US State Department: Barbados politicians ask for bribes and business equity in exchange for favours

The US State Department just published its annual Investment Climate Statement for Barbados. There is some wishful thinking in the report, but also some solid reasons why Bim is a good place for offshore investment. As far as the politicians asking foreign businesses for bribes or shares… That’s news?

You can read the whole thing yourself, but here’s our take on a few interesting spots in the report – the good, the bad and the ugly…

Barbados – The Good

Openness To Foreign Investment

The Government of Barbados, through Invest Barbados, strongly encourages foreign direct investment in Barbados.

The government offers special incentive packages for foreign investments in the hotel industry, manufacturing, and offshore business services.

Foreign nationals receive the same legal protections as local citizens. The police and court systems are unbiased in commercial matters, and the government operates in an essentially transparent manner.

The Bad

On December 20, 2012, Moody’s downgraded Barbados’s rating to one notch below investment grade. Moody’s also gave Barbados a negative outlook, meaning that a further downgrade is more likely than an upgrade. With this downgrade, Moody’s rating is in sync with Standard & Poor’s, which downgraded Barbados in July. Fitch Ratings does not rate Barbados. Moody’s cited two main reasons for this downgrade: poor economic growth prospects and government deficit/debt levels. These are generally the same two reasons Standard & Poor’s cited in July.

The regulatory system can be slow at times, and some companies have complained that the Ministry of Finance does not give adequate justification for rejecting a license.

According to the U.N. World Investment Report, Barbados Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) peaked at $464 million in 2008. This was followed by a decrease to $247 million in 2009. In 2010 and 2011 FDI totaled $290 million and $334 million respectively.

The Real Ugly Stuff

Corruption is not a major problem in Barbados, but some U.S. companies have reported unfair treatment by Barbados’ Customs and Excise Department.

Other U.S. companies have reported efforts by political actors to trade political support for payment or partial project ownership.

Barbados, Trinidad governments excel at turning public assets into private profits

The ‘Eden Gardens’ transaction is a prime example of a large-scale economic crime against the State and the interests of its citizens.

Again, I ask – ‘Who were the beneficiaries?’

As we read Afra Raymond’s latest tale about how public monies are turned into private profits by corrupt T&T politicians and their friends, our thoughts turn to a dozen similar situations here in Barbados.

BLP or DLP doesn’t matter: the record of both major parties makes it clear that Barbados politicians have made it their business to rape the public purse at every opportunity. Think Dodds Prison and the Oil Terminal. Think CLICO. Think land expropriations where government doesn’t pay for the land ever and then some Minister of Government ends up fooping his mistress in a house built on stolen land. Her house but everybody knows where the land and building money came from.

Some church going folks will be upset I used the F word. They should first be upset at the Minister and if they have any upset left over then worry about my f word – for Bajans are being fooped by their guvment every day. It doesn’t stop.

Barbados lacks ITAL – Integrity Legislation, Transparency and Accountability Legislation. Prime Ministers Thompson and Stuart and their corrupt DLP promised it just to get elected in 2008. Then they pretended to push it through when they knew an election would kill it. An doan fool yourself… Mottley, Arthur and the BLP were in on the plan.

We can’t have the politicians restrained by little things like Integrity Legislation and Conflicts of Interest rules, can we?

There is only one political party in Barbados… the DLP-BLP coalition and they take turns every few years to let the other be on top. That’s the way things work in Trinidad & Tobago too. It’s all about turning those public assets into private profits. Afra Raymond tells us about some real experts…

by Afra Raymond

Calcutta Settlement review

The simple, inescapable fact is that the State could have lawfully acquired the ‘Eden Gardens’ property for less than $40M.  The HDC paid $175M in November 2012 to Point Lisas Park Ltd (PLP) for that property, which is the reason I am calling this an improper use of Public Money.

Despite having available the advice of the Commissioner of State Lands, the Commissioner of Valuations and various attorneys at HDC and so on, the Cabinet approved this transaction.  This Cabinet, with two Senior Counsel at its head and several other seasoned legal advisers, appears to have been unaware of, or intentionally ignoring, the legal safeguards.

