win to make change, we only have to disrupt the status quo.
Half a dozen independent MPs would do it. At this point I will vote PEP. Anything. Anything but a B or a D.