The financial affairs of the RST

[Guest blackstoneisland]

Very interesting, and brave OP. Sometimes being the whistleblower is a very lonely place...

 

There are many issues here, the legal position being only one. It is apparent from the evidence so far available that these transactions were disclosable in the RST accounts. The OP was correct in not signing them off.

 

I hope the auditors are prepared if complaints are made to the FSA and ICAS...

 

I can see where you are coming from however I wonder what part of "whistleblowing" involves putting stuff on internet forums as any potential case against anyone is totally jeopardised.

 

I'm not sure a case or cases will occur here but this seems to me like whistle blowing has been far exceeded.

[Frankie 8,186]

 

I'm not sure a case or cases will occur here but this seems to me like whistle blowing has been far exceeded.

 

In what way?

 

We may or may not agree with Mr Harris making such a public statement but given that he says he was denied the platform to make his statement at the AGM (and the RST wouldn't send it out to their members by other media) then I don't think he has far exceeded anything. He's been polite, to the point and transparent. SD also appear to be happy with the propriety of his actions.

 

I agree such public spats are hardly anything for anyone to be proud of but as always, I'm surprised at just how many people are more prepared to criticise the critics than those who made the mistakes and acted in an irregular fashion.

[Guest blackstoneisland]

In what way?

 

We may or may not agree with Mr Harris making such a public statement but given that he says he was denied the platform to make his statement at the AGM (and the RST wouldn't send it out to their members by other media) then I don't think he has far exceeded anything. He's been polite, to the point and transparent. SD also appear to be happy with the propriety of his actions.

 

I agree such public spats are hardly anything for anyone to be proud of but as always, I'm surprised at just how many people are more prepared to criticise the critics than those who made the mistakes and acted in an irregular fashion.

 

I wasn't at AGM nor am I a member however I have learned elsewhere that Mr Harris was asked to hang on until after a certain part of the proceedings and chose to leave.

 

I'll try to confirm this as I know one person that was there but not seen them in a while.

 

I've not really criticised anyone by the way. Just think that this has gone beyond whistle blowing. Just my opinion or is that not welcome?

[Frankie 8,186]

I wasn't at AGM nor am I a member however I have learned elsewhere that Mr Harris was asked to hang on until after a certain part of the proceedings and chose to leave.

 

I'll try to confirm this as I know one person that was there but not seen them in a while.

 

I've not really criticised anyone by the way. Just think that this has gone beyond whistle blowing. Just my opinion or is that not welcome?

 

Where did I say your opinion was not welcome? Of course it is and this forum has a range of different opinions which I'm sure we all enjoy challenging.

 

Mr Harris has said in his statement that he was denied the opportunity to make his statement and denied the opportunity to send a mass email to the members after the fact. I wasn't there so can only judge the issue on various comments from those that were; as well as their actions since.

 

I do agree that some have taken this as an opportunity to go beyond valid criticism and that is regrettable. However, these valid criticisms remain and I still don't see them being answered with any great conviction; never mind any remorse being shown which would perhaps diffuse some of the tension created by both sides of the debate.

[ascender 352]

I wasn't at AGM nor am I a member however I have learned elsewhere that Mr Harris was asked to hang on until after a certain part of the proceedings and chose to leave.

 

I'll try to confirm this as I know one person that was there but not seen them in a while.

 

I've not really criticised anyone by the way. Just think that this has gone beyond whistle blowing. Just my opinion or is that not welcome?

 

I remember reading similar on another forum the first day this all came out. Problem is, the story and responses to it are now spread across multiple threads on multiple internet forums.

 

All the trust had to do was release some sort of statement on their website, ideally send it to their members and then direct people to it surely? No professional organisation would respond to the sort of accusations and questions being raised in the way the trust have done.

 

That's what I still find really disappointing about them, that they can't seem to get the basics right and are still making the same mistakes they always have done. Its not rocket science, its basic common sense and business sense/customer service we're talking about.

[boss 0]

I wasn't at AGM nor am I a member however I have learned elsewhere that Mr Harris was asked to hang on until after a certain part of the proceedings and chose to leave.

 

I'll try to confirm this as I know one person that was there but not seen them in a while.

 

I've not really criticised anyone by the way. Just think that this has gone beyond whistle blowing. Just my opinion or is that not welcome?

 

As Bluedell has stated elsewhere, a statement relevant to the approval (or otherwise) of the Accounts was not allowed to be made at the time the Accounts were being discussed and approved. That is out of order.

