‘I have not & will not be involved in corruption! – Hon Mark H. Vanterpool
The Minister was speaking today February 2, 2016 at the Training Division Conference Room, Wickham’s Cay.
Honourable Vanterpool said he was elected to office to serve under Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith to execute the ports portfolio and he hopes to serve to the best of his abilities.
“I am urgent about carrying out that portfolio and I am not fearful about carrying it out,” he said.
Nothing that the government might have made mistakes along the way, he is confident and comfortable that he is not involved in any corruption on the project for which the final cost may exceed $82.9 million. The Minister pointed out that there were several changes to the original designs and these accounted for some of the costs blowing up. He said that the monies spent can be justified by the quality of the work delivered.
Dismisses Hugh E. Darley's allegation of corruption
The Minister dismissed allegations of corruption levelled by former project developer Hugh E. Darley whom the Minister acknowledged helped to move the project forward in the early stages by providing guidance and drawings.
“None of my members of government are involved in any corruption that people are alleging. If you are making an allegation of corruption prove it. Bring your proof, bring your information and prove it,” Minister Vanterpool said.
He said until the proof is presented then he would not be paying attention to any of the allegations being levelled.
“So anyone listening to my voice could rest assured that Mark H. Vanterpool has not been and will not be involved in any corruption. I have to do a job and I will do it and when the people of the territory think that they have had enough of me they will say thank you very much and let me go. So I am very comfortable,” he said.
Mistakes might have been made
He acknowledged that in the Government’s rush to get the project done by the deadline given by the cruise lines some mistakes in procurement and other areas might have been made.
“But if someone accuses me of corruption or taking the Government’s or taxpayers’ money, I would even take time to respond because I know that this is not so. I have seen things written but I don’t pay attention,” said the Minister.
So sure was the Minister about the cleanliness of his hands that he said his mother would be proud of hearing him declare his innocence.
In support of audit
The Minister said that regarding the call for an audit by Premier Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith, he is in complete support of it. When asked whether he should proceed on leave to facilitate the audit he said that people could make all of the allegations of corruption that they want but these must be supported by evidence.
Challenges anyone to test the project
The Minister threw out a challenge to anyone who is interested to seek assessments from independent evaluators about the financial and engineering integrity of the project as executed by the Government under the Minister’s stewardship.
“I can let you go on the dock and touch and feel what we have done…get independent estimates from other persons and see what we have produced there isn’t worth $82.9 million,” he said.
The Minister said that when the tenders went out and bids came in, five engineering companies estimated that they could build the dock for a cost of $35 million on average.
“These are professionals…if five of them [giving us an average of $35 million] and somebody else come and say they could build it for $23, then saying I am corrupt because I built it for $35 million then I don’t need to listen to that. If you are making allegations then base your allegations on fact,” Honourable Vanterpool said.
The Minister is adamant that the Tortola Pier Park will be ready in time for the opening on February 16, 2016, save for some aspects of the works that are still ongoing.
41 Responses to “‘I have not & will not be involved in corruption! – Hon Mark H. Vanterpool”
Any general project contractor or project manager who bids for major projects know that there are standard practices that must be adhered to in order to minimize major mistakes and outrageous overruns. There are: “Timelines,” CDs, change orders, cost-plus sub projects, exclusion estimates, general conditions or common costs and others, that must be negotiated and agreed upon beforehand, less there be chaos and loopholes for unethical elements to maneuver. Anyone can suddenly double the labour and/or transportation cost because of a pressing deadlines, or charge $5.00 for a nail because of its urgency, etc.
Everyone connected with this Project should be held accountable, and the public should be reimbursed by those who took advantage of the loopholes in the process, if not for the sheer consequence of gross negligence and incompetence.
Hire and allow those who know how to do the job, do the job, and stop pretending that you (those who have all allowed this to happen) are masters at everything. This is yet another example of playing in the big league with small league standards.
