Donville Inniss Case Points to Endemic Corruption in Barbados
The blogmaster found the Patrick Hoyos article to be – without prolix – a good summary of the Donville Inniss matter. Especially as it pertains to the inference other payments were made to Donville Inniss and that bribery by elected officials was commonplace in Barbados. Although we have the Attorney General et al saying that local laws would not have permitted prosecution of Inniss this position was challenged during the Inniss trial.
The blogmaster’s wish is that we have a dispassionate debate in Barbados and a call to action by our officials regarding the honest prosecution of public officials. It is ironic former Speaker of the House MICHAEL CARRINGTON and Adriel Brathwaite, former Attorney General showed support for Inniss by attending the trial in New York. CARRINGTON’s legacy will be that a High Court judge had to issue a court order for him to release monies due his client 70+ John Griffiths, the blogmaster will remember Brathwiate for promising to report to parliament the status of Mia Mottley’s qualification (LEC) to practice before the Courts of Barbados. He never did.
The time has come to arrest the moral and ethical rot- add criminal. We have started to experience the negative fallout of pushing our heads in the sand.
Time for the authorities to do a job.
Time for the Prime Minister, Attorney General and stakeholders to lead the charge.
Importantly, time for John Citizens to hold officials accountable.
David, Blogmaster
PS. Blame the blogmaster for paragraphs highlighted blue.
Patrick Hoyos, journalist and publisher specialising in business
Four little words that spell prison
It was a four-word text that probably took only a few seconds to write and send, but the events it set in motion led to a guilty verdict on all three counts for former Minister of Industry and Commerce, Donville Inniss.
A United States jury last Thursday found Inniss guilty of two counts of money laundering stemming from two money transfers to the bank accounts of a dental office in New York, and one count of conspiracy to launder money. Prosecutors said Inniss arranged for the money to be transferred through the bank accounts to conceal the bribes. According to the Wall Street Journal, Anthony Ricco, a lawyer for Inniss, didn’t dispute the money transfers, but argued the government’s evidence didn’t support its view that there had been bribes in 2015 and 2016.
According to the Nation newspaper’s Maria Bradshaw, US Prosecutor David Gopstein, in his summation to the jury, said that Inniss was not performing consulting services for Insurance Corporation of Barbados Limited, but was taking bribes and laundering money.
The prosecutor said that up to 2014, ICBL held 50 per cent of the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation’s (BIDC) insurance contract, while Consumers’ Guarantee Insurance had 30 per cent and Trident Insurance 20 per cent.
When the time came for renewal in 2015, the BIDC board of directors recommended that the contract remain the same way, but on June 30, 2015, Alex Tasker, who was the senior vicepresident of ICBL, sent Inniss a text message saying: “We have to talk”.
This four-word message, the prosecutor told the jury, led to the bribery, which was arranged in a week and a half. The day after that text message, Inniss sent a letter to Sonja Trotman, chief executive officer of BIDC, inquiring about the insurance renewal.
As a result, ICBL increased its share to 70 per cent share, leaving CGI with 30 per cent, and Trident Insurance with zero.
The Wall Street Journal said that ICBL, which allegedly paid the bribes, “received a publicised letter in 2018 from the US Justice Department saying it was closing a probe into whether the company had violated the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.”
That letter said, in part, that “the Department’s investigation found that ICBL, through its employees and agents, paid approximately $36 000 in bribes to a Barbadian government official in exchange for insurance contracts resulting in approximately $686 827.50 in total premiums for the contracts and approximately $93 940.19 in net profits”. The WSJ’s Dylan Tokar wrote in Friday’s edition that “ICBL had voluntarily disclosed the bribes, enhanced its compliance program and fired the individuals involved in the misconduct, the Justice Department said.”
He added that the Justice Department had sent the letter to ICBL under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act’s Corporate Enforcement Policy which, he said, “offers leniency to companies that disclose potential foreign bribery violations to prosecutors”. This means that Donville, Ingrid [Innes] and Alex had their conspiracy exposed by the parent of the company on whose behalf the latter two were working to increase sales, or at least make budget.
