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save political expediency? Under any other less distorted mindset, would Rowley not have been charged for fraudulent misrepresentation, when he could not support the authenticity of those faux, incriminating e-mails? Assuming the existence of a DPP with the testicular fortitude to have indicted either Manning or Rowley to answer for their obvious indiscretions, in, or out of power, which court of “justice” in T&T would have dared to convict either of them? Which other flawed mindset, afflicting both sides of the ethnopolitical divide, has insulated Faris Alwari from facing questions upon his wife’s connection to the ongoing scandal surrounding the exorbitantly expensive, ongoing lease on a never occupied 1 Alexandra Place or PM Rowley’s roles in both Landate and Las Alturas, or his more recent assumption of the roles of judge and jury in the Malcolm Jones/Petrotrin affair, the serious and expensive “indiscretions” of Marlene McDonald and at least one other of his PNM Ministers? Further, did Rowley not originally vacillate in sync with ex-Mayor Timkee and why does Mayor Paul, after his public comments on this issue still wearing a Mayoral chain of office? Finally, if the specific mindset which has rendered all the above “untouch- Page 12 ISSUE 147 Friday 11th MARCH, 2016 THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM tion that Warner, unlike an so long as that malign Williams’ legacy is permitted to CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY expatriate Calder Hart, ever with T G. MENDES profited from public office? remain, “the elephant in the After declining all but $1.00 room”! Was Port of Spain side of the ethnopolitical divide reacted with less than vice rendered to T&T, even could refuse to open a fully per month for yeoman ser- Which another mindset PNM ex-Mayor Timkee’s initial contempt for popular resentment? Timkee has thus answer must be obvious. pital in Couva in favour of to his severest critics, that equipped children’s hos- announcement of resignation, in response to 1,000 established a precedent. The explanation for that throwing another scarce angry demands for same The resignation of a PNM glaring distortion of fact is, $90m at Manning’s already a threat or a vague promise? public indignation! ency. incomplete “Tsunami shel- office holder in response to of course, political expedi- hideously over budget and Whatever it was, his What other than that same What other mindset ensured the ongoing bloody ley not thus faithfully folter” at Tarouba? Is Row- obvious, unseemly and politically expedient mindset, the foundation upon murder of thousands since lowing in the footsteps of vacillating delay between announcement and fact which Williams built the ‘02 when an illegitimate Manning’s refusal to open has done his public image no favours. Which of Calder Hart to laugh with crime”, elevated by a flawed built school in Biche? What PNM, is today permitting PM, Hart’s “partner in a much-needed opposition- those who have criticised derision at the dupes he and President in ‘01, an obscenity justified by that same priorities, therefore, is the in light of those warped as “same old, same old” a rejected PNM PM bilked my unflinching focus upon of the millions now held flawed mindset, accepted objective of that warped Former POS Mayor RAYMOND TIM KEE that flawed mindset which in foreign accounts? What with enthusiasm by beneficiaries of “business as usual able”, regardless of their via that Williams mindset, Williams/PNM mindset is the Williams legacy - by else has precluded official which a discredited ex- requests for Calder Hart’s, and public apathy, sought a “indiscretions” or which not today, by the process Mayor, and many in similar rather than Jack Warner’s, legitimate mandate by legitimising criminal dons and in power, is not another as the only individual still political dispensation is of elimination, identify him circumstances before him extradition to answer have been similarly encouraged to temporize - would “home drums” supposed to their political support in the continues to serve its inguided nation out of harm’s charges in court? Are not unrepentant terrorists for Williams’ affliction which capable of leading a mis- now care to dispute the real beat loudest for homeboys? General Elections of Oct tended purpose admirably, way? Provided of course explanation and “justification” for that Mayoral vac- here, Warner from Long- them handsomely at taxpaymarkable “good fortune”?. disgusted by the treatment Which is the “home boy” ‘02 and ‘07 compensated then what explains their re- that he have not been too illation? When, since ‘56 denville, or Hart from Canada? Aside from which, has he not assured of immunity Warner, against whom no to accept that awesome reer expense thereafter? Were Why then has Jack Austin received to still be inclined has an elected PNM office holder or a politician on any there ever been any allega- from prosecution via the breath of scandal might be sponsibility on behalf of a widespread value distortion credibly levelled against deluded, judgmental and of that PNM mindset, would Manning have so confidently bankrupted the economy? Indeed, after his defeat on 24/5/10, which other mindset enabled him to welcome the charity of his now reviled successors in power to cope with his subsequent medical problems? Why did not PNM colleagues who fattened on the public purse not save an ailing Manning that indignity? Further, in the absence of that now all-encompassing either his political or personal performances in T&T, not to date enjoyed similar “good fortune” against the demands of a foreign imperialist power for his extradition to answer trumped up charges? Unless of course he is mutually regarded upon both sides of that ethnopolitical, divide in his native land as a potential political threat to both! In that plausible scenario, does not the socio-political future of the nation demand, depend upon the ongoing ungrateful society! Pray, Williams/PNM political focus, exposure and prompt mindset, would PM Rowley have dared to present to Parliament those obviously spurious e-mails in his attempt to falsely discredit the then ruling PPG? Under which another mindset could the PPG have suffered the addition of insult to injury when they have adjudged the villains for bringing their subsequent vote of “no confidence” against Rowley for his fraudulent mischief? No significant improvement in political conduct might be reasonably anticipated and total exorcism of that ongoing, all-embracing, and malign legacy of the late putative “Father of the Nation”? In the ongoing neglect of that national responsibility, to what can T&T look forward except escalated violence, death, and destruction? Given his demonstrated performance and personal generosity does Jack Warner’s deliberate official denial of national protection from extradition by “the powers that be” therefore, if only for subsequent generations, that his oft-demonstrated patriotism precludes any such reaction - however justified! Alternatively, T&T can always continue denigrating and rejecting Warner on spurious and unsubstantiated allegations of corruption outside of T&T. Having so done and in the unlikely event that the society has not violently imploded before the next General Election as a result of political corruption, arrogance, and mismanagement, a misguided society might as well continue voting PNM, since as Sparrow will have accurately sung - “We like it so” until as they boast in Laventille, vote “PNM until we (are all prematurely) dead”. At which point in time that durable and malign Williams’ legacy will have fulfilled its specific purpose! Then and not unless removed before, will it cease to be “the elephant in the room.”
