Harlequin will no longer be held to ransom – Ames

David Ames, chair of the Harlequin Group of Companies, the owners of the Buccament Bay Resort, has stated in a press release that Harlequin will not be held to ransom, as has happened before.

In a December 15 press release, issued one day after the St Vincent Electricity Services (VINLEC) turned off the electricity at the Buccament Bay Resort, Ames said that suppliers of the resort have already stated their clear intentions by making “{{more}}unrealistic demands and disconnecting services.”

Harlequin has “therefore decided on a managed temporary closure to take place at Buccament Bay Resort with immediate effect, with a skeleton staff maintained to secure the premises,” said Ames, in the release issued from the United Kingdom (UK).

The businessman, for whom authorities here issued a bench warrant back in June, when he failed to appear in court to answer charges of theft and tax evasion, said in his release that following a bitter dispute with former accountants Wilkins Kennedy in the UK High Court, on Monday, December 12, Harlequin was awarded around US$15 million in damages, interests and costs.

“Unfortunately, this has come at a price. A number of sacrifices were made to enable Harlequin to pursue its strong claim, which was vigorously contested by Wilkins Kennedy, who spent around £5 million trying to convince the judge otherwise,” said Ames.

Ames said that the money won in the lawsuit would not be provided until the end of January and once there is clarity over what monies it will recover from its successful claim against Wilkins Kennedy, Harlequin hopes to refurbish the resort and re-open under new management in spring 2017.

“Due to a succession of extreme weather events and a general disruption in services in recent weeks, occupancy is low at present, and all guests are being relocated and compensated at the expense of the Resort.

“We sincerely regret the circumstances and feel deeply for our guests and staff who have been affected, particularly during the festive season. We hope that many will return to the Resort in the future,” the release ended.

But while Ames stated that the 37 guests who had to leave the hotel are being relocated and compensated, a visit to the resort by SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday proved that was not the case.

UK natives Ron and Carol Banks told SEARCHLIGHT, “We don’t know where we are going, we don’t know when we are going and we have been left clueless, really…we just don’t know where we are going to end up tonight…we were not given a refund and nothing said about a refund.”

Marton Browne and Cherry Vogt-Ward are two other guests who were asked to leave the resort, after paying US$2,000.

Browne commented, “He (Ames) just ripped off a group of nice people and left a bad taste in their mouth and it looks bad on St Vincent and the Grenadines when the country had nothing to do with it.”

All of the guests interviewed said that they had not received a refund, they did not know where they were going to stay and they would pursue legal action to get their money back.