Wicks reveals charges against him

Boys will be boys, even after
shedding their toys, but Lonrho,
major investor in defunct SA
Independent Liner Services
(Sails), was clearly concerned
over what it terms inappropriate
spending at the hands of Sails
MD, Ian Wicks, prior to moves to
dissolve the business.
The 12-point charge sheet
against Wicks followed an
enquiry by the British pan-African
conglomerate into his conduct
while at the helm (until June
this year). It was subsequently
transformed into a disciplinary
enquiry cut short in the embryonic
stage after application was lodged,
and granted, in the Cape High
Court for the provisional
liquidation of the South Africanregistered
company.
Wicks, the creator of Sails,
enthusiastically pursued his dream
of establishing a smaller line
that could effectively make its
mark in the North Europe-South
Africa-West Africa trades, while
not competing head-on with the
likes of major players, MSC and
Safmarine.
Last week, at the behest of
FTW, ever-approachable Wicks
made available the hithertoverboten
charges, all of which
he has, and continues to,
strenuously deny.
He points out that none of the
charges relate to questions over
his so-called management style,
nor do they in any way imply
financial misappropriation on
his part.
Company entertainment,
stresses Wicks, is pertinent to all
economic sectors – not the least
shipping – so he offers no
excuses for Sails monies spent on
such pursuits, the prime motive
being to further company interests.
Lonrho held a different view,
however, highlighting Sails’
expenditure on nightlife, mainly of
the kind appealing to red-blooded,
heterosexual males. (Those
entertained were existing and
would-be-clients, also seafarers,
no doubt linked to Sails).
The allegations suggest
he spent nearly R37 000 on
entertainment at Mavericks Revue
Bar, an upmarket Cape Town
nighterie featuring attractive,
scantily-clad, female dancers,
between October 2007 and May
of this year.
These, maintains Lonrho, were
either unreasonable, unauthorised
or improper, but Wicks says it’s
small potatoes compared to what
the line was turning over in May,
the month before his suspension.
Turnover was R38 million, against
a loss of R9.5 million while total
company entertainment was
R257 000 between July 2007 and
June this year.
He tells FTW Lonrho conceded
two other counts, relating to
a spend of around R10 000 at
Cape Town’s Bang Bang Club,
apparently a disco-type operation,
were in order, as was Sails’
R100 000 2007 year-end function
for about 160 people at Wakame,
a posh Japanese restaurant in
Mouille Point on the Atlantic
Seaboard.