ISSUE 147 Friday 11th MARCH, 2016 Page 13 BANKING ON TRUST - it’s a very hard thing to expect but FCB must come clean Story by JACK WARNER The national conversation now taking placing as a result of Camille Robinson-Regis’ $93,000 deposit is of concern to many sectors of our community. As a result, our Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley should not trivialize the disquiet among many citizens with talk about his wife’s underwear but seek to get to the bottom of this story if only to extirpate the perception of corruption among one of his senior Cabinet members. The fact that this story is still gaining traction is simply because there has been flip-flopping in the responses made by the Honourable Minister. And even though the Ex- press stops publishing and social media regress into silence on this issue there will always be a cloud of doubt, as questions will continue to plague the stewardship of this Minister. The citizens want to believe the Minister but they are not sure about the source of funds nor are they sure about the quantum nor its composition. One minute the Minister says it is her salary, another time she says it is a withdrawal from Republic Bank (from which Bank Sunshine has been told that $150,000.00 had been withdrawn by the Minister) and on yet on another occasion we are hearing that the source included funds from her husband’s resources. FCB Another issue of concern has to do with the form of the deposit whether it was cash or cheque or whether it was a combination of the two; the Minister has not been very clear on these matters and thus the public senses a tad of equivocation on the part of the Minister. So this $93,000 deposit has landed this Minister in a quagmire from which her versions of the truth seem to have her more entangled. What is even worse is that this Minister has a precedent, which does not locate her on the side of trust with the national community. So coupled with her various versions concerning the $93,000 deposit and the history of the credit card scandal under Patrick Manning’s administration, it is only reasonable that one would expect a sense of anxiety related to financial transactions under question by this Minister. But of even greater concern is the response of the First Citizens Bank. In a number of cases banks have shown selective indiscretion in the release of customers’ business with financial institutions. I feel a sense of pity for the Minister because I too have been a victim of such recklessness where my own financial situation was exposed leaving me at risk to the deviant within our society. As a former Minister of National Security, I am also aware that in a number of kidnapping cases the victims’ bank accounts were known to the kidnappers, down to the very last cent. Some of the kidnappers could have recited dates, times and quantities of deposits thus assuring the relatives about the accuracy of their wealth and the ability to pay their demands. So if there is unease on the part of the Honourable Minister I can by all means sympathize with her because they have placed her security and the security of her immediate family and relatives under threat. And if the Prime Minister said that he too was uncomfortable with FCB after this event, the nation cannot be angry with him because if citizens’ financial business is not safe with banking institutions, it becomes a threat to both the financial and national security of Trinidad and Tobago. But here lies my dilemma with FCB. What they have offered on numerous occasions is a prepared text parroting the general policy approach of the bank without taking into consideration the current situation. By now every citizen can tell you what FCB’s policy is but what we do not know is what happens when that policy is breached. The only way the Express could have known about the $93,000 deposit is through an agent of FCB. Somebody who was part of that transaction or who had access to the information regarding the transaction leaked it to the Trinidad Express. I felt insulted when the Express exposed to the public the texts shared between its reporter and the Minister in an attempt to convince the national community that FCB did not leak the information. Then from where did the source get the information? Was the bank’s data hacked by someone known to the reporter who provided her with such information? Not once have we read that FCB proposes to launch an investigation into this leak. Not once have we heard any attempt by FCB to identify the person or persons culpable for the leak and to take action against them. Until the bank convinces us that such a process is in motion, every citizen with a bank account at FCB is under threat because within its employ are persons who lack discretion and who are willing to part with information regardless of the threat it poses to individual or national security. This is something with which we as citizens cannot be comfortable and the Board of FCB needs to step in and interrupt this laissez-faire approach before citizens choose to close their accounts with the Bank and thrust it into financial peril. Regardless of what FCB suggests we know that they have had difficulty with staff in recent times and the latest episode is a further manifestation that all is not well. So as much as the Minister would like this to die, unless FCB comes clean the national community should be wary of doing business with this bank since the confidentiality of business transactions appears PM Dr. KEITH ROWLEY CAMILLE ROBINSON REGIS to be compromised. My sympathy here is with the Minister. It is not because I believe that she has no questions to answer, on the contrary, I hope that her next comment will be one that will put her side of the story to rest forever. But my sympathy is with her because I sense politics in motion in the release of this story. I am aware of instances where politicians from another administration made larger deposits at FCB than the one in question and not a word was heard and I am sure that FCB’s former CEO Larry Howai can attest to that. So the integrity of which the bank speaks is suspect as far as I am concerned and the Minister has every right to feel targeted. She has done the right thing in closing off her accounts and if I were her colleague I too would have closed my account and would have been very wary because this most certainly seems to echo with political overtones. But to FCB my one wish is for you to come clean and launch an investigation to assure the national community that you are prepared to do the right thing at all times.
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