Will Prime Minister Thompson Ignore This Opportunity To Discover The Truth About Our New Prison?
United States Federal Prosecutors want to postpone the sentencing of two convicted VECO senior executives so they can continue assisting the FBI with their investigations into widespread bribery of politicians by VECO Corporation – the company that built the way-over-budget new Barbados jail and our oil terminal.
“Both former CEO Bill Allen and Rick Smith, a vice president, continue to cooperate with investigators.” (Alaska TV Station KTUU article here)
“VECO Corporation Bribed Politicians To Obtain Government Contracts – As A Standard Business Practice”
As Barbados Free Press has detailed in numerous past articles, the corrupt multi-billion dollar VECO Corporation regularly used bribery of politicians as a standard business practice in the United States and around the world.
A major FBI investigation collected thousands of hours of tape-recorded conversations, and hundreds of thousands of documents and business records concerning VECO’s activities – and it would be foolish to think that the word “Barbados” does not appear in those records or voice recordings.
Although the new Barbados jail and oil terminal were not the largest projects that VECO had going, the “sun and fun” location of Barbados made those projects very desirable. It was revealed publicly in one tape recorded conversation that a US politician even asked for a position at the Barbados jail project as part of his expected bribe!
Prime Minister Thompson Must Ask For The FBI Evidence And Launch An Independent Investigation Into VECO’s Dealings With Barbados
Mr. Prime Minister, when it comes to VECO Corporation’s deals with the previous Barbados government, there is too much smoke for there to be no fire.
If your government is to retain its credibility about promises to clean things up, you cannot ignore VECO or allow a cursory investigation.
Bring in some independent auditors, some independent and respected investigators – even request assistance from the FBI, Scotland Yard or the Canadian Mounties Police. Let these investigative professionals do their work and refuse to become involved in political control of the investigation.
LET THE PIECES FALL WHERE THEY MAY.
There may be DLP business friends involved in the VECO corruption as well as members and friends of the previous BLP government. No matter. Your government must be, and must be seen to be, serious about discovering the truth.
Mr. Prime Minister, no matter what you accomplish in the next four or five years – If you do not implement a serious investigation of VECO’s dealings with Barbados, it will be your government that is criticised for inaction when the whole truth becomes known.
And with the US laws about freedom of information, and VECO being a publicly-traded company – all those transcripts and business records about VECO and Barbados will eventually surface in public.
The only question is whether or not the Prime Minister and the DLP Government show strength and leadership in fighting corruption… or if it was all talk for the election.
Good luck, Sir. Our family prays for you and all our members of Parliament every day.
Selected BFP Articles About VECO
January 10, 2008 – How Owen Arthur and his Government Ministers Set Up The ABC-Flyover Project To Fill Their Secret Offshore Bank Accounts
August 25, 2007 – Barbados Jail Builder VECO Added As Defendant In Lawsuit Against Prime Minister Arthur and Chief Justice Simmons
June 19, 2007 – Barbados Attorney General Tells Some New And Old Whoppers About VECO Jail Project
May 30, 2007 – Who Did Barbados Prison Consulting?… VECO Paid Alaska Bribes Through “Consulting” Contracts With Politicians’ Relatives!!!!!
May 30, 2007 – FBI’s VECO Corruption Investigation Includes “Hundreds Of Hours Of Recordings, Thousands Of Documents” – How Many Mention Barbados?