Moontown

Allen Stanford. Bloomberg photo

Receiver overseeing the liquidation of the Stanford estate the 49 properties it has taken actions to expropriate, and repay the loans made by Allen Stanford or any Stanford entity as well as “payments made to officials of the government of Antigua and Barbuda for the purpose of subverting regulatory oversight.”

The Resolution has been referred to the powerful US House of Representatives Financial Services Committee for a vote. This action comes on the heels of a similar Senate Resolution sponsored by eight US Senators in December 2009, which is now pending a vote by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The Stanford Victims Coalition, an advocacy group representing the 28,000 victims of the Stanford Financial Group fraud, recently launched its “Anti-Crime, Anti-Antigua” campaign which calls on travel professionals, prospective tourists, and investors from around the world to boycott Antiguan hotels and resorts, cruises to Antigua, investments in Antiguan financial institutions or in companies or ventures based in Antigua. The “Anti-Antigua” campaign also encompasses a comprehensive lobbyist component focused on efforts to block foreign aid and trade with Antigua, according to the SVC.

“When Antigua is ready to make things right and release the assets that were purchased with Stanford victims’ investments, the SVC will stop its efforts to expose Antigua for its corrupt actions,” said Angela Shaw, Executive Director and Founder of the Stanford Victims Coalition, which represents 28,000 defrauded Stanford International Bank-Antigua depositors. “When the crime stops, so will we. Until then, we will pursue every effort we possibly can to warn potential tourists, developers and investors about the dangers of Antigua.”

“This is a very serious matter and in over a year since the Stanford fraud was exposed, the government of Antigua and Barbuda has not publicly acknowledged Stanford investors or shown any level of sympathy or remorse - or worse - its intention to address the devastation this crime has inflicted on innocent people from around the world,” Shaw said. “Prime Minister Spencer has had a chance to show the world Antigua finally knows right from wrong, yet not unlike the previous regime, its actions thus far do not lead anyone to believe the current administration is any different. It’s just business as usual in Antigua.” (Caribnet)

Updating its advice to travelers after it emerged last week that kidnappers had abducted and later freed two European aid workers, the State Department added a special section on crime-related threats.

“US citizens traveling to and residing in Haiti despite this warning are reminded that there remains a persistent danger of violent crime, including homicides and kidnappings,” it said.

“Most kidnappings are criminal in nature, and the kidnappers make no distinctions of nationality, race, gender, or age. Some kidnap victims have been killed, shot, sexually assaulted, or physically abused.”

The State Department provided no further information about the four American citizens it said had been murdered in Port-au-Prince since the quake and it was not immediately clear if they were Haitian Americans or not.

The abduction of the two Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) workers was the first kidnapping of foreign aid staff since the quake, which killed more than 220,000 people and left 1.3 million people homeless.

The United States ordered the departure of all non-emergency US government personnel in the immediate aftermath of the quake, but there are fears that crime could soar as the post-quake despondency grows.

Haitian police and foreign security contractors have spoken of the danger posed by thousands of hardened criminals who escaped the main prison in the capital during the earthquake.

Most of them are believed to be hiding out in Cite Soleil, a city slum devastated by the 7.0-magnitude quake where police and UN peacekeepers struggle to impose the law.

The State Department said the Haitian police force had improved since the arrival of thousands of United Nations peacekeepers in the troubled Caribbean nation in 2006 but warned that travel in the capital remained “hazardous.”

US embassy personnel are under an embassy-imposed curfew and some areas of the capital, including downtown Port-au-Prince, are off limits for them after dark. (Caribnet)

During the March 11-12 inter-Sessional meeting, the region’s leaders held frank exchanges with the presidents of the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), seeking help with economic challenges like reducing their heavy debt burdens.

According to CMC, an offer from World Bank president Robert Zoellick to send assessment teams to interested countries gained widespread acceptance from the leaders of the 15-nation CARICOM.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Baldwin Spencer, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) he was “very happy over the fact that at least the World Bank is prepared to look at the issue and to determine whether some formulation could be made out as to be able to get some positive relief.”

CARICOM Chairman, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica, said the situation in Haiti was a central feature in the discussions with both Washington-based international financial institutions.

