President of the Credit Union League Brain Moore says whether or not former CL Financial chairman Lawrence Duprey has money or not does not matter. He said what is important is that Duprey be brought to justice. Moore joins a growing chorus of voices who have criticised Duprey's statements in last Sunday Guardian's article in which he claimed he was now broke.
"I am not privy to Duprey's bank account so I do not know specifically if he is a millionaire at the moment or a pauper. "But I do know it is the right of the state to determine if he did any wrong or if he did otherwise and should go free. We want to know whether it should be a malfeasance or a criminal case," Moore said in a telephone interview yesterday.
He said Duprey's alleged actions caused the country and the Caribbean region severe economic hardship. "He was the head of a very large organisation that did not conform to the standards that the public would expect in running a conglomerate that has affected T&T and the Caribbean economy," Moore said.
He alluded to international cases where wealthy businessmen were sent to jail because of their financial crimes. "In other jurisdictions billionaires were sent to jail for what they did. Duprey has to account for what he did the same way," he said. Moore said when Duprey claimed he was too "sick" to attend the Clico commission of enquiry or that he is "broke" that was just a method of self defence.
"These people use all the avenues available to them to defend themselves but that is their right. The state also has its right on behalf of the people to try them in court," Moore added.