BVIPA refuses to divulge purchase price of Chateau property on VG
By Kamal Haynes, BVI News Staff
The state-owned BVI Ports Authority (BVIPA) has refused to say how much of the public’s purse was spent for the recently-acquired Chateau beachfront property on Virgin Gorda.
Leading up to the BVIPA’s October 9 announcement that they acquired the property, BVI News made several attempts to get information relating to the cost of the purchase.
Our news centre was prompted to start its inquiry after sources reported that the property — which was owned by close relatives of a sitting legislator — had been purchased at an estimated $5 million.
Promised the information
While contacting the BVIPA’s Deputy Managing Director, Oleanvine Maynard on Thursday, October 8, she confirmed that the BVIPA had indeed acquired the property but said the reported $5 million price tag was not accurate.
She then promised to issue a statement with all the accurate information relating to the acquisition of the property. Subsequent to the Authority releasing a statement the following day, BVI News observed that the name of the property, the price of the sale, and the appraisal quote of the property were all excluded from the media document.
Those omissions prompted our news centre to make further contact with the BVIPA Deputy Director, who said at the time of answering, that she was not in close proximity to the documents to give a precise quote. She then gave the directive to contact her at a later time during that day.
Run around by the BVIPA
Several subsequent attempts were made to call Maynard before getting through. And during that over-the-phone conversation, Maynard said she gave consideration to our news centre’s request and felt that it would not be in the BVIPA’s interest to disclose the amount paid for the property at this time.
BVI News then explained that the information is of public interest as it was the taxpayers’ money that was used to acquire the property. Maynard then stated that she would have the information within the next five minutes.
More than 40 minutes later, an employee from the BVIPA contacted our news centre and informed us that Maynard was “unfortunately scheduled for several meetings” and was therefore unable to grant the requested information during the day.
BVI News had also made contact with the recently-appointed Managing Director of the BVIPA, Dean Fahie who told our news centre that Maynard was the Port Authority’s point-of-contact on the matter.
According to the aforementioned media release by the BVIPA, the acquisition of the Virgin Gorda-based property is to expand the St Thomas Bay port facility on the sister island.
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Nothing in the corrupt BVI is done in the open. Auntie always gets a deal. The people are suffering and losing their businesses but those in power, their cronies and their relatives make more money than ever. This is the true definition of a Third World country. Have a good time and please please suffer. It makes those in power quite happy to see.
They have to say ,this is a democratic society .
Wont the purchase price be apparent on the Instrument of Transfer that has to be registered publicly at the Land Registry?
it’s as if you don’t know to state of the bvi.
what should be and what is are two different things
So let’s be realistic. The deal is done and paid for by taxpayers dollars. Nothing about the deal before hand. Nothing after. This is blatant corruption. This is exactly why the UK is watching so closely. The people of the Territory must have their voices heard. This c*****t government needs to be stopped. If an interim government has to be placed by the Brits to stop this then so be it. The Brits don’t want to rule this Territory but it’s obvious the people presently throughout the government irregardless of which party they are, only seek to benefit themselves and not the people who elected them. There needs to be a sunshine law where all deals are open to public scrutiny before they happen.
Oh for sure, AUNTIE BE GETTING THE SWEET DEALS. AUNTIE IS SITTING GOODDDDDD.
Dear Andy Foy,
Since you were voted into office you have done nothing on behalf of the people. All you schemes have been to benefit you, your family (remember dear aunties building for your office), all your friends and cronies. Not one deal that you gave away was there any announcement or transparency. The few are are living the dream while the masses are living the nightmare. The most unfortunate of this all has been your lack of responsible leadership during this pandemic. While you play basketball with your bodyguards the people suffer. It is truly the hope of the people that the Brits step in and stop this madness before nothing is left.
This simply means that it was way overpriced…….Kickbacks anyone?
MY PET CAT OLIVER KNOWS THAT IT WAYYYY OVER PRICED. MORE OF THE GREEDY, TONGUE LICKING ON THE LIPS KICKBACKS FOR THE CROON CROONS.
