Despite Chris Pope’s ‘sad day’ and the ‘very upsetting’ comments in the Legislative Assembly (LA), his 30 years in the Cayman Islands and his wife’s family’s six generations in Cayman “with wide connections in East End, he got found out! When that happens you ‘face the music’!

When you work for two different companies and one of them is Dart, no matter what you might say, the Dart name carries more weight and just by association infers a lot more than it probably is. And Pope most surely knows this.

So what is this Pope story all about? It has nothing to do with Pope of the higher secular office! It has to do with oil, East End and a bulk storage and transfer facility.

Cayman Islands Planning Minister, Kurt Tibbetts, had announced back in August last year that a joint development agreement was signed between the Cayman Islands government and Texas-based energy company, Navasota Clean Energy LLC, to seek to eventually shutter Cayman’s current bulk fuel storage facility in Jackson Point, off South Church Street, and construct a new one in East End.

The intention of the proposal was to establish a fully integrated development plan and structure such that they might attract one or more fuel terminal companies that are interested in fuel supply and transshipment operations.

The government also undertook to “Work with Navasota on potential sites on the East End of Grand Cayman and provide preferred rights of way for [a] delivery pipeline from East End to [the] current pipeline system.”

Last Friday (17) Tibbetts revealed in the LA emails showing Pope was trying to “muscle in” as Tibbetts described it, on the Navasota project. He had offered himself up as one who had the necessary influence to pressure and manipulate government to agree to become the sole party to the terminal.

Pope is the purchasing and logistics manager for Dart Realty (Cayman) Ltd and the managing partner in ABS Trade & Commerce Ltd.

According to eCay Business ABS “was established to provide access to cheaper good and services from Cuba and Latin America to the Cayman Islands. The Company will develop to provide:
Cargo Services to Cuba,
Coordinate medical appointments in Cuba,
Offer travel agency services with Cayman Airways and AeroCaribbean to Cuba (Havana and other domestic cities) and Central and Latin America,
Supply consumable items from Cuba and Latin America,
Provide recruitment services of Cubans,
Arrange for our students and adults to learn Spanish at an internationally recognized Spanish School in Cuba.”

Now if you were told that you were an executive officer with Dart and managing partner in a travel agency who would you think you were representing when you offered your services to an oil company!

Dart was very quick to issue a statement that said Pope was not representing them nor any of its affiliates.

“Neither Dart nor any of its affiliates have any interest in an East End fuel storage project proposed by Navasota Clean Energy LLC or by any other entity,” the statement said.

“Further, Dart confirms that no Dart entity or Dart affiliate has any interest in ABS Ltd. and that Mr Pope’s views were not representative of the views of the Dart organization or its affiliates. No Dart employee or related person was authorized to formally or informally represent Dart or a Dart affiliate in relation to any aspect of this proposed bulk fuel project. The statements made by Mr Pope were not made as a representative, formal or otherwise, of Dart or any Dart affiliates.”

The planning minister called Pope a “Johnny come lately”, which is defined as “a brash newcomer, novice, or recruit”, “a newcomer or latecomer, especially a recent adherent to a cause or trend”, “a late arrival or participant; newcomer.”

Pope made his ‘sad day’ and other comments to CNS and did confirm Dart was not involved nor aware he had a business interest in the project.

Tibbetts said he wanted to send a message to Pope and anyone else listening that government would not be involved in anything that was underhand.

That message was received very clearly.

Full marks Mr Tibbetts. I believe the other Pope would endorse you on that.