NEWS TICKER

Friday, October 21, 2016

The Sexual Offenses Act

Coursing through parliament over the last 48 hours is debate on a revision to the Sexual Offenses Act. This is a welcome improvement to an act that sorely needed a modern look. We at MiTC would like to commend the Skerrit government for bringing this forward, albeit quite late. We are concerned however, about inadequate protection from frivolous accusations. This act needs further improvement, but this is a start.

In the same vein, we want to advise the Skerrit administration that while we commend you on this action, we remain cognizant of the fact that this administration is brimming with persons who have been accused, and in many cases suspected of wielding their power to extract sexual favours from our fellow citizens that they perceive to be vulnerable, in particular young women and underage boys and girls.

The Pay-to-Play sex scandal that erupted several months ago remains unresolved. Former minister Ian Pinard has been accused and charged with having inappropriate relations with a minor in this case. Though he subsequently resigned his ministerial and parliamentary positions pending the disposition of the case, Mr. Pinard was rewarded soon afterwards by this very government with a plum assignment at a quasi-government entity while he simultaneously campaigned for his successor in the Soufriere constituency. We have not forgotten the awful statements from another government minister, Justina Charles, when she declared that Ian Pinard was, in her opinion, a great and honourable man. This is a woman whose ministerial portfolio includes the welfare of the youth, but she declares that a man accused of violating a 14-year old girl in the worst possible manner, is a "great and honourable man". Justina Charles is a slimy, despicable human being not unlike a slug; Pierre Charles must be rolling over in his grave.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Who's picking Whitchurch Cherry Tree?

The talk in Dominica today has been centered around the picking of cherries. The speculation goes that a certain resident of the Roseau Valley has been harvesting at will and with impunity the cherries from a cherry tree that is planted on another individual's property. Recognizing that this was all code words, we inquired and came away with a rather amusing story about a sitting member of parliament and a well-known attorney-at-law.

Using this as a point of reference, we have to inquire; who is picking the cherries from the Whitchurch cherry tree? In presenting his supplemental estimates today in parliament, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit stated that the government of Dominica, one man, had given a half million dollar loan to H.H.V. Whitchurch to help the company finance its operations. This may seem minicule to some but it is a stunning revelation to us.

The government of Dominica is not a bank yet here we have a situation where Mr. Skerrit admits that he has given a significant loan to a commercial entity. What really is the relationship between Mr. Skerrit and the Aird family? As a commercial enterprise, Whitchurch should be able to access capital from local financial institutions; in fact that is the norm. By seeking finance directly from the government, we have to question the reason(s) that may be. Is the company in such dire financial straits that our local banks have refused to lend it any capital? Why didn't the company approach the AID bank for assistance with the government providing assurances instead? Is there a secret relationship between Mr. Skerrit and the Aird family? If so, what is it?

Are we Dominicans really prepared to come to grasp the significance of this? Our government is not a  bank. Mr. Skerrit has taken our tax dollars, lent it to a company that does business with us, which then turned around and proceeds to use our tax money to generate a profit on us. Let that sink in for a while.

We know that we will be taken to task for suggesting that Mr. Skerrit be held responsible for this but the fact is Mr. Skerrit is the Finance Minister as well as head of government. His approval of this transaction was instrumental to its implementation. What is it about Mr. Skerrit and the Airds? Is this another instance of a cherry tree being harvested by a government official? Who's picking whose cherry tree? And how long has this been going on?



Photo courtesy Dominica Vibes News

Friday, October 7, 2016

Guns and Ammunition seized

Guns and Ammunition seized by Customs Agents
A cache of guns and ammunition has been seized by Dominica Customs officials. According to information released to us, the seizures were located in a shipment coming from the US into the island and consealed in a barrel labelled groceries. We have made inquiries as to the identity of both the shipper and consignee but the police have not released that information.

Included in this confiscated shipment was a stun gun as well as high-powered semi automatic handguns. A large amount of ammunition including 7.62 caliber ammunition, the type used in the AR-15 assault rifle. This is a serious issue that we need the police to get a hold of. We strongly suggest that the police work diligently with law enforcement officials in the United States; the perpetrators need to be apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Our safety is at stake.


