Businessman and Ocean Pelican owner Adrian Scoon has launched a legal challenge against the Minister of Finance, Colm Imbert as it relates to a special restaurant license that was reportedly granted and then made void by the Customs and Excise division.
Imbert has also been given a week to respond or face Judicial Review proceedings.
Police shut down an event aboard the Ocean Pelican vessel on Boxing Day and arrested approximately 100 attendees.
Scoon said his boat and its activities did not violate the public health regulations that are currently in place and he showed that he had a special restaurant licence issued by the Customs and Excise Division.
His attorney said that it was “curious and frankly inconceivable” that Scoon would have been issued a license, went through the process to pay for it and collect without the approval of Finance Minister Colm Imbert.
Scoon, who is the son of Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon, is represented by attorney Keil Taklalsingh, who said he is prepared to include the Minister of Health and the Attorney General in their challenge against Imbert.
Imbert, in a media statement, said that he gave clear, written instructions against Scoon receiving that liquor license but in the documents provided, he did not deny but actually deferred.
According to Taklalsingh, “The Memorandum which you attached does not deny permission, “clear” or otherwise, to our client and goes no further than seeking clarification on the effect of the regulations and deferring the request for approval.”
He added, “To suggest that the memorandum attached to your press release does more than seek clarification on the 3 of December or that it constitutes “clear written instructions to the contrary” is, quite respectfully, a leap of logic with which we simply cannot agree.”
Taklalsingh also pointed out that “while your (Imbert’s) memorandum seeking clarification and deferring the issue of granting the license is dated December 3, our client received his license on the 23rd of December.”
He also said that contrary to Imbert’s claim, Scoon never withdrew his application for the license.
“Given that your press release states that copies of all relevant supporting documents are attached and the fact that no document supporting a purported withdrawal is annexed to your release, we are forced to conclude at this stage that no such document exists,” Taklalsingh said.
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