Freedom Fm has received information that the Nevis Island Administration and Deputy Premier Mark Brantleyare being sued for US$750 000 by Caribbean Tempo Networks owned by Nevisian Frederick Morton for the non-payment of a contractual agreement between Tempo and the NIA government of Nevis.
This information was made public by the Deputy Premier of Nevis, the Hon. Mark Brantley, during his weekly talk show programme – ‘On The Mark’ – on Von Radio in Nevis.
“You might have heard that the Nevis Island Administration, this Administration that entered Office 22 months ago, have now been sued in the great state of New Jersey in the United States of America. And we have been sued by Tempo. That company has sued the Nevis Island Administration…claiming some 750 000 US dollars.”
If Tempo gonna sue us it means that Tempo is saying that the taxpayers of Nevis owe Tempo or to pay Tempo some US$750 000. That works out to a cool EC$2M”.
The Deputy Premier, who is also the Deputy Leader of the ruling Concerned Citizens Movement, said that an agreement was signed between Tempo and former minister Hensley Daniel, on behalf of the NIA, for that network to host a number of concerts in Nevis. Brantley indicated on his FB page and via his radio show “On the Mark’, heard on Von Radio each Wednesday night, that Tempo received payment for one show in 2008 but that no other shows were held in succeeding years .
“We had one in 2008 and we were paid, but there was none in 2009, none in 2010, no one in 2011 and none in 2012. Since the contract was for five concerts, we held one and we were paid, we did not hold the other four and were not paid. We are demanding the US$300 000 representing US$75 000 per concert. Henceforth, for the concerts that never were and were never held.’”
Brantley also explained that the Cabinet, including Premier Amory, met to discuss the matter and “we found a view, not surprisingly that Tempo was not entitled to one farthing, one penny of Nevis’ people money.
In documents filed in New Jersey Supreme Court, Tempo sets out the basis for the lawsuit demanding judgements against the NIA defendants and compensatory damages for failure to fulfill its obligations under the Agreement. In Count 6, Tempo alleges Mark Brantley on his radio show of October 22 made defamatory statements that placed Tempo in a bad light and accused Tempo and its principal of entering in a fraudulent agreement and participating in a crime. A copy of the Amended Complaint filed and served against the Hon. Mark A. G. Brantley, personally/individually, and as Minister in the NIA, “for Defamation, including libel, slander and false light for his incendiary and false statements made to harm the reputation of TEMPO on his radio show “On the Mark” and in his face book posts.”
Freedom FM tried unsuccessfully on Monday to get comments from Frederick Morton of Tempo and Mark Brantley of the NIA.