Queen’s Counsel apologizes to High Court Justice, but…

The unnamed lawyer in our original story has been named as Alair Shepherd, Queen’s Counsel. Mr. Shepherd has apologized to High Court Justice Dr Sonia Richards, but the full story in the Nation tells the all-too-familiar tale of a broken court system where the focus is on process, not on results or justice.

Mr. Shepherd should not have done what he did, but in a court system where civil cases often take 15 or 20 years to reach trial we can expect to see the rivets starting to pop as the pressure builds on the boiler call the Barbados Courts. (By the way, why is Chief Justice Gibson in South Africa? Shouldn’t he be staying at home and trying to clean up this mess?)

Here’s the article from the Nation. Please read it at their website here, but unfortunately we have to print it all here because if we don’t, they will change the story as it suits the changing politics.

Sorry!

Queen’s Counsel Alair Shepherd – the man at the centre of the outburst involving High Court Justice Dr Sonia Richards last week – has confirmed that he apologized to her, but said the incident was a result of his frustration over the administration of justice.

In an interview with the DAILY NATION yesterday, Shepherd said his behaviour before the judge should not detract from the real issue, which was the continuing delay of an extremely important case touching on the ability of the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) to discharge its duties.

Last Monday, Shepherd had an outburst before the judge. He then backed Justice Richards, raised his robe and bent over.

Should BFP remove all David Thompson ‘piggy’ cartoons?

Google search for deceased PM Thompson. Click photo for larger version.

“Google search engine is pulling your pig image of Prime Minister David Thompson in its search mode. The image may have been hacked or intentional, but nevertheless, I do not think that it should remain in its present state. Not sure if you are aware, but a lot of us would appreciate that it is rectified. For me its not about politics or how we feel about a person, but rather its more about respect to a memory of not this prime ministers only but every one of them. Hope you understand.”

Should Barbados Free Press remove cartoons of deceased politicians?

Well folks, what do you think? We haven’t created any new political cartoons of David Thompson since he died because 1/ We have a new Prime Minister in charge of corruption, and 2/ We don’t think we should create disrespectful political cartoons of dead people, at least in the immediate time after their passing.

We are aware though, that had David Thompson lived he would have been savaged in the coming election for the breaking of his election promises regarding integrity and transparency, his corrupt actions relating to the CLICO fraud and many other actions of the DLP piggy government.

Should we remove the David Thompson political cartoons? All of them? Some of them? Just the piggy ones? Just the ones deemed ‘disrespectful’ by our readers?

Should we remove the one about David Thompson’s corrupt relationship with Leroy Parris and his free use of a corporate jet when the Barbados Government provided favours to the corporation?

PM Thompson Says His Use Of CLICO’s Business Jet Is None Of Your Business

What do you think?

Naked News: The documentary. Barbados Health Minister Inniss about to become world famous?

New television series features part of Barbados Government Minister’s online porn empire

by BFP staff with a tip from ‘Miss Delicia Delight’

The porn industry connections of Barbados Health Minister Donville Inniss are about to be thrust into a worldwide spotlight with the upcoming television broadcast of a new eight-part documentary series The Naked Truth: The Naked News Uncovered.

Health Minister Donville Inniss

The documentary looks at Toronto-based Naked News, an internet news channel that bills itself as “the news program with nothing to hide”. The news channel has a simple formula for programming: Beautiful women take their clothes off as they read the day’s news stories.

The AllScreen Entertainment documentary films production is already sold and scheduled for Canadian television broadcast in 2013. Award-winning producers Allan Novak and Barri Cohen say “With a crazy cast of sexy women, an overbearing (and ex-nude anchor) boss and an oddball crew of directors, writers, editors and designers, The Naked Truth: The Naked News Uncovered is sure to be an entertaining half-hour full of humour, drama and (naked-but blurred out) truths.”

BFP’s source, ‘Miss Delicia Delight’ says…

“Those dramatic naked truths could include how Naked News and the porn industry connections of a Government Minister became an issue during three Barbados general elections – including the one about to be called by Prime Minister Freundel Stuart.”

By a strange coincidence the documentary will be in production during the coming Barbados election. Already there are rumours in Bim’s film community that the Naked News girls will be ‘vacationing’ in Barbados when Minister of Health Inniss is in campaign mode.

The naked un-blurred truth about Donville Inniss, Naked News and Barbados Politics

During the run-up to the 2008 election campaign, BLP Member of Parliament Mia Mottley raised Naked News as an issue as DLP candidate Donville Inniss ‘had been’ the founder and sole director of EGalaxy Incorporated in June 2000, the company behind with the Toronto-based Naked News production. DLP Democratic Labour Party supporters minimized the damage and sought to deflect the Barbadian news media in a number of ways that combined humour and a “nothing to see here, folks” message with not so subtle threats under the nation’s strict defamation laws.

