UPDATE: Alfred ‘Al’ Henley on the Job @ BVIPA!
The Officer who was trained in the hospitality industry reported to work on 4, March 2014. He replaces former Deputy Managing Director Mr. Gene Creque, who is now expected to be a consultant to the organization.
According to our news room’s National Democratic Party source Mr. Henley is occupying the physical office space of Mr. Creque designated for the Deputy, while Mr. Creque has be placed in a trailer.
When Virgin Islands News Online called Public Relations Officer of the BVIPA April Glasgow today March 5, 2015, she confirmed the appointment of Henley in the position of Deputy Managing Director at the BVIPA and that he took up the position from March 4, 2014. Efforts to reach Henley or Managing Director Skelton-Cline proved futile up to post time.
Money going down!
Another issue that is emerging at the BVI PA is the matter of the organization’s finances. It is this news sites’ understanding that in 2012 there were between $10 to $12 million dollars on the Authority’s Account.
Today, that has allegedly dipped below $5 million dollars. This has gotten the attention of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) the Committee in the House of Assembly Chaired by the Leader of the Opposition, Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal OBE.
As of post time Hon. O’Neal could not be reached for comment. The PAC also is still investigating the Auditor General Ms. Sonia M. Webster report on the ports development project. They are expected to issue a report by the end of this month.
The Auditor General Report on the Ports Development Project leaked to the local media last year unearthed a web of corruption, conflict of interest and blatant violations of the Ports Act.
See previous story posted February 27, 2014:
Al Henley in as Deputy Director of BVIPA!
-Restaurant and Bar Owner is to start his new job on 4 March, 2014
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - After the news of his pending appointment as Deputy Managing Director of the British Virgin Islands Ports Authority (BVIPA) was accurately broken on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) but was placed on hold due to legal troubles, it seems like Alfred ‘Al’ Henley is back in again.
Sources within the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) regime have told our newsroom that those who were fighting on the inside for Mr. Henley to be appointed to the post were consistent with their lobbying efforts to move the process forward.
It is this news site’s understanding that the lobbying efforts were led by Managing Director of the BVIPA Claude Skelton-Cline as, according to the source, he needed the help at the Authority.
Mr. Henley is expected to take up his post as Deputy to Mr. Skelton-Cline on Tuesday 4, March 2014 according to the same NDP source.
The future of Gene Creque is unknown at this time but the NDP source told us he may remain on the job as a consultant and is expected to provide some training to Mr. Henley.
Legal woes
Mr. Henley would have long been appointed from last year as Deputy Managing Director for the BVIPA if it were not for his legal troubles.
It was in May of 2012 that Mr. Henley a local businessman in the hospitality sector was accused of beating a female tourist at his establishment, Big Banana located in Cane Garden Bay on the main Island of Tortola.
Days following the incident Mr. Henley was charged by the crown with assault occasioning actual bodily harm against a Ms. Maya Riether of the United States of America.
Ms. Riether left; VI’s case collapsed
However, in November 2013 the lead Persecutor on the case Senior Crown Counsel Sarah Benjamin informed the Magistrate’s Court that due to the continued difficulties faced by the Crown to locate the complainant, the Crown is forced to offer no evidence against Henley.
The Magistrate then dismissed the charges for want of prosecution. Mr. Henley who was at the time out on bail was represented by Attorney at Law Richard Rowe.
The legal trouble had placed a hold on his appointment according to the same NDP sources once it reached to Cabinet. However he declined to indicate who was objecting to the matter moving forward.
The BVI Ports Authority has been under fire since the appointment in December 2012 of its Managing Director Pastor Claude Skelton-Cline. It was last year that VINO broke the news of the Auditor General Report authored by Ms. Sonia M. Webster on the ports project. She cited in her report a web of corruption, violations of the law and blatant conflicts of interest.
The report is now before the Public Accounts Committee. A few weeks ago under pressure from the media the Ports Berthing agreements signed on 17 January 2014 between the BVIPA and Norwegian and Disney Cruise Lines were released to the public.
The Berthing agreements show that the local Taxi and Tour Operations are shut out and all legal matters or conflict can only be settled in the USA.
The agreements also confirmed that both NCL and DCL will not be putting up a cent of their own money to help finance the project but the BVI Ports Authority will be left holding the financial bag in building the new port facility.
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57 Responses to “UPDATE: Alfred ‘Al’ Henley on the Job @ BVIPA! ”
Sure he will thump them down if the are a woman!!!!!!!!!
All of them is c....s, this country going straight to the ground with these corrupt people ayo putting in
Who makes these decisions?
This is absolutely deplorable. This man has a history of v.....ce and he is now in an official governmental position. This culture is failing fast.
This is when you have a fluff Chairman and Board. The Minister wants who he wants so he can push his agenda. Now his agenda might end up being good in the end, but this is not how things should work. How with all that's happening with Ports we haven't heard one, NOT ONE statement from the Chairman of the Board! Even in photos he's seen in his phone while the Minister and Director pushes ahead with what they want. This is so embarrassing. I have nothing against Al but really, honestly, he would've better served the Tourist Board or something along his line of expertise. Why Ports? What happened to all others working there for years, couldn't they have been offered a 2yr secondment to Mr. Creque and take over after? Surely we have some locals there that would be up to the task? What about the guy Shawn and the other youngster, Akeem Pickering? They know the inner workings and would add some value no? We have now a Director and Deputy that never worked at Ports in their lives, or never worked anywhere similar in their lives but they're now in charge? How? So we have a Banker/Supermarket owner as Minister, an Architect/Broker as Chairman, a Pastor as Director and a Hospitality Professional/Restaurant Owner as Deputy. None of them together had even a year of Ports experience prior to being put in these positions. Now people can understand why things are the way they are. Nobody to tell the Minister and others "Listen, based on what we have here, this thing cannot work, we need to do this, that or the other!". I support NDP, but after 2yrs, it's obvious why you cannot get these things off the ground. Even if you want to make political appointments to positions, you must have enough QUALIFIED and CAPABLE people in your camp to push things. Always a set of lame ducks who don't know their elbow from a..crack.
Vip let all there supporters build buildings in town for years and in turn rent the buildings for government office.. noboby talking about that it seems like we have alsimers when it comes to the vip they did everything right,count the money government pays out for rent because of the vip no body talking about that I'm sick and tired of the vip and ndp s..t .
enjoy his time at the Port Authority while he can. He will be out once a new government is installed after the general election next year.
My dear hearts and gentle people, what is happening is no accident, this is by design. Those who have designed this program know exactly what they are doing. Just remember pupits have no say in the way they act but are at the mercy of their manipulators. Our only satisfaction comes from the knowledge that the corrupt seeds which are being sowed WILL sooner than later lead to their own down fall.