The End

Three times unlucky.  That is what they said in the trenches during World War I.  If you were a soldier taking cover in a trench and lit one cigarette at night, the sniper might miss.  By the time you lit the second one, he had you spotted.  If that shot did not get you, the third one was bound to splatter your head.  Hence, third time unlucky. 

I have now received my third “letter before action”.  A subject of several posts on my blog has sent me a letter threatening a law suit if I do not apologise to him for what he claims are defamatory articles I have posted of him going back to 2007.  I have sought legal advice, and am awaiting word from my attorney on how I should respond. 

It may be worth remembering the recent history of this blog.  It started in December 2006.  By 2006, the lone Anguillian radio call-in programme, Talk Your Mind, had degenerated into social chatter about carnival and culture.  There were no other radio stations engaging the public in any kind of serious discourse.  By 2010 that has all changed.  Each of the several radio stations in Anguilla now hosts one or more radio call-in programmes per week.  At each of them the citizen is invited to express his opinion and to criticise government action and inaction.  Even Talk Your Mind now once again occasionally deals with controversial issues. 

When the blog started, our two local newspapers The Anguillian and The Light published only press releases and society stuff.  No more.  Since the blog started, they have begun to print critical and analytical stuff about the goings on in government.  Last week’s Anguillian alone boasted over 6 pages of serious social and political commentary.

Back in December 2006 gang violence had never been as pervasive as it was in that year.  There were more murders in Anguilla in that year than in a normal decade.  The Royal Anguilla Police Force was secretive and defensive about its actions.  Its members were held in very low public esteem.  They complained that the public was not cooperating with their investigations.  They had not yet started holding their weekly press conferences.  They do so now.  They now keep us up to date with what is going on in the criminal court, and on the criminal front.  This welcome public relations effort began immediately after I met with the Commissioner of Police and his senior officials and pointed out how useful and necessary such an activity would be.  Police relations with the public of Anguilla has since gone through a ground sea swell.

Back in 2006, the then Chief Minister Osborne Fleming had long stopped the tradition of weekly press conferences that Hubert Hughes had engaged in when he was in office.  This blog complained frequently about the negative impact that this secrecy and lack of information had on the society.  You will recall that many of us were then suspicious of government.  There was a sullen acceptance that things were going on that none of us was being told about.  The blog posted several pieces pointing out the need for more openness in government, particularly for press conferences after the weekly Executive Council meeting, so that we could be informed what government was doing for us.  Shortly after the blog began to make these complaints, the Chief Minister started his weekly press conferences.  It is true that they were not informative, about government, but mainly political propaganda, about the Chief Minister’s take on his enemies and their motives.  There is still to this day no weekly press conference on the activities and decisions of ExCo, and that is a shame.  Hubert Hughes has continued the tradition of political press conferences.  Never mind, at least it is something.  For what little it is worth, this blog can claim some credit. 

There are plenty of other forums out there performing the function for which this blog was started.  There is axareality.com.  That forum does occasionally tend to be juvenile and bad tempered, but it posts interesting documents.  There is some political discussion on Anguilla Talk though lately it has mainly died down, reportedly in response to threats of legal action.

I no longer feel like a lone voice crying in the wilderness for some openness, transparency and accountability.  Closing this blog down will not be a serious loss.  Several others have taken up the mantle and are carrying on demanding the high standards of public life that we all expect.

The bottom line is that whether the gentleman who is threatening action against me is right or wrong, I am not prepared to expose Maggie Mitchell’s retirement fund to more risk of depletion.  Since I evidently lack the necessary skills of dissimulation, it would seem that the only way to ensure this objective is to cease publishing.  This will therefore probably be my last post on this blog. 

A pity, really, as the site was nearly at the 250,000 visitor mark.

IMMI

Sorry, I have been busy. But, someone sent me this video I had to share with you.



With some of the stories that I have been hearing about, but lack the resources to research, or to defend myself from the inevitable libel suit if I publish, I am thinking of moving to Iceland.

Marriages

I heard part of the Chief Minister’s weekly press conference on TV last night.  And, my stomach turned with nausea.  I have not witnessed such a sick performance in a long time.  He went on and on about how concerned we must all be about ‘marriages of convenience’.  Listening to him you would you would have got the impression that permanent liaisons between Anguillian women and Indian contract labour at Viceroy is the biggest challenge to Anguilla’s integrity and destiny that we face at this time.  He made it sound like a major crisis was on us.  Worse than an epidemic of swine flu.

