‘He didn’t give a damn!’ - Investor says Dr Smith killed Prospect Reef project
Chairman and CEO of the ICA Group—a Key Prospect Reef Investment Company—Mr Ali Nawaz Shaikh of the Middle East, has detailed to Virgin Islands News Online (VINO), shocking revelations via emails and other correspondence regarding Dr Smith and his administration’s handling of the project in a beyond lacklustre manner, which, according to the ICA Group top brass, showed they cared little for the people and the territory.
Dr D. Orlando Smith’s Brainchild
In July 2017, Dr D. Orlando Smith had revealed at a Press Conference that his government had finally reached an agreement to re-developed the Prospect Reef Resort after purchasing the facility sometime between 2003 and 2007, in their first term of office.
It was revealed that in March 2016 the ICA (BVI) Group was awarded the opportunity to complete the development of Prospect Reef Hotel with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Group in December of 2016.
The agreement at the time was for the re-development of the resort and also to operate a hotel. Dolphin Discovery, an associated project, was to be located just inside the Prospect Reef Port, according to their website, however, none of the projects materialised.
In what can only be described as slothfulness, begging on the investor side and bureaucratic back and forth, correspondence and the entire project came to a standstill, which further prevented the investors from completing their financing and getting the lease approved.
Email sent hours before 2019 General Elections
Following this bureaucratic ‘tie up’ which spanned the majority life of the project, in an email seen by this news website, Dr Smith had contacted Mr Lorenzo Camara, Director of Operations at Dolphin Discovery, at 4:30pm on February 24, 2019, just hours before the February 25, 2019, General Elections in the VI, to share his alleged concerns over why the project had come to a stall.
"Dear Mr Camara:
I am Dr DO Smith Premier of the BVI and am concerned that discussions on the return of Dolphin Discovery to BVI post hurricane Irma has stalled.
I would appreciate an understanding of the issues so that we can have a fruitful exchange and commitment before I leave office.
I may be reached at the email [withheld] or by Cell [withheld] or by Whatsapp.
Kind regards
DO Smith"
According to the ICA Group CEO, “I think that was very odd that he’s not even the Premier and sending a message to Dolphin and to us… He was looking for a job to get him hired like an advisor or something because it doesn’t make sense, why would he reach out to us?” Mr Shaikh told VINO.
The CEO continued, “Back in December [2018] we wanted to start the operations for the Dolphin Discovery… and hire people, and he didn’t budge. We reminded him that we will hire 45 people and he didn’t do it…. and in February he is calling and telling us how can we help, he’s just a bad man!” Mr Shaikh said while expressing anger at the situation.
‘Lame Duck’ Premier
When questioned about why a ‘Lame-Duck’ Premier would be reaching out to the company, considering he would have been powerless just days before the elections, Mr Shaikh further told this news site that former Premier Smith was very clever with his words.
“He didn’t say anything openly, he is very clever… he never says anything openly, but he gives you a chance to offer him something, he’s very clever,” the ICA Group CEO reiterated.
During the investment proposal stages, Mr Shaikh told VINO, “We offered him to send a team, we sent engineers, we sent the proposals to start the operation for Dolphin Discovery and then he didn’t do anything.”
Assessing the losses to the Territory he said, “Dolphin Discovery attraction is the second highest tourist visitors on the islands, so they lost maybe close to half a million dollar cash from revenue. If they had allowed us to open the Dolphin [Discovery], they probably would be making close to half a million dollars right now, in four months,” he said.
45-50 families lost income – Mr Shaikh
The irate CEO further lashed out, “There’s a high unemployment and we were going to hire 45-50 people before the Christmas and if he [Dr Smith] had any sincerity towards the people, who are suffering in the BVI, he would accept yes.”
“To be honest with you we [are] not interested in [the] BVI, just a too corrupt country for us,” he said in noting that his company and their investors have no plans to continue with the project.
According to Mr Shaikh, “Forty-Five (45) families would have had a nice BVI Christmas, [but] he [Dr Smith] didn’t give a damn, and I’ve never seen any leader like this in my life!”
Our newsroom reached out to Dr Smith today, June 17, 2019 to provide a response on the claims but did not receive a reply up to the time of publication.
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21 Responses to “‘He didn’t give a damn!’ - Investor says Dr Smith killed Prospect Reef project”
“Mr Shaikh further told this news site that former Premier Smith was very clever with his words.”
HOW MANY OF YOU I****** ARE NOT CLEVER WITH YOUR WORDS? Go long ...
You stupid fool. Your own b**** people is killing you and you bringing down another race. Probably we deserve it because look at the minds of you people!
And, did not your parents taught you that the Bible says to call no one a fool? Keep lol!
Simply wave a few dollars and you fall to your knees: a&& wipes like you cause problems for top ranking black men: for 30 peaces of silver you will give away your birthrights: LOL, stop sell your soul to achieve vanity(u jive turkey)
Your story is just half the story. We don’t have the whole story right now so we the people can’t make an informed decision.
Hear what Mr Shaikh says about ayo BVI people? You too corrupt. When the fox
Because, the information you received was false. A wise does not respond to foolishness otherwise he would make himself a fool too.
Flipping the microscope, ICA and its principal seem only to be famous for stalled projects and ones that don’t start - presumably extending all investor monies in their efforts.
It should be absolutely possible to get a development that has lots of potential for local business and training in its construction and ongoing businesses, whatever they may be, without killing it before it starts by the old BVI style nepotism that’s meant to sound all pro-Belongers but in reality is screwing these islands and the people out of economic activity and options.