Threats of violence and media control returning

The happenings in our Spice Isles now-a-days, seems to be pointing towards a return to the dark old days of 1972/74 on the one hand, and 1979 to 1983 on the other.
In the 1972/74 period, beatings of suspected opponents of the Gairy regime was common place on the Streets of Grenada, and because those actions of violence were administered by the so-called Mongoose Gang members - nothing came of any reports made to the Police in those dismal days of repression and dictatorship.
The coming on stream of the NJM in May, 1973, started a drop in the incidence of beatings, as the people began showing their support for the emerging group of young leaders, who seemed fearless of the Gairy’s gangs in those days.
And then Gairy’s number One “Bad John”- the then notorious Innocent Belmar - Superintendent of Police at the time - went overboard when he led a gang of thugs at the Bhola’s junction in Grenville, St. Andrew, and brutalised the NJM Six on that fateful Sunday afternoon of 18th November, 1973, in broad daylight.
The beatings of Maurice Bishop, Unison Whiteman, Kenrick Radix and others, started the downward trend and eventual demise of the Gairy administration.
The Sir Herbert Duffus Commission of Inquiry, (a three member Commission) after hearing evidence over many months, recommended the removal of Belmar from the Police Force and Gairy complied.
He later brought Belmar into his GULP Political team and he sucessfully contested a seat in St. Andrew in the December 1976 General Elections - when Gairy lost Five of his 1972 seats to the Alliance, which comprised three parties (GNP, NJM, and UPP) and they in fact won Six seats - with the late H. A. Blaize retaining his seat in Carriacou and Petite Martinique.
Belmar did not last very long afterwards. He was shot at the Bamboo Bar in Birchgrove one night, as the violence was escalating and Gairy’s use of physical oppression was met and matched by the people in opposition - led by the NJM.
And then came March 13th 1979, when the Gairy regime was overthrown by the NJM and the (PRG) Peoples Revolutionary Government was born and lived for only Four and a half (4 ½ ) years.
It is fair to say that there was a sigh of relief - all over Grenada and among Grenadians overseas, because so many thought that we were then on the road to some measure of peace, freedom, and good and fair Government.
How very wrong so many of us soon found out - it would take books to record, but it is all history.
The point I wish to make, however, is that violence can only breed more violence, and in the long run those who think they are victorious because they inflict, or administer what others deserve with “horse whip” or whatever - they are only fooling themselves, and not for very long, because what goes around violently or immorally, comes around in like manner.
All the above came flooding back to my mind’s eye, when I read Geof Croome’s letter to me of the 27th June, 2005, and learnt later on that he was trying to borrow a horse whip, from my friend and colleague Anselm Clouden, to chastise someone. He did not say to Clouden who that someone was, but in putting the request timing and the letter date together, the rest was easy to decipher.
I hope this is not the beginning of an expatriate white group of modern day “Mongoose Gang Economic Citizens” - fearing that the prop and support group that brought them here, and facilitated their questionable and often times illegal dealings in our land, because that group is on the downward slope, they are openly showing their true colours to frighten and intimidate those of us who are not afraid to call a spade, a spade.
I can see clearly that they do have a whole lot to fight for and maintain - but I must warn A. G. Croome and those of a like mind set, to thread slowly, and do not mistakenly assume that politeness and the tendency towards forgiveness, even remotely add up to weakness.
In the meantime, I must say that the Commissioner of Police, to whom I gave a copy of the letter and requested his input to avoid a possible breach of the peace, he acted fairly promptly and had a C.I.D. Officer visit my office to take a statement and enquiry of me what action I was seeking, on this obvious threat to my safety and well being. As a first step, towards helping the peace and public order process, I have simply requested that the Commissioner of Police call in the mis-guided angry man and issue a firm warning to him - to think again and again, before he proceeds to administer whatever he believes I deserve.
As for the subject of his anger, unless he is aware of some things I have no knowledge of - in which case he must be guided by his own conscience and knowledge - I suggest he reads the passage in that Article again for clarification.
I did not and could not have been implying any collusion between the Ambassador and the Prime Minister in any dishonest or deceitful act - as he put it.
I was simply commenting on the sworn evidence of the two security men - that they saw no money in the only briefcase that came out of the room, where the Prime Minister and Resteiner was meeting in the presence of Ms. Coutain.
And since the Prime Minister admitted to all and sundry, that he had received about $15,000.00 U.S. from Resteiner for the legitimate expenses of his entourage, then I suggested that if he was not carrying the said sum in his pocket, it may or could have been in the lady’s handbag. The logical inference being that as a public Servant in the Prime Minister’s Ministry at the time, she was merely carrying out her duty to her boss, by the safe keeping of a legitimate gift he had received (presumably) in her presence from a Grenadian Diplomat.
