Wine of astonishment: Rhoda grabs President by his jewels, as ‘new media’ goes balls deep

Trinidad and Tobago can only look on aghast as a once beloved public figure hurtles towards the rocks and now looks certain to be divorced from a position that he truly cherished as much as we loved seeing him in it.

But enough about the break-up of “Brangelina”. Anybody caught the latest on President Anthony “Pussyfoot” Carmona?

Well it appears that while the two island republic gets through the week with large and frequent bouts of tea sipping, “President Powers” prefers wine. And that’s not the half of it.

Photo: Wine to the side! A curious label on a bottle of wine has raised questions for President Anthony Carmona. (Courtesy Rhoda Bharath)
Photo: Wine to the side! A curious label on a bottle of wine has raised questions for President Anthony Carmona.
(Courtesy Rhoda Bharath)

A bizarre photo which shows the seal of the Office of the President on a bottle of sparkling wine has sparked a furious conversation that probably won’t help your digestive system much.

Is the Office of the President, packaging, selling or distributing wine? Wouldn’t flesh-colour belts be more in line with the Carmonas’ brand? Does Pussyfoot just like to see his label everywhere like The Donald?

Mr Live Wire understands that Government ministers, who also run thriving trades in second-hand vehicles, are furious at the possible implications. So far, Carmona has not commented on the furore although a non-reputable source from the Office of the President told Wired868: “Can’t knock da hustle… On My Level… THat Part!”

University lecturer, author, blogger, radio talk-show co-host and Facebook bad-ass Rhoda Bharath spelt out the allegations against Trinidad and Tobago’s Head of State in a Facebook Live webcast, which surprised many internet users who thought that function was designed to show off your Sunday lunch or moan about long queues.

In the old days, Bharath would have had to pass over her information to a media house in return for a 30-second soundbite to make her case to the public. Today, she can deliver her own newscast while showing off her bookcase and musical preferences and engaging “Nokio”, “Phelps” and “Dennis” in running commentary.

There was a marked difference in the tone of the traditional and social media reports too.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago President Anthony Carmona is snapped before a meeting with China President Xi Jingping in Port of Spain on 2 June 2013. (Copyright Frederic Dubray/AFP 2016/Wired868)
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago President Anthony Carmona is snapped before a meeting with China President Xi Jingping in Port of Spain on 2 June 2013.
(Copyright Frederic Dubray/AFP 2016/Wired868)

Old media excerpt: “Allegations of misspending: There is silence from President’s House… about questionable spending.”

New media excerpt: “You see when it comes to State funds and we tax dollars jumping up and wining going down the f**king road… We can’t have the President running slack with we money!”

Ahem. Beat that for incisive commentary in your weekend column, Martin Daly SC!

Bharath mentioned the Auditor General’s 2016 report on the President’s House, which stated that: “There were 85 instances of incorrect classification of expenditure totalling TT$2,685,236.90 in contravention of Financial Regulation 65.”

The Auditor General further noted that “TT$300,444.92 sampled from total purchases amounting to TT$685,469.22 for the President’s household were not entered in the Inventory Register.”

So what were these “incorrect classifications”? The Auditor General asked the President House’s to clarify in a 15 March 2016 memorandum but no response was released.

Bharath attempted to fill the knowledge void by suggesting that they might be—according to alleged whispers—jewellery and toiletries among other unmentionables.

Photo: Reema Carmona (right) poses next to Ban Soon-Taek, the wife of United Nations General Secretary, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, at a UN event on Tuesday 23 September 2014. Rum shop logic is when you hear breakfast function and dress for breakfast fete. (Courtesy Zimbio)
Photo: Reema Carmona (right) poses next to Ban Soon-Taek, the wife of United Nations General Secretary, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, at a UN event on Tuesday 23 September 2014.
Rum shop logic is when you hear breakfast function and dress for breakfast fete.
(Courtesy Zimbio)

Trinidad and Tobago, she said, might now have State jewels. And President Pussyfoot’s lifestyle is “Ova Dweet”.

“When they demitting office, them jewels staying right there for whoever become President and President’s wife,” said Bharath. “That jewellery belongs to the State! I don’t care if it is a Rattan’s bracelet he buy for she, once it is tax money buy it that belongs to us!