There has really been a feeding frenzy associated with this project- with the public being misled and deceived in the process from beginning to end. Oh! It has not been completed as yet. One Big Fiasco!
If there is evidence of incrimination of the Minister then I think it must be made public and he should step down.
*** is crooked to the bone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But he is not alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mark, saying it doesn't make it true.
Between you and I, I heard that if 40 yds of concrete was ordered for a certain project from a plant up the road then 30 yds went to the project & 10 yds went to the B****T Bay Palace while the certain project certified that all 40 yds was delivered to the project...but that is between us.
This is not Dion Stoutt's finest hour as a project manager. All players on this project must be taken to task. Some good people that made inadvertent bad decisions were fired for less. Someone needs to be held accountable. We need to stop spinning what happened and pretending it is not a BIG deal. It is a BIG f....g deal. A commission of inquiry is needed. Governor wimped out last summer in denying the request for one. But he must awaken from his slumber and commission one to chase the money trail.
Still asking who reviewed the design for constructability and maintainability? Did someone evaluated and compared the bid with government estimate for fairness and reasonableness? Did the escalating cost raise any eye brows and cause for a stand down? Did not the exceptional change orders jolt anyone that something was rotten in Denmark? Or it was full speed ahead regardless of the cost? Who was looking out to see that tax payers were getting value for money? Was the MCW advised about the skyrocketing cost but paid no attention? Was this gross over budget evident before the election ( though it probably would not have altered the results)?
Bill Clinton: I never had sexual relationship with that lady. Let's see how long he stick to this story.
At a building cost of $241.00 per square foot and counting, add-in interest and other supplemental costs, this has become some of the most expensive parcel of real estate in any developing country, not withstanding the Hospital project and others.
When and how are these projects expected to be paid back? For instance, if the expected cruises ship passenger head tax of $15.00 has to be renegotiated at a lower rate due to prior breach of contract. How ironclad are these agreements with the Cruise Liners?
Furthermore, at the building rate of $241.00 per square foot and counting- what agreements do you have with these tenants for the customized design changes? Are they shouldering the costs for such changes in their leasing agreements, or is it all on the tax payers backs; and what are the rental charges to recoup the building cost, plus design change cost, plus supplementary cost, plus maintenance cost, plus interest; and for how long? Do we intend to experience added taxes levied against our people to pay for yet another debacle? Like parking meters all over Roadtown and designated locations or taxes on already high priced food and material goods purchased, or drastic increases on already existing taxes, or some that could be cloaked in crafty pass through charges on already burdened tax payers?
Our People require Answers! Cannot drift off to sea and declared missing any longer! Must be Accountable for the Present and for Generations to come! THE BUCK MUST STOP SOMEWHERE!!!
Go back to the Governor’s explanation the online news sites posted on 17/03/2015, he made his points quite clear- The request could not come from the representative of any political party nor Opposition ministers at the time. He could not be the one to tip the scales in the favour of any Political Party. In other words, as he posited, “It is therefore inappropriate for any political party to seek to use the Office of the Governor to gain political advantage…”
The “Proof is now in the Pudding!” Cannot be ignored any longer!
What we are talking about here:
* We are talking about Breach of Financial Protocol.
* Misleading and deceiving the public (and possibly other institutions) by deliberately withholding pertinent information in order to carry out inappropriate and unaccepting acts with the taxpayers’ money without due diligence.
* Deliberately withholding of information from the public and compromising due process in a democratic society in exercising their Rights of participation, fairly and informatively.
* And they are today, not being forthright with the public and still engaging in the practice of secrecy and/or vague responses.
A “Commission of Enquiry” or an in-depth Forensic Independent Audit cannot at this juncture- Be Denied!
I am reminded of the three monkeys on the branch who could neither hear, see, nor speak. We the voting and taxpaying public are not those monkeys. Yo Guv, you still sleeping? can we have an independant COI now? Please?