CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – SPEAKING on his weekly talk show programme, ‘On the Mark’, an audible irate Mark Brantley has called for an end to the scandal in which his name and also his wife’s were mentioned on a radio programme in St. Kitts.
Brantley, who is the Deputy Premier of Nevis and also one of the Deputy Leaders of Team Unity, told listeners to his programme last Wednesday (Jan. 28) that he had received telephone calls about a recording being played by one Edinborough.
“They have embarked now on the gutter politics, and I was quite surprised to get a call from a few people who said to me: ‘Am I aware of some recording where some buffoon that they call Edinborough from St. Kitts.’ Someone said to me it makes no sense to sue him, he is not even a man of straw; he is a man of air.
“And so he, apparently, has got somebody purporting to be a Dr. Christenbury calling him and speaking to him clearly very scripted, clearly very ranged, and I am being told paid for by the Labour Party…Big Labour and Little Labour.”
Brantley claimed that anything is expected in politics but voiced his annoyance over the inclusion of his wife.
“The thing that bothers me most is that I am a politician, I chose to become a politician, and when one chooses a particular path one must be prepared for the consequences of that choice, including the criticisms, harsh as they are sometimes. That is the nature of cut and trust of politics!
“But they have not just sought to attack me, no, they have now gone after my wife. In this clip it is really unfortunate that they have sought to go down that particular road. Gone after someone who has absolutely nothing to do with this situation! And the reality is that if you want to come at me – my name is Mark Anthony Graham Brantley a.k.a. the Sheriff. If you want to come at me, you know where I am. You have my record, you have my life. I was born down Hanley’s Road, grew up in Brown Hill and whatever I have done and achieved I have sought to do it here on Nevis.”
He said that anyone could judge him but they should not involve innocent people affiliated with him, especially those individuals who are bent on making useless points and are of dubious character.
“You can judge me! Whatever blemishes there are, there are, but that has been my life, an open book. To now involve people who are innocent in seeking to make some futile point…and to look at the character of people who seeking to tarnish decent people – men of air, because you say they are of straw, would be to elevate them to heights favour to unknown.”
The Deputy Premier said he was told that a tape in the public’s domain is suggesting that he was involved in a fraud against a man, and that the man is asking for his money.
“One would have thought by listening to this tape that I knew this man. One might have thought the man knew me. One might have thought that this man and I have had some business deals or some discussion, or some conversation or some contact. I am here to tell you tonight I have no idea who this creature is. I do not even know if who identify themselves on the tape is really that person. But, they have claimed by name that they are a Jonathan Christenbury.
“I have never met Jonathan Christenbury. I have never spoken to Jonathan Christenbury. So far as I know, I have never had any contact with a Jonathan Christenbury. But yet a Jonathan Christenbury is purporting to say on the tape that I must give him back some $2.5M that he claims he invested.”
While admitting that he was a director in the insurance company that is embroiled in the issue, Brantley claimed not to have been involved in its affairs and had contacted its management, which has since issued a press release clearing his wife’s name as well as his.
Brantley also stated that he was a director in the company as is a common practice in the legal profession, but he did not ensure that they rescind his appointment.
“I sent a note and I said, ‘Listen, I want to know what this is all about.’ And I don’t believe it is any secret, because I dealt with it publicly, that some point in the past I was a Director of a company called Fidelity Insurance Company Limited. And at that company I resigned as a Director since 2006. I have said that I had no involvement with the affairs of the company. I was a Director because I was a lawyer involved and I did that at the outset, which is quite common. And I had not resigned immediately because that had been an oversight. I took no part in the business of the company. I got no fees from the company, I haven’t collected a penny nor I have ever been involved, never attended a Board meeting…never been involved in the affairs of the company.”
He noted that the issue was settled and referred to former Deputy Premier Hensley Daniel’s allegation on the matter which resulted in court action.
‘That is settled! Indeed, one Hensley Daniel of null and void fame is now before the Court for allegations that he sought to make about me. I am not afraid to take them to the Court, but sometimes you leave things and allow things to fester. Because, what have they done? They put these things, apparently, in some form that they sending it to some people’s phones and sending it all over the Internet and seeking to tarnish me. I have said fair game perhaps, but please leave my wife out of it; because when you start to go down that road that is where I really get upset.”