“The President’s wife must be ‘Doh-Care-Gaza-Princess’. Because how you could be a person of principle and not turn around and tell your husband: ‘No honey, buy it out of your salary’.”

That is, of course, if the President did make such purchases And, for the record, Mr Live Wire does have his doubts as to whether Carmona indeed possesses jewels of any kind, let alone any that a future president might want to inherit.

And, to be as fair as possible to Reema Carmona, Mr Live Wire would also like to stress that the First Lady could not possible have Doh-Care-Gaza-Princess as a tattoo on her person. We would have seen it already.

Still, it appears that another Trinidad and Tobago public figure has to answer questions on the possible misappropriation of funds.

Or, as Bharath succinctly put it: “People who not supposed to be f**king up with we money, f**king up with we money…”

Photo: Lecturer, author, blogger and all-round bad-ass Rhoda Bharath. (Courtesy GISL)
Photo: Lecturer, author, blogger and all-round bad-ass Rhoda Bharath.
(Courtesy GISL)

What else is new. Been there, bought the tee-shirt with a bounced cheque.

However, President Pussyfoot clearly has a new new media sparring partner. And star comedian Rachel Price might have to make room on her throne as the undisputed queen of the video blog.

Waaay sah. What kinda Kia Ranking thing you on, Rhoda?!

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About Mr. Live Wire

Mr. Live Wire is an avid news reader who translates media reports for persons who can handle the truth. And satire. Unlike Jack Nicholson, he rarely yells.

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177 comments

  1. Much ado about a wine….hmmm….something else is cooking. I can smell it.

  2. Sorry HE needs to Cease N Desist

  3. Much Ado about Nothing #restingbitchface
    Clearly this is a Confusion as to what (if any) Powers he have or Doh Have
    You need to Cease n Desist
    Too much Bacchanal????

  4. “a non-reputable source” – AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

  5. Is when the last administration had a public consultation for CSOs to boof we about getting money from terrorists groups and persons of questionable character but wasnt willing to talk party financing. We so funni in dis country

  6. We don’t have to wait long republic day soon come we will hear all about rum shop politics.

  7. Shucks! My first comment was dumb. I should have guessed that some scandal was lurking, but for some reason I assumed that all was innocent and proper.

  8. He lost the Script. Go Rachel price.

  9. Lasana you an these headlines does kill me yes, I rolling with laughter at this one

  10. My guess is that the Office of the President does enough entertaining to reasonably purchase sparkling wine in bulk. I think it is excellent to have the neutral, non-commercial Presidential House Label rather than advertising various commercial wine producers.

  11. My word! What a horrid image that headline makes. Ewwwww

  12. I hope Facebook Bad ass is going onto your CV.

  13. Lovelace reference and errrryting! Ah too glad!

  14. Ah was wondering this morning who would use d jewels joke!

  15. Jus reading that post cracking me up

  16. “If the right people had been in charge of Nixon’s funeral, his casket would have been launched into one of those open-sewage canals that empty into the ocean just south of Los Angeles. He was a swine of a man and a jabbering dupe of a president. Nixon was so crooked that he needed servants to help him screw his pants on every morning. Even his funeral was illegal. He was queer in the deepest way. His body should have been burned in a trash bin.” — from Hunter S. Thompson’s 1994 Rolling Stone obituary for Richard Nixon

  17. “University lecturer, author, blogger, radio talk-show co-host and Facebook bad-ass Rhoda Bharath!!!!!” Yuh done know!!!!!!!!

  18. If this had happened in a First World Country ,a resignation or an arrest would be on the cards.When the Nixon debacle exploded and he was exposed as the liar that he was,Sen .Barry Goldwater sat with the rest of the High Rankers watching it then got up and said ,and I quote,” Let’s go and tell the son of a bitch to get his arse out of the White House.”

  19. Methinks the village smith hath partake of the product of the vine.

  20. When someone desecrates the post they occupy,besmirches the sanctity of office,exposes the honoured seat to odium,ridicule and contempt then that person and that person alone is responsible for befouling the sovereignty of a nation to conduct its own affairs.

    • “Desecrates” and “besmirches” …in what way?

    • Brian Jordan the fact that you still ask such a question, after all the corruption, which has been, and continues to be exposed, speaks volumes.

    • Not sure why you hide your name, but that speaks even more loudly..

