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Christie and the AG under fire over ‘conflict of interest’

Former Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson.

Former Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson.

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday called for Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson to resign from Cabinet in light of what he sees as a conflict of interest with her role as a government negotiator on Baha Mar and her daughters owning stores that have leases with the stalled project.

Dr Minnis said Mrs Maynard-Gibson should “do the honourable thing” and step down in the face of what he called an “overt conflict of interest.” Until that happens, Dr Minnis said the Free National Movement would continue to pressure the Christie administration on the matter.

Meanwhile, Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Leader Branville McCartney yesterday blasted Prime Minister Perry Christie for allowing Mrs Maynard-Gibson to serve as a government negotiator despite his presumed knowledge of Mrs Maynard-Gibson’s daughters’ connection to the resort.

In a press statement released yesterday Mr McCartney said Mr Christie should have “immediately recognized the potential for a perceived conflict and taken the appropriate steps to remove the said conflict.”

When questioned on the matter yesterday, Dr Minnis said: “Just as (State Minister for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez) recognised that he was in conflict, he subsequently offered his letter of resignation to the prime minister. The same thing should happen (with Mrs Maynard-Gibson).”

Mr Gomez, in May, reportedly offered his resignation to Mr Christie after the files of a group of men he represented as a defence lawyer could not be located. Two of the men are wanted in the US to face drug charges. They are also now his constituents.

Mr Christie has not accepted that resignation, however.

“If I were prime minister, that minister in my government would have had to resign or be dismissed,” Dr Minnis added, referring to the attorney general. “But that would not have happened in my government because we will practice complete transparency and honesty. She should do the honourable thing just like Damian Gomez did.”

Mr McCartney, meanwhile, criticised Mrs Maynard-Gibson for giving off what he said was a “dismissive tone” towards the situation.

However, what he said was “even more disturbing” was Mr Christie’s alleged knowledge of the entire situation.

“As the nation’s chief executive and tenured attorney in his own right, Mr Christie should have immediately recognised the potential for a perceived conflict and taken the appropriate steps to remove the said conflict,” Mr McCartney added. “Instead, he did what he has always done. Nothing. His inaction represents a complete desertion of the 14 point Code of Ethics which he devised back in 2002 to govern the behaviour of government ministers and other high ranking officials; one of which called for ministers of government to divest themselves of any holdings or assets which could potentially create a conflict of interest in office.”

He added: “As a successful and tenured attorney and a veteran on the local political landscape, Mrs Maynard-Gibson is all too aware of the need for all publicly elected officials to remain free from the perception of wrong doing. In the case of the Baha Mar development, it is imperative to the ongoing negotiations that no government official – especially officials who represent the government in those negotiations – has direct or indirect ownership ties to the development.

“...It is therefore both inappropriate and disingenuous for the attorney general to feign bewilderment as to where the conflict exists.”

As attorney general, Mrs Maynard-Gibson has often been the government’s chief liaison with Baha Mar, the Export-Import Bank of China and the China State Construction Company as those parties attempt to work through their differences to push the project forward.

Last week, while a guest on the More 94 FM talk show Real Talk Live, Mrs Maynard-Gibson revealed her daughters’ connection to the resort and Mr Christie’s knowledge of the matter. Mrs Maynard-Gibson said her daughters, like other Bahamians who invested in the project, are suffering due to Baha Mar’s woes.

Dr Minnis subsequently labelled the situation as a conflict of interest, and questioned if others in the PLP had links to businesses connected to Baha Mar, adding, “how high does it go?”

When contacted by The Tribune about the concerns however, the attorney general brushed off those worries, saying last week she would never do anything to compromise the confidence Mr Christie and the Bahamian people have placed in her.

Last week, before Mrs Maynard-Gibson’s statement, independent Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins said it would be an indictment on the Christie administration if a sitting member of Cabinet had ownership interest in Baha Mar.

His comments were among a variety of reports suggesting that some parliamentarians have interests related to Baha Mar that have not been declared.

