Dear Graham Brewster
and all those who,
on the World Housing website,
sing the praises of World Housing
One of my questions, to by found in my ‘open letter’ of 7th
August has been answered.
World Housing HAS been aware, for quite some time, that the homes
‘gifted’ to impoverished Cambodian
families have, in fact, been gifted to Scott Neeson’s Cambodian Children’s Fund.
Scott Neeson has NOT then ‘gifted’ these homes to those for whom the homes
were intended. He has kept them for himself, for CCF, to be
rented to impoverished families!
World Housing and the Cambodian Children’s Fund have conspired, using
deliberately misleading language on your respective websites, to create the
illusion that impoverished families are the beneficiaries of free housing. This
is, as you know Graham, and as you have known for a long time, is not so. You
have deliberately mislead developers –the builders of condominiums – into
believing that they were providing homes to impoverished families that they
could call their own. Instead, you have provided Scott Neeson’s Cambodian
Children’s Fund with $840,000 of free housing.
You, and your World Housing compatriots, have exploited the poverty of desperately poor
families in Phnom Penh for your own personal gain. In the case of Scott Neeson
the gain has been financial: 300+ free houses at $2,800 per house.
In addition to this, Scott’s reputation has been enhanced by his being
able to present CCF as partnering with World Housing to provide impoverished
Cambodian families with a home they can call their own. A lie, but then Scott
is a marketing man for whom facts and truth are irrelevant when there is a
product to be sold!
In the case of World Housing, all of those to whom I wrote my ‘open
letter’, have benefited financially from the $50,000 paid per developer for the
privilege of ‘gifting’ homes to impoverished Cambodian families. How many
developers are there under the World Housing umbrella?
Peter Dupuis and Sid Landolt have been the primary financial
beneficiaries, however. They get their commission on each and every condominium
sold through World Housing. Not one dollar of their own money goes to help
impoverished families in Cambodia.
In addition, Peter and Sid’s reputations in Vancouver are enhanced as
two humanitarian men using their
business acumen to help impoverished families in Cambodia. Words cannot express
my contempt for the kind of cynical exploitation of 3rd world
poverty that Peter and Sid have knowingly engaged in.
This is not to let you off the hook, Graham. You have gone along with
this web of deceit; knowing all along that it was a marketing scam.
The question now is whether or not the World Housing board, and others touting
World Housing, have also been knowingly involved in this scam to provide Scott
Neeson with free housing?
The most pressing question now, however, (for me at least), is to find
out whether developers who opened their hearts and their wallets to provide
free housing to impoverished families in Cambodia are aware that they have
provided free housing to Scott Neeson?
The mind boggles at the sheer audacity and scale of this scam.
World Housing seems, on paper, to be a terrific idea. I will give World
Housing the benefit of the doubt for the next 48 hours, operating on the
presumption that the bulk of those to whom I wrote my ‘open letter’ were
unaware of this scam. If I do not receive from World Housing what I consider to
be an adequate response to the questions I have asked I will be left with no
alternative but to report World Housing to the relevant Canadian authorities
and to warn Vancouver developers to be very careful in believing that what
World Housing tells them about their partnership with Scott Neeson’s Cambodian
Children’s Fund is true.
The ball is in your court, Graham. This is not a time to call in the
spin doctors but to sever your relationship with Scott Neeson and to see to it
that the homes ‘gifted’ to impoverished Cambodian families wind up in their
hands and not Scott Neeson’s.
I am copying this to some representatives of the 4th Estate who
will, I trust, take an interest in how you respond to my ‘open letter’ and to
this addendum to it; and who may be induced to ask a few pertinent questions of
their own.
best wishes
James Ricketson
Stealing houses gifted to poor Cambodian families and renting them to the families, Scott! You have to be fucking kidding!
ReplyDeleteNice one, Neeson. Classy
DeleteHas World Housing broken any Canadian laws? I mean, can you set up a charity to give houses to poor people and then give them to rich people? If this is not against Canadian law it should be.
ReplyDeleteWhile this is horrendous, the fact that he has taken over 700 children from their families to be raised in institutional care, is far more outrageous. Children raised in institutional care are harmed psychologically, emotionally and developmentally.
ReplyDelete. Survey data in Russia (The Lumos Report, Lumos is headed by J. K. Rowlings) showed the following outcomes for children who grew up in institutions:
1 in 3 became homeless
1 in 5 had a criminal record
1 in 10 committed suicide
1 in 7 became involved in prostitution
Nesson is one harmful and deceptive person. James, I hope you get this to the Vancouver news outlets quickly.