“On May 4, 2001, Mottley said Inniss disclosed he was resigning right away (from EGalaxy Incorporated & Naked News) but in fact he did not resign until March 1, 2002, ten months later.
 Against this background, Mottley said (DLP leader) Thompson had endorsed Inniss as a DLP candidate and was talking about morality and integrity and calling for integrity in public office.

“I say to you that as leader of the DLP, his mere endorsement of a candidate whose involvement was stated in THE NATION newspaper, prior to his becoming a candidate, tells you that it is all talk and all about winning power in this country,”

… from the January 4, 2008 story in The Nation: Mia: DLP last to speak on values (full article under ‘Further Reading’)

The issue died during the final days of the 2008 campaign because most folks thought Naked News was more humorous than pornographic, and voters believed that Donville Inniss had left Naked News behind in 2002.

Donville Inniss associated website: Pregnant women porn at Orgasm.com

The Dark Side of the Porn Industry: Human trafficking, money laundering, sex with animals

As it turned out, Donville Inniss was involved in much more than Naked News. A series of articles published by Barbados Free Press showed that as late as 2011 through his companies and under his own personal name, Donville Inniss was still part of an international online porn empire that was far different from his original Naked News.

Barbados Free Press documented in 2011 how Donville Inniss and his associated businesses were still involved in the creation and internet broadcasting of video porn and live porn performances under a host of different categories including teenaged girls, pregnant women, group sex and people having sex with animals.

Barbados shame – Prisoner Raúl García to starve himself to death

Garcia held illegally for over two years.

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart lied to Garcia, Bajans.

Submitted by Blink Blink

Prisoner Raul Garcia vows to end his life if not released from Dodds Prison in Barbados. The stateless man completed a 20 year sentence for drugs over two years ago and Barbados has illegally kept him in prison since that time because no nation will accept him. (See the Nation News article Garcia’s Threat)

The law is very clear on what should be done with Mr. Garcia: he should be released from punitive jail.

So says the United Nations, the human rights agreements that Barbados signed, and the Barbados Supreme Court – yet Prime Minister Stuart keeps him in jail.

“The applicant has been held in detention at H.M.P Dodds pending deportation for in excess of 17 months. Counsel for the Respondents conceded that as the applicant is a ‘stateless person’, his deportation and expulsion from Barbados could not now be achieved having regard to Barbados’ obligations under the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.”

“In the circumstances, as the Minister Responsible for Immigration is unable to say when the applicant is likely to be deported from Barbados and as no evidence has been provided that his continued detention is necessary on ground of national security or public order, the Court holds that the applicant’s continued detention under the Immigration Act, is no longer reasonable or lawful and the applicant should be released from detention at HMP Dodds.”

Honourable Madam Justice Maureen Crane-Scott, Q.C., August 31, 2009 ruling on a similar case.

Is Freudel Stuart a man or a slimy worm?

Not only will Prime Minister Freundel Stuart not release Garcia according to law, Stuart doesn’t have the integrity and courage to tell Garcia or the public that he ordered Garcia held in jail.  Stuart lied to Garcia, his lawyer and Bajans.

Back in February 2012, Prime Minister Stuart assured Raul Garcia, his lawyer and the public that the Government of Barbados was taking all steps to comply with the law and would shortly be transferring Garcia to a military base quarters.

Stuart lied. Stuart lied so that Garcia would end an embarrassing hunger strike on the eve of the Prime Minister’s trip to New York City. Then, just a few weeks ago in August, 2012, Stuart told the press that he’s still considering what to do with Garcia.

What a slime! What a lowlife, cowardly lying politician is Prime Minister Freundel Stuart! What a worm.

Come on Stuart: comply with the law or at least have the integrity – be man enough – to stand up and tell the public what you are doing.

Say what you will about Owen Arthur. If Arthur was Prime Minister I don’t know what he would do about Raul Garcia – but at least he would have the integrity and the strength to make a decision.

When will former Chief Justice SIR David Simmons reveal the promised “Shocking details” ?

Revirginated Attorney General David Simmons became Chief Justice. Now promises to reveal SHOCKING DETAILS!!!

Last April, former Barbados Chief Justice SIR Davie-boy Simmons promised to reveal  “SHOCKING DETAILS of the Government’s refusal to extend his tenure as the island’s top judicial officer two years ago.”

Okay, we’re ready SIR Davie… let ‘er rip. We’re waiting. Give us the SHOCKING DETAILS…

Hey… you promised!

