MARSHALL CHARGED. Member of Parliament Rommell Marshall was in court yesterday to answer charges brought against him by the National Insurance Department. He was accused, among other things, of failing or neglecting to pay contributions due from the Delmar Group, of which he is a director, on behalf of people employed by him. Here, Marshall (right), leaving the District Magistrates Court with his attorney Michael Yearwood yesterday.
Source: Nation News
Is it not typical in Barbados to have a former Minister in the government charged with a serious crime, evasion of social security, and then nothing comes of it? Is this what is going to happen with the charges against Marshall in the social security fraud charge? The Barbados Labour Party (BLP) whose leader, Prime Minister Owen Seymour Arthur is on record committing the BLP to a high level of accountability and transparency, which has been echoed by the media, including our most vocal call-in program moderators, and Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition the Democratic Labour Party (DLP). Yet all are happy to operate business as usual. If convicted, should Marshall, a Member of Parliament and a Public Servant, not be forced to come to the people and make some public statement? We assume this is the same Rommel Marshall who participated in the award of an insurance tender to Consumer Guarantee Insurance (CGI) which it is alleged was higher than the nearest offer. On top of that, there is the conflict of interest angle where a Director of CGI, Mr. David Shorey, is known to be a very close friend of Prime Minister Owen Arthur. It seems that our people have become intoxicated by ignorance regarding issues of good governance.
News coming from a BU source indicate that a swanky Barbados Labour Party function, held at the Sea Breeze restaurant in New York, was organized by the Counsel General of Barbados. The buzz among the partisan crowd, which was by invitation only, was the plan to toss Rommel Marshall to the wolves given his recent ensnarement with the law over the non payment of national insurance deductions, coupled with his public support for Mia Mottley as leader to take over from Arthur before the elections are called. There was even talk about a candidate, whose name is the opposite of “high”, continuing the tradition of the politics of inclusion in the St. Michael West Central. It was reported that Prime Minister Arthur delivered a 50-minute speech after which he refused to entertain questions from the floor. There was some tension at the function because some BLP supporters from a visiting Barbados Domino team were invited at the expense of DLP teammates!
There was also discussion about the political future of the convalescing Wuk Fuh Wuk who is heavily involved in the 3S Barbados and Jonathan Danos affair. There is heavy concern in the BLP camp over this political quagmire. Our source has informed us that Minister Gline Clarke is seriously contemplating his political future with the General Elections imminent. Apparently, the increase in the flyover project is directly linked to the deep foundations that 3S have to dig for the 95 pliers to support the flyers, which was not scoped accurately in the original proposal; this cost was grossly miscalculated. Remember our previous article mentioned that the engineering company Hill-Carnes specializes in limestone topography. Our source alleges that the government of Barbados and 3S Barbados are currently locked over this issue.
Finally, one of our readers sent us an email which expressed concern that the Barbados Coast Guard is not equipped to confront the drug running boats coming out of Venezuela and Colombia. Apparently, these drug boats are believed to be equipped with rocket launchers and other “high octane” artillery. We tried to confirm this information late last night but our source clammed-up on us.
Come on, let us debate the issues because the VOICES of the PEOPLE must be heard!
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