By Jerry Smith
Sir Kennedy came, did his damage, then went ba
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| PAM's Political Leader Lindsay F. Grant |
ck to Anguilla. He did nothing to help unite the Party, nothing to heal the wounds that are festering since the Marriott Bribery Scandal. All he did was to administer an anesthetic that lasted the few hours of the 45th Annual Convention. There was no surgery, so the pain of the Marriott Scandal has returned.
The release of a video tape showing Mr. Lindsay Grant bargaining with a purported investor in a land for cash deal at the Marriott Hotel struck me like 1.7 million bolts of lightning. I was totally unprepared for such a political scandal on the eve of the 25 January 2010 General Elections. I am still searching for answers and cannot get any.
How could Mr. Lindsay Grant, a Harvard University-trained lawyer, allowed himself to be caught in such an unpleasant situation? Why did he went to negotiate a land deal all by himself? Why no other Party official was informed about his planned visit?
The first time I heard about the bribery scandal was at a public meeting in Sandy Point. At that meeting, Mr. Grant tried his very best to convince the audience that he knew all along that the rendezvous at the Marriott Hotel was a set-up. His explanation did not receive much buy-in.
Half of my brain was telling me that Mr. Grant’s excuse was rubbish while the other half was willing to believe him. I always felt that Mr. Grant was smart enough not to get caught in any trap. I was dead wrong.
The next day, I received a call from a friend and with sheer disappointment in his voice he urged me to take a look at the video. I immediately browsed the You-Tube site until I found the video clip. The next three minutes of looking at the video was one of the worst moments in my life.
The video footage tells a shocking story and raises questions about integrity in public life. A person of integrity consistently displays good ethical behaviour. In other words, they practice what they preach.
Mr. Grant’s public declaration of his assets and liabilities a few years ago may now be seen as a farce. There are too many unanswered questions about his true source of wealth. Politics in the 21st century demands greater transparency and accountability with campaign financing. Why in the world would Mr. Grant want to deposit US$1.7 million on his offshore accounts instead of the Party’s account? This may suggest that some kind of “hanky panky” was going on.
Several questions now emerge from the Marriott affair:
1. Did Mr. Grant meet with the purported investor before the Marriott incident?
2. Did Mr. Grant meet with any other investor before the General Elections?
3. Did Mr. Grant collect any money on behalf of the Party and deposit same on offshore accounts?
4. Did Mr. Grant promise to sell crown land to any other investor at below market price?
The situation becomes even more intriguing when one visits the World Wide Web. A visit to www.gibraltartrustco.com, the internet address of a company owned by Mr. Lindsay Grant and three of his closest friends, would raise further questions about offshore bank accounts and the financial dealings of Mr. Grant. The public, especially the members and supporters of the People’s Action Movement, has a right to know if their political leaders are above board.
Mr. Grant owes it to his supporters to answer questions raised about the Marriott Bribery Scandal. If he continues to hide from this scandal, his opponents will continue to ask, “How about US$1.7 million?”
The People’s Action Movement needs to go through a period of internal reflection and cleansing if it is to remain a viable opposition party and alternative government. The influential members of the party must have the guts to stand up and acknowledge that the Party needs a new leader. If they choose instead to just go with the flow, then they too will be responsible for the demise of a great political party.
The so-called “Gang of Five” needs to give the public more details as to the reasons why they wanted Mr. Grant to step down. I believe that now the dust has cleared, many PAM supporters are seeing the wisdom of their action. It is also time for the Hon. Eugene Hamilton and Hon. Shawn Richards to show that they have the testicular fortitude to stand up to Mr. Grant.
