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VOLUME:114 No.148, JUNE 26TH, 2017

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Sarkis: Halt the Baha Mar sale

Former developer seeks moratorium on CTFE purchase

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Baha Mar developer Sarkis Izmirlian yesterday called for a moratorium on the megaresort’s sale to Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Ltd and a full investigation into the deal struck by the former government citing “unusual, one-sided” concessions and openly accusing the Christie administration of “self-dealing” and “statesponsored discrimination”.

Days after members of the new administration said it saw no cause to renegotiate the

OFFICIAL Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis has accused the Minnis administration of a “breathtaking climb down” over its seemingly reversed position on Baha Mar, which he said was part of the Free National Movement’s election campaign of “deceit”.

The statement from the Progressive Liberal Party leader came days after Attorney General Carl

TWO-YEAR-OLD GIRL KILLED IN CAR CRASH

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

A TWO-YEAR-OLD girl is dead after she was thrown in a traffic accident from the car her mother was driving Saturday afternoon.

The tragic accident took place shortly after 6pm on John F Kennedy Drive.

Office-in-Charge of the Traffic Division, Assistant Superintendent Craig Stubbs said two vehicles, which were travelling west on JFK Drive, “somehow SEE PAGE SIX

A TWIRL AND A SWIRL OF COLOUR AT FESTIVAL

terms of the sale, a statement from Mr Izmirlian’s BMD Holdings Ltd explained the demand for the sale process to be halted was motivated by a review of the recently released heads of terms between the Export Import Bank of China (CEXIM), China State Construction and the government.

The statement reiterates the former developer’s pledge that he is fully prepared to purchase the beleaguered resort, complete construction and operate it with a full Bahamian workforce and organisation.

SEE PAGE 11

DAVIS SAYS FNM ‘CLIMB DOWN’ SHOWS DECEIT IN CAMPAIGN

By TANEKA THOMPSON Tribune News Editor tmthompson@tribunemedia.net

HOME

Bethel told The Tribune there is nothing “unusual” in the documents relating to Baha Mar’s sale to Chow Tai Fook Enterprises.

Mr Davis said the FNM acted in “desperation” while in opposition by suggesting there was something illegal or unethical in the documents relating to the mega resort’s sale and remobilisation. He also questioned what the FNM “promised” Baha Mar’s original developer Sarkis Izmirlian for his support.

SEE PAGE SIX

A FILIPINO Festival was held yesterday at Holy Trinity Church, with Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis in attendance. For more photographs from the event, see page 13.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

GIBSON ORDERED MINISTRY OF WORKS TO BPL BUILDING HALT PAYMENTS FOR HURRICANE CLEAN-UP SHUT DOWN IN

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Labour and National Insurance Minister Shane Gibson ordered that payments to contractors hired by the Ministry of Works to clean-up New Providence after Hurricane Matthew be halted last November because he was concerned that their work was not properly accounted for, emails seen by The Tribune show.

Mr Gibson, the former hurricane czar under the

previous administration, appeared concerned that payments were made to people who did not have a contract specifying the terms and conditions of their service.

He believed the bills that were submitted lacked details of which specific areas contractors had been cleaned up, creating the possibility that duplicate bills were issued by contractors.

“Please don’t release or prepare anymore cheques without my express permission, unless it is for payment

as per contracts executed by Permanent Secretary Jack Thompson,” Mr Gibson wrote to senior civil servants in December. “That includes payments for maintenance of dump sites. A stop order was given for all areas except Centreville.”

Among the contractors who were supposed to be affected by the stop order was Johnathan Ash, the businessman at the centre of a controversy Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis revealed in Parliament last week.

SEE PAGE 12

PLP TOLD ‘SEEK REDEMPTION, NOT JUSTIFICATION’

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE Office of the Prime Minister has urged the Progressive Liberal Party to seek redemption from the Bahamian people, rather than attempt to explain away or justify “years of mismanaging the country”.

In a statement, the OPM responded to former Deputy Prime Minister and current Official Opposition Leader Phillip “Brave” Davis, who denied last week that the former PLP administration abused public funds and accused Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis of seeking to portray members of the PLP as “crooks”

in an attempt to cover “his inability to lead”.

Mr Davis’ comments came days after Dr Minnis revealed several points of concern over public contracts, including that one vendor received more than $8m to clean up New Providence in the wake of Hurricane Matthew.

SEE PAGE 12

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By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE administration building at Bahamas Power and Light’s Big Pond office was shut down to staff and customers over the weekend, while a forensic audit was being carried out on the utility provider’s finances, The Tribune understands.

According to a memo sent to BPL employees, beginning 6pm on Friday and “throughout the weekend” the “administration and Big Pond building will be closed to employees except those working in system control and emergency areas.”

“Access to these buildings will resume on Monday, June 26, 2017 at 7am,” the memo continued.

According to a source close to the matter, the offices were closed to allow “full access” to Ernst and Young auditors to investigate the millions of dollars SEE PAGE 11

PAGE 2, Monday, June 26, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

SANDALS TEAMS UP WITH NAGB FOR 80 FOOT MURAL

A MURAL with colourful fish now covers one of the exterior walls of the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas.

In honour of World Ocean’s Day, the Sandals Foundation and Sandals Royal Bahamian commissioned artists Dede Brown and Dylan Rapillard to paint the ocean-themed mural. Assisted by Shardae Pratt, Sandals team member and daughter of the late great Bahamian artist Chan Pratt, the 80ft-long mural is a bright addition to the historical structures on West Hill Street.

Lazar Delorenzo Charlton, public relations man-

ager at Sandals Royal Bahamian said: “West Hill Street is not only a high traffic area for locals and tourists alike, but the buildings in the area have a rich history and the artists did an amazing job.”

Amanda Coulson, director of the National Art Gallery said: “This mural not only speaks to the great connection that the art community now has with Sandals and the Sandals Foundation, but we’re also happy that we were able to work together to connect with the residents of West Hill and the surrounding community by launching this initiative.”

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THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 26, 2017, PAGE 3

FIREFIGHTERS CALLED TO POTTER’S CAY DOCK AS BLAZE RIPS THROUGH ABANDONED BUILDING

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net FIREFIGHTERS extinguished a blaze on Potter’s Cay Dock Friday afternoon after an abandoned building caught fire sending plumes of black smoke up and over the Paradise Island Bridge.

The fire started shortly after noon.

Police Fire Services Chief Walter Evans said officers received information that a building was on fire at Potter’s Cay Dock. When

officers arrived on the scene, they saw a structure fully engulfed in flames.

“The information we received was an abandoned structure (was on fire) and it is believed that vagrants occupied the facility prior to the arrival of the fire department,” he said.

“It is reported that (a) lady was trapped on a boat, which was nearby at the southern end where the fire was. Luckily, she was assisted by a citizen and there was no reported injury to her or anyone else. However, we are conducting a

secondary search to ensure there is nothing contrary to our reports. We do not have the information on who the owners are at this point and, like I said, the building was occupied by vagrants.”

Police could not initially say what caused the fire.

This is the second time a fire broke out at that end of the dock. Last month, a man was killed after a container caught fire on the dock. The victim is believed to have been transferring fuel by pump between trucks.

Investigations into both matters continue.

A FIRE at Potter’s Cay, in an abandoned building.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

Budget cut by $900,000 ahead of 44th anniversary of independence

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

ORGANISERS of the country’s 44th independence anniversary celebration are promising a festive and memorable experience despite plans to have the event’s budget slashed by an estimated $900,000 as a result of the country’s current financial climate.

Fort Charlotte MP Mark Humes, who was appointed as chairman of the Independence Committee earlier this month, made the announcement during a press conference at the Churchill Building on Friday.

“The budget for this

year’s activities has again been reduced,” Mr Humes told reporters when questioned on the budget allocation for this year’s schedule of celebrations.

“I think we are aware of the economic climate in the country right now. We need to, sort of, tighten our belts.”

He later added: “A ballpark of how much it has been reduced by, I will say about $900,000.”

This would place this year’s budget at around $100,000.

The former government spent around $1m in 2016 and an estimated $1.1m in 2015.

The lowered budget is expected to cover festivi-

ties planned for New Providence, with an announcement on budgets for Family Islands and international celebrations expected in the coming weeks.

Notwithstanding the budget restraints, Mr Humes said this year’s celebration, under the theme “Toward the Rising Sun: One God, One People, One Bahamas,” will “remain at the same level or far exceed the ones we have done in the past.”

He added: “As usual, the anniversary week is a major production carried out by a large number of individuals and so it, therefore, gives me great pleasure to introduce you and the public to some of the individuals, the

movers and shakers, who have come together as programme planners, event organisers, project executors and policy advisors for this herculean effort.”

According to organisers, festivities are expected to commence with the start of the annual Junkanoo Summer Festival at Arawak Cay on Saturday, July 1.

A day later, an event will be hosted in Rawson Square at 5.30pm, followed by a National Children’s Choir concert on July 3 at the Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts.

Later that week, on July 6, officials will open the Bahamas Press Club Art Exhibition at the Central Bank, which is expected to

CHURCH NOT PAID ANY RENT DESPITE TWO YEARS OF OCCUPATION BY MINISTRY DESPITE a lease agreement being drawn up for the Ministry of Education to utilise a building owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and two years of occupation, church officials had not been paid any rent or received any money.

The agreement with the former administration had also not been signed.

This was noted in a press release issued by the Ministry of Education yesterday, detailing a meeting Sunday between Minister of Education Jeffrey Lloyd, Pastors Paul Scavella, Peter Joseph and C Melvin Lewis of the South Bahamas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

The meeting was held to discuss issues arising from the ongoing refurbishment of the Bahamas Academy school site on Wulff Road and Mr Lloyd’s contribution to the budget debate, where he raised the matter as a point of concern.

“It was noted that despite the fact that a lease agreement had been drawn up, the same had not been

signed by the ministry after more than two years of occupation, renovation, and construction on the site by the ministry,” the Ministry of Education’s statement noted.

