Dear Owner of Barbados Underground
I would appreciate it very much if you would allow a submission I wrote on the nationnews blog to be featured here. It has to do with the nationnews paper decision to close the comments section of their June 23rd article entitled, ”Others Bribed.”
Although the nationnews paper has a right to close comments to any of their submissions for whatever reasons, I found the closing of comments on this particular article to be in poor taste.
My reason for saying this is that there is corruption in public life and, as a newspaper whose fourth estate committent should be to expose and highlight the damning matters with truth and without fear, the nationsnews choose to represent the fourth estate with dithering and tactics. One can only conclude that the caution shown by this paper relates to some type of servitude for which masters are pulling strings and puppets at the receiving end are fearful that they will get pop up.
This is why I can no longer submit my comments there. If the Donville Inniss matter is not enough for the nationnews to challenge the new regime to dig deeper into the political pit that has enabled many in political life to prosper far beyond their dreams, what purpose is a fourth estate if it comfortable with halfway functioning.
All the evidence points to less than stellar practices in the political spectrum of things. Yet, the parties that dominate the political landscape of our illustrious little rock continue to hoodwink the nation with loud- No Corruption- cries.
Even in the face of confessions as recent as business persons opening up to paying scratch-me- back campaign donations for favours in returned; even when a prominent journalist in the form of Roy Morris stated that he refused to sell his soul for a $20,000.00 bribe; even in the recent dilemma surrounding the discoveries of Donville Inniss indictment on possible money laundering charges, and even in the recent disclosures surrounding the latest Auditor General Report, the nationnewspaper remains subjective to subdued, tentative instead of tenacious.
Donville Inniss is now the face, and the proof, that corruption is no stranger to politicians. He is now the first politician in the history of Barbados to be indicted for money laundering charges. If found guilty, he should be the reason for all news outlets to step up their game and demand that investigative journalism be supported by legislation that would allow all media houses the freedom to expose corruption on to stamping it out.
The fact that an article highlighted that others similar to Donville Inniss could have also been bribed is additional proof, if found to be true, for a development such as this to be investigated thoroughly.
One, therefore, have ask: What is the nationnews trying to protect or stop by closing the comments to this article, when others exist, besides Donville Inniss, who might have take the bribe?
All the nationnews paper have have done is open up the doors of speculation and assumption for them to be regarded as a news outlet who practice double standards and a news outlet who have provided reason for more assumptions to advance a notion that they appear to have a protective agenda in place concerning political interests, and other interests in which they reap significant benefits.
I hope you will feature my comment on your blog so the nationnews would understand that their representation as a fourth estate is seriously lacking, and the people of Barbados have a right to comment to this issue, since it was featured by them.
Below is my comment to the nationnews closing of the ” Others Bribed” article. Thank you
Yours sincerely
Lloyd P Gulston
Insurance Corporation of Barbados, which allegedly bribed former Cabinet minister Donville Inniss to secure contracts, possibly made illegal payments to other “Government officials”, say prosecutors in the United States.
Prosecutors are contending they have evidence to support the allegation but don’t plan to present it when Inniss faces a Brooklyn, New York judge and jury in October.
However, it’s not known who are the “other Government officials”.
The assertions are contained in a document filed earlier this month in a federal district court and made available to the Sunday Sun. (TB)
Nationnews, why are the comments for the above on Donville Inniss closed? Why present the article if you do not want commentary on the matter? This is a serious development that needs the people say! We have corruption in political life and the people of Barbados want it stop. Why publish it if you do not want persons to comment about it? You know by doing this you have set up yourselves as a newspaper for serious criticism.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.