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Newslist Messages for
September 2000
Date: Fri Sep 1, 2000 8:26amSubject: DECISION ON PROBLEM NUCLEAR PLANT CELTIC LEAGUE - PRESS INFORMATION DECISION ON TROUBLED NUCLEAR STATION SOON BNFL plans to restart the troubled Wylfa power station on Anglesey have received a setback, They had planned to send their safety plans to the NII(Nuclear Industries Inspectorate) this week with a view to re-commissioning.However, these will not be ready for several weeks. The closure isreputed to be costing £400,000 per day. The station shutdown in March after "unexpected marks" were seen inthe reactors fuel channels on Reactor one. A similar problem wasuncovered on Reactor Two. The Celtic League wrote at the time to theBritish and Irish governments questioning the record of the Magnoxstations including Wylfa which are being operated beyond their originalservice life We believe the decision of the NII to even contemplatere-commissioning the plant is highly irresponsible Information the Celtic League have indicates that Wylfa station hadsuffered unplanned shutdowns on 30 occasions over the past decade.Reactor one has been closed down on 13 occasions and Reactor two on17 occasions. This excludes planned maintenance shutdowns. Despitethis the stations operators, BNFL, indicated their intention to continueoperating the station for another twenty years. The Celtic League believe that the UKs Magnox stations including Wylfa,which pose a threat to the community around the Irish sea, shouldall be closed. The Irish government also have concerns. EnterpriseMinister Joe Jacob assured the Celtic League that "incidents suchas those at Wylfa serve to reinforce my concerns about the safetyof these Magnox reactors and my determination to have them closeddown" The frequency of the unplanned shutdowns revealed by the HSE is addedcause for concern. A major malfunction at the plant seems inevitableif the NII bow to pressure to allow re-commissioning. Bernard Moffatt Secretary General Celtic League 31/8/00 ============================= Date: Sun Sep 3, 2000 9:29am Subject: POLITICAL JUDGEMENT CELTIC LEAGUE - PRESS INFORMATION A POLITICALLY EXPEDIENT 'JUDGEMENT' There is a popular conception that the relationship between the variousfacets of the Isle of Mans' establishment is to say the least incestuous. The preconception is reinforced by the recent judgement by the Isleof Man Appeal Court over Isle of Man - UK prison transfers. Thereis no doubt that the Manx government for politically expediency neededto get a positive reaction from the Appeal Court. Despite the obviousunfairness and lack of respect for individual rights the Courts ultimatelydelivered the judgement the politicians wanted. That in itself shouldmake us pause for thought. The issue transcends the ultimate fate of one individual. A numberof prisoners have already been transferred and the validity of thosetransfers is itself questionable The State however is not apparentlygoing to advise these individuals of its own illegal actions now thatthey have "settled in very well" in the UK. The decision to accommodate the transfers obviously is driven by politicalconsiderations and the Manx courts have indicated that they will deliverjudgements that suit political expediency thereby setting a dangerousprecedent - not just for the inmates of Victoria Road Prison. A judicial system which prostitutes itself to the political processis beneath contempt. J B Moffatt Secretary General 2/9/00 =================================== Date: Sun Sep 3, 2000 9:29am Subject: CHINOOK DEFECTS CASE SETTLED CELTIC LEAGUE - PRESS INFORMATION CHINOOK DEFECTS CASE QUIETLY SETTLED A lawsuit involving allegations that defective gears were fitted onChinook military helicopters was settled last month. Boeing will payup to $61.5 million dollars to the US government and a former employeeof a Boeing components supplier SPECO, Mr. Brett Roby. The actionwas brought by Roby after he was sacked by Boeing supplier SPECO (nowdefunct) when he tried to "blow the whistle" about the defect in 1994. In May the Celtic League queried the situation surrounding RAF Chinookswhich were also fitted with the defective parts. In response the MODrefused to comment on the court case however they confirmed that lastyear tests confirmed "minute cracking in two Chinook engine transmissionsystems". Subsequent checks revealed "a further four gears...withsimilar defects" The Chinook is the centre of controversy over alleged systems failuressaid to have caused the Kintyre crash in 1994 when 25 top securitypersonnel from Northern Ireland and four aircrew died. However theMOD insist it was pilot error. Ironically RAF machines were re-manufacturedwith the same SPECO components. Although the defect was identified on RAF Chinooks, in late 1999,this did not lead to the