PAC members to recuse themselves from film losses inquiry

[asitis]

12 minutes ago, Derek Flint said:

This will only be properly sorted with an external investigation, probably by HMRC.

I agree about an external investigation Derek, however ,there is too much under stones for those involved to want it to see the light of day ! It will be a whitewash in the end we all know it so why not save the money and just say "nothing to see here" !  

[Non-Believer]

15 minutes ago, Derek Flint said:

This will only be properly sorted with an external investigation, probably by HMRC.

Absolutely. But they certainly won't want that.

It would raise questions/implications over the internal good governance of the Island; erode our "independence" line. And above all else - lift the lids off Lord knows how many other tins of worms that some people undoubtedly do and have done very well out of.

No, they wouldn't want that.

[Derek Flint]

There comes a point where a Government has to be accountable for past actions, whether or not the players are the same. Film making is a business where losses are high - it’s as risky as walking into a casino and putting it all on red. Yes, there was a ‘greater good’ in terms of bed nights, and other sundries, but the top line write offs on some of these “investments” will be substantial. That is public money. 

One day, these dodgy foundations will crumble. I’d personally rather see us dismantle things ourselves than HMRC bring in their demolitions team. The bottom line though is that most matters are without sanction - because we don’t have public office misconduct offences. That is why matters rarely go anywhere - not criminal, but certainly malfeasance or missfeasance. 

 

[Neil Down]

36 minutes ago, Derek Flint said:

There comes a point where a Government has to be accountable for past actions, whether or not the players are the same. Film making is a business where losses are high - it’s as risky as walking into a casino and putting it all on red. Yes, there was a ‘greater good’ in terms of bed nights, and other sundries, but the top line write offs on some of these “investments” will be substantial. That is public money. 

One day, these dodgy foundations will crumble. I’d personally rather see us dismantle things ourselves than HMRC bring in their demolitions team. The bottom line though is that most matters are without sanction - because we don’t have public office misconduct offences. That is why matters rarely go anywhere - not criminal, but certainly malfeasance or missfeasance. 

 

Good luck on that one Derek...

[gettafa]

1 hour ago, Derek Flint said:

The bottom line though is that most matters are without sanction - because we don’t have public office misconduct offences. That is why matters rarely go anywhere - not criminal, but certainly malfeasance or missfeasance. 

 

Interesting.

Misconduct in public office in UK can result in life imprisonment.

Isle of Man? Results in promotion and a wedge pay rise?

[gettafa]

12 hours ago, dilligaf said:

You believe what you want .

Roly Drower cases were heard by Deemster Kerruish.

[Albert Tatlock]

2 hours ago, Derek Flint said:

This will only be properly sorted with an external investigation, probably by HMRC.

No way. Why should an external government be allowed to audit ours?

IOM Govt needs to man up and prove they are as open and accountable to the Manx people as Howard Quayle insists his government are.

There should be no Howard the Duck on this one.

Get this investigation done properly with some credibility this time.

[Non-Believer]

1 minute ago, Albert Tatlock said:

No way. Why should an external government be allowed to audit ours?

IOM Govt needs to man up and prove they are as open and accountable to the Manx people as Howard Quayle insists his government are.

There should be no Howard the Duck on this one.

Get this investigation done properly with some credibility this time.

Who do you think should investigate in order to bestow credibility, Albert? Most of them will either have connections or have been up to their necks.

Look at previous investigations and their outcomes.

Credibility is not something IoMG have in spades. Certainly not in a matter such as this.

[Albert Tatlock]

2 minutes ago, Non-Believer said:

Who do you think should investigate in order to bestow credibility, Albert? Most of them will either have connections or have been up to their necks.

Look at previous investigations and their outcomes.

Credibility is not something IoMG have in spades. Certainly not in a matter such as this.

I'd settle for a retired deemster.

If we can't trust the law, we can't trust anything much more on this island anymore.

[b4mbi]

FFS let it lie.

We invested in films, lost money, but made a healthy profit from our Pinewood shares.

Waste of public money & time to trawl over the same old shit again with yet another bloody report that "lessons will be learned" from.

The main actor in all this film saga has passed on, and nothing can come out of it other than massive reputational and potentially financial damage.

An exercise in shooting yourself in the foot, which is why understandably, no-one wants to touch another enquiry with a bargepole.

[P.K.]

49 minutes ago, gettafa said:

Roly Drower cases were heard by Deemster Kerruish.

Thanks. I just remember being told it was "Mike" who "had no choice" in the matter.

Fortunately there's a newspaper you can trust:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/nov/12/davidleigh

A London media specialist lawyer, Mark Stephens, said last night: "I have never heard of anyone getting such an order before in a libel case." Mr Drower says he is performing a public service by ventillating allegations about the island's ruling groups. He insists he will not reveal his sources today, and says he is being harassed to bankrupt him.

The local paper, the Manx Examiner, he says, refused to even cover the Mount Murray hearings, although they were the most sensational story on the island for decades.

Mr Gubay's lawyer, Peter Willers, denied to the Guardian it was unfair for Mr Gubay to seek to have Mr Drower imprisoned for contempt by the island judge, Michael Kerruish, known as the First Deemster. "What is unfair is to use the internet to hide behind false names and false addresses and disseminate false information".

[gettafa]

1 hour ago, Albert Tatlock said:

I'd settle for a retired deemster.

If we can't trust the law, we can't trust anything much more on this island anymore.

You are, I hope, fucking joking. 

(and Moyle was never a deemster btw, he seemed to be a decent bloke)

[gettafa]

56 minutes ago, b4mbi said:

FFS let it lie.

We invested in films, lost money, but made a healthy profit from our Pinewood shares.

Waste of public money & time to trawl over the same old shit again with yet another bloody report that "lessons will be learned" from.

The main actor in all this film saga has passed on, and nothing can come out of it other than massive reputational and potentially financial damage.

An exercise in shooting yourself in the foot, which is why understandably, no-one wants to touch another enquiry with a bargepole.

Knackers need to be strung up. There needs to be a thorough inquiry.

Where did all the money go.

[b4mbi]

23 minutes ago, gettafa said:

Knackers need to be strung up. There needs to be a thorough inquiry.

Where did all the money go.

You really think the Island lost money over this? 

[asitis]

4 minutes ago, b4mbi said:

You really think the Island lost money over this? 

difficult to know what to think with Eddies smoke and mirrors approach, where the plebs (those who provide the money) cannot see anything as its commercially confidential !

The only out in the open bit is the 26million of taxpayers money which has gone down the tubes !!! ...... if they are too scared of an enquiry then taxpayers money shouldn't have been used in this way. I don't accept the main players are no longer around with the sad exception of Mr Christian they are very much around and the taxpayers are living with a number of their legacies !