Secrets at Secret Bay: Nassief Dodges Scrutiny While Demanding Transparency

Dominica: Dominican businessman and Secret Bay proprietor Gregor Nassief has been recently demanding answers and accountability from major projects in Dominica which operate under CBI programme, however questions are now being raised by netizens about Secret Bay Resort which is owned by Nassief, to which he has shown no willingness to respond.

In recent weeks, several allegations and questions concerning Nassief and Secret Bay have circulated across social media including claims surrounding the status of his United States visa, allegations concerning his conduct with the female staff members and questions over the operations and arrangements related to the luxury Secret Bay development and expansion.

Netizens have also been questioning matters surrounding Secret Bay's association with Dominica's Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme including the allocation of CBI applications to the development, land arrangements connected to the property and commissions paid to agents.

One of the netizens, Michael Etienne, questioned, “Secret Bay is on the beautiful land of Dominica. Who will tell us what agreement has been signed for the lease. Gregor, you need to tell us how long you will take hold of the land. And the biggest question, what investment have you made in our country so far.

These claims have generated significant discussion online debates in recent weeks. However, they remain allegations and questions raised publicly and have not been established as facts.

Amid these allegations, WIC News reached out directly to Nassief on August 8 via email and Whatsapp and provided him with an opportunity to address the issues being raised and provide his version of events on record before publication. The message specifically stated that the questions were being put to him to ensure fairness and accuracy and that no conclusions would be drawn in the absence of his response.

WIC News asked the following questions to Nassief:

1. Did the Government of Dominica acquire any parcel of land that was subsequently transferred or made available for the construction or expansion of Secret Bay? If so, was the land leased to you or your company, and for how many years? Alternatively, is the property held on a freehold basis?

2. How many Citizenship by Investment (CBI) shares or applications were allocated to Secret Bay for its original construction and subsequent expansion? Please provide the total allocation and the relevant period.

3. Have you, Secret Bay or any associated company ever paid or authorised commissions to CBI agents above the rate approved by the Government of Dominica? If so, please provide the relevant details.

4. Certain media reports have carried allegations of sexual harassment against you. What is your response to these allegations? Has any application by you for a United States visa ever been refused, and, if so, was the decision connected in any way to these allegations?

5. WIC News has become aware of a rumour that, following the alleged refusal of your US visa application, a United States authority may issue an advisory discouraging people from staying at Secret Bay because of concerns about your alleged conduct or treatment of staff. Have you or Secret Bay received any communication from a US authority concerning such an advisory? Please confirm whether you are aware of any basis for this claim.

Nassief responds, but questions remain unanswered

Gregor Nassief responded to WIC News on August 10 but rather than directly answering the questions individually he challenged the basis of matters raised in the letter and pointed out fingers questioning why the news media channel was reaching out to him.

He labelled the allegations and questions as coming from ‘unidentified media reports, unnamed allegations and unspecified rumours’. Nassief subsequently asked WIC News to provide the factual basis, sources and particulars concerning the allegations about his conduct, the suggested connection with his US visa application and the alleged US advisory.

However, this has left several straightforward questions concerning his own development unanswered. Nassief did not state in his response how many CBI applications or shares had been allocated to Secret Bay. He did not provide an answer to the question concerning the land arrangements raised by WIC News nor did he directly answer whether Secret Bay or an associated company had ever authorised commissions above the government-approved rate.

Instead, Nassief maintained that he was prepared to address "legitimate questions concerning Secret Bay and its operations," while arguing that WIC News should first disclose the factual basis for the serious allegations contained in its correspondence.

This response from the businessman has become particularly concerning as he himself continues to stay in the bubble and not respond to even a single allegation while demanding explanations from others on matters he believes require greater scrutiny.

The situation has therefore prompted a question among netizens with one named Lisa commenting on Facebook: “If Gregor expects complete transparency from the government, shouldn't he also be willing to publicly explain the ownership acquisition and approvals behind the land used for Secret Bay?”