“I am calling for this matter to be swiftly investigated and the responsible parties prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

Some readers may be surprised at those assertions, so here are my reasons for making such…

The last two articles examined the steps leading to the HDC’s purchase of land at ‘Eden Gardens’ in Calcutta Settlement.  In my opinion that transaction, as well as the one which preceded it, are both highly improper and very probably unlawful.  The HDC purchase must be reversed and the responsible parties investigated/prosecuted as required by our laws. 

Who was charged for photographing their ballot? Who paid them: DLP or BLP?

File under “Disappearing news stories in Barbados”

by passin thru

Early afternoon on February 21, 2013 – Election Day – the news media in Barbados was full of stories of vote buying triggered by the arrest of a voter for using a cell phone to photograph their marked ballot. The Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation called their original story “Arrested for photographing ballot” but that’s the last we heard of the arrest from the news media.

We see all sorts of news stories and editorials criticising the concept of vote buying, but no specifics with names and details of the event. It looks like the powers that be are allowing general stories about the practice but no specific proof can be shown the public. That’s because it is bad for business if the party that bought the vote is revealed. What if it’s the guvment? Woaloss!

You can still see the original CBC news because Barbados Free Press copied it into their own story Cash for votes scandal in Barbados election: BLP, DLP… or both? Good move, BFP!

Voters take photos of their ballot so they can prove how they marked their “X” to the person who is paying them for voting a certain way. It’s a crime because it totally destroys democracy. Some of the election contests are so close that only a few votes purchased can make the difference. This time around one of our Members of Parliament was elected by a mere 10 votes over the rival. A few more close contests like that and a few more votes bought and the BLP would be forming the government now… or maybe the votes were bought and the DLP bought more?

You see how destructive it all is?

Vote buying is destructive not only because it corruptly changes the results of democratic elections, but because it undermines public confidence in the democratic system, in our government and ultimately in our country.

We know one thing: a voter was arrested – but we were never told their name!

Will this be another one of those disappearing news stories that Barbados is so famous for? Patriotic Bajans of all political colours cannot, must not, let this happen!

Who was charged for photographing their ballot? What is their name?

When do they appear in court?

When can Bajans hear the evidence against them?

This is much too important for Bajans to let the news and the political parties let this story fade away. We can’t depend upon the news media or the political class.

Bajans should demand to know the truth.

When government enriches carpetbaggers at the expense of the Public Interest

“Sound land administration policy appears to have been abandoned for expediency.”

“Where is the basic due diligence?  These sorts of schemes should not even get past the first gatekeeper, far less into the Cabinet for consideration.”

Calcutta Settlement again

by Afra Raymond

In light of the many questions raised by readers after the last article on the Housing Development Corporation’s purchase of land at ‘Eden Gardens‘ in Calcutta Settlement, I am continuing there.

The previous article discussed the Calcutta Settlement scheme and its relation to implementation of national housing policy.  There is little, if any, connection between the provision of affordable housing and the acquisition of those ‘Eden Gardens‘ lands, at what is surely the highest price in Central Trinidad.  How we create and implement a progressive housing policy is a critical part of this discourse, but there is more.

Another important aspect of this episode is the fact that sound land administration policy appears to have been abandoned for expediency.  Expediency should never eclipse proper policy, especially when neither the process nor end-result advance the ultimate objective of serving our citizens.

The sidelining of sound land administration policy was essential in order to get the Calcutta Settlement scheme approved.  National Land Administration policy is important so that we can be strategic in using the country’s property assets for proper national development, as opposed to the enrichment of a select few.

The State is a unique player in our country’s land arena, so we need to place this Calcutta Settlement episode into proper context from a land administration viewpoint. 

Barbados vote buying scandal starts at the top with BLP and DLP leadership

“How did the two political parties, both claiming to be rather financially impoverished, raise a conservative estimate of over twenty million dollars to pour into a three week campaign?”

“Deals are commonplace and state agencies are used to distribute largesse.”

Submitted by the Mahogany Coconut Think Tank and Watchdog Group.