withdrawal from service of the helicopter,rather a phased system of overhaul was introduced. In the US howeveridentification of the defect led to an order grounding all 460 Chinooksin January of this year (some remain grounded pending overhaul). The Chinook in addition to its operational role in N. Ireland andoverseas is used extensively on exercises over the Celtic countries. In June the MOD told us that "Flight safety is of paramount importanceto the RAF and naturally we will consider whether any further actionis necessary as the Boeing investigation, which we are still monitoringclosely unfolds". However, pointedly, the MOD have not commented followingthe quiet conclusion of the Boeing - Roby action and they have notadmitted that defective gears may have been fitted to the KintyreChinook. J B Moffatt Secretary General 2/9/00 ================================= Date: Tue Sep 5, 2000 9:33am Subject: INDIFFERENCE TO ARMY DRUGS CRISIS CELTIC LEAGUE - PRESS INFORMATION ARMY INDIFFERENCE TO DRUGS CRISIS IT CREATED British Army dumping youths with substance abuse back into Society with problems their service background has created More British army soldiers are being given their marching orders thisweek for drugs offences. The current round of dismissals started withseveral months ago with discharges from a number of Welsh and ScottishRegiments. Their dismissal, can be the subject of appeal but theArmy has said previously that only in "extremely exceptional circumstances"will they stay in uniform. Ironically, the fresh round of sackings comes during a week in whichcalls have again been made for two Scots guards who murdered a Belfastman Peter McBride to be expelled from the Army. Apparently the Army'stough policy on drugs does not extend to murder. The latest revelation must call into question the cynical policy ofthe British Army in recruiting young people in the Celtic areas andthen dumping them back into society after creating the environmentin which they feel the necessity to become involved with drugs. Surelythe MOD has a duty to try and help these young people address theirdrugs problem probably created as a result of the trauma and pressuresof service life. Despite attempts by the MOD to 'stonewall' over the issue the furtherdrugs clear-out seems to indicate drug addiction within the armedforces, is approaching crisis proportions. We revealed in June thatthe situation is not new. Five years ago the MOD assured the Celtic League it was "constantlyreviewing its programme on (drugs abuse) education". Obviously theeducation programme is not working with nearly 50 troops given theirmarching orders in the past three months. J B Moffatt Secretary General 5/9/2000 ============================== Date: Mon Sep 18, 2000 11:23am Subject: KREMLIN BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS CELTIC LEAGUE - PRESS INFORMATION KREMLIN CONTRACT BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS - SWISS POINT FINGER AT OFFSHORECENTRES The Isle of Man government is quietly patting itself on the back overafter being "commended for their success in stamping out other criminalactivities by the Offshore Group of banking Supervisors and the FinancialAction Task Force". However, this weekend news broke which paints a less positive pictureof the Islands bank system. Reports in the UK media indicated thatsenior Russian and Swiss law officers began talks last week on Swissclaims that a branch of a Manx based bank was used to pass $25 millionin bribes to a confidant of Russian President Vladimar Putin. The Swiss normally reticent about their own banking indiscretionsappear to be zealously intent on pursuing the allegations. In theprocess they make sweeping accusations about a number of off-shorejurisdictions including the Isle of Man and Guernsey and their involvementin handling money connected with a half billion dollar contract torefurbish the Kremlin and other government offices. This may be a"spoiler" to distract attention from their own regulatory shortcomings. The Manx government should urgently clarify the situation as any connections,of a dubious nature, to the Russian federation invariably involvecriminal elements that have flourished via the political corruptionthat has existed since the collapse of the Soviet Union. J B Moffatt Secretary General 18/9/00 ============================= Date: Tue Sep 19, 2000 4:53am Subject: NUKE NO FLY ZONE CELTIC LEAGUE - PRESS INFORMATION NO REVIEW OF NUCLEAR AIR SAFETY MARGIN Low-flying around nuclear plants to continue despite concerns - collisionwarning system being developed! The Ministry of Defence has rejected calls to tighten low flying restrictionsaround nuclear plants. The issue had been raised at the Celtic League AGM in August whendelegates from Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man expressed concernabout the danger