Transcript
Vatulele Island landowners say they all feel the economic impact of the resort no longer being open.
A spokesperson for the landowners Lepani Kaiwalu says dozens fo people used to have jobs at the resort and many could sell produce or fish.
"On the island this is the only resort. So this is the only source of livelihood, the only source of income for the local people, the local community. So if it's closed there is no other formal source of livelihood and income for the local people. That's one of the reasons why we don't want him to continue to own the resort. Him closing down the resort for us meant a drop a drop in economic activity, a loss of livelihood."
Lepani Kaiwalu says Mr Bertini also brought a large ship and left it to rust on the beach, which could pose a risk for the environment.
He also says there are conditions attached to the lease and Mr Bertini is not allowed to let the resort remain idle.
"It's not a private property. It's a resort, that's how he bought it. That's the agreement in the lease. It should be operated as a resort, not a property that you just close. He is already in breach. as we speak there are fines and penalties for those breaches and I don't think, as far as I can recall, he hasn't paid any of those penalties."
Lepani Kaiwalu says the landowners would like Mr Bertini to sell up completely and not try to retain the part of the lease which is for a beach.
"The last thing we want to happen is for a mortgagee sale to happen but for the best interest for everybody I would just recommend that he sells it, he sells it to a new buyer, sells everything, not part of it. The landowners don't want him any more and then he doesn't have a good relationship with the local community. If he stays he will continue to be doing what he has been doing. And I don't think any new buyer would want to come in and be party to that lease. If a new buyer company buys the resort but he retains the other stretch of beach, it means that they are going to be there together, they will have to take a lot of risk."
Lepani Kaiwalu says Mr Bertini's behaviour towards the people of Vatulele has been unacceptable.
He says there have been confrontations, prompting Vatulele people to lodge more than a dozen complaints against him with the police.
This comes as Mr Bertini is facing court action in Viti Levu over an alleged assault in Lami.