A pediophile can harm a limited number of children. Neeson and his Board of Directors seem to have an unlimited number of children that they harm. HE is much worse than any pedophile!! WTF? Are they now stealing the homes from the impoverished? Neeson and his 'crew' should be locked up!!
DeleteIt boils down to this:
ReplyDeleteRich people (Canadian developers) give houses to poor people (impoverished Cambodian families) that wind up in the hands of rich people (Neeson) who rents them to the poor people to whom they were given!
What a business model!
The question foremost in my mind right now is:
"Who owns the land that the houses have been erected on?"
Is it owned by CCF or by some private individual?
The question is an important one in determining just what scale of fraud has been committed here?
Scott Neeson is Cambodia's Bernie Madoff
DeleteMr Ricketson, if you are suggesting or implying that the land is owned by Scott Neeson, this is not possible. He is not a Cambodian citizen and so is not allowed, by law, to own the land.
DeleteThis is not entirely true. Foreigners can have controlling interest in property through a land holding company which can fairly easily be arranged. Many law firms offer this service to help set it up.
Delete@ Anonymous 8.53
DeleteFor many years Neeson has had a silent Cambodian partner, a high ranking government official. Now that he is a Cambodian citizen he can own land outright.
GREAT info Anonymous 9:37. Does PP have an office where land transactions are recorded that would be public record and could be investigated by anyone?
DeleteDo you happen to know the name of the 'partner'?
Where are the gutless English language newspapers on this issue? Do you think this is not worth letting the public know the truth? Where is the story, where is the investigation, where are your questions of Neeson on taking homes that are supposed to go to the impoverished and end up as the propery of Neeson, only to rented to the impoverished? WHERE, WHERE, WHERE are you?????
ReplyDelete
DeleteDear Anonymous 8.29
As to why the Cambodia Daily and the Phnom Penh Post have no interest in what is blindingly obviously a housing scam, I can only conjecture.
I don’t need to conjecture, however, when it comes to James Brooke, Editor-in-Chief “The Khmer Times:
6th August
Dear Jim
This may (or may not) be of interest.
The Pandora's Box of questions about Scott Neeson and CCF continues to pour forth more and more evidence that (I am being polite here) all is not as it seems to be!
Tomorrow I will post yet another blog entry about World Housing. (see draft below)
What will happen, I suspect, is that Scott will do what he has done a few times now in response to my blogs - go back to his website and change the wording and then get a minion to write anonymously on my blog - pointing out that I am wrong.
If nothing else, check out the following address and see if you arrive at the conclusion that World Housing is 'gifting' homes to poor Cambodian families:
https://www.cambodianchildrensfund.org/recent-news-list/381-world-housing-gifts-new-homes-to-ccf-families.html
After my blog is published, this particular CCF entry may well disappear from the CCF archives.
Trying to get an email contact for World Housing is not easy. I tried the World Housing publicists' website:
clin@nihao-media.com
Up came a message that made me want to explore no further.
cheers
James
JAMES BROOKE'S RESPONSE
6th August
short answer: I am not interested
I prefer to focus my energies on more productive things
Jim
James Brooke
Editor-in-Chief
The Khmer Times
MY RESPONSE TO JAMES BROOKE
Jim
In time some enterprising young investigative journalist will pick up where I have left off and uncover a series of scams that will make Somaly Mam look like a saint.
I am most curious to know why it is that no-one in the English language media in Cambodia will even bother to ask questions of Neeson, let along do a little research and discover that he has illegally removed children from their families and detained them against their parent's wishes, refuses to allow the parents to retain copies of contracts they enter into with CCF, rents homes to impoverished families that have been donated by CCF (and claims to be 'gifting' them), takes in $4,000 a year in donations for each child in CCF care....the list goes on.
I guess your desire only to concentrate on 'productive things' is at least a partial answer to my question. Scott Neeson sure does produce a lot of money. Alas, he is accountable to no-one and the English language media here in Cambodia does not believe that he should be.
A strange state of affairs for the fourth estate!
cheers
As neither a Neeson nor Ricketson supporter I happened to come across this site to better understand the situation for impoverished families in Cambodia and how some organizations are addressing one major aspect, which is housing.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to have learned about Global Village Housing and the work they are doing but at the same time very concerned about the situation with World Housing and CCF. On the one hand you have GVH who are transparent, wiling to take questions from people, and who make it very clear that their aim is to provide homes to these families without charging rent. And on the other hand you have World Housing who don't answer any of the pertinent questions asked by those who have a genuine interest in the welfare of the families. If the board at World Housing seemingly know that these homes' true beneficiary is CCF and its founder, it's truly sad considering the amount of money and lives at stake here.