“Further, the church had not been paid any rent or received any other monies nor was it in any manner involved with any financial transactions relating to the ministry’s occupation, renovation, and construction.

Pastor Scavella stated that the Seventh-day Adventist Church had only tried in good faith, having been approached by the Ministry of Education, to assist in providing an identified venue to address the specific needs of the Ministry of Education.

“He further said that when it became apparent that the agreed scope of work was being extended without consultation by the ministry, he had intervened to stop further work until the matters were regularised. The minister thanked the clergymen for their ob-

vious sincerity and efforts and noted that without the outstanding contributions of the Adventist Church and other Christian denominations to education, through its denominational schools which they have founded, the government would face an almost insurmountable task in guaranteeing universal access to education.”

Earlier this month, it was reported that Mr Lloyd told the House of Assembly that the Christie administration invested some $30m in school properties the government does not own and may “probably never own”.

He said $25.7m of that “involves a premises which previously housed the Seventh-day Adventist Bahamas Academy on Wulff Road.”

“About three years ago, the previous government entered into an agreement with the Seventh-day Adventists for the possible lease of the land to relocate BTVI,” Mr Lloyd said.

“The proposed cost of such

an act was pegged at $1m.

Over time, things changed and the costs ballooned to $8m, scrapping the idea of a BTVI relocation and other ideas emerging. At this moment, the government is under contract for $25.7m, with an agreement to lease the said property for five years at a cost of $60,000 per annum. This is a significant sore point. We must ask the question, who would have driven the decision making in that process?”

Mr Lloyd said at the time that he is seeking permission from the government to have a “forensic, engineering and construction audit” take place for projects in his ministry to ensure Bahamians are getting value for their money.

Pastor Leonard Johnson, head of the regional office for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in The Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands, could not attend Sunday’s meeting because of church business overseas.

continue until July 28.

National Pride Day celebrations are scheduled to take place on July 7 in Rawson Square at 10am.

The traditional Clifford Park events will begin on Sunday, July 9, at 8pm, with an ecumenical service and culminates with the flag raising at midnight.

The People’s Love and

Unity Junkanoo parade is also scheduled for midnight on Bay Street.

On Monday, July 10, a state reception will take place at Government House from 6pm-8pm.

The celebrations come to an end on Saturday, July 29, with the conclusion of the Junkanoo Summer Festival at midnight.

PAGE 4, Monday, June 26, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

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Where did Truth get lost in this maze of Untruths?

ALTHOUGH Attorney General Carl Bethel has said there appears to be nothing unusual in the terms of the now unsealed document for the sale of Baha Mar, there are those who have their doubts.

Nor did Mr Bethel find that the agreement had infringed Atlantis resort’s most favoured nation status. Here again there were those who disagreed, pointing out, for example, that Atlantis while under construction was allowed to employ 30 per cent foreign labour to 70 per cent Bahamian, whereas Baha Mar was allowed 70 per cent Chinese labour to 30 per cent Bahamian. Other concessions were being investigated and comparisons made.

Also on a radio talk show last month, former prime minister Hubert Ingraham pointed out how our economy had suffered by CEXIM’s construction company, CCA, for failing to live up to the dates that it had set for the opening of the resort in 2015. This breach of contract, he said, had resulted in Standard & Poor’s reducing The Bahamas’ credit rating to junk status because of the country’s worsening economic position. Wasn’t there a penalty clause in the contract for non-performance, and if so was it enforced? If not, why not? Mr Ingraham wanted to know.

“The reality is, they said they would do this. They haven’t done it, and why?”

Mr Ingraham asked. This is a question that the public would also like answered.

Yes, why?

Also there is another question that has never been satisfactorily answered. On Phil Ruffin’s sale of the Crystal Palace to Baha Mar’s developer in 2005, were all of his casino taxes owed government paid in full?

In the House of Assembly on October 8, 2014, then prime minister Perry Christie, who had been Mr Ruffin’s lawyer, assured members that Mr Ruffin’s outstanding tax balance had in fact been settled in full when his Wyndham and Crystal Palace casino was sold to Sarkis Izmirlian, Baha Mar’s developer.

The controversy was again ignited when Tribune Business exclusively revealed in February last year that the Auditor General’s report for the 20132014 fiscal year showed that government had revised upwards its estimate of Mr Ruffin’s taxes.

According to the Auditor General’s report, Mr Ruffin’s casino debt had increased by $2.147m from $5.13m to $7.277m as the result of a “review” by the Government’s Revenue and Tax Departments. The Auditor General maintained it had not been paid.

At the time, Mr Ruffin vehemently denied the report. He said all of his taxes had been paid through the law firm of Davis & Co. He demanded that then Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe, who in the House of Assembly, had backed the Auditor General’s position, should “desist”. However, Mr Wilchcome maintained his support of the Auditor’s report, while Mr Christie, also in the House at the time, said nothing, despite having told the House two years

earlier that the Ruffin taxes had been paid in full.

On Saturday, we asked Mr Hubert Chipman, former Public Accounts Committee chairman, whose committee had been trying to investigate the report, what had been the results of those investigations. However, his committee had not been successful in getting the information. According to the Auditor’s report, an error had been made, which had to be corrected, resulting in the increase in the taxes. Mr Chipman said that at the time he raised the matter with Mr Christie, who said he believed the taxes had been paid.

However, Mr Christie promised to investigate and get back to him. “But,” said Mr Chipman, “from that day to the dissolution of the House on April 11, I have heard no more from Mr Christie”. However, The Tribune has since heard a suggestion that $2m had been “waived”.

This was the people’s money – was it or wasn’t it paid in full? And, if waived, who would have the authority to blow away $2m of the people’s taxes? It should now be easy to get the answers.

Mr Philip “Brave” Davis, Opposition Leader in the House, should be able to answer the question because he too was Mr Ruffin’s lawyer. So at the next meeting of the House we should expect a full accounting.

Also we would like Mr Davis to explain how he could have gone to Panama on April 29, 2015, to cut the ribbon and sing the praises of China Construction America (CCA)’s expansion into Panama City – a company whose non-timely completion of Baha Mar had not only embarrassed our country as a tourist resort, but had seriously crippled our economy. Surely there has to be some restitution for this very serious and damaging breach — in fact it was a serious and costly breach of contract.

However, at that ceremony, Mr Davis told his audience that as the financier, investor and builder of the Baha Mar project, CCA had helped “create thousands of jobs for the Bahamian people and hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for local businesses. Finances, dedication, network capability and other resources are the assets of CCA: and these assets accomplish the seemingly impossible”. Somewhere in this mouthful of superlatives, Truth had lost its way.

Mr Davis should be embarrassed. He knew that back in Nassau Baha Mar was at a standstill, and though the public was made believe that the CCA developer would not start work on his own project — the Pointe –on West Bay Street — until Baha Mar had been completed, the Baha Mar miracle was already over, and preliminary work had started at the Pointe.

It is indeed an incredibly “brave” man who can still face the public having told such glaring untruths.

Maybe, Mr Davis has an explanation.

If so there are many Bahamians who would like to hear it when next he takes to the floor of the House. However, this time, Mr Davis, please do all of us a favour and give Truth more breathing space.

To those who cannot see EDITOR, The Tribune.

I WAS interested to read the letter from JB, June 23rd, on the matter of the party faithful. There are basically two forms of government, Conservative, and the many titles of the others under one umbrella, Liberal, Socialist, Democratic, Labour etc.

One usually finds Conservatives have a higher standard of education and are called “privileged” by unethical Socialists, to make a telling distinction of how much they care about the social divide.

It has been suggested that everyone at birth be given a sum of money, so

they would be “equal”, but that would do nothing to change the situation, for the more you give some people the more dependent they become, for achievement comes from within. I agree Nassau is a prime example of bull headedness, but far from the only one.

We only have to look at Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Argentina, etc, etc, etc, where people have followed empty promises until the country collapses.

In fact, Mr Chavez is quoted as saying democracy cannot exist with capitalism, it does not seem to be doing very well with Socialism. But you have the same

situation in Britain where Socialism is again rearing its ugly head in the name of Mr Corbyn, who has caught the mood of the young people with his promises.

The Labour Party has totally bankrupted Britain twice in my lifetime, and he is going back to all the failed policies of yesteryear.

The people get the kind of government they deserve, the only trouble being we all have to suffer.

Unfortunately democracy demands an opposition to make it work, therein lies the catch.

W GRATTAN Nassau, June 23, 2017.

Threatening PM should be a felony EDITOR, The Tribune.

ACCORDING to Wikipedia, threatening the president of the United States is a Class E Felony under United States Code Title 18, Section 871.

This law consists of knowingly and willingly mailing or otherwise making any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the president of the United States, as per Wikipedia.

PLP chairman Emeritus Errington “Minky” Isaacs publicly threatened to “strike” PM Dr Hubert Minnis in his mouth.

Isaacs should have been, at the very least, taken into custody and warned not to ever again threaten bodily harm to the PM. He set a very dangerous precedent and should have been made an example of.

Absolutely no one, no matter how prominent or wealthy they are, should be allowed to engage in such reckless behaviour.

No one should be allowed to threaten the PM

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net or any lawmaker, for that matter.

I don’t recall hearing any FNMs publicly threaten to harm former PM Perry Christie, despite his administration’s disastrous stewardship of the nation’s finances.

This country just endured the absolute worst five year period of governance since the colonial era.

Christie was the worst PM this country has ever had. The man was that bad as a PM. This cannot be stated enough.

They nearly wrecked this country. PLPs such as Isaacs are livid that they are no longer in a position to benefit from the treasury.

Millions of dollars that emanated from VAT benefitted an inner circle of PLPs, while tens of thousands of Bahamians struggled to buy groceries and keep up with their mortgage and utility payments,

due to VAT. PLPs are the reason why VAT was unable to put a dent on the national debt.

