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Published On: Tue, Aug 11th, 2020

The mess at BTP is still there

Hilbert HaarBy Hilbert Haar

How Minister Ludmila De Weever was able to reach an amicable settlement with Anthony Carty, the heavily overpaid director of the Bureau Telecommunication and Post (BTP) is a mystery to me.

As the minister responsible for telecommunication, De Weever must be aware of a highly critical report about BTP from the General Audit Chamber in 2015. She must, therefore, know that Carty does not have a performance contract and that he hardly has any responsibilities.

The annual salary Carty receives – reportedly around $214,000 – is also way beyond what can be considered reasonable. But so far not a single minister has taken action against a man who, for no apparent reason, earns more than the Prime Minister.

That Carty is a business partner of former parliamentarian Frans Richardson (who was sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment for bribery, money laundering, and tax fraud in March) adds some more spice to the story.

The anti-corruption task force (TBO) is investigating BTP. In the course of this investigation, Carty was arrested. The current status of this investigation is unknown.

The TBO will without any doubt look at the $6.6 million BTP paid to Taliesin-director Carl Critchlow for the building it currently occupies on Cannegieterstreet. Critchlow had bought the building just fourteen months earlier for a mere $700,000. An appraisal put the building’s market value at just $4.1 million.

Another issue that has the TBO’s attention is Actis NV. This little company was established to do something BTP should be doing on its own: collecting concession fees from companies like TelEm and managing the numbering plan.

Because Actis is charging a fee for its services, the telecom providers are paying more than they should. The director of Actis is Judith de Weever, who just happens to be an employee at the law office of Duncan and Brandon. Attorney Peggy Ann Brandon was director of BTP when the purchase of the building occurred.

The General Audit Chamber questioned in its 2015-report why the Chief Operating Officer at BTP is not responsible for managing the numbering plan. The Audit Chamber also criticized Carty’s salary, noting that he has “no performance contract, little to no accountability and practically carte blanche with his budget.”

This whole mess is also the responsibility of Minister De Weever. But does she have the balls to go where other ministers before her refused to go? Time will tell. In the meantime, don’t hold your breath.

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