Please keep asking the questions and fighting for the right to know what goes on here. Those who are champions of the people will emerge and those who are the hucksters and scammers will be soon exposed. Those who wish to defend CCF please do so without resorting to personal attacks because I really want to understand and give everyone the benefit of the doubt.
Well said Anon 8.49, I came across this site in exactly the same way as you and have learnt over a period of time that most of what you will read here is nothing more than bar gossip and that very few of the facts are correct. Try looking at some of Mr Ricketsons other blogs to people like NSW health, Screen Australia etc etc and you will realise why he is regarded by many as a serial nuisance. Many people do not respond to his posts because it just fuels the fire for him. There are many claims and statements on this blog that are very misleading and the only reason I have replied to you is that I feel you might be one of many that is going to be misled by the info you read here.
ReplyDeleteDear TeamNeeson
DeleteGood to have you back with us. I thought you had deserted us entirely.
Which facts mentioned here are incorrect? A list, please.
Which "claims and statements...are very misleading..?" Can you provide at least one instance? One example of a misleading claim or statement?
For instance, is it misleading to assert, as I have, that World Housing 'gifts' homes to impoverished families in Steung Meanchey that wind up being owned by the Cambodidan Children's Fund and rented to the families to whom they were gifted?
Is this false? Is it misleading. In this instance, a simple 'yes' or 'no' would suffice.
Team Neeson seems to be at a loss for words unless it is to shoot the messenger! Anonymous 10:06, do you have no answer?
DeleteI have been online and checked all that you have written here, James. It is backed up by the facts.
ReplyDeleteWorld Housing says -
"World Housing is Canada’s first Community Contribution Company, a registered social enterprise that enables sustainable social change through a for-profit enterprise."
The idea of social enterprises such as this is such a good one and one that has so much potential to do good in the world that it makes me both angry and sad that World Housing and the Cambodian Children's Fund have betrayed all those who, like myself, fully support such initiatives. I feel quit disillusioned by the whole charity sector. Too often, much too often, stories such as this one make it apparent that without any regulation the charity sector is open to be used for all manner of get-rich-quick schemes by unscrupulous men and women who know, by appealing to our hearts, that we will be generous with our donations.
So sad.
I agree with you 100%, Anonymous 1.38
DeleteBefore I posted this blog entry I wrote an email to World Housing that, I hope, speaks for itself of my desire that World Housing would, somehow, extricate itself from the public relations mess it has created for itself.
Dear Graham Brewster and others at World Housing
It would seem that you have decided to ignore my ‘open letter’ - in the hope, perhaps, that no more than the few hundred people who read my blog will learn about the World Housing/Cambodian Children’s Fund scam.
As I have already indicated, I fully intend to do all within my power to bring this scam to an end. Whether I will be successful or not remains to be seen.
At 4 pm 10th August Vancouver time, if no response to my ‘open letter’ is forthcoming, I will write to Canadian developers, real estate agents and Maura McLaren, Executive Director & CEO or the Real Estate Institute of Canada. I will recommend to your professional colleagues that before entering into any agreement with World Housing to ‘gift’ homes to impoverished Cambodian families, that developers and real estate agents in Canada acquaint themselves with the indisputable facts; with what World Housing is actually doing, as opposed to what it claims to be doing. To put it bluntly, World Housing is ‘gifting’ more than $500,000 worth of homes to Scott Neeson’s Cambodian Children’s Fund. Impoverished Cambodian families are not the beneficiaries.
If this scam is the work of a few ‘bad apples’ only it would be a shame if such an innovative and potentially beneficial social enterprise were to be killed off by adverse publicity...
Has World Housing gone into its partnership with the Cambodian Children’s Fund with its eyes wide open or has it been all too easily conned by Scott Neeson’s public relations machine and failed to do some basic research into who it was partnering with?
From a public relations point of view I can think of no other alternative for World Housing than to admit that it has made an error of judgment; an error of judgment that will be rectified immediately. World Housing could announce that all houses that have been erected in Steung Meanchey will be given to the families who are currently renting them from CCF; that the land on which the houses have been built will also be given (‘gifted’) to the Steung Meanchey community. And World Housing could make a public declaration, on its website and in all future publicity, that when you say you are 'gifting' houses to poor people that they call their own, you mean it; that those in receipt of a World Housing home own the home and the land on which the home has been erected. They will be not renting a home on land owned by...whoever owns it? Who does own this land? The Cambodian Children's Fund? Or some private individual? Does World Housing know? If you don’t know, why don’t you know? If you do know, please make this information public.
yours sincerely
This from the Child Safe Movement on Institutional care:
ReplyDeleteChildren do not develop well in institutions: Institutions (orphanages, shelters, children’s homes) are never a better environment for children than living with a loving family. In institutions they are denied the individual love and care they need to develop properly. Increasing evidence shows that infant’s brains not only fail to develop fully when placed in institutions but parts of the brain may actually die and this is not reversible. Research also shows that in institutions children are often exposed to abuses from their peers or from caretakers.
