And as the threat of transport instability appears faintly on the event horizon tonight, who can forget the Tower Hill bus riot of 30th July, 2001? It was a memorable event with images of police running scared and BDF soldiers firing m-16's etched permanently into the collective national conscious. And while most of us remember something from that day, who can remember the commission of inquiry that came from that, much less its recommendations. And that's just the point that the Ombudsman Paul Rodriquez made today.
According to him, all these investigations, whether the Senate's Social Security probe or the DFC Commission of Inquiry...are going nowhere. If it sounds uncharacteristically harsh and cynical for the usually moderate Ombudsman, that's just what he said today.
Paul Rodriquez, Ombudsman
"With all the criticisms, the critics have not said and have not noticed that for over a year, for instance, a Senate investigating committee has been working and let me tell you that so far they have reported nothing, and I believe that it is safe to say that they will find nothing that is indictable and the same with the commission investigating the DFC. I understand that the Chairman is now asking for a forensic auditor, which will cost $2 million. Another point I think it is a good thing to note that if we want an autonomous office, that works 100% cutting off and ridding the country of corruption, then I think the thing to do is to make our Supreme Court 100% effect. That is not possible anywhere in the world because we are human beings. It is people who corrupt systems, not systems who corrupt people."
Rodriguez spoke to us as the office of the Ombudsman got a new vehicle today, we'll tell you more about that later on.
