Society
Urban life - Darcus Howe receives a revealing e-mail from Trinidad
Published 12 December 2005
In Trinidad, old politicians are paying the penalty for the emirate's mad gold rush
I received half a dozen phone calls and e-mails from Trinidad following my last column, in which I wrote of the best of times and the worst of times on that tiny emirate, which floats on an inexhaustible supply of oil and natural gas.
The e-mail that I valued most came from Raffique Shah, a former leader of the opposition in parliament, now a columnist for one of the Trinidadian dailies.We have collaborated over three decades. His e-mail celebrates success after his unrelenting expose of the corruption of the previous regime on the island.
It all centred around a government project aimed at refurbishing the national airport. Raffique was determined to see the back of the parliamentarians who had their noses in the trough. And now, he is close to seeing them hauled off to prisons either in Trinidad or the United States of America.
Already, the former prime minister Basdeo Panday and his wife, Oma, are on bail at the local courts, following charges of receiving bribes in exchange for airport construction contracts. They are joined, in separate trials, by three former ministers and two party financiers. And a grand jury in Florida has indicted two party financiers on charges ranging from money laundering to fraud.
Beside them in the dock will be four American businessmen accused of forming shell companies to submit falsely inflated bids for work, so that their own, slightly more modest bids would be accepted.
It is a vast affair, with citizens of Aruba, Colombia, the US and Trinidad involved. Further indictments will be handed down as the net is cast wider. I happen to know many of the Trinidadians involved, including Panday. His fall is awful, enmeshed as he is in the inseparable embrace between party and state.
Such is the gold rush from oil and gas revenue that the state is used for the accumulation of capital for the private use of individuals. Old men and women, in the evening of their lives, are now paying the penalty. And Raffique Shah will justly wave the flag for a society free of corruption.
Post this article to
We want to encourage people to comment on our content and to exchange views with other readers and hope this will be done on a courteous basis. However, if you encounter posts which are offensive please let us know by emailing comments@newstatesman.co.uk and we will take swift action where necessary.
