BEC Chairman Leslie Miller
By KYLE WALKINE
Tribune Staff Reporter
kwalkine@tribunemedia.net
THE daughters of Bahamas Electricity Corporation Executive Chairman Leslie Miller paid $100,000 on the electricity bill for their family-owned business yesterday, Mr Miller told The Tribune.
The payment was made by cashier’s cheque. The deposit came days after it was revealed that Mr Miller and one of his family-owned businesses owed the corporation a total of $239,533.33.
Mr Miller told The Tribune yesterday that he will not step down as chairman of BEC, despite a call for his resignation from union leaders because of his BEC bills. He said he “will not be distracted from the job he has set out to do, which is to lower the cost of electricity for all consumers within the Bahamas.”
“My personal bill at BEC is up to date and my family’s bill at BEC is up to date,” the chairman said yesterday, as he defended himself against critics who said his bill is a conflict of interest considering his role at the corporation.
“We’ve already paid BEC. Since Mario’s started three years ago, we’ve already paid BEC in excess of over $1m. Every company in this country, depending on the magnitude, owes BEC money. In fact, I said from the beginning when I was appointed that we had a bill to BEC just like everybody else. So I never ran away from my bill.”
In a press statement released yesterday afternoon, the managing directors of Mario’s Bowling & Family Entertainment Palace and Summer Winds Investment Company Limited confirmed that the $100,000 payment was towards the bill for the Harrold Road bowling alley, which The Tribune understands is $193,159.56.
“Mario’s Bowling & Entertainment Palace is over 200,000 square feet of space that generates between $20,000 to $30,000 dollars monthly in utility supplies,” the statement said. “This bill far exceeds the cost of any Bahamian household and has not been compiled over the years or a year. Most businesses in our country face this unfortunate dilemma and had to seek a monthly or weekly payment plan at the Bahamas Electricity Corporation in order to keep their doors open.
“With this substantial payment, we expect to bring our balance down and have it paid in the shortest amount of time possible,” the statement said.
According to Mr Miller, BEC has received all the cheques to take care of the remainder of his bill.
“Like everybody else, you make arrangements to take care of the bill,” he said.
“That’s what everybody does. We have hotels in the Bahamas owing in excess of $15 million. You can’t turn them off. So what do you do? You sit with them and work out an arrangement and it’s done. I’m not an exception. In fact, I’m a part of that, because I’m a businessman first and foremost.”
Mr Miller owns a business that he says employs more than 75 Bahamians with a salary payout every week of over $15,000.
On Wednesday Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis spoke in the House of Assembly of his disappointment over Mr Miller’s electricity bill. He urged the chairman to bring his accounts up to date.
Mr Davis, who is also the minister with responsibility for BEC, said he had spoken to Mr Miller previously and thought it had been dealt with.
The entire ordeal unfolded amidst a heated public spat between Mr Miller and leaders of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) and the Bahamas Electrical Utility Managerial Union (BEUMU). Earlier this week Mr Miller called the unionists “blood suckers”.
The Tribune understands that an investigation has been launched to determine the source of leaks of Mr Miller’s electricity bills.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 5 months ago
This makes no sense, if everything was ok, why make a 100,000 payment? I suppose his argument is if Shame Ishmael and McSweeney don't have to resign, why should he? This is what the government of Second Chances gives us. Gambling under bosses who can speak out on the front page of a leading newspaper and dress down a sitting minister of government without so much as a "boo" from the PM, deputy PM, Minister of National Security or the Minister of Finance. Nothing, "Four" senior officials (reminder: PM+ Minister of Finance= 2 separate minds) and nothing. Worse than the Pindling era is here.
birdiestrachan 10 years, 5 months ago
Now that they have told us what Mr. Miller business owes, are they going to list what other business owe. he can not be the only one who is behind with his bills. if it is not done it means the reports are bias. so in the interest of fairness what companies owe BEC??
GrassRoot 10 years, 5 months ago
yes I think public disclosure and shaming works. More efficiently than hiring tax collectors... so who is next after Dame Pindling?
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 5 months ago
This didn't come from BEC or the Tribune birdie. Can you pay attention? This came from a whistleblower. What you should be asking for is Whistleblower protection laws to shield people who bring forward evidence of corruption in our public finances.
GrassRoot 10 years, 5 months ago
So we let someone run BEC that complaints and whines about the electricity bill for a business he built that is not profitable and oversized? Wow, after the Voodoo Economists in the Government we also have Voodoo Entrepreneurs running Government Businesses.