Oh Harry! (What happens in Vegas… gets posted on the Internet)

HRH Prince Harry – All of ‘im

Secretly taken photos of a nude Prince Harry cavorting with a nude woman in Las Vegas seem to be causing more smiles than shock – and that’s true at our house too. “His Royal Highness is in good shape. Cute bum too!” was the first response of Shona just before she poked me in the belly. (hmmm… yes, not as taunt as it used to be, I know dear.)

So far it looks like Harry was unaware that someone was taking his photo, and that probably garners him some sympathy and leeway. If he knew and allowed the photos that would be another matter, but if some friend betrayed his trust and he didn’t notice, that shifts the perspective.

It looks like Prince Harry is another victim of the new reality: people don’t carry cell phones, they carry cameras capable of making calls. So you’d better be sure you’re with friends if you want to play strip poker, strip pool or any of the other variations that young men and women have been playing for a hundred years.

Further Oogling

TMZ.com  – Prince Harry: Naked at Vegas party

Barbados continues to illegally imprison Raul Garcia

Unless the rule of law means nothing in this country, Raul Garcia should be immediately freed under the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.

That’s the law and a 2009 Supreme Court judgment backs it up.

Instead of obeying the law though, we have the sad spectacle of the Prime Minister of Barbados lying to the public and the unjustly imprisoned man – telling Garcia 186 days ago that he would soon be transferred from the Dodds Prison punishment facility.

PM Stuart lied to Mr. Garcia and he lied to Bajans.

The government and our Prime Minister continue to ignore Mr. Garcia’s frustrated lawyer, Attorney David Comissiong, who is forced to relay messages to the government through the newspapers.

This isn’t just about Raul Garcia: it’s about Rule of Law, and the fact that successive Barbados governments just do whatever they want to – the law be damned.

There are enough examples of that in our history. Garcia is just the latest.

Readers are asked to visit the Nation website to read Garcia Option, but we have to print the entire story here because of the Nation’s habit of deleting news stories to suit various agendas…

Garcia option

THE ATTORNEY for Cuban Raul Garcia has recommended to Prime Minister Freundel Stuart that the stateless prisoner be allowed to stay with Bajans who have volunteered to take him in, rather than house him on taxpayer dollars.

Grand Kadooment child-sex scandal: What about the children who watched and the adults who let it happen?

click photo for large

A suggestion for a new Wikipedia ‘Barbados Crop-Over’ entry:

by Passin thru

Grand Kadooment – Definition

The climax of the Barbados Crop Over festival is known as Kadooment Day. Kadooment is celebrated with a national holiday when costume bands fill the streets with pulsating Barbadian rhythms.

For many years, a part of the parade has included many revelers engaging in simulated sex acts to the cheers of onlookers, which include children of all ages. In 2011, famed Barbadian singer Rihanna was videoed having simulated sex in public with another woman during the festivities while young people looked on.

2012 Grand Kadooment: Simulated adult-child sex on street

Community discussion about the lurid dancing styles that had been growing for several years peaked after the 2012 parade when widely published photographs showed a young boy of about 6 years old being encouraged by a crowd of adults to simulate sex with an adult woman.

The photographs also show dozens of other adults taking photos of the woman and child simulating a sex act, and other children watching. No one acted to stop the event at the time, which can accurately be classed as child abuse and simulated child-adult sex in public.

The Barbados Child Care Board and the police announced their intentions to identify the young boy and the two directly involved adults, but larger questions remain…

Sanka Price delivers a message to Health Minister Pornville Inniss

It’s a long story folks, but Sanka’s latest column is all about delivering a sideways message to Minister of Health Donville Inniss. Now that it is published, we can say that aloud.

How do we know this? Let’s just say a little birdie told us so…

Why do we continue to publish the Donville Inniss pornography business story? Simple: Mr. Inniss refuses to acknowledge or explain his involvement with the porn industry, where his profits went, and whether or not his political campaign or the DLP received contributions from the online porn industry. We believe it matters and that Bajan voters are unaware of the truth because the news media refuses to cover this story.

Porn is not harmless. The porn industry is undeniably associated with human trafficking and the degradation of women. We believe that matters – and that our elected representatives should not be associated with the porn industry.

For background, check out BFP’s Barbados Health Minister attacks journalist over questions about Minister’s porn business profiteering

I Confess

as told to Sanka Price

I LEFT THE MAN I LOVE because he is obsessed with pornography.

It was difficult leaving him after nine years of friendship before we became a couple in the last two years. But I had to walk away to stay sane and keep my self-respect…

… read it all at The Nation: His love for porn hurt me.

Barbados Health Minister attacks journalist over questions about Minister’s porn business profiteering

Donville Inniss narrowly avoids defamation lawsuit with immediate retraction

Minister of Health Donville Inniss verbally attacked Barbadian journalist Ian Bourne last Friday before a public audience at the Unity Bar Lunchtime Lecture.

