Gov’t will honour AC contract with accused businessman
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has said the criminal charges laid against Kelvin Thomas will not have any implications on the contract signed for the air conditioning project at the Multipurpose Sports Complex in Road Town.
Thomas, the owner of Quality Air Condition and Refrigeration, was awarded the $786,000 government contract for the procurement, installation and commissioning of the heat, ventilation, and air conditioning system at the sports complex last December.
Dr Wheatley, then Minister of Sports, said Thomas had won the contract in a transparent tender process and described him as someone committed to the development of the Virgin Islands.
Dr Wheatley noted that Thomas’ run-in with the law does not have any bearing on the execution of his contract with the government.
“Well certainly, of course, he has not been convicted of anything. He has a signed contract which is a legal document and that will remain in place unless some aspect of the contract has been violated,” Dr Wheatley said.
“That is all I will say about that as of now. I will let the legal process take its course but as it pertains to the contract, we fully expect the contract to be executed unless there is a reason why it cannot be executed,” the Premier added.
Just last week, the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) announced that they have brought three criminal charges against the 55-year-old businessman in relation to the controversial Elmore Stoutt High School Perimeter Wall Project.
Thomas was charged with one count of obtaining property by deception, one count of making a false statement to a public officer, and one count of possession of the proceeds of criminal conduct.
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The Premier is correct in his reasoning.
No one wants to give kickbacks back.
And, if he is found guilty before the project is satisfactorily completed? The charges he is facing suggest that very careful cost controls should be exercised for a project that is quite pricey and not really high priority compared to the need to fix the schools. Coming on five years now.
He will never be found guilty, that I can lay my head on the block, the culprits will soon be exposed!
This Guy is cool, he worked for me before and i has no problem with his performance.
And the BEAT GOES ON.
Natalio you are no better than Fahie and the UK is to blame for alot of the mess they condone that cant be condoned in the UK. Isn’t that A/c contract itself under investigation? The people are played for fools.
That Ac contract needs revoking the ducks are already ran
As the saying goes what’s fair for the goose must also apply to the gender. A police officer is charged yet not convicted for the crime of which they are charged and yet they are suspended. A business man charged for an offence not yet convicted but he is allowed to continue with a government contract. Tell me what is the difference. Shall the political cronies now come out and declare injustice. Those calling for the COP and Governor to resign or be removed now seek the same for the accused business man. Bvi is shameless and it will not end well. You want to be in charge of people’s destiny and livelihood with this type of crabbe me reality. Kmt.
You are talking like you went to a school under a rock, was Patrick on sponge bobb your bear friend?
YEAH WE KNOW , AND YOU WORK FOR YOUR SELF , RIGHT ✅
The same guy that Govt. hired on a big contract is getting brought up on criminal charges and Govt. still see it fit to go through with the deal? What if he is found guilty? Does this not appear as a warning sign? If this was y’all personal money I bet you would have width drawn from that deal. I know him and he is a cool guy but cool goes through the door when you start to deal shady. People can be cool and still undermine you.
Sometime back in the contract tender process all of the parties had to provide some form of ‘good standing’ affidavits or similar that always extend until completion of the contract. It appears now that some of the parties are not in good standing anymore so this AC contract appears to be frustrated due to the change of status of some of the contracting parties.
How can Our Government agree to honor a contract with some accused of defrauding our Treasury. That contract should be put on hold.
You won’t in agreement with this contract. U were right Foy and him are co^^upt.He shouldn’t get it. Speak up Marlon speak up. Be a real man.
he is in the government now so he doesn’t care anymore, just like how the head coach spoke against the ndp until he became the top dog and was even worse than them
A$$whole you have to wait until he is found guilty to call him or Fahie corrupt!
I wonder how much of that money is for head coach?
Which part of the wall did he build so we can inspect the quality?
I may not be the smartest, but why would you continue a contract with someone accused of defrauding the government? There should be a clause in every government contract, in addition to statutory instruments thats immediately void such contracts, and prohibits such persons or any person associated with such a company for being the benefit of a government contract.
SO WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 3RD DISTRICT ? LATELY HE’S BEEN MAKING A LOT OF NOISE , since he got back his old position } ah can’t hear YO ?
why ìs the Premiere finding excuses for these thieves when he himself is one of the team players ,we hav no futures here in dis country when criminals r been protected by the law , locking up the whole hang, so i can breathe, they got us all on a death lock