Institutions can tear families apart: Out of 8 million children living in institutions across the globe more than 80% are not orphans. They are separated from their families mostly because these are poor and can’t afford to send them to school. In Cambodia for example, UNICEF is working closely with the government to reduce the number of orphanages and convince those funding and running orphanages to return children to their families and support community-based services instead.
Wake up NEESON!! It was NEVER right to take children from their families!!!!
DeleteOf the 356 page views for this blog entry to date, at last half have been made by Canadians. Nonetheless, I have heard nothing back from World Housing. It looks as though the World Housing board has decided that silence is the best course of action available to it; that the mainstream media will not pick up on this scam, so that only a small number of people who read this blog will be aware of it and World Housing and the Cambodian Children's Fund can continue as usual.
ReplyDeleteThis tactic may well work in the short term but it will not work in the long term. One lesson I have learnt from writing this blog is just how much information can be gleaned from the internet if you are patient enough to follow every lead, every clue, that presents itself. In short, it is very difficult to hide in cyberspace and anything that has been written and transmitted electronically can (and will) be found by anyone who really wants to find it.
The fat lady has not sung yet. Stay tuned.
Maybe they are silent and not responding because like all of your other accusations and conspiracy theories, this is also a load of shit and based on marijuana induced drivel.
DeleteDear Team Neeson
DeleteGood to see that you have not deserted us and are still barracking for the team.
Name one accusation I have made? Name one conspiracy theory? Answer a few of the questions I have asked. Shooting the messenger is simply not going to work.Sorry to disappoint you.
How disappointing that World Housing is a scam. Such a wonderful idea on paper. I do wish that such initiatives were monitored in their home countries and also in the countries in which the services are to be delivered. I wonder if the relevant Canadian authorities know or care that this scam is alive and well and gifting free houses to Scott Neeson. I wonder if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cambodia,and the Ministry of Social Affairs, are aware that Scott Neeson is basically stealing homes for his Cambodian Children's Fund that were 'gifted' to poor families in and around Steung Meanchey?
ReplyDeleteNothing that Neeson says can be trusted....apparently the same for World Housing!
ReplyDeleteAnd would you mind telling us what ethical and moral occupation you work in so we can trust what you say!
DeleteDear Team Neeson
DeleteGiven that this comment was made at the same time as the one above, in which you make reference to my 'marijuana induced drivel', you are clearly the same member of the team - sent out to see if, through slinging a bit of mud, you can get a little to stick. You have to do better than this, dear Team member. All you are doing is making your team look pretty foolish.
I own a bar on #136 and rent out young girls for prostitution (sound familiar). All you need to do is read this blog, then tell me if Neeson is fraudulent or not.
DeleteI have read the b,log and all I read is fictions comment from disgruntled "i hate the word' losers who make defying comments based on zero fact or evidence. And before you start racing off in a hissy fit with your panties in a knot - i am not Team Neeson or a fan of his. But Team Ricketson (aka lovers of Fletcher and most likely child abusers) are a bunch of fuckwits!
DeleteCan you explain to me why when I make a comment that is not in line with what you are saying Ricketson that I am somehow then on the Team Neeson - I dont like the guy and I am certainly not on his team. But I also think you are a shit stirrer and a disgrace of an individual with zero integrity and zero loyalty - in my opinion the only reason you are writing this blog is to keep yourself from drifting into the abyss of obscurity - lets face it, you have nothing else except your blog because your so called movie making career, which was a fiasco at best is now non-existent because no-one in Australia will risk damaging their reputation by working with you. So please stop labelling every on here who doesn't follow your thinking as team Neeson.
ReplyDeleteTeam Neeson aka Anonymous 1.44
DeleteYou are on Team Neeson because you do not, as is the case with the rest of your Team, ever answer any questions. Most of my blog is questions. I have asked Neeson dozens of questions now and he never answers them. Here you have a situation where the nature of Neeson's scam is so obvious that even you must be able to see it. Let me make it really simple for you.
(1) Neeson and World Housing tell developers they are 'gifting' houses to poor Cambodians.
(2) World Housing gifts the houses to CCF
This is a fact. A demonstrable fact.
Now you could prove me wrong of course and say, "Ricketson, you are wrong. Of course CCF gives the homes to poor families." You won't say or write this because you know it to be untrue. Instead you think you can score some points by calling me a 'shit stirrer', a 'disgrace'e etc.
