Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Jul 27, 2025

'No one truly knows how many persons work at Prospect Reef' - Premier Fahie

Following calls to pay the current staff of the hurricane-damaged Prospect Reef facility left abandoned by the former Dr D. Orlando Smith led National Democratic Party (NDP), Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie has revealed that the current staff complement of the facility is unknown.

Prospect Reef Mystery

"No one truly knows how many persons work at Prospect Reef," the Premier said in relation to questions by Opposition Leander and Member for the Eighth District, Hon Marlon A. Penn. Hon Penn had inquired about the total number of persons deemed to be working for the facility.

During the deliberations of the 2020 Standing Finance committee, it was revealed that current salaries were being held up by the Office of Attorney General (AG), Hon Baba F. Aziz, who has to issue instruments so that a new Prospect Reef Management Board can be put into place to be able to fulfil all outstanding obligations.

It was in July 2017, that former Premier, Dr D. Orlando Smith, at a press conference, announced an agreement to re-developed Prospect Reef Resort. The government had purchased the facility in the first National Democratic Party (NDP) administration between 2003 and 2007.

Dr Smith told the public in March 2016-when the ICA arrangement was mentioned-that ICA (BVI) Group Corp, was awarded the opportunity to complete the development of Prospect Reef Hotel. In December 2016, Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with that group.


COI Launched by Premier's Office

However, Chairman and CEO of the ICA Group, Mr Ali Nawaz Shaikh of the Middle East, in June 2019 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 what can be described as a beyond lacklustre manner, which, according to the ICA Group top brass, showed they cared little for the people and the territory.

Following long bureaucratic ‘tie up’ which spanned the majority life of the project, on February 24, 2019, just hours before the February 25, 2019, General Elections in the VI, Dr Smith Reached out again to investors to find out why the project, including Dolphin Discovery, was stalled.

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.

Based on deliberations of the 2020 SFC report, a Commission of Inquiry has now been launched into the Project, "Leader of the Opposition and Member for the Eighth District noted the PO’s [Premier's Office] decision to put CIO in place and commended the Ministry for making such a decision stating that it is a good move," the report said.


Symbol of NDP Failure?

“To be honest with you we [are] not interested in [the] BVI, just a too corrupt country for us,” Mr Shaikh said in July 2019, in relation to his past experience with doing business with the Dr Smith led NDP administration.

The ICA Group CEO continued, “Back in December we wanted to start the operations… 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 [Dr Smith] is calling and telling us how can we help, he’s just a bad man!” Mr Shaikh had told VINO while expressing anger at the situation.

Hon Penn in agreeing to a COI into the facility said, "there needs to be someone who can focus on bringing together issues such as business development and technology infrastructure and noted that it is something that he would support going forward," the SFC report detailed.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×