Isn’t it ironic?
It is also a different version of how the story got out than what our own Attorney-General said last Thursday after the verdict was handed down. He said: “It is significant that the conviction came about because individuals who had knowledge of the events were prepared to speak out and to give evidence about wrongdoing.” The AG added: “This is something that is required at all levels in Barbados’ society whether dealing with the scourge of corruption or the scourge of gun violence.”
Meantime, Tokar noted that the Justice Department last year charged ICBL’s former chief executive officer, Ingrid Innes, and its former senior vice- president, Tasker, “who prosecutors said acted as Mr Inniss’ co-conspirators. The two remain at large, a spokesman for the department said.”
As far as I can see, the response in Barbados among the average citizen has been that it’s about time somebody was charged for all of the perceived corruption that went on under the last administration. I haven’t heard much, if any, sympathy for Inniss or his alleged co-conspirators.”
Patrick Hoyos is a journalist and publisher specialising in business. Email: bsjbarbados@gmail.com
Patrick Hoyos
156 responses to “Donville Inniss Case Points to Endemic Corruption in Barbados”
Mariposa
Miller i knew the mention of 750thousand dollars bring u out
Any how who the dog lick he licks
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Mariposa
Baje.
Why u all up on arms as to what i have posted
Meaning that all should be beaten with the same tar brush
If yuh know what i mean
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TheOGazerts
https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/01/24/alternative-sentencing-being-explored/
Delivering the featured remarks at the retirement ceremony for Assistant Superintendent of Prisons Cedric Moore, which was held on the grounds of Her Majesty’s Prison Dodds, Hinkson revealed that it took $32,000 to keep a single prisoner at the St Philip-based facility for one year,
Cost of 1 year in prison $32K
Cost of 1 month in prison $2.6 K
Cost of 1 day in prison $0.8K
Cost of 1 salt bread ,,,,
The math adds up…. the reasoning, flawed
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TheOGazerts
the math does add up ………. 0.8 should have been 0.08 ($80.00)
Give the man a one day sentence cleaning the road
Would love to see some kind of histogram showing how many Bajans make less than 2.6K/month
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TheOGazerts
Taxi drivers complaining that they are getting squeezed to death by tour guide operators. Then read the second and third paragraphs …
“He stated that the unfair divide has resulted in intense competition between members and non-members of the association and taxi operators offering innovative tour packages to visitors. “We created a basic niche where we would have offered ten passengers or 15 passengers in a ZM vehicle to do an island tour, shopping, and beach,” Bayley revealed.
However, water sport operators are also pointing the accusing finger at the taxis, telling Barbados TODAY that the taxis were also taking their passengers to the larger beach businesses.
“These taxis are getting cut out by bigger businesses but instead of joining together with their fellow sufferers, they take the passengers that they manage to get to the same big businesses that don’t care about their survival. They [leave] out the small man, who suffering just like them, because the big beach places giving them free food and drinks whenever they bring passengers,” said Cave.
He further stressed, “This is the reason that we can’t get anywhere as small businesses because we have no idea how to work together.”
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TheOGazerts
The magistrate got it right this time..
The police have to step up their game.
@Sargeant January 25, 2020 12:48 PM “We would be more focused on “We gatherin”.
Right now we gatherin at St. Peter and Paul Banquet Hall, 231 Milner Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario.
The place ram as we Bajans say
Why aren’t wunna here?
Still another 3 1/2 hours of Bajan food, music and company left.
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Silly Woman
@WURA-War-on-U January 25, 2020 1:29 AM “MAGGOTS.”
Why you don’t stop blaming and cussing the poor maggots?
Maggots perform an essential function by breaking down dead human and non-human bodies, so hastening the process of decay and permitting us to return to the dust, and so keeping the earth a healthy, productive place.
Maggots are NOT bad so please stop bad talking the extremely useful maggots.
If maggots were human they would have already received a Nobel science prize.
