Letter to the Editor: The Saga of Tony Car-money and T&T’s leaking roof


“The Vietnamese say that a house leaks from the roof…”

The following Letter to the Editor, on the allegations engulfing President Anthony Carmona, was submitted to Wired868 by the National Workers Union and was penned by Rae Samuel:

Dear folks, let me begin by saying that I am not one of those armchair journalists who Tony “Car-money”—as some call him now—recently upbraided in his Republic Day rant.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago President Anthony Carmona takes the podium during a reception for China’s President Xi Jinping in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on 1 June 2013.  He probably asked for tips on handling nosey journalists. (Copyright Frederic Dubray/AFP 2016)
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago President Anthony Carmona takes the podium during a reception for China’s President Xi Jinping in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on 1 June 2013.
(Copyright Frederic Dubray/AFP 2016)

I have no armchair. Neither my General Secretary nor my editor would sign off on such an invoice. In the interim, I have bought myself a folding stool, which I place over my shoulder following the workers’ interest—be it on the Brian Lara Promenade, Chaguaramas or outside the Prime Minister’s house, which the JTUM has apparently declared to be off limits.


Does that make me a “stool j…”? Better watch yuh mouth, you do not have Presidential immunity… Nor wine.

Given our reversion to type/norm in the limited overs series in Pakistan, we should send Tony Car-money to captain and coach the team. Look at the master stroke he played before red-haired Rhoda spilled his wine.

He called in all the heads of security and law enforcement to a meeting. We all know that refreshments are served at these sessions. Who is to say that, in a moment of epiphany, Tony did not serve them the same Presidential wine which would later become subject to investigation?

Yuh cyah smoke weed in the gayelle and then lock up the fellahs yuh smoke with. That is a brilliant legal mind at work—powers or no powers.

While it is not the first time Tony’s apparent chicanery is under review, these new revelations are most revealing.

Last time out, it was revealed that he collected rent money while living in State funded housing. Now it seems the allegations have spread to bottling Presidential Chardonnay, acquiring “family jewels” at State expense and doing a Kamla by hiring close relatives to work in the household.

Photo: PNM supporters poke fun at the outgoing Prime Minister on 7 September 2015 at Balisier House. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: PNM supporters poke fun at the outgoing Prime Minister on 7 September 2015 at Balisier House.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

These accusations carry strong evidential circumstance, since serious questions emanate from the Auditor General’s office. The sums in dispute suggest hundreds of thousands of dollars of misplaced or illegitimate spending.

Meanwhile, schools need repairs, money is owed to workers and Dr Zika cannot find money to buy cancer drugs in public hospitals.

Can you imagine hundreds of prisoners suffering in jail accused of doing much less and reading or hearing of this? What would they give for five minutes free airtime to plead their cases as eloquently as “Tony C”?

The Vietnamese say that a house leaks from the roof. Yes, the substantive house was leaking long before Tony C came there to roost—we know chickens roost, but what about eagles?—but not from audited accounts. The Auditor General now has to go in there with a raincoat and Wellingtons.

Is the goodly gentleman in any way responsible?

Next time someone hires your transport, tells you “wait here ah coming just now” and you vehicle ends up searched with the police finding firearms or narcotics in your vehicle, text me and let me know whom they charge?

Unless, of course, you are President of the Republic!

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)
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11 comments

  1. The ‘powers’ that he thinks he has! #disrespectful&boldfaced

  2. John 8:32 – Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
    After listening to President Anthony Carmona’s response to the many accusations levelled against him by the media -armchair journalists – in particular, I wonder if they have been set free to get off their GOYAS and indulge in research and investigative journalism? Frankly speaking, I think not!

  3. If I even see Noor or ANR pass by, I felt a wave of pride in my most senior statesman. This man is nothing.

  4. If de gyalvanize rotten yuh have tuh change de whole roof yes. Yuh doh want water to soak yuh house or get intuh yuh clothes. Yuh cyah cork up dem hole wid no tar, nah. Now, leh we take a drink and wine back on dat.

  5. Waiting on the report on The Wine of Atonement or The Wine of Astonishment.

  6. If you plan to hold your breath make sure your insurance premiums up to date so your beneficiary can collect.

  7. A damaging indictment on the president and his office. To members of the Auditor’s General office, avoid consumption of all strong drinks, including wines until the matter has been thoroughly investigated. We need a sane and truthful report.

  8. Hmmm … when Powers should be looking to emulate the style, poise and grace of Barack Obama, it seems that he patterns himself more on the antics and philosophies of Donald Trump. That wrong and strong attitude is going to be his tainted legacy.

  9. This keeps getting worse and worse. I hope he resigns so as not to continue to bring the office of the President to further refute

  10. Ah, Rae, when Mr Live Wire go on holiday, I coming by you to step into the breach – if the police eh lock up yuh tail before then. Not sure if you remember the line from racine that says “Pensez-vous etre saint et juste impunement?”

    For the benefit of the non-French speakers, loosely translated into Trinidad, that says, “You feel you could never do nutten wrong and get away with dat?”

    Just by the way, Car-Money is neither a good gentleman – we didn’t have to wait fuh Rhoda to tell we dat! – nor a goodly gentleman – check the photos above again. Yuh really find he “attractive, excellent or admirable”?

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