7.62 caliber ammunition (left), AR-15 assault rifle (right)
We would like to commend our Customs agents for being so vigilant; keep up the good work. In the meantime, we will await further details from the police and pass on to you as the information becomes available.

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Fire at Coffee Plant - Yet no Coffee to Roast?

A few months ago we informed our readers of the situation at the defunct coffee plant at One Mile in Portsmouth.  We provided detailed information regarding the possible danger due to the improper storage of coffee beans and we have provided credible evidence of the rotting beans stored in the One Mile facility. We were also reliably informed that the facility was declared a danger zone after air quality testing results showed high level of toxins at the plant.
The government of Dominica is yet to deny or dispel our report on the hazardous condition of the coffee plant nor have they denied the millions of dollars spent on coffee beans that are now rotted inside the facility. But the people of Dominica have been fooled and bamboozled for so long that they tend to reject any evidence of blatant bamboozle.
Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as saying - “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet”, and so we will continue to expose the “ dorty foot” government of Roosevelt Skerrit. Why it is that the “dorty foot” government is yet to inform the people of Dominica of what appears to be the attempted arson at the Coffee plant? Did someone try to burn down the plant and for what reason?
Here is what we know.
There was an electrical system overload at the coffee plant that resulted in a small electrical fire. The overload ultimately impacted and damaged DOMLEC equipment. Upon investigation, DOMLEC technicians confirmed in a report that their equipment was damaged as a result of the electrical malfunction within the plant. We have also been reliably informed that DOMLEC is asking for an external investigation and that they are seeking redress for over $100,000 in transformer repair or replacement. We were also informed that the automated system at the coffee factory was also destroyed as a result of the circuit overload.
We informed the public of the rotting coffee beans and the potential health hazard and the floundering media is yet to follow up on our report. All we are asking for this time is for the media to take a drive up to One Mile Portsmouth – the residue from the smoke is quite visible beneath the zinc façade. We also hope that it is not too much for the media to ask DOMLEC about their damaged equipment and whether or not DOMLEC  provided a report of the same incident at the One Mile Coffee factory.
So far the government authorities have remained tight lipped on this matter even when all the signs seem to point to an attempted sabotage. Why the police and fire department was never called in to investigate the matter is yet another conundrum in Dominica.
Can the government explain to us why it is that the inoperable coffee plant was  running electricity so much so that there were overloading circuits. It simply does not make sense unless someone tampered with the electrical system or that the coffee factory was secretly producing coffee.
Something very disturbing also caught our attention. Up to the day DOMLEC came in for the investigation  the building windows and doors were secured and untouched however a few days after DOMLEC produced their report  suddenly we noticed that a window at the coffee plant was tampered with. We are not arson investigators by any means but from the photo of the damaged window, it appears that (1) someone push out the window from inside; (2) there are no visible damages to the window frame that would indicate that someone pried open the window from the outside; (3) someone attempting to force open the window from the outside would most likely need a ladder or platform to do so and, (4) why would someone choose a window facing the main thruway - why not a window or door that is away from the public eye?
Coffee Plant with suspect window in view (at left) before DOMLEC investigation. 
Coffee Plant with suspect window in view after DOMLEC investigation.
It seems obvious that a crime may have been committed at the plant and the police should have been called in to investigate. It is rather strange and interesting that the people who are responsible for the coffee plant have not made a report to the police.
We know for a fact that PM Skerrit appointed Dr. John Toussaint the VENEDOM liaison and steward of the coffee plant operation. We also know for a fact that Dr. Toussaint is in possession of keys to the facility. It is only logical that all persons with access to the facility should have reported evidence of suspicious activity, including what appears to be a break in, either staged or deliberate, at the coffee plant to law enforcement authorities and should make themselves available for questioning. But then again, if the suppression of crime and corruption were of importance to Roosevelt Skerrit, somebody would have been prosecuted and jailed for the disappearance of close to $100,000.00 worth of construction material during the construction of the very same coffee factory. We are 100% certain that the PS and others at the ministry of agriculture are fully aware of the report on the missing material and that the culprit is an untouchable former candidate of the Dominica Labour Party.
Here is what the Government of Dominica doesn’t want us to know and why they are tight lipped.
In our previous article “Upside Down Inside Out Government” we informed our readers of the VENEDOM Corporation, a joint venture between the Venezuela and Dominica governments set up specifically to operate and manage the coffee factory. A distinct part of the VENEDOM arrangement is that the revenues that would have been generated from coffee production would be distributed 49% to Dominica and 51% to Venezuela as loan repayment. As earlier noted, Dr. John Toussaint heads Dominica’s interest in the VENEDOM Corporation - the same Dr. John Toussaint who was assigned over one million dollars to head and operate an agriculture small business operation and while under his leadership, he has reported a 98% delinquency rate in loan payments. Who did he give loans to? But that is for another day of revelation.
The government also does not want us to know that the Venezuelans have been asking questions about the coffee factory and rightly so, as Venezuela is seeking to rake in every dollar wherever it is owed to them. Within the VENEDOM arrangements,  the government of Dominica was provided with a 3 year grace period that began after the completion of the facility. Based on very credible information, the grace period terminates in November of this year, 2016. Essentially, after  two years of construction + 3 years post construction (grace period), it was expected that the farmers in Dominica would be in a position to supply the coffee factory with the required coffee beans – enough for full fledged operation.
No coffee beans, no factory operation and no money to pay Venezuela come December - Boy oh boy!! Is that suspected sabotage a timely phenomenon or what?
After all that we have seen regarding the suspicious sabotage at the coffee factory, it is only fitting that we ask the Minister of National Security Mr. Rayburn Blackmoore, please follow up on this serious matter. In genuine concern we offer to Mr. Blackmoore the following cliff notes.
  • Why was the coffee plant running electricity when the coffee plant is really a white elephant-dead?
  • Why the window was damaged days after DOMLEC provided their report?
  • Did someone get so frazzled after the DOMLEC report that it became necessary to create the semblance of a forced entry?
  • Who else has key access to the coffee Plant besides Dr John Toussaint?
  • Did someone try to burn down the entire house just to get rid of one rat? 
  • Is it a coincidence that two months before Venezuela is due to start collecting from proceeds of a nonfunctional coffee factory that there is a suspected electrical system malfunction /sabotage at the factory?