Minister Inniss falsely accused Bourne “You have a big blog site that is full of nasty (stories)” but then immediately withdrew the comment as a strategic move after having put Bourne down to the laughter of the stacked DLP audience. It was a dishonest move that lacked integrity, but it works in a room full of party supporters.

The audio recording of the event reveals that Inniss did not apologize, and he laughed derisively at the journalist along with many in the pro DLP audience. The derision has become the standard reply by Inniss and the DLP to defuse what should be, what would be, a major political scandal and a major news story in any nation with a free and determined news media.

If Mitt Romney had his name on ‘Orgasm.com’ or some of the other Inniss-related porn sites, can you imagine what the world’s news media would do?

In Barbados the news media is too cowardly or complicit to even mention the story despite the fact that the evidence is still available online to the public as well as the news media.

News blackout on the Donville Inniss porn business story

The recent defamation and derision by Minister Inniss stems from Ian Bourne’s private and respectful question to the Health Minister on July 7, 2011 about posts on Barbados Free Press exposing the Minister’s connections to online porn. (See links at end of story)

Mr. Bourne privately and respectfully asked Minister Inniss:

“Donville – I am sorry to disturb you but there are wild allegations as you may be aware of, concerning your alleged connection to a number of websites with pornographic connotations. EG: Youngntender.net, orgasm.com & nakednews.com among others. Can we do an Interview where the public has your side of the story? Please advise ASAP…”

Donville Inniss replied:

“come on Ian”

Mr. Bourne answered:

“What does this mean? Nothing wrong in dispelling rumours, it shows proactivity on your part to air your perspective on the matter…”

… For the entire story of Journalist Ian Bourne’s interaction with Health Minister Donville Inniss about the porno business connections, read Bajan Reporter’s piece: BARBADOS CABINET MINISTER ATTACKS “BAJAN REPORTER” AT DLP STRONGHOLD – MAKES FALSE ACCUSATION WITH NO APOLOGY!

Minister Donville Inniss refuses to talk about this subject – because he knows it is true.

Starting in 2011, Barbados Free Press published a series of articles showing the long term connections between Inniss and the online porn business.

Barbados Family Planning Association selectively aborting girl babies upon request?

Gendercide: selective abortion of females when parents want sons

In the latest in the ongoing war against women, Planned Parenthood in Texas is caught on video encouraging a woman to obtain a late-term abortion because she is purportedly carrying a girl and wants to have a boy. The video is first in a new series titled “Gendercide: Sex-Selection in America,” exposing the practice of sex-selective abortion in the United States and how Planned Parenthood and the rest of the abortion industry facilitate the selective elimination of baby girls in the womb.

Does the Barbados Family Planning Association engage in sex-selection abortion?

It’s not illegal here in Barbados where, to be truthful, not much is illegal and our medical profession is only loosely regulated and then in the most casual manner.

And seeing as how the Barbados Family Planning Association is closely aligned with and receives awards and funding from Planned Parenthood of America, we’d like some rock solid public statements from George Griffith and the BFPA that they NEVER abort unborn babies on the basis of gender.

Then again, we also asked Griffith and his abortion organization to stop taking money from Planned Parenthood of America because the money was probably donated to selectively target black babies for destruction…

Black Genocide: Abortion is the number one killer of Blacks North America and the Caribbean.

Back in 2008 we told Bajans of how Planned Parenthood accepted donations from racist whites for the specific purpose of aborting black babies.

As we said at the time:

So once again we ask… now that it has been proven that Planned Parenthood accepts donations to be used only to abort black race babies, we call upon the Barbados Family Planning Association…

1/ Refute the Planned Parenthood award.

2/ Give back the US$25,000 cash donation and any other monies received from Planned Parenthood.

3/ Publicly sever ties with this racist group.

Move ‘em in and move ‘em out…

Youth Worker: Women In Barbados Not Counseled Before or After Abortion, PLUS… Abortions Provider George Griffith Talks About Profits Being Made From Abortions

Why did our Minister of Works and Transport endorse this technology company? Does he own stock?

BREAKING HOT NEWS: Company paid up to $100,000 to certain websites to promote this stock! Did they pay anything to Minister of Transport John Boyce or any other Bajan? See end of story for details.

“Utilizing the Start FEED unit in Barbados on our government vehicles will result in tremendous fuel costs savings, in addition to major reductions of toxic automobile emissions and assist the government in accomplishing the goal of a cleaner and healthier Barbados.”

Hon. Mr. John Boyce, Minister of Works and Transport as quoted in a press release and stock prospectus for Great Wall Builders Ltd.