The Mahogany Coconut Group submits that the real vote buying is in the upper echelons of our society. What we witnessed on Election Day was some voters getting cash, cell phones, iPods and a bill paid here and there. The real votes were bought by those shadows – black and white – who Dr. Don Blackman referred to a few decades ago! Of course Dr. Blackman talked only about white shadows but the corporate landscape has dramatically changed over the years – we now have shadows of all colors and ethnicities.

While we shout from the roof tops about what took place on elections day, we bury our heads in the proverbial sand by refusing to ask one simple question: How did the two political parties, both claiming to be rather financially impoverished, raise a conservative estimate of over twenty million dollars to pour into a three week campaign?

We ask Dale Marshall (BLP) to tell us about the successful “cake sales and car washes” that raised their money.

We ask Ronald Jones (DLP) to tell us more about the “$500 here and there” that was given to his party by well wishers.

Let’s face it; elections are now big business and the corporate shadows are well entrenched in both the Barbados Labour Party and the Democratic Labour Party. Anybody who believes that car washes, cake sales and a five hundred dollar donation here and there, can raise this large amount of money, needs to seriously wake up from their slumber!

Barbados Prime Minister and Attorney General confirm vote buying during 2013 election

“Attorney General Adriel Dermont Brathwaite said it was distressing that some Barbadians were selling their votes.”

Two Political Parties have the money to buy votes

Newly-sworn-in Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite confirmed Friday to the news media that “some” Bajans sold their votes during the recent general election.

A different way of putting it would be that “some” political parties bribed voters with cash – for it is surely true that unless there were ready buyers, there wouldn’t be any sellers of votes.

So let’s cut the B.S. by our Attorney General and tell it like it is: members of the political class bought the votes of willing sellers during the February 21, 2013 election.

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart also said he was concerned about reports (as in more than one) about people buying votes. The CBC said about PM Stuart: “…throughout the day he has heard stories of people exchanging money for votes. The Prime Minister said this is an ugly practice which digs at the roots of democratic structures.”

The first question of many is…

Who sold? Who bought? Who are the ‘Some’ mentioned by the Attorney General?

Missing in all the news and commentary about vote buying is the name of the person arrested Thursday for photographing their marked ballot in the voting booth. BFP covered the election day story as Cash for votes scandal in Barbados election: BLP, DLP… or both? but no details have appeared in the oldstream news media since then. Strange… or maybe not so strange.

What constituency did this arrest happen in? Did the arrested voter mark their ballot for a DLP or BLP candidate? How many other instances of vote buying/selling is Attorney General Brathwaite aware of? After all… he spoke in the plural.

Two cheques prove it doesn’t matter if DLP or BLP win Barbados election

“Campaign Donation” deposited to Prime Minister Owen Arthur’s personal bank account. Barbados political elites break laws without fear.

During the 2007-2008 election campaign, then Opposition Leader David Thompson produced a cancelled $75,000 cheque proving that Owen Arthur deposited a ‘campaign donation’ into Arthur’s personal bank account.

In other words, at best Prime Minister Owen Arthur stole $75,000 from his own party’s political donations, and at worst that the $75,000 was a straight bribe to the Prime Minister – disguised as a ‘campaign donation’ that was never intended to make it into the BLP’s bank account.

David Thompson jumped all over this, and ran the DLP election campaign on promises of personal and party integrity, and to implement ITAL: Integrity Legislation, Transparency and Accountability Legislation. Thompson promised Freedom of Information within 90 days and Conflicts of Interest Rules immediately.

David Thompson and the DLP lied.

Then we had the CLICO mess where it was learned that Thompson had performed all manner of unethical acts when he was CLICO’s lawyer. After being elected the corruption continued with Thompson and the DLP using the CLICO business jet for free and money-laundering for his old friend Leroy Parris.

At the time of the big collapse, David Thompson issued a phoney invoice from his law firm to CLICO – without the knowledge of Thompson’s law partners. His friend Leroy Parris approved the cheque $3.3 million dollar cheque to the Thompson law office – but that cheque went straight back to Parris through David Thompson on January 16, 2009! That’s right folks… while David Thompson was the Prime Minister of Barbados and within days of the CLICO collapse.

(click photo for larger)

It’s called theft. Stealing. Money Laundering… and Prime Minister David Thompson did it!

