"When the Prime Minister visited Canada, I took him on board LP [Lomaiviti Princess] 3 and he said he would instruct the Minister [Bala] to change the law" - Subarmani "George" Goundar, of Goundar Shipping,
The Fiji Times, 16 January 2017
From Fijileaks Archive, 20 January 2016:
Fijileaks: Subarmani "George" Goundar had claimed to Fiji Times in March 2014 that he was in “Canada for more than five weeks to seal the deal on the third vessel,” which was “bought for $3 million”. Strange, the vessel was ONLY listed for abrupt sale and one day viewing in April 2015. On 9 September 2015 Goundar told Fiji media that he finally sealed the deal on Friday 4 September to buy the Chilliwack. He said the negotiations over the acquisition took about two years. The BCF spokeswoman Deborah Marshall said in a recent statement that the Queen of Chilliwack was sold to N&J Mechanical Distributors Ltd of Vancouver B.C., who subsequently sold the vessel to Goundar Shipping of Fiji in September 2015. In August 2015 Bainimarama inspected it with Goundar. Did Bainimarama travel to Canada in August on a private visit to give his seal of approval?
Or did his FFP government financially chip in?
Fijileaks:
* The Queen of Chilliwack, after a $15million upgrade, was expected to be retired in 2016 or later;
* In March 2014, a story in the Fiji Times stated that George Goundar, managing director of Goundar Shipping Ltd, a former long-serving employee of B.C. Ferries, was in “Canada for more than five weeks to seal the deal on the third vessel,” which was “bought for $3 million” ($C1.8 million); it was to sail to “Fiji from Canada” after amendments to Fiji’s maritime laws came into effect;
* However, B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall said in a recent interview that the Queen of Chilliwack wasn’t sold to Goundar Shipping until September 2015; later confirmed by Goundar; however, he didn't state that he bought it off N&J Mechanical Distributors Ltd of Vancouver B.C;
* On 14 January 2016 BCF issued a press release stating the following:
(a) BC Ferries conducted a competitive bid process related to the sale of the Queen of Chilliwack;
(b) BC Ferries posted a Request for Expressions of Interest on the company’s website in April 2015 to attract bidders;
(c) Six previously identified interested parties were also contacted to advise them that the ship was for sale;
(d) Two potential bidders attended a vessel viewing and BC Ferries received two compliant bids in May 2015;
(e) The bids were competitive with each other and BC Ferries evaluated the bids, which stipulated the company’s preference to sell the vessel for ongoing trade;
(f) The vessel was ultimately sold to N&J Mechanical Distributors Ltd of Vancouver B.C., who subsequently sold the vessel to Goundar Shipping of Fiji in September 2015;
(g) BC Ferries cannot disclose the price the company received for the Queen of Chilliwack, as three other ferries will be retired soon and offered for sale. The company needs to protect the competitive bid processes for those sales and maximize the price received for those ships.
Fijileaks: So, it is clear that Goundar did not buy it off BCF nor he had bought the Queen of Chilliwack for $3million in March 2014, as he boasted to the Fiji Times. When Bainimarama visited Canada and was inspecting the vessel, was it owned by N&J Mechanical Distributors Ltd, Vancouver B.C, who subsequently sold it to Goundar in September 2015?
* In January 2016 the FFP government amended the Ships Registration Act 2015. The Bill to amend the Ships Registration Act 2014 was passed in Parliament on November 20, 2015 (two months after BCF claims Goundar purchased the Chilliwack); amendment gave room for Goundar to purchase the 38-year Queen of Chilliwack for $3million; the old Bill had prevented ship owners from registering ships that were over 20 years old; Goundar had written to Bainimarama to change the old Bill;
* In August 2015 Bainimarama visited Canada and along with Goundar inspected the Queen of Chilliwack (a month later, in September, sold to Goundar); and now renamed Lomaiviti Princess III; see below Frank Bainimarama and wife Mary inspecting Queen of Chilliwack with Goundar
