CATEGORY:COMMENTARY ----------------------- INSIDE GRENADA Tuesday March 27,2007 by Lloyd Noel (Attorney-at-law) If we are ever going to achieve Justice and peace - in the new Caribbean that is daily unfolding before our very eyes up and down the Region - we have to take up the challenge that is also daily confronting us in every sector of our lives. The days for blind trust and submissive confidence - in those we have elected to serve the people, in the exercise of their democratic and God-given human rights - those days have long since dis-appeared and vanished with the distant past, and must now-a-days be replaced by constant vigilance, and daily insistence for accountability and honesty and up-front integrity - in all our public affairs. So many wrong-doings and corrupt practices are being perpetrated, by those in authority at the highest levels of our social, political, and financial affairs - that it is very difficult, when we hear about a new investor or benefactor, to accept what is being said about him/her without troubling question-marks. And what makes the whole scenario even more sickening - is that when the smoke starts rising, from the obviously burning cess-pit of wrongdoing and mal-administration, instead of trying to come clean and clear the atmosphere of the foul smells - those in the hot-seats pour out more gasolene or kerosene on the already raging fire, by adding threats and insults to national pride and injuries. In short, they are never men enough to accept the documented evidence, and seek forgiveness and mercy from those they have deceived and cheated. As for accepting responsibility, and throwing in the towel by resigning from their high and trusted offices - that level of honourable behaviour is simply alien to the great majority of our Caribbean public officials. And sad to say, that in my humble opinion, the majority of our people seem to have become so saturated by the re-curring and endlessly on-going corrupt practices - that they tend to just shrug their shoulders and carry on with their deprived lives, as though it is the expected and acceptable behaviour from those they elected to represent their interests and lead the people. And because those deceptive political leaders, having seen through the brittle mentality of their so-called followers - they brazeningly carry on with their deception as though it is the normal and proper thing to do. Take, for example, the applauded Speeches from Prime Minister Mitchell, and Attorney General and Minister for Foreign Affairs Elvin Nimrod - at the NNPs Convention in the Trade Centre two Sundays ago. I heard the Prime Minister demanding, that the Leader of the Opposition must apologise to Deputy Prime Minister Gregory Bowen - for the allegation made against Bowen, that he had demanded a Bribe from Mr. Grynberg of the RSM Corporation, to allow him to continue operations under the Off-shore Oil and Gas Agreement RSM had with the Grenada Government. And Attorney General Nimrod was quoted as saying, that he hoped the two recent incidents of violent attacks - against the two Foreign Diplomats of Italy and Cuba - were not planned incidents hatched by opposition forces to embarrass the NNP Government during the World Cup Matches in Grenada. To take Attorney General Nimrod’s concern first - I can re-assure him, that the Government does not need any help from the so-called opposition forces to cause further embarrassment; members of the very Government, (he and his colleagues) are doing a fantastic job on their own and are very successful. It he needs further reminders, he can check the file from his own Law-Office in New York, in the Case brought by “Ex-Imp Bank of Taiwan” against the NNP Government which he represents as Attorney General. As for the Prime Minister’s demanded apology on behalf of his Deputy Gregory Bowen. I credit him with far more intelligence, to know and understand that the case in New York district Court, against the Russians and Gregory Bowen, for Damages in the sum of US$500 Millions, was not brought by Hon. Tillman Thomas and his Parliamentary Opposition - but by Grynberg and his RSM Corporation. And it is in that case, the allegation of a demand for a bribe by Bowen was made to Grynberg; and the further allegation, that because Grynberg refused to comply - Bowen conspired with the Russians to cheat Grynberg and his RSM Corporation from the benefits of the aforesaid Agreement with the Government of Grenada. So when the Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition in Parliament, comments on that state of the Nation’s affairs in public - what has he got to apologise about? But what is even more alarming, and grossly irresponsible on the part of Minister Bowen and the Government as a whole - is that although the said Minister announced in Parliament many months ago, that Grynberg was seeking a settlement and was prepared to apologise to the Minister on certain stated conditions - it seems nothing was ever done about the matter on any front, and the Claimants have now applied to the Court in New York for Summary Judgment against Bowen and in default of entering an appearance. And the story on the grapevine news, is that Minister Bowen and the Government on his behalf, have recently retained a high-powered Law Firm in the U.S.A. to seek the Court’s leave to permit him to enter a belated appearance and put in a Defence. But in the meantime, Mr. Grynberg’s Lawyers in the New York case have been given Leave (permission) - to request the Court in Boston U.S.A., where Eric Resteiner is