And to whom do you think I owe the loyalty you are referring to?
And what labels have I applies to anyone?
You live in a parallel universe in which facts and truth are of no consequence.The name of your game, the name of Team Neeson, is to throw as much mud as possible and hope that the readers of this blog are stupid enough to believe that some of it might be true.
In fact, what you acheive is the opposite of what you want. Each time one of your stupid comments appears my page view rate goes up. So, I have to thank you in a way.
Thanks. Keep the stupid comments coming.
Well done - great deflection as always - you didn't respond to one of my comments - you are a fucking oxygen thief Rickets.
DeleteDear Team Neeson (aka Anonymous 6.40)
DeleteI thought I had responded appropriately to your comments.
If I have not might I suggest to you that you ask me some specific questions and number them - 1, 2, 3 etc. I will answer them I can assure you.
When you simply rant, which is what your original comment was, it is difficult to know precisely what answers you want and expect from me.
For those that do support CCF and World Housing - please don't comment on this blog. There is no point. You are giving these trolls what they want.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a very strong "no comment" by Team Neeson!!!
ReplyDeleteI am not a member of Team Neeson. I am not a member of Team Ricketson. I am not a member of any team. I did read this though and it makes me realise that Mr Ricketson should be ashamed of himself for trying to besmirch the reputation of a man who has done so much good for Cambodia -
ReplyDeletehttps://www.cambodianchildrensfund.org/recent-news-list/564-tatler-magazine-rewriting-their-story.html
Anonymous 3.15
DeleteAs is so often the case, all is not quite as it seems to be when it comes to Scott Neeson.
So, there is is, an article in a prestigious magazine about Scott Neeson and his Cambodian Children's Fund.
Rather than ask questions, here's what I suggest you (and others interested) do if you wish the check on the veracity of the article:
Firstly, check out this entry on the Cambodian Children’s Fund Facebook site:
https://www.cambodianchildrensfund.org/recent-news-list/564-tatler-magazine-rewriting-their-story.html
Now, see if you can find the article online. Type any combination of ‘Rewriting Their Story, ‘Madeleine Ross’ or ‘Hong Kong Tatler’ into google and see if you can find anything.
Nothing? Mmmm I wonder why that is!
Go to Hong Kong Tatler’s website and see if you can find the article in the magazines online archives.
Nope? How can this be?
Does the article actually exist or is it a cut and paste job? If it exists, was it written by a journalist or by Scott Neeson's PR team? Or maybe even by Scott Neeson himself?
As this will be the topic of a blog soon to be published I will say no more. However, I can assure you that a couple of hours of research will reveal that this article is not quite as it seems to be.
I have spent the last few hours trying to find out as much as I can about World Housing and the Cambodian Children's Fund. I began with an open mind, sceptical that what is written on this blog about World Housing could possibly be true. I had read about this gifting of housing to poor Cambodian families last year in the Vancouver Sun (I live in Vancouver)and accepted that what I read was true. I now realise, looking at the article by Gerry Bellet, that he has used words designed to convey one impression (gifting) but which are open to a different interpretation. For instance, take a look at this quote from Mr: Bellet's article
ReplyDelete"On Tuesday night he was in the sales office of Vancouver House on Howe Street to thank the 380 purchasers of units in the luxury 59-storey highrise that will be completed in 2018. For every unit sold, a new 130-square-foot home worth $2,500 will be built in Steung Meanchey to house families who eke out a living on the garbage dump. It is the result of a relationship between Neeson and Vancouver-based World Housing, which promotes the one-for-one real estate gifting based on TOMS Shoes model, where TOMS gives away a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair purchased by a customer."
TOMS shoes was not renting shoes to children in need. He was GIVING the shoes to people in need.
When I first read Mr Bellet's article I came away from doing so with no doubts at all but that World Housing and Mr Neeson were GIVING homes to poor people. I can see now that Mr Bellet has worded his article in such a way as to be open to another interpretation - that the houses are not GIVEN but RENTED.
Did Mr Bellett know what he was doing when he wrote these words? He is a journalist and so should be very aware, more aware thn most of us, just how words can just as easily be used to misinform as they can be to inform.
Has Mr Bellet deliberately misinformed readers of the vancouver Sun? If so, why?
For those who wish to do their own research, the article can be found at the following website address -
http://www.vancouversun.com/Former+Hollywood+mogul+finds+fulfilment+Cambodian+rubbish+dump/10353483/story.html
Yes, imagine if TOM'S shoes were to rent shoes to children in need.
