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WAPA owned restoration materials were shipped to VI- Utility CEO

-response comes following lawsuit naming VI as recipients in alleged corruption by WAPA Management
Pictured center, Lawrence Kupfer, WAPA executive director/CEO. Photo: VI Legislature
A lawsuit recently filed in the Superior Court of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) by an employee who has been working at the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) Water and Power Authority (WAPA) for over 19 years, has named the Virgin Islands (VI) as recipients of illegal hurricane supplies & restoration materials as part of corruption allegations against the utility's highest management level. Photo: VI Consortium
A lawsuit recently filed in the Superior Court of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) by an employee who has been working at the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) Water and Power Authority (WAPA) for over 19 years, has named the Virgin Islands (VI) as recipients of illegal hurricane supplies & restoration materials as part of corruption allegations against the utility's highest management level. Photo: VI Consortium
VI CONSORTIUM

CHARLOTTE AMALIE, St Thomas, USVI - Following a lawsuit at the Superior Court of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) which named the Virgin Islands (VI) as recipients of illegal hurricane supplies and restoration materials from the USVI Water and Power Authority (WAPA) as part of corruption allegations, WASA CEO Lawerence Kupfer has moved to clear the air.

In the suit filed against the authority in February by 19-year WAPA employee and current Chief Administration Officer, Rupert Pelle, he alleged that materials and supplies provided to WAPA by the Federal Emergency Management Agency were sent to the [British] Virgin Islands — even as FEMA-provided resources for the territory's rebuild after Hurricanes Irma and Maria were not approved for non-U.S. jurisdictions.

According to the suit, Mr Pelle invited WAPA upper echelon's ire when he sought information on the illegal shipment of materials provided to the U.S. Virgin Islands by FEMA being shipped to the BVI. At the time Julio Rhymer, Gregory Rhymer's cousin, was executive director/CEO of WAPA.

Mr Pelle requested information as to why the supplies were being shipped to the BVI, and whether they had been paid for, the suit says, adding that Mr Pelle did not receive a response. "Upon information, Gregory Rhymer and other management employees were involved in this illegal transfer," the lawsuit reads.

Kupfer fights back allegation 

In a release issued today, March 11, 2020, Mr Kupfer pushed back against the allegation. He said an emergency request was made by the BVI to WAPA for poles, pole hardware, and wire for their distribution system which had been impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The release goes on to say that "based on all information that has been gathered," the materials shipped to the BVI was owned by WAPA.  

“This was a case where a sister utility reached out for assistance in the worst of times. The leadership of WAPA at the time thought it prudent to assist citizens in the BVI in their greatest time of need," Mr. Kupfer said.

The WAPA chief executive pointed out that the FEMA reimbursement process requires that materials and services be purchased upfront by WAPA and reimbursement sought thereafter. The materials, notwithstanding that they are eligible to be reimbursed by FEMA, remain the property of WAPA, he said.

In essence, Mr Kupfer is saying that though FEMA would still be the federal agency paying for the materials via reimbursement, the materials, he contends, would still remain the property of WAPA.

Material exchange not unusual - CEO 

Mr Kupfer added that the exchange or purchase of materials is not an unusual practice in the utility industry. “This is not the first time that WAPA has assisted a fellow utility or received assistance during its recovery.

Power companies not only exchange materials, manpower is also frequently provided to assist restoration efforts. Just recently, WAPA provided excess electrical equipment to Saipan in the aftermath of a major typhoon, and in past years, WAPA personnel have gone as far as Guam to provide restoration and recovery assistance,” he said. 

Mr Kupfer, however, did not address why Mr. Pelle, who served as Chief Administrative Officer, did not receive an answer when, according to the suit, he asked why the materials were being shipped to the BVI, and whether they had been paid for. The Consortium has requested documentation from WAPA confirming that the BVI government received the materials, documents showing that the BVI government paid for the materials, and a list showing all the materials that were shipped.

"Although WAPA’s practice is to address such allegations in the proper forum, it was determined in this instance that a limited response to these particularly misleading characterizations of events was warranted," Mr Kupfer said in the WAPA release. 

 

7 Responses to “WAPA owned restoration materials were shipped to VI- Utility CEO”

  • Sam (11/03/2020, 17:57) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Well well, who do we believe?
  • Read (11/03/2020, 18:03) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    "In essence, Mr Kupfer is saying that though FEMA would still be the federal agency paying for the materials via reimbursement, the materials, he contends, would still remain the property of WAPA."

    NO VINO. He is saying that WAPPA purchased the poles. WAPPA had not sought reimbursement from FEMA for them. Therefore they belonged to WAPPA and were not FEMA aid property.
  • asking for a friend (11/03/2020, 18:36) Like (0) Dislike (2) Reply
    So what Leroy and Henry did with the materials?
  • tola (11/03/2020, 19:43) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply

    @ asking for a friend they connected them to your a** cause your brain was useless.

  • concern (11/03/2020, 21:08) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    This is the perfect display of the real USVI, BVI friendship day
  • FUSE (11/03/2020, 21:46) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    @tola....easy tola before you blow dem fuse.
  • Diaspora (12/03/2020, 00:52) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    All FEMA assistance, ie, Public Assistance Program, Mitigation Assistance Program and Individual Assitance Program requires strict accounting and must be used for the intended purpose. The proper accounting and use is validated through audits. If my memory serves me right, I remember former USVI Gov Kenneth Mapp responding to a question about assistance and reply that he would like to but could not because he could not use FEMA resources. It is common for communities to sign mutual aid agreement among them to provide assistance across jurisdictional lines during an emergency. These mutual aid agreements are win-win for all communities, serving as a resource multiplier during emergencies.


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