by Yvette Best and Tracy Moore

AN ALLEGED LEAK of the  list of 18 singers for Friday’s Lime/Banks Pic-O-De-Crop Semi-Finals has forced the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) to launch an investigation into whether the competition’s  judging process has  been compromised.

It is understood that names of the semi-finalists were circulating long before the 1:30 a.m. announcement yesterday  by corporate communications specialist Wayne Simmons.

SUNDAY SUN investigations revealed yesterday that calypsonians were getting congratulatory emails and  calls as early as Wednesday. The Kingdom Of Super Gladiators, Stray Cats and Tornadoes faced the judges  on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday respectively.

It has been confirmed by a number of artistes that names in the exact order announced, were revealed to several members of a tent about  8:20 p.m. on Friday night  before Tornadoes was judged.

NCF’s board chairman Ken Knight told the SUNDAY SUN yesterday: “We have heard the same allegations and as board members we have had a meeting this morning [Saturday].  We have asked the CEO  Dr Hunte-Cox to fully investigate the matter.

“I am currently working on  a report of the matter because  I cannot entirely speak on it because she, as the CEO, has responsibility for the NCF and therefore we have discussed it after she brought it to our attention, and we asked her  for a full investigation into the matter, because we are very concerned if in truth and in fact what is being said, is correct,” Knight said.

One of the 18 semi-finalists, Smokey Burke, said: “Last night [Friday] I went to the tent [Tornadoes] and before the tent started, somewhere between  8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., I knew  all of the results.

“At first I dismissed it, but when the semi-finalists were officially announced, the person was right on, and this person was able to give positions like who was No. 1 or No. 13.
How can the results be out and one more tent is yet to be judged?” he queried.

Another calypsonian who was told she had not made it, said De Big Show’s John King was the top of the list and the only difference in the eventual list was Ronnie De Announcer Clarke who was 18 on the list, but was eventually named as the reserve.

“I don’t think that things pertaining to people should be  on the road after being judged,  and you think that judgement is supposed to be confidential,”  she said.

Tornadoes’ manager Harvey Pop Daniel said it was a “thunderous coincidence” that none of the artistes from the tents judged after Tuesday were included.

Stray Cats manager Jerry Roberts was dismayed when he got word of the alleged leak yesterday. He said it was just an addition  to the trials Stray Cats had been facing over the years.

Super Gladiators manager  Roy Byer said each year when  they appeared in the lower half,  it always seemed to be  a formality when the judges  reached them.

De Announcer declined  to comment on the matter. (YB/TM)