Maggots deserve a Nobel prize
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Miller
@ Silly Woman January 25, 2020 7:41 PM
“Maggots perform an essential function by breaking down dead human and non-human bodies, so hastening the process of decay and permitting us to return to the dust, and so keeping the earth a healthy, productive place.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Then you ought not to be afraid of death. You would have served your purpose on the planet.
You have been fooled into believing that there is place awaiting a black face like yours into the white man’s propagandized view of heaven while he enjoys his ‘sweet life’ here on Earth.
But there is always the good chance you might get a pick, like your ancestors, working in the kitchen or in the fields growing the flowers to feed the bees to produce their excreta called honey.
With all that good food you have been consuming over your life you would make the perfect banquet for the royal maggots which are the earth’s biggest recyclers.
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SirSimple SimonPresidentFoeLife
As I said to our friend Ewart last week, death is the end of a life well lived. Nothing at all o be afraid of.
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Silly Woman
Miller, you have no idea what i believe or what i don’t believe.
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Silly Woman
I am cool with the honey, but please don’t force me to drink milk.
Silly Woman January 25, 2020 9:10 PM
“Miller, you have no idea what i believe or what i don’t believe.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What is clearly recommended as part of your recovery programme to deprogram your confused childlike mind is that you should stop shopping at the white man’s store of fairy tales and magical solutions and look upward, daily, for guidance to achieve your own peace of mind.
After all that “lucky ole Sun has nothing to do but roll around heaven all day”!
[…] on the blog Donville Inniss Case Points to Endemic Corruption in Barbados after reviewing the 2018 financials of BF&M – parent company of ICBL – revealed […]
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WURA-WAR-on-U
They gave up a sprat, but a whale still got caught.
“Why you don’t stop blaming and cussing the poor maggots?”
These MAGGOTS got 2 legs, come in various colors, off white, wannabe white, indian, syrian and every crawling thing in between and they feed MOSTLY ON LIVING BLACK HUMAN FLESH….as ya can see from the post above.
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WURA-WAR-on-U
Did yall notice the packaging on the cocaine, well let our brother PLT still come out telling us shite about Herbert’s cocaine shipment on the Goddard yacht Esctasy and that it was marijuana and that it did not belong to those who owned and controlled the yacht….AND THAT SOMEHOW IT BELONGED TO THE BLACK MAN.
“The Hellenic Police (ELAS) on Saturday announced the breakup of an international racket believed to have been smuggling large quantities of cocaine into Europe and northwest Africa from the Caribbean nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines after seizing 1.18 tons of the drug from rented apartments in the region of Aetolia-Akarnania.
Following a joint operation by the anti-drug unit of the Financial Crimes Squad and the port authority, ELAS detained eight suspected racket members on Friday, most of whom are reportedly Albanian nationals.
The Greek authorities were aided in the operation by officers of the US Drug Enforcement Agency.”
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WURA-War-on-U
Piece…yo….the criminal syndicate from the Caribbean took a BIGLY HIT…they cannot pin this one on the boys on the block..
“This is one of the prime reasons for a CARICOM diplomatic office in Kenya. Ya’ll can keep believing that this was the job of the little man on the street, but there are top Caribbean governments associated with this. The Caribbean is now the transshipment point for drugs from West Africa into Europe. Yep! this is the first strike. The Kenyan Financial Firms of Mia Mottley are coming.”
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WURAWar-on-U
Yo Piece…what did ya do with ya rented friends, ah noticed they dont jump out to cuss us anymore…very strange…have they all suddenly up and died.
If they came out we could ask them Enuff questions about all this.
Interesting follow articles by the Nation newspaper team about the Inniss trial. The blogmaster has no doubt that local parties should not only be under investigation but charged for fraud. As former attorney general and prime minister Fruendel Stuart advised, the 1929 Prevention Act can do the job.
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WURA-War-on-U
This evil criminal syndicate from the 1940s would SACRIFICE ANY BLACK PERSON…in order to continue committing their crimes.