It is also critical that Mr. Blackmoore and Dr. Toussaint take immediate action to restore the damaged window as the dangerous toxins emitted by the rotted coffee beans may very well be escaping through the gaping hole. Certainly Dr. John Toussaint would not want to be known as the “Kaka Couchon” polluter and still the one responsible for infecting people with mycotoxins.  
There is no denying that what we have seen at the coffee plant is peculiar but we are also fully aware that the Roosevelt Skerrit administration is capable of chicaneries of all sorts therefore we make no apologies for our paranoia. Just in case Tony Astaphan starts spinning lies here is some food for thought:  History has shown us that arson is a method employed by despotic and authoritarian governments and their lackeys to instill fear on the people and as a means of controlling information. During the old Soviet Union , Stalin would often use fire to control the population, among other things, like the language and all information. The Nazis tried to burn the evidence of their concentration camps during the last days of World War II. The Maldives government hatched out a plan to burn down the office of the accountant general once the accountant general began to sniff out official misconduct. For whatever it is worth - Denny Shillingford stated that Earl "Siko Seko" Grant instructed him to “Just burn everything.”- burn the evidence and hope that the Steven Isidore and Skerrit malfeasance becomes blown away in ashes. Who can forget the fire at Melville Hall airport;  a deliberate effort to suppress any demonstration against illegal voters in the 2014 election. The people are still waiting on PM Skerrit, who publically declared that he had the intelligence on the identity of the person who placed the fire at the Melville Hall airport, to be interrogated by the police

 
Copyright © 2014 Mas In The Cemetery. Designed by OddThemes | Distributed By Blogger Templates20