DeleteAt the risk of belabouring the point, (for the Neeson trolls looking for reasons to launch their usual verbally abusive attacks) there is nothing necessarily inherently wrong with setting up a community and providing decent housing for 'deserving families'. What is wrong here is Neeson and World Housing lying about what they are doing - deliberately creating the impression that they are 'gifting' the houses to families.
Team Neeson trolls, before you launch your attacks make sure you have some facts at your disposal for a change. Ask Scott Neeson if
(a) the houses are 'gifted' to poor families in Steung Meanchey
or
(b) If the houses are 'gifted' to the Cambodian Children's Fund and then rented to the families to whom they were 'gifted'.
If the answer you get from Scott is (a) then you are free to attack me as a liar and a scoundrel for implying that Scott is essentially acquiring these houses for CCF through deception.
If the answer you get is (b) please feel free to abuse me but please do so with some respect for the facts.
Like you 'Horrified' I have done my research and have no doubts at all. World Housing and Scott Neeson have deliberately mislead developers in Canada into believing that they are giving houses to poor people. These people have no shame. The are hucksters, con men and thieves.
ReplyDeleteI live and work in Cambodia and each day as I open my newspapers I fully expect to read a story in them about this scam. There is no story. Either through threats of legal action or by paying journalists not to write the story (a common practice in Cambodia) the Cambodian people are being kept in the dark about yet another instance in which foreigners come to the beautiful country to exploit the poverty of its people for their own greedy purposes. I fully support Mr Ricketson in what he is doing to help expose this scam. I have arrived at this position by taking what Mr Ricketson writes with a grain of salt (as he recommends frequently) and doing my own research. I strongly recommend that others, and in particular, journalists, do the same
The Cambodia Daily, the Phnom Penh Post and the Khmer Times will not touch this story with a barge pole. They will not touch any story that raises questions about Scott Neeson and the Cambodian Children's Fund.
DeleteI can only conjecture as to why this should be so.
Hopefully,one of the canadian journalists looking into this will write a piece that one of these newspapers can acquire through Reuters and publish.
I would love it if PP Post, Cambodia Daily or any newspaper could write a story that tells everyone in Cambodia about who much of a disgusting individual you are Rickets. It would be a best seller.
ReplyDeleteDear Team Neeson (aka Anonymous 6.42)
DeleteThese newspapers are free to to write about what a disgusting individual I am but I suspect that they would only do so if they have some evidence that I am a 'disgusting individual'.
You, on the other hand, do not need evidence. You do not need to produce one fact or argue your case. No, you simply make bald assertions and refuse to answer questions of any kind. Still, I have to thank you because each time you make one of your stupid comments my page hit rate for the day goes up by about 10.
I look forward to your next round of abuse but suggest that you consult thesaurus and find some new words to use.
The most laughable thing out of this is that you can't see that all of the keyboard warriors who are supporting you Ricketson, all of them protected by their anonymous status, will never back you or support you if it goes pear shaped. Have a look at the blogs and see how many write "why dont you do this James" and "you should send this James" - they are using you to do their dirty work and you are the one that is going to come down with a very large crash Ricketson - and the day is coming sooner than you think - I had lunch yesterday with a few friends who work in Government in Cambodia - it appears your name is very well known and you are not very well liked. One thing is for sure, if you get arrested by the authorities in Cambodia you can guarantee that all of your supporters on this blog won't spare one single minute to support you.
ReplyDeleteDear Team Neeson (aka 10.52)
DeleteAre you familiar with the expression, "The pot calling the kettle black."
It applies to your complaining about people writing Anonymous comments when this is what you do!
I do not think I have many 'supporters' here on this blog. What there are are some people who are interested in the things I write about. ANd others, such as yourself, who think that I write nonsense. This is the way democracy works. You are free to say what you like, so am I and so are my 'supporters'.
As for things going 'pear-shaped', why should anything go 'pear-shaped'? The bulk of what I write here is questions for which there are no answers coming from Neeson, from Lemon, from the CCF Board or, now, from World Housing.
It would have been so easy, at some many points this past six months, for Scott Neeson or his Board to have answered my questions. Take this World Housing situation, for instance. If what I am writing is nonsense, if Wold Housing has not 'gifted' houses to CCF why not come out and say, "Of course the houses 'gifted' by World Housing have been 'gifted' to poor families. Mr Ricketson's suggestion that they have been 'gifted' to CCF is nonsense. take a look at these deeds."
At this point you and others in Team Neeson would be quite justified in hurling whatever abuse you liked at me for being wrong. And I would deserve that abuse. And I would apologise for having got my facts wrong.
So here is an opportunity for you to say, in relation to my allegation that World Housing has 'gifted' houses to CCF and NOT to poor families in Steung Meanchey, "Ricketson, you are talking nonsense and here's the evidence to prove it.....etc."