However, Skerrit told a post-summit press conference that the Haitian government needed to be shown more trust from the international community regarding its ability to take the country forward in the wake of the catastrophic January 12 earthquake that killed at least 300,000 people and destroyed much of the infrastructure capital, leaving 1.2 million people homeless.

He said the regional grouping, of which the French-speaking nation is a member, is prepared to lead from the front in that regard by providing any assistance directly to the Haitian government.

“CARICOM has taken a decision to support the priorities of the Government of Haiti and we have indicated that whatever resources the Caribbean Community would put together that those resources would be sent directly to the Government of Haiti to spend based on the priorities of the Government of Haiti,” he told a post-summit press conference.

“Let me also say very clearly that we believe that the international community must display a greater level of confidence in the ability of the government and people of Haiti in moving Haiti forward.

“We have heard of several hundreds of millions of dollars that have been raised on behalf of the Haitian people but in our interaction with the President, he has made it clear to us that those resources have not come to the Government of Haiti,” the CARICOM Chairman said.

He said that for example, agencies like the Red Cross that have raised vast sums of money needed to say how they have spent those funds because there are urgent priorities on the ground.

“We have been told by the President of Haiti that he needs about $365 million to address some very pressing challenges, as his government is only able to put together 20 per cent of the total revenue prior to the earthquake. Now, all of us can appreciate the tremendous challenge that would pose to any government if you can only amass 20 per cent of your total revenue to do what you have to do.

“So we are hoping that the international community can recognise the importance of channelling the resources through the Government of Haiti to respond to the needs of its people,” Skerrit added.

Guyana’s President, Bharrat Jagdeo, who also spoke at the closing press conference, stressed the importance of doing more than paying lip-service to the Haitian people, who have endured the worst natural disaster on record in this part of the world.

He said as early as next week, his country would be in a position to provide financial assistance to Haiti to assist with budgetary spending.

“It is very important that we do this,” Jagdeo told reporters.

“We can’t urge the multilateral financial institutions and bilateral donors to respect the sovereignty of Haiti and to respect the government that’s the leading force and then we ourselves try to spend money outside of the government and exacerbate the problem that they have with coordination. So we are saying, by our own example, that we trust that the government will spend the money well,” the Guyanese leader said.

The CARICOM heads of government also announced that they agreed on the need to beef up the resources of the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

Skerrit said this was a necessary decision to take since “at present the CDB is receiving requests way beyond the resources it has” and that by increasing the capital levels of funding to the CDB, it would be in a better position to help member states confront social and economic challenges.

Many countries of the region have been experiencing prolonged dry spells in recent months - a situation that did not escape the attention of Caribbean leaders, even though they could not be realistically expected to provide a quick fix to the frustrations of drought being experienced by the people of the region.

“It is something that the Caribbean Community is taking very seriously and we are hoping to advance and work together to see how we can work together as a community to see how we can ensure that in the future if we are visited by a drought then there would be systems in place to help countries in need,” Skerrit told journalists.

He said two of the Community’s organs - the Council for Human and Social Development (COSHOD) and the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) - would be mandated to meet in the coming months to devise a wide range of short-, medium, and long-term measures for sustainable water management for the consideration of government leaders when they meet for their July summit in Jamaica.

Jamaica accepted to take over the rotating chairmanship at that time because of the dire situation in Haiti, which was originally due to assume the post and host the next meeting.

“It would be difficult for me to manage Haiti while taking care of CARICOM. It was an honour for me but really I think you understand if I am doing a job I do it well,” Haiti’s President, Rene Preval told journalists at a separate press conference.

“You understand we lost 300,000 people and we have one million people sleeping out on the streets every day. Already, just to be in this meeting took a lot of effort for me to be here. I was an honour for me to play that role in CARICOM but unfortunately I can’t,” he said.

CARICOM leaders also agreed to begin introducing CARIPASS, a regional travel document designed to facilitate easier inter-regional travel, by the start of July.

Discussions also focused on crime and security, agriculture, food safety, border issues and climate change. (Caribnet)

Nikita Braxton South Bureau

MAGISTRATE Rajendra Rambachan yesterday said he was surprised that with so much information about breathalyser testing now in the public domain, people were still appearing before him charged with exceeding the alcohol limit.

’I think it is a little distressing that after such awareness by the Government and NGOs, that you will find yourself here,’ Rambachan told Satesh Kubirsingh.

