Cocaine Bosses Were Stanford Victims Too?
“Stanford’s business is headquartered on the Caribbean island of Antigua. In the last decade, Stanford and his companies have spent more than $7 million on lobbyists and (US) campaign contributions in efforts to loosen regulation of offshore banks. Among the top recipients: Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Congressman Pete Sessions (R-Texas), Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), one of the members who took a trip to Antigua where he was entertained by Stanford.”
Stanford On The Run From Police
SIR Allen Stanford won’t be attending many public cricket matches for the next little while because news reports are coming in that the once-billionaire high-flying “banker” who practically owned the country of Antigua is on the run from police.
Stanford Spent Millions Lobbying Politicians!
Tell Us The Truth, PM Thompson!
American politicians are required to report donations and gifts, but the same is not the case with Barbadian politicians and other government officials. How much did Stanford donate to Prime Minister David Thompson’s campaign? How much to the Barbados Labour Party?
Keep guessing my friends – because David Thompson lied about the Ministerial code of ethics he said he would implement “immediately upon forming a government.”
The scandal of no oversight into offshore banking does not begin or end with the present case involving Sir Allen Stanford: the wild west Caribbean atmosphere with few rules and even less oversight is directly attributable to the our politicians throughout the region who resist any efforts for Integrity, Transparency and Accountability Legislation (ITAL). Like the current liar in chief, Prime Minister David Thompson, they all have promised ITAL and then forget all about it when elected.
Prime Minister Thompson: How much money did you or your party receive from Sir Allen Stanford or his companies in the last two years?
Stanford Banks Were Favourites With Colombians!
News stories are also reporting that many of Sir Allen’s customers are from Colombia and other South and Central American countries – and while they don’t say that the customers are rough looking men who always travel with eight or ten rougher looking bodyguards, you can bet that Sir Allen had a few such clients.
Or maybe more than a few. Current and past allegations include drug money-laundering by Stanford’s companies.
Nope, upon consideration we reflect that perhaps Sir Allen’s main concern is not being arrested or even going to jail. His concern is that the jail is filled with friends and employees of some of his rougher clients.
All we can say about this story about another crooked financial wizard is… Who’s next?
Barbados Free Press 
“Another BLP opposition parliamentarian wants government to look into the problems which prevent zone one land from being used for housing.
Rawle Eastmond says restrictions on these areas have for a long time reduced the availability of land for housing in several areas.”
I would be inclined to think that Zone 1 should remain protected from Buildings but I am willing to hear an explanation from a better educated “homey” than myself.
If Stanford is indeed on the lam, it should be interesting to see where he flees to.
FYI
The name of that country located on the northwestern tip of South America was incorrectly spelt in your article. The correct spelling is ColOmbia. It does not have a ‘u’ in it. This is a common mistake made by journalists and everybody in general.
When you spell ColUmbia with a ‘u’ you are referring to a place in the USA.
__________________
BFP says,
Gosh darnit/ Thats about 3 times I’ve done that! 😦
BFP you will get your wish.
Stanford’s dealings in the whole of the Caribbean will be under investigation.
Stanford greased both sides of the political aisle in the US, the Caribbean politicians must have been cats’ play to him. Antigua under Lester Bird was ripe for the plucking. These seemingly rich businessmen ingratiate themselves with politicians and since in the Caribbean political donations are not disclosed to the public, its open season for corruption.
BTW Stanford will turn up he is probably getting lawyered up and arranging the terms of his surrender. He can always hide out in some South or Central American country which has no extradition agreement with the US but if the Pablo Escobars in the area lost money as a result of the bank debacle those locations would be like living in a mine field.
Don’t forget to mention that all the politicians stanford bank rolled were not black west indians.
Many top ranking caucasean politicians in, of all places the USA, benefited from his generosity.
Don’t continue to give the world the impression that only black people are crooks.
Carl:
BFP’s article has JOHN F*ING MCCAIN at the top. Where do you get this racial component? I don’t see it. The BFP article and the fraud has nothing to do with race. Where the F++K are you coming from?
Stupse!
How much money did the BLP and the DLP receive from Stanford in the last five years?
The public has a right to know!
BFP: Sorry for posting this here but I couldn’t find anywhere more suitable. You believe that the New York Post would be so stupid, I am shocked!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29263781/?GT1=43001
Hants
“Another BLP opposition parliamentarian wants government to look into the problems which prevent zone one land from being used for housing.