So where is the damage to the lady’s honour and reputation and good name? I fail to see it.
The second area of concern relates to GBN TV and its programming. For Monday 27th June - 2005, I was approached by the Producer of “Beyond The Headlines” to appear on the programme together with Mr. Terry Forrester - the PRO for NNP and the Government.
We were going to discuss the Commission of Inquiry hearings that were adjourned on the 17th June, 2005.
On the Monday morning I realised that I had a prior engagement in Gouyave, for the (29th June) Fishermen’s Birthday Celebrations which were ongoing since the week before - so I called the Producer to withdraw and suggested he gets someone to replace me on the night.
It seems the Producer got Mr. Nazim Burke, PRO of the NDC and an Attorney who was following the proceedings from way back, and that looked like a fair match for Mr. Forrester - who had been carrying on some days before about the NDC’s inability to produce evidence to the Inquiry.
In the meatime the Court of Appeal of the OECS - not the Privy Council as I saw in a report on the Informer - gave a Ruling in a Case involving the Government of Grenada and Dipcon Engeering Company from Trinidad, on the said Monday morning.
The Ruling simply said, that the Master in a Chambers (Private) hearing some months before, was wrong to dismiss the new Claim filed by the Government - after Dipcon had won its case and the Privy Council had made an Order that the Government of Grenada must pay the said Dipcon some Sixteen Million Dollars since early last year, plus continuing interest.
I will come back to that Ruling later on; but Mr. Hugh Wildman, who appeared for the Government before the Master and in the Court of Appeal I believe, was so elated and overflowing with excitement - that he was holding Press Conferences left, right and centre, boasting about this great victory.
And so it came to pass, that Mr. Forrester called the GBN Producer to state that he was not appearing as pre-arranged, and the topic should be changed from the Commission of Inquiry to the Dipcon/Government issue - and Mr. Hugh Wildman will be appearing in his place.
A straight case of “Radio free Grenada” of the PRG era all over again - except that the Government of Grenada only owns a very minority interest in GBN at this time - whereas the PRG controlled Radio Grenada at the time (1979 to 1983).
Anyway, Mr. Burke was contacted to convey the changed arrangements, and he quite rightly responded that he knew nothing about the Dipcon Ruling of the said day and therefore cannot make any valuable contribution, so he declined to appear.
Mr. Wildman, on the other hand, turned up at the GBN Studio for the programme and after ten or so minutes Lew Smith had to face the public and announce that the programme was cancelled for that night.
As for all the nonsense that if Government wins its Claim against Dipcon, the award by the Privy Council could all be wiped away - is nothing more than empty and shameless propaganda. The ward, which must be nearing Eighteen to Twenty Millions by now, stands forever.
Government terminated the Contract because, it claimed, the Company was not paying the royalty, or whatever it was called, of Ninety Thousand per year - so if this latest claim is not out of time, the most that could be awarded is the arrears plus interest thereon; peanuts by comparison to the Millions Taxpayers are already paying to Dipcon, all because the said Wildman refused to appear before Mr. Justice Brian Alleyne, or put in a Defence, and Judgment was given to Dipcon by default.
The said behaviour was referred to by the Privy Council as “the Government and its Counsel (Wildman), playing loose and disrespectful games with the High Court, and Mr. Wildman’s action against Justice Brain Alleyne (now acting Chief Justice) as frivolous, vexatious, and an abuse of the process of the Court.
But all those legalities notwithstanding, and the dice clearly heavily loaded against the powers-that-be, for their persistent mis-demeanor and flagrant abuse of everything we once held sacrosanct - it seems that the hangers-on, and fraudulent beneficiaries who are living nice and filling their pockets, while Grenada and its people go further and further down the bottomless gutter - those crooks and misfits are bent on baseless propaganda and threats of violence, in an attempt to detract people from the real burning issues now engulfing our suffering Nation.
I suppose that the old saying is so true that - “plants (people) that live and mix and grow together, imbibe each other qualities - good, bad, or indifferent. And since our Government best friends now-a-days are to be found in Havanna, Tripoli and Beijing, among other like-minded culprits - what else can we expect?
But history has a way of repeating itself with the passage of time - so I am sounding a warning to those who are taking liberties and advantage of our poor people, and with the Nation’s assets - that Judgment day is never far away, and because it missed you yesterday do not believe it pass you forever.
On another historic note, it is good news that our Court of Appeal saw it fit to grant Leave to the “Richmond Hill 13 or 17 to appeal to the Privy Council - in their protracted battle for Justice.
But therein also lies a message to those pretending to be blind, and deaf, and stupidee.