The nausea is aggravated by the memory of his shameful speeches in the House of Assembly when he has accused Pam Webster of permitting herself to be the victim of a ‘marriage of convenience’.  Over the past year, with the connivance of an accommodating Speaker, he has shamelessly abused the privilege of the House to smear and denigrate Pam and her husband with this baseless and disgusting allegation.  When she wins the Island Harbour seat in the upcoming general elections, I hope she will have a few remarks to make in the House of Assembly about one or two so-called Christian Anguillian men I can think about and their hypocritical treatment of their long-suffering wives.

Did he think he could issue work permits for several hundred single men, and not one of them would stay?

No one takes him seriously any longer.

And, Jerome Roberts will easily take his seat in East End.

Hopefully we will now get our first genuine Indian Restaurant.  That would be a relief after all these Chinese Restaurants selling chicken and chips.

Related Posts:

Intimidation

 

Sued

It cost me a lot of money. The first thing I teach my pupils when we are studying the tort of defamation is, “Don’t repeat gossip that a person is suspected of being corrupt unless you have the evidence”. The way the law is written at present, it does not matter how many people suspect that the gossip you repeated is true. It does not matter what Percy is saying, or what the calypsonians are singing. If you are sued, and if you do not have credible and convincing and admissible evidence, you will lose. That is what happened to me.

A few days ago, I was informed that the matter brought against me by the four ministers for the item I published on 4 July 2007 has been settled.

A pity I did not first read my own lecture notes before I pressed the “send” button.

Intimidation

Chief Minister Osborne Fleming Responds in the Anguilla House of Assembly to the British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Recommendation for an Inquiry. Those of you who follow Anguilla’s public affairs will know that the FAC has recommended a Commission of Inquiry into allegations of corruption in Anguilla. I will not repeat all the history of this recommendation and the events leading up to it. Those of you who are not familiar with the subject of the FAC Investigation can read all about it at the links below at the foot of this post.

On 15 July 2008, using the privilege of not being liable to be sued for anything defamatory said in the House of Assembly, the Hon Chief Minister Osborne Fleming reacted to the FAC recommendation. Two Anguillians had made written submissions to the FAC. He accused them of deliberately destroying Anguilla. He referred to them as foreigners who have no love in their hearts. His language was violent and vituperative in the extreme. His words can fairly be described as a call for all right thinking Anguillians to shun and avoid the two persons.

The dramatis personae are Don Mitchell and Harry Wiggin. The theory the Chief Minister advances in his speech is a simple one. In case you have difficulty following his argument, I will explain. Harry Wiggin married an Anguillian. He sent a submission to the FAC. His must have been a marriage of convenience. Don Mitchell and his wife decided not to have any children. Don Mitchell sent a submission to the FAC. Any man who is deliberately without a child is incapable of love. Don Mitchell must hate all Anguillians. Both Mitchell and Wiggin are evil persons who are bent on the destruction of Anguilla. That is the only reason why they made their submissions to the FAC. And, they are doing all this because they are opposed to the government trying to go for full internal self government for Anguilla.

If you would like to hear his words in living audio, I have the speech divided into two parts here.

Part 1:

Part 2:

If you would like to read his words, I have tried my best to accurately transcribe them below for you. Read the speech for yourself.

Transcript of a portion of a speech by the Hon Chief Minister, Mr Osborne Fleming, in the Anguilla House of Assembly on 15 July 2008.

The big question this morning, Mr Speaker, as I deal with tourism, is that I was called this morning and I was told that the major hotel operators in Anguilla are concerned about the accusation about corruption and bribery with the ministers in Anguilla, to the extent that they are so nervous, for one, the US government will get wind of it eventually, and begin to tighten up on them, and two, the people who are potential investors and buyers will ward off. They are very concerned about this loose talk about bribery going on in Anguilla today.

I made the point last night that these accusations are not the ministers, you know. Each of us, each of us here will pay the price for that. Each of us in Anguilla will pay the price for that loose talk that went on.

But, you must remember, Mr Speaker, that the perpetrators of the destruction of Anguilla, because that is just what it is, it is the destruction of Anguilla, deliberately destroying Anguilla, deliberately destroying Anguilla! I want to make this point, that there is nothing like a mother's love.

Oh, when you see a woman does not have a child, Mr Speaker, when a father does not have a child, it is a sad thing. You take a child, that mother takes that child and she holds that child in her lap, and she feeds him from the breast, and she looks at his beautiful eyes as he sucks. That reminds you of true love, true love. Take that child. I am not a mother, but I see it in my children. And the mother gloats with pride and joy. But, when people have no children, there is no love in them. Hardly, I say hardly. Not everybody.

It is a good thing, Mr Speaker, to have a child. It is a good thing to have a child, because you have love for your fellow men and your country. But, when you don't have, then you have problems. I thought of that last night.

