WHERE HAVE ALL THE DOLLARS GONE?

BY:  A Local  Correspondent 
On December 6, 2010, certain sections of Roseau took on the  appearance of 
an armed camp.  Well  armed special police officers patrolled the precincts 
of the courthouse.    A section of the town, from  Kennedy Avenue in the 
vicinity of Whitchurch's Supermarket to King George V  Street to the east was 
cordoned off.  Some members of the public were barred from venturing too 
close to the  court house. 
Many observers, unaware of the legal drama which was being played  out at 
the courthouse, looked on in bewilderment.  A terrorist on trial?  A 
notorious convict who had committed  some heinous crime?  A visiting  dignitary of 
the likes of President Obama or potentate such as Pope  Benedict? 
None of the above.  The  massive and entirely unjustified show of force was 
designed to afford the  state's "protection" to attorney Mr. Steven Isidore 
who had been charged by Mr.  Glenworth Emanuel, his erstwhile partner, with 
42 criminal offences involving  theft  and fraudulently depriving  his law 
firm of hundreds of thousands of dollars. It was also meant to  intimidate 
the population and send a message to those who question wrongdoing  that the 
police forces will be used to frustrate the cause of justice if the  alleged 
wrongdoers walk the corridors of power.   
But there are many questions about the state's involvement or  
non-involvement in this matter.  The  prosecution services refused to prosecute the case 
despite the fact that a  senior judicial officer was satisfied that there 
were legal grounds for the  laying of the charges.  The police  authorities 
refused to arrest Mr. Isidore despite the existence of a legally  issued 
warrant for his arrest.  The  police refused to allow the public access to the 
courtroom where the charges  against Mr. Isidore were supposed to have been 
read despite the public's right  to such access.  The police  authorities 
failed to ensure the Court attendance of Mr. Isidore despite  summoning an 
overwhelming armed presence at the court on December 6, 2010.   
But the absence of Mr. Isidore was soon explained.  Unbeknownst to Mr. 
Emanuel's lawyer, Mr.  Isidore's lawyers brought an application in the High 
Court, seeking a stay of  the proceedings and an application to review the 
Senior Magistrate's decision to  sanction criminal proceedings against Isidore. 
Incredibly, the presiding justice granted this application as Mr.  Emanuel 
and his counsel waited downstairs in the magistrate's court wondering  where 
on earth was Mr. Isidore. The learned justice prohibited the magistrate  
from hearing the complaint against Mr. Isidore. She granted counsel for Mr.  
Isidore leave to file affidavit evidence in support of the application to 
review  the decision to issue a warrant against Mr. Isidore on or before 
December 10,  2010. She ordered that Isidore's counsel should provide notice to 
Mr. Emanuel's  counsel of all materials relating to the application by that 
date or  before. 
Mr. Emanuel's lawyer complained of being literally ambushed by this  
application to stay the proceedings.  Mr. Isidore, who could not be located for 
service of an arrest warrant,  brought an application to halt the proceedings 
without giving any notice to  Emanuel's lawyer.  The court which  could not 
find an early date to hear serious matters of national concern, such  as the 
dual citizenship of our Prime Minister and the legality of his candidacy  
in the last general elections, suddenly found the time to hear an application 
 without notice to the opposing side within one week of the warrant being 
issued  against Mr. Isidore!  In so doing,  the court allowed itself to be 
cynically conscripted to  halt legitimate proceedings against Mr.  Isidore 
while the lawyers on the opposing side were waiting downstairs  wondering  
about his  whereabouts.  No wonder that the  justice system is on trial in this 
country! 
Make no mistake. This is a black eye for the criminal justice  system. This 
case will test the integrity of Dominica's justice system as no  other has 
done in recent times.  What is the position of Dominica's Bar Association on 
these charges?  What was its position in the allegations  of fraud against 
attorney Earl Williams?  What is its position on the sanctity of trust funds 
held by lawyers?  What investigatory powers, if any, does  it possess?  How 
does it see its  role in protecting the public against the actions of a few 
of its  members? 
More significantly, where have all the dollars gone, which Mr.  Glenworth 
Emanuel alleges to have been fraudulently requisitioned gone?  Is there a 
hidden clue to that answer in  the accounts which were allegedly raided by 
fraudulent requisitions and the  looted funds deposited in a private account or 
accounts?  The National Bank was allegedly  defrauded well over half a 
million dollars.  There has long been allegations of  massive fraud at that bank. 
 It has  not registered a profit in the last couple of years.  A manager 
was fired a few months ago  presumably on account of questionable loans to 
companies either under his  control or where he had a financial interest. 
Where has all the money gone?  West-Indies Power Holding B.V. is also 
alleged to have been  defrauded.  West-Indies Power  (Dominica) Ltd., a 
subsidiary of this company which was partly owned by the  dismissed former manager of 
our National Bank, was given the nod on July 24,  2008, over a local 
company partly owned by Adenauer Douglas and attorney Gabriel  Christian to 
explore Dominica's geothermal potential  because it had more money to finance the  
expensive exploratory drilling.  To  date however, the company has hardly 
drilled a single exploratory hole in  Dominica.  A touloulou would have dug 
more holes at  little or no cost than West-Indies Power Holding  and yet this 
company was allegedly  defrauded the astronomical sum of $1,911,937.  Where 
have all these dollars  gone? 
