IN 1996 and 1997 when rumours were making the rounds that Seaga had a FINSAC problem, it was Audley Shaw who promised me that he would 'soon clarify the matter'. The matter was eventually clarified years later, but it did not come through Shaw.

During those years, Shaw and myself would have regular telephone conversations and, as is common with most politicians, I had a difficult time ending the calls. Some time after, I criticised Shaw in a column tiled, You're barking up the wrong tree, Audley Shaw.

I never again heard from him.
He is a JLP MP for North Eastern Manchester, one of the four deputy leaders for his party, opposition spokesman on finance and chairman of the very important Public Accounts Committee (PAC). A lot is expected from a man like Shaw. At all times he should be trustworthy, and at no time should his integrity be called into question.

In the public domain, he, more than anyone else in the JLP, has criticised the ruling PNP for corruption, fiscal irresponsibility and monetary recklessness. On Wednesday February 18, The Gleaner had him on its front page. He was in conversation with Omar Davies and, as I look back at the picture of both men, if we were to judge them on their sartorial elegance, then I know we would be in safe hands.

In February of 2003, Omar Davies, our minister of finance, admitted to a few PNP constituents that the PNP deliberately went on a spending spree in 2002, all the better to secure an electoral win. In February of 2004, it was alleged that Mr Shaw issued bad cheques repeatedly. Well, so much for Satirical chic.

For all that that picture is worth, and based on what we now hear about both men, it would not have shocked us if they were both without a stitch of clothing.
Long before what has been reported the press, rumours preceded them. For quite some time now, people have been telling me of a strain in the relationship between the business community of North East Manchester and Shaw. Most of those who fed me that information were PNP persons, and for that reason, I left it alone. I thought was it was just dirty politics.

In the present matter, we want to see Shaw as the struggling businessman, fighting against an unkind business climate. But try as we can, all we are able to determine is a certain apathy, financial recklessness and plain foolish action on his part.
He had a gas station which sells Unipet products.
Not only did Unipet supply the Shaws with products, but it was Unipet that had initially supplied the funds (by way of a loan) to establish the station and to purchase and install equipment for the operation of the station. The station is at an ideal location along a main road in Christiana.

After the business became run-down and there were serious arrears of payments, Unipet called in the loans. With the Shaws' back against the wall, who could they now turn to?
Enter Joseph Issa, operator of Cool Oasis. My information tells me that through middlemen, Joseph Issa, (a man not unknown to have JLP sympathies) and the Shaws met.
Joey Issa is a decent human being and a gentle soul, and not just the hard-nosed businessman implied by the name.
The main objectives were for the Issa-concern to pay off the indebtedness to Unipet, install new equipment and fixtures and operate the station under the Cool Oasis brand. Under this agreement, the Shaws would manage the station and pay over 40 per cent of sales to Cool Oasis.

Quite apart from the strict business relationship, the parties involved did not want to see Audley Shaw go under. It was as if a second godfather had arrived to save the Shaws.
In one section of the affidavit from Blair Gonsalves, general manager of Cool Oasis Christiana Limited, it is stated that, 'The defendant says it is a failure of the Shaws to manage the station in a businesslike, effective and prudent manner that has led to the defendants terminating their position as managers.'

'It was the Shaws duty to manage the station in a prudent and businesslike manner and to pay over 40 per cent of the proceeds of sale which they have failed to do'.
During 2003, the station became further run-down. In that year too, cheques drawn from the Shaws to Cool Oasis and MZ Holdings (Issa's concerns) were bouncing all over the place.
On February 3, cheques totaling approximately $727,000 were returned by the bank because of lack of funds. On March 3, cheques totaling about $1,304,800 were returned. On April 2, cheques totaling about $689,000 were returned.

In May, the Shaws really went to town with cheques. Five cheques totaling approximately $3,559,000 were returned. On August 1, a cheque for about $349,641 was returned, while in November, another for about $256,000 was also returned.
A total of some 15 cheques amounting to approximately $6,885,441 bounced. What made the cheque episode so terrible, was that quite a few of them were replacement cheques for bad ones. The replacements also bounced. In other words, it would not be unreasonable if persons were to conclude that the Shaws knew that there was no money in the respective accounts to cover the cheques, but went ahead and issued worthless bits of paper anyway.
All of this coming from a man who wants to get rid of a 'wicked and corrupt' PNP government. We must bear in mind that the cheques were eventually made good, but up to January of this year, the indebtedness of the Shaws was over $7 million and Cool Oasis wanted to terminate the management agreement with them.

What is even more sad, is that the whole matter could have been settled out of court amicably. All Audley Shaw had to do was leave the business and chalk up himself as just another failed businessman. Instead, he took the matter to court after he had repeatedly failed to show up at meetings with Cool Oasis personnel.
With so much to lose, he took the matter into the public domain and now he is left with egg on his face. His reputation has been shot to pieces and his roles as deputy leader and PAC chairman, untenable.

Ronnie Thwaites, the ex-PNP MP, had a little spot of bother with a few cheques and he found it prudent to resign his seat.
Errol 'Jigs' Ennis had a moment of weakness with bad cheques and he left the ministry he was attached to. Dr Carl Blythe was muddied up by the Angus Report and he did the decent thing and stepped aside. Elected officials in the PNP do in fact resign when media pressure and their own consciences lead them to that decision.
Inside the JLP, the precedent set by Opposition Leader Edward Seaga, through his unsuccessful companies and the failure to meet statutory obligations in a timely manner (or at all), must mean that a person such as Audley Shaw will find no reason to move on.

And even if Eddie Seaga has the temerity to ask Audley Shaw to resign his deputy leader and PAC chairman post, were I Shaw, I would stare him in the face and say, 'Whither thou goest I will follow'.
And then, of course, the idiotic louts in the JLP, that is, those seeing a plot behind every bush and a duppy behind every latrine, have already started to make Shaw the victim, saying that it's a plot by the 'reformist' wing to embarrass him.
Who was it who assisted Shaw in the first instance? Who was it drawing the bad cheques? Who was it who took Cool Oasis to court? Who was it who made it available to the public domain?

This is another sad day for the JLP when its main spokesperson on Finance and head of the Public Accounts Committee can be involved in a business which has a dirty habit of issuing bounced cheques. Already embarrassed by the refusal of their leader to accept his redundancy and step aside, JLP MPs, caretakers and delegates must now face another round of shame. They certainly can't take too much more.
Did someone say something about a government-in-waiting? Waiting on what, to do what?
Shaw must do the decent thing and resign his deputy leader and PAC posts. Let him keep the MP slot. The people will judge him next time out.

As he walks into Parliament, he will face the stares and silent guffaws of his colleagues on the PNP side. Those on his own side will be bowing their heads in shame, avoiding his eyes. Shaw will walk in gingerly, his eyes to the floor. A silent prayer will leave his heart. It will be saying, 'Lord, take me away from here.'

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