Island Administrator Charles Moss said an I-Group representative confirmed the company would pull out of Mayaguana if there was any attempt to renegotiate its heads of agreement, but the I-Group’s Mayaguana representative Tim Haffner sought to clarify what he said was a “passing comment”.
“While at the airport, Mr. Haffner came to me and he was talking about the government revisiting the heads of agreement, with regard to the airport,” Moss said.
“I said, Mr. Haffner I will speak with you at a later date, as soon as I hear from the Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna-Martin.
“Mr. Haffner then informed me that, well, if the government revisits the heads of agreement, his employer is going to pull out of all interests and pull the plug on Mayaguana.”
Moss claimed two police officers who accompanied him heard the conversation.
Haffner, who was contacted for comment, said he expressed to Moss he feared the company may pull out, but he hoped that did not happen.
“Now people take things out of context, and so, no, that has never been discussed,” Haffner said after Moss’ comments were read to him.
“The comment, I said, I hope they don’t, so that was strictly a passing comment at the airport. “That’s not an issue that has ever been discussed. It was a passing comment that I hope it never comes down to that.”
The mother, sister and brother-in-law of former Cabinet minister Sidney Collie were killed last Thursday morning when a plane crashed into their truck on the airport’s runway.
They were using the truck’s high beams to guide the nine-seater LeAir plane onto the runway, officials said. The plane was scheduled to pick up Collie’s ill uncle and take him to Nassau.
The lights were not functioning because of the I-Group’s ongoing work, MICAL MP V. Alfred Gray said following the incident.
Under the I-Group agreement, the developers are responsible for the refurbishment of the airport and runway.
The deal originally made by the Christie administration in 2006, was changed by the Ingraham administration last year.
On Sunday, Hanna-Martin said she was getting advice on how her ministry can finish repairs at the airport in Mayaguana without interfering with the heads of agreement.
Asked what would happen if the government revisited the deal, Haffner said, “I have no idea. That is out of my hands. That is between [I-Group President Stephen Roy] and the government. I would have no input.”
Haffner said yesterday the company is prepared to sit down and review its progress on the project, but the ministers, who visited the island after the crash, made some comments at the time, before they had “time to do their homework”.
He said the company got approvals from the government on January 30 and began work in February.
The company has continued carrying out residual work on the airport after stopping for a few days after the runway accident, according to Haffner.
“We are not doing any permanent work like paving at the moment,” Haffner said. “We are just doing work on the safety zone and shoulders, and that type of thing, works that need to be done.
“We just had [an] inspector down on Saturday and we are just waiting for a report from him to proceed. We are moving ahead as scheduled.”
He added that following a brief conversation recently with Roy, company officials are awaiting a meeting with the government.
By Royston Jones, Jr.
Guardian Staff Reporter