Kenicia Francis
[email protected]
Billionaire property developer Peter Virdee has appeared in a court in London accused of bribing an Antiguan politician, according to a statement from the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Virdee, also known as “Batman,” allegedly bribed current St Peter MP Asot Michael from January 2015 to July 2017 when he was the minister for tourism, to benefit PV Energy Ltd, the company he is a director of.
Michael responded to the reported development in a press release yesterday.
“It was the unilateral decision of the Comrade Leader of the ABLP to remove me from the ABLP ticket on the basis that I had a criminal charge either pending or likely to be soon pending in the English Courts. It has been some seven years and it is now clear, as substantiated in written correspondence to my UK Solicitors Kingsley Napley PLC, from Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA), that no charges have been laid or are likely to be laid against me as forecasted by the good gentleman.
“Many would remember the taunts in Parliament and outside where he kept indicating that charges were around the corner, like an eagle from above, they would swoop down and remove me from his path. Again, no such charges have or are being laid. If they were, surely, I would not be titled as the victim in the charges against Mr. Virdee. I cannot see how this amounts to vindication. I remain uncharged and innocent of all allegations of wrong doing, whether in the UK or anywhere else.
“Prime Minister Gaston Browne never had any information that I was charged or was being charged in this matter. I am sure that he had and has access to legal learning and facts to have known better than to have engaged in his disparaging adventure against me.
“Maybe the simple and truthful explanation is that, wildly indifferent to the law and facts, he used the situation to fulfil and excite his personal desire and animus to remove me from the slate of ABLP candidates. So, his claim of feeling vindicated is a total red herring and distraction. I have always faithfully served the people of St. Peter and our beloved Country, at great personal sacrifice and without ill will and I continue to do so. Mr Browne’s efforts to stop me from doing so continue to fail.
“I am glad nonetheless to welcome the distinct change of tone in the Honourable gentleman’s language. I too, wish him no harm and I know he joins with me in wishing his personal friend Peter Virdee all the best in his forthcoming trial.
“As politicians we should always and will always seek the favour of our people, but in doing so we should always be candid and not in any way make statements that may be misleading.
“I hope that the Comrade Leader and senior members of the ABLP will take this moment in time to reflect and seek to heal and reunite the Party and not continue to take the electorate and the Party faithful for granted.”
Virdee made his fortune primarily through property development, he has been involved in various real estate projects and investments, which have contributed to his billionaire status.
Virdee was sought in connection with a multi-million-pound NCA bribery probe and has been charged along with the firm he oversees.
Hardip Singh “Peter” Virdee, 50, was known as an avid donor to the Conservative and Labour Parties in England.
He was suspected of giving more than £100,000 to the Tories and £2,000 to Preet Gill, who is now the shadow minister for primary care and public health.
The Parties continued taking Virdee’s money even after he was arrested by the NCA, an investigation by The Times, a British daily national newspaper, previously found.
In 2014 he was arrested at Heathrow airport and confronted with a potential 15-year prison term for purported fraud and dodging €125 million ($387.36 million ECD) in VAT.
VAT stands for Value Added Tax, it’s a type of consumption tax placed on products whenever value is added at each stage of the supply chain, from production to the point of sale.
Essentially, he was facing charges of tax evasion.
Prosecutors alleged Mr Virdee was one of the “central organisers” of a criminal enterprise to defraud the authorities of VAT on carbon credits under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme which ran from 2008 to 2012.
He was ultimately given a jail sentence of three years and three months by a court in Frankfurt in December for his role in the VAT fraud.
