By Claudia Liburd
Nevis Reporter - SKNVibes.com
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| Arthur Gilbert. |
(Charlestown; Nevis): In the wake of his removal, former General Manager of Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN)/Radio Paradise, Arthur Gilbert, has claimed that his wife of 27 years, Ann Gilbert and 24-year old son, Andre Gilbert conspired to remove him from his management position at the Christian organization.
The indignant senior Gilbert claims that he overheard such plans on an extension line at his residence which lasted for well over an hour and he later learned that thousands of dollars worth of telephone calls were made to TBN California Vice President Terry Hickey during October and November 2006.
"In the beginning of October 2006, the scheme and the plot to accomplish the above, was overheard by me, in my own home, as I listened to my wife and my son for over an hour on an extension phone," he said.
"I do not take lightly the privilege given to me to express my thoughts and observations of the recent take-over of the management of TBN of Nevis Limited by my son, Andre Gilbert, with the assistance of his mother, Ann Gilbert and his sister Sarah Anne Gilbert Bishop."
Gilbert said that at the time of the conversation his son had abandoned his jobs at TBN and Choice F.M. and was temporarily residing in Florida. He added that prior to that, his son worked for both Choice F.M. and TBN and was on both payrolls receiving payment from each entity for the same eight hours worked each day, and was subsequently terminated from both positions.~~adz:Right~~
Gilbert also explained that he had informed TBN California of the conversation that he overheard and subsequently met with Hickey, Vice President of Engineering Ben Tustin and TBN Chief Counsel John Casoria on October 18 at the Networks Headquarters in California and a decision was made for his son to be fired from TBN of Nevis.
"Although at that time we all agreed that Andre's employment at TBN was rightly terminated, apparently my wife and two children were able to convince the two Vice Presidents and TBN Chief Counsel to come all the way from California to Nevis, at great expense to donor partners to terminate our services," said Gilbert.
He explained that from his telephone bills he learned that thousands of dollars worth in calls between his wife and son were made to TBN California Vice President Terry Hickey during October and November 2006.
He noted that he never received any 'courtesy' warning of anything being amiss with the performance of his duties as GM and Chief Engineer of the three television and one radio station in the Caribbean during his 23-year service with the network. ~~adz:Left~~
Gilbert pointed out that his wife knew he would have been in Puerto Rico from December 9- 12, 2006 and claims that she chose that period to invite three executives to commit 'outrageous criminal acts of vandalism, robbery, destruction of private property in his home, TBN office and privately owned telecommunications site at Round Hill.'
"They did this while defaming my character and good name in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis in order to irresponsibly replace my position as General Manager and Chief Engineer with my 24-year-old son," Gilbert said, "who has limited management skills, is not an engineer of any type; possessing only a fifth form level of education with no formal higher training and/or education attempted."
The businessman said that he learned of the executives' presence on Nevis from his gardener, who informed him that he saw his son and three Caucasian men go into his office at his home, search through his desks, copied documents and remove a number of papers and folders.
"I later learned that our housekeeper also witnessed the incident that transpired in my home. She commented that it was done in a very indignant, uncouth manner and she was upset with my son to have done that dastardly deed to his own father," added Gilbert.
He also said that he learned on the same morning of the incident, one of the executives went up to the TBN transmitter site with his son and another person to 'break into Trinity Towers (TTL) telecommunications building, change the locks on the doors, telephone and notify the companys clients that their keys would no longer provide them with access to their equipment 'unless they in future deal directly with TBN.'~~adz:Right~~
The former GM claimed that TTL is a company owned by him, and his son and his accomplice had 'no right in doing what they did to his clients'.
"TBN is a not-for-profit organization and must not engage in any profit-making concerns that would jeopardize their tax free non-profit status, although I have evidence of this happening in the past. Several of my clients immediately called me and vociferously complained that they had a legal binding contract with me to have full access to their equipment at all times, and that if they were to have any interruptions with their business someone would be in deep trouble," Gilbert said.
Finally, Gilbert expressed his disappointment in his family members and 'the underhanded behavior'.
Sknvibes.com will be carefully following this story to continue the uncovering of the facts.
