Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Mar 14, 2026

Tender Process Waived!  Skelton-Cline Gets $144K Contract Extension

Tender Process Waived! Skelton-Cline Gets $144K Contract Extension

Pastor Claude Skelton-Cline will continue to render his services to the new Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Government after his company received a one-year contract extension in the amount of $144,000.
Cabinet at its meeting on November 22, decided on a new contract between Grace Consulting and the Government of the Virgin Islands for 12 months with effect from September 18, 2019 to August 17, 2020.

Cabinet also approved the request for waiver of the tender process in favour of Grace Consulting, that is deemed to be a suitable company having successfully executed deliverables in a just concluded contract and provided evidence of the same; and

Cabinet also approved payment at the rate of $12,000 per month in accordance with the draft contract, and to be payable periodically upon presentation of invoices, and accompanied with status reports of the deliverables under the consultancy.

Shortly after the VIP-administration came to power following the February, 2019 elections, Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon. Andrew Fahie found himself fending off questions about hiring Skelton-Cline, a former National Democratic Party (NDP) candidate.

At the time Skelton-Cline's company was provided wit a $98,000, six-month consultancy contract. Skelton-Cline is a former Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority (BVIPA). In his defense, Hon. Fahie publicly stated that if Skelton-Cline fails to deliver, he will be fired.

Initially, Skelton-Cline was hired to chair the Cruise Tourism Committee, leading negotiations for new cruise line berthing agreements, leading negotiations and facilitating a seaplane tour excursion initiative, and overseeing a number of other government programmes and strategies.

When the contract was announced, many persons responded negatively, as they saw it as Skelton-Cline’s reward for his lead role in the Virgin Islands Party’s 2019 election campaign, while others pointed to his history with another significantly large contract that he was granted by Hon. Fahie in the past while serving as the Minister of Education.

Back in 2008, Skelton-Cline was the coordinator of the controversial ‘Virgin Islands Neighbourhood Partnership Project’, through an affiliate company, ‘Claude Ottley Consulting Ltd’.

Information is that over $570,000 was paid to Skelton-Cline’s company, while questions were raised in relation to how much of the stipulated works under the contract were actually
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Calls on France and UK to Help Safeguard Strait of Hormuz Shipping Route
Boris Johnson Labels Bitcoin a ‘Ponzi Scheme’, Sparking Debate in Crypto World
UK Considers Targeted Aid for Vulnerable Households as Energy Costs Rise
Stellantis Urges Immediate Review of UK Electric Vehicle Sales Targets
Home Office Reverses Course to Allow Some Dual Nationals to Enter UK Using EU Passports
Reform UK Proposes Replacing Top Civil Servants With Officials Aligned to Government Agenda
Netflix Adds Critically Acclaimed ‘Best Film of 2025’ With Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score
‘The Sums Don’t Add Up’: UK Farmers Hit by Soaring Costs as Iran War Disrupts Global Supplies
Confidential UK Biobank Health Records Found Online After Researchers Accidentally Expose Data
Trump Urges Britain and Allies to Deploy Warships to Safeguard Strait of Hormuz
Trump Urges Britain and Allies to Deploy Warships to Safeguard Strait of Hormuz
Middle East War Highlights Strategic Importance of Strong UK–Ireland Cooperation
Weak Growth Signals UK Economy Was Faltering Even Before Middle East Energy Shock
Marks & Spencer Tops UK Fashion Retail Rankings as Most Considered Brand
United States Launches Trade Investigation Into Allies Over Forced Labour Practices
United States Launches Trade Investigation Into Allies Over Forced Labour Practices
Russia Accuses Britain Over Storm Shadow Strike as London Reaffirms Ukraine’s Right to Self-Defence
Russia Accuses Britain Over Storm Shadow Strike as London Reaffirms Ukraine’s Right to Self-Defence
Royal Navy to Acquire Twenty Uncrewed Surface Vessels for Autonomous Warfare Testing
Russia Summons British and French Envoys After Ukrainian Storm Shadow Strike on Strategic Facility
Starmer Confirms Britain Will Maintain Sanctions on Russia Despite U.S. Policy Shift
UK Moves to Refine AI Definition in Investment Security Reform
UK Economy Stalls in January as Growth Unexpectedly Falls to Zero
Asian Energy Security Tested as Strait of Hormuz Disruption Threatens Oil Supplies
Iran Sets Three Conditions for Ending Regional War as Diplomatic Efforts Intensify
Tesla Secures Approval to Supply Electricity Directly to Homes Across Britain
Prince William Delivers Tribute to Australia’s Naval Alliance Amid Renewed Royal Spotlight on the Country
UK Foreign Secretary Travels to Saudi Arabia to Reinforce Support for Regional Allies
Putin’s ‘Hidden Hand’ May Be Assisting Iran in Conflict With Trump, UK Defence Secretary Warns
UK Sets April Deadline for Tech Platforms to Strengthen Online Protections for Children
Elon Musk Moves Into Britain’s Energy Market as Tesla Wins Licence to Supply Power
UK Watchdog Warns Fuel Retailers Against Profiteering Amid Iran War Price Surge
Report Claims Iran Used UK Charity Network to Expand Influence
United States and United Kingdom Establish Joint Standards for Counter-Drone Technology
Iran May Be Laying Naval Mines in Strait of Hormuz, UK Warns Amid Escalating Gulf Tensions
US Deploys Bunker-Buster Bombs to UK Airbase as Iran Conflict Intensifies
British Troops in Iraq Intercept Iranian Drones Targeting Coalition Base
Release of Mandelson Files Raises Tensions as UK Seeks Stable Relations With Donald Trump
UK Documents Reveal Starmer Was Warned About Mandelson’s Epstein Links Before Ambassador Appointment
Nearly Five Hundred UK Mortgage Deals Withdrawn in Two Days as Market Volatility Forces Lenders to Reprice
Three Cargo Ships Hit Near Iran as Attacks Spread to Strategic Strait of Hormuz
Why British Police Repeatedly Declined to Investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s UK Links
UK Parliament Ends Hereditary Seats in House of Lords, Closing Chapter on Centuries of Aristocratic Lawmaking
EU and UK Urge Israel to Act Against Rising West Bank Settler Violence Amid Regional Tensions
US Senator John Kennedy Says Keir Starmer Should Not Be Trusted for Military Advice Amid Iran War Debate
UK High Court Rejects Attempt to Revive Terrorism Charge Against Kneecap Rapper
Revolut Secures Full UK Banking Licence After Multi-Year Regulatory Wait
Kentucky’s Bench Boost Powers Wildcats Past LSU in SEC Tournament Opener
British Couple Die After Being Pulled From Water at Australian Beach During Family Visit
British Airways Suspends UK Repatriation Flights as Middle East Travel Disruption Deepens
×