Rawle Eastmond says restrictions on these areas have for a long time reduced the availability of land for housing in several areas.”
I would be inclined to think that Zone 1 should remain protected from Buildings but I am willing to hear an explanation from a better educated “homey” than myself.”
We all know about the inviolate protected zone 1 Norwoods property that miraculously had zoning change several years ago completed in a few days. This was done by David Shorey and others which rezoning could have only been completed with Owen Arthurs signature and complicity. Millions of dollars were made on this transaction.
Is this any different than the rezoning that has occurred at the beginning of last year by the DLP whereby the upper buffer lands in the proposed Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary were quietly rezoned from open space to urban corridor.
Go to press release and first two documents under
http://www.graemehall.com/
Are the many thousands of supporters of a 240 acre Graeme Hall Nature National Park aware of this rezoning and that the preservation of Graeme Hall and the open green space as proposed for years by Lionel Nurse and the 1988 Physical Development Plan were to be “preserved as an open space break separating the urban zones of Oistins and Greater Bridgetown.”?
This rezoning contains all the same short sighted ills of the get rich property grabs visited on citizens by the last administration at the expense of future generations of Barbadian children to have open green space.
Scary!!!
@ reality check
I still would like to know if there is new evidence that it is safe to build in Zone 1.
I am just a layman so simple me figures that all liquids that can permeate soil will end up in the water table in this most vulnerable area.
Zone 1 is to my Knowledge an area that is above the water source from which the Waterworks Dept pumps drinking water.
If I am wrong correct me.
This is really sad if true.
Five West Indian players, including Shivnarine Chanderpaul, are set to lose their million-dollar winnings in the fall-out from the Allen Stanford fraud probe that has left English cricket reeling.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-1149423/West-Indian-winners-miss-Stanford-millions-following-fraud-probe.html
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Please allow me to declare my assets by saying that I did not receive any money from STANFORD.
STANFORD has a property in St.Kitts which I had expressed some interest in acquiring through legal means. I was going to offer him 150 dollars EC for the property which he built when he threatened to leave Antigua because he did not get his way in another matter.
So for the record I did not receive any money from STANFORD/
BFP, why also not ask, whether any businessmen, lawyers, accountants, consultancies in BIM have close connections to Stanford/ Antigua?
That is also a thought, because if the allegation is true, money is laundered by covering with supposed business activity, so the obvious is to look for such connections.
Sir Bentwood Dick:
How dare you cast such malicious aspersions?
The Bank of Antigua must be the regional paragon of financial probity.
Indeed its latest accounts were signed off by none other than our own former Central Bank chief, Sir Courtney Blackman.
What further reassurance do you need?
I await your abject apology.
Lol.
So, is it possible to move from the PM’s creature……..
Even if he gave political donations to both parties in Barbados what can be done about it? I would like to be enlightened.
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BFP says,
Spoken like a true political elitist, Tony!
Firstly, there should be an election financing law passed that would 1/ set standards and limits on the amount of money that one entity could donate to politicians, 2/ require public reporting of all donations over a certain limit.
This would bring some transparency to what has been a secret process to this point. Democracy would be strengthened and the unhealthy hold on government by some large corporations and rich individuals would be loosened.
It really is pretty simple, you know. Simple and foundational to democracy that the public interest must not be subverted to entities just because they are rich enough to buy politicians and government officials.
Fair Question says
February 18, 2009
“How much money did the BLP and the DLP receive from Stanford in the last five years?”
“The public has a right to know”!
I can speak with absolute certainty on behalf of the BLP on this matter. Not a cent was given to us. In fact Standford follow the suggestion from Thompson and the DLP that since the BLP was going to lose the election it would have been useless providing funds to us. So he gave us nothing.
Secondly, he became angry with Arthur and the BLP for our stance on the Antigua saga when he, Standford, was accused of trying to buy out Ministers of the in the Antigua Government. PM Arthur at the time had a few harsh words for Standford who became offended.
Not a red penny of Standford money was given to BLP. If you want to find the Barbadian politicians who took Standford money then you need to check with Thompson and the DLP
@Royalrumble
• Not a red penny of Standford money was given to BLP. If you want to find the Barbadian politicians who took Standford money then you need to check with Thompson and the DLP
*************************************************
We’ll take your word that the BLP didn’t take a “red penny” from Stanford, if you will also tell us the names of the businessmen and corporations that the BLP did take money from
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The tentacles of the Stanford empire…..
http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090218.wrstanford19/BNStory/Business
Some years ago EW Barrow described some of his contemporaries in the Caribbean as “Political Bandits”. He never explained whom he had in mind but among the Caribbean leaders at the time were Eric Gairey and VC Bird. I predict that when the smoke clears on Stanford and his connection to Caribbean politicians some new names will be added to the list.