B_I_D___ 10 years, 5 months ago
Mr. Miller needs to be careful with his generalizations..."Every company in this country, depending on the magnitude, owes BEC money." Unless he means that as a matter of fact, due to it's 'post-paid' nature' that unless you pay at the very second your meter is read, you are always owing something, he needs to tread lightly. ALL of our businesses and homes are current...funny though, I don't ever recall seeing any adjustments to our bill back when they said if you pay 3 months in full and on time...need to go back through our records and see if we actually did get our so called discount...if we miss a single monthly payment they have us disconnected faster than you can blink, so be very careful when you say "Every company in this country, depending on the magnitude, owes BEC money."
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 5 months ago
Miller must be fired. But alas. This is the PLP, the party of criminals.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 5 months ago
Sad and embarrassing ................. but true
lionfish 10 years, 5 months ago
The excuses that Miller uses do not placate me at all. I had a business for 10 years (with an equally oversized BEC bill) and BEC never let me go more than 1 day over my due date! The disconnector would show up at the door and I had to pay immediately. Mostly I hadn't paid because I had not received a bill in the mail and time had gotten away from me (still my fault though). I was NEVER given even a 24hour break! Just to show you there are two sets of laws in this country- you and them!
B_I_D___ 10 years, 5 months ago
Yup
Well_mudda_take_sic 10 years, 5 months ago
Does this mean Christie called the Bank of The Bahamas (BOB) and told Paul McWeeney and Richard Demeritte to increase Miller's loan by $100,000? According to The Punch, Miller, Wilchcombe, close friends and business associates of Mrs. Ping and QC McWeeney's spouse, among many other cronies of Christie, all have borrowed big time from BOB, which is a bank majority owned by government and controlled by Christie as Minister of Finance. That guy Ishmael Lightbourne was probably told by Christie to go to BOB to get any money he needs to pay his taxes. Loans made by BOB to Christie's cronies seem to get written-off pretty quickly, e.g. the millions in loans owed by Wilchcombe to BOB which were written-off by BOB according to The Punch. After all, when BOB needs more money all it has to do is call Christie who in turn calls Shameless Shane and tells him to inject more capital into the bank from our National Insurance Funds! This is really too much of joke to even warrant a good laugh!!
sheeprunner12 10 years, 5 months ago
Interesting point ................ at least they paid a good portion of the bill. This BOB issue is really troubling though
atwr 10 years, 5 months ago
Shameful mr miller and mrs pindling....just shameful!
sheeprunner12 10 years, 5 months ago
Sooooooooooooooo, Leslie Miller is a PLP backbencher, appointed by the PM to chair BEC that is under the Ministry headed by the DPM................. and he says that he is NOT going to resign???????????? That tells you a lot about Leslie, Perry and Lil Brave ........... SMDH
PastorTroy 10 years, 5 months ago
Talking 'bout the Fox guarding the Hen house. Why launch an investigation into who 'leak' this information? whether the motive was political or someone who works at BEC who have been blamed by Min.Miller for not collecting BEC payments from customers, deciding to risk their job doing their duty to The Black, Aquamarine and Gold rather than political party; is just just a waste of taxpayers money and a genius way to intimidate others from doing what is right. What is the 'crime' done? BEC, which the Executive Chairman railed recently about employee not collecting and giving breaks to subscribers, turns out the amount pale in comparison to the $100K his own daughter just paid and still owes basically the same balance! Now I hope my fellow Bahamians now begin to taste what the FOIA will do for our developing democracy. Hypocrisy is hypocrisy! Min. Miller, who quite well knew and probably signed of on his family business owing BEC so much money, while blaming the cashiers and others SHOULD resign! On another note, one of my greatest Bahamian Hero was LOP, regardless of his flaws, he was Black, (not that it mattered if he was 'white') unapologetic, brilliant and had great charisma, that said Dame. Margaret, please pay your bill, seriously, the surname Pindling in the Bahamas, is like the Bushes here in the U.S, in other words, influential, elite, politically connected and wealthy, we know you are connected enough to have it 'disappear', but DO THE RIGHT THING! Dame Margaret it WAS a secret, it's not anymore, please do the right thing, after all the same money you will pay to correct this obvious 'mistake' will be paid back to you from the taxpayers coffer in the near future. BRAVO! BRAVO! to good investigational journalism! Now, Where are the 'OTHERS' skeleton? Looking forward to it! Thanks!
DillyTree 10 years, 5 months ago
Isn't anyone just a little curious why Leslie (and his family members) just happened to have $100,000 in CASH laying around? Why not just get a bank cheque? What's the source of this huge sum of cash? I sure as hell would want to know, wouldn't you? And if PGC had any shred of integrity, he would be asking the same questions -- after firing Miller.
Hogfish 10 years, 4 months ago
he still owes $139k ...
SO CUT HIM OFF!
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