Comments

asiseeit 9 years, 3 months ago

If it is true that the P.M's mentally challenged son has a company and that company was awarded the contract to build the pools at Baha Mar, the Bahamian people have a right to know. If this is found to be true the P.M. needs to resign!

TruePeople 9 years, 3 months ago

Bey, on the real if you investigate and cause to resign all those in conflict of interest situations we ein guh have a gov't left jed! It ein about colour shirts its how business is done round here, as sad as that is. The AG in Conflict of Interest is just a prime example of a rampant problem in our Bahamas. Bey ise often think the 'pirate republic' before Mr. Rodgers come in an hang everyone was probably more fair and transparent than modern times

Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 3 months ago

The Lyford Cay community is all abuzz that apparently the PM's son was given the principal or primary construction and maintenance contract for all of Baha Mar's pools with the understanding that he (the PM's son) would in turn sub-contract out all of the work to two or three other local pool construction and maintenance companies that possess the necessary expertise. Sounds like a basic fronting exercise involving a government official's close family member (in this case the PM's son) for the purpose of creaming off funds in a quid pro quo arrangement whereby a foreign developer (like Sarkis Izmirlian) may have received overly generous concessions from the corrupt Christie-led PLP government alla Maynard-Gibson and the leases granted by Baha Mar to her two daughters. Investigative journalists and others should be vigorously investigating the facts behind these apparent serious conflict of interest situations! The Supreme Court of The Bahamas should also be very concerned that the Christie-led PLP government may have had unclean hands at the time it filed its petition for Baha Mar to be placed in liquidation, especially given too the Baltron Bethel letter to the Chinese Export Import Bank suggesting it call for the sale of the project to another developer/ majority owner and the attempt to appoint partial liquidators who currently serve as advisors to the Chinese parent company of the general contractor. The scent of criminal wrongdoing is becoming more odious with the passing of each new revelation about the back door deals involving the Baha Mar project and senior members of the corrupt Christie-led PLP government.

banker 9 years, 3 months ago

You have the PM's son with a contract. You have the Attorney General's daughters with a contract. The corruption is rife, and the government is just protecting their own side interests instead of governing the country. We are no better than the African nations who for the life of them, cannot run a decent, patriotic, corruption-free government. It is if Bahamians are children of lesser god that doesn't grant fairness to the people. The PLP are just a bunch of self serving monkeys without a shred of altruism, and are complete strangers to truth and everything that is good, decent and honest.

Wideawake 9 years, 3 months ago

Chinua Achebe here we come!

licks2 9 years, 3 months ago

My, my, my, . . . Dr. Myles Munroe's predictions that the PLP will look as if its going crazy. . . corruption rife. . .a Government of total disrepute!! Also about 50 of their "big mucka mucks" are dead. . .Bismark Coakley the most recent!!

This the lowest I have ever seen our nation. . .WEE NEED ANOTHER MORDERN DAY WOODS ROGERS. . ."EXPULSUS PIRATUS RESTITUTA COMERCIA" IS NEEDED ALL OVER AGAIN!!!

MonkeeDoo 9 years, 3 months ago

Christie got outsmarted because he partnered with a US company to do the fraud and now the FBI is investigating. That's why he got so bent out of shape when Delaware came up. US Jurisdiction again. And they can follow the money trail. Maybe a few more acorns in the bank account where the pool money went into. GOD TRULY DON'T LIKE UGLY. !!!! Time for a Commission of Inquiry !!!! With power to send for persons and papers. And to sit from place to place, OMG what crooked people are we dealing with.

asiseeit 9 years, 3 months ago

Will a reporter step up to the plate and ask Mr. Cristie if indeed his son has a company, did that company receive the pool contracts, and where that company is incorporated? It would be interesting to hear what the P.M. has to say on the matter. Also should be easy enough for a true reporter to get to the bottom of and find out the TRUTH!

jackbnimble 9 years, 3 months ago

Not really. It pretty easy to hide your assets behind a Bahamian company. The only entity that knows who the owner of a company is, is the company's registered office and they don't talk.

