Sunday, March 21, 2010

What price salvation - with friends like these...

A couple of posts back I wrote of the Destiny Church, and the parallels between modern tithing and the mediaeval trade of the pardoners.

Anyone who read the full article might have noted the name Cardno and heard a faint tinkle of a far-off bell.

Well, I am not trying to suggest that Janine Cardno is tarred with the same brush as her brother-in-law; they are related only by marriage after all.

But this news may well stir some legal ire over in the US of A.
A Herald investigation has revealed "Sir Grant Cardno" is working as a petrol station attendant in Otaki, near Wellington, using the name "Tom".

The revelation has infuriated his victims, who cannot understand why he has not been brought to justice.

The Herald revealed last week that in 2005, Grant Thomas Cardno was named by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as being involved in a "prime bank" Ponzi scheme involving up to US$390 million (nearly $550 million at today's exchange rates) from more than 1400 American investors.

He was served with a summons and an outline of the case against him, but didn't turn up in court to defend himself, and in November 2006 a Texas judge found against his company, Sovereign Capital Investments, by default.

The SEC said Sovereign was involved in "fraud, deceit and a deliberate or reckless disregard of regulatory requirements" which "directly or indirectly" resulted in substantial losses to investors.



I regret that the NZ Police, Immigration, and perhaps even Ag and Fishy might have some 'splainin to do.

And soon!

2 comments:

T. F. Stern said...

Probligo, I've no idea what that first comment had to offer, even with free translation services on the internet; file that under who cares.

You're association of sin pardons and tithing may hold some water in churches which pervert the ways of the Lord; however, tithing is in no way linked to the remission of sin. It is a token of faith and an acceptance that all things belong to the Lord and are here for our benefit. We give back a tenth to help build up His Kingdom.

The probligo said...

Actually, TF, at no point have I been having a swipe at LDS. I am far more concerned at the damage individuals (in the form of "Bishop" Tamaki and his ilk) can do - liken it if you will to the damage that bin Laden, Taleban, and Islamiya have done to the Islamic faith.

In this particular post, there is a direct family link between one of the senior administrators of Destiny(who I have no reason to believe is other than an honest person in matters of finance) and a man who is wanted in the US for fraud totalling some NZD535 million.

What amazes me the most is that nothing seems to be happening on the latter front (and hence my reference to the three government agencies who should be actively doing something about the man). 'Ag and Fishy' should have stood out like a floodswept log left in the middle of a cricket pitch.

How sad; never mind.