Had Isaacs threatened President Donald Trump on American soil, the Secret Service would have wasted no time in apprehending him.

He would have been liable to more than one year imprisonment with a potential fine of $250,000.

The American government don’t treat this crime like a misdemeanor.

What Isaacs did must be taken seriously by the RBPF and other law enforcement agencies.

While PLPs may not like Minnis as a person, due to him leading a massive political tsunami which virtually wiped out the their party on election day, they have no right to threaten him.

Minnis is the PM. PLPs must stop sulking and get over it.

THE WHISTLEBLOWER Nassau, June 24, 2017.

Diligence on Lucaya sale?

EDITOR,The Tribune.

PURCHASER FOR OUR LUCAYA Thanks for publishing the letter from a W. Thompson.

Went to Google and checked those URLs that were mentioned concerning the Steve Wynn, Canada Group, who are trying to purchase Our Lucaya.

To me, I would hope someone will check on

these people.

Did the PLP do proper due diligence?

Surely, we have to be more than careful, who we approve for Freeport, because a further failure, you might as well close the island down, and say that is enough... we gone!

JASMIN MOULTRIE, Ms., Nassau, June 23, 2017.

LETTERS EXTRA See page eight

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 26, 2017, PAGE 5

Public-private partnerships put on hold, warns Bethel

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY General Carl Bethel revealed on Friday that his office has put six public-private partnerships on hold, one of them including a grant of 30 acres of Crown land that was executed days before “if not on the day” of the general election.

Senator Bethel said it was initially believed that only one contract had been formalised. However, it was later discovered that two other contracts were entered into for two of the public-private partnerships (PPPs) without oversight from the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs.

He said that one of the contracts was signed on May 9.

The PPP contracts included proposals to “construct an administrative office building on 30 acres of prime agricultural Crown land on Gladstone Road (as well as) reconstruct an administrative office for the administrator and police

station in Harbour Island, entered into with the same company that had agreed to build the Gladstone Road complex; construct a new administrator’s office and police station in Eight Mile Rock; construct a new General Post Office at the Independence Drive Plaza; construct a new building to house the Road Traffic Department at TWD Highway and Knowles Drive and provide contractual works pursuant to a scope of works, which had no pricing information, all in respect of the Fox Hill Community Centre.”

For the company that had undertaken the two jobs at Gladstone Road and in Harbour Island, the memorandums of understanding were combined, according to Senator Bethel.

“That MOU called for the 30 acres to be granted to the builder by a Crown grant,” Mr Bethel said, “so that it could then lease the same land back to the government. The transfer of title was said to be so as to enable that builder to borrow necessary funds from a bank to fund the construction.

“I am informed, that the Crown grant was executed by the former government within days, if not on the day, of the general elections.”

Mr Bethel continued: “It now transpires, so far as we know now, that in fact two other contracts were entered into, one for the new General Post Office, and the third for the Eight Mile Rock building. Officials of my ministry, although they were briefed and working on the proposed contracts, had not ‘signed off,’ or given the okay to the signing of these two contracts, and were never informed that officials in another ministry had gone ahead, and signed them, one on the 9th May, 2017, a day before the general elections.

“All of these MOUs or contracts,” he said, “have now been put on hold pending a thorough review to determine if they or any one of them are truly in the best interests of the people, in respect of their pricing or other terms and conditions, and whether there was anything untoward in respect of any of them.”

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

an answer because he has to exercise quasi-judicial functions with the utmost seriousness and utmost dedication to upholding the law and the constitution.”

His statement followed accusations levelled by Works Minister Desmond Bannister, who told Parliament last week that some members of the Christie administration are “guilty” of misfeasance.

Mr Bannister suggested that Mr Bethel will have to determine if they should be held liable for the “millions” in taxpayer dollars that were awarded in questionable contracts.

In the Senate Friday, Mr Bethel issued a scathing rebuke of the former government’s management of the country’s affairs, which he asserted led Bahamians to express their “deep disquiet and visceral disgust” by voting the party out of office.

“Bahamians would have also heard repeated calls for the attorney general to initiate ‘investigations’ of these apparent or suggested ‘abuses’ or alleged acts of ‘misfeasance,” he said.

“This is the situation which now confronts us.

As Shakespeare wrote, ‘something is rotten in the state….’ People feel it, they sense it and the parliamentary debate in the other place has raised questions which might tend to support the perceptions and the angst of the public, as expressed in that other place and in social media.

“People want transparency, they want a full accounting. They are aware of legal developments in the Caribbean Court of Justice which enshrined the ability to sue former ministers of government for the civil tort of misfeasance in a public office, but which case also referred to, touched upon the criminal cause of action for misconduct in public office.”

Standing on a point of order, PLP Senator Fred Mitchell accused Mr Bethel of holding the threat of prosecution over the heads of himself and Senator Michael Darville, both of whom are former Cabinet ministers.

“Is an allegation being made about one of us committed some act of malfeasance?” Mr Mitchell asked.

“If not, this act of holding some threat over people’s

ATTORNEY General Carl Bethel.

AG’S OFFICE ‘WILL NOT GET INVOLVED IN WRANGLING’ ATTORNEY General Carl Bethel on Friday distanced his office from allegations of misfeasance made against the former Progressive Liberal Party government in the House of Assembly and on social media.

Mr Bethel stressed that the Office of the Attorney General would not get involved in the “day-to-day political wrangling” on allegations of misfeasance which have come from his Cabinet colleagues, adding that there were “different considerations” in the exercise of his duties.

Speaking during the Senate’s budget debate, he underscored the balancing act between his political appointment and the independence mandated by his office.

“I want it clear that I continually caution the press,” he said, “that the attorney general is not a minister that can be questioned on everything that happens to be said by someone somewhere else and expect to get

$178,000 SPENT BY GOVT ON FOREIGN LAWYERS DURING PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGE APPEAL

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net THE government racked up more than $100,000 in legal costs connected to its appeal of the landmark Supreme Court ruling on parliamentary privilege, according to Attorney General Carl Bethel, who noted that the sum represented costs for foreign lawyers.

During his contribution to the 2017/2018 budget debate in the Senate, Mr Bethel reiterated the determining factors behind the

government’s decision to have the matter withdrawn, which centred on the high costs associated with the appeal.

The former administration engaged three QCs, one from the United Kingdom, one from the region, and a local attorney, he said, adding that the sum of $178,348 was spent on the engagement of the foreign lawyers.

“And this is even without any consideration of the huge legal costs that we are likely to face from the other side,” Mr Bethel said, “which is likely to be

in the tens if not hundreds of thousands.

“Further, had the appeal proceeded, it would likely have ended up before the Privy Council whatever the outcome, causing an enormous drain on the public purse for no real value in terms of the development of jurisprudence.”

The notice of withdrawal was filed on May 31, according to Mr Bethel, who explained that the government’s haste was motivated by the desire to immediately stop the escalation of costs.

US WOMAN AMONG THREE HELD AFTER DRUG FIND POLICE arrested three people on Saturday—including an American woman—in two separate instances for drug possession.

A man and a woman were taken into custody following the seizure of a large amount of marijuana.

Around 1am Saturday, officers assigned to the Southcentral Division executed a search warrant on a home

located on Coconut Grove Avenue where they found 46 pounds of marijuana. A male occupant of the home was taken into custody. Police later arrested a female resident of the home in connection with this find.

Police also arrested an American woman from Dallas, Texas, shortly after 10am on Saturday for drug possession.

Officers from the Tourism Policing Unit, acting on information, went on board a cruise ship moored at Prince George Wharf where they arrested the woman after they found a quantity of marijuana in her possession.

The woman is expected to appear in court early this week to be formally charged.

MAN HELD OVER AMMUNITION DISCOVERY POLICE in Bimini arrested a 33-year-old Bahamian man after a large seizure of ammunition on Friday.

Shortly before 7pm, while on routine patrol in South Bimini in the area of a

marina, officers searched a blue and white 22ft unregistered vessel docked at that marina and discovered on board in a compartment 489 .9mm rounds, 50 .357 rounds, 250 .40 rounds, 50 .44 rounds and 391 .45

rounds of ammunition, totaling 1,239 rounds.

A suspect is expected to be formally arraigned in Magistrate’s Court early next week. The investigation into this matter is continuing.

head needs to be withdrawn because I know of no act of malfeasance on my part, neither by this member and that’s what the implicit threat is and impugning the characters of two people in here. I object to it.”

Mr Bethel explained that while he premised his remarks on allegations made in the House of Assembly, he had not stated or raised any allegation of malfeasance. He said his intent was to make clear to the Bahamian people and me-

dia that his office would not “be bouncing around or chasing a headline, giving a snippet of a statement.”

Mr Bethel added: “That is not the way this office operates, that is what I sought to make clear.”

To this, Mr Mitchell said: “Don’t come here being fast and loose, don’t try to be quick and clever. If you have something, some act of malfeasance against the two people in here say so, but don’t stand up here with the sword of Damocles.”

The “sword of Damocles” is an allusion commonly used to refer to or encapsulate an imminent and ever-present peril faced by those in positions of power, or denotes the sense of foreboding engendered by a precarious situation.

In law, malfeasance refers to intentional conduct that is illegal or wrongful.

Misfeasance is used to describe an act that is not illegal but is improperly performed. Nonfeasance refers to a failure to act where there was a duty to act.

PAGE 6, Monday, June 26, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Darville calls bluff on ‘criminality’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

down to the business of governing, Dr Darville said.

His comments came in the Senate, a day after Attorney General Carl Bethel said nothing revealed during the recent budget debate in the House of Assembly that raises any criminal concerns.

His comments drew outrage across social media among Bahamians eager to see someone be held liable for the alleged fiscal mismanagement described by

BELIEVING the Progressive Liberal Party has captured the bluff of the new administration, Senator Dr Michael Darville dared Cabinet ministers on Friday to send the information they have about criminality of former PLP ministers to the police.