Owen Arthur and the BLP are thieves. David Thompson, Freundel Stuart and the DLP are thieves.

Two cheques – two corrupt political parties.

So tell it true, folks: does it really matter if either the BLP or the DLP form the next government?

I think not.

TED.com features Afra Raymond talk: Three myths about corruption

Congratulations to our old friend Afra Raymond, whose December 2012 corruption lecture has been picked up by TED.com.

Violet Beckles supporter rants – but on a foundation of truth

Al Barrack scandal started under the BLP. The Violet Beckles scandal touches BLP and DLP and so many lawyers!

Violet Beckles scandal nothing less than massive land fraud by lawyers, politicians

Submitted as a comment by BFP reader ‘Look’

The BLP throughout the year embarked upon numerous issues, any and everything they could think of to sink the DLP ship. Arthur just months ago reported to Midweek Nation that REDjet might still be flying if government has honored its commitment to the collapsed airlines. Arthur, apparently did not consider FACT that Bajans owe REDjet nothing, absolutely nothing but indeed owe Al Barack millions. Barrack has in his possession a court ordered judgment; REDjet does not.

Mia Mottley fusses to the Nation News (July 2012) that government owes more than $100 million to the University of West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus and called for an “urgent” permanent solution to the mounting debt problem. Laugh. Go ahead and laugh. Laugh, laugh, laugh. Government at moment owes Al Barrack $77 million, a mounting debt problem that occurred because Arthur was into folly with Julie Price, had hit upon one of his drinking binges and or was sleeping. Barrack wants to get paid. Barrack has in his possession a court ordered judgment, Bajans must pay. Mottley herself has taken possession of property that belongs to Violet Beckles not her. David Thompson investigated Violet Beckles claim of which involves the BLP administration, and the National Housing Commission (NHC), a government entity. . . . . moving tax numbers from one person with deed to another person with no deed and no proof of sale. . . . massive land fraud.

David Thompson, David Ames – Quite the pair!

PM Thompson & David Ames – click photo for large

Dear Barbados Free Press

I’d like a simple answer from the DLP to a simple question: How much “political donations” money did Harlequin Properties or David Ames whatever “donate” to the Democratic Labour Party?

Why aren’t Bajans allowed to know this? You know the way things work around here. It had to have happened!

signed,

Klingon Sailor

Dave Ames of Harlequin Property meets Prime Minister of Barbados

On Friday 19th June I had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Barbados, David Thompson, where we were discussing the Merricks’ project. He assure me of his full support of his Government and country in ensuring the success of the resort and is assisting us in moving the project forward so that we can start building the resort as soon as possible.

I impressed to him the fact that we are looking to begin building the resort later this year and he confirmed that he will do everything possible to enable us to start work on site. It is our intention to open the resort in stages from 2011.

Members of the Government of Barbados will be attending the launch on 13th and 14th July, which hopefully shows the commitment the Government and the country are giving to Harlequin and the Merricks project.

from the Harlequin Property newsletter website

Afra Raymond: Tangled webs in the Tobago House of Assembly – Part II

by Afra Raymond

BOLT and Calcutta: “A hundred million here, a hundred million there – pretty soon you’re talking real money.”

Two weeks ago in Barbados Free Press I set out my main concerns in relation to poor procurement processes with the Tobago House of Assembly BOLT project.  A large amount of Public Money was being committed to a project with little apparent regard to Value for Money concerns in an arrangement which seems to expose the THA to the principal risks at a time of limited financial resources.

This article is a critical examination of the controversial proposed purchase of 50.6 acres of land at Calcutta Settlement by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

The HDC’s role is to build and maintain homes to satisfy the requirements of its main client, the Ministry of Housing and the Environment.  According to that Ministry -

The Corporation is mandated by the Act to:

• Provide affordable shelter and associated community facilities for low and middle income persons and;
• Carry out the broad policy of the Government in relation to housing.

With over 125,000 applicants on the HDC’s waiting-list, there is no doubt that, for many poor people, the HDC is their only hope of getting a reasonably affordable home of decent quality.  That means that the HDC is an important implementing agency in our nation’s welfare provisions, which is a role I fully support.