You people make Trump look like a saint.
Well well wellllllllll!!!
VIP is so transparent, it is blinding. Dont stop digging until you get the answers BVI News. Cant you do a search or something?
The purchase price information should be on the title register I believe
Not necessarily. The title register will only show who has the title and who had it previous plus any mortgages/cautions.
And cutting staff pay
Stop complaining, this is what you voted for!
Why the secrecy?
@Butch
Say something bro.
We the voters want to know how much of the public’s money was used for this land purchase!!!!
And while you at it, please let us know what happened to all the donated money given by the multitude of very compassionate folks for the VG populace after Irma. I believe you made a statement in the house of assembly about accountability recently, well we the 9th district voters want to know what happened to that money.
And you are so correct, we the people is tired of the one sided lies and deceit. We the People have a right to ask and have questions answered. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO REMIND THIS GOVERNMENT THAT WEEEEE THE PEOPLE IS THEIR BOSS, WEEEEE THE PEOPLE IS THEIR EMPLOYER. PROBATION TIME IS OVER!!!!!!!!.
Something rotten in the state of BVI.
We the people would like to know how much OF OUR HARD WORKING TAXPAYING DOLLARS WAS STOLEN TO SINK INTO THIS PROJECT. MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOU PEOPLE THAT IS CONSTANTLY TAKING ADVANTAGE AND PUSHING PEOPLE OVER THE CLIFF TO LINE YOUR POCKETS. DIRTY, DIRTY SCUMS.YOU GO INTO POLITICS HALF CLEAN AND YOU COME OUT OF POLITICS REEKING WORSE THAN A ?.NO WONDER THE UK IS WATCHING THE BVI LIKE A EAGLE IN THE SKY. EAGLES SEE EVERYTHING.
We are willing to bet that that sale passed thru the real estate company of the chief for a high commission
Wait, Wait, wait……
Stop talk chupidness here. you mean to tell me they so flipping blatant with this kind of thing?????
IT’S THE PEOPLES MONEY !!!!
It is the TaxPayers money they are continually helping themselves to with out asking for permission. One set of dirty den of stealing hoodlums.
It’s not tax payers money it’s a revenue generating statutory body …editor get your facts right
Help London it’s getting crazy
Where there is smoke, there is fire. If there is nothing to hide, why the secrecy? I am truly disappointed. Too many secrets when it comes to our money. At the rate that VIP is going, the 7.2 mil that went up in smoke will look like a drop in the bucket.
Spending our money, but don’t want to tell us how much? hmm.
The purchase of that property by Government is WORSE than the Prospect Reef purchase . The building is ghetto ; only needs to be torn down as it said to be structurally unsound . The area is NOT conducive to ferry / passenger travel as the harbour is small and shallow and prone to SEVERE ground swells . The dock is low and narrow for the daily volume of passengers. There is No parking space (unless Gov will purchase the sellers recently acquired lot of “ wet land “‘that has been FILLED IN
We are going to hell in a hand basket led by a set of Edge U Cated people who have Truly made NDP sins look like “ make belief”
Ooohhhh I cry for my Country
Buying it is the cheap part brother! You ain’t seen nothing yet.
Wait until the real bill comes to break up and build, and see who gets those sweet deals!
Need a breakwater, new docking, new buildings, parking, oh boy, money, money, money …………. ca-ching, ca-ching, ca-ching baby!
$$$$$$$$
The Taxpayers IS THE BVI GOVERNMENT PERSONAL ATM MACHINE. AS A TAX PAYER, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MUCH OF MY MONEY WAS SPENT ON SOMETHING THAT I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF. IF I’M SPENDING MY MONEY, I HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHERE AND TO WHOM MY MONEY IS GOING.
This set making all the rest look like choir boys and acolytes. Even the good ole cookie monster and the tricky grasshopper couldn’t empty the cookie jar this fast and this effectively.
Corruption to its core. VIP must Go
They are killing the BVIslander’s dream. We have nothing to look forward to.
Is that the property that D. Flax had for sale ??
Is that the property that D. Flax had for sale ??