Failing this, the Free National Movement should get

ministers.

In the Senate Friday Mr Bethel also noted that the government is not broke even though it has a liquidity problem.

“The majority of their contributions (in the House of Assembly) were about alleged PLP corruption and who got what government contracts,” Dr Darville said about FNM ministers. “I believe the Bahamian people are saturated with all this political posturing and

are ready for this government to put plans in place that would bring relief to the poor by creating jobs.

“In an interview on the evening news last night (Thursday), the attorney general admitted no formal complaint has been filed by any government official, or citizen, that would substantiate the claims made in the lower house.

“It is my sincere belief that if the Free National Movement can prove acts

of criminality by any former minister or public servant, they should forward that information to the police and allow the authorities to take legal action or make the allegations outside these honourable chambers.”

Dr Darville also blasted the government for borrowing what he considered an unprecedented $722m.

“This voodoo style economics of trying to borrow their way out of debt

appears to be the first part of the FNM’s plan to turn the Bahamian economy around,” he said. “What is ironic is that this same scenario was predicted by many local prophets during the election campaign who clearly articulated that the Free National Movement win the general election, the first thing they would do is increase borrowing.

It appears now that these prophecies have come to pass.”

DAVIS SAYS FNM ‘CLIMB DOWN’ SHOWS DECEIT IN CAMPAIGN from page one “Last week, with great fanfare, Prime Minister Minnis announced in the House of Assembly that the Baha Mar deal had been unsealed,” Mr Davis’ statement noted. “However, he did not have the courage to own up to the facts of the deal, which he left to the attorney general, Carl Bethel, QC. The attorney general revealed that there is nothing out of the ordinary about the Baha Mar agreement. He recommended that the government honour the lawful contracts of the previous administration.

He said there was nothing unconscionable about the deal. And he said there was no basis to go back on the arrangements.

“He even conceded that the heads of agreement, already released by the Christie administration, was the only part of the deal that should be in the public domain, as the remainder of the terms were commercially sensitive, and should remain sealed for the time being. This is not only a breathtaking climb down by the FNM government, but an admission. . . of the campaign of deceit which they have waged against the Progressive Liberal Party and the Bahamian people.

“They say ‘it’s the people’s time,’ but how can we trust these people? For almost two years, the FNM

OPPOSITION leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis. told the Bahamian people that the Baha Mar deal was not real. And then last August, under the PLP government, the deal was accepted by the Supreme Court. For almost two years the FNM told the Bahamian people

that Bahamian employees, contractors and franchisees, who were owed millions of dollars by the failed developer Sarkis Izmirlian, for almost two years the FNM told the Bahamian people that they would not be paid.

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And then, by last November, Bahamians were paid what they were owed. For almost two years the FNM told the Bahamian people that the development would never open, and then Baha Mar opened (partly) in April. And, in desperation, the FNM spent almost a year, saying day after day, week after week, that there was something illegal or unethical in the Baha Mar documents sealed in the Supreme Court.

“How can Bahamians trust the FNM? We know from the budget and the debate which followed, that the FNM government has no vision, no policies and

no plans. We know that already the divisions which have torn the party apart over the past five years, are resurfacing. And we already hear whispers of the rising tide of panic in the government, because of the hundreds of casual promises made, many of which cannot be kept.”

Mr Davis said the PLP has “heard the people’s desire for change” and the party is “listening and introducing the reforms” to bring about this change.

He continued: “We have offered to be constructive partners with the government, and yet they have chosen to squander their political honeymoon on a fruitless witch hunt, which has led them down the path of (making more accusations) within the privileged walls of Parliament.

“The saga of Baha Mar tells it all. They have appointed a minister of tourism who, by his very job, has a fundamental conflict of interest in Baha Mar. The success of Baha Mar speaks directly to his failure. And they have a foreign supporter in Sarkis Izmirlian, who was given the seat of honour at the swearing-in of the prime minister, and whose failure is also highlighted by the success of Baha Mar. What did the FNM promise Mr Izmirlian to secure his support during the election?”

Minister of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar served as a director of Baha Mar before the property was placed into liquidation.

Government officials have said this does not equate to a conflict.

“The prime minister must apologise to the country,” Mr Davis continued. “He must rid himself of those ministers who already have extensive conflicts of interest. Rather than waste time victimising ordinary Ba-

hamians who have worked honestly in the people’s interest, he should focus on delivering the change which he so rashly promised. It is a matter of trust.”

Last week, Senator Bethel told this newspaper: “We said if there was anything untoward or conflicts of interest with these people we would renegotiate. But there is nothing that calls for renegotiation. There is nothing particularly unusual in the documents.”

He also said: “And concerning the joint promotional commitment, well that’s the same thing that occurred with Atlantis.

So there is nothing that infringes on the most favoured nation agreement.”

On that same day, he told reporters outside of the Senate: “What was said during the campaign was that if there was anything objectionable or contrary to the interest of the Bahamian people then there may be some need to go back.

I don’t think anybody has found a reason.

“People may argue about well, (what about) all these work permits or whatever, but is there anything fundamentally unconscionable?

No.” Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced on Tuesday night in Parliament that the heads of terms relating to Baha Mar’s sale was approved for release by the Supreme Court last Thursday, before he tabled the agreement, which he said fulfilled a campaign promise by the governing FNM. However, he added that other “sensitive” documents relating to the sale remain under a court seal.

The heads of agreement with Baha Mar and the government was released by the outgoing Christie administration at the end of April.

TWO-YEAR-OLD GIRL KILLED IN CAR CRASH from page one made impact” causing the toddler, who was not wearing a seat belt or strapped to a car seat, to be thrown from the front windshield on impact.

“Shortly after 6pm, two vehicles, one a black Nissan Teana driven by a woman and the other, a dark gray Mazda vehicle driven by a male, collided with each other while travelling west on JFK drive,” ASP Stubbs said.

“The woman lost control of her vehicle and it overturned on the eastbound lane. The vehicle overturned onto its roof, after flipping over three

times, and the two-year-old girl was fully ejected. The child was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman was transported to hospital where she is detained in serious condition. The male driver in the other vehicle was not injured.”

ASP Stubbs urged members of the public when travelling with children to ensure they are “buckled up at all times.”

“There were no signs that the child was strapped into the car, there was a car seat but it was not utilised at the time of the accident,” ASP Stubbs said.

“The car flipped over three times. We are still not sure how the accident happened. For some reason,

the cars made an impact while travelling in the same direction, which caused the woman’s vehicle to flip over. It crossed the median and ended up on the eastbound lane, unfortunately the child died on the scene.

We just want to encourage parents, if you are travelling with kids under the age of five, even if you are going a short distance to have them in a car seat or strapped in the back seat of the car.

Failure to do this will result in what we saw on Saturday. So often we see parents driving with kids standing up in the vehicle or playing in the front seat, with no car seat or seat belt, but we are clamping down on these persons.”

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

insight@tribunemedia.net

MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2017

time courage

a for

By MALCOLM J STRACHAN

I

T has been one month since the Minnis administration has taken office, and the Bahamian people are already concerned with the actions of their new Government; or more accurately, their new Attorney General.

Carl Bethel, who had served under previous Ingraham administrations, in one week has made two colossal missteps that have rubbed the Bahamian people the wrong way.

The first, was his declaration that there was nothing, as far as he had seen, that was criminal in the issuance of contracts by the previous administration. Therefore, in his estimation, there was nothing the new Government could do legally against those persons who had milked the Bahamian people for the last five years.

This is unacceptable.

The Bahamian people didn’t vote out a corrupt administration to vote in one who doesn’t know how or what to do with those who had abused them. The people want justice, and it us up to this administration to get it for them.

Which brings us to the second more concerning remark the Attorney General made with respect to Baha Mar. According to Mr Bethel, there is nothing untoward in the deal which has been made public thus far that would warrant its renegotiation.

Let us pause here for a moment and make something clear.

What we have learned thus far in these now unsealed Heads of Terms is shocking. The former Government had agreed to, and kept secret from us, a deal that would see the hiring of Chinese workers over Bahamians, that would include the waiving of all taxes including stamp, duty, and VAT on a multi-billion dollar resort, and the obligation of our Government not only to kick in marketing dollars for the property, but also hundreds of millions of dollars in capital expenditures to fix the

dump, BEC, and Water and Sewerage for their comfort (not ours).

So let’s get this straight, not only did we waive off nearly a billion dollars in taxes through both sales of the property from CEXIM to Perfect Luck, and then from Perfect Luck to CTFE, but the previous Government agreed to upgrade all these critical items (dump, BEC, and W&SC) as a condition of the sale of this resort! So we have put ourselves on the hook for almost $2billion dollars in money’s lost and expenditure we will have to find for what, jobs?

Where is the proof that this was the best deal out there? There clearly has to be other factors or favours involved. Someone had to be getting the gravy train for them to agree to this – because on the face of this, only someone who hates you would bring this to the table. What ministers of the last government have contracts for services down there now? Will we ever know if we allow this to continue? How could anyone in all good conscience say that this deal is in the best interest of the Bahamian people?

So to Mr Bethel’s point, we have to ask, how could he feel that this deal was in, and is in, the best interest of the country?

Let us remind you that the FNM has already borrowed $722 million just to cover the expenses of the previous government and new spending for this fiscal year. Where in the world could this Government find over a billion dollars to fix the dump, BEC, and WSC to make this toxic deal happen?

Facebook was quick to correct the Attorney General, with many Bahamians urging him to find a reason to upend this deal.

Having seen what the PLP had done to this country, they urged Mr Bethel and the FNM to show us that they are working in our best interest, and not the Chinese.

We saw from the emails of Jerome Fitzgerald, that members of that party wanted everything. Taxi franchises, customs brokerage and trucking services,

and when you wouldn’t give it to us we take the whole thing from you. That’s the reputation our country has now. That’s the reputation we have allowed this previous administration to lay on us because of their actions.

