Cam, who are the two men in this photo?

Scott Martin and Luke Preece.

Can you guess when and where this photo was taken?

Fairly recent though Luke does seem to have aged a lot more than Scott. Was it from Thailand or Bali?

It was taken in Phuket, Thailand in September 2009. Did you know that they had taken a trip to Patong, Phuket together in 2009 seven months before Scott Martin was appointed school manager at TBI Jalan Jawa?

No I didn’t. It’s very odd he didn’t mention it too because he did eventually tell me that he had gone back to Thailand in 2010 with Scott. He said he had been to Thailand several times and never mentioned that Scott Martin had accompanied him.

I found it in Scott Martin’s Facebook album Thailand (Phuket and Ko Phi Phi) September 2009. What do you make of the fact that Luke had never mentioned that Scott had gone with him to Thailand on at least two occasions?

Clearly he was trying to hide the fact that Scott Martin was his best friend, as it made Scott’s appointment at Jalan Jawa look suspect and nepotistic. He was trying to create the appearance of distance between them so I wouldn’t draw the correct conclusions.

There are comments from some of Scott’s Facebook buddies asking where the photos of people are. It seems likely he has been trying to cover his trail and only one photo of the pair of them remained in this album.

That doesn’t surprise me. Luke would have ordered him to take them out to cover his tracks.

‘Ordered him’ is an interesting word choice. How do you see the power dynamic between Scott and Luke?

Just like that. Luke gives orders and Scott follows them.

What is your impresson of how Luke Preece perceives himself in relation to others?

I think he thinks he is better than everyone else. Certainly smarter.

Do you think that the reason Scott Martin is his only real friend is because Scott is willing to accept a sort of master-subordinate relationship?

Yes that was the impression I got.

I received a half a dozen emails from TBI Jalan Jawa (Riau) teachers complaining about Scott’s mismanagement of the school. What did you hear about his managerial skills?

Nothing too much. What Luke said was that Scott Martin was a foot soldier. He may not have been getting amazing results but he ket everything running in a very difficult and challenging school.

Did you hear any whispers about his reputation amongst teachers?

I know that some of the other more experienced teachers were aghast at his appointment as School Manager of TBI’s biggest school barely a year after he started teaching. Jodi Shiek told me that Scott had barely passed his CELTA and that few people ever fail who are accepted. She once caught him mouthing off against R** W (the CELTA trainer) in the staffroom and Jodi told him off and went to Mariam about his lack of professional courtesy. I heard he was regarded as a weak teacher and that many of the Indonesian teachers disliked him. But there was always this fiction that he was the only candidate for the job. So I always thought- well, no one else put their hand up for the position,- but that turned out to be a lie too. Knowing that Luke Preece had ‘lost’ the CVs of Mareizka and others really changes the picture.

Can you remind people what ended up happening to R** W***?

He was forced out. No announcement was even made of his leaving despite the fact that he was the main CELTA tutor and had been with the company for years.

Can you remind people what happened to Mariezka just days after she spoke to me?

She was fired by the Head of Franchise, Luke Preece.

Do you believe that Luke and Scott work together to remove people they perceive as their enemies?

No I don’t. Luke Preece doesn’t work with anyone. Loyalty is something he believes other people owe him. He doesn’t owe loyalty to anyone. He tells Scott Martin what to do and Scott does it.

What do you make of Scott Martin’s removal as Manager of TBI Riau in mid-2012 and his replacement by Ratna?

Our blog reflected a groundswell of anger about the rigged appointment. By publishing what had really happened, things finally reached a critical mass and Luke had no choice but to throw Scott under the bus. This is what he eventually does to everyone, because he only cares about himself.

Does it surprise you that Scott has stayed on in Bandung in a school one-fifth the size? Does it surprise you that he is still loyal to Luke Preece?

Luke once told me that he wanted Scott to stay in Indonesia until he found a wife. I suppose that small franchise school was the best Luke could do for him when Mariam ordered Preece to chuck Scott Martin off the USG books. Maybe he’ll leave after he finds a wife. Who knows.