Afra Raymond: Tangled webs of Tobago House of Assembly, BOLT and Calcutta

“…Lindquist and Interpol officers had discovered more than $1billion stashed away in off-shore accounts, arising out of corruption in the airport project…”

by Afra Raymond

With the Tobago House of Assembly THA elections having become a kind of national contest, the issues of governance and integrity loom large.  The two relevant controversial issues, both of which emerged late last year, were the THA/BOLT office project and the HDC’s proposed purchase of land at Calcutta No. 2 Settlement.

Both those projects have given me serious cause for concern in terms of proper public procurement practice, so much so that I see them as being two sides of the same coin.  Both these cases are models of inadvisable dealings in Public Money of a type which no prudent or reputable company would undertake.  I am choosing my words carefully since recent reports are that litigation has already started on the THA/BOLT project and there may well be further legal action on both projects as we go forward…

I do not at all agree with the widespread myth that corruption is a minor thing which adds maybe 10% or 15% to the cost of projects. 

That misinformation is nothing but public mischief which has blinded us to the scale of the theft of Public Money, so it must be completely demolished.  In the case of the 1970s to 1980s ‘Government to Government Arrangements’ the then PM, George Chambers, told the nation that two out of every three ‘Petro-dollars’ was wasted or stolen.  In the ongoing imbroglio over the $1.6Bn Piarco Airport project, we learned from the DPP’s S.34 statement that $1.0Bn of Public Money had been located in offshore bank accounts.

This article deals with the THA/BOLT project, which is a Public Private Partnership. The PPP is a procurement model now being pursued by this government, according to the strategy outlined in the 2013 budget.

The DPP’s S.34 Statement on Wednesday September 12, 2012

“…These cases involve allegations of a conspiracy to defraud the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago of over TT$1 billion by the fraudulent use of bonds and the rigging of the contracts for the various Construction packages for the Piarco Airport Project…”

The DPP’s full statement is here.

Also, from “Cops target MP in $1Bn airport scam” in Trinidad Guardian of Friday 5 March, 2004 –

“…TV6 News reported last night that Lindquist and Interpol officers had discovered more than $1billion stashed away in off-shore accounts, arising out of corruption in the airport project…”

BOLT

Build Own Lease Transfer (BOLT) is a subset of the PPP procurement method.  Under a BOLT arrangement a client has a facility built by the private sector at their expense – the client makes agreed rental payments so that the developer can cover the cost of building the project and a reasonable profit.  At the end of the agreed lease period, the facility is transferred to the client.

Barbados: “Both parties are tainted with mess”

Al Barrack, Schwarzfeld & Peter murders, Violet Beckles theft, Myrie Rape

submitted by Look

Barbados at moment is chaotic. It’s just a mess. The S&P and Moody’s said so. There are lots of theft there [Barbados]. The United Nations says so. The tourism industry [Barbados] is breathing on life support and Oh well, Owen Arthur can drink only so much rum. Barbados is no longer a desired destination and well the Myrie Rape embarrasses Barbados. Terry Schwarzfeld and Colin Peter murders embarrasses Barbados. Derrick Crawford and the police commission, Darwin Dottin embarrasses Barbados. Barbados according to Clyde Mascoll is “all in the red” flat broke so broke that if it was a private company, it would be declared insolvent and forced to file bankruptcy”…

… but Barbados before entrance of David Thompson and the DLP in 2008 was not financially sound. Three S&P downgrades proves this. Before 2008 Owen Arthur and the BLP enjoyed fourteen years of government rule; the result is ultimately a ship wrecked Barbados. The DLP government, since 2008 seems to have contributed nothing of significance but possibly could not contribute anything of significance simply because the BLP before them didn’t know what the hell they were doing. The financial mess in Barbados is self inflicted. Send them a thank you card, Owen Arthur and the BLP.

Afra Raymond’s incredible message at TEDx Conference

The Three sides of Corruption

“We are dealing with perverts here, of an economic and financial nature.”

                  Piarco Airport Project 1996-2001

                              Entire project cost:  $1.6 billion

Traced to offshore bank accounts:  $1.0 billion

If the above video doesn’t work for you, try this link.