If we were to continue with this and rubber stamp their foolishness we are a party to their nonsense. We are culprits with them in destroying this country as a place where investors have a fair and clean chance of doing business. The Chinese construction company, CCA, who were to blame for the missed multiple opening dates has come out smelling like roses in this deal.

Initially they were only asking for $125 million. In this deal they get $145m and the chance to make an additional $600m to finish off the resort they said was 97per cent complete.

You telling me Bahamians couldn’t finish that? Bahamians couldn’t have that $600m worth of business?

And to add insult to injury they agreed to 1,200 more Chinese workers to come here to finish off the resort!

This is insanity! And before anyone starts off on some nonsense, stopping this deal will not damage our country’s interest or hurt our international reputation.

Renegotiating this deal will show the world that we have expelled the pirates, and the Bahamas is open once again for real business. The pirates are gone.

No longer do you have to take a bag to the Minister’s house to get an approval for anything. No longer does the Minister’s brother have to be the one to get the contract to do this repair or build this building. Those days are over. We are not going back there. The country can’t afford it!

This Minnis administration has a mandate from the Bahamian people to do what is necessary. We should rip this deal up, and tell them to go back to the drawing board. The jobs at the resort will be just fine.

See, we can’t let these games of them rushing to hire people to necessitate an early opening of the property to now handcuff us to this onerous deal. They think we’re fools - that we can’t see what the play was com-

ing. But the game is up now.

They’re out of office and the Bahamian people are watching to see what this Government will do. Anyone can come to me and say we’ll give you jobs - jobs is a must - it’s a hotel after all for goodness sake! You need people to make the beds and cook the food.

And even there they are relegating us to line staff positions because they also got 300 work permits to run the properties in those Heads of Terms.

The bottom line is this; we need to get a better deal - pure and simple, and the minimum standard should be what Izmirlian had in his offer. Anyone interested in purchasing this property has to start at paying the appropriate taxes. Anything short of that, the Bahamas can’t afford.

Now is the time for serious, fiscally prudent movements from this Minnis administration. Giving away concessions and work permits like they are candy is not the way to start.

YOUR

DEPUTY Prime Minister Peter Turnquest presents the Budget to the house. Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

CHOICE FOR THE FAMILY @JOYFMBAHAMAS WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JOYFM1019

INSIGHT

FNM have clean slate after sweep to power PAGE 8 MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2017

EDITOR, The Tribune THE Free National Movement (FNM) was swept into office, by an historic electoral landslide, a few weeks ago. It is a given that any new administration, especially one with so many first time elected representatives, would need time to settle in.

It is also a given that today’s Bahamian is an impatient breed who wants to see Heaven delivered right here on Earth from yesterday. There are countless opportunities ahead for the Prime Minister and his administration to glow and shine as they go about the business of the nebulous ‘people’.

For decades, our educational plants have failed to improve collective standards and each year we produce tons of semi-illiterate graduates who are incapable of telling saw from hammer. Many of them have no discernible and marketable employment skills and find themselves incapable of securing gainful employment much less to become selfemployed entrepreneurs.

The end results have produced in turn tens of thousands of Bahamians who are under employed, if at all, with absolutely no wiggle room to improve their lives and those of their families. We also have witnessed, on a daily basis, the life of crime which is adopted or imposed on many of our younger and middle aged populace.

It is my contention that the Hon Jeffrey Lloyd (FNM-South Beach), will do wonders as Minister of Education. He has all of the desirable qualifications and, as former Executive director of YEAST, cum Catholic Deacon and Attorneyat-Law, there is no apparent reason why he should fail in turning around our educational system for the better.

The educators and the minister, no doubt, will go into a conclave in short order to prepare for the new school year and to formulate a short term plan of action to galvanise our students to go to the next level.

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

LETTERS EXTRA

Our vocational schools must be expanded and a sustainable system of apprenticeship must be put in place. In the USA it has been opined that there are well over five million ‘job’ opportunities begging to be filled by technical and vocationally trained individuals. I daresay that a similar situation exists right here in our wonderful nation albeit on a smaller scale. Not all students are going to cut it from an academic view point, but most of them would have a hands on approach to many tasks that they could become certified in. We have the former Phil’s Food Service Complex on Gladstone, owned by way of a mortgage, by the Bank of The Bahamas.

Let’s expand BTVI to a Western Campus.

A national Health Initiative is imperative especially when it comes down to chronic diseases. Primary Health Care is also important but the current publicly owned medical facilities are doing a ‘good’ job as it is right now. Of course, there is room for improvement of the environment and buildings, but, overall, why break down and start from scratch? The Hon. Dr. Duane Sands (FNM-Elizabeth), Minister of Health, is a well qualified and respected medical practitioner of long standing. He is a hands on sort of person and he knows what ails our public health care system.

He is also more than aware of the absolute necessity of involving the wider public in debate on public policy matters.

The defunct PLP allowed our infrastructure to literally crumble. Look at the Post Office building. Look at the Rodney Bain building. Look at the Supreme Court complex downtown.

Look at the Clarence A Bain building. Look at the Ministry of Health/ Public Service complex up at Meeting Street. The South Street Magistrates Court

complex has been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair. pot holes adorn most of our streets here in New Providence. Thousands of miles of roads remain none grade and none paved in all of the Family Islands.

The Hon Desmond Bannister (FNM-Carmichael) , Minister of Works has a daunting task ahead of him.

I wish him well and urge him to ensure that ALL contracts awarded by his ministry are done so only after extreme vetting and crafting. There must be no more BAMSI dormitory burning down with not a speck of insurance coverage. Legal action must be taken against the former contractor to re-

next topic of scandal-mongering and hope that, when reduced infinitesimally by the light of scrutiny, something sticks.

The last lie to drop dead quietly was the supposed huge scandal surrounding the Baha Mar deal, which, when unsealed, was expected (by the many half-

wits who believed the FNM propaganda) to lead to the jailing of members of the Christie government. Even Fox News got in on the action, suggesting that the Chinese (as opposed to, say, the USA) were exercising their hegemonic designs on The Bahamas by this outrageous, secret deal.

MINISTER of Education Jeff Lloyd, who “will do wonders” according to Ortland Bodie. cover monies lost by the taxpayers as a result of his apparent non disclosure of the fact that neither he nor his corporate entity, if there was one, had a valid certificate of indemnity insurance.

The Minister of Works along with the relevant cabinet colleagues must do something soon about the infrastructure throughout the nation but especially here in New Providence. It must be kept in mind that we have in excess of 1,500 able bodied individuals up at The Bahamas Correctional Centre doing next to nothing all day. Many of them would be delighted to assist the MOW with the ongoing clean up of New

Providence and to offer their labour, at a reasonable stipend, to break down, renovate and/or build new governmental structures.

The Minnis Administration has been given a clean slate, even if challenged, by the people of our wonderful nation. As a seasoned and astute person in many spheres, I have absolutely no doubt that he will rise to the occasion. The Rump Opposition must come to the realisation that we PLPs lost the generals fair and square. This is no time for bogus resistance to the Minnis agenda.

This is the time for us to go into a retreat and plot the rebuilding and re-branding

of the party. Individuals who are of no real use to the party must be jettisoned so as to lighten the dead weight on board. Messrs Bradley Roberts; Errington Minky Isaccs; Frederick Audley Mitchell, et al, are now passé and of no more use to us politically. Brave can do it but he’s made a bad move in his senatorial selection and in his request for defeated PLP candidates to remain as ‘constituency minders’ for the interim. How cockeyed. To God then, in all things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H. BODIE, JR. Nassau, June 25, 2017.

So the Baha Mar deal was no scandal after all EDITOR, The Tribune.

IT is curious how the preelection lies of the FNM seem to die not with a bang but a whimper. When exposed, they lead to no skewering by the media and no explanation by the Prime Minister. Minnis and his minions just move on to the

Well, on Thursday the 22nd of June, it fell to the hapless Carl Bethel to state unequivocally that “there is nothing objectionable” about the deal after all.

Pressed, Mr. Bethel then proceeded to stretch credulity by suggesting that neither Minnis nor his associates ever advocated crimi-

nal prosecutions of their political opponents. The creators of the ‘Dey Gern Ta Jail’ Facebook page (advertising polo shirts for $30 and t-shirts for $20) obviously didn’t get that memo.

Those hoping that this government will finally get on with the business of governing the country had bet-

ter prepare for a long, disappointing summer, as the hollow men who ran a campaign on nothing but lies, gossip and scandal seem committed firstly to justifying their pre-election antics.

ANDREW ALLEN Nassau, June 3, 2016.

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

INSIGHT

MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2017 PAGE 9

CARICOM: Pride turned to gloom World T

HREE weeks ago, I and many other committed Caribbean integrationists, declared that the unity displayed by CARICOM countries at the Organization of American States (OAS) on May 31 “was a moment for unbridled pride”. What happened on Monday June 20, just days later, shattered that sense of pride as CARICOM countries not only reversed their unity, but displayed their differences in public on a live internet streaming watched worldwide.

The first occasion, as the second, was a ‘Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs’ of the 34-member OAS to discuss the situation in Venezuela. At the meeting on May 31, CARICOM countries presented a draft declaration, agreed by CARICOM leaders, which was an alternative to an existing draft backed by a Group of 14 countries (G14), led by the US, Canada, Mexico, and Peru. The G14 draft, called ‘the Peru draft’, was interventionist in its tone and content and defied the Charter of the Organisation and its rules. Both St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves and Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne decried the interventionist and interfering overtones. They were right, and Bruce Golding, the former Prime Minister of Jamaica was wrong in chiding them. In trying to justify ‘interference’ in Venezuela, Mr Golding drew a comparison to the Caribbean’s involvement in the fight against Apartheid in South Africa. I believe that, upon reflection, Mr Golding, for whom I have a great deal of regard, would consider that comparison to be most inappropriate.