awaiting sentence on three or four fraud cases for which he pleaded Guilty, for a subpoena for him to Testify. And the relevance is - that Resteiner had submitted the Video Tape recording, he allegedly had his Security man made when he paid over the U.S. $500,000.00 - to the Grenada Prime Minister for appointing him to a Diplomatic positing in the E.U. - to the Court in Boston towards Mitigation of his Sentence. And Grynberg’s Lawyer has submitted to the New York Court, “that the said Video and Resteiner’s Testimony is admissible and probative, to show that Bribery is the norm at the highest levels of the Grenadian Government.” And the request was to serve a Subpoena on Mr. Resteiner while he is incarcerated in a Federal Prison in the U.S.A. - since he may be deported to Singapore after serving his sentence. So that, instead of demanding any apology as the Prime Minister did on Bowen’s behalf - the alleged Bribery claim against Bowen is not only being vigorously proceeded with, but the mystery Video Tape from St. Moritz in Switzerland, that has been bandied about in the Prime Minister’s alleged compromising encounter with Resteiner - and which the Attorney General Nimrod refused to obtain, when requested so to do by the One-man Commissioner of Inquiry appointed by the Governor General - may very well become public in the case where US$500 Million is being claimed against Minister Bowen. All the foregoing, and much more documentary evidence, are now public property in two Courts in the U.S.A. where the top two Ministers of Government are deeply involved. But they carry-on in their same positions, with business as usual - and continue to involve the people and the State, in even more deep seated Financial under-takings, seemingly oblivious to what is taking place Worldwide. And when we look at our neighbours next door in Trinidad and Tobago - we can see a similar pattern of behaviour by those in the political driving seat. In a very obvious witch-hunt to disgrace, humiliate and determine the professional status of their own son of the soil Chief Judice - who happens to be an Indian by descent - the powers-that-be have brought the Judiciary into ridicule, odium and public Contempt. And the road map used and the methods employed on that road to achieve their desired ends - in the case against Ex-Prime Minister Basdeo Panday, also an Indian by descent, although it looked good at the time and seemed to suggest that no one was above the Law of the land - that too has backfired in their faces, not so sure about their Consciences, and moved the Court of Appeal in Trinidad and Tobago to overturn the Conviction against Panday, and ordered a general review of the entire case, before a decision is made whether or not to bring him back to trial before a new Magistrate. That Final Judge, way above the Universe, is neither dead nor sleeping; all in the fullness of time. But the pattern of behaviour, in terms of accepting any responsibility for the chaos and confusion and disgrace, caused by those in political authority - is no different from that in Grenada. All the highly suspect players are in the team, and the con-game goes on as per usual. The suspended Chief Justice has not been re-instated, although the Criminal Charge against him has been dropped, without his main accuser uttering one word in Court - yet the same accuser continues to sit in Judgment over his less fortunate countrymen/women as though nothing happened. In the wider Region, and surrounding the CWC2007 that has been occupying the Region’s attention for the past year almost full-time - the vibes coming out therefrom have been rather muted up to date. Except for the St. Lucian Minister for Tourism, on the subject of disappointing crowds in his homeland, all the other voices, that have been predicting the World Cup as the Caribbean’s answer to its economic woes, have suddenly lost their thunder. They are no doubt in the process of finding, or manufacturing excuses, to try to justify the Millions the venue Governments have spent on Stadia. Now that the first round games are over, and two of the so-called underdogs have sent home their more illustrious top-dogs in Pakistan and India - it remains to be seen what effects that turn-around will have on the Super Eight Matches in the Four venues up-coming. The under-current row over Contracts, between WICB and WIPA, has been hush-hush, no doubt for very obvious reasons - but it cannot remain that way for all time; those constantly re-curring rows and periods of mis-trust, between the players and management, must be laid to rest for all times. I can very well foresee the headline excuses - should the West Indies not live up to the great expectations, that many are harbouring as the turning point for our Cricket on the World Stage. Sadly for us in these parts - here at home in Grenada, and in the Region as a whole - our political leaders have been letting us down for so many decades, and getting away with it, that the Malaise seems to have penetrated our people’s once-upon-a-time very high and resolute determination to rise up from the ashes of Slavish Colonialism. As a result, in the absence of standards par-excellence to emulate, and role models of integrity, and dignity, and honesty to follow, and strive to walk in their shoes as it were - most of the attributes we once almost took or granted, as being within our climb to the top of the ladder of achievement, now seem to be merely memories of the distant past. We came a long way before - but now have a much longer way still to go.