This Is Guernsey

By Nick Mann

MULTI-MILLION pound investment in Sark was thrown into jeopardy yesterday when Guernsey police were called in to investigate Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay’s shipping operation.

And claims were made that the inquiry into whether the use of Brecqhou Warrior breached the 1951 Sark ‘monopoly’ shipping law was politically motivated.

But that has been denied by Sark authorities.

At a meeting yesterday, police told Sir David and Sir Frederick’s advocate, Gordon Dawes, that the case would not be pursued.

If they had been convicted the maximum penalty was a £100 fine.

The decision averted the possibility that Brecqhou Development’s work in Sark, which involves nearly 60 people and some of the island’s top properties, would be halted

‘The fear is that someone in Sark, we believe a committee member, reported the Brecqhou Warrior to the Sark Constable complaining it was breaching the legislation by carrying a generator to Sark,’ said Advocate Dawes.

‘It’s very short-sighted and does not have the best interests of Sark at heart, which should be as a community to welcome, support and encourage Sir David and Sir Frederick’s ambitions as being the only likely substantial investors in Sark’s economy and infrastructure for the foreseeable future.’

There was no formal investigation of Brecqhou Developments. And he was adamant that no breach of the law had occurred.

The legislation protects Sark Shipping’s monopoly on freight traffic, but only covers trade between Guernsey and Sark.

The generator came from Brecqhou.

There are moves to extend the legislation to cover all cargo movements into Sark.

‘The 1951 legislation is not only used inappropriately to try to attack Sir David and Sir Frederick, but has the quite contrary effect of being a loss to Guernsey because of the inability to export from Guernsey.’

It has led to Brecqhou Developments importing material from France instead of using Guernsey suppliers so it can use the Brecqhou Warrior.

General Purposes and Advisory Committee chairman Richard Dewe said he did not know who made the complaint.

‘All I saw afterwards was a report from the police and advice from the Law Officers, basically that’s all,’ said Deputy Dewe.

The committee accepted that advice.

He did not believe the complaint had come from an official source.

n No comment was available from the police or the Law Officers of the Crown.

Article posted on 29th January, 2008 - 12.00am