BEC Chairman Leslie Miller
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Electricity Corporation Executive Chairman Leslie Miller yesterday said the corporation now faces threats of legal action following leaks of information concerning large sums of money owed by high-profile customers.
The latest in a string of leaks to the public revealed that Jones Communication Ltd CEO Wendall Jones reportedly owes BEC $106,007.56. While Mr Miller did not say which customers were threatening a lawsuit, Mr Jones told The Tribune that he was not among those persons considering legal action.
“I wouldn’t waste anytime with it,” Mr Jones explained yesterday. “Frankly I don’t think it is worth it. While the leaking of my account information was unprecedented, unethical and demonstrates a dumbing down of the media, there is nothing that can really be done. I don’t plan to pursue legal action.”
While speaking to reporters outside the House of Assembly, Mr Miller insisted that it was not fair for BEC customers to be dragged into the spotlight by the media.
He said despite public uproar over his assistance to persons with disconnected electricity, he will not stop re-connections where they are warranted.
Mr Miller said: “First of all people will only come to me when their lights are off. I have never seen any listing of BEC with anyone’s light bill. It is none of my business and none of my concern. People do call me on a daily basis asking to have their light re-connected and 95 per cent of those persons are homeowners who we assist. They would come to me and say, ‘Mr Miller I have a few dollars to pay on the bill. I don’t have enough to pay the whole thing.’ Maybe they want to pay 50 per cent.’ We might (then) say well pay 40 per cent or whatever you have to turn it on. It’s a normal thing.
“I don’t think it is fair that (any) customer of BEC should be dragged through the newspaper. I think it is wrong. I think you all should stop and desist from doing it. I don’t think that one of us should be subjected to it. Customers should not be subjected to it. In fact I am told now that some customers are going to take legal action against BEC for having their bills in the newspaper and in the press which is wrong.
“We try to assist people as much as we can and that is what I will continue to do. We will assist those who need assistance and where it is warranted to assist those Bahamians who are out of light. That’s what I will continue to do. If I am criticised for that well then so be it. That’s it.”
Mr Miller was also the subject of public scrutiny after it was revealed in the media that he and his family owned businesses collectively owed electricity bills totalling $239,533.33. His daughter paid $100,000 in cash on the arrears, but the payment has reportedly sparked a probe by the Finance Intelligence Unit.
Mr Miller told The Tribune on Tuesday that he was not concerned about the outcome of that investigation.
Comments
lionfish 10 years, 4 months ago
I do not think they have a right to sue as it is a public company. Technically their outstanding bills are owed to the Bahamian people so WE have a right to know. WE, the public, should be able to sue for the entire delinquent list not the other way around. WE also should be able to remove BEC employees that allow this blatant abuse by a few to continue.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 4 months ago
After these bastards already screw us ..... they gat the balls to talk about SUE???????
ChaosObserver 10 years, 4 months ago
Comedic that Miller thinks that news reporting (and investigations) are "unprecedented, unethical and demonstrates dumbing down of the media"...isn't the media SUPPOSED to be reporting such news in the first place? Granted, not that such happens on a regular basis with any of the papers..
DillyTree 10 years, 4 months ago
If they pay their bills then they have nothing to worry about, right? It's really very simple.
When will the Tribune get a commission for collecting all these overdue payments for the government? They are doing a far better job of compliance than the government!
GrassRoot 10 years, 3 months ago
good. let them sue BEC, then we finally know who it is, that is afraid of being disclosed. am sure we get a precedent case.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 3 months ago
I think Mr Miller is "trying" to do the right thing, he is trying to make the company efficient. But he is performing so many missteps in the effort he mutes all of his efforts. This article is another example, what in Gods name is the Executive Chairman doing entertaining calls from customers to turn back on their electricity and directing anyone to carry out a reconnection? As an MP he is no doubt in constant contact with persons in difficult circumstances, his response should be a professional one, there is nothing I can do personally, but the company has a policy in place to allow persons to catch up on an overdue bill, go into Credit and Collections today and set up an arrangement with them to get your lights back on.
It's scary the amount of leaders we have who don't have one iota of technical knowledge for the area they've been given charge, this includes the PM and DPM. This would be ok, if they had management or public administration training , just performed oversight and left the running of the ministries or corporations to the technocrats. but it is clear today that they believe their role is to muck up everything with their interference
Someone needs to take Mr Miller aside and go through the list of his missteps to show him why even with his good intentions, he's make things worse
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 3 months ago
*that is what I will continue to do. *
That is not your job!!! That's the problem. You're causing confusion. You're interfering with someone else's job while at the same time not performing yours. Either the PM or DPM needs to make this point clear to him. Explain to him the role of an Executive Chairman. Your role is to make sure the CEO is doing his job, nothing else.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
These guys are 3W politicians ........... not professionally trained managers. All were 2nd rate at their first job and Ping gave them political careers
B_I_D___ 10 years, 3 months ago
I think I should sue BEC...I pay my bill in full each month...going to sue them for interest that I could have earned by NOT paying like they let everyone else do.
licks2 10 years, 3 months ago
What are they going to sue for? Exposing a bill ducker to the "owners" of a company? Leslie is just too much fer he own good! That dude so mix up he can't even be compared to counch salad frum fish fry. That dude ack like he half-retarded or something like that! He just as dumb as a tree stump! Rowing with them BEC workers about letting people not pay their bills up to $5000! Now we see where he letting he friends, family and he self them duck light bills up to millions!
Perry will have to fire him. . .yall watch! This probe that PC ordered is just an "excuse" to tell miller carry he crazy tail from around the public! Power-arrogance and little learning is a volatile mixture. . .it mught explode into a LESLIE MILLER!!! Lol!
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