You wont do this because you either don't know what the facts of the matter are or you don't care.
This following statement of yours is an interesting one: "...you are the one that is going to come down with a very large crash Ricketson - and the day is coming sooner than you think. I had lunch yesterday with a few friends who work in Government in Cambodia - it appears your name is very well known and you are not very well liked."
Now, what am I to make of this?
Firstly, who would write such a comment here? Someone from Team Neeson, if not Scott Neeson himself. Scott has already distinguished himself by defaming David Fletcher when he told Andre Drummond (who published the statement) that David Fletcher was 'grooming' young girls. Scott is a very ambitious man and now a very rich one with, as he likes to point out, friends in high places in government.
Alternatively, this comment could emanate from someone else on the team who hopes that, upon reading it, i will pack my bags and leave the country with my tail between my legs. This is not my style.
If you, dear Team Neeson member, wish to carry out the threat that could well be implicit in this comment, go ahead.
You are a cowardly 'keyboard warrior' yourself Anonymous 10.52.
I look forward to your next round of abuse.
This, in conjunction with your
Please please tell me anon 10.52pm that this is true. I will have the biggest party if I see this reptile get arrested. He is a fucking dog and deserves everything that is coming to him.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 10.54
DeleteThe comment above applies to you also. If Peter Hogan were not dead I would suspect that it was Peter himself who had written this. What an unpleasant human being you are.
Tem Neeson, posing as Anonymous 10.54
ReplyDeleteWhat have you got 'coming' to Mr Ricketson? Is this just bluff and bluster? Is it intimidation? Or are you really planning to set Mr Ricketson up on some charge that you will manufacture and pay the police to arrest him for?
Haha, what a bunch of idiots threatening Ricketson. This blog has 132 posts and the cynics are all holding a flaccid dick. Neeson had stolen from the impoverished and holding their children hostage. Your efforts to threaten Ricketson are futile. Go have another beer imbecile.
ReplyDeleteJamks fucking Rickeyson, you really are a dumb cint. In your own words you say "there is nothing necessarily inherently wrong with setting up a community and providing decent housing for 'deserving families'" and then go on to attack Scott Neson for doing tgat! Youve been smling too much marijuana you fucktard. stop trying to defrme people who do somehting with their lives and not just sitting at their computer maatrubaging
ReplyDeleteBrainless and part of team Neeson- imagine that!!
DeleteFall off the bar stool mid sentence, did you, Anonymous 10.47?
ReplyDeleteHope you didn't hit your head on anything hard on the way down.
Dear Anonymous 10.47
ReplyDeleteWhen Tom said he was 'gifting' shoes to poor people, he meant that he was giving shoes to poor people. Tom was not giving shoes to someone else who then rented them to poor people.
Imagine this:
An Australian company in the real estate/development business starts up a social enterprise whose goal is to give free and appropriate housing to Aboriginals living in remote communities. (The word ‘appropriate’ is important, but not in this context.)
The idea behind this initiative is that developers of large multi-million dollar projects set aside 0.5% of their projects’ budget to build houses in Aboriginal communities.
This seems like a great idea, receives lots of publicity and developers line up to be part of such a socially minded initiative.
Hundreds of appropriate houses are constructed in remote communities - gifted to Aboriginal families. The scheme is a huge success.
Closer inspection reveals that there is one small problem. In fact the houses have been ‘gifted’ to one if those who thought up the scheme in the first place and are being rented to Aboriginal families!
Wouldn't the media in Australia - 60 Minutes, the current affairs shows, newspapers and Alan Jones - have a field day with this! The perpetrator of the scam would be exposed as a scoundrel, the developers would pull out, the scheme would collapse and law suits would begin.
If a scam along these lines happens in Cambodia it is just business as usual. The media here don't even bother to report it!
cheers 'Jamks fucking Rickeyson' (the 'cint')
Who is Alan Jones???
DeleteWhat Scott Neeson (in conjunction with World Housing) has done is taken a great philanthropic idea and used it to serve his own agenda - acquiring, free of charge, more than half a million dollars of free housing. Scott then benefits from this ‘gift’ in two ways:
ReplyDelete(1) by renting the houses to families that are already so poor that they have placed their kids in a CCF program. As renters, and with their children in CCF care, these families are now totally dependent on Scott Neeson. If they step out of line, they are out.
(2) At no cost to himsef Neeson acquires houses that he can use to create his own closed community in which all who live there must obey his rules and regulations. This community has all the hallmarks of a cult - Neeson's own personal cult, fiefdom, that cannot be scrutinized by anyone from outside CCF.
