Settlement offers said to ‘derisory’ and ‘wrong’
(l-r) William Bramble, P S Eugene Skerritt. Minister Roselyn Cassell Sealy, Govt. MP Eastern Farrell, FS John Skerritt, C M Dr. Lowell Lewis, Govt. MP John Osborne, standing: Ross Honey
The matter became a serious potential loss, from one that was supposed to bring much benefit and revenue to Montserrat. The latter was the belief of Ministers in the Dr. Lowel Lewis government two years ago, and it is also believed that it might have caused at least one person their seat when general elections were held last September.
It all had to do with a matter which landed the Government of Montserrat in court when International Pairs Ltd. (IPL) followed-up on what they believed was an accepted proposal that they could successfully market and promote Montserrat Internationally and bring some much needed revenue to the economy of the ravaged Volcanic Island.
International Pairs Ltd. is a UK company based in Hampshire. It takes claim that it runs one of the largest Amateur Golf competitions in the World with yearly Tournaments on five continents. In early August, 2008 Mr. Ross Honey, CEO of IPL, Mr. William Bramble, technical consultant to IPL, and Mr. Owen Roach, Lawyer to IPL visited Montserrat, with their proposal.
They held several meetings including one where present at the meeting were the Hon. Chief Minister Lowell Lewis, Minister Roselyn Cassell Sealy, The Hon.Eastern Farrell, the Hon. John Osborne, The Hon. Financial Secretary John Skerritt and Permanent Secretary, Mr. Eugene Skerritt. (See photo)
In a few short months later, following the involvement of H E Governor Waterworth and DFID. IPL would slap a suit against Montserrat joining the Hon. Attorney General, Minister Roselyn Cassell-Sealy and Chief Minister Lowell Lewis. The claim for over £200,000 was for loss of profit, and incurred liabilities and expenses, after government had failed to carry through with its commitment to fund the proposal.
According to information from one side, “at the last case management conference the Master (in the High Court) told both sides that the matter should be settled.”
Between June 11 and August 9, this year there two offers by the Attorney General James Wood to IPL to settle the outstanding claim. According to IPL they referred to the first offer as, “derisory”. The second offer was made following the visit of Ross Honey, William Bramble, Owen Roach, along with their attorney David Brandt, “hoping to reach an amicable settlement,” They held meetings with the Attorney General. IPL, while they considered the first offer insulting, referred to the second offer as “wrong”, it being about twice the original offer but far below the claim amount.
While there has been no serious or official charge of wrong doing, in the months following the disappointing halt of the proposal, there were finger pointing, investigations and calls for the resignation of Minister Sealy, unsupported by Government Ministers, except later when Chief Minister Lewis called on her, “to do the right thing.” Questions were asked in the Legislative Council whether it was true that UK Government had called on the chief minister to dismiss the minister.
The matter has been outstanding since and had been ‘played around’, via statements publicly and in the Legislature. It featured prominently when DFID’s Sue Wardell visited Montserrat for the first time in February 2009, calling on the Government to put its house in order on several counts.
The matter also featured in several different ways in the 2009 general election campaign, and it is generally believed it was the reason that MCAP’s leadership was handed over to the present Chief Minister Reuben T. Meade just prior to the elections.
CEO Ross Honey had lamented on different occasions as they awaited settlement of the matter, that he would be still willing to involve Montserrat in a way it can benefit from participating in the promotion package.
Quite early in the dispute IPL said in a release: “The most frustrating thing is that by now the effects of the activation of the marketing plan would have been seen and the people of Montserrat would have already been enjoying the benefits…What a wasted opportunity for Montserrat!”
During their recent visit to the island, discussions with the IPL team revealed, “everything IP said that we were going to do for Montserrat, we have since done in other countries…..for example one of the investors who we had to come to Montserrat has since built a 5- star hotel in the South of France, 100 homes, [ an entire Eco village in Malaysia] and is now building 100 more houses in Brazil…..”
The team claimed that they are now official partners with Virgin Atlantic Airline, and Hertz Car Rental and that they do business with the Jamaican, Mauritius and the St. Lucian Tourist Board. “By now the people of Montserrat would have been reaping huge benefits…,” they concluded.
