On July 8, 2016, a Court decision made on June 23, 2016, some 15 days earlier, commanded less than 120 words on the Court pages of the Nation newspaper and barely a few seconds on the Voice of Barbados. In April 2012 the same Court matter was trumpeted far and wide by the Nation newspaper, Voice of Barbados and Barbados Today. The paucity of and delay in coverage regarding the dismissal of all charges against the Grants, has attracted the attention of Barbados Underground.
When it was first reported in April 2012 that medical doctor Malcolm Grant and his wife were charged with stealing 1/2 million dollars from Sandy Crest Medical Centre, BU’s immediate reaction was NO WAY! For those who do not know, Dr. Grant and his late wife solely established the parent company of Sandy Crest Medical Centre in October 2003, before inviting others, including Dr. Brian Charles, to participate in its ownership.
In the less than 120 words, the Nation newspaper editors committed to the story on July 8 (captured above) it caused alarm bells to go off in the BU household. The penultimate paragraph of the report states:-
“When the matters came up for a final time last June 23, with a representative from the medical centre present, the Court heard that the money had been paid back. Magistrate Douglas Frederick then dismissed the charges.”
The traditional media, formally labelled the fourth estate, plays a very important role in sustaining an orderly society. Any sign that the traditional media has been compromised in its mandate must be prioritized by Barbadians. BU is satisfied the local media is compromised. We have seen the local media surrender to the advertiser and the political ruling class. For those who doubt BU check the CBC TV archives to view an interview with former president Emanuel Joseph of the now defunct Barbados Association Journalists. Coincidentally, Joseph is a reporter at the Peter Harris controlled Barbados Today.
If a member of the BU household was not following the Grant case closely, the less than 120 word report by the Nation newspaper and 10 second Voice of Barbados newscast would have passed unnoticed. Dr. Grant did not pay back money to Peter Harris and Sandy Crest, the case was dropped, end of story. It would be a worthwhile exercise in determining how and why the Nation Publishing Group of Companies reported that the money was repaid? Was this primarily intended to embarrass and compromise Dr. Grant? We already know why Barbados Today will not be motivated to be prolix about the outcome of the case.
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