The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The convicted paedophile and sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, was advised that The Bahamas “will welcome you with open arms” amid a sustained effort to interest the now-deceased financier in acquiring private islands and high-end real estate.

E-mails among some three million Epstein-related documents released by the US Justice Department on Friday expose a prolonged effort by Brian Webster, head of a Palm Beach real estate firm, to interest the disgraced multi-millionaire - who in 2008 was jailed for 18 months for soliciting prostitution from underage girls - in Lighthouse Point at the tip of south Eleuthera, which was ultimately acquired by Disney Cruise Line, and other properties.

Describing the Bahamas as “anxious for investment”, Mr Webster in a 2012 e-mail sought to lure Epstein to this nation by suggesting he could obtain permanent residency and “a fast track” to Bahamian citizenship if he desired. And, to further entice the US financier, he claimed to have “met with the deputy prime minister of The Bahamas” the week before.

Mr Webster, president of Webster’s International Realty, does not name “the deputy prime minister” or provide any further details on their purported meeting. The e-mail is from 2012, which is a general election year, and it is unclear whether the date is January 10 or October 1. However, if such an encounter did take place, the only two persons he could have been referring to are Brent Symonette or Philip Davis KC.

Neither man met Epstein in-person, and there is no suggestion that they did anything wrong. It is also unclear whether the ‘meeting’ was merely a ‘hello’ or handshake, or something more substantive, and there is no evidence that the sex offender - who committed suicide in a New York prison while awaiting trial on further charges - was ever mentioned as a topic of discussion.

Mr Webster sent the e-mail in an effort to interest Epstein in Strangers Cay, the fourth northernmost island in The Bahamas, which is part of the Abaco cays and covers some 360 acres. “I spoke with owner last week,” he wrote. “He wants to sell. Island was $20m. Will sell for $3m. I think $2.5m acres will buy this. 360 acres. 100 miles to Palm Beach. Sets up perfect for a 5,000 foot runway. This is the cheapest large island available in the world today and a great buy.

“I met with the deputy prime minister of The Bahamas last week. You can get permanent residency and a fast track to citizenship if you so desire. They are anxios for investment and will welcome you with open arms.”

Epstein did not seemingly reply to Mr Webster’s e-mail, and what appears to have been a seven-year pursuit by the latter to secure him as a client was ultimately unsuccessful. From The Bahamas’ perspective that is likely to have been fortunate given that this nation has emerged seemingly unscathed from the global scandal triggered by Epstein’s death, which has already taken down the UK’s former Prince Andrew while embroiling other high-profile figures such as Donald Trump, the US president, Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Richard Branson.

Mr Webster’s efforts to persuade Epstein to acquire Bahamian real estate appear to have begun in late 2009, less than one year after he was convicted for soliciting underage girls, through an attempt to interest him in Lightbourne House. He suggested the financier make an offer “somewhere south of $30m” to account for closing costs such as legal and realtor fees, plus what would then have been 10 percent Stamp Tax.

Suggesting a mid-December viewing of Lightbourne House, the Palm Beach realtor also seemed to provide a road map for how Epstein could circumvent the need for government approvals by using his own Bahamas-domiciled international business company (IBC) as the purchase vehicle.

“The other thing you have to think about is getting approved by the Government,” Mr Webster wrote, perhaps in a nod to Epstein’s child sex conviction. “I have an IBC company set up there that you could buy the property in as I have already gone through all the approvals and I could transfer the company to you or an entity controlled by you.”

Mr Webster made no mention of co-broking with a Bahamian realtor on any property transaction in this nation - something that he is required to do by law under the Real Estate (Brokers and Salesman) Act 1995. But, with no reply by the financier, Mr Webster tried again just over half-a-year later by describing Lightbourne House as “a fantastic property”.

And he also suggested Epstein look at Chub Cay, which had then been seized by Scotiabank (Bahamas) after the orginal developers defaulted on their debt financing, as a “development deal” that had a “good location, lot of infrastructure, Customs and Immigration on site, but not extremely beautiful”. The project was eventually acquired from the receiver by Texan billionaire, George Bishop.

Then Mr Webster offered Lighthouse Point, located on Eleuthera’s southern tip, which was eventually acquired by Disney Cruise Line to become its Lookout Cay private cruise port and destination. “Property comprises the entire southern end of Eleuthera,” Mr Webster wrote. “Property is 15 miles from Rock Sound airport. Over four miles of beach on 775 acres, elevations to 50 feet.

“Interior lakes will make a wonderful marina. This is the last great piece of development property left in The Bahamas. Property’s beauty speaks for itself. $25m buys it.” This time, Epstein’s interest appeared to have been aroused, because he replied on the same day, September 9, 2010, asking whether Rock Sound had an international airport while adding: “Property is great.”

However, Epstein appears to have made no move to purchase. Mr Webster appears to have tentatively followed up some two years later, asking the financier: “Any interest in The Bahamas?” To which the convicted sex offender replied laconically: “Always interested in unique things.” This prompted Mr Webster to write: “If you remember Lighthouse Point, Eleuthera, they are down to $20m ask. The most spectacular undeveloped site left in The Bahamas.”

Although Epstein was seemingly unmoved, an undeterred Mr Webster persisted with his Bahamas real estate offerings for another four years. On Thursday, May 12, 2016, he returned with the double offer of High Cay and Powell Cay in the Abacos, which are located close to Cooper’s Town. “I have two islands for the price of one - $18m,” he wrote.

“High Cay has a residence, a harbour and solar power and is about 43 acres. All buildings and infrastructure are first-class. Powell Cay (293 acres) is the large island to the west, which the owner of High Cay owns as well to ensure his privacy. Half of Powell Cay is Crown Land owned by the Government of The Bahamas which will never be developed. Owner moving to Indonesia, thus the willingness to sell.”

Later that same year, on October 8, 2016, Mr Webster offered Bonefish Cay, a 13-acre private island retreat in the Abacos, to Epstein with a price tag of $7m.