The is the story of
dishonest and inept government - oh that again. If you thought that the US and
the UK were countries that valued the rule of law and due process, then read
this riveting tale.
The Natwest
Three made a mistake (but didn't break the law) when they didn't disclose their
intention to personally buy into a deal that Natwest had just sold. But the US
prosecutors amazingly used this "mistake" to claim that these UK
citizens working for a UK company in the UK had somehow broken US law? Say
again?
Hear
firsthand about gross abuse and absolute lies by US prosecutors. We have
generally grown to accept that politicians lie on a regular basis. But as long
as it is a "good lie" - well that's OK, we will look the other way.
And the same for prosecutors. If it is a lie
that helps put Jeff Skilling or Ken Lay in jail then that's a bit messy but
good in the long run. But wait there's more. If it brings the big guys to their
knees, then why not use the same technique on the little guys (even if they are
bankers). No problem as long as it's not you.
The notion seems to be that it is OK for the
government and specifically US prosecutors to lie if it is for the greater good
- in other words if they "know" that someone is guilty (by virtue of
their intuitions and a quick read of the facts) then it is acceptable for the
prosecutors to themselves break the law and lie to "catch" the
perpetrators.
An interesting new college model - Minerva
10 years ago