Did Barbados Minister John Boyce receive any gift or benefit from Start Technologies or Great Wall Builders Ltd.?

A new stock is in play. Press releases and a stock prospectus were sent out hyping new technology that is claimed to improve fuel efficiency by 20%. The miracle aftermarket gadget “uses a high-voltage electric current to break long-chain hydrocarbon molecules into shorter, lighter more volatile molecules.”

Why didn’t Detroit or Toyota think of this? Because they are stupid, that’s why! In 100 years of internal combustion engine development nobody has thought of this…

except… there have been many similar devices in history making the same claims about using electric current to modify the properties of fuel. There are even websites where engineers debunk this type of claim that electricity will change the molecular structure of fuel and result in significant mileage increases.

Not to worry though: the Barbados Minister of Transport attests that the technology works. And it’s not just Bajan citizen John Boyce saying this: he is a Minister of the Government of Barbados and representative of the entire country, so his claim must be true… right? It must be because the credibility of our country and the government rests upon Mr. Boyce’s endorsement.

Some engineers and scientists disagree with Minister Boyce. They say that claims of 20% increase in mileage are not scientifically possible and that these devices are scams…

“The unburnt fuel in the exhaust (even before the cat) represents 1 or 2% at most of the input fuel. If you factor in the energy in the CO emissions, the figure still only rises to 3% maximum. So even if the fuel “saving” device could totally eliminate unburnt fuel and CO in the exhaust, and give an absolutely 100% complete burn, you would only save 3% of fuel. Claims that 10%, 20% or even more of the fuel is not burnt and escapes into the exhaust are entirely false…”

From Tony’s Guide to Fuel saving gadgets

Why are my warning antennae up and pulsating?

The press release by GWBU reports that the Barbados Ministry of Transport and Works tested this new technology over a 2 month period and confirmed the claims of the company. Imagine what a 20% fuel saving could do for the world! With that kind of savings the West could tell the Arabs to shove it where the sun doan shine. That would be the end of the UK’s travel duty. Cruise ships will flock to Bim because they will use 20% less fuel.

This is big. Really big… and the stock price soared!

So the stock price of GWBU must go up… and up it went! Nine cents a share to a buck seventy three in a few of weeks!

I wonder if Transport Minister Boyce or his family members or close friends have any of this stock?

Good. That’s great to see entrepreneurship and progressive capitalism at its best: making money and saving the planet.

Hey… Minister Boyce… we are saving the planet with this device, right?

Just a few questions Minister Boyce. We know you’ll take the time to answer them because although your government promised to implement Freedom of Information Legislation within the first 100 days of office, your government didn’t do that in almost five years because you were really busy with (fill in the answer here.)

But the DLP government is committed to transparency and accountability – with or without legislation – so we know that you will take the time to answer a few questions…

Dear Minister Boyce:

1/ Did you or your family members have any GWBU stock? How many shares? Waddya pay per share?

Why Prime Minister Stuart never mentions Freedom of Information legislation anymore

DLP thick as thieves with Parris, Duprey, CLICO & CL Financial

by Nevermind Kurt

It is readily apparent to anyone without a political agenda that the introduction in Parliament of the DLP’s promised Integrity Legislation was strategically withheld for the last four years so the DLP could again use the issue in the coming election. Their lies fooled the voters last time, so why not use the same technique again?

The obvious plan is to have the legislation ‘almost’ make it through this session of Parliament, but not be declared as law. That has been the intent all along: to have the legislation stillborn so a/ the current government would not have to conform to integrity rules, and b/ the current government can now say “We almost made it except for the damn Opposition. Give us one more term to finish it.”

Fool me once, etc…

How quickly the electorate forgets that the DLP promised to introduce Integrity Legislation and Freedom of Information within the first 100 days. The DLP also promised to introduce a Ministerial Code including conflict of interest guidelines “immediately upon forming a government”. That code was to have been a policy declaration and could have been implemented on the very first day as promised.

Leroy Parris and good friend Finance Minister Chris Sinckler share champagne

The DLP didn’t introduce any of these promises because as it turned out Prime Minister David Thompson and his gang were thick as thieves with Leroy Parris and Lawrence Duprey of CLICO and CL Financial infamy. It also turned out that David Thompson and his law firm were money-laundering for Parris. (That’s the auditors talking, not us, and you can read about it here.)

Under those situations and many more questionable activities of the DLP, it’s no wonder that the current government didn’t keep its promises concerning integrity legislation. A big part of the DLP/CLICO/Parris/Duprey relationship would have immediately become illegal under the new legislation and there’s no way that Thompson or Stuart would permit that.