Owen Arthur chides DLP for hidden campaign spending, not declaring assets to Parliament

by TickTock

In terms of shear naked hypocrisy and bravado, can any living or dead Bajan politician equal former Prime Minister Owen Arthur?

It is easy to picture Owen as a 6 year old boy getting caught walking out of the local shop with stolen sweets in his pocket. Caught red handed, with the evidence sticking out of his pants he would utter in the most surprised and innocent voice, “Not me, Sir. Somebody must have put them there.”

Other than hypocrisy and bravado how else can we explain the apparent disconnected reality of Owen Arthur now criticizing Prime Minister Stuart and the DLP for not declaring their assets and for hidden campaign spending? After 14 years as Prime Minister when he did not introduce integrity legislation, conflicts of interest rules, freedom of information laws or elections spending laws Owen Arthur now points the finger at the DLP. That takes style!

After 14 years of Owen having his friends act to ‘source’ government purchases, after 14 years of mega-projects issued without open tenders and increasing our national debt by a billion dollars with no appreciable benefits or assets gained, Mr. Arthur is criticizing the DLP?

Pot, meet kettle…

Please read the following article at The Nation, but as usual we have to print it here in full as that paper has been known to change and delete news to suit agendas.

Arthur questions Sinckler’s assets

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart has not set an election date because his ministers are yet to declare their assets to Parliament, Opposition Leader Owen Arthur has charged.

Unregulated gift giving between doctors and patients follows an old Bajan tradition

There once was a time on this island when doctors did not drive BMW and Mercedes autos. There was a time when a doctor would go about his visits and stay for a meal, and perhaps receive nothing more than a meal because that was all there was. Several weeks later maybe a kingfish would be delivered to the doctor’s home and gratefully received because the doctor, like everyone, was struggling too. At Christmas time especially people would drop off what they could, and if a doctor’s son needed a better job, there was likely one to be found. If a tyre puncture needed attention as likely as not the doctor would return to the garage to find that someone had already taken care of the bill.

Those days are gone, but the gift giving has not gone. If anything the ‘gift giving’ between doctors and their patients has ramped up to impressive levels both in frequency and in the value of the bribes er, ‘gifts’ received by the doctors.

Why has this happened? Is it because the patients and citizens value the doctors and freely supplement the doctors’ salaries out of respect and thanks?

Perhaps…. but where do we divide the grateful gift givers from the subtle pressures by doctors that they could arrange that test a little earlier ‘if only the radiologist would be reasonable’ ???

We know how things work ’bout hey, and so does the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners. That’s why the BAMP wants to address this ‘gift giving’ topic as soon as possible – because they say it has the potential to undermine the system with fraud and bribery.

The docs are right. Now, if we could only convince the politicians to do the same!

Please read the article Docs playing dirty at Barbados Today Online, but if it’s not there, we’ll have it here…

Docs playing dirty

by Emmanuel Joseph

The unregulated practice of gift-giving between doctors and patients in Barbados is creating fears of possible fraud and bribery in the minds of the hierarchy of the local medical representative body.

Kickbacks at Queen Elizabeth Hospital: Supplier “a shadow company” ?

Something ‘on the side’ as Bajan as whistling frogs

Call it ‘consulting fees’ or whatever you like. Everybody on this little rock knows what you’re talking about. It’s that extra one percent or ten percent or twenty percent that taxpayers pay for everything; for every road project, for every new school desk, for every latch and toilet in the new prison. For everything.

And it has cost our children and our grandchildren and Barbados the greatness we have sought and so rightly deserve. It undermines our economy. It teaches our young people that success comes from manipulation and theft, not hard work. These ‘consulting fees’ are never asked for, never offered in a direct manner. It is subtle and incideous because it is so casual and difficult to prove. And on this little rock, no one likes to say too much about the subject.

Now it is done subtly, never with too much flash like the old days… and it works like this:

I want that government contract for that new school, or new road or new batch of medical supplies for the hospital. You have the ability to make that contract happen, or to influence the information that the deciding government official bases the purchasing decision upon. You also have a son who wants to go to school over and away. So… my company hires your son as a ‘consultant’. Maybe he gets some ‘reports’ or ‘research’ for my company to make things look good. Then my company pays your son in the UK while he’s going to school.