Because a few CARICOM countries had been encouraged to support the ‘Peru draft’ and the solidity of CARICOM was being threatened, CARICOM leaders convened a special meeting on May 29 to try to rebuild solidarity. In doing so, they produced a new draft declaration which they instructed should be used “in the negotiations for the final text which will be considered by the (resumed) OAS Ministerial Consultation Meeting”. These instructions were contained in the CARICOM Secretariat Savingram No. 340/2017 of May 29 with which the draft of the leaders was conveyed to all Heads of Government and copied to all Foreign Ministers of CARICOM countries.

In other words, the draft declaration from the leaders was not – as it could not be – a declaration which would be imposed upon the other 24 members of the OAS. They themselves said it was a unified position to be used “in the negotiations for the final text” which all 34 governments of the OAS would consider. The CARICOM leaders’ draft and the “Peru draft” were both considered at the May 31 meeting, but each failed to command the support of two-thirds of the membership (23 votes). The Meeting of Consultation then did precisely what CARICOM leaders wanted, they agreed the two texts would be used “in the negotiation for a final text”.

Ministers of all the OAS countries present at the 31 May meeting then asked their Ambassadors to negotiate a final text using the CARICOM leaders draft and the “Peru” draft as the basis for their discussion. Contrary to what has been alleged, Ambassadors did not seek to arrogate to themselves any “authority to amend or rescind an authoritative decision of the (CARICOM) Heads”. Indeed, they were acting in compliance with instructions from Ministers who were themselves acting fully in concert with the decision of leaders as conveyed in the CARICOM Secretariat Savingram No. 340/2017.

In pursuance of those instructions, CARICOM Ambassadors to the OAS elected three of their number to negotiate with three of the representatives of the G14. On the CARICOM

View

By SIR RONALD SANDERS

side were the Ambassadors of Guyana as current Chair of CARICOM, Riyad Insanally, the Ambassador of Barbados, Selwyn Hart, and me as the Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda. For the G14, the negotiators were the Ambassadors of Peru and Brazil and the interim representative of the United States. Two things are important to note: first, the CARICOM negotiators insisted on using only the CARICOM leaders’ draft for negotiation; we rejected the “Peru draft” outright on the basis that it was too interventionist in its tone and content: and second, every CARICOM Ambassador was fully informed by red-lined texts of each stage of the negotiation with the request that they keep their governments abreast of the outcome of the negotiations, which, at all times, was subject to approval by governments. The same process was followed by the G14.

To be fair to the G14, they demonstrated a great deal of flexibility, despite opposition in their own camp to the acceptance of discarding the “Peru draft”. At the end of the negotiations, all but four paragraphs of the CARICOM leaders draft remained as written; and of the four other paragraphs, very little of substance was altered except to identify matters to which the government and opposition in Venezuela had agreed as reflected in published communiques from mediators, including the Pope’s representative.

Until Prime Minister Gonsalves, wrote and published his letter of June 16 to his colleague leaders, no CARICOM country had raised any objection to the negotiation or its outcomes.

Indeed, several governments contributed language to the negotiators for the text.

When CARICOM Ministers convened on the morning of June 20, prior to the resumed meeting of the OAS Ministers of Consultation in the afternoon, it was assumed that all CARICOM countries were on board on the negotiated text, except for St Vincent and the Grenadines. Several had indicated their support in writing or orally. At the CARICOM Ministers meeting, ably Chaired by the Barbados Foreign Minister, Maxine McClean, the Minister representing St Vincent and the Grenadines, Camillo Gonsalves, made clear that his government was not supporting the negotiated text. Ministers and other representatives were then asked by the Chair if any of them were of the same mind as St Vincent and the Grenadines. Not one demurred.

The CARICOM negotiators were then instructed to meet the negotiators for the G14 to settle the final text which we proceeded to do in good faith, having advised that St Vincent was not part of the agreement in the exercise of its sovereign right.

Only after the negotiation was completed with little time before the start of the resumed Meeting of Consultation did Suriname indicate that it could not support one sentence in the agreed declaration. That sentence, which had been shared with all CARICOM representatives throughout the negotiation, called for “the reconsideration of the Constituent Assembly (in Venezuela) as presently conceived”. As it turned out that sentence, for whatever reason, became the basis for four other CARICOM countries to publicly and without notice, break ranks and declare their lack of support for the single negotiated document. CARICOM was split asunder, and the negotiations, that had been conducted on behalf of all, then seemed to have been conducted in bad faith.

The final text would have

expressed the collective concern of all OAS states about the situation in Venezuela, call for an end to violence and for the government and opposition to return to dialogue, to address the need for food and medicines, for respect for human rights, the rule of law and democracy including representative democracy and declare the OAS ready to provide assistance to meet the serious challenges facing Venezuela.

The representative of St Vincent then re-introduced the draft that CARICOM leaders had offered “for negotiation of a final text” as his government’s draft declaration. Therefore, CARICOM countries found themselves in the awkward and embarrassing position of having to vote on two drafts – one of which had been intended by CARICOM leaders for negotiation, and the other that had been negotiated with

FORMER Prime Minister Perry Christie alongside Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. fidelity to the fundamental sentatives of Grenada and stance. The pride I felt just principles enunciated in the Trinidad and Tobago. As 20 days before dissolved CARICOM leaders’ draft. I explained at the meet- into profound disappointThe other OAS countries ing after the vote, I had ment and a gloomy mood. negotiated in good faith CARICOM is the weaker looked on aghast.

In the final vote of all the for CARICOM with a for all this, and it will not OAS countries present, the CARICOM draft whose easily recover the soft powSt Vincent draft secured principles were steadfastly er and respect that comes only 8 votes in favour, while maintained. The final ne- from 14 acting as one.

the negotiated draft gar- gotiated declaration was and • Responses and previous nered 20 yes votes. Again, non-interventionist www.sirneither draft secured the had nothing that could commentaries: 23 votes necessary to be reasonably be regarded as ronaldsanders.com The writer is Antigua adopted and the meeting “interfering”. In good conand Barbuda’s Ambasadjourned as it began with science, once the CARIsador to the United States no declaration, but with a COM centre collapsed, I and the Organisation of severely wounded CARI- could not vote for a declaraAmerican States. The COM and a paralysed OAS. tion for whose achievement I abstained from both I had worked in the interest views expressed are entirely his own. votes as did the repre- of a cohesive CARICOM

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017 PAGE 10, Monday, January 23, 2017 PAGE 10 MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2017

WEEK IN RIBUNE

day - Supervalue rt Roberts is overnment to VAT policy rertnell reports e Bahamas nahampionships or The Bahay; plus Fourth s. atest propernd rent in the ’ Guide

INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

GAIN AN EDGE A NATIONAL DIALOGUE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

A prescription Why diversified for a brighterisfuture education key to social equity R

THE TRIBUNE EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

GAIN AN EDG

A NATIONAL DIALOGUE ON HIGHER EDUCATI

sday “THE past two years nd Health ce on taking have flown by. Even now mind and body that I’m about to graduate, making waves the fact that I’ve been able to attend university at all as Box sporting seems surreal,” says Stephnigo “Naugh- anie Stubbs, who will soon have her Associate’s Deaya OCHELLE Failure to have both gree in Medical Laboratory Smith had Technology from Keiser TVET and traditional nesday prayed long and University in Florida. ch - a weeklyhard about what academics available in of 39 Ly’s she newwanted in the to doStephanie with heris one allwho school ford Cay Scholars will programmes nology life.

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To isshare REMISKA WILDGOOSE meant that there were peoingdoctors news and make significant progress While therethatare still and lawyers. Carrange from pathology your thoughts, email gainisn’t just a time to nity for reflection and goal setting your goals. fit for her.

STEPHANIE STUBBS, Keiser University Graduate and perfect Lyford Cay ple out there, along with her your mobilein terms of national devel- and look to 2027, when our well-diversified educational duce instantaneous results, be made penters and massage ther- changes neededtotopublic and allied health. anedge@tribunemedia.net. unwind and relax. setting. Take scholar. some time to A job shadow allows own supportive family, who ne242.com opment (Bennell,1996). apists should only be the in our educational system, is one small but sig- it you is antoalternative will system proIt’s also the perfect educational answer the following ques- systemFILL test drivethat a career, IN towards THE GAPS alternative when medical embracing the fact that We must see beyond 2017 duces more than enough nificant step long- make a tremendous differtime to lay the groundwork tions: What career would make professional conWe all have areas that economic prosperity ence. visionary citizens for college and your future qualified, you choose if there were term nections and narrow down need improvement. Perhaps For many students at the our nation. who could buildWhat a world career! no limitations? really inthere your choices for a college are subjects that were Bahamas While further investment class resort that would rival Whether you’re a high makes you happy? What challenging major. Technical and school Vocational our educaImplementing TVET into developing this Institute, TVET school student who is just most. are your natural interests, year. system Or maybe there are is their only choice because may not proand having a tional starting to think about col- programmes skills and abilities? skills that you need to deSCOUTthey OUTlove.

REFERENCES As leadlege or you’re already in the Now go a step further. velop before you can apply it is what All college and scholarers, teachers, and workforce but dreaming of What steps will you need for college, pursue scholar- ship applicationsparents, is incumbent that wewill con-remore, summer is the per- to take to get to your goal? ships or go into your future it quire you to haveTVET references tinue to embrace as fect time to start laying the How does continuing your career. Why not use the that can vouch for having alternative at all levels so groundwork for future col- education factor into your summer as a time to fill in anfirst-hand all individualsknowledge can become of lege success. overall plan? Which col- those gaps? your performance inmemschool valuable contributing Here are 5 concrete steps lege programme is the Queen’s College’s Cen- bers or of at society. work. Past teachers or that you can take this sum- best fit for your career tre for Further Education employers make wonderful Stories like that of Romer to place you closer to goals? (http://qchenceforth.com/ chelle, references. whose name has your goals: The answers to these key cfe.php) is a resource for Use this time start listchanged for to the pruquestions are a first step adult learners who are look- been ing the names of three to pose of this article, are propel you to success. ing to enrich their skills in five potential references.