Another alleged victim is Felix Chen.  Yes, the same Chen whose $20,000,000 
 into the Layou River Hotel project disappeared into thin air.  Not long 
after, the pink villas of  Savanne Paille, whose ownership are very much in 
dispute, rose majestically out  of thin air.  Credible estimates  suggest that 
some $4,000,000 were spent buying the land, preparing architectural  
drawings, hiring Supriya Singh, buying materials and commencing the construction  
of these buildings before the owner secured a loan to continue the project.  
Incredibly, the declared owner, while  testifying under oath in a recent 
trial, had no clue about the amount of the  loan taken, the design of the 
buildings or other pertinent information.  Where has all this money  gone? 
ECIC Holdings Ltd. is a private company held by ten indigenous  banks in 
the region.  The company  aims to create a modern, competitive services 
operation in the region, to  enhance the share value of its shareholders and to 
promote their competitiveness  in the CSME.  Some $880,875 was  allegedly 
diverted from their account and deposited into a private account other  than 
that of Mr. Emanuel's law firm.  In whose pocket or pockets has/have this money 
gone?  Has the company informed its  shareholders that it may have been the 
victim of a massive  fraud? 
What about Aggpit Caribbean Inc., the New Orleans company involved  in 
dredging or quarrying operations at Bouleau-Coulibistrie, Layou, La Falaise  and 
Soufriere.  What concessions  have its owners received to operate in 
Dominica and more importantly, what  monies, if any, has it paid to operate in 
Dominica with virtual impunity?  Again, the following question must be  raised. 
 Who has benefitted from the  $54,000 which Mr. Glenworth Emanuel has 
alleged has been fraudulently withdrawn  from this company's account and secreted 
into a private account?  Where has all this money gone?   
The owners of LaFalaise in Pointe Michel  have not seen a penny from the 
tarrish  which is being gouged from their land and exported by a foreign owned 
company.  Their compensation is supposedly  being held by government in an 
escrow account on their behalf.  Where is the $1,000,000 which government  
representatives reported in 2008 was sitting comfortably in this escrow 
account  on behalf of the owners of LaFalaise? 
Mero Beach Development Inc. allegedly "lost" some $482,068.50 on  account 
of the actions complained about by Mr. Emanuel.  What happened to the money?  
Who is the ultimate beneficiary of this  loot? 
These questions may ultimately prove to be beyond the purview of  the 
criminal charges filed by Mr. Emanuel against Mr. Isidore but they have  
relevance in the public interest.   Are these huge sums complained about by Mr. 
Emanuel, payments in exchange  for doing business in Dominica? Simply put, are 
they  kickbacks? 
The significance of this question cannot be underestimated.  Confidential 
sources indicate that the  alleged theft from the law firm of Mr. Emanuel is 
closer to $10,000,000  than $7,000,000.  This newspaper has discovered that 
on  the very same date, July 8, 2010, that Mr. Emanuel received a credit 
note from  the National Bank indicating that over $400,000 of his firm's trust 
funds had  been diverted into a private account without his knowledge, Mr. 
Isidore  requested a loan of $9,000.00 from Mr. Emanuel  because  he "was in 
default of 3 months rent  totaling $9,000.00."  "Could you  help please," 
the note to Mr. Emanuel implored. 
More worrisome is evidence of further transactions with financial  
institutions about which Mr. Emanuel knew nothing.  The banking records of one such  
transaction are instructive.  It is  dated July 2, 2010 and is named 
"Advice of Credit."  It indicates that the sum of $407,257.41  was credited to the 
account of Mr. Emanuel's former partner.  I will not give the account 
number now  but if pressed, I will.  The  transaction is described as "fee for 
preparation and registration of Debenture  etc. re. Emile Gaddarkhan & Fils 
Ltd."  
What is the significance of this astronomical fee ostensibly to  prepare 
and register a simple Debenture?  The amount was credited to a specified 
account at the National Bank of  Dominica.  Where has all this money  gone? 
Something is rotten in the state of Dominica.  The state, I suppose, may 
wish to  inquire whether or not the  public  interest has been compromised in 
any way by these startling allegations  involving many companies on the 
government's payroll.  It may seek to understand the  significance of these 
allegations or it may wish to follow the money and see  where the trail ends.  
It may wish  to ascertain whether or not the imperatives of good governance 
have been  compromised in any way, shape or form, by anyone.   
But then again, I am supposing that government is functioning in a  manner 
which reflects the best traditions of honesty and integrity in  governance.  
And that our law  enforcement institutions are diligently carrying out 
their mandate to faithfully  serve and protect the interests of the Dominican  
people. 
"Captain, de ship is sinking!"  "Captain, de seas are rough!"   
There is time to save  us from the ignominy of being dismissed as a failed 
state or banana  republic.  The clergyman who penned  the inspiring hymn 
"Amazing Grace" was previously the captain of a slave  ship. 
To whom it may concern. Seek spiritual solace in the words: "I once  was 
lost, but now I'm found.  Was  blind but now I see."  Do it for  Yourself, 
Your People, Your Country.  Save Your nation, my "comrade," my  brethren.