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Bajan Free Party 2023 0r sooner
All the crimes lead back to all the land and record not recorded in the Public eye saying what was sold in the news is not a deed of the price of name and seller and who signed what, where the money came from and whos accounts. Stolen lands is what feeding the crime in Barbados with the help of the DLP and now BLP again to try to cover their tracks,The rest of the World is not fools for Barbados criminals in office, Crime Minister want to start a fight to hide her crimes, When she and her helpers are removed, we all shall see what she was hiding with her family bloodline of Crooks under different last names, A Massive Land Fraud, Land and money laundering false and misleading statements as now got international, Worldwide, Private Drug planes flying to Africa bypassing white nations airports for inspection,The walls of the news Block is at near End, Wait till you hear the shout!BFP 2023 or sooner 30 down 30 & 0 again, 60 for Jailing, Extradition warrants, time to serve Full Forensic Audit, in All government departments, of all Banks, and lawyers accounts, All taxes collected all debts paid, 23 years of missing VAT@15% in offshore accounts of Ministers and lawyers must come back, All fraud agreement canceled,
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WURA-War-on-U
Ya can always find the criminal syndicate somewhere running in packs of 3s and 4s together.
I understand about three employees at MTW were suspended after it was discovered they were receiving payments for allowing vehicles to pass the annual inspection, without being physically inspected.
I also understand the vehicles included trucks belonging to C.O. Williams and Purity Bakeries.
If this information is true, does it mean government is serious about investigating corruption?
It depends, is the corruption known to CLO or Minister?
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WURA-War-on-U
Black people will never learn, aint this the truth, they gave ya a slave bible, made sure they wrote in it, BIBLE FOR SLAVES inthe british west indies, destroyed ya minds with pure shite, made sure ya evil, greedy black leaders kept ya misinformed and miseducated…, deliberate acts that still have them all doubled over with laughter centuries later and what do black people do….become experts arguing shite from the same fraud book the negro slave bible…..cant make any of this up.
I also understand the newly appointed accountant at National Assistance Board asked the Auditors from the Auditor General’s Department to conduct an audit.
It is alleged that ” about three employees at MTW …..suspended…”
receiving payments from ???
Giving illegal payments is a crime.
Receiving illegal payments is a crime.
It is possible the little fish will get hook first and the big ones will swim around feeding on the free sprats.
Ok let me explain. When you go fishing on the bar for bonitos yuh does pelt out a few hand fulls of sprats and
two or three lines with a live sprat on each line. The bonitos will eat some of the free sprats and if yuh lucky
one will swallow the sprat on your line and yuh will haul he in an put he in de boat.
Sometimes a big kingfish or shark will cut yuh bonito in half while yuh haulin he in.
I done ranting fuh now. I ginemek a couple phone calls to beg my ” fishing consultants ” to call me next time de bonitos pun de bar so I have a good reason to join We Gatherin at de right time.
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Artax
Maybe government is attempting to justify its decision to hire Fulcrum Chambers Ltd.
But, wouldn’t it have been better if they hired the additional staff the Auditor General has been requesting for the pass few years, including forensic auditors?
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Piece the Legend
@ Artaxerxes
You said and I quote
“…Maybe government is attempting to justify its decision to hire Fulcrum Chambers Ltd.
But, wouldn’t it have been better if they hired the additional staff the Auditor General has been requesting for the pass few years, including forensic auditors?…”
And how would the Minister who is hiring THESE UNKNOWN FRAUD INVESTORS and be able to teif $$$ like they did with White Hoax?
You forgot what Pornville used as part of his defence recently?
“…your honour, it is customary for ministers and other officials to teif government money!…”
Just like it is customary for those rednecks in Rykers Island to climb on top the back of bad John bajan big wings AND MEK DEM INTO DEM WUMMEN!
at one level, it is sad that Barbados is in the news for teifing ministers BUT AT THE OTHER LEVEL, one could not hope for a more perfect outcome for the successful prosecution AND LONG TERM JAILTIME for Pornville!
Even now our incompetent Attorney General Teets Marshall AND THE COMMISSIONER of Police are unable to charge Innes or Tasker with any crime!
It is good for him to be the prospective Beatchhhh of an American prisoner for a while.
