Former Sky Bahamas financier seeks default judgement against Butler

Former Sky Bahamas financier seeks default judgement against Butler

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Former Sky Bahamas financier Fred Kaiser is seeking a default judgement against the airline’s former chief executive, Randy Butler, over an alleged $28 million “bogus loans” scheme.

According to court documents, on Monday, Kaiser’s attorneys filed a judgement in default of defense against the claims leveled against him in a writ filed last November.

That writ listed Kaiser’s companies, Alpha Aviation Ltd and Advanced Aviation Ltd, as the first and second plaintiffs.

Butler, Sky Bahamas Airlines Limited and Aviation Oversight Group Ltd were listed as defendants. Former Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest, while not listed as a defendant, was a director and manager of Alpha Aviation Ltd and Advanced Aviation Ltd while Sky Bahamas and Aviation Oversight were at all material times owned, controlled and/or managed by Butler, according to court documents.

It is alleged that between 2008 and 2017, Butler, Turnquest and the Aviation Oversight Group conspired to defraud the plaintiffs and conceal such fraud and the proceeds thereof.

It is further alleged that at the end of December 2017, the defendants had caused Alpha to pay $20,680,337.33 to Sky Bahamas in each case by way of “some kind of bogus loan”.

Court documents allege that at the end of December 2017, the defendants had caused Advanced Aviation to pay via wire transfers $5,916,587.67 to Sky Bahamas. It is further alleged that as of December 2017, the defendants had caused Alpha to pay $3,026,000 to themselves via a company controlled by AOG Maintenance Ltd.

The plaintiffs also claim that between February 2008 and July 2016, the defendants caused Alpha, by some 36 fraudulent invoices and book entries, to pay away to Aviation Oversight 37 cheques and to Sky Bahamas two cheques totaling $3,800,000.

Kaiser, who is represented by attorney Michael Scott, QC, filed for a judgement in default on Monday, asserting that no defense had been submitted by Butler against the claims and asking the court to award damages to the former Sky Bahamas financier.