The Tribune

UPDATE: Despite The Tribune being told by a trusted source that Renward Wells would resign today, he has not resigned, nor did he address the issue in the House of Assembly.

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

RENWARD Wells, Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Works, is expected to tender his resignation today over his signing of unauthorised letter of intent for a $650 million waste-to-energy facility, The Tribune understands.

According to a well-placed source close to the matter, the Bamboo Town MP is expected to table the letter of intent in the House of Assembly and provide an explanation over the matter.

It was rumoured that Mr Wells would make a statement in the House last Wednesday. However, he did not speak in the lower chamber and did not answer questions from the press. His wife, Sarah, and other supporters were present in the House of Assembly last week and sat in the visitor’s gallery during the morning session.

The source disclosed that an attempt was made to soften the blow of Mr Well’s indiscretion in a bid to protect his political career. However, the incident represented “three strikes” for the embattled parliamentary secretary.

Mr Wells’ unauthorised signing of a letter of intent (LOI) with Stellar Waste-To-Energy Bahamas Ltd to build a $650 million waste-to-energy plant at the New Providence landfill was made public earlier this month. The crux of the controversy is that with senior government officials denying that they gave Mr Wells, a junior, instructions to sign the letter of intent Mr Wells breached Westminster protocols by signing the document.

Works Minister Brave Davis and Environment Minister Kenred Dorsett have both reportedly expressed surprise that Mr Wells signed the document as it was not in his ministry’s portfolio.

According to the source, the LOI would also give Stellar Waste an unfair advantage because request for proposals (RFP) for the energy sector’s reform were suspended until a decision was made on the Bahamas Electricity Corporation’s restructuring process.

This week, Opposition leader Dr Hubert Minnis increased criticisms over Prime Minister Perry Christie’s handling of the controversy, which he said aligns with the US’ critical review of the government’s handling of contracts as noted in its 2014 Investment Climate Report on the Bahamas.

He declared that his party, the Free National Movement, will not rest until Mr Wells is removed from his post.

“If this prime minister was worth his salt, he would have fired Wells within an hour of Wells’ refusal to resign,” Dr Minnis said at a press conference at the Free National Movement party headquarters on Sunday. “The fact that he did not fire Wells raises more questions – what did the prime minister know and when did he know it?”

Dr Minnis said: “More than half a billion dollars to invest is an awful lot of money to be touted by an investor who has obtained some obviously spurious permission, evinced by something called a letter of intent, in such shady and obscure circumstances. Bahamians will connect the dots.

“The prime minister must do his duty, if Renward Wells will not. The prime minister must fire Wells and fully explain this sordid situation to Bahamians.”

No official statements have been made by the prime minister on the issue. When questioned by reporters, Mr Christie said that his government would provide answers on the controversy when it is ready.