The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Minister of State for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez yesterday claimed members of the Minnis administration were still benefiting from their private interests despite their positions in the public service, adding the alleged “troubling” behaviour did not bolster anti-corruption talks.

Mr Gomez was asked to comment on the recently tabled Integrity Commission Bill; however, he said he was not yet ready to provide his analysis on the legislation.

“I am concerned by some of the things that have occurred since the general election,” Mr Gomez told reporters on the sidelines of the party’s convention, “which in my view point in a negative direction so far as integrity and anti-corruption are concerned.”

He continued: “It is easy to say one thing, it is more difficult to behave in a way that is consistent with what you say and my view is that we aren’t seeing enough of the behaviour being consistent with the rhetoric and that’s troubling.”

Asked to expand on those comments, Mr Gomez said: “We’ve seen for instance in the budget debate that airplane parts were given an exemption and it so happens that the minister of finance is a shareholder in a company that would benefit from that.

“He ought to have read his speech and to have read the content of the budget communication and deleted those tax breaks which he was giving to himself.

“We still see that members of the Cabinet are benefitting from their public positions and private interests that does not auger well for an anti-corruption discussion,” he said, however he did not offer proof of these claims.

Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest came under fire for allegedly failing to disclose his interest in Sky Bahamas to Parliament after the government approved duty exemptions for the repair and maintenance of aircraft in the 2017-2018 budget debate.

In Parliament, Mr Turnquest admitted he did not realise the aircraft exemptions were in the budget until he read them in the House of Assembly.

At the time, the East Grand Bahama MP called implications that he somehow amended the legislation to benefit himself is “misleading” and dangerous to his reputation.