The beauty of this scam is that Neeson is not only being paid a lot of money to build his empire (and cult) but, through a combination of great PR (Neeson is a brillian self-publicist) and lazy journalists, his scams will never be exposed. Indeed, he will, until the house of cards comes crashing down, as it will in time, be presented by newspapers and TV program as a secular Saint who gave up his
$1 million a year job in Hollywood…etc!
This is outrageous that the Cambodian media sits on their ass and does nothing publish this scam! What are they doing if not notifying the public about Neeson and World Housing? It is their obligation to let people know! Ricketson, you don't even mention that Neeson is already pocketing $1800 on each home!!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, Anonymous 12.50, your point about the cost of the houses is an important one. ANd worth repeating.
DeleteIt costs $1000 to manufacture one of these very simple kit homes. Scott Neeson bills World Housing $2,800.
So, Neeson is already ripping off World Housing on cost. I wonder if World Housing is aware of this?
As for the media, the only word I can think to describe its inaction of this is 'pathetic'.
This is the easiest story to research. Only one question needs to be asked of both Scott Neeson and World Housing:
"Is World Housing gifting free housing to poor Cambodians or the Cambodian Children's Fund?"
If the answer is, "The houses are being gifted to the Cambodian Children's Fund" there is your story. A scam. Both Scott Neeson and World Housing have engaged in deceptive and misleading marketing.
If the answer is, "No, the houses have been gifted to the impoverished families," present Neeson and World Housing with evidence that they are lying.
The evidence is but a mouse click away, dear friends in the 4th Estate.
I think the Cambodian media is as corrupt as Neeson is and has ZERO credibility! They make a farce of 'jounalism'!!!
DeleteJames, If you have the name of one of the condo communities where World Housing was running this scam, the internet will likely provide the names and addresses of the condo owners. Send a letter (via snail mail) to 100 of the property owners, and the condo association, with the facts as you know them. If even one of them files a case against World Housing, the Canadian press will likely pick up the story and put a stop to this fraudulent activity.
ReplyDeleteAlternatively, post small ads in shoppers guides, using this web link advising how the condo owners have been scammed. These ads are very cheap.
Anonymous 6.04
DeleteThere is a limit to what I can do here. My concern with Neeson began several years ago when I discovered that he refused to return two girls to their parents when asked because, he said, he had a 'contract' with them.The parents denied the existence of the contract and Neeson refused to supply it. I put a good deal of energy into trying to get the girls returned to their family but to no avail.
You can read all about it here:
Neeson eventually employed the mother at CCF and got her to sign the standard non-disclosure contract. So, she cannot now talk about what happened. I have what she and her husband said on video-tape, however, at the time Neeson was refusing to return their daughters.
When the mother's daughter was 13 or 14 she too was employed by CCF to teach English. I am not sure if she is still doing so but if she is, and if the mother is still working for CCF, their silence has, essentially, been bought by Neeson. This is his modus operandi. He goes out of his way - with phony contracts, threats and intimidation to guarantee that none of the truth about CCF ever gets out. (If you believe the word 'intimidation' to be defamatory,Scott, please sue me. I can't wait to confront you in a court.)
I eventually gave up trying to get the girls returned to their family. There is only so much one can do.
A few years later Scott's came came up again -this time in connection with David Fletcher. this time it was Scott announcing to the world (through gutter journalist Andrew Drummond) that David Fletcher was 'grooming' young girls. Neeson has never produced any evidence of this (and nor has anyone else) but he nonetless played a very significant role, through the British Embassy in Phnom Penh, in having David Fletcher arrested, tried in absentia for rape and jailed for 10 years.
Scott Neeson, in my experience (and in the experience of pretty well any and everyone who has worked with him) is of an egomaniacal control freak who hungers for money and fame and has found a scam that enables him to achieve both these goals with no-one to hold him accountable.
So, the World Housing scam is just another in a long list of scams. As I have already written, all that is required of a journalist is one question to Neeson and World Housing about just who is receiving the 'gifted' houses and this particular scam will be exposed. this will happen and I have reason to believe that there is at least one Canadian journalist investigating this scam. Only when it has been exposed in Canada will the English language media eventually report on this.
From a journalist point of view, Neeson has diplomatic immunity.
I had a meeting with a senior member of the Ministry of Justice a few days ago in hopes of acquiring for Mr Fletcher a fair trial. This is where my efforts and energy are going right now. I do not want to be chasing developers in Canada.
Ricketson, What is going on in the Fletcher case? What is the FCO doing to help? What is the Cambodian press doing to investigate this inhumane conviction? What are the human rights groups doing? What is the 'justice system' doing to correct this obvious wrong? When is this nightmare, begun by Neeson, going to end for Fletcher?
ReplyDelete