PLAN FOR YOUR DREAMS to much too common.

Like The slower pace of sum- Visit the college planning preparation to return to the soHave conversation with manya others, medical website www.bigfuture.col- classroom. themdid now determine school nottowork out. In if Each June, The Uni- the they areshe willing be a refend, still to pursued versity of The Bahamas what erence the future. shein loved - beauty (UB) Summer Bridg- trades. ing Programme enables CREATE A FINANCIAL young adults ages 16 to Sources PLAN (2012).

24 without five BGCSEs *Mark Phillips is posshouldtowecollege care about of ‘C’ and above grades, WhyGoing sible -- with good financial Education? including Math and Eng- Vocational this en**Bennell,For Pmost, (1996). lish the opportunity to planning. tails a combination of savversus vocational receive direct entry into General ing money, receiving supeducation in deUB. The rigorous six- secondary port from their families and country: A review week programme focuses veloping This rates of scholarships. return evidence. on reading, math, English, ofearning summer, startofyour research Journal Develophistory and biology and a The to find out what the costs Studies. first-year freshman semi- ment “Gain Anto Edge” is a of to go the college nar course. Enrolment in are collaboration of your choice. the programme is closed weekly Lyford Cay Foundaa conversation for this year, but get a the Initiate now Bahamas with yourTechnical family to headstart for next sum- tions, Institute find Vocational out how much financial mer by contacting UB’s and University of The Ba- to support they will be able Continuing Education and aimed at researching promotprovide.

Begin and Lifelong Learning hamas national dialogue onare what scholarships department at 325-5714 or ingtoasee higher education.

To share available.

326-2025. thoughts, the email gain-aponline TECHNICAL vocational education andIntraining is to important to yourAlthough addition these local anedge@tribunemedia.net. plication for Lyford Cay help students, says Remiska Wildgoose. programmes, a variety of free online resources and Foundations’ Scholarships classes are at your finger- won’t open until early in tips through an easy inter- 2018, information about the scholarship process is availnet search. able by visiting the Foundations’ website at www.

SHADOW A lyfordcayfoundation.org PROFESSIONAL Preparing for college When she was in high early positions you for sucschool, Lyford Cay Foun- cess. Make a commitment dations Scholar Trey- to invest in yourself by usmaine Dean could never ing your time wisely this envision herself spending summer. hours at a desk job. She

did know that she had a “Gain An Edge” is a heart for helping grieving weekly collaboration of families. She sought out the Lyford Cay Foundaan opportunity to shadow tions, Bahamas Technical professionals at a local and Vocational Institute funeral home and real- and University of The Baized that the field would hamas aimed at promotallow her to make a dif- ing a national dialogue on ference for families when higher education. To share they were most vulnerable. your thoughts, email gainWith the help of a Lyford anedge@tribunemedia.net.

Cay Foundation Scholarship, Treymaine obtained • The column will take a her Associate’s degree in break for the summer, but Mortuary Sciences and is stay tuned for more colnow employed at Restview lege insights and tips in the Memorial Mortuary in a Fall!

A Lyford Cay Foundations scholar aims to serve through medical technology

Using the slow days of summer to fast track your dreams S

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 26, 2017, PAGE 11

Sarkis: Halt the Baha Mar sale

from page one

It also notes that BMD is now considering legal options against the parties involved in the heads of terms.

It read: “In BMD’s view, these documents confirm the nation’s fears that the previous administration had engaged in the wholesale giveaway of hundreds of millions of dollars in tax waivers and concessions that the country could not afford and that rightfully should have been earmarked for the Bahamian people, solely to facilitate a charade of a sale in the lead up to the general election last May. “The agreement also clearly raises the concern about the potential of corruption and self-dealing by members of the previous government, even beyond the now public self-dealing by the former attorney general,” the statement also alleged.

It is likely that the statement is referring to part of the agreement that stipulates Bahamians who owned and held shop leases and concessions in the Baha Mar project were permitted by CEXIM and the preferred purchaser to continue to hold them under the existing terms and conditions.

In 2015, former Attorney General Allyson MaynardGibson revealed that her husband Maxwell Gibson owns the retail jewellery store chain that had been granted storefront leases in Baha Mar. At the time, she rejected accusations that she had a conflict of interest due to her role as government negotiator for the stalled resort.

The BMD statement continued: “The heads of terms also underscores the extremes to which the former government of the Bahamas and China EXIM Bank conspired to impair the economic interests and reputation of the original developer, Sarkis Izmirlian.

Not content to stop at the confiscation of the resort, the heads of terms expressly prohibits any payments to companies associated with Mr Izmirlian, a long-time resident and the largest foreign investor in the history of The Bahamas, as well as payments to the former expatriate executives of Baha Mar. “This is state-sponsored discrimination, contrary to the laws and constitution of The Bahamas, and sets an awful precedent for foreign investment in the Bahamas. Accordingly, BMD is considering its legal options against the parties involved in constructing these highly questionable agreements.”

The BMD statement calls for a moratorium on the completion of the sale and other transactions resulting from the deal struck by the former government, and for the investigation undertaken by the Gaming Board to grant CTFE’s casino li-

cence to be reopened, and its findings made public.

It also refers to the alleged “extensive, disturbing public record of potentially extensive criminal associations of Chow Tai Fook’s owners,” and suggested it was a factor that the previous administration “appears to have been intentionally and conveniently ignored.”

CTFE has repeatedly denied claims that its operations were linked to organised crime in Asia, an allegation that was also raised by then FNM candidate and former Baha Mar Director Dionisio D’Aguilar last year.

As minister of tourism, Mr D’Aguilar, along with Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest, has rejected accusations

by Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts that his ties to Mr Izmirlian put him in a “conflict of interest” position regarding the resort.

Mr D’Aguilar did not respond to calls placed up to press time. Attorney General Carl Bethel told The Tribune he did not want to comment on the matter.

Sealed deal The Christie administration released the heads of agreement—which detailed many concessions given to the property—with Baha Mar and the government at the end of April.

The heads of terms relating to Baha Mar’s sale was tabled in the House of Assembly last week; however, Mr Bethel explained in the Senate that the government agreed to keep elements of its Baha Mar agreement with CEXIM sealed because of the commercially sensitive nature of the material.

“We are cognisant that there remain commercially sensitive documents which were sealed at the request of the private parties to the Baha Mar matter, and which remain sealed pursuant to the court’s order,” Mr Bethel said on Friday.

“After careful review and discussion with the other parities, we are of the view that those documents should remain sealed for the time being, for the legal reasons which have been given by the judge. Those reasons were that the documents should remain sealed to preserve the integrity of the sales process, which remains a commercially live issue.”

The tabled heads of terms allowed for up to 1,200 work permits to be issued to China Construction America (CCA) and 30 work permits for all necessary staff of the asset special purpose vehicle (SPV) during the remobilisation and construction phase.

The project was also to benefit from exemptions of value added tax and import taxes of goods and services for completion.

Yesterday, the former developer described the concessions outlined as egregious giveaways and

BPL BUILDING SHUT DOWN IN THEFT PROBE from page one that have allegedly been stolen from the company.

The source also said that the Ernst and Young auditors were flown in from an office in the United States to conduct the investigation.

The Tribune attempted to contact Works Minister Desmond Bannister but calls were not returned up to press time.

Last week, Mr Bannister told The Tribune he authorised the board at BPL to “take the necessary steps” to remove persons from the company in connection with the alleged missing funds.

Mr Bannister said the issue is not about politics, but it is about protecting the people’s money and ensuring that anyone who breaks the law is punished.

Last week, a well-placed source told The Tribune that the amount allegedly

stolen from BPL has risen to $4m. When asked for comment on this, Mr Bannister said he had not received the updated figure.

Last month, four BPL employees were suspended and one person was terminated pending the outcome of the theft investigation.

Employees were accused of “orchestrating an elaborate scheme” that allegedly involved fake companies and forged cheques. Allegedly at least one bank employee was also involved in the plot and is being investigated, a source told The Tribune.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander recently said that while police have not made any arrests to date, “there is no doubt that someone will be charged.”

During the budget debate last week, Mr Bannister told parliamentarians that “action is forthcoming” in connection with the investigation.

an insult to the Bahamian people.

The statement read: “These permits literally take food out of the mouths of Bahamians to reward the same Chinese construction company that had failed to meet multiple opening dates that it had set. It is unthinkable that a government that claimed it was working in the best interests of the Bahamian people would have agreed to such terms.”

The BMD statement added: “There is no question that Baha Mar should be completed successfully and fully opened as soon as possible. But that Baha Mar should be, as originally conceived, a key economic spark plug for the Bahamas. The Bahamian public should be convinced and be confident that the owner of Baha Mar is there for the Bahamas, committed to creating jobs for all Bahamians and enhancing the Bahamian way of life.”

Attorney General Carl Bethel told The Tribune last Thursday, concerning the unsealed heads of terms, that “there is nothing that calls for renegotiation. There is nothing particularly unusual in the documents.”

BAHA Mar courtyard.

PAGE 12, Monday, June 26, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Gibson ordered Ministry of Works to halt payments for hurricane clean-up from page one

However, Mr Ash was supposed to only be partly affected since he was also engaged for work in Centreville, which was not covered by the stop order.

Dr Minnis said Mr Ash was paid more than $8m for the clean-up work he did after Hurricane Matthew, an amount he found shocking.

Emails seen by The Tribune show that the Ministry of Works asked Mr Ash to maintain the three main dump sites in New Providence — at the Sports Centre, at the Carmichael Road and on Bacardi Road park dump site and the Harold Road dump site.

Mr Ash was responsible for separating bulk waste from green waste and his work involved mulching green waste and transporting the bulk waste to the city landfill.