Stanford’s connection to Antigua is well known as his entry was facilitated by the Bird family but not much is known about his connection to the other leaders and from all reports he didn’t hesitate to spend money on politicians if it meant that he would benefit.
Grenadians should also take a closer look at the relationship between their PM and Eric Resteiner. They were both sued in the USA by a Charles C Howland because of a bribe which Resteiner alleged paid to Mitchell. Mr. Howland claimed he was defrauded by Resteiner and part of the money went to Dr. Mitchell. Part of Mitchell’s defense was the claim that he was subject to immunity as a Head of State.
The charges were ultimately dismissed but some believed it was due to the US State Dept. which didn’t want the possible embarrassment of a conviction of a foreign leader by US courts.
Some details may be read in the attached
http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-3035–32-32–.html
Sir Bentwood Dick wrote
“February 19, 2009 at 10:53 am
Lol.
So, is it possible to move from the PM’s creature…….”
To being Stanford’s creature…?
my pm ,Baldwin w.spencer is no puppet,for r allen stanford, so he turn to miss gail christian,now she want to turn the getto in to beverly hills,upp all the way .
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The PM did not take money from anyone , but there is a problem with free movement of caricom nationals . could it be about those outside lawers who will go to barbados and straighten out the corruption mess that is going on with the crooked lawers? no one is above the law , and if there are clear instances of wrong doing, the people should be proscutes just like ordinary citizens, there need to be accountability for wrong doing. Adrian I am awaiting your reply.
Can you imagine that Lester Bird and his gang of crooks and brigands have the audacity to try to blame the UPP for Allen Stanford’s troubles. They seem to be talking out of both sides of their mouths as well as every other orifice the Good Lord blessed them with.
Having sold great portions of the island to this land-grabber for prices that even poor Antiguans cannot buy land, and having allowed Antigua to be in the unfortunate position where a significant portion of its population are in the employ of either the man himself or one of his many companies, they are now saying that this government has allowed Stanford to sully the “good” name of Antigua.
Baldwin Spencer’s only sin was to allow so many of the ALP operatives to remain in office. For starters, the head of the Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC) is still the same person that was hired by the ALP. What was he doing differently now that he had not done while the ALP was in power? And would you believe these people are saying that under the watch of the UPP, things were so lax that Antigua now finds itself embroiled in a financial scandal of international proportions!! That while they were in power, this could never have happened? Well why was Stanford so bent on keeping them in office while they were the government? Why has he provided so much funding to them for the current elections to the extent that their party’s tee shirts are being given out with envelopes filled with $3000 dollars?
Thank God that Baldwin Spencer had the testicular fortitude to tell him that there’s a new game in town and that it is not Stanford’s way or the highway – it’s what is in the interest of the people of Antigua and Barbuda.
As I write, Parliament is meeting to table and pass a bill that will see the lands so frivolously given away to the Texan, be returned to the good people of Antigua. I hope to God that come March 12, 2009, the people of this fair land do the right thing and keep that motley lot of vampires out of office.
The PM didn’t take a penny from CLICO? Not one dollar? Not one jet ride? Really? Thanks Mr. Thompson for letting me know.
Dear BFP,
Amidst all the hullabaloo surrounding Stanford and all the missing money, fraud allegations and plain ordinary corporate stupidity, there are a few glaringly obvious questions I’d like answered.
Is it common banking and corporate financial holdings practice for the Executive Vice President of a financial institution of this magnitude to be in the know of the company’s dealing’s?
Secondly, If the EVP knew of or had knowledge of or was even privy to the continual fraudulent activity being carried out by a company of which he is EVP, wouldn’t it be normal ethical practice given his position to make the said dealings, and or lack there of, known to Federal Regulatory Agencies for investigation?
Third, Is it a positive sign in a banking or financial institution when such a EVP can seemingly disappear into thin air when the real issues become clear to the public and law enforcement?
Having asked all of the above, I am compelled to ask what does this have to do with Barbados? But I think most of you already know the answer to that.