The Tribune

A SENIOR National Insurance Board executive refuted Gregory Moss’s denial of claims that he sought to push a $42,000 energy audit contract to a firm owned by one of his business partners.

The Grant Thornton report into claims levelled against Mr Moss by now-terminated NIB director Algernon Cargill suggests there may be some truth to the latter’s allegation that the former chairman tried to steer work to Earth and Sun Energy Company.

That firm is owned by Gregory Smith, a Grand Bahama-based former insurance executive with Star General Insurance Company, and a fellow shareholder with Mr Moss in the Siboney Commercial Centre complex in Freeport.

Mr Moss, in a February 7, 2013, interview at Grant Thornton’s office, admitted that he held a 49.5 per cent equity stake in Siboney’s holding company, with Mr Smith owning a one per cent stake.

But he vehemently denied Mr Cargill’s claim that, in his capacity as NIB chairman, he issued a directive to pay Earth and Sun Energy Company $42,000 for an energy audit of NIB’s properties, describing this as “an absolute lie and it was never done.”

However, that statement is directly contradicted by Mrs Cecile Bethel, who was then Mr Cargill’s second-in-command, and is now NIB’s acting director.

In a written response to Grant Thornton, Mrs Bethel said: “Chairman Moss requested that the proposal from Earth and Sun Energy Ltd be reviewed, and NIB should seek to engage their services.

“The proposal requested up-front payment in full of $42,000, which was the initial impediment to NIB doing business with the company, as it was explained that this type of arrangement is not the norm. In this regard, it was suggested that Earth and Sun be so advised. It was later indicated that similar studies were known to cost less and, in some cases, to be offered free of charge.”

The phrase “NIB should seek to engage their services” strongly suggests that Mr Moss, a backbench PLP MP, was pushing for Earth and Energy to get the NIB audit contract.

Yet, strangely, Grant Thornton appears to have ignored the implications of Mrs Bethel’s statement, satisfying itself that Mr Smith and his company ultimately performed no work for NIB.

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