For at least a time, Chief Engineer of the Ministry of Works Leyton Rahman was said to be responsible for certifying both the completion of work by contractors in the wake of the hurricane and the rates of pay for such work.

Mr Rahman allegedly certified Mr Ash’s work and his rates of pay to the tune of at least hundreds

of thousands of dollars, according to documents seen by The Tribune. The documents bore Mr Rahman’s signature but no official from the Ministry of Works confirmed yesterday if payments to Mr Ash were contingent on such documents.

Mr Rahman declined to speak to this newspaper yesterday, but a source at the ministry said he not only disputes certifying work by Mr Ash that was worth millions of dollars but that he was also shocked to find out how much money Mr Ash received overall.

The source also said that the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Works is alone responsible for authorising payments to vendors.

Nonetheless, after Mr Gibson ordered that payments and work be stopped, Mr Rahman advised that the work at the dump sites should be allowed to continue, emails show.

“I would not advise stopping this work as the work is essential to maintain capacity for receiving waste as well as keeping the household waste separate,” he said of the work at the dump sites in one email to Mr Gibson. “I used Ash when I received a call from Melanie McKenzie asking for some

FORMER Minister of Labour and National Insurance Shane Gibson.

Despite the initial order heavy equipment to be sent at the main dump to to stop payments to concontrol a fire before it gets tractors, payments for the out of hand. The nearest maintenance of dump sites contractor was Ash and continued for awhile beI instructed him to assist cause Mr Rahman and an with two D9s and a front official at the Department loader as a matter of ur- of Environmental Services indiscriminate gency. He did this work believed well and has been asked to dumping at the sites posed a remain in the dump sites. I fire risk, he said in an email understand he is also em- exchange.

Mr Rahman was also ploying over 70 people or concerned that stopping so from Centreville.” cheques to some contractors would prompt violence and his statements on this suggested he was intimately involved with the process involving the issuance of cheques.

He said in one email that some small contractors were shelling “out funds from their pockets to hire men and trucks”.

Threats to kill or have people killed if truckers

were not paid were made, he said.

“I know one contractor had intimidated people, waiting at their children’s school because they would be killed if some truckers are not paid soon,” Mr Rahman said in one email.

Mr Gibson expressed frustration in response.

“We are far past the emergency stage of cleanup and I find it unacceptable that we are maintaining dump sites without contracts when we know that maintenance will last for months,” he said.

Before he began to maintain the dump sites, Mr Ash was among the contractors the Ministry of Works engaged to provide clean-up services in the wake of the hurricane.

Although the Ministry of Works is said to keep a

list of contractors to be employed when necessary, it remains unclear what specific process resulted in Mr Ash’s initial selection.

But after he was selected by the ministry as one of the people to provide cleanup services in New Providence, Mr Ash was later among five contractors former Prime Minister Perry Christie selected to provide clean-up services in Centreville.

Parliamentarians had been invited by Mr Gibson to submit a list of people whose job it would be to provide such services.

Ultimately, it’s unclear who authorised much of the payments that were made to Mr Ash before an official contract was drawn up for him for his work at the dump sites and signed-off

by Cabinet.

PLP TOLD ‘SEEK REDEMPTION, NOT JUSTIFICATION’ from page one In a riveting contribution to the budget debate in the House of Assembly, the prime minister said upon his review of payments made to various vendors, he was “astonished” by the payouts made to Johnathan Ash. There were 46 transactions made to this vendor through several of his companies, Dr Minnis said, as he revealed that in at least two separate instances, Mr Ash received multiple cheques in one day. He also received $151,000 on May 9, just one day before the election.

In response, Mr Davis said he did not know what specific process resulted in Mr Ash’s selection and claimed that former Labour and National Insurance Minister Shane Gibson, the hurricane czar, was head of processes related to such matters.

Mr Davis said his ministry had “some technical responsibilities” but was not involved in the selection of contractors.

“A contract for $1,057,560 was signed with Ash Enterprises for cleaning services

and cheques were issued at the direction of the Cabinet of The Bahamas,” the statement from the OPM noted.

“It is troubling that in a no bid arrangement, $7m was issued via 46 payments in response to bills submitted by Mr Ash. Sometimes multiple submissions were made through the Ministry of Works and others, the National Recovery and Reconstruction Unit.

“All of this while some small vendors found it extremely difficult, if not impossible to receive payments for much smaller amounts. One vendor has been attempting to collect a $1,500 cheque since last November to no avail. It is time for Mr Davis and his fellow Cabinet members to simply accept that he and his government mismanaged the affairs of the country, has been caught out and seek to redeem themselves in the eyes of the Bahamian people.”

The statement also responded to Mr Davis‘ claims that the Christie administration “withdrew” from the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) “after careful consideration” and advice from several techni-

cal government agencies.

Dr Minnis told parliamentarians last week that the former government missed out on a more than $31m insurance payout because it opted not to pay the country’s premium to CCRIF. However, Mr Davis said after the country was denied a claim made to CCRIF following the passage of Hurricane Joaquin in 2015, a committee formed from technical officers in the Ministry of Finance, the Met Department and the Port Department, found that it was “ineffective to continue with insurance” from the CCRIF, adding that “it would be more cost effective if the government self-insured”.

“Former Minister Davis is well aware that the job of technical officers is to provide technical advice and it is the responsibility of the government to either accept or reject the advice,” the OPM’s statement said.

“Once they act on the advice they must take full responsibility for the outcome and must never ever lay blame for their decision on the technical officers who gave them advice. That is how our system works.”

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 26, 2017, PAGE 13

PRIME MINISTER IN ATTENDANCE AS CHURCH HOSTS CELEBRATION OF FILIPINO CULTURE

A FILIPINO Festival was held yesterday at Holy Trinity church, with Prime Minister Hubert Minnis in attendance as participants posed in traditional outfits, danced and celebrated Filipino culture.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

Roberts: Did Izmirlian give FNM financial backing?

PLP CHAIRMAN Bradley Roberts has called on Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis to reveal if the Free National Movement received financial contributions from former Baha Mar developer Sarkis Izmirlian, as he castigated the nation’s leader over the “reckless” claims he made about the mega resort ahead of the general election.

In a statement released last night, Mr Roberts also claimed to have knowledge about the status of the sale of the three-hotel complex in Freeport, Grand Bahama, accusing the FNM of being silent on this.

“With all the hurting and suffering going on in Grand Bahama, conventional wisdom dictates that the expeditious completion of this agreement and getting these hotels open and operational should be a top priority for the Minnis government, but alas their silence is deafening,” Mr Robert said.

“That sales agreement is in the final stages of negotiations with the Canadian investment group headed by Steve Wynn where an agreement has been signed and a deposit made. Is Minnis seeking to dishonestly shaft the Wynn group and under the cloak of darkness and in an underhanded and devious manner double cross the Wynn investment group and steer that Freeport hotel deal into the waiting

arms of their master Sarkis Izmirlian as an election payback?”

On Baha Mar, Mr Roberts said Dr Minnis and Minister of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar have been silent since Attorney General Carl Bethel said there was nothing “unusual” or “unconscionable” about the documents connected to the resort’s sale.

“Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis knew at the time he tabled heads of terms on the completion, sale and opening of Baha Mar unsealed by the Bahamas Supreme Court that there was absolutely nothing unusual, wrong or illegal with the agreement but cowardly remained silent on this important matter that dominated the message of the FNM election campaign,” Mr Roberts said.

He added that the FNM made “reckless and dangerous claims” about the resort that hurt the international reputation of the country and “intentionally deceived” thousands of Bahamians.

“From the June 29, 2016 Baha Mar Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, Dr Hubert Minnis and the FNM threw their full support behind developer Sarkis Izmirlian and his then fellow Baha Mar board director and demonstrably outspoken surrogate and willing mouthpiece Dionisio D’Aguilar

who is now minister of tourism. They accused the Christie government of interfering with the Delaware bankruptcy filing and Dr Minnis specifically accused the Christie government falsely of a corrupt ‘under the table’ secret deal, wrong doing and malfeasance,” Mr Roberts also said.

While in opposition, the FNM repeatedly raised concern about Baha Mar. In early March, Dr Minnis pledged that his party would “engage and execute a real sale” of the Baha Mar resort “to a qualified and respectable purchaser who believes in Bahamians,” should the opposition party win the next general election.

Dr Minnis also repeatedly referred to the Baha Mar agreement, which was sealed by the Supreme Court, as a “secret deal” forged between the government and Chinese interests.

Mr Roberts also said: “The FNM boasts of openness, transparency and accountability therefore the PLP dutifully demands Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis to come clean and disclose the terms of the full details of the deal between the FNM and Sarkis Izmirlian. Did the FNM receive financial contributions from Sarkis Izmirlian?

What was promised to Sarkis in return for his support?”

NOTTAGE BEING TREATED IN FLORIDA

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Bain and Grants Town MP Dr Bernard Nottage was said to be receiving treatment at a hospital in Florida yesterday.

Progress Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts told The Tribune that the 71-year-old statesman was airlifted to the United States on Friday.

In an earlier statement, Dr Nottage was said to be “making some progress” in his recovery after he was admitted to hospital locally

last Tuesday.

PLP officials said the former minister of national security was “gravely ill” in the Intensive Care Unit at Doctors Hospital.

Another source familiar with his condition indicated that Dr Nottage appeared to be on the mend last week, adding that there was some level of responsiveness being exhibited by the former Cabinet minister.

Last Wednesday, scores of family members, friends and former colleagues descended on Doctors Hospital as reports of Dr Nottage’s critical state began to

circulate.

There were also false rumours on social media that he had died.

However, those claims were later debunked by a family statement which clarified his condition and asked for continued privacy.

Dr Nottage has faced two public health scares this year - appearing ill during a campaign rally last month and becoming disoriented when he addressed the House of Assembly in February.

He was defeated in the 2017 general election by 22-year-old Travis Robinson.

PAGE 16, Monday, June 26, 2017

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