Seelig Email to Department of Finance
This post was written by Karl Whelan
Simon Carswell reported last Saturday on an email from Steven Seelig, who holds the position of Advisor in the IMF’s Monetary and Capital Markets Department, to the Department of Finance commenting on the draft NAMA legislation. The Irish Times obtained this email, along with other communications on NAMA, via a Freedom of Information request and there has been some discussion of it in the comments on this site.
Because the newspaper article only partly reported the text of the email, I asked Simon Carswell would he be willing to pass it on and he has kindly agreed. So here’s the full text of the communication. (Here’s the draft of the legislation he was commenting on )
For conspiracy theorists, the apparently blacked-out word on the second page is “excellent” – Simon had highlighted it in the copy he scanned.
Tags: NAMA
December 22nd, 2009 at 5:21 pm
I’m sure this will become a thread of it’s own, but Mr Seelig is due to join the recently announced NAMA board: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1222/breaking65.htm
December 22nd, 2009 at 5:28 pm
On the subject of email’s …………….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIBZS5RsU-s
December 22nd, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Karl,
Maybe the Times could give you the underlying info that this article is based on:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1219/1224260978111.html?via=rel
December 22nd, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Mr. Seelig will be on the board of NAMA.
December 22nd, 2009 at 6:12 pm
I see I was an hour late with my revelation
I for one welcome my new IMF overlord. It gives NAMA additional credibility. The conspiracy theorists will have a hard time linking Mr. Seelig to the Galway tent.
December 22nd, 2009 at 8:12 pm
zhou. Course we wont…
Meanwhile, back in reality. Can your spell “t.o.k.e.n”? sorry to be cynical.
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:06 pm
@BL
I think you’re being sexist there. That lady was high up in AIG.
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Revered Ex Party leader
Gosh, so you think shes the token….wow. Im thinking more of a token external “figleaf” whose views on NAMA border on being frankly masterful….
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:49 pm
You would have to question what kind of assumptions about the world you need to make before “masterfully vague” is used as a complement. Below is Sir Humphrey really showing how to be masterfully vague
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIto5mwDLxo
December 22nd, 2009 at 10:02 pm
though in fairness, the email says masterful, followed by “sufficiently specific and sufficiently vague” so “masterfully vague” is not a direct quote.
December 23rd, 2009 at 4:47 am
I can possibly link Menheer Selig to the Galway tent, but as he is only one does it matter? He is more likely to be looking after the interests of the bondholders, those hidden fingers in our pockets, who must be paid in full. He may report back on just how sound the Irish are, on this and other issues.
His and anyone elses contacts with Gold in Sacks, Morgan the Pirate or the Red Shield gang are not going to be a matter of record. I am sure that those who acquit themselves well on this board will be offered all sorts of interesting international junkets afterwards.
OverLord indeed.
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:37 am
@ Pat
“His and anyone elses contacts with Gold in Sacks, Morgan the Pirate or the Red Shield gang are not going to be a matter of record”
By that logic, would anyone actually be beyond suspicion?
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:13 am
@ Pat Donnelly
Can you link him to the Board of NAMA?
Lenihan has now appointed Selig to the NAMA Board so much for conspiracy theories?
A masterful response from Mr. Lenihan I would have thought!