The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

LABOUR Minister Shane Gibson yesterday lashed out at the former government for allowing only one company to acquire millions of dollars in NIB job contracts.

Speaking on a point of order in the House of Assembly, Mr Gibson took opposition leader Dr Hubert Minnis to task on how Kenuth Knowles’ principal at Kenuth’s Electric was able to pocket large sums of money, often trumping other contractors for work.

On Tuesday, Mr Knowles, after his home had been broken into, insisted that he had become the target of criminals since government officials had sullied his reputation in the ongoing NIB controversy. Months back, he was held at gun point at his store when armed men asked for him by name and stole money from the store’s cash register.

Mr Gibson claimed that emails were available to prove Board officials were “hung up” on having Mr Knowles as the sole recipient of several jobs throughout the country.

The issue, Mr Gibson said, dated back to 2007, when the PLP had contracted Ran Mar Precision, a $4.3 million contract to complete renovations at the JL Centre on Blake Road. He said the FNM later revoked the contract and gave Coastline Construction the same job for $8.9 million.

“This is the same contract,” Mr Gibson said, “where the FNM administration insisted that Kenuth’s Electric get the contract for all the electrical services for the JL Centre. They also insisted, and I have a copy of the emails, where they insisted the contracting in Exuma, that this same Kenuth get the same contract for the mini hospital in Exuma.

“They also insisted as well, Mr Speaker, that this same Kenuth, get the contract to do the electrical services in Abaco. Every single contract that National Insurance had, they insisted that this same one Kenuth got the contract.”

According to Mr Gibson, Ran Mar Precision had a proven track record of producing excellent work. The FNM’s dismissal of the company, was unfounded he said.

“The FNM fired Ran Mar for no reason. Mind you this is the same Ran Mar who the FNM was giving a new contract to build a new building. This is the same Ran Mar who completed the Anatol Rodgers School (Faith Avenue South) under the FNM on their watch.”

The revelations followed Dr Minnis’ claims that the PLP had not followed proper tender procedures which ultimately lead to one “PLP operative” earning more than $8 million from NIB. He said it was clear that the PLP had not put Bahamians first as they had repeated for months.

He said: “It went directly to one of the PLP operatives without going through the regular process. Is that believing in Bahamians or is that believing in one person?”

Seated parliamentarians shouted during Dr Minnis’ address: “You talking about Kenuth Knowles and Kenuth’s Electric.”