Ministry of Tourism executives felt the company at the centre of a probe into former minister, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, was embroiled in “conflicts of interest” because its principals reviewed a bidding process they were also participating in.
Summarising a report into the relationship between the former minister and Tourism Marketing Alliance (TMA), current minister of tourism, Obie Wilchcombe, said three persons tied to the company – Jeffrey Toffler, Thomas Crockett and Michael Stone – also owned Destination Solutions 360, an entity that bid on the Ministry of Tourism’s online booking solution tender.
As a result of its $1.65 million advisory marketing contract with the Ministry of Tourism, Mr Wilchcombe said TMA was included in reviewing the bidding process that its principals’ other entity was participating in.
Outlining the findings of the report, which was done by Kikivarakis & Company and KRyS Global, Mr Wilchcombe told the House of Assembly that senior Ministry of Tourism officials felt “pressured” by Mr Vanderpool-Wallace to sign contracts with both TMA and ICON, companies that were thought to be related parties.
Mr Wilchcombe said the report uncovered “irregularities” when it came to the review and approval of the TMA and ICON contracts, and raised questions about Mr Vanderpool-Wallace’s links to the two companies and their principal executives.