Wideawake 9 years, 3 months ago

Shake that Corruption Tree!! Shake! Shake! And see what rotten fruit falls to the ground in full view!!

asiseeit 9 years, 3 months ago

The AG has a clear conflict of interest and needs to step aside forthwith.

MonkeeDoo 9 years, 3 months ago

Do people realize that the PM's son is autistic. He would be incapable of understanding what was being done in his name. ERGO Major Fraud. The US is jailing crooked people from FIFA who haven't done anything in the US. Once you move those USD's around you are breaking the US laws unless you can prove otherwise.

Reporter ? What the hell is the opposition doing for its money ?. They can ask Christie flat-footed in the house if that is what has been done. I am getting very uncomfortable with the Official Opposition myself.

newcitizen 9 years, 3 months ago

Being Autistic does not mean you can't understand what's going on. There is a sliding scale of how autism affects you and everyone is affected differently. Many autistic people function very normally in society.

ohdrap4 9 years, 3 months ago

does not matter where he is on any scale. the point is, is he qualified to tke care of pools of a major complex?

MonkeeDoo 9 years, 3 months ago

And where then does Christie's son come on the scale ? Any ideas ? Or does the PM just want him to have an enjoyable life of doing nothing. ???

TalRussell 9 years, 3 months ago

Comrades, all disregard for decency passes through these hereto Tribune blog page, cuz after reading the sick posts about the PM's son, how could you not demand for these red bloggers to go hang they's disgusting minds in shame..

ThisIsOurs 9 years, 3 months ago

What is sick about what was said? The PM has on many occasions talked about the challenges of looking after his son. If this case is brought before a judge, I'm no lawyer, but I'm assuming that the judge would have to decide if the son was competent enough to enter into a legal contract. There's nothing mean about that. Further, Its clear the work of the contract was all subcontracted, so what's the purpose of the son's company taking on the contract? Why not let legitimate pool companies bid in the first place?

MonkeeDoo 9 years, 3 months ago

DISGUSTING !!! Comrade Tal, what is disgusting is that our Prime Minister would compromise himself to the extent that he benefits from a transaction in which he as Prime Minister is heavily involved and giving the developer this and giving the developer that. The this and that belong to you and me and he has no frig... right to make a red or yellow cent off of it. He is being paid by us to guard our treasury and national interest - instead he is looking out for his and the AG's interest. That is DISGUSTING !!! But typical !!!!

MonkeeDoo 9 years, 3 months ago

The Tribune needs to block this Communist fool Tal Russell from commenting.

newcitizen 9 years, 3 months ago

No one needs to be blocked. You and I may not like or agree with Tal, but that is the basis of Free Speech. We can't be falling in line with Mitchell and Gibson's idea that we have to hold our tongues in this country.

TalRussell 9 years, 3 months ago

Comrade, looks to readers that the most shocking element to to your attack on yours truly is, where is the compassion? Maybe the Tribune deleted it. Comrade, you can attack me anytime, but not a child.

ohdrap4 9 years, 3 months ago

why give a major contract to a child

birdiestrachan 9 years, 3 months ago

Yes indeed both Mr: McCartney and DR: Minnis need to have their heads examined. There some screws loose they have lost all common sense. Her daughters having store any place in the Bahamas including the Bar Mar Project is no conflict of interest. It is just poor foolishness to even think that. That can not want power that much, so as to make themselves appear to be fools. They do not know what fights to pick. May the good Lord spare us from both of them. Blocking a communist fool is what communism is all about. free speech is democracy. beat up on politicians all you want. But their wives and children are not fair play; leave them alone.

ThisIsOurs 9 years, 3 months ago

You clearly do not understand the concept of conflict of interest. Have you ever signed an employment contract for any major company? There are standard disclosures that every employee is asked to make, 1. Do you have any family members working in the business? 2. Do you have any interest in any company with which the employer is doing business. 3. Do you have a relationship with any vendor with which the company is doing business.? this extends to boyfriend/girlfriend

There's nothing wrong with being ignorant of facts, nobody knows everything. But being ignorant and deliberately closing your eyes to newly presented information is insanity

If for example the Charlow young man in Mayaguana were Alfred Gray's son, and Alfred Gray called the magistrate to have him freed, that is a conflict.

