End of Year Protocol #2 - Words of ?

Copyright 2003 David Monniaux

Another contribution to the year end protocol of media retrospectives. 

This one not in the wisdom category but somewhere between incredible and bizarre.

1. "Something is unusual. We have never had such a high number of people involved in corruption," Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, who also heads the Dubai government's budget committee, told Reuters. 
2. Tamim said police had drawn "a list of more than 60 people mainly from government-linked companies" who are under investigation, adding no-one on the list was from a government department.

It's hard to understand this surprise.  

After all, what possibly could go wrong with US$ 60 billion of hot and easy money rocketing through the Emirate?  With contracts being let left and right for billion dollar projects?  And ignoring for a moment the regional history of commissions,  Philip Thorpe's observations in 2004 or the corruption trials at the beginning of 2008, who in their right mind might have guessed there was an increased potential for corruption?  Or that it was occurring?

As a distinguished Capitaine once put it "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on here".