Keith Lightfoot Blogosphere

Martin van Beynen, a journalist from The Press Newspaper, Christchurch, New Zealand, sent me a blunt, no description, short email with less than 24 hours to respond, merely asking me to call him.

—–Original Message—–]
Sent: Tuesday, 13 January 2009 10:09 a.m.
To: keith@publicspeaking.co.nz
Subject: Website Feedback
From: martin van beynen || email address: martin.vanbeynen@press.co.nz
Hello Keith Please contact me today. Ph 9432 858

In this world of information overload and multiple email accounts, I only clear my business email accounts once a week so you can imagine my surprise “the next morning” when I was once again the main topic of his column in the newspaper.

- – - – See article printed below:
New careers for controversial businessmen

Two controversial Christchurch businessmen have started 2009 with new roles.

Keith Lightfoot, whose recruitment company reneged on a refund policy to potential migrants in late 2006, is now advertising himself as a motivational speaker.

His new website blames his business failure on international currencies, immigration policies and “related decisions made by the three directors”, but makes no mention of the hundreds of migrants who lost their refundable deposits.

The other businessman, former Christchurch Casino acting chief executive Stephen Lyttelton, who resigned in mid-2007 during a flurry of allegations about the casino, is now the chief executive of New Image Group, an Auckland-based health products company specialising in colostrum (cows’ first milk) derivatives.

At the time of the casino crisis, Lyttelton said he needed to flee Christchurch because he feared assassination by unspecified interests. He is now based in Auckland.

Lightfoot, on his website, says he lost his marriage, his income, his assets and his family after the recruitment company failure. “Keith picked himself up and began writing music, books, teaching people to speak in public and consulting for a well-established internet development company,” he says on the website.

He was a director of Stu Macann and Associates Ltd, which left about 250 potential migrants, who had each paid about $3000 to secure a job in New Zealand, in the lurch. Lightfoot then worked for a new company, Skills New Zealand, which took over the business, but left before it went into liquidation.

Fellow director Stu Macann, of Nelson, is still a director of a company called International Student Recruitment, which was set up in 2007.

New Image Group chairman Graeme Clegg describes Lyttelton as an internationally experienced businessman with “a career spanning over 30 years and a proven record of success”. Lyttelton left the casino in 2007 and made public accusations that the casino was corrupt and skimming off revenue.

However, he refused to divulge any information to an Internal Affairs Department investigation. His deputy at the casino, Peter Arbuckle, who resigned with Lyttelton and also fled Christchurch fearing for his life, has returned to the city.

Lyttelton said the chapter of his life at the casino was now behind him and he was enjoying his new job. He did not believe his life was now under threat. “That’s all cleared up. I did work in Macau, but the venture did not proceed. It didn’t get funding,” he said.

A board member of AgResearch for seven years, he had always had an interest in biotechnology, he said. He said his stint at the casino would not cast a shadow over his future career.

Efforts to contact Lightfoot were unsuccessful.

- – - – End of Article

For some reason I have become the victim of Martin’s assumptions. From my experience I believe his newspaper column is often inaccurate, highly opinionated and very hurtful to the people involved.

His accusations are printed without verification by the newspaper, the article is then picked up by the internet and before the month is out his latest expose is being read by tens of thousands of people all over the world.

Someone once told me that only “hurt people, hurt people” and that people often reflect the hurts that are inside of them in the way they interact with the people around them. So I hold no grudge against Martin, in fact I hope and pray that he finds a way to ease the seemingly inescapable pain in his own life and begins to see that every day is a blessing and that there is good in mankind.

What I regret most in my life is the hurt I have unintentionally caused other people. In my lifelong passion to help others and my endless search for love and acceptance, I have had moments of carelessness that have produced pain instead of assistance and love.

This blog is not trying to suggest my lack of involvement in the “incident” that Martin constantly dredges up, because clearly I am involved. It is purely an attempt to get more of the truth on the table.

It has taken me three months of consideration to finally put this in writing, mainly because I realise it will not actually help and also because I suspect it will just spark another silly round of accusations, forum discussions and email exchanges.

This is the first time (and the last time) I intend to write about this subject. As Michael Jackson would say, “This is it!” To date I have remained quiet and allowed the snipers to take pot shots at my reputation, clearly that policy has not worked.

For those who are still interested in this “old news”, here is a very brief summary:
1. I entered the computer industry in 1969
2. My profile, honesty, caring, generosity, integrity, customer satisfaction and business track record has always been impeccable
3. In September 2003, I teamed up with two business associates and formed a New Zealand immigration/recruitment company to help migrants find permanent work and earn the right to enjoy this beautiful country
4. The written testimonials, hugs and personal thanks from migrants were sometimes overwhelming and made the environment a wonderful place to work
5. Although the organisation was very successful in assisting many migrants, it eventually collapsed
6. A new business was quickly formed in an attempt to salvage the operation and fulfil the promise made the migrants, unfortunately it was too late and the new venture also folded
7. As a result, loyal employees of the firm lost their job, some of them struggling to find work and severely damaging their lifestyle
8. The migrants who had been promised immigration assistance, were left high and dry, with no recourse and a loss of investment, between a few hundred dollars and a maximum of approximately three thousand dollars per person
9. Local creditors were also badly affected and within a few weeks the business had completely vanished
10. The company directors were then subject to an investigation by the assigned receiver and by the commerce commission. Both investigations found that the directors had not acted irresponsibly, had done everything possible to save the business and no charges were made
11. Despite being legally cleared of any financial obligations to the creditors and the migrants, I have always had a desire (and I have spoken openly of this to friends, former directors and family) to re pay the people affected, a fact which Martin has decided to ignore through lack of a courtesy conversation before publishing.

Since the demise of the company, I have been working hard to carve out a new life, working in the internet business, teaching people to speak in public, writing books and recording new songs. My personal debt is slowly reducing and with God’s help, and the love of my friends and family, my efforts should enable me to re gain part of my life and some level of financial stability.

Martin van Beynen has successfully managed to harpoon the only person who actually still cares for the migrant’s situation, has potentially slowed down the process of repair and has attempted to drag my public profile into the gutter.

Many people have told me that I am crazy to even entertain the idea of wanting to re pay the debt, given that I am not liable or legally obliged to do so, and after reading Martin’s article, plus still being subject to a constant barrage of venomous migrant blogs, vicious forum discussions and tiresome emails, I am starting to heed their advice.

It appears that the world has sunk to a level where people can no longer consider the possibility that they are not the only one hurt by an event, where people choose instead to carry an emotional chip on their shoulder forever and where it is inconceivable that a person (like me) could actually be quietly working with a seemingly wild idea of helping them in the long term.

I will continue to forge ahead and I will continue to consider the notion of creditor repayment, but as a result of Martin’s article and the realisation that he (and other people who choose to grandstand without consideration or proper investigation) will never cease to attack me, I am more inclined to just get on with my own life and do what I can to help others who are more needy, more empathetic and less judgemental.

For the record: When the company collapsed, I was left with no home, no car, no furniture, no assets, huge debts, formal investigations, potential bankruptcy, a collapsed marriage and a bad name to clear. My efforts over the past two years have been focused on “keeping my head down”, working hard, re paying my debts, re shaping my self esteem and re building my personal relationships. The easy option would have been to declare bankruptcy and walk away from my personal debts. I decided to take the road less travelled.

Special thanks to Martin van Beynen for sparking this blog and causing me to toughen up a little.

Keith Lightfoot: Blog: Without Prejudice April 2009