THE extent of the lies behind Royal Resorts, its problems and the people running it can be exclusively revealed today by Voices.

We have discovered that Royal Resorts’ Paradise Bay development at Akbük was a concept drawn up by highly regarded architect Bruno Van Haudenhuyse who was then dumped and left 8,000 Euros out of pocket.

We can also expose the background linking two of the main men in the Royal Resorts scam – Nigel Andrews and Paul Collins – and Royal Resorts involvement with a project they touted in Kuşadası and another in Bodrum.

Man on the run: Nigel Andrews Royal Resorts main man Nigel Andrews - who fled Aberdeen, Scotland, in 2003 with his brother Lionel, to Spain after racking up £700,000 in debts in five months in a nightclub venture called The Vaults – is believed to have used the Paradise Bay images to market it as an off-plan project.

Even though, he didn’t own the land or have building permission, investors on the doomed project were then shifted to another development called Manzara, aka Royal Residence, at Ladies Beach, in Kuşadasi by Andrews.

But Voices has discovered that despite New Zealand-born Andrews being close to getting the land at Ladies Beach, the deal was never fully struck with the landowner and the development never built.

Meanwhile, another project called Oase Luxium, at Bodrum, also came under the Royal Resorts radar. Investors are believed to have bought there as well.

It is understood that when clearing work began on the Kusadasi and Bodrum projects, investors’ money was then released per contractual conditions to Andrews and Royal Resorts.

Voices has learned that Royal Resorts pocketed upwards of 1 million Euros leaving many victims and contractors unpaid. And many of them demanding there money back

Andrews, who is thought to be in Almeira, Spain, is not answering emails or telephone calls. His facebook account, along with his wife Margaret or Mags Andrews’ account, have been closed down.

Second-in-command: Paul ‘Mr Snowflake’ Collins

Paul Collins, the second-in-command, is also on the missing list. His is believed to be married to a Turkish doctor and based in Bodrum.

Collins, who used to operate for a Finnish real estate company, is understood to have known Andrews from their days at a company called MRI.

Collins also operated two tour/flight companies called Sky Blue Experiences and Snowflake Experiences for summer and winter breaks. Both websites are no longer available.

Interestingly, his registered business address is quoted as Zeytindali, 2 Evleri Severcan Cad. No 18 Blok C Ground Floor Bodrum. Mugla. Turkey and another one in Spain at: Bulevar Principe Alfonso Von Hohenlohe, Edifico Milla de Oro, Oficina 6, Marbella.

In October 2009, it appears that Collins was attempting to secure a contract with Bodrum’s Flamingo Country Club. He claimed that Sky Blue Experiences was formed with two brothers – thought to be Nigel and Lionel Andrews - and a third man who is Irish.

The Paradise Bay link

It was during his time in Finland that Collins contacted architect, Belgium national and Dominican Republic resident Bruno Van Haudenhuyse.

In an exclusive interview with Voices, Mr Van Haudenhuyse said: “I was contacted by Paul Collins in November 2008, who worked for a Finnish real-estate company I did a 3D animation for in 2007.

“That was a 3D-project only, but when we sent him a couple of architectural designs and 3Ds as part of a promotional mail, he asked us whether we would be willing and able to design a hotel complex.

“We did a preliminary concept, based on their requirements, which were quite extensive and ambitious. They accepted our ideas and asked us to start designing. An agreement was made, and we were paid a fixed retainer every month for this work.”

That was to be the Paradise Bay project and they flew Mr Van Haudenhuyse to Turkey in February 2009 to visit Akbük and did a tour of local construction materials suppliers. But then they stopped paying him as they were about to start the preliminary structural design.

He said: “Royal Resorts Turkey stopped paying for our services end of March 2009 without notice, and never responded to our emails for outstanding payments, never respected the agreed-upon cancellation fees and compensations.

“In fact, as we discovered later, they were using the documents we provided to illustrate our ideas, concepts and designs, to market this project. The image used by Voices was never paid for by RRT. We were duped.

“But according to our agreements, they were supposed to stop using those images if they decided not to work with us anymore. They did not, and though there was no way they could continue this design without us after April 2009, they obviously kept selling it as a real project for months afterwards.

“The design in itself was 'real', meant to be built as shown in the images, and we were working hard on making that happen, shopping centre and movie theatre included.

“As they stopped working with us in April 2009, all their communication from that moment on about this design was effectively false, as there was no way they could realise this project”

The Victims

Victims come from all walks of life and across the globe. Many speak of being duped by promises of the Akbuk and Kusadasi developments.

Lost amounts in the scam are believed to be between 30,000 Euros and 100,000 Euros, but one investor ploughed in 200,000 Euros.

First appeared on Didim Voices Newspaper
08.06.2010