The Conde Riley non-resignation (Shysterism 101)

Who remembers that day when WICB director Mr. Conde Riley accused Sir Sridath Ramphal of not being able to understand a mediation document?   Remember how he presented himself as such an honourable man and resigned as a WICB director because he has “broken protocol” by releasing confidential documents?

So why is Mr. Conde Riley still a WICB director?   Welcome to Shysterism 101.

You see, despite proclaiming honour and telling the media he had resigned with immediate effect, Mr. Riley never resigned.  Here’s what he wrote to the board:

“Dear President,

On Friday I called a press conference and gave the press the document which the Mediator had stated caused the mediation process to break down. I consider my action to be in breach of the Code of Ethics which I signed in 2006 when I joined the Board. In the circumstances, I am placing my position as a Director of the WICB at the disposal of the Board.

For the sake of good order, kindly copy the BCA with any future correspondence on this matter.

Kind regards,
Conde”

Slick move.    Instead of resigning, like he said he did, he simply placed his directorship of the WICB “at the disposal of the Board.”

The board of directors then asked WICB management to seek legal advice on the situation and to report on how the board should address Mr. Riley’s action.

The eminent attorneys at Clark Gittens Farmer presented its advice to the WICB in a memo that concluded:

We are of the view that by releasing the document to the press, Mr. Riley did indeed
breach the Code of Ethics. The information was confidential (as it was not public
property or public knowledge), it was imparted to Mr. Riley in circumstances importing an
obligation of confidence, his use of the information was improper given the
circumstances and furthermore was unauthorized by the WICB.2

We are of the view that the WICB should enforce the Code of Ethics strictly in
accordance with Paragraph 11. Given that Mr. Riley has violated the Code of Ethics he
may be subject to disciplinary measures, including dismissal. In compliance with
Paragraph 11.3 of the Code of Ethics, the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the
Board (the “Committee”) should review Mr. Riley’s apparent breach of the Code of
Ethics. The Committee must then submit a report thereon to the Board and must also
recommend sanctions to the Board for their ultimate determination.

Until Mr. Riley is dismissed from the Board, he is entitled to attend the Board of Directors
meetings.

The legal advice was presented to the board at a WICB meeting on March 25-26, 2010. To this day, Mr. Conde Riley is still a director.

Remember we have been telling you about Mr. Gregory Shillingford chairing a WICB committee to rewrite the rules on Ethics?   Instead of firing Mr. Conde Riley for breaching its own ethics, something he himself never denied, the WICB is now rewriting the rules to give him a bligh.

Shysterism 101.

Read the whole thing for yourself  conderileynonresignation.pdf