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Roban denies conflict of interest

Minister of Environment Walter Roban stated his previous employment at HSBC was not a conflict of interest regarding the special development order at Rosewood Tucker’s Point.Yesterday, this newspaper alerted Mr Roban to comments on an internet forum alleging his position as a vice president at the bank was in conflict with his role protecting the Island’s environment.He said he is currently not professionally or personally linked to HSBC and does not stand to profit from their financial wellbeing.Rosewood Tucker’s Point president Ed Trippe has admitted the sale of private residences could help repay an $85million loan. Mr Roban said he has not been on the bank’s payroll since August 2009 when he took a temporary leave of absence after being promoted to the Cabinet. He added that he left the bank in December 2010.Yesterday his spokeswoman denied he was involved in how “Tucker’s Point Club could find a way to pay back its loan to HSBC” nor was he involved in the planning for the project, adding: “Minister Roban added that he has never had shareholdings in Bank of Bermuda or HSBC and that rumors saying the contrary are incorrect.“