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ONE HUNDRED QUESTIONS must be answered as Aiyaz Khaiyum finally revokes One Hundred Sands Ltd's casino license - what about Aunty Bano and her accountancy firm who represented the company in Fiji?

17/2/2015

12 Comments

 

Fijileaks Editor: As far back as March 2012, Victor Lal had raised serious questions about One Hundred Sands Ltd but the then illegal regime, led by Bainimarama & Khaiyum, continued to roll out all sorts of concessions to Larry Claunch, including giving OHSL exclusive 15-year-licence to build Fiji's first casino; Fijileaks will reveal why the licence has been revoked and the regime's new local cronies who will takeover - we are back to square one, except with the new set of players to roll the dice

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Casino (Operator) Decree
This confers an exclusive licence on One Hundred Sands Limited to operate a casino, and gives it a 15 –year tax holiday. The scheme confers functions on a ‘Fijian [sic] Gaming Commission and Control Board’ which does not exist at present.

Comment: The drafting is very defective, almost to the point of incomprehensibility, and the policy might be open to question, but no human rights issue appears to arise on the substance of the Decree. There is however an ouster clause at section14 which should be repealed. - The Yash Ghai Commission
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CASINO LICENCE REVOKED - A-G CLARIFIES

Fiji's Attorney General and Minister for Justice Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum maintains that the casino gaming licence issued to One Hundred Sands Limited (OHSL) for the construction of what would have been the country's first casino has indeed been revoked. The licence was revoked last week.


In a letter dated February 9, 2015 which was faxed to OHSL chairman Larry Claunch and acquired by FijiLive, Sayed-Khaiyum said the decision to revoke the licence stemmed from their failure to comply with the conditions set out in the licence. This included delay in the construction of the casino despite numerous extensions by the Fijian Government, the developers' having not secured the land site for the casino and their failure to pay fines for the months of March 2014 till January 2015, totalling $US1.1million.

"Therefore it is clear that OHSL has failed to comply with the special conditions of the licence in particular, Clause19.1 and Clause 19.1(i) which is a breach of Section 5 of the Casino (Operator) Decree 2012," the letter said. "Given OHSL's breach and in exercise of my powers, under section 39(1) of the Decree, the 15 March 2012 Gaming Licence granted to OHSL is hereby revoked. "Please take notice that OHSL is to, with immediate effect, cease to hold itself as the holder of any Gaming Licence under the Decree. OHSL is also liable to pay the outstanding pecuniary payments."

OHSL was issued the licence on 15 March 2012 to complete and have ready by 1 October 2013 the Casino Project which comprised of a 100-hotel room, a 1500-state-of-the-art convention centre and a casino on Denarau Island.

On 3 June 2013, the Government upon a request for extension from OHSL agreed to the commencement of construction of the casino project by midnight 9 June 2013 and the completion within 15-20 months.

On 2 July 2013, the Government upon further request from OHSL consented to amending the licence by allowing for the casino and convention centre to be operational within 15 months from 13 June 2013, ensure the 100 to 278 hotel rooms be operational within 12 months of completion of the casino and convention centre and that the new site for the project be located just before the bridge to Denarau Islands. All other terms and conditions including the penalty provision of $US100,000 per month payable from 1 October 2013 remained unchanged.

On 2 October 2013, Government issued a notice to OHSL for the payment of penalty and OHSL to show cause as to why Govt should not cancel the licence.

On 8 October 2013 and 25 November 2013, OHSL paid in the penalties for the months of October and December respectively. OHSL also responded to Government's letter (dated 2 October 2013) outlining that construction was to begin in 2013 and that the casino and convention centre were to be completed within 15 months. The developers followed up with payments of the December 2013 and January 2014 penalties on 17 January 2014 and 21 January 2014 respectively.

On 31 December, OHSL again requested for an extension, this time for the construction to begin on 15 January 2014 at the latest and to be completed within 15 months. Govt agreed to the request.

On 20 March 2014, upon OHSL's request the Govt agreed to defer payment of the fines for the months of March and April 2014 to the beginning of May 2015.

On 25 March 2014, OHSL paid $US50,000 with the balance of $US50,000 paid on 1 April 2014 for the month of February 2014.

On 27 June 2014, Govt notified OHSL to settle outstanding penalty for the months of March onwards to be paid by 30 June 2014. It followed up with another notice on 16 December 2014 and to show cause as to why Govt should not cancel the licence.