And my company gets that contract.

See? Nothing wrong there! Just people doing business. Can anybody prove there is a trade? Can anybody prove that the consultant job is related to the government contract? See? Nothing wrong there!

Except… there is something wrong…

Bajans for Prosperity says…

Duguid recently pointed out on national airways that certain items were being purchased by the QEH from J&R World Trade at rates substantially higher than could be obtainable locally. Duguid has called J&R a “shadow company”.  Although  J&R claims to have been in business for 25 years, we are not of the opinion that Duguid is entirely wrong. We are convinced that J&R is in fact one of the companies through which (Name removed by BFP editor) makes certain arrangements to inflate costs and put extra cash from the QEH into his pocket. If it is not his own pockets being lined, then as (position removed by BFP) we believe that he should take all the blame nonetheless for the purchasing scandal nonetheless.

Prevention of Corruption Act not law – probably will not become law. “Timed to fail”

We at BFP don’t share the enthusiasm of the traditional press. We don’t think the Prevention of Corruption Act will become law before the next election. We think it’s all timed to fail.

 

What say our readers?

Timing is everything, and time has run out for Integrity Legislation

The DLP are congratulating themselves with the passing in the Lower House of the Prevention of Corruption Act 2012 – timed exquisitely to coincide with the latest release of Transparency International’s perceived corruption index.

Amidst the celebrations in the local press is a distinct lack of questioning: Why only now? Why not in 2011 or 2010? Why did the bill sit for years with nothing happening?

Why only now? That’s easy!

The Barbados Advocate makes point number one: The act isn’t law yet. Several more steps are needed…

“This is not to say, of course, that the Prevention of Corruption Act 2012 is yet law. It still has to be debated in the Upper House and, after that, it will have to be proclaimed into force. But the necessary first step was retaken two days ago after an earlier attempt at debate last July saw the Bill being referred to a Joint Select Committee of both Houses of Parliament for further consideration.”

… from The Barbados Advocate story On preventing corruption

Point two: The election will be called before the act becomes law.

Barbados Free Press predicted the current scenario several years ago. We predicted that the Democratic Labour Party government would go slow on Integrity Legislation, then pass it through the Lower House at the last moment before the next election. The act would then die before being proclaimed as law – allowing the DLP to claim they kept their promise while keeping the law from becoming reality.

Those piggies at the trough don’t want any gatekeepers, ya know!

AND DON’T FORGET: Integrity Legislation whatever it is called is of limited value when there is no Freedom of Information. The DLP promised Freedom of Information legislation too but it died years ago.

Nope. We’ll save our celebration, folks. This Prevention of Corruption Act is not law, and if I were a betting man, I’d bet it will not become law prior to the next election. Of course if the DLP figures it will lose the election, they might pass it quickly as a spoiler for the BLP, but that is a 2nd choice for the DLP because they doan want to face the Prevention of Corruption Act when it is their turn to again form the government.

Those bad bad bad Blogs…

Why, to listen to the debate in Parliament you’d think that the most evil things in the world are the Bajan blogs.Well my friends, there wouldn’t have been talk of Integrity Legislation without the blogs.

How dare those blogging citizens point out the corruption by elected and appointed government officials! How dare we point out the CLICO mess where Prime Minister David Thompson was CLICO’s lawyer when the bad stuff was happening! How dare we point out that Thompson as PM had a terrible conflict of interest with government policy about CLICO – the company his law firm made millions from!  How dare we point out that Thompson’s law firm received commission on the purchase of CLICO’s business jet! How dare we point out that Thompson’s government made incredible concessions to CLICO and also looked the other way when CLICO broke the rules.

Heck, Thompson himself was CLICO’s lawyer when the law about filing financial statements was ignored for years and years! The boys in Parliament can criticize blogs all they want: just so the Prevention of Corruption Act becomes law.

We at BFP don’t share the enthusiasm of the traditional press. We don’t think the Prevention of Corruption Act will become law before the next election. We think it’s all timed to fail.

What say our readers?