More evidence of corruption revealed in officers’ testimony- PAC report
Board Member cried foul
Some three officers including a BVI Ports Authority Board Member Clyde Chalwell detailed under oath how the business over the controversial Cruise Pier Development Project was conducted.
Mr. Chalwell, who appeared before the House of Assembly select committee on February 26, 2014 told the PAC that he had received all the minutes of the previous meetings prior to his attendance before the Committee.
To this Second District Representative and PAC Member Hon J. Alvin Christopher placed on the record that the PAC had not received those minutes referred to by the Board Member Mr. Chalwell “not because they are unavailable but they are deliberately not sent.”
Mr. Chalwell also said many decisions surrounding the Ports Development Project were simply placed on the Board meeting agenda with no prior discussions with the Board Members and he did not even know how the agenda was formulated.
For example, one specific company PriceWaterHouseCoopers when asked by Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) who selected that company, Mr. Chalwell told the House Committee that it just appeared on the agenda.
The Board Member told the Committee that the minutes of the Ports meeting will show his early concerns over this matter because “there was a BDO issue presented ….then the next meeting PriceWaterHouseCoopers appeared and he asked the question where PriceWaterHouseCoopers came from and that was it.”
Mr. Chalwell told the PAC that he got the impression that the BVI Ports Authority Board of which he is a Member was only there as a rubber stamp for decision already made some place else, and at times Resolutions will be sent to them for approval after the fact.
PriceWaterHouseCoopers raked in over $300,000 off the Ports Development project alone but under the National Democratic Party Administration over a $1millon total in fees for works done.
Other Public Officers backed up claims - Creque & Smith-Thompson
In the early stages of the project in late November 2011 until the appointment of the former Ports Consultant Claude O. Skelton-Cline, Mr Gene E. Creque was the Acting Managing Director of the Ports Authority. He also detailed in the PAC report how he was shut out of the project and had to learn about it through media reports.
He told the Committee that for the most part the Board also was shut out of the process and it was the Minister for Communications and Works and the present Managing Director, Claude Skelton-Cline who were was the major decision makers.
In his testimony Mr. Creque confirmed that it was not the BVI Ports Authority Board doing the negotiations or in charge of the tending process, but he was told that the Ministry of Finance was responsible for the project negotiations.
Never happened like this before - Creque
When Hon. J. Alvin Christopher (R2) asked Mr. Creque – who is the longest serving employee of the Ports Authority with almost 40 years of service – whether he had ever seen a situation where another agency i.e. the Ministry of Finance was doing the work of the Ports Authority Board, Mr. Creque stated “no, never.” He told the Committee when the Board did the first pier expansion it was the BVI Ports Board that controlled the process and he had never seen the Ministry of Finance involved in the tendering process.
The BVI Ports Act and by-laws give the Ports Authority Board the power to conduct the business of the Ports including managing and executing all projects.
Mr. Creque also stated that for the most part even as the Acting Managing Director he was kept out of the process in terms of the Cruise Ship project expansion negotiations after the general elections of 2011 and it was the Ports Consultant Skelton-Cline who was heavily involved.
What is even more alarming is that Mr. Creque the then Acting Managing Director told the PAC that during his tenure he had absolutely no discussions or any meetings with the Board discussing the Pier project.
Smith-Thompson - ‘I was shut out too’
In earlier reports the former Acting Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Communications and Works Arlene Smith-Thompson, whom Ministry the Statutory body was transferred to after the 2011 General elections, had already detailed how she was shut out of the process and how her efforts to guide the Minister and his consultant Skelton-Cline on the correct procedure and rules were disregarded.
It remains suspicious how many of the companies were invited to tender including Tortola Pier Partners (TPP). The Managing Director Skelton-Cline told the PAC that the Ministry of Communications and Works invited them via an Email. However, Mrs. Smith-Thompson the acting PS threw cold water on that information saying clearly her Ministry did not do such a thing.
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33 Responses to “More evidence of corruption revealed in officers’ testimony- PAC report ”
This is white collar crime and is every bit as deceitful as outright theft and organized crime.
M..k owe p..cy r..den and h....th money no wonder r...en get contract.. rdmember