In the land of Antigua & Barbuda, where all is not as it seems, there are striking and remarkable similarities to Alice in Wonderland.
Rather than fictional, though, the undercurrents, events and effects in Antigua & Barbuda are far more real and consequential.
Much like Wonderland, Antigua & Barbuda has its own vocabulary and definitions.
For example, the word "expropriation", recognised by the rest of the English-speaking world as "seizure or dispossession of private property by a government", is not in favour.
It is replaced by "compulsory acquisition".
Of course, the vocabulary lesson continues, "acquisition" does not necessarily entail payment for the "acquired" property. It can be a magical transfer of title and ownership, with all its derivative rights and opportunities, from a Company to the Crown, which can, when convenient, be used interchangeably with The Government of Antigua and Barbuda.
It has been established by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court that under the Laws and Constitution of Antigua & Barbuda, the amount owed by the Government to HMB Holdings Limited for the so-called "acquisition" of its property at Half Moon Bay has now reached over US $72 million dollars, and this amount continues to grow by almost US $400,000 each month.
No payment has been made. None is contemplated.
Not even in the small print of the Budgets presented to Parliament every year can be found any trace of cost associated with the adventure in the Rabbit Hole.
One recent example of the ultimate in the corrupt logic of malfeasanceis the events following an Order of Mandamus that was handed down by the Eastern Caribbean High Court on 8th March 2013.
This unusual but necessary step compelled the Minister of Finance "to issue a warrant for the payment from the Treasury of the compensation, interest and costs" due to H.M.B. Holdings Limited as compensation for the compulsory acquisition of its property.
Within minutes the Mad Hatter was heard declaring in Parliament that the Order compels "the issuance of a warrant for payment" and not the actual payment itself.
Shortly thereafter, the March Hare, backed the semantic pronouncement of his partner.
Now, six weeks after first facing a potential charge of contempt of court, he states publicly that he is still "considering his options".
In the real world, contempt of court is a criminal offence.
Writing a dud cheque, which is no different from deliberately issuing a warrant for a payment that cannot be collected, is also a criminal offence.
It is also fraud, misrepresentation and abuse of public office.
However, laws governing governance are mere pronouncements. They are never enforced in Wonderland. Or, for that matter, in Antigua & Barbuda.
Out of time and out of excuses, the Government of Antigua & Barbuda has nevertheless applied to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council to hear an appeal of issues not previously raised in the lower courts, but now considered "of great importance to Antigua and Barbuda."
Whether this application for appeal will be granted is yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, the Company's appeal of a lower court's decision, which agreed with the Attorney General's arguments that the Company's constitutional rights had "not yet" been breached, has being delayed for over fourteen months by the withholding of the official Record of the original two hour hearing.
The Mad Hatter is once again involved in "murdering time."
The Record has not been signed; it has been misplaced; it is on the desk in a locked office; it has been lost; the Company must wait its turn, and all the other excuses previously used to cause delays are being repeated without the slightest embarrassment.
When this Administration promised transparency - this was apparently what it had in mind!
Another promise, made by the members of today's ruling party while campaigning to win the hearts and minds of the Antiguan people nine years ago, was "what is wrong will be made right".
Nobody anticipated that they would do so by decree.
Nevertheless, as in Wonderland, the scene is beginning to crack.
While financial bodies such as the IMF, the World Bank and various international aid agencies continue to accept the Antiguan Government's assurances that it is following a genuine legal process that will ensure that the disenfranchised owners will be promptly and properly compensated for their loss, the latest Ruling by a High Court Judge states the following:
"The law is settled that a statutory duty must be performed without unreasonable delay.
I find that, in the instant case, there has been an unreasonable delay by the Defendant in paying the monies due. I find that this delay constitutes not only a failure, but a refusal to do so."
Perhaps, those turning a deliberate blind eye to Antigua & Barbuda's appalling behaviour should borrow Alice's Looking Glass and turn it on themselves, while they still can extricate themselves from the liability of this association?
No imaginary animals were harmed in the making of the article, the characters appear to be entirely fictitious, the facts are unquestionably truthful; grateful thanks go to Lewis Carroll.
The chapters in Alice's Wonderland conclude without anybody getting hurt. Sadly and shamefully, the same cannot be said about this Chapter in the history of Antigua & Barbuda.
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