As the clock continues to tick on the outstanding garbage bin refund to the Treasury estimated to be in excess of 500 thousand dollars, the unanswered questions mount about the conduct of Roosevelt Skerrit and his Cabinet Secretary Felix Gregoire in this unprecedented government spending scandal.
More than two months have gone by since the Prime Minister promised “a substantial refund” within 14 working days of June 01, 200
9, from owner of Logistical Supply Solutions Inc Andre Dopwell, who allegedly volunteered to pay back the amount brazenly looted from the Treasury in May 2008.
Some things never added up. But as the wait lengthens on the refund, the web of deceit is becoming easier to figure out.
1)Felix Gregoire was instructed by the Prime Minister to investigate the garbage bin transaction. Instead of objectively assessing the process, Gregoire re-inserted himself into the melee by writing a most puerile and ill-advised letter to Dopwell dated May 28th, 2009 complaining that the Government expected larger bins.
2) Gregoire’s letter never requested a refund
3) On June 2nd, 2009, Prime Minister Skerrit told the nation that the investigations he requested revealed that the bins were supposed to be larger, with wheels and secure covers. Yet investigator Gregoire’s only concern documented in the letter to Dopwell was the size of the bins.
4) Dopwell’s letter dated June 1st, 2009 does not appear to have been in response to the letter from Gregoire and is alleged to be a fabrication. Keep in mind that Dopwell shipped the bins in September 2008. They were cleared in April 2009 and were completely sold out at the Roseau City Council by May 29th, 2009.
5) This supposedly legitimate businessman is volunteering a substantial refund on garbage bins sold to government as agreed by an invoice fully paid in advance of the shipment of the bins. No quality issue is reported before Gregoire’s letter of May 28th, 2009 – 8 months after the bins arrived in Dominica. At that point, the bins received were completely sold out at 30 EC dollars each. More than all that, there is no written correspondence to Dopwell documenting any concern about the cost of the bins. But out of the blue… just like that… Dopwell volunteers a refund
Indeed, it was to good to be true.
If Dopwell committed to the refund within 14 working days, why is it that we have heard nothing from Skerrit and/or Gregoire now that the count of working days is climbing up to 50? Is our Prime Minister aware of a law enforcement agency in the US called the FBI?
Clearly, both the Prime Minister and Gregoire were fooled by the refund promise made in the famous June 1st letter from Dopwell.
Reliable sources indicate however that Dopwell did not write that letter. And so a very serious question of heightened public interest continues to beg for an answer:
Which one of Skerrit’s letter writers fooled him into believing that there would actually be a refund “within 14 working days” of June 1st, 2009?
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Having studied evrything in relation to this bobol my considered opinion is that the the powers that be are hoping that it will all blow over I think that they beleive it to be a storm in a tea cup, however to most of us it is blatant in your face corruption and the law enforcement agencies will resolve it in America, for absolutely no one is above the law,
From an American legal perspective you have wire and mail fraud, tax evasion, money laundering, false representation, and conpsirracy to commit acts of fraud, those are the area’s that are being studied, it is only a matter of time.
I also note that the President in his address explained well his role, he did say that one of his powers was to warn the government, as I am given to understand there was no mention of any warning being issued by him, I could be wrong on this, however if I am right the question is did the President warn the government over this bobol scandal and in what form did the warning take issue on for there are many issues to hand, pèrhaps someone could enlighten me on this.
The evidence pointing to Skerrit’s corrupt ways and filthy government continues to pile up. Is anyone in Dominica not yet convinced that Prime Minister Skerrit is a consumate LIAR and a THIEF? Give me a break!!
We have established our very own standards whereby the people that we love are judged and another set of standads for everyone else. That is the new and emerging way it seems, but i have one consolation; there is a force that is stronger than all of us and the PM and his clan will one day answer for their mis-deeds.
