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Sale of Buddy’s International Hotel…
St Maarten reporter admits error in sale price
Yesterday, Head of Go-Invest, Geoffrey Da Silva, requested the assistance of the Guyana Press Association (GPA) to determine the identity of Judy Fitzpatrick, a journalist from St. Maarten, who wrote the initial story about Buddy’s International Hotel being sold.
Fitzpatrick’s story appeared in the Tuesday edition of Stabroek News.
In that article, the reporter said that the hotel was purchased for US$25M and that she had spoken with the investor. However, during a press briefing yesterday, Da Silva questioned who actually did the interview, when the interview was done, where the interview took place and whether it occurred at all.
He noted that he has since spoken with the investor’s (Sudi Özkan) main representative, who will be in Guyana later this week to address the issue.
“I do question whether an interview was with Mr. Özkan; I question that seriously and whether Mr. Özkan was actually interviewed for that article,” Da Silva said. He told the press that as President Bharrat Jagdeo said, the hotel was sold for US$15M and not US$25M as was reported by Stabroek News.
Speaking with Kaieteur News last evening from St. Maarten, Ms. Judy Fitzpatrick, said that she is standing by her article. She however admitted her error and conceded that the hotel was sold for US$15M and that US$10M would be spent on upgrading the facility.
“I spoke to the President of the entire Princess Group of Companies, the top man himself, the boss, Mr. Sudi Özkan at his St. Maarten home, where he is based. The interview was conducted in the presence of his wife,” she told Kaieteur News.
According to Fitzpatrick, her last conversation with Mr. Özkan was yesterday in St. Maarten. Da Silva asked, “Why is it that with any major investment, there tends to be a negative approach by Stabroek News?”
According to him, he has discussed this particular issue with both the editor and publisher of the newspaper.
“While the media has a responsibility to dig, to find out as much information as it can and to be critical, it also has a responsibility to be balanced and to be objective,” Da Silva stressed.
To be critical, he added, is different from being negative.
“Negativity is not criticism; we welcome criticism and negativity can never be seen as being patriotic. You cannot be patriotic of your country and give a negative picture of it.”
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