So the DLP leadership lied to get elected and then delayed, delayed, delayed integrity rules until the DLP was well into its fifth year of majority government when the designed-to-be-stillborn legislation could be produced again at the right moment like a rabbit from a magician’s hat.

What happened to the Freedom of Information Act?

Prime Minister Stuart has been in the papers recently pulling out the Integrity Legislation, telling folks “It’s coming!” and setting up the public so the DLP won’t be blamed when the legislation doesn’t make it into declared law in time for the next election. Stuart fully intends that the promised integrity legislation “almost made it!” will be an asset, not a liability during the coming election.

But he never mentions Freedom of Information anymore.

The reason that the DLP never mentions FOI is that the thieving politicians know that Freedom of Information is the key to making the integrity legislation a real threat to the way things are ’bout hey.

Freedom of Information legislation gives ordinary citizens an easy and economical means to legally force the government to provide copies of documents and information that citizens need to hold officials accountable. Integrity Legislation isn’t much use if you can’t force the government to surrender the paperwork that proves offences. Stuart and the DLP know this and THAT is why FOI became a non-subject.

Look at the plight of David Weekes – and know why the Government hates Freedom of Information

David Weekes is an ordinary Bajan man trying to sue the CARICOM government and the cartels that run this place. PM Stuart won’t provide him with the CARICOM ratification documents he needs for his case. These are documents that every citizen should have a right to see, but the Barbados government is denying them to Weekes to spoil his case… and some people are so upset with Weekes that he believes (and we do to) they tried to burn down his home. With no Freedom of Information legislation and process, ordinary citizen Weekes has no effective means of forcing the government to provide the public documents that he needs.

That’s why the BLP and DLP elites and their cartel cronies have never implemented any kind of Freedom of Information rules and process: they desperately want to keep information out of the hands of citizens.

The thieving politicians simply don’t want the little people to become empowered by knowledge and access to public documents.

And that, my friends, is exactly why the DLP will not implement Freedom of Information and why the Opposition BLP is silent too.

Nevermind Kurt

Further Reading about Barbados political elites and (cough, cough) ‘integrity’

September 24, 2011: Prime Minister Owen Arthur “invested” YOUR money in Nigeria. A predictable result.

August 28, 2011: We told you so! Integrity Legislation buried in a dark hole

October 17, 2009: Prime Minister Thompson’s new strategy for avoiding Integrity Legislation, FOI

BLP & DLP Governments’ stupid refusal to pay Al Barrack cost Bajans $35 million dollars

Government’s motto: “Delay, delay – never pay.”

by Nevermind Kurt

We read in today’s Nation that “Minister of Housing and Lands Michael Lashley says his ministry is working feverishly to have contractor Al Barrack paid the more than $70 million owed to him.”

If memory serves, the truth is that Barbados once owed Al Barrack ‘only’ about $34 million dollars for the Warrens office building debacle. The Owen Arthur BLP government refused to pay, went to arbitration and lost large – ending up owing about $50 million dollars after a 2006 judgment.

“For the next two years the BLP government refused to pay, deciding instead to beat Al Barrack through the simple Bajan tactic of lawyering him to death and waiting for him to die.”

The BLP government’s story was that the country couldn’t afford to pay the lump sum and Mr. Barrack was unreasonable for refusing to take a ‘very fair offer’. Mr. Barrack described the ‘very fair offer’ as a dollar now and a dollar a day for the rest of his life. For the record, Mr. Barrack’s version is probably closer to the truth than the government’s.

The clock kept ticking and the interest compounded frightfully as interest does when it’s not being paid. Ask any Bajan fool who has missed a credit card payment – it’s not a pretty sight.

Enter the DLP

The Thompson DLP government inherited the mess when they won the election in 2008, but they too decided that the answer was to keep Al Barrack at bay with years of false negotiations punctuated with court battles to keep him from selling the assets of the National Housing Corporation. Minister Lashley says the government tried to ‘give’ the Warren’s office complex to settle with Barrack, but the truth is the government fought for years to prevent that happening and then changed its mind when the economy tanked and took the building’s value with it.

What’s changed now? Why is the government suddenly appearing so contrite and anxious to keep Al Barrack hopeful? I’m not sure if this is another delaying tactic, or the government has heard the rumours that Barrack is about to go ‘nuclear’ on the international legal scene and that he has found the financial backers to do it.

The times, they are a’changin

As we recently saw with a legal conflict involving the Grenada Airports Authority (GAA), ‘globalism’ is a many-edged sword that sometimes allows people to seek justice internationally when they cannot find justice in their own countries. In Grenada’s case, a Taiwan bank obtained a US Court order that allowed them to seize all the fees normally paid to the the Grenada Airports Authority by airlines flying to Grenada from the USA.