Kubirsingh faced the Traffic Court charged with exceeding the prescribed alcohol limit. He was found driving his vehicle along Cipero Street, San Fernando, last month.

The first breathalyser test revealed he had 95 mg of alcohol on his breath, with the second at 85 mg. The legal limit is .35 mg of alcohol.

’You need to have safer practices,’ Rambachan said as he fined him $4,000.

In default of this, Kubirsingh will serve nine months in prison.

A trip to purchase burgers landed Jeremy Rigues in court for the same offence. Rigues told Rambachan he went to purchase the fast food and stopped at a nearby gas station. He said he was approached by police officers and willingly took the test. He failed.

’We have to develop a culture just as in other countries that we should not put ourselves in vehicles if we are self induced with alcohol or medically induced,’ Rambachan said.

Rambachan fined him $3,700 and warned that for a second offence, the maximum fine was $15,000 or imprisonment of five years. (Trinidad Express)

Anna Ramdass

Without calling the name of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd (UDeCOTT), Prime Minister Patrick Manning sent the message last night that the company was responsible for the development of the nation, as Government continues to battle challenges with the local construction sector.

Manning said he was being attacked at ’every angle’, but asserted that Government will continue to battle with the construction sector to ensure the people of this country get value for money.

Yesterday, Manning and his People’s National Movement (PNM) team walked though the streets of San Juan where he greeted and spoke to a number of people. The majority of the residents were warm, but at least one man refused to allow the Prime Minister entry unto his property. The man told the media that he was disenchanted with the PNM government and the way they were running the country. Manning was not deterred and continued walking and greeting the people.

Although Manning was faced with one upset citizen, he touched the heart of another. As he entered the meeting site, Manning kissed the hand of one woman who was instantly overjoyed.

’I not bathing for a week, the Prime Minister kiss my hand,’ she said in glee.

Following the walkabout, Manning spoke at a cottage meeting at a basketball court in San Juan, where he said Government was at war with the local construction sector.

’As we seek to accelerate the rate of the country’s development, we are running head-on into some practices in the country that the PNM Government is not prepared to tolerate any longer. I’m talking about practices in construction,’ he said.

He said projects are driven by architects who give 70 per cent of the design and the remaining 30 per cent is placed under something called ’provisional sums’ where control is lost over the project and there were cost overruns and other problems.

Said Manning, ’Government is saying that doesn’t work. What you see happening today is a battle between the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and largely the construction sector and some elements. It is not all, there are good people in it.

’And, it’s a war, you know, and soldiers may fall along the way, my dear friends, but the Government is determined to carry this to a finish because at the end of the day the people of Trinidad and Tobago would benefit.’

Manning said he and the Government were under attack for this. (Trinidad Express)

Renuka Singh

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s new claims of a conflict of interest against another Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) director over the construction of an access road to a private housing development, are groundless, UDeCOTT deputy chairman, Dr Krishna Bahadoorsingh, says.

’I have nothing to hide, so I have nothing to worry about,’ Bahadoorsingh said yesterday, after learning of the statements made by Persad-Bissessar regarding the construction of the Edinburgh Boulevard and access road to Brentwood Palms in Chaguanas.

’Kamla is a politician and a good one, so she will grab at anything to advance her cause,’ he said.

Bahadoorsingh, who sat at the head of Westmoorings Ltd, the property development company responsible for the construction of the Chaguanas-based housing development back in the 1980s, said the issue of a conflict of interest does not exist.

He dismissed the accusations, explaining that the road works were simply the fulfilment of a 17-year-old contractual promise made by the People’s National Movement (PNM). He said the road works to Brentwood Palms was part of the government’s financial obligation to his company after the massive 4,000-housing project, Edinburgh 500, stalled due to lack of funding in 1983.

’We were invited by the then government under Frank Barsotti, the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, and we were given the contract. A few years later the contract was stopped because of the lack of money,’ he said.

Bahadoorsingh explained that in stopping the contract, the then government agreed to lay in the existing sewer system into the development and to design and build the Edinburgh Boulevard. However, he said when the United National Congress (UNC) came into power that promise was not fulfiled.

’There was no continuity of that work from one Government to the next. I could have sued the government at that point for failure to perform, but I did not. Now Kamla is bringing this up because of my decency back then?’ he asked.