    • Brian Jordan My name is not hidden!!! Not because you don’t understand Japanese, means my name is hidden. Your ignorance is showing, and it’s not cute. #IgnorantMuch

    • Insults mean nothing and do nothing to move along a simple discussion.. Feel free to continue the insults.. Sad

    • Brian Jordan you’re fishing!!! Nobody has resorted to insults. You tried to, by making an ignorant comment about my name. It’s okay to be wrong, it’s okay to admit when you’re wrong. But, being wrong and strong prevents you, from achieving enlightenment.

    • How about sharing your “enlightenment” by answering my first question.

    • The office of the President of Trinidad and Tobago has come under disrepute for the following reasons:
      1) The use of alleged STATE FUNDS to purchase jewelry for the wife of the President of Trinidad and Tobago, by the President of Trinidad and Tobago.
      2) The use of alleged STATE FUNDS to source, purchase, and bottle wine.
      3) The use of the OFFICIAL SEAL of The Office of the President of Trinidad and Tobago, on the label of said wine. If you don’t know, the OFFICIAL SEAL of the Office of the President of Trinidad and Tobago, is for OFFICIAL STATE business ONLY!!! There are no exceptions.
      4) The use of alleged STATE FUNDS to purchase toiletries.
      5) The use of alleged STATE FUNDS to to do repairs on two private properties in Fyzabad.
      6) The Office of the President of Trinidad and Tobago gave official government jobs to friends/family of the President of Trinidad and Tobago. Though Nepotism and Cronyism is not illegal per se, it’s a big conflict of interest in public office, especially if the person isn’t qualified for the position.
      7) The use of the Presidential Grounds staff, to frequently do work on the private properties in Fyzabad.
      8) Having RETIRED staff continue in their positions, working for the Office of the President of Trinidad and Tobago, NOT a contractual position.

      This is only what we know of. If you think that these things, are okay, then you accept the corruption, and mismanagement of state funds, in public office. The Office of the President of Trinidad and Tobago, is the HIGHEST office in the land. It is supposed to be WITHOUT disrepute. Accountability, and Transparency, should be tantamount in public office. If we allow this level of corruption, in the highest office in the land, how can we expect there to NOT be lawlessness, at the grassroots level???

    • Thanks. Now if there is proof that the President did all this, why has he not been reprimanded or removed?

    • Brian Jordan there is proof. When these things were unearthed he was in Guyana. The questions have been posed to him, and we’re still awaiting, with bated breath for a response, from the Office of the President.

    • Also the mismanagement of funds showed up in Colm Imbert’s report, on the Presidential budget.

    • K. Is there not a remedy available to the current government? Why wait for the President to condemn himself?

    • Brian Jordan it’s a process. You have to do an investigation. You have to give the President the opportunity to dispute the facts. Then prosecute based on the results of the investigation.

    • K. I am willing to allow the process to unfold and let the chips fall as they may. I think the President, or any citizen for that matter should expect that much…

  21. It would appear that the Auditor General office does not have the structure to compel responses from Government ministries and agencies…they routinely refuse to answer queries about expenditure or in the case of State Agencies, refuse to provide annual reports….time to push for legislation to make the Auditor General office more powerful….

  22. “And, to be as fair as possible to Reema Carmona, Mr Live Wire would also like to stress that the First Lady could not possible have Doh-Care-Gaza-Princess as a tattoo on her person. We would have seen it already.”

  23. $685 000 worth of items purchased are not on the inventory register!

  24. I cant believe the childish mentality of all of you unpatriotic gutter rats. People have some respecct for the position if you dont have respect for yourselves. Shame on all of you.

  25. Wat d hell is this. Anothet issue wit d Powers I HAVE or HAVE NOT. Wat a shame

  26. Alas and alack! the jewels are laid bare and the balls are tossed aside.

  27. Whatever happens,once Ms.Bharath is in the vicinity,the security forces will be under great strain in protecting the family jewels.It will be a testy situation.

  28. A constitutional change allowing the people to recall the politicians’ choice for president would be nice…

  29. Rum you think I have I do not. But Wine you think I don’t have, I do!

  30. I’m weeping here, nearly fell off the sofa….

  31. These are serious allegations of questionable state funds expenditure and management… Your move Mr President!

  32. This ENTIRE headline is ridiculous ??? Lasana we spoke about you having some behaviour!

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