On 27 January 2015, Govt issued yet another notice to OHSL for the outstanding penalty payment. In a teleconference on 5 February 2015 between Govt and OHSL, the latter was to provide a status update on the casino project including financing details, and to settle fines of $US1.1million for the months of March 2014 to January 2015, by 4pm Friday, 6 February 2015. However, the payment was not paid, prompting the revocation of the licence. Source: FijiLive Read more at: http://fijilive.com/news/2015/02/casino-licence-revoked-a-g-clarifies/60660.Fijilive
Copyright 2015 © Fijilive.com

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12 Comments
Yep
17/2/2015 02:19:27 am

Yep this fala Khaiyum has one hundred and one questions to answer. The political scoundrel has been taking the people of Fiji for a ride for a long time.
It is time for the people to say enough is enough and demand his resignation.

Reply
Commission of Inquiry
17/2/2015 03:57:04 am

Time & time again we continue to read about BDO consultancy embroiled in controversial government policy matters and it about time the public demand a commission of inquiry by government into this failed ventures, in addition this should include restructure and sale of government assets:

1.The One Hundred Sands Casino saga.

2.The sale of Ports Fiji headquarters in Flagstaff to Sun Insurance.

3.Sale of Rewa Dairy to CJ Patel Group.

4.The change in margin on retail price of fuel after acquisition of retail outlets by Tapoo Group.

5.The tender processes involved in procurement of services for Natadola Project subsequent to termination of APRIL.

Taxpayers of Fiji needs answers to the above and government elected by the people need honesty and transparency in dealing with the above matter.

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Sa Sivia na Butako
17/2/2015 12:10:59 pm

Good list.

These are the sort of things that should occupy attention of Kepa and Naiqama, not welfare of George Speight.

Sodelpa is useless as Opposition.

Wanna-Know-More
17/2/2015 03:44:42 am

A subject I have little knowledge of but an immense interest in.

One Hundred Sands Ltd -funny name- Sure it's not One Hundred Cents Ltd -reminds me of rapper 50Cents.

Please keep us enlightened Fijileaks, especially the role of aunty Bano being the Regime pay-mistress, (paying nephew Aiyaz for multiple Ministrial port-folios) at about the same time as being the representative of 100Cents Ltd - which is I am sure, a dollar, self- company, having nominal directors and co. secretary -Scam 101.

Wanna-Know-More!

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Sociologist
17/2/2015 06:40:36 am

Where can we find to read, for our research, a 'Social Impact Report' on the nasty-side effects Casinos are likely to have on the Fiji Society and the strategies in place to counter it ??

There is non at the USP, FNU and the FijiUni Libraries. How Come?

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CHORS
17/2/2015 06:48:08 am

Casinos would be useful for PM Chororama and AG Kaiyum to convert all their black money (Bribes) to real money. We will hear lots of stories of them winning Millions at the Casinos.

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And
17/2/2015 12:15:02 pm

And one thing is certain now : this mediocre lawyer cum scum ruler of Fiji is a thoroughly shameless scoundrel. He is prepared to do anything for his self-aggrandisement . He is a man with no integrity, no moral compass. And, that is the type of people he has gathered to prop him in power.
People of Fiji it's time to get rid of the bastard!

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Rajend Naidu
17/2/2015 01:03:36 pm

According to Savenaca Vakaliwalawa an " air of freshness " has engulfed the "new" and " better" Fiji that the 8 year dictatorship of Frank Bainimarama and Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum and their subsequent Fiji First party have built ( Fiji Times 17/02 ).
Savenaca's nose has not apparently detected any of the corruption and wheeling and dealing

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Rajend Naidu
17/2/2015 02:04:15 pm

The corruption and the wheeling and dealing exposed by Fijileaks and other Fiji blog sites is not just hot air, is it Savenaca Vakaliwalawa ?
But as a candidate for the Fiji First Party your one-sided view is not surprising. You still seem to be in the election campaigning/ propaganda mode - which includes turning a blind eye to all the wrongs under the Bainimarama-Khaiyum rule by decree and without proper democratic accountability.

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So
17/2/2015 02:10:27 pm

So the Fijileaks revelations on this deal and others involving the same set of players is a confirmation that conman and woman have been running the country since the takeover in 2006.

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List Also
17/2/2015 05:54:00 pm

Commission of Inquiry to include also :

1.Sale process of shares FNPF held in Penina Holdings, Year of Invest, amount, sold price and profit after interest

2.Whether FNPF policies were adhered to in sale process.

3.Purchase price of Navua Farm by FNU from Tebara Holdings, investments made and returns
Were other farms looked at and tender process?

4.Acquisition of New Fiji Airways, tender process, due diligence and returns on investments?

5.Tender of road contracts for ongoing maintenance works,were local contractors invited to bid and tender process!?

6.Street light maintenance contracts. by municipalities, why was it outsourced to NZ company, savings? and was tender process undertaken?

Reply
mvb
18/2/2015 07:32:52 pm

It was so unfortunate that AG and his team could not screan One Hundred Sand properly before they were given the licence when they (AG and Aliz Pacific) know very well that the company already had a fail hotel project in the northern division in the 90's.

Reply

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