BVI News

Gov’t names persons who were BVI Airways shareholders! Some are BVI residents

Former BVI Airways pilot Bradley Goggin was reportedly one of the shareholders within the airline.

Premier Andrew Fahie has revealed the names of persons who were shareholders in BVI Airways; some of which are residents in the territory.

Answering questions posed by Opposition legislator Julian Fraser during Tuesday’s sitting of the House of Assembly, Premier said Pauline Jones who is a UK citizen and a resident in the BVI owned 31 percent shares in the airline.

Fahie said Bradley Goggin — former BVI airways pilot — owned 20 percent, while an aviation company in Delaware, USA owned the majority of 49 percent shares.

That company was reportedly operated by Gerry Welby and Scott Wiseman — both of whom Fahie said were responsible for the day-to-day running of BVI Airways.

Fahie said the government was advised that Wilby, Wiseman, Jones, government’s former attorney Lester Hyman, chartered accountant, Ryan Geluk, Robert Cisella, and US citizen Bruce Bradley were all BVI Airways directors back in 2017.

Premier Fahie said he was advised of this information through Martin Kenney & Co Solicitors — a government-hired law firm that handles fraud and asset recovery.

Large sums paid to Directors

In the meantime, the Premier informed the House that according to ongoing investigations, the directors of BVI Airways were to be paid $10,000 compensation on appointment.

Thereafter, they were entitled to $2,500 for each meeting attended, Fahie said.

The Premier also said that in the case of Geluk, he was appointed to the board on the recommendation of the previous Dr D Orlando Smith administration.

$$$ breakdown

Premier Fahie further said the government-commissioned probe revealed that part of the $7.2 million that was given to the airline was utilized to purchase two aircraft in 2016. Another part was used to pay other associated expenses such as hiring pilots and a crew, marketing, and obtaining regulatory approvals.

The said planes, which were believed to be sold twice, have now been found to be operating in Australia.

“BVI Airways is currently subject of arbitration proceedings in New York and pre-action disclosure proceedings in Washington DC against the government’s former attorney Lester Hyman,” Fahie said.

Shares

Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

44 Comments

Disclaimer: BVI News and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the comments below or other interaction among the users.

  1. son of the soil says:

    All ah dem need locking up and charged for fraud

    Like 42
    Dislike 4
  2. Moses says:

    The correct name is Jerry Willoughby. Google that ”Baltia airlines fraud” . We weren’t the first we just didn’t to our due dilligence beforehand. We found the planes so who profited from their sale. Also, did any government official receive finders fees for our investment?

    Like 31
    Dislike 1
    • because says:

      We don’t do our due diligence because when we see caucasian people, it looks like we see God. We still have slave mentality. We always put these people above ourselves. But in reality, they are not any brighter than us, we just fall for their twinkling blue eyes.

      Like 67
      Dislike 7
    • Lodger says:

      They were not bought or sold. They were LEASED.

      Like 11
      Dislike 1
      • Moses says:

        Follow the money. Did the lease money flow to any BVI officials or to Willoughby owned enterprises? Did anyone receive a finders fee? How much money did Willoughby eventually put into funding our airline or was this just a gigantic scam? Willoughby knows the answers. Just extradite him.

  3. Planes Not Normally Purchased by Carriers says:

    Would be very surprised if the aircraft were actually purchased. That rarely occurs, even for major, global carriers. Not very confident in the (Google “Martin Kenney Cigna”) findings…

    Like 38
  4. Concern says:

    Look how easily the government was scammed.

    Like 23
  5. Quiet Rebel says:

    Did BVI Airways have any skin in the game? Or the con artists bamboozled the former government like snake oil sales people to get the $7.2M? Still cannot fathom how $7.2M was expended without a debate and decision in the HOA. If the current policy allowed government to expend such a large sum without HOA approval, this process must be changed soonest. The HOA needs to be involved in authorizing and appropriating both Operations and Maintenance (O&M) and Capital budgets and expenditures above a certain dollar value, eg, $100K.

    Why the former Premier could not provide the information on BVI Airways that the current Premier is providing? What is the prospect of getting the $7.2M back? We should not be surprise if BVI Airways file for bankruptcy; such an action will be lights out for the VI taxpayers.

    Like 12
    Dislike 1
  6. Hmm says:

    For the directors that are resident in the BVI do they have property here? The government should put a Lien on it if so. They should also surrender travel documents and assist with getting this money back.

    Like 23
  7. welsa says:

    It already had a local airline, they could have help develop.