Peace
This Morning (Aug 10) Tony Astaphan agreed that the refund should have been paid long ago and it is unacceptable that the refund has not yet been repaid. How very interesting. Why is Tony so insistant that the refund be paid? Could it be because Tony may have some personal problems with the family Minister McIntyre who is the brother of Dopwell the man who is supposed to pay the refund? That would be strange, since Tony Astaphan and Minister McIntyre are intimate friends and share something special in common____One could hear the venom coming from Tony speaking on the issue. We need to hear Tony's position on the fertilizer bobol, since Dopwell is also at the heart of that scam together with his brother Minister Colin McIntyre (Tony's very close family friend). It is a known fact that Colin McIntyre and Tony Astaphan are very close friends to the extent that Colin often helps Tony with work at home (woodwork).____Just seeking some clarity from Mr. Astaphan
The invoice is non specific and there has been no document provided by the govt. showing the specifications of the bins that were ordered. On that basis Mr. Dopwell does not own anyone a refund since he did indeed send "garbage bins". If the full quantity of bins was not received by the govt. and Mr. Dopwell can no longer deliver the balance similar to what he has already sent, then I can see a case being made for a refund.
The people in the ministries responsible for the processing of payment etc. share as much blame as any minister involved. They were not doing their jobs. Public servants work for the public interest and not for the ministers. Ministers come and go but the public servants remain. They are the ones responsible for due deligence and to guide the ministers as to procedure and the laws governing the country
A small business would require better specification with regards to an invoice; money is limited…maybe for government, it is okay, they have unlimited funds and that is not necessary. We need someone to take care of the country’s money. It is clear that somebody or a group of people are careless…or is is something else? The letter to the US firm is not specific, it is amazing that we got such a response regarding the refund. Then again, why should he make a refund when a proforma invoice was submitted…long before the funds were wired. Also the public servants were in constant contact with Dopwell…this does not make sense!! Sorry.
We are reaching a seventy day period and no refund, It is my opinion that there never will be any refund, why? consider this, let us for a moment suggest as is the popular train of thought at present that it is a corrupt practice.
Dopwell would have sent on to the recipients off shore bank accounts the excess monies to those individuals involved in the scam, a paper trail (banking) is created, to make a refund would mean that those recipients would have to send the monies back to the Dopwell account, creating even more (banking ) documentaion, in order for Dopwell to give to the government this refund it would involve even more paper trails which only serves to add to the logistical problem. a problem difficult to resolve but not impossible.
It would mean that an agent visiting all of the recipients banks and drawing cash, and hand delivering it to Dopwell, he in turn would slowly filter the money into his account over a period of time to avoid any questions being raised by by th Susquehana Patriot Bank, once it is all in he can then send it via transfer to the government who upon reciept and amid a blaze of publicity would say that Mr Dopwell is a jolly fine fellow look everyone he has re-imbursed us as he promissed to do matter closed.
sounds easy, but not as simple as you may think, there is still a record (banking) of all the transactions cash withdrawls, cheques issued whatever it is all recorded. then of course if it is a scam have the recipients spent the money already, and have no money to give to Dopwell to send to the government, all grist for the mill. which would point to the time frame from the original payment to Dopwell and it all becomming very public which was not expected to happen by the perpetrators, so are the recipients trying to find the money to give to Dopwell? is this why it is taking so very long " within 14 days" where are we now 70 days bit of a difference here would you not say,
This is common sense deduction it is not rocket science, nothing to do with Shirlock Holmes, so If it is a scam it is so amatueurish that it brings discredit to the criminal world as a whole, then of course there is this nonsencical audit rubbish that we are expected to swallow, again this is so childlike and unprofessional in its inception that the powers that be must be mentally unstable or that desperate to allow the publication or even the presentation of such uneducated spin.
This does tend to bear out that the logistics of getting monies to Dopwell are too risky for the perpetrators or that the perpetrators have spent the money already and simply cannot give Dopwell a blind cent to repay this outrageous cost for the fertilizer and the bins. so in conclusion Dominica will never ever see a red cent from Dopwell ever, and do you know what I consider they will continue to do business with this guy, that is the real insult, but hey folks to them we are just brain dead stupid people who will subserviently swallow this garbage, but as my dad taught me never take anything for granted and never underestimate the intelligence of folk. we ar on to you.