28 June 2003 - Attorney Mr. Henry Shillingford sometime ago offered me his commendations: he loved the "anecdote" style. He considered it refreshing, different and entertaining. I appreciate his appreciation. On June 26, 2003, in his response to the Budget Address, the Hon. Edison James, among other things reminded parliament about the importance of national security and the maintenance of law and order. Today, here is another anecdote based on my personal experience. It raises grim concerns about law and order and national security.
It was autumn of 1997. Then Tourism Minister Senator Norris Prevost advised me that there was an Inter-American Development Bank Seminar scheduled for Washington DC. I could benefit greatly from it; I should attend - at my own expense, of course. After all, whatever popularity or charisma I may enjoy among the people has never been converted into favour from the state. I have not sought for any such things.
I paid to attend at Washington DC. A couple of days prior to travel my neighbor telephoned: did I give someone permission to saw one of my gommier trees on my little agricultural holding at Soultan Estate? I am sure I did not. Someone had downed one of those huge trees. It was lying on the ground. The thief would no doubt return to claim his loot.
That incident made me understand for the first time why Americans in similar circumstances claim additional damages for mental stress and strain. I wondered all manner of things.
The evening before my departure to DC my said neighbour called again: did I discover who was it that attempted to steal my tree? No, I answered.
At that time DOMLEC was re - introducing electric power in the general area. Its workers had cut down trees on my land. To this day Domlec has not paid me any compensation for its encroachment. I understand that the company has a policy, at once devious and dubious, whereby compensation is paid if it is requested, and not paid to those who do not know better and who do not ask for payment.
To add insult to injury done by Domlec, the Prison Division sent prisoners under supervision of a prison officer to collect the wood cut by Domlec on my property. The prison officer asked the prisoners under his charge to cut and steal my gommier tree; the officer wanted a keel for his boat !!
I complained to a senior prison officer who later said he investigated and confirmed that my story was accurate. He did not say what action would be taken against the offending officer. I believe that no action was taken to this day. I also advised the police concerning what I knew.
I remember discussing it with the Hon. Minister of Finance of the day. Sometime later I mentioned it to the Hon. Prime Minister: Mr. James laughed. His was not a laugh of conviction that it was at all a laughing matter. I interpreted it as a manner of denial that such had happened in his Ministry for National Security.
I sent an invoice to government detailing my expenses and I have not, to this day, been refunded, far less compensated. Bad as this may be, it should not detract or distract from the tragic propensities of what had occurred. A man entrusted to guard and guide others who had broken the law had improperly used his authority to order the criminals in his charge to further break the law.
The break-down of discipline and of law and order, therefore, has been in process for some years. I agree it must be arrested. It is unacceptable that in this modern, high-tech era, the police cannot effectively do some basic fingerprinting. Meanwhile, should I wait for Mr. James' re - election to office to get my refund?