De ole man Hope’s that President Trump catch a few more of them
Suspect this is the reason the establishment is lazy to aggressively pursue the matter. In fact it was hinted at during the Inniss trial that the prosecutor orchestrated so that reference to the culture of fraud in Barbados would have been prevented.
My AG is David Lametti and my PM is Justin Trudeau.lol
As far as I know them ent interested.
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robert lucas
@ Hants January 26, 2020 12:17 PM
You know your fishing; expressly that part of the shark cutting your prize fish in half.
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Artaxerxes
As I have mentioned in previous contributions, we must commend people for their efforts in highlighting or exposing corruption. However, we must be careful in the way we go about doing things.
The ICIJ has the following disclaimer:
Disclaimer
“There are LEGITIMATE USES for offshore companies and trusts. WE DO NOT INTEND TO SUGGEST or IMPLY that any people, companies or other entities included in the ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database HAVE BROKEN the LAW or OTHERWISE ACTED IMPROPERLY. Many people and entities have the same or similar names. We suggest you confirm the identities of any individuals or entities located in the database based on addresses or other identifiable information.”
If the ICIJ can issue this disclaimer, it “harrows me with fear and wonder,” why people would GO AGAINST the STATED INTENTIONS of ICIJ and persist in posting the information from their website………..
……… to “SUGGEST or IMPLY that any people, companies or other entities included in the ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database HAVE BROKEN the LAW or OTHERWISE ACTED IMPROPERLY?”
In other words, we must exercise a level of FAIRNESS and consider if the ICIJ does not intend to suggest the people shown on the directorship flow charts “have broken law or otherwise acted improperly,” why post the charts to SUGGEST or IMPLY they did…..WITHOUT PROOF…. and malign their characters in the process?
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NorthernObserver
@Artax
because the majority cannot understand them. The one with the name of a former Formula 1 driver, posts firms with registered addresses in Buhbaydus and calls them off shore? Another showed firms most know have been SOLD long ago, but obviously forgot to read the diwrekkers were from 2001. A lil igrunce can go a long way in these parts. Any one eyed man is king in a blind man land?
Then they turn around on Facebook and curse the blogmaster for trying to bring a little balance. It is one thing to prosecute issues, BU is right there with that, but it does nothing to the effort when blatant untruths are being perpetuated. Then people blame social media for spin and fake news and we take exception. The funny thing is that the surrogates of the political parties condone it because it fits an agenda they are pushing.
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WURA-WAR-on-U
Social media cannot be blamed for spin and fake news as it relates to THE TIEFING, RACIST MINORITIES IN BARBADOS…everyone knows about them, i think the intent is really to show at some point in time in the PAST a and PRESENT……all of them are connected to each other and can be found running in packs, when one company is DISSOLVED, ANOTHER IS FORMED…with the same racist thieves as directors or this or that…the evidence is clear and CANNOT BE REFUTED..
…and everyone knows…THEY HAVE ALL WORKED AGAINST THE BLACK MAJORITY and AIDED IN ripping off the country and GENERATIONS OF BLACK PEOPLE…with the help of their HOUSE NEGROS……a much better word, house negros who leech of taxpayers in pensioners… in the parliament, bar association and SUPREME COURT…
none of which can be DISPUTED..
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WURA-WAR-on-U
So…having said that, we wonder what these racist parasites and thieves are going to do when ALL THEIR HOUSE NEGROS ARE FINALLY TAKEN DOWN.
we know the stupidity of the black mind and MAGGOT MINORITIES who live off the black population will mobilize and will immediately seek to replace them with even dumber black people who are just as greedy, backward and ignorant while pretending to be leaders…, but it will not be as easy as before.
It is time to EXTERMINATE MAGGOT MINORITIES out of the people’s lives on the island.
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WURA-WAR-on-U
In being fair let’s hope there are some indictments waiting for the wannabe slave master minorities too…they have been ROBBING THE PEOPLE OF ESTATES AND BANK ACCOUNTS …and ripping off the treasury and pension fund for DECADES…they can go to prison too.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.