 

That fact that Mr Harris may or may not (depending on who you believe) have been told he could make the statement later is hardly relevant - the Accounts would have been approved by then.

[Guest blackstoneisland]

As Bluedell has stated elsewhere, a statement relevant to the approval (or otherwise) of the Accounts was not allowed to be made at the time the Accounts were being discussed and approved. That is out of order.

 

That fact that Mr Harris may or may not (depending on who you believe) have been told he could make the statement later is hardly relevant - the Accounts would have been approved by then.

 

cheers for reply. I have asked around and have spoken later on in the afternoon to someone who was at the meeting and it seems Mr Harris never actually mentioned anything about accounts at the AGM, he stood up and said, do you want to hear why I resigned or something along those lines and was actually rather sheepish. I'm also told that there was no storming out by Mr Harris and the reply he got from the chair was not prohibitive to him speaking later in the meeting. I dare say if he'd said "I wish to draw the members attention to items contained within accounts" rather than " I want to tell you why I resigned"? Who knows

 

Maybe Bluedell can confirm if that is the case? I do not know for sure.

 

And before I start getting pilloried, I'm actually neutral on this whole subject and would rather facts and truths and logics applied rather than a witch hunt either way.

 

The hysteria on FF, here and RM is a bit over the top and fuelled by agenda from some it would seem.

 

That's just from a new poster's perspective but that is the way it seems.

[plgsarmy 111]

cheers for reply. I have asked around and have spoken later on in the afternoon to someone who was at the meeting and it seems Mr Harris never actually mentioned anything about accounts at the AGM, he stood up and said, do you want to hear why I resigned or something along those lines and was actually rather sheepish. I'm also told that there was no storming out by Mr Harris and the reply he got from the chair was not prohibitive to him speaking later in the meeting. I dare say if he'd said "I wish to draw the members attention to items contained within accounts" rather than " I want to tell you why I resigned"? Who knows

 

Maybe Bluedell can confirm if that is the case? I do not know for sure.

 

And before I start getting pilloried, I'm actually neutral on this whole subject and would rather facts and truths and logics applied rather than a witch hunt either way.

 

The hysteria on FF, here and RM is a bit over the top and fuelled by agenda from some it would seem.

 

That's just from a new poster's perspective but that is the way it seems.

 

That is my memory of what happened.

[maineflyer 0]

 

Have to agree MF you have been asking for these people to open up and debate since you came on here. Now they have done so all you have to offer is a stupid personal attack. Most disappointing.

 

So as far as you're concerned there are no people involved or at least, if there are, the debate must not touch on them or their involvement. What a load of tosh. If you're feeling too precious to see criticism directed at real people then I genuinely feel sorry for you ... and your "disappointment".

[maineflyer 0]

:rolleyes:The predictability is tedious. Every time one of the RST's fukk ups leaks out there is the same FF diaspora, with delegates sent out by the Inner Circle to quell the uprising and limit any damage. Debate is quickly sterilized into a tedium of factual trivia, obscuring any aspect of the issue that might reveal fault or blame on the part of the RSTFF corporate image.

 

Suddenly there are a host of new members on the various sites (well, except VB where they can't just walk in and suppress criticism), members who have seldom or never engaged in previous forum debate and who restrict themselves to the very focussed task of defusing the situation. People like Pete love this approach and tend to respond exactly as required. We've seen this time and again ... Where did UCB go, yes, remember him? UCB lingered for a while but once the heat died down over the RST's ridiculous takeover spin, UCB vanished into the undergrowth. Now we have the latest transient RSTFF evangelist - dylanger has arrived for the backshift, armed with quasi-authority and RST insight to quell the troublemakers with assumed reasonableness. And before you can say "see a shot o yer credit card machine" we gave the less secure amongst us swallowing this pap with the relish that only the converted can muster. Endless recycling of peripheral and largely irrelevant trivia is leapt upon as being synonymous with truth. Never mind that the Mistrust has squandered half a dozen years to no effect and refuses to run it's affairs without an opacity that M16 would be proud of - some RST people have said there may well be a comma missing here and there's definitely a dot missing over that 'i' over there - so how can anyone take seriously all this criticism of the Trust? Besides which, I just feel uncomfortable with conflict and rather it all just went away.

 

Fuck sake guys, wake up and smell the bullshit these "reasonable" people are pedalling. We now have a number of RST board members debating between themselves on Gersnet and it's all for your benefit, you lucky people. Never mind though, once they've consumed all will to debate they'll be gone, leaving us to discuss who'll score the first goal next week.

Edited September 28, 2010 by maineflyer