He said the company eventually designed and built the Edinburgh Boulevard themselves and when the PNM came back into power, they honoured their old promise and completed the road works to the development, some 17 years later.

’If Kamla Persad-Bissessar is looking at me, she looking in the wrong direction,’ he said, adding that Persad-Bissessar was a member of Cabinet when then minister of housing, Sadiq Baksh, took the proposal for the Edinburgh Boulevard to the UNC.

’But there is no love in war and politics. I think she is attempting to target the rest of the UDeCOTT board for political leverage, but she is looking in the wrong direction,’ he said. (Trinidad Express)

Ria Taitt Political Editor

UDeCOTT deputy chairman: Krishna Bahadoorsingh

The five new Integrity Commissioners are in for a busy time.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has wasted no time in bringing two matters requiring their urgent attention.

Hours after their swearing-in at the President’s House yesterday, Persad-Bissessar drafted two letters on conflict of interest issues involving UDeCOTT board members, Deputy Chairman Krishna Bahadoorsingh and Michael Annisette. (See Page 5)

Persad-Bissessar, who also raised the issues at last night’s public meeting in Barataria, alleged that UDeCOTT built a dual carriageway road at a cost of $20 million, which leads to a private development owned by Bahadoorsingh at Brentwood Palms, Chaguanas. The road was completed in 2006.

The road-Edinburgh Boulevard-is listed among the accomplishments of UDeCOTT. UDeCOTT, which does not usually build roads, built the road by award of contract to a contractor. The road was built with Cabinet approval, after the former housing minister, Dr Keith Rowley, turned down a request from Bahadoorsingh for its construction.

Sources said yesterday that Rowley was approached to build the road as part of the housing programme and he refused on the basis that he did not think it was part of that programme.

’It was really a road to develop land that was not accessible at the time,’ one source stated.

After Rowley refused, Bahadoorsingh approached him again with the position that the road was promised by the George Chambers government. Rowley requested documents to substantiate this claim, but Bahadoorsingh allegedly never returned to him on the issue.

Sources said the net effect of the road construction -whilst it also leads to two government housing projects, Edinburgh 500 and the more recent Edinburgh South, which have an alternative road to them-is that it allegedly opens up private lands owned by Bahadoorsingh which were not hitherto accessible.

As a result, Persad-Bissessar is asking the Integrity Commission to investigate whether there was a clear conflict of interest- when UDeCOTT gets a road built which allegedly facilitates its deputy chairman’s own business. She wants to know whether the Cabinet was aware that the road would improve the value of Bahadoorsingh’s lands when it approved the decision.

’If so, is it that UDeCOTT used improper and undue influence to facilitate a private project?’ she is also asking.

On the issue involving Annisette, Persad-Bissessar, in her letter to the Integrity Commissioner, gave the history of the matter. She stated that Rowley recommended to the Cabinet that State property be given to the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW) at competitive prices for the purpose of the development of a housing estate.

Almost nine hectares of NHA Valsayn lands were leased by the State to a joint venture company, NUGFW Construction Company Ltd, at a cost of $2.5 million in February 2004, she noted. However, ten months later, NUGFW, whose president at the time was Annisette, sold the land for $7.2 million (almost $5 million more) to UDeCOTT, on whose board Annisette sits.

Persad-Bissessar quoted Rowley’s testimony at the Commission on Enquiry, in which he raised his concern about the matter.

Said Rowley: ’It is disturbing to note that this State land, which was facilitated at favourable rates to the private sector, apparently returned to the public sector by purchase through an arrangement between NUGFW Construction, UDeCOTT and Hafeez Karamath Ltd, designated as the sole development contractor.’

Quoting Section 29 (1) of the Integrity in Public Life Act which deals with conflict of interest, Persad-Bissessar said: ’It appears that Mr Annisette, at the same time that he was a shareholder and part owner of NUGFW Construction company, (a) was exercising a public function when he participated in the decision making with respect to the transactions involving the Valsayn land and housing project and (b) that he knew and ought reasonably to have known that in the making of the decision, there was an opportunity either directly and/or indirectly to further his private interests … In the circumstance, he must have known that there was and is such an opportunity since a hefty profit of $5 million was made when UDeCOTT, of which he is a director, purchased the lands from the NUGFW Construction Company.’ (Trinidad Express)