Questions to trustees (Allen Fraser)

This is an open letter to trustees of Shetland Charitable Trust. Before attending the meeting  on Monday I would like you to consider asking yourself the following:

Are you satisfied that the partnership agreement signed by the SIC before the sale of Viking Energy to the trust meets the needs and standards required of a charitable trust?

If so, are you satisfied that it will stand up to scrutiny by any public local inquiry or judicial review (bearing in mind that the trust is a publicly accountable body)?

Are you satisfied that sufficient detail of the £3.4 million spent by Viking Energy has been published to answer legitimate concerns of the Shetland public you represent (bearing in mind that the trust is exempt from Freedom of Information requests)?

Are you satisfied that the money so far spent has been used for appropriate development costs and not wasted on political lobbying, PR junkets and hospitality events (bearing in mind that the all important Health Impact Assessment was cancelled after it began)?

Are you satisfied that proper detailed costing of windfarm construction has been made and published?

Are you satisfied that proper detailed costing of the so far imaginary “habitat management plan” has been made and published?

Are you satisfied that proper detailed and costed business plan has been presented (bearing in mind that there is no agreed sale price of electricity; no cable costs or plans in existence; and so far no transmission subsidy for Shetland has been forthcoming from the UK government, National Grid or Ofgem)?

Are you satisfied that a detailed breakdown has been presented to you of how the £6.3 million asked for will be spent?

Are you satisfied as a trustee (on a trust that owns 90 per cent of Viking Energy) that you have not been put under undue pressure by Jeff Goddard and Bill Manson (in his dual role as chairman of both the trust and Viking Energy) to commit more public money to Viking?

If your answer to any of these questions in no then surely you have a duty to defer the request for any more public money until these questions are properly answered.

Allen Fraser
Meal,
Hamnavoe,
Burra.