posed by military low flying near nuclear plantsin Scotland Cumbria and N. Wales. The MOD indicate that enhanced collision warning systems are beingdeveloped for the Tornado GR 4 aircraft. An aircraft of this typecrashed near the Torness nuclear plant in November 1999. That incidentled the Irish governments Enterprise Minister, Joe Jacob, to supportcalls by the Celtic League for improved regulation. Bizarrely, the MOD in confirming that it will not react to criticismfrom campaigning groups, or national governments, says it will revisitthe issue if the "nuclear industry...ask us to review our policy". In a related development the Nuclear Industry admitted this week thatit will no longer ensure that disused nuclear reactors are fittedwith protective shells. Paradoxically this will compound the dangeras the industries old Magnox stations are de-commissioned. Bernard Moffatt Secretary General Celtic League 11/9/00 ================================ Date: Wed Sep 20, 2000 5:24am Subject: KREMLIN BRIBES LINK CONFIRMED CELTIC LEAGUE - PRESS INFORMATION KREMLIN BRIBES - LINKS CONFIRMED The admission that the Isle of Mans regulatory authorities knew threeyears ago about links between Manx financial institutions and theKremlin bribes allegations scandal is a shocking admission. It is now admitted that the Manx fraud squad were 'on the case' threeyears ago but the regulatory inertia is explained away with the bizarreassertion that no money laundering in the 'traditional sense' hadoccurred. The Isle of Man has recently been trumpeting its credentials viz aviz the finance sector and regulation and yet apparently harmful linksthrough the Island to bribery allegations associated with a half billiondollar project to refurb. the Kremlin were left smouldering on thebank burner. It is not as if warning about the dangers of the potential dangerlinks to business in Russia posed was not known. At least one formersenior member of the fraud squad (now retired) warned in October 1995about the dangers posed by transactions from the former Soviet bloc. It is past time all agencies from the Treasury down shook of the selfinflicted inertia that their constant prattling about "high regulatorystandards" has induced. If the Island is being used, however legitimately,as a conduit for such business it should be stopped. J B Moffatt Secretary General 20/9/00 ========================================= DRUG STRATEGY COMPROMISED 'In tandem with research, support, assessment and rehabilitation strategiesa well thought out public policy on punishment and penal provisionshould have underpinned the policy. This is plainly not the case.' It is difficult to quarrel with the conclusions of an Isle of Mannewspaper editorial which criticised the sentence set down in a recentserious drug trafficking case. The Celtic League have campaigned for years against the drugs threat,which has steadily grown from being a major problem in urban conurbationssuch as Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin and Liverpool into rural areas. Areasin these large cities have had the soul ripped out of them by a tradewhich depends for the most part on a relatively small network of suppliersand dealers and the vulnerability of young people. Adequate and full support should and must be made available to thoseyoung people whose lives are being destroyed by this evil trade. Rehabilitationmust be provided to the drug users to enable them to recover theirlives. However, as the newspaper correctly pointed out, the dealer,unlike the user, is driven by the lucrative profits to be made exploitingthe dependency of drug users. It is always difficult to reach conclusions on the basis of case circumstancesas reported in the media. However, any analysis of the sentence inthis case must beg the question - did the courts get it right? The case, in which an habitual dealer received a minimum custodialsentence, also highlighted deficiencies in the current and well publicisedChief Ministers drug strategy. One would have thought that in tandemwith research, support, assessment and rehabilitation strategies awell thought out public policy on punishment and penal provision shouldhave underpinned the policy. This is plainly not the case. A key imperative to resolving the problem must be the removal of sourcesof supply - and that includes habitual dealers. J B Moffatt Secretary General 19/9/00 =============================== Date: Wed Sep 20, 2000 5:26am Subject: POLICE 'LOSE'MORE CASH CELTIC LEAGUE - PRESS INFORMATION POLICE STATION MONEY - WHERE IS IT? Public and media interest in what happened to money which disappearedfrom an Isle of Man Police Station seems strangely muted. Recently,the Force acknowledged that over £1000 could not be accounted forafter going missing from Ramsey police station. It is not the first occasion when such incidents have. Occurred