Category: Government

State still as corrupt after 35 years

Over 35 years ago journalist Joe McAnthony was thrown out of Ireland because of his investigations into corruption. There are strong suggestions that the Gardai led the charge in forcing this journalist into exile.

Here’s his view on the Mahon Tribunal:

What we’ve had in Ireland over the years is a kind of collaboration between different powerful influences and they create a circumstance in which at times it’s virtually impossible to do anything.

Take the Ray Burke case. The story contained all the evidence for a criminal prosecution but there was no police investigation. I was visited by a detective and after asking me some questions he said:

Nothing will ever be done about this case

Nothing has changed in the last 35 years.

Bertie Ahern is a liar

If Ireland was a functional democracy Bertie Ahern, Padraig Flynn and many others named in the Mahon Tribunal Report would have been arrested immediately and placed under police investigation.

Bertie Ahern lied under oath. In functional democracies this is perjury and is treated as a very serious crime. In Ireland perjury is only a serious crime for citizens who do not enjoy the benefits of power and influence.

Over the last three decades or so politicians, senior civil servants, gardai, solicitors, bankers, property developers and a whole host of other individuals from the so called professional classes have lied under oath.

They have committed the crime of perjury in the full knowledge and confidence that no state authority will act against them. No member of the ruling elite of Ireland has ever been charged with the crime of perjury.

Bertie Ahern will never face such a charge because our corrupt political/administrative system will ensure that he is protected from any such charge.

It is also obvious from reading the Mahon Report that many other witnesses committed the crime of perjury. None of them will be charged not just because they are untouchables but becasue any charge of perjury against anybody could force the state to act similarly against liars like Bertie Ahern.

Minister Rabbitte: Happy in his ignorance on top of a mountain

Anyone listening to Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte talking about white collar crime could be forgiven for thinking he was a politician from Outer Mongolia on a fact finding tour of Ireland (Marian Finucane Show, Sun, 11th March).

The single biggest issue that I encounter at meetings around the country is the demand from audiences to know why nobody in the banking fraternity has been made accountable for what has befallen us.

Minister Rabbitte is an experienced politican of long standing. It’s reasonable to assume that over the decades he’s noticed that white collar crime is endemic in Ireland.

It’s also reasonable to assume he’s aware that the State has never, ever taken any significant steps to bring white collar criminals to account.

At some point in his long career Mr. Rabbite must have thought to himself; why is it that Ireland, alone among all Western states, steadfastly refuses to prosecute white collar criminals?

What’s going through his mind when all those desperate and now impoverished citizens are screaming at him at meetings around the country:

WHY THE FUCK DOESN’T THE STATE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS WIDESPREAD AND CONTINUOUS WHITE COLLAR CRIMINALITY THAT HAS DESTROYED OUR COUNTRY AND OUR LIVES?

Does he think to himself; I must tell Marian the next time I’m on her show about this deep anger that I keep on encountering which seems to have come out of nowhere.

And Mr. Rabbitte (who, apart from his current visit to Ireland, has spent his entire life in a windowless hut high on a mountain in his beloved Outer Mongolia) seems genuinely puzzled about this problem that has destroyed Ireland.

It’s a very difficult question to answer and one is assured that the Office of the Director Corporate Enforcement and the fraud squad and others are seized of this issue.

Mr. Rabbitte seems to be genuinely ignorant of the fact that neither the ODCE nor the Fraud Squad have ever managed to bring a major white collar criminal to account.

He seems genuinely ignorant of the fact that even if the ODCE, miracluously or by some mad accident, brought a successful prosecution the ‘punishment’ available is a paltry fine and/or disqualification from managing a company for a few years.

But most of all Mr. Rabbitte seems genuinely unaware that he’s a senior government minister, that he has power, that he can, if he chooses, take action to force the state to bring the white collar criminals to account.

Unfortunately, for Ireland and its people, there’s as much chance of that happening as there is of an Anglo Irish Bank official ending up in jail.

Copy to:
Minister Rabbitte

NAMA chief Frank Daly: An attitude that destroyed our country

Last June I wrote an article entitled:

Frank Daly, CEO of NAMA, is not to be trusted.

Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly is probably of the same mind.

Arguing that the Gardai, NTMA and NAMA should all come under the Freedom of Information Act she quoted the following comment by Mr. Daly (Marian Finucane Show, Sat. 10th March).

You can have commercial viability or you can have transparency but you can’t have both.

Ms. O’Reilly likened Daly’s comment to a particular episode of Yes Minister in which Sir Humphrey says to Prime Minister Hacker, who was all for open government;

You can have openness or you can have government but you can’t have both.

The tragedy for Ireland is that while Yes Minister was great comedy and provided hilarity for the nation, Daly’s comment is sinister and is typical of the attitude that has destroyed our country.

Ceann Comhairle abuses Dail privilege?

Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett became very angry with Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty when he made allegations about the new Secretary General at the Department of Finance, Mr. John Moran (RTE News).

Will you resume your seat or you’ll be taking a walk. Will you please resume your seat? You’re not making allegations in this house, leave the house deputy.

You’re not making allegations in this house?

I was always under the impression that Dail privilege was extended to politicians precisely so that they could raise issues and make allegations in the public interest without having to worry about being hauled into a court of law.

Irish Stock Exchange operates in total secrecy

The following is a snippet of conversation about stocks and shares between George Lee and business editor of the Sunday Independent, Nick Webb (The Business).

Nick: The only way that you’re guaranteed to make money out of the stock market is to cheat.

George: Oh yeh, how would you do that?

Nick: I think inside information, if you know something’s going to happen, a takeover that’s going to happen and you buy shares but unfortunately it’s illegal.

Not that anyone’s ever been prosecuted in Ireland; it happens everywhere else but doesn’t seem to happen here at all.

Now this conversation was conducted in a jocular fashion but beneath the tongue in cheek banter there’s a very serious message.

Not once since the establishment of the state in 1922 has anybody, ever, been charge with insider trading in Ireland.

This can only mean one of two things.

Either the Irish Stock Market is the most closely regulated market in the history of the world admitting into its membership only those who are passed 100% honest by the Mother Theresa School of economics or breaches of the law are dealt with ‘differently’ from every other country in the world.

Here’s a hint.

The ISE does not come under the Freedom of Information Act. It does not submit annual reports.

‘Accountability’ takes the form of the submission of a very general, confidential statement to the Minister for Finance once a year.

In other words, the Irish Stock Exchange operates in total secrecy with no accountability whatsoever.

Irish Mail on Sunday reports on SIPO complaint

I received a call from Irish Mail on Sunday journalist Ken Foxe during the week regarding my complaint to SIPO on the scandal surrounding Minister Quinn’s expenses.

An article in today’s edition of the paper quotes extensively from our conversation and also reproduces the original complaint.

Hopefully this publicity will add pressure on the system to make Minister Quinn accountable although I won’t be holding my breath.

Herr Leo (reluctantly) allows free expression

So, not only are we going to have a referendum on the on the fiscal compact treaty but Herr Leo has also given his imprimatur on the issue with strict conditions, of course.

Stating that he disagrees with those who think referendums are the purest form of democracy he goes on(my emphasis):

My experience of referendums is that they often get sidetracked into other issues.

The challenge for us now is to make sure that doesn’t happen, to make sure the referendum is democratic by not allowing Sinn Fein, the Socialists and Independents to lie about the treaty and what it’s about.

Clearly, Leo Varadkar has no understanding whatsoever regarding the concept of democracy.

His attitude seems to be as simple as it is dangerous.

It’s better not to ask citizens for their views in the first place but if we have to then the expression of those views should be strictly controlled by government.