BUSINESSMAN Robert Satu has called on authorities to investigate recipients of the controversial multi-million dollar shipping grants, saying the scheme has been widely abused without accountability.

“I want authorities to investigate recipients of the grants because some are abusing the funds by spending the money for their own benefits,” Mr Satu told Island Sun yesterday.

Mr Satu’s boat, Sandgroper, a 35ft Channel Craft, bought in Queensland, Australia was to have been bought for $1.5 million with last year’s grants, but this was not the case.

Instead, Mr Satu was paid a deposit of only $400,000, with assurance that the balance of $1.1 million would be covered in new funding grants being applied for this year. That application had been denied, according to sources in the Ministry of Infrastructure Development.

Mr Satu confirmed certain MID individuals had pressured the Government’s maritime regulatory body, SIMSA, to get Mr Satu to sign off the Bill of Sale, with threats that if he did not do so, his boat would not be registered.

“I had refused to sign the Bill of Sale. In fact, I have stopped the boat from being sold. I want the people from SIMSA to come and see me,” he said.

“That group that is trying to buy my ship still owes me $1.1 million. Unless this amount is cleared, I am not surrendering the boat on the basis of the deposit paid last year,” Mr Satu said.

His version of the story differed substantially from that provided by businessman, John Beui Lamani, who told Island Sun on Wednesday Mr Satu had sold the Sandgroper to him for $500,000.

Mr Beui yesterday provided Island Sun with a copy of what he claimed was the Bill of Sale, which he claimed showed Mr Satu had sold the Sandgroper to him.

The document was however not stamped. According to the document, it was signed on May 9, 2016. Witnesses signed it a day later on May 10, 2016.

“Those papers are forgery. I have not sold the ship,” Mr Satu said.

“This is why I am calling on authorities to investigate the shipping grants scheme because it is being abused by group or groups operating within the Ministry of Infrastructure Development with links to people from outside,” Mr Satu said.

“These people must be made to account because it is public money,” Mr Satu said.