The following is a press release issued by the company and signed by Hilda H. Carter, the Legal Assistant to Keithley F. T. Lake & Kenneth G. Porter:
It has come to our attention that someone purporting to be Dr. Jonathan Christenbury, of North Carolina, USA recently gave an “interview” in a programme called ”Freedom Talk” which is being circulated via the internet claiming that First Fidelity Trust Limited and Fidelity Insurance Company Limited defrauded him out of US$2.5 million. We have since had the opportunity to listen to the purported interview and wish to respond to these scurrilous and baseless allegations.
Fidelity Insurance Company was never a Nevis Company and throughout its existence it never did any business in Nevis. Fidelity Insurance Company during its existence was a Vincentian Company which later redomiciled to Anguilla and was licensed to do insurance business in Anguilla. Thus, Dr. Christenbury’s statement that the Company did unlicensed insurance business in Nevis is patently false.
With respect to the actions of the Honourable Mark Brantley, Dr. Christenbury’s purported accusations are blatantly inaccurate, misleading and malicious. Mr. Brantley acted as one of the initial Directors of Fidelity Insurance Company. As Counsel, he assisted in its formation and once the Company began its operations, we neglected to remove his name as a director as is the customary practice. Mr. Brantley never met Dr. Christenbury nor had any dealings with him whatsoever. Mr. Brantley was never paid by Fidelity Insurance Company nor did he ever participate in the business affairs of the Company in any way. We removed his name as a director formally in early 2006. We now apologize to the Honourable Mr. Brantley for the oversight in not removing his name as a director immediately after the start-up of the Company and sincerely regret any inconvenience caused.
Similarly, the insidious reference to Mrs. Brantley in the purported interview is inaccurate and misplaced. Mrs. Brantley had worked as Manager for First Fidelity Trust in Nevis, but never had any direct responsibility for Fidelity Insurance Company. Mrs. Brantley was never a Director of our companies and worked only as an employee. Further, Mrs. Brantley ceased working for First Fidelity Trust nearly a decade ago and has had no further involvement with either of these companies.
It is helpful and important to understand that Dr. Cristenbury is no innocent or uninformed investor. He approached Fidelity Insurance Company in 2003 through his own attorneys and tax advisors. Based on their recommendation he invested approximately US$2.5 million in two (2) insurance policies with Fidelity Insurance Company. The investments in these policies were controlled and managed by his advisors. Subsequently, he requested permission to terminate his polices and was told consistent with documents signed by him that (1) he was subject to early termination fees; and (2) he had to execute a Release. He refused. He then in March 2009 sued the Company and Keithley F. T. Lake in the High Court in Nevis which ruled against him. He then appealed to the Court of Appeal which also ruled against him and ordered him to pay costs. Of note is that Dr. Christenbury in his Court proceedings in 2009 never mentioned or made any allegations whatsoever against Honorable Brantley or Mrs. Brantley. Dr. Christenbury had his recourse to the Court and lost. He has taken no further steps in the Nevis Courts since July 2011.
Since that time Dr. Christenbury has engaged in the dissemination of untrue and defamatory remarks concerning this matter. However, like most scandal mongers, he is not without sin. We are aware of a report on WBTV 3 News in Charlotte, North Carolina on Dr. Christenbury who was the subject of a sexual harassment lawsuit. That same report noted that Dr. Christenbury was also associated with the Sallie Saxton prostitution ring criminal investigation. He was also sanctioned by the North Carolina Medical Association for having inappropriate sexual contact with a patient.
We trust that this information will put this purported report into the proper perspective and the effort to tarnish the reputations of our companies and respectable professionals will now cease.
Dated 26th January, 2015
First Fidelity Trust Limited
Fidelity Insurance Company Limited
Hilda H. Carter
Legal Assistant to Keithley F. T. Lake & Kenneth G. Porter
Brantley said that normally he would not pay attention to such baseless attacks, but he had seen what “a monstrous lie by the NRP about the late great Malcolm Guishard and 80 acres did to Malcolm, the distress it caused to him and his family. And I am not going to stand by and allow these people to tarnish my reputation and to attack me”.
The Concerned Citizen Movement’s Deputy Leader declared that if he had done something wrong then he would have been prepared to come forward and say he is only human and do err from time to time.
“But not this!” he said. “And it must, ladies and gentlemen, be of some concern to you when this man claims that he sent money to a company in 2002. This is now 2015, on the eve of an election, and he suddenly shows up after 13 longs years to call my name. And with his gross insolence, aided and abetted by this buffoon in St. Kitts, is going to call the name of the fair lady, Sharon Brantley. I want this to end now! And if you want to examine me, examine me on my record; not something trumped up, designed, manufactured, paid for by Little Labour and Big Labour.