The Tribune

THE owner of a beach club demolished by the Bimini Bay Resort’s developer has been given permission to apply to commit its principal Gerardo Capo and other executives to Fox Hill prison.

Garrick Edwards, of the Sakara Beach Club, is alleging in court documents that RAV Bahamas executives were in contempt of court for destroying his property while both sides were awaiting a Supreme Court judgment.

Sakara was renting land from Bimini Bay, but in March 2013, RAV Bahamas filed a court action alleging the lease was “null and void”.

One meeting, between Mr Edwards and Mr Capo, to discuss a settlement was allegedly set up - and attended - by Leslie Bethel, son of Prime Minister Perry Christie’s investment guru, Sir Baltron Bethel, and then a RAV Bahamas executive.

The matter was heard before Chief Justice Sir Michael Barnett on May 31, 2013.

While waiting for the verdict, RAV Bahamas claimed Mr Edwards was in breach of several conditions of the lease agreement.

He was given 30 days to remedy the breach but, 25 days after the letter was written, Sakara was allegedly demolished on July 18 – almost two months before the Chief Justice delivered his ruling, which found in favour of Mr Edwards/Sakara.

Mr Edwards claimed the demolition was designed to pave the way for RAV’s new partner, the Genting-owned Resorts World Bimini, to operate its own food and beverage facility, which opened two days after Sakara’s destruction.

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