    Like 16
    Dislike 1
  8. systems says:

    RYAN GELUK TOO?? OUR RESIDENT ROTARIAN BUDDY.WOW

    Like 15
    Dislike 1
    • Me says:

      Wow!! Ryan Geluk in this, sad! Thought he was better than that and smarter. Now would he be held accountable and what about Directors fees? Will he pay them to Govt?

      Like 10
      Dislike 2
    • accuracy says:

      please dont believe all you read and take for gospel. Ryan is an outstanding person and was never part of any scam, the truth will out

      Like 3
      Dislike 3
  9. 007 says:

    It’s bad that our then Premier failed us but I know that government usually have advisors and lawyers to review contracts before they are signed. How many people failed to notice that this was a bad deal. Cabinet had to agree with the decision as well so that means the Governor, Myron, Mark, Ronnie, Dr. Pickering and the Attorney General all would have known about the details of the deal and still went ahead with it. Just a simple google on one of the names involved should have been enough to ensure that any contract signed is favorable to the BVI if we were so stupid to do business with the guy in the first place. They probably laughed at us all the way to the bank.

    Like 10
  10. Lily Ann says:

    Yalll want this money back, like Govt gon actually spend it back on yall….lolol

    Like 8
    Dislike 1
  11. Liane Le Tendre says:

    This information has been publicly available for a very long time. In fact, here is a link to an article that was published on the internet in December 2017.

    The government didn’t need to pay any high-priced lawyers to find this info!

    https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/62618-bvi-govt-takes-action-against-bvi-airways

    Like 17
  12. cut and paste says:

    wow this a lot to take in. Thank you Fahie for letting us know. This was NDP problem – always not clearing up things. Leaving things for people to speculate making themselves look guilty of wrong. This one shows that the NDP was taking for a ride. Mother always say ‘if it too good to be true it probably is”. They should have done their proper due diligence instead of diving in head first for a deal to bring straight flights to Beef Island. Good initiative for air lift by poor judgement choosing this company.

    Like 4
    Dislike 2
  13. THE CUBAN says:

    NDP: DEM TINK WHITE S**T DON’T SMELL AND HATE THEIR OWN BLACK S**T – SLAVERY MENTALITY

    Like 6
    Dislike 7
  14. Hmmm says:

    Yet ayo running down the down island ppl here who are cleaning and are not interested in million dollars fraud.

    Like 10
    Dislike 2
  15. Diaspora says:

    It seems as if the NDP, the former government, was so giddy about the prospect of nonstop flights from MIami (MIA) International to Terrance B. International Airport(EIS), Beef Island, that it may have neglected to exercise due diligence, dot the I and cross T. Its negligence may have resulted in the BVI taxpayers being taken to the cleaners.

    The signs were there that the BVI Airways, a bruk airline, agreement was problematic. Didn’t BVI Airways had problems staying air borne on inter-island flights and left owing BVIAA approx $100K? Another sign was the request by BVI Airways for front loading of the $7.2M. It sensed that the BVI was an prey and returned looking for more loot and probably would have gotten it were not for the strong push by the Opposition.

    BVI Airways should not have been front loaded with the $7.2M. Instead, the terms of the agreement should have been performance based with guarantees for specific outcomes before it got a penny of taxpayers money. Did the former Premier as MoF made a unilateral decision to front load BVI Airways with funding or was Cabinet involved in the decision. And if Cabinet were involved in the decision, then the for MoF is not out on an island by himself. It is a shared SNAFU.

    Ok. The government judgement may have clouded but what about the investors judgement did they also drink the cool aid. Or was the investors part of ownership team? Are BVI taxpayers ever going to be made whole or this incident is spilled milk or water under bridge?

    Like 14
  16. Hodge says:

    And how many Government boards do these guys still serve and advise on?

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  17. No nonsense says:

    I’m not so worried about finding the planes. The minister of finance(NDP Gvernment) should be in p—-n. When he get there he willingly would regurgitate the necessary info. The Queen should disarm him of his noble honor,let the original name remain on the hospital and commit 1/2 his salary to the treasury. Its he the master chief have the BVI dragging on we AZZ!!

  18. Just saying...... says:

    Now lets find the missing 30m from Pier Park

  19. The Truth says:

    Everywhere you turn, you see this Geluk guy.

    • Involved says:

      Maybe that’s because he does a lot for the community and gives back. Rather than turning all the time, you should consider helping rather than criticising

      Like 3
      Dislike 3
      • PAUL GIALLIAN says:

        Are you saying that Geluk has no responsibility as a Director of BVI Airways. Board members are personal liable for negligence and this Board is certainly negligent

  20. fowl foot says:

    this team that was given the task to investigate this company during making this deal were they blind folded They should be lock up

    Like 2
    Dislike 1

Leave a Comment

Shares