BFP said in a previous post…

“Can you imagine what would happen if some court in New York or London ordered airlines to pay all Grantley Adams airport fees to the court over the Al Barrack debt? How about port fees for cruise ships too?

Wuhloss! That would put the mongoose in with the chickens! If that happened you can bet the government would settle with Al Barrack right away – and that just shows how bankrupt our government is: both financially and morally.”

Maybe our master Bajan economist Owen $ Arthur can chip in some money from one of his offshore bank accounts. After all, it’s only fair that he assist to pay off a financial mess that he and his government initially created.

Nevermind Kurt

US Court hits Grenada government airport revenues

A lesson for Barbados and Al Barrack?

Grenada owed money to a bank in Taiwan and didn’t pay – so the bank sued in the USA and now all US airline revenues that would have been paid to Grenada’s airport are being paid into an escrow account in the USA. As a result, the airport is in deep financial trouble and the Grenadian government looks pathetic on the world stage. If the situation isn’t rectified PDQ, the travel and tour sellers will soon start to wonder if their clients will get stuck in the middle someday. When that thought starts to form, the travel industry will start to recommend other destinations until confidence returns. It might be happening already because we discovered the story through ETN Travel News.

There is a lesson here somewhere about what can happen when governments decide to not pay lawful debts. Globalism is more than a word, you know. Increasingly, creditors are successful seizing assets in other countries when stonewalled by governments and courts in the Caribbean and elsewhere.

For the last day and a bit we featured Why Al Barrack will never win against the Barbados Government: The Fix is In! at the top of the blog – telling the story of how the Barbados won’t pay a man even when faced with an order from the Barbados court.

One of our readers, millertheanunnaki, commented…

“I am willing to bet that if Barrack were to sell the debt to an overseas factor through a “big” British or American firm of lawyers this matter would be settled within weeks. If not a judgment to seize Government’s properties in London or New York would certainly be enforced unlike what prevails locally.”

There are certain government assets that can’t be seized overseas (Embassies, airplanes etc.) but the idea of seizing airline fees is a shocker. Can you imagine what would happen if some court in New York or London ordered airlines to pay all Grantley Adams airport fees to the court over the Al Barrack debt? How about port fees for cruise ships too?

Wuhloss! That would put the mongoose in with the chickens! If that happened you can bet the government would settle with Al Barrack right away – and that just shows how bankrupt our government is: both financially and morally.

Statement from St. George’s Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – The St. George’s Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation is working with other government departments, particularly the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Ministry of Finance, to arrive at a solution to the current financial difficulties being experienced by the Grenada Airports Authority (GAA).

This situation arose as result of the EXIM Bank of Taiwan obtaining judgment against the government of Grenada for outstanding loans in a suit filed in the United States. The Taiwanese have made a claim for all monies owing to the government of Grenada and its agencies to be paid against the loan. Consequently, a request was made to airlines operating on the Grenada route to pay monies owed to the Grenada Airports Authority to the Taiwanese.

Trinidad: Police storm newspaper offices, journalist’s home

Snapshots from the battle for press freedom

Police seize Andre Bagoo’s computers, phones, flash drives

Nine police officers raided the Newsday offices and journalist Andre Bagoo’s home on Wednesday – seizing at least four computers, two mobile phones and several external storage drives. The police say they are looking for evidence of Bagoo’s sources for his December 20, 2011 story about the row between Integrity chairman Ken Gordon and deputy chairman Gladys Gafoor.

Of course, now that the police have EVERYTHING on Bagoo’s computers they will have a look at EVERYTHING, won’t they? Emails, love letters, shopping lists, contacts list, financial records, photos, sources for every story Bagoo has ever written – little things like that.

The latest attack in the Trinidad police campaign to muzzle a free press comes two months after a similar raid on TV6 last December.

The lesson is that if the Trinidad news media won’t self regulate (as the Guardian did causing journalist Afra Raymond to resign in disgust) then the Trinidad & Tobago police will teach the Trini press to know their place.

We’ve had our own problems here in Barbados with the police strong-arming journalists, seizing their cameras and arresting journalists for photographing accident scenes and corrupt police officers. As a society we must be vigilant and aggressive about preserving the independence and freedom of the press. History has too many examples of what happens when citizens drop their guard.

Photo courtesy of Newsday: Journalist Andre Bagoo, centre in white shirt, surrounded by officers of the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB) as they search his computer in an attempt to get him to reveal the source of information in a report he wrote on the Integrity Commission.

Further Reading

Newsday Statement

Newsday:  Shame!

