BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – DIRECTOR of Franchise Operations, Caribbean Cable Communications (CCC) Nevis Ltd., Damien Hughes reported that Nevis Communications Minister Hon. Robelto Hector led a squad of police officers yesterday (Dec. 8) to the offices occupied by his employees and demanded their keys and cars and to vacate the building.
“This morning, Tuesday, December 8, 2009, a delegation led personally by Minister Robelto Hector, Nevis Minister of Communications, along with several high-ranking police officers, came to CCC’s offices in a very high-handed manner and demanded the staff turn over their keys and cars and leave the building. Minister Hector also informed CCC that government had, through legislation, taken over CCC Nevis Ltd. This was done even though not a penny of compensation has been paid,” Hughes said in a release to the media.
Hughes, who noted that he was present during Hector’s visit to the offices, said he informed the Minister that the company was preparing an application before the court and that the Nevis Island Administration’s (NIA) actions should be deferred until the court had an opportunity to hear the matter.
“Minister Hector flatly refused and ordered the police to escort all CCC employees out of the building,” Hughes said.
Hughes further stated that he informed Minister Hector that the employees were leaving under protest and that, in fact, his action and those of the police had warranted CCC to consider enjoining them in their personal capacities for their actions.
CCC has closed its operations on Nevis and Hughes said the company regrets but must state very clearly that “CCC will not be responsible at this time for the quality of customers’ cable, internet and telephone service. Neither are we responsible for any damages caused to property leased by CCC prior to government’s wanton disregard for CCC’s rights exhibited by the actions of Minister Hector”.
He claimed that, to date, the NIA has not approached the owners of CCC to discuss compensation, despite the legislation’s call for prompt payment of the company’s assets at fair market value.
“The Nevis Island Administration has taken CCC’s property without any payment,” he contended. “Under the NIA’s purported legislation, payment is to be assessed under a plan grossly unfair to CCC and in violation of the Franchise Agreement and International Standards.”
Hughes stressed that there is nothing more frightening to foreign investors when a government could summarily take their property without proper notice or compensation.
“These actions of the Nevis Island Administration,” he added, “have far-reaching geo-political and legal implications which we at CCC have every intention to highlighting over the course of time.”
Hughes pointed out that the Nevis Island Assembly passed the Nevis Communications Bill 2009 on Monday (Dec. 7) which cleared the way for the acquisition of the cable communications system operated by CCC. He however noted that the Bill had its first, second and third reading in a single sitting, but no notice of its existence was given to CCC or the Opposition, whose members were only aware of it at the start of the sitting.
“Apparently, this was in response to CCC’s removal of NIA from Channel Eight access. The public needs to know that CCC repeatedly invited NIA to sign a Channel Release Agreement. By their lack of response they refused to do so, apparently maintaining they had a right to free use of that Channel at no cost under terms that they would dictate,” Hughes said.
He also declared that the media would be provided with updated information as other matters unfold.
In his presentation at the reading of the Bill, Minister Hector contended that it ought not to have come as a surprise since in the agreement between CCC and the NIA, dated May 12, 2003, provisions had been made for nationalisation under Section 12.
“I am reading from the Agreement…In the event of the nationalisation of Cable by the Administration, Cable or its shareholders shall be paid at full market value for the cable television system by the Administration in a prompt manner. The full market value is to be assessed by an independent assessor in accordance with international accepted standards and procedure. The Agreement is clear and as I said this Bill ought not to come by surprise.”
According to a release from the NIA Public Relations Unit, Hector said the NIA’s actions were in the best interest of the people of Nevis as it was duty bound to do. He said after 26 years he believes that any corporate body that had benefitted from high levels of concession would have benefitted tremendously and it was time for Nevisians to partake in that industry.
“The Bill, in my mind, is one of empowerment. The Bill, in my mind, is one that gives Nevisians an opportunity to have a stake and an economic future in cable,” he said.
