Coming close on the heels of a lawsuit filed in New York last week by ex-wife, Mary St. George, is a statement by Mr St. George’s daughter, Caroline, who has retained the services of (allegedly corrupt) attorney Damien Gomez, to represent her interests.
In an exclusive interview with The Freeport News, Mr Gomez explained that his client was very troubled by a secondary story published on the front page of a local daily newspaper, which appeared to outline Mary St. George’s legal intention.
“In that article Mrs (Mary) St. George was essentially taking to the public litigation which has been commenced in the United States of America and initiated by her against the trustees of the St. George estate,” said Mr Gomez.
Adding that his client, the younger of two daughters of the late Edward St. George’s first wife, is a beneficiary of her father’s estate, Mr Gomez said she also has interest independently of that entitlement in certain companies which she owns outright, as well as shares in companies that she owns quite independently of her father.
“The story that ran in The Tribune made no distinction between the separate interest of my client and the late Edward St. George and for that reason, she saw it necessary to set the record straight,” Mr Gomez said.
This action, he said, would also ensure that the value of his client’s legal and business interests in The Bahamas are not eroded by mistaken views as to the ownership of those assets and the ability of other persons to question the governance of companies that she is entitled to direct.
According to the article in The Tribune, Mary St. George is seeking legal confirmation that she is entitled to 50 per cent of her ex-husband’s estate.
Further, she is claiming 25 of the 50 per cent stake the late businessman’s interest had in The Grand Bahama Port Authority.
“She is claiming that any agreement between the Port Authority and other persons may be set aside or questioned by her should she succeed in her claim in New York,” Mr Gomez said. “We say that that is utter rubbish and that she must first of all determine that that is an asset that falls within the estate of the late Edward St. George. We have clear evidence that it is.”
Mary and the late Edward St. George, according to Mr Gomez, were divorced in 1978 in Santo Domingo and one of the things she claims that they had agreed between themselves was that Edward was domiciled in New York, when in fact he was living and set up house in Grand Bahama.
“There, you see, it starts off on an erroneous foundation, but because of that acknowledgment by the late Edward St. George, the New York Courts have somehow seized jurisdiction of the matter, so far as Mary is concerned,” he said.
Mr Gomez added that with the assets of the estate, which are in The Bahamas under the purview of The Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, it would be very unlikely that a New York order would be recognised, let alone enforced in this jurisdiction, particularly where the effect of it would be to deprive a citizen of The Bahamas, Caroline St. George, of her property rights.
“We are in the process of delicate discussions with the trustees of the estate, namely Lady Henrietta St. George, and Lord Houston, who is her brother,” Mr Gomez disclosed. “Our position is that we have attempted thus far to hold our tongue and to as far as possible, preserve the reputations of many wonderful people who worked along with the late Edward St. George to solidify his dream.”
Stressing that his client does not intend to sit idly by and suffer the erosion of the value of the asset base left by the work of the late Edward St. George, Mr Gomez said they are prepared to fight.
“In the event that discussions breakdown, we should be energetically litigating this matter,” he said.
Noting that they are at a stage of discussions where it would not be prudent to disclose the terms of what they are discussing, Mr Gomez revealed that if those talks bear the fruit which he hopes they will, “then my client will be reviewing in full, all of the hiring and firing at the Port in recent times.”
“She wants people to know that she joins them in questioning the wisdom of the appointment of Hannes Babek and should she emerge victorious in these negotiations, she will terminate that contract,” Mr Gomez said. “It is our intention at the end of the day to be in control of the Port.”
Calling the recent executive changes at the Port a rapid deterioration of the managerial situation, Gomez said it was another nagging matter that plagued his client.
“We are very concerned about the unceremonious firings of persons of such eminence as the former Governor of Central Bank, Julian Francis, persons like Willie Moss and Barry Malcolm,” he said. “It does not augur well for worker relations throughout the Port group of companies, when one sees this type of treatment of persons who have served the late Edward St. George very well.”
No names were released; however, Mr Gomez did say his client was not working alone.
“She has instructed me alone, but I’m aware that she is very fond of her sister Sarah and that she will honour the wishes of her father to the best of her ability,” he said.
Lady Henrietta St. George, widow of the late Edward St. George, who is said to be out of the country, could not be reached for comment on this matter.
By: ANGELO ARMBRISTER, The Nassau Guardian
