By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Staff Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
TWO more government ministers declined to comment on whether they are up to date with their annual public disclosures.
When asked for comment on the revelations yesterday, and whether or not he was up to date with his annual disclosures, Prime Minister Perry Christie told The Tribune he plans to address the matter during his contribution in the House of Assembly today.
Minister of Tourism, West End and Bimini MP Obie Wilchcombe, and Minister of State for Financial Services, Elizabeth MP Ryan Pinder both said they had no comment when questioned outside Cabinet yesterday.
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture, MICAL MP V Alfred Gray, and Exuma MP Anthony Moss confirmed that they were in compliance with the Public Disclosure Act.
To date, 11 of 38 members of Parliament have confirmed to The Tribune that they had filed all their annual disclosures.
Yesterday, St Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman maintained that all his disclosures have been filed – with the exception of 2013, which he expects to complete this week.
Under the Public Disclosure Act, disclosures must be turned into the Public Disclosures Commission by March each year.
Last week, Opposition Leader Dr Hubert Minnis told The Tribune that he had yet to see a single report from the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) this term. Dr Minnis, as leader of the Opposition, is entitled to the PDC’s report before it is publicly gazetted.
When contacted for comment last month, Allan Benjamin, chairman of the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), would not say if members of Parliament and senators had complied with the Public Disclosure Act.
Mr Benjamin said he could not give details on the issue, adding that the PDC has done “what we are supposed to do” and had forwarded information to Cabinet.
Yesterday, Mr Christie confirmed that he has received the PDC’s annual report since taking office in 2012.
Comments
GrassRoot 10 years, 5 months ago
of course they broke the law. else they would say they have not. Time to blame everybody and shame anybody that did. The PLP and the FNM are teaming up to be the biggest racket in the country. Put all of them on a raft and send them to Timbuktu.
Sickened 10 years, 5 months ago
That's not nice... to do to Timbuktu! Tie them all to the UNDERSIDE of a raft so they can't do any more harm to any country.
Reality_Check 10 years, 5 months ago
Ryan Pinder is our bigger problem....this fella...like his father....is a planted agent of a foreign government, namely the U.S. The Chinese diplomats in our country know it, but unfortunately most Bahamians have still not woken up to it. Ryan's loyalties lie elsewhere and he should not be the one in our government dealing with any matters involving the exchange of information of any kind with the U.S. Our entire offshore banking community needs to beware of him.
GrassRoot 10 years, 5 months ago
Honestly Reality Check, does this matter in a country where everybody and anything can be bought with the right amount of money?
sheeprunner12 10 years, 5 months ago
The biggest NO COMMENT is the fact that these Ministers are not telling us how last year's budget allocations were spent........... but they want raises and more money ....... imagine!!!
Publius 10 years, 5 months ago
Also, the media should not have accepted MPs telling them "I have to check to see if it was done". In order for your disclosure to be submitted, you have to personally sign and affirm your disclosure. So it is impossible to not know whether you disclosed. You as the MP do your actual disclosure, it is not done for you by someone else.
Sickened 10 years, 5 months ago
We have been talking about this subject for so long now and these empty headed politicians still don't know if they have filed or not. Really? Are they that busy doing ' '. Note to those few politician's that can read and happen to be reading this... that blank space after doing, in my last sentence, is 'nothing', in case you didn't get it.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 5 months ago
How is this even a valid response? I mean if they can use it why can't we? Have you ever been convicted of a crime? no comment. Do you have any banned substances in your luggage? No comment. Can I see your drivers license? No, I mean no comment. Name please. No comment. Are your real property taxes up to date? No comment.
Actually this works really well...
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