approximatelythree years ago a similar sum, recovered after a robbery in the southof the Island, disappeared. There is an understandable and pro-active campaign by the Police togain and maintain public confidence. For the most part this is successful.However, such confidence is unlikely to be maintained whilst accountabilityfor the loss of not insignificant amounts of money is so lax. Recently the Islands Chief Constable, in a move eerily reminiscentof his predecessor, criticised some officers for spreading rumourand gossip. Perhaps his efforts would be better directed at improvingcash security within the forces stations. J B Moffatt Secretary General 18/9/00 ============================== Date: Fri Sep 22, 2000 1:22pm Subject: KREMLIN BRIBES QUESTIONS CELTIC LEAGUE - PRESS INFORMATION KREMLIN BRIBES SCANDAL - QUESTIONS STILL UNANSWERED The Manx governments response to the Kremlin Bribes scandal whichbroke last week has so far been evasive and insubstantial. Urgent questions surrounding the issue need to be resolved if theIsle of Man is to maintain its assertion that its regulatory systemis up to scratch. Bizarre statements that the issues do not involve money launderingin a "traditional sense" and a Treasury Minister who has "Indications"that correct procedures were followed hardly engender confidence. Most tellingly if the investigation was closed three years ago whyis it now being re-opened. Is it because other regulatory regimeshave become aware of matters our system should have detected? We have posed a number of questions to the Isle of Man GovernmentsTreasury Minister (see below). Bernard Moffatt Secretary General Celtic League 22/9/00 The Treasury Minister Mr. R Corkhill MHK The Treasury Legislative Buildings Douglas Isle of Man Dear Minister, Ref. Kremlin bribes allegations - Manx Government, FSC and Media statements. I note with interest comments made by you in response to allegationsthat the Islands finance sector is linked to allegations that substantialsums of money (in the form of bribes) were 'milked' from a half billiondollar Russian construction contract. I am extremely concerned that you apparently believe that becausethis allegation surrounds events three years ago, and the Island hassince introduced more robust regulatory provisions, this in some wayexplains away any Manx connection. I also note you say that the "Indications are that the bank involveddid follow procedures at that time". For some years now the Isle ofMan government have indicated that correct regulatory procedures werebeing applied to this sector. The particular problems associated withlarge sums of monies originating from particular countries, such asthe Russian Federation were also said to be well understood. In thecircumstances your response to these latest allegations is insubstantialand 'woolly'. The questions to be clarified are: a) Was this transaction subject to specific scrutiny given the originsof the financial business and if so what were the actual conclusionsof that scrutiny? b) Did the bank meticulously adhere to regulatory procedures thenin place? In respect of the latter we do not want to hear your speculation aboutindicators but rather a factual statement of what the initial fraudsquad investigation uncovered. I am copying this letter to John Aspden at the FSC because obviouslythere are points it (the FSC) needs to clarify in relation to thismatter. I understand that they are reopening the investigation andindeed this beg the question should it ever have been closed. I also,incidentally. find the reference made by Mr. Aspden "this is not moneylaundering in the traditional sense" bizarre. Perhaps it might beuseful if you point out to the FSC that the Manx government and peoplewill not countenance "money laundering" in any sense or context viathis jurisdiction and it is their role (FSC) to ensue it does notoccur. There is a further more general observations I would make to you. The current state which the Russian Federation finds itself in meansthat substantial sums of money such as that alleged to have been embezzledin this transaction can ill afford to be lost. As always there isa human dimension to this and as an organisation we believe it isethically wrong for Manx people to prosper on the basis of trade ortransactions which are tainted. If our banks are used as a conduit, however legitimate to swindlethe wealth of another nation than that causes human misery and wecannot be a part of it. The government has been "patting itself on the back recently" aboutits efforts to improve the Islands image viz a viz our finance industry.This episode is a useful reminder of the danger that complacency canengender. Yours sincerely, J B Moffatt Secretary General Celtic League 22/9/00 cc John Aspden - Chief Executive Financial Supervision Commission  Back to Celtic League News |