We Will Not Forget

Lest our memories deceive us, we should write down those things that are vital to our political existence and make them a part of our remembrance archives. They will serve us in good stead when those who do not know, present fabrications as gospel truths.

For an unbroken period of 28 years, The Antigua Labour Party (ALP) controlled the government of Antigua & Barbuda. The normal process of political action could not dislodge them from occupying the corridors of power, for they had perfected the art of double voting and multiple voting in general elections where Labour Party supporters crossed constituency boundaries in droves and altered the balance in favour of the ALP.

The advent of identification cards with finger-printing and photographs did. In fact, so confident did they become that Lester Bird openly declared that the ALP would be in power for the next thousand years.

According to ancient history scholars, a re-introduction of the thousand-year Pax Romana and a simulation of the Third Reich under Adolf Hitler were also to last for one thousand years. Under Lester Bird the thousand-year pie-in-the-sky collapsed, but lest wee forget, let us look at a few of the situations that arose in Antigua under Lester Bird.

How many people will remember Robert Vesco, the Texan, who stole nearly one billion dollars in Texas and found refuge here? Lester's sidekick Jeff Harley openly dined at the Yard Restaurant on Upper Long Street with Vesco who spent money like free water during lunches that lasted for three and four hours. Was the ALP government aware that it was Vesco? Why did Vesco run from Antigua ahead of the FBI? Was he fed up of paying for protection?

Does anybody remember Mel Roame, another international crook who left here in chains and ended up doing a fat sentence for fraud in the United States of America, after he came here ostensibly to build hotels? What about the scandal behind the Royal Antiguan Hotel at Deep Bay? Could the ALP tell us how many people went to jail in Italy over this money? What about the Heritage Quay scandal? Could someone tell us how many people built private houses out of the Italian material that was earmarked for this project? How many people got fat shares out of the project and didn't pay one red cent? Dear reader, Lest we forget!

Can Lester Bird deny that the British government warned him about Stanford when they allegedly threw him out of Montserrat? Is it a fact that Lester embraced him with open arms and wanted to give him the whole of Antigua regardless? Do any of us remember the Royal Inquiry into the Medical Benefits Scheme when an arrogant Stanford refused to attend the inquiry after being issued with the equivalent of a High Court summons? He arrogantly said that he only changed his schedule for his family.

Does anyone remember when Kenny Byron, the manager of the Bank of Antigua told the Medical Benefits Inquiry that Stanford was taking us to the cleaners in the financing of the Mount St. John Hospital fiasco? Lester Bird never said a word, but continued to call Stanford, Uncle Allen. He gave Uncle Allen almost the whole of Crabb's Peninsula - Defense Force property. He gave himself half of Maiden Island. He virtually gave him the while airport and left no room for expansion. He gave Dato Tan Kay Hoc the full title to Guiana Island after Dato Tan paid a measly deposit. Is it true that Lester wanted to give Guiana Island to Stanford in spite of a High Court injunction and caution?

SInce the Madoff Wall Street fiasco, the Securities Exchange Commission, the Internal Revenue Commission, the Florida Investment Commission and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have been intensifying their investigation of Stanford. Since then, charges have been filed against the Texan in Texas Court with nine counts of fraud involving US$8 billion.

Charges have also been filed against the chief financial officer and his chief investment officer and the court in Texas has ordered that Stanford's overseas investments should be seized and held by the Texan Court.

Meanwhile, there has been a run on Stanford's banks in Antigua. Jets have been landing here to try and salvage any long-term deposits that they have in off-shore accounts. There was a traffic jam at the Bank of Antigua at Coolidge yesterday as depositors scrambled to remove their money.

What a debacle! The fair name of Antigua & Barbuda has been dragged in the mud in all the international media. Lester Bird has openly said that the UPP is idiotic not to give Stanford what he wants and the ALP was depending on Stanford to bail them out.

Stanford's indictment on nine counts of fraud has put our national honours system in jeopardy. Who is responsible for giving Stanford our highest honour? Who has put Antigua & Barbuda's name in international disgrace continually? Who wants to lead Antigua & Barbuda into another round of international infamy, calumny and disgrace? Lester Bird. Lest we forget.