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Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesJUDGE WON'T STOP WAPA TALKS

JUDGE WON'T STOP WAPA TALKS

Territorial Court Judge Alphonso G. Andrews on Tuesday declined to issue a temporary restraining order that would in effect have halted talks between Southern Energy and the V.I. Water and Power Authority over SEI's interest in acquiring a controlling share of the local utility.
The action resulted from a suit brought last week by community activist Gail Watson Chiang, charging that "other interested parties" had been prevented from participating in the sales talks.
Attorney Lee Rohn, representing Chiang and several other plaintiffs, suggested that Gov. Charles Turnbull had no authority to initiate talks with Southern Energy without the consent of the Legislature.
According to The Virgin Islands Daily News, Rohn said members of the WAPA governing board had been "wined and dined" by Southern Energy.
Rohn told the court that by Monday she would file additional documents that "will substantiate the charges outlined in the suit."
SEI's attorney, Henry Feuerzeig, argued that there was no signed contract between SEI and the government, therefore there was no way to decide what was in the best interest of the community.
"For the court to get involved now would be invading the power of the executive and legislative branches of the government," Feuerzeig said.
He dismissed as "scandalous" suggestions of bribes and improper conduct contained in the complaint.
The Virgin Islands Independent quoted Andrews as saying he did not have sufficient evidence to determine whether the WAPA negotiations would cause "irreparable harm" to the plaintiffs.
Southern Energy has offered to purchase up to 80 percent of WAPA's assets for upward of $100 million.

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