International Pairs Ltd. refuses AG’s government offer
Settlement offers said to ‘derisory’ and ‘wrong’
The matter became a potential loss, from one that was supposed to bring much benefit and revenue to Montserrat. The latter was the belief of Ministers in the Dr. Lowel Lewis government two years ago, and it is also believed that it might have caused at least one person their seat when general elections were held last September.
It all had to do with a matter which landed the Government of Montserrat in court when International Pairs Ltd. (IPL) followed-up on what they believed was an accepted proposal that they could successfully market and promote Montserrat Internationally and bring some much needed revenue to the economy of the ravaged Volcanic Island.
International Pairs Ltd. is a UK company based in Hampshire. It takes claim that it runs one of the largest Amateur Golf competitions in the World with yearly Tournaments on five continents. In early August, 2008 Mr. Ross Honey, CEO of IPL, Mr. William Bramble, technical consultant to IPL, and Mr. Owen Roach, Lawyer to IPL visited Montserrat, with their proposal.
They held several meetings including one where present at the meeting were the Hon. Chief Minister Lowell Lewis, Minister Roselyn Cassell Sealy, The Hon. Minister Charles Kirnon, The Hon.Eastern Farrell, the Hon. John Osborne, The Hon. Financial Secretary John Skerritt and Permanent Secretary, Mr. Eugene Skerritt. (See photo)
In a few short months later, following the involvement of H E Governor Waterworth and DFID. IPL would slap a suit against Montserrat joining the Hon. Attorney General, Minister Roselyn Cassell-Sealy and Chief Minister Lowell Lewis. The claim for over £200,000 was for loss of profit, and incurred liabilities and expenses, after government had failed to carry through with its commitment to fund the proposal.
According to information from one side, “at the last case management conference the Master (in the High Court) told both sides that the matter should be settled.”
Between June 11 and August 9, this year there two offers by the Attorney General James Wood to IPL to settle the outstanding claim. According to IPL they referred to the first offer as, “derisory”. The second offer was made following the visit of Ross Honey, William Bramble, Owen Roach, along with their attorney David Brandt, “hoping to reach an amicable settlement,” They held meetings with the Attorney General. IPL, while they considered the first offer insulting, referred to the second offer as “wrong”, it being about twice the original offer but far below the claim amount.
While there has been no serious or official charge of wrong doing, in the months following the disappointing halt of the proposal, there were finger pointing, investigations and calls for the resignation of Minister Sealy, unsupported by Government Ministers, except later when Chief Minister Lewis called on her, “to do the right thing.” Questions were asked in the Legislative Council whether it was true that UK Government had called on the chief minister to dismiss the minister.
The matter has been outstanding since and had been ‘played around’, via statements publicly and in the Legislature. It featured prominently when DFID’s Sue Wardell visited Montserrat for the first time in February 2009, calling on the Government to put its house in order on several counts.
The matter also featured in several different ways in the 2009 general election campaign, and it is generally believed it was the reason that MCAP’s leadership was handed over to the present Chief Minister Reuben T. Meade just prior to the elections.
CEO Ross Honey had lamented on different occasions as they awaited settlement of the matter, that he would be still willing to involve Montserrat in a way it can benefit from participating in the promotion package.
Quite early in the dispute IPL said in a release: “The most frustrating thing is that by now the effects of the activation of the marketing plan would have been seen and the people of Montserrat would have already been enjoying the benefits…What a wasted opportunity for Montserrat!”
During their recent visit to the island, discussions with the IPL team revealed, “everything IP said that we were going to do for Montserrat, we have since done in other countries…..for example one of the investors who we had to come to Montserrat has since built a 5- star hotel in the South of France, 100 homes, [ an entire Eco village in Malaysia] and is now building 100 more houses in Brazil…..”
The team claimed that they are now official partners with Virgin Atlantic Airline, and Hertz Car Rental and that they do business with the Jamaican, Mauritius and the St. Lucian Tourist Board. “By now the people of Montserrat would have been reaping huge benefits…,” they concluded.
