CaRT not a member
AS I HAVE previously commented one would have thought that Pamela Smith could have approached the Charity Commission for assistance in this case (Silencing the opposition—13/10/12) but it seems not, writes Pam Pickett.
Pamela Smith has been advised that the Charity Commission cannot intervene in what it sees as a matter between herself and CaRT. Furthermore, looking at the website of the Fundraising Standards Board it too is apparently unable to intervene, and perhaps best to take note of this for future reference, the reason for this is that it says CaRT is not a member!
Self-regulating
Worryingly given that CaRT is to handle public monies, given such previously lax regulation of the bankers, I therefore have to ask if the Trust is purely internally self-regulating, other than of course for major fraud were this to be reported, or if it is subject to any external regulatory body?
Whilst I'm not suggesting that CaRT isn't ‘squeaky clean', I am concerned that it is to be seen to be so!
Don't shoot the messenger
However it seems this is a topic of much interest in the wider world at the moment. That it is not just Pamela Smith being threatened by those with deep pockets (in this case full of our money) for ‘blowing the whistle' by printing facts seen to be in the public interest.
Did I ask the wrong question? It should therefore be of interest to us all that it is too often those whistle blowers of little means that then find themselves on the wrong side of the law, whilst those with deep pockets suppressing facts that should be in the public interest are laughing all the way to the courts.
Gagged by fear
We must therefore hope that none ‘gagged by fear of reprisal' are ever to be in possession of facts relating to any possible life-threatening situation, for us!
In conclusion, and with hindsight, it's a thought that I might not have asked the right question when I asked why CaRT was so ‘touchy' over the content of the Kanda website that deals with controversial matters affecting liveaboards and continuous cruisers. Perhaps the question I should have asked is why it was that CaRT saw fit to target the liveaboard editor of this website?