Bermuda Cablevision

Bermuda Cablevision v. The Minister of the Environment, Planning and Infrastructure Strategy - Bermuda Supreme Court

The web-sites of two companies whose dubious activities have been highlighted in recent editions of OffshoreAlert have been dismantled over the last few weeks; On February 12, 2007, OffshoreAlert received an email from Kristen Lawson, a “Legislative Advisor” with Miller Thomson LLP, a law firm based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Telecommunications and cable television firms in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands have been dragged into a long-running legal dispute over the ownership of a $900,000 airplane that was damaged in Hurricane Ivan; Under Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, Grenada has become the poster country for corruption and banking fraud; OffshoreAlert recently learned that U. S. Bank N.A. obtained a default judgment for $21 million against British-based alleged fraudster Sendjer Shefket and his British firm Target International Funds Ltd. at federal court in the USA on May 24, 2006; Convicted white-collar criminals who believe they are punished too severely in the United States should be thankful they don't operate in China; and While the U. S. legal system does not yet offer death as a punishment for fraudsters, it is still less than hospitable for convicted white-collar criminals, as Martin A. Armstrong can attest to.

Telecommunications and cable television firms in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands have been dragged into a long-running legal dispute over the ownership of a $900,000 airplane that was damaged in Hurricane Ivan. KeyTech Limited, and Bermuda Cablevision, both incorporated and based in Bermuda; WestStar TV Ltd. and WestTel Ltd., both incorporated and based in the Cayman Islands; West Interlink Inc., a Florida corporation based in Miami, Florida; and Rodney Alan Hansen, a resident of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are all defendants in a complaint filed at the U. S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on February 5, 2007.

A civil complaint that was filed against Bermuda Cablevision last June by eight of the world's largest motion picture studios is on the verge of being settled.Court filings in at Federal Court in New York show that an "order of

Eight of the world's leading motion picture studios have filed a civil lawsuit in the United States against Bermuda Cablevision Ltd. and related parties, alleging breach of copyright.They allege that Cablevision has engaged in a satellite piracy scheme since 1988, broadcasting programs on channels such as HBO, Showtime and The Movie Channel without a license.

American businessman Bill McDonald, who lost a crucial Privy Council hearing in October in his battle for control of Bermuda Cablevision, has been in Bermuda over the last few weeks to negotiate a settlement with his chief adversary, Bermuda Telephone Company. Sources said that an end to the long-running saga over Cablevision's ownership is in sight and that a listing of the highly profitable company's shares on the Bermuda Stock Exchange will quickly follow a settlement.

Bermuda Telephone Company yesterday won a major court victory in its battle to gain control of the highly profitable Bermuda Cablevision from a foreign entity. The Privy Council in London effectively refused to strike out a lawsuit brought on behalf of BTC at Bermuda Supreme Court against Bermuda Cablevision and the US-based McDonald group.

Bermuda Telephone Company Ltd has legally challenged the control and ownership structure of Bermuda Cablevision, in which it is the largest shareholder.Telco filed a writ against the cable television supplier at Bermuda Supreme Court on Tuesday under Section 111 of the Companies Act 1981.The section allows shareholders to sue their company if they believe they are a victim of "oppressive or prejudicial conduct".