Mon Ethos Pro Support, recently at the center of a whirlwind of legal controversy and corporate changeover, continues to operate in the territory, conducting business with government departments.
On Thursday, Curtis Jones, who last week was announced as the new owner of Mon Ethos, delivered an order of security cameras to the Department of Education on St. Croix. The cameras, according to a press release from the company, were “specifically built to meet the needs” of VIDE. The security equipment is slated for installation in public schools across the big island.
Another component of the project Mon Ethos was contracted to do for the Department of Education was the development of a custom software solution “tailored to the USVI, which eliminates the need for recurring licensing fees.” Mon Ethos estimates that this custom software could save the VI Government hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Department of Education to ensure that our schools are secure," the company said.
Meanwhile, Mon Ethos is still awaiting payment for work performed on behalf of the V.I. Police Department. That engagement ended in legal wrangling, after the Government of the Virgin Islands reportedly fell behind on its invoices and sought relief from the courts for the return of information and equipment that it had given to Mon Ethos to perform the requested work.
Now that Mon Ethos has complied with a temporary restraining order issued by the court and the government has dropped its lawsuit in response, former owner David Whitaker wonders when the still-outstanding bill will be settled. “The payments we are now seeking are for services completed as far back as February of this year,” Mr. Whitaker told the Consortium on Tuesday. Given the resolution of the court matter, “we expect to be paid for the outstanding invoices immediately – this week.”
Should payment not be forthcoming, Mr. Whitaker — who says that despite the new ownership he continues to offer support to Mon Ethos in his official capacity as founder — indicated that the company was ready to return to the courts. “We are fully prepared to litigate and file the already-prepared documents,” he said. “We are ready to take the necessary legal actions to ensure that MEPSVI is paid for the services we have already provided and that the Government committed to paying.”
The contract for the V.I. Department of Education camera and software project was secured through a competitive bidding process, which according to Mon Ethos reinforces its position “as a leading provider of innovative security solutions in the Virgin Islands.”
