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BENDING SEAWORTHY LAW: "There was a law that we cannot bring a ship that was more than 20 years old. I approached the [FFP] Minister of Transport Parveen Bala and he said go ahead with the vessel"- Goundar

18/1/2017

7 Comments

 

"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

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From Fijileaks Archive, 20 January 2016:

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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

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Fijileaks: Last year we contacted Subarmani "George" Goundar for comments but he sent a terse reply: "Mind your own business"

“We are growing. In three years, we have made three major investments and our plan is to invest $10 million in Fiji. My wife is financing all my investments in Fiji from Canada” -
George Goundar, 30 September 2014, The Fiji Sun

7 Comments
IT HAPPENS ONLY IN FIJI
19/1/2017 01:55:54 am

Another good example of democracy in Fiji - a law is changed 2 months AFTER the VERY EVENT the amendment was done to cater for - allowing a 20 year vessel to operate in Fiji.

One of the core constitutional duties of any attorney general is to ensure that these kind's of charade is not perpetuated by the government which controls the parliament. One would have thought that ASK would have taken such stance. But alas he chose not to; neither the so called "opposition" raised an issue of such public
importance.

IT HAPPENS ONLY IN FIJI!!!





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kaiviti
19/1/2017 09:07:03 am

bunch of crooks leaching on tax payers funds.

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maropito
19/1/2017 07:38:53 pm

You must bend the rules for those who donate to the party. So one anna helps another anna whats the problem. This how the Government of Fiji works, those who donate will be treated well.

Reply
Mick Beddoes
19/1/2017 08:48:14 pm

Yet another perfect illustration of the open favoritism practiced by the Fiji First leaders. The ease with which they amend laws, not in the best interests of the people, but to favor their associates and supporters and give them an advantage over others.

This is the equal and common citizenry they promote.

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Same crap different decade.
19/1/2017 09:44:12 pm

This is Ahmed Ali and Ratu Mara all over again.
On another note Barrack Obama asked journalists not to be sycophants and ask the government tough questions.
Perhaps he was talking to Nemani and jyoti of Fiji Sun.

Reply
Lewis link
19/1/2017 10:05:32 pm

What also annoys is the guilt all these parties hide behind their ear to ear smile especially Bainimarama. It's sad....

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yes only in Fiji
20/1/2017 06:33:33 am

True this would only happen in Fiji. Even true rogue states will not behave in such an unashamedly manner. True the AG has lots of constitutional duties but this chor AG and minister for everything can do anything illegal with impunity just because his chor party has the numbers and secondly, his appointed judges will never ever entertain any form of judicial or constitutional challenge to such corrupt conduct.

A plain reading of the amendment shows that ASK is giving himself a discretionary power to to allow goundar run a dud ship. But even such discretionary power is not unfettered. ASK may only approve "following consultation with the registrar...."

The Qs then are - did he in fact consult with the registrar? NO

If so, will he make public the details of that consultation? NO

Will the registrar have the balls to express his own independent, objective opinion? NO


Yet he claims to be fiji's AG but does not give a hoot to the fact that he has simply bastardised such an august office......No wonder he has never practiced real law in any country. This guy simply doesn't know or give a damn to the Rule of Law, on of the hallmarks of which is

"No one is above the law and no one below it, when we ask you to obey the law, we are not asking you any favours. Obedience to the law is demanded as of right, not as a favour"

Its time ASK throws the law degrees that he's got from various universities in the garbage bin and go back to some overseas universities to do a simple LLB degree. He will surely fail abysmally.

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