Szczecin: The Backlash from South Africa
Legal action has been threatened against Duske by various players in Cape Town, who are indignant that he took their names in vain.
"He acted without my authority, without consulting me and simply advanced my name and my company without any authorization whatsoever," said Martin Wragge, whose name had appeared in connection with the project in various publications, including Lokale. Mr Wragge's company LRPS had been listed as one of the companies that was supposedly to form the consortium that would develop the 'Century City' scheme in Szczecin.
"He [Duske] came to see me in South Africa and indicated that he had this development proposition in Poland," continued Wragge. "I said to him that it sounded like a wonderful concept but that my involvement would be subject to my availability and that I would have to go to Poland to check on the situation there."
That, said Wragge, had never happened: "I have not been to Poland, I have not seen any drawings [of the project] and I have not done any work at all [to do with the scheme]," he added.
Another matter that has raised the hackles of many others in Cape Town is Duske's use of the 'Century City' moniker for his proposed development. 'Century City' is the name given to a multibillion-rand multifunctional center in the South African capital which at the time of its inception in 1997 was touted as one of the most ambitious property projects ever undertaken in the country. Had Duske's own plans contained any substance then they too would have come close to matching the enormity of the Cape Town development, which was the initiative of Monex, the company headed by Martin Wragge until 2001.
Asked if he had known that Duske had planned to call the Szczecin scheme 'Century City,' Wragge replied: "No, I had no such idea, because it was going to be in Poland - how could it be called Century City?"
The current owners of Century City, Century City Property Developments (CCPD), are now also "up in arms," according to the South African Business Day newspaper, about Duske's use of their name without proper clearance.
In a report on July 30, Business Day's reporter Nick Wilson quoted the CCPD managing Director Greg Deans as stating that his firm had "never discussed nor entered into an agreement or arrangement to be involved in a development of the reported nature in Poland" and that "we view this matter in a very serious light and have handed it over to our attorneys." He also mentioned that Steven Toerien, Duske's erstwhile partner at Deutsche Africa, had contacted his company about a "year or so" ago but that the enquiry was "purely in regard to the purchase of some land at Century City which never materialized." Steven Toerien had told Lokale that though he had been Deutsche Africa's managing director he had no dealings with anything to do with Szczecin, though according to Wragge he had been present at the meeting when Duske first brought up the possibility of the Polish scheme. But "my impression was that he had not been to Poland," added Wragge, who Business Day also reported had written to Duske to demand the removal of references to himself and LRPS from the Tyger Developer website, which the German had set up to promote his Century City scheme. "If he fails to do so I will contemplate further action," Wragge was reported as saying. But no action has as yet been taken, as a visit to the site confirms. LRPS is clearly listed, in Polish, as the "designer and consultant," alongside the other organizations the site claims is participating in the Szczecin project, which are Deutsche Africa, Tyger Developer, Andersen Capital and the City of Szczecin itself.
Wragge was also keen to put his case as regards his departure from Monex after insider dealing allegations against him in 2001, which Lokale referred to in the July 2 issue. "The facts are that, on review, the FSB (Financial Services Board in South Africa) accepted my bona fides and exonerated me from any wrongdoing. Unfortunately the very media which made such a meal of the 'investigation' passed over its dismissal."
"He acted without my authority, without consulting me and simply advanced my name and my company without any authorization whatsoever," said Martin Wragge, whose name had appeared in connection with the project in various publications, including Lokale. Mr Wragge's company LRPS had been listed as one of the companies that was supposedly to form the consortium that would develop the 'Century City' scheme in Szczecin.
"He [Duske] came to see me in South Africa and indicated that he had this development proposition in Poland," continued Wragge. "I said to him that it sounded like a wonderful concept but that my involvement would be subject to my availability and that I would have to go to Poland to check on the situation there."
That, said Wragge, had never happened: "I have not been to Poland, I have not seen any drawings [of the project] and I have not done any work at all [to do with the scheme]," he added.
Another matter that has raised the hackles of many others in Cape Town is Duske's use of the 'Century City' moniker for his proposed development. 'Century City' is the name given to a multibillion-rand multifunctional center in the South African capital which at the time of its inception in 1997 was touted as one of the most ambitious property projects ever undertaken in the country. Had Duske's own plans contained any substance then they too would have come close to matching the enormity of the Cape Town development, which was the initiative of Monex, the company headed by Martin Wragge until 2001.
Asked if he had known that Duske had planned to call the Szczecin scheme 'Century City,' Wragge replied: "No, I had no such idea, because it was going to be in Poland - how could it be called Century City?"
The current owners of Century City, Century City Property Developments (CCPD), are now also "up in arms," according to the South African Business Day newspaper, about Duske's use of their name without proper clearance.
In a report on July 30, Business Day's reporter Nick Wilson quoted the CCPD managing Director Greg Deans as stating that his firm had "never discussed nor entered into an agreement or arrangement to be involved in a development of the reported nature in Poland" and that "we view this matter in a very serious light and have handed it over to our attorneys." He also mentioned that Steven Toerien, Duske's erstwhile partner at Deutsche Africa, had contacted his company about a "year or so" ago but that the enquiry was "purely in regard to the purchase of some land at Century City which never materialized." Steven Toerien had told Lokale that though he had been Deutsche Africa's managing director he had no dealings with anything to do with Szczecin, though according to Wragge he had been present at the meeting when Duske first brought up the possibility of the Polish scheme. But "my impression was that he had not been to Poland," added Wragge, who Business Day also reported had written to Duske to demand the removal of references to himself and LRPS from the Tyger Developer website, which the German had set up to promote his Century City scheme. "If he fails to do so I will contemplate further action," Wragge was reported as saying. But no action has as yet been taken, as a visit to the site confirms. LRPS is clearly listed, in Polish, as the "designer and consultant," alongside the other organizations the site claims is participating in the Szczecin project, which are Deutsche Africa, Tyger Developer, Andersen Capital and the City of Szczecin itself.
Wragge was also keen to put his case as regards his departure from Monex after insider dealing allegations against him in 2001, which Lokale referred to in the July 2 issue. "The facts are that, on review, the FSB (Financial Services Board in South Africa) accepted my bona fides and exonerated me from any wrongdoing. Unfortunately the very media which made such a meal of the 'investigation' passed over its dismissal."