We have one mother here, and she can tell you the joy she has when that little baby is in her hands, how sweet. But, when people deliberately do not want that joy, they can't have love for their country, they can’t have!

So, I come back to the point of the bribery, and to say that me and the ministers, and the members on the other side, you are affected the same way. Understand that. It is not Mr Banks, Mr Rogers, Mr Fleming, Mr Harrigan and Mr Hughes, it is all of us paying the price for this.

I am not guessing what I am saying. The document that I have here is clear. And I want to say, Mr Speaker, where we are even threatened by the Foreign Affairs Committee not to say nothing to these people. Well, I want to tell you one thing. I am in Anguilla, in Anguilla, and I am not afraid of any of them.

I strayed a little bit. I want to come back to this, “Finally, the Committee concludes . . .” this is what the document says that went from the Foreign Affairs Committee to the British Government. They conclude by saying that, “It would be deplorable and totally unacceptable for any individual who has assisted the Committee with its inquiry to be subjected to threats, intimidation or personal sanctions or violence in any form.” We are not doing that to anybody. We are going to talk the truth. “If the Committee is informed of any such retaliatory measures being taken against any person who has submitted formal or informal evidence to this Inquiry, it will take all appropriate steps within it powers . . .”

We are going to come down. We are in Anguilla.

Mr Speaker, I mention all this because it encumbers our tourism, our livelihood, our life.

And, the list of written evidence to the Commission . . . Members are free to have a look at it . . . “Overseas Territories. Anguilla: Don Mitchell CBE QC, and Harry Wiggin.” I was to have approached the Queen long ago, and ask her, how is it they give people QC. I want to do it, and I am going to have to do it soon. These two people have seeked to destroy the livelihood of the people of Anguilla and our children by deliberately spoiling Anguilla's name. Deliberately, these two people.

They talk about corruption. You know, Mr Speaker, when I get in here I am going to talk, I am going to talk. They tried their best. And, the main reason for all of this is to stand in our way for seeking full internal self-government. That is the only reason. We are not saying that we are going to get there. But, we are trying to get there. And, they are doing everything to block us.

Could you imagine a Committee receiving a letter about the Ministers of Government and immediately publishes it all over the world, where my friends, and I am sure all members concerned. My children called and asked me what this was all about. Do you think it is an easy thing for us to go through this?

I do not know Mr Banks' position financially. But, I personally believe that if he received a bribe, he would have had on a totally different shirt and suit today. I would not owe a soul in the world. I have some loans at the bank. I would not owe a soul. If I was getting bribes, I would pay off my debt. This is what we are subjected to today. They have done that.

But, I am glad to say this, Mr Speaker, the people of Anguilla know better, know better.

There are people in Anguilla, Mr Speaker, who obtained belongership in the following ways: one, by legitimately and decently marrying somebody. That is one. Two, by being married to somebody for five years, automatically you get it. And, if you live in Anguilla continuously for fifteen years, you get Anguilla belongership.

And, we have had a number of cases of marriages of convenience. We had a young man who was in gaol here, who was being deported to St Kitts, and a girl from Anguilla went in the gaol and married him, so he could stay here. That is what is going on. Is that corruption? I don't know. But, what I do know is that we have that system in high places. A lot of Anguillians do not know this, that we have people in high places doing things of a similar kind.

And, I want to bring this House up to date on a case in point. One of the writers to the Foreign Affairs Committee . . . I want us around the table to be the judge of this . . . one of the writers here got married to an Anguillian girl. I have no problem with that. After three years, that person can apply for belongership. This writer applied for his belongership on the exact date that made three years. Gentlemen, listen to what I am saying, listen to what I am saying. You are decent. You are not corrupt. What did you come here for? You come for belongership? On the exact day that made three years he applied for his belongership. It came to my Permanent Secretary's attention. I got it. I said, let him bleach for a while, because this is clear cut to me. Something else!

And, these are the people that would seek to destroy Anguilla. People who are married here apply for belongership three or four months, sometimes a year after. The exact day! The fifteenth of March: the fifteenth of March. He could not wait a day, not one day could that . . . I wish I could . . . Not one day could he wait! He wants his belongership on the third day.

[change of tape]

It would not go as easy as this.

Mr Speaker, I want you to forgive me if in any way I have behaved unseemly in this House. But, you must understand that we are only human, and that this is the only place in the world where we do not have to line up to get time. The only place. You go to St Maarten, you have to line up. This is the only place where you do not have to ask for time. Home, Anguilla! This belongs to us. And, it hurts when someone, when two foreigners, two foreigners, could come in here and try to destroy the life of all the people of Anguilla.

