The Tribune

PRIME Minister Perry Christie hit out at the “scourge” of corruption yesterday while speaking on ethics at an international conference.

Mr Christie was speaking at a conference in the Cayman Islands titled “Toward a Corruption-Free Caribbean: Ethics, Values, Trust and Morality”.

He said corruption in its various forms “poses a formidable challenge to governments everywhere, and that international, regional and national anti-corruption initiatives need to be strengthened to combat this scourge.”

He added: “Although corruption is a menace for developed and developing countries alike, it is particularly relevant for small island developing states where corruption is not infrequently linked with national development.”

He highlighted the history of the Bahamas going back to the “Pirates’ Republic”, and added: “Such a morally ambiguous heritage has naturally provided an abundance of what are now popularly referred to as ‘teachable moments’.”

However, he said the frameworks put in place to prevent corruption nowadays were not always a magic wand. He said: “For example, a recent constitutional commission established by my government to consider constitutional reform, reported that after studying the office of ombudsman in the region, there was ‘little evidence in the literature to suggest that this office has lived up to its billing’, citing issues such as the lack of coercive powers.”

He warned of the dangers of money laundering, too, saying: “The importance of a strong anti-money laundering regime in a national framework to combat corruption cannot be over-stated. Money laundering and the presence of large quantities of illicit money in a financial system not only promotes criminal activities and other social ills, but it feeds corruption.”

He went on to say: “If I may be permitted a brief burst of boastful pride, there is nothing in the whole of my more than 40 consecutive years in frontline politics of which I am more proud than the fact that there has never been any serious allegation of corruption levelled against me. And in a place of intense scrutiny and frequently malicious partisanship like The Bahamas, that is really saying something, I assure you!”

He said that the code of ethics in the Bahamas stresses that transparency and probity in public life can only be maintained if Ministers:

• hold their positions and powers in trust for the benefit of the Bahamian people;

• devote themselves to ministerial service as a full-time occupation;

• avoid any material conflict between their private interest and their public duties;

• avoid using their ministerial status or influence for the enrichment of themselves or their families;

• avoid all forms of ethically improper behavior including the solicitation or acceptance of personal gifts or loans from organisations or individuals who are seeking to obtain or retain the patronage or favour of the Government.

Mr Christie has this week been accused by FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis of an abuse of power for his intervention in the case of Ishmael Lightbourne to prevent the bank repossessing the government’s VAT co-ordinator’s home.

Dr Minnis said the intervention could be interpreted as “bribery” and “undue influence”.

Mr Christie previously said that Opposition comments about Mr Lightbourne - who admitted not having paid his property taxes - was a case of trying to shoot the messenger.