IN SEARCH OF JUSTICE FOR THE BIN REFUND THEFT – Part 1 of 2

By Lennox Linton

Fellow Dominicans at home and abroad:

I have brought to the attention of law enforcement agencies for the necessary legal/prosecutorial action the theft of over 193 thousand dollars from the Treasury of the Commonwealth of Dominica through the 2008 purchase of garbage bins from Logistical Supply Solutions INC.

According to the Theft Act, “a person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it”. I contend that in the purchase of the garbage bins by the Office of the Prime Minister, someone dishonestly obtained money belonging to the state by deception.

This act of theft has resulted in breaches of sections (a), (c), (d), (e) and (i) of the Code of Conduct of the Integrity in Public Office Act number 6 of 2003.

The public officials involved in and knowledgeable about the transactions that facilitated the act of theft include but are not necessarily limited to:

Roosevelt Skerrit                     Prime Minister

Colin McIntyre                        Minister of Trade

Felix Gregoire                         Cabinet Secretary

Rosamund Edwards                Financial Secretary

Clarence Christian                  Director of Audit

In his report on the Public Accounts of Dominica for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008, the Director of Audit stated that the “amount of approximately EC$557,783.23 or US$205,301.38 remained to be accounted for on the garbage bins transaction by Logistical Supplies Solutions INC… needs to be refunded to the State’s Consolidated Fund.”

Sometime after the Director of Audit’s report was submitted to the Minister of Finance on July 8^th, 2009, a refund of EC$425,700.00 was received. The refund was over 130 thousand dollars short of what the Director of Audit calculated it to be. Yet the public is unaware of any objection raised over the quantum of the refund by the Finance Minister, the Financial Secretary, the Cabinet Secretary or the Director of Audit

The nation recalls that 154 days after he promised a substantial refund of money looted from the Treasury in the 2008 garbage bin fraud, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit made a November 2^nd, 2009 disclosure that the matter has been settled:

“The issue of the garbage bin money… well that money has in fact been repaid and the treasury has received that money and the treasury has cleared this money in the bank and the matter has been dealt with”.

The refund confirmed that the Treasury was looted and in the absence of the Talk Radio probe bitterly criticized by Government, the perpetrators of this blatant act of fraud would have gone their merry way confident that they would not be pursued by Dominica’s law enforcement agencies.

Skerrit made the eleven second statement at a meeting with overseas based Dominicans visiting for the Independence celebrations in response to a specific question on the matter. The absence of details in the brief statement obviously intended to brush aside the growing embarrassment, left a number of unanswered questions:

1. How was the amount repaid determined?
2. Who negotiated the amount repaid?
3. Who approved the amount repaid?
4. When was the money repaid?
5. Who repaid the money?
6. Did the money come from Dopwell’s account at the Susquehanna Patriot Bank in Pottstown Pennsylvania to which the 750 thousand EC dollar garbage bin payment was wired in May 2008?
7. If not, why not?

The refund episode confirms that:

• The purchase of garbage bins for the Roseau City Council was a conspiracy to defraud the people’s treasury of over 600 thousand dollars
• Patriots discovered the conspiracy, blew the whistle and demanded justice
• A refund of approximately 425 thousand dollars was made in which the conspirators short changed the state by over 193 thousand dollars

The formula for the refund was allegedly proposed by Dopwell in a letter which Skerrit claims was written on June 1^st, 2009 and received (presumably by fax) on the same day – a public holiday in Dominica.

Skerrit agreed to the refund formula and read it straight from Dopwell’s alleged letter in his June 02, 2009 address to the nation:

“… I am offering to have the shipment valued at the known market price plus 10% service charge and other expenses such as freight and assurance. I will deduct this net cost from the funds that were wired to my company by the Government of Dominica and shall reimburse the government of Dominica the balance within fourteen working days.

“Also kindly let me know the government’s position in relation to the bins which were short shipped. I need to know whether they are still required or whether a refund is required in relation to these”.

Click here for Par 2 of 2

Tagged as: Garbage Bin