Mr Speaker, one of the writers is in Court right now for accusing us of corruption, in court right now accusing us of corruption, and we are going to push it to the hilt. Because, you cannot admit, apologise, and you go back. Because, in one statement made here by the other one, the foreign fellow from England, says that the other one was charged for accusing us of corruption, and it went on to talk . . . I can't find the item. But, this letter I have in my hand here is a copy of the submission from Harry Wiggin, Anguilla, sent to the Foreign Affairs Committee on the 21^st of January. It is right in there.

I have sympathy for any Anguillian girl who subject themselves to be used by people like that, where, as far as I am concerned, there is a marriage of convenience. It is wrong. I have no respect for anybody to take that position.

I do not mind the personal attack. I am used to it, and, now that I am retired, there is little else, short of physical violence, they can do to harm me. What concerns me is the implied threat to any other Anguillian who gives information to the proposed Inquiry if it should take place. Not everyone in Anguilla will be as immune as I am. Most Anguillians will be terrified at the thought of being at the receiving end of similar vilification if they cooperate with any inquiry.

Most Anguillians of working age are employed by government, by far the largest employer on the island. Their jobs and future promotions will be at risk.

Most public servants are parents of school age children. They depend on political favour to get scholarships for their children. All children in Anguilla are eligible for scholarships. These scholarships, however, are awarded by favour. There is no selection process that is not subject to a final political decision. Anyone giving evidence or information to any Inquiry will know that there will never be any hope of a scholarship for their child.

All Anguillians presently live in fear of victimisation, real or imagined. In the face of this warning, to cooperate with any Inquiry will actually appear to invite victimisation.

That intimidation has got to be addressed.

Related Posts:

22 July 2008

9 July 2008

5 July 2008

18 January 2008

15 December 2007

5 November 2007

11 July 2007

Bribery

Has Don Mitchell Accused Ministers of Bribery to the FAC? Well, the Chief Minister was on a roll in the House of Assembly this morning! He stated, with all the passion in his voice that he could muster, that Don Mitchell has accused him and his ministers of bribery before the Foreign Affairs Committee. The reason, he suggests, is because Don Mitchell hates Anguilla and Anguillians. His explanation for this alleged hatred was two-fold.

One, was because Don Mitchell wants to stop Anguillians achieving full internal self government. He wants to continue the present colonial regime, because of his colour. He is wrong in that. Don Mitchell’s paternal grandfather was the same colour as the Chief Minister. Don Mitchell, like his father before him, has always considered himself a man of colour.

Besides, Don Mitchell believes that Anguillians are fully capable of handling full internal self government. We Anguillians just don’t trust the politicians of the future, any politicians, to be able to handle all that power. There are various reasons. One is that we have no tradition of good governance. All government in Anguilla, since self-government started in 1967, has been based on doing favours for friends and blocking those who are not subservient to you. That worries all sensible, thinking Anguillians. Another is that there are no checks and balances in the law or in the Constitution. We think full internal self-government would work fine with plenty of checks and balances.

The second reason, he suggested, is that Don Mitchell has no children of his own. Anyone, he said, who chose not to have children is incapable of love. Well, he is wrong there. The consequence of not having children of his own is that all Anguillian children belong to Don Mitchell. He does not need to get greedy to pass on wealth and possessions to biological children. He is happy with the little he has. The friends he has need nothing from him. They greet him in the street with no hidden agenda, no favours to seek.

The Chief Minister knows the coming recession is going to hit the development projects in Anguilla hard. People are going to be laid off. Mortgages will not be paid. Properties are going to be sold. This unfavourable situation is going to last until well after the appointment of the new President of the USA in 2009. It is only then we can expect the economy to revive. The politicians will have to shoulder a lot of the blame. There must be someone or something, other than government’s short-sightedness, to deflect the coming accusations. Don Mitchell is conveniently located nearby for that purpose.

Never mind, Don Mitchell intends to keep on doing what he has been doing up to this point. That is to demand that the highest standards of government must always be striven for.

And, the extraordinary thing is that, other than the post on 4 July 2007 [that the Ministers have Don Mitchell in court for], when he was commenting on what people were saying about the Indian workers’ march, it is only the Chief Minister who keeps repeating over and over again that Don Mitchell is wrongfully accusing government to the FAC for bribery!

Don Mitchell has done no such thing.

His letter to the FAC, as anybody who can read can easily find out by clicking here, was to send them a copy of the 2006 Constitutional and Electoral Reform Report. He has had no other contact with the FAC.

Politicians need to have a convenient whipping post nearby. It helps to put spin on the situation.

I am continuously amazed at the Speaker’s relaxed attitude to the Chief Minister’s abuse of the privilege enjoyed by members of the House to slander and defame persons who cannot defend themselves. In parliamentary procedure this is not normal.