Newsday: Newsday raid shocks AG

Trinidad Express: Police storm ‘Newsday’ offices in PoS

Trinidad Express: Cops want interviews with CCN directors

Trinidad Express: Newspaper stands by journalist not to reveal sources

Guardian: Tribunal to probe Gafoor

Newsday Statement, February 10, 2012

NEWSDAY condemns in the strongest possible language, yesterday’s raid by officers of the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB) on our Newsroom at 23A Chacon Street, Port- of-Spain and at the private residence in Belmont of this newspaper’s senior investigative parliamentary and political reporter, Andre Bagoo.

The police officers led by Senior Superintendent Solomon Koon Koon, executed a warrant and searched Mr Bagoo’s desk in our newsroom, went through his office computer, all documents on his desk, including parliamentary papers and other information used in the course of his duties.

After two hours they left our Chacon Street newsroom, taking with them two flash drives, one Newsday cellphone issued to Mr Bagoo, his personal cellphone and Newsday’s computer hard drive on which Mr Bagoo has stored confidential information relating to his duties.

Bajan Reporter oversteps criticism of Barbados news media

Journalist Ian Bourne

Journalist Ian Bourne of the Bajan Reporter breaks many news stories and covers subjects and perspectives that the old school news media can’t or won’t touch. He’s been inside the professional news industry and knows about the agendas, ethical trade-offs and outright prostitution of the Barbados news media to the political and monied elites.

Ian has been severely handled by news media employers when he refused to look the other way about unethical activities. It takes integrity, courage and dedication to stand for something when you know it will cost you your job. All respect to Ian.

So Ian has the knowledge and the right to criticize the Bajan news media – but this time we’re wondering if he’s off the mark a bit. Not entirely off the mark as you’ll see, but stretching it.

In the Bajan Reporter’s new article Elements of Barbados Media seek to muzzle Bajan Reporter; other segments use story without Permission Mr. Bourne is upset that he asked the Prime Minister a question at a press conference, and other journalists and media used the PM’s answer without attributing the question to Ian and the Bajan Reporter.

I’m not a professional journalist, never claimed to be, but I can’t remember ever reading a CNN, CBC or BBC story where it mentioned something like “President Obama answered a question by a rival news network reporter and said…” In other words, BBC doesn’t say “CNN asked a question and we’re reporting the answer given by the President.”

So Ian is off the mark in thinking that the Barbados Advocate and the Nation should say which rival reporter asked the question. That’s what I think.

Justified criticism of the Barbados oldstream news media

Ian’s latest article makes many good points about the oldstream news media stealing his stories, quotes and ideas (and they do that all the time!). He also makes a good point that the regular news media tries to squeeze out Bajan Reporter and other independents at press conferences.

He’s off the mark though when he says the news media should be crediting him for asking a question where the answer is heard by everyone attending a press conference.

Professional journalists – please tell us about the rules and typical practice…

Should The Nation and the Barbados Advocate have told their readers that Prime Minister Stuart was responding to a question from Ian Bourne of Bajan Reporter?

Marcus

Huffington Post says avoid Barbados… if you’re gay or lesbian

Huffington Post: Anti-gay laws a legacy of “outdated British colonial laws”

Barbados’ criminalization of buggery continues to attract attention in human rights and tourism discussions. In 2010 Ethical Traveller Awards slammed Barbados for our anti-gay love law, and in 2011 Britain and the USA both criticized our country over this issue.

Should buggery be illegal in Barbados? How about adultery?

How about adultery… should that be illegal too?

IF we’re going to regulate sexual behaviours between consenting adults, what other activities should be prohibited? Is there any other orifice besides an anus that should be restricted? And… is that restriction limited to the penis, or should other protruding parts of the human body be restricted as well?

How about more than two people in the same bed? (Sorry, Cliverton!)

I mean… if Barbados society is going to be in the business of regulating sexual acts between consenting adults… well, let’s do some regulating.

Though the current law is under review, it still punishes “buggery” with a life sentence. Until the law is repealed, same-sex couples might prefer to experience the sparkling blue-green waters of the Caribbean in locales that welcome gay travelers, such as Puerto Rico, Aruba, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Despite legal recognition of same-sex relationships in several nations throughout the Caribbean, Collins asserts that widespread homophobia persists on many of the islands…

From the Huffington Post article Honeymoon from Hell: The Top 10 Destinations Gay and Lesbian Travelers Should Avoid

Our thanks to BFP reader “C” who wrote…

Message: Hello BFP

Love your blog. I was reading Huffpo this morning and came across this link and was embarrassed to see that along with our CARICOM neighbors Jamaica, Guyana and Belize, Barbados made the list of the most homophobic countries that gay travelers should avoid.

In a time when we are pushing our tourism this is a huge blow as many straight but socially conscious Canadian/American tourists may see this and decide against a Bajan vacation.

Not sure if you would be interested in highlighting this or not…

Cheers!
C.