Your family is free to get into any business BUT, if they are getting into a business over which you have influence or inside information that would give them an unfair advantage, EVEN IF YOU DO NOT EXERCISE THAT INFLUENCE, if you do not disclose the relationship, that is a conflict. The disclosure must come BEFOREHAND, not when you believe you may be discovered . Also, I do not believe whispering to the PM is sufficient for disclosure to be met. Clearly he had an interest in keeping your secret. The disclosure would have to be made to Parliament or Cabinet.

birdiestrachan 9 years, 3 months ago

yes indeed both Mr: McCartney and Dr: minnis need to have their heads examined. There are some screws loose, They have lost all common sense her daughters having stores any place in the Bahamas including the Bar Mar project is no conflict of interest. What does she have to gain . It is just pure foolishness to even think that. they can not want power that much, so as to make themselves appear to be fools. McCartney should know better. They do not know what fights to pick. May the good LORD SPARE us from both of them. .Blocking a communist fool is what communism is all about. Free speech is democracy. Beat up on politicians as much as you like. their wives and children are not fair play. leave them alone.

TalRussell 9 years, 3 months ago

When there is even the appearance of conflict of interest, a cabinet minister with integrity recuses his or herself from the discussion. That appearance with the AG, exists.
Comrade you are so wrong on this one. Truth is had talk show host "His Eminence" Ortland H, not asked the AG the proper possible conflict questions, the public would still have been left in the dark.

ThisIsOurs 9 years, 3 months ago

She has a lot to gain. Why do parents work so hard? Clearly so their kids are taken care of. The speculation could be ended tomorrow if they release the information on how they raised funds and the bidding process by which they gained the contract

Wideawake 9 years, 3 months ago

All these allegations about corruption and conflict of interest are damaging the reputation of The Bahamas.

What should be asked for in the House of Assembly, is a list of ALL members of either The House, or The Senate, who have, or whose families have, a financial interest in any business associated with Baha Mar. That would be a good place to start!!

lionfish 9 years, 3 months ago

Someone, who paid more attention to the news broadcast tonight than I, correct me. I thought I heard Allison say that a company "her husband" owns secured the contracts for her daughters?

Zakary 9 years, 3 months ago

Surely the Honorable Attorney General knows that to maintain the highest pedigree of integrity one must abstain from the very appearance of evil, which, in this particular instance is a perceived conflict of interest.

To the common observer, the Attorney General having any business connection to Baha Mar, whether innocent or guilty, is interpreted as a conflict of interest. That’s it.

Also, the public relations for the Government must be rather dismal, because it only took the Attorney General two statements to cause even more confusion. I’m now wondering if it was her daughters who invested or her husband? Why am I even asking this question? This Baha Mar Saga is very amusing.

@ http://www.tribune242.com/news/2015/aug…" title="lionfish">lionfish


lionfish 9 years, 3 months ago

Thanks Zakary. "Her husband owns one of the 100% Bahamian family run businesses." Her own words. Well, is she "family" to her husband or not?

ohdrap4 9 years, 3 months ago

as my uncle used to say: my mother in law is not family.

Wideawake 9 years, 3 months ago

I have no objection to politicians owning businesses, but what I do object to, and find to be absolutely obscene, is the pure and unadulterated greed of our AG, who obtained leases for six jewelry stores In Baha Mar, while simultaneously negotiating and approving the legal agreements between the Bahamas government and the Developers.

What about the business interests of other Bahamian jewelry store owners who would have considered the opportunity to lease just one store in Baha Mar as the chance of a lifetime?

Of course the AG is guilty of a conflict of interest!! Does she really think that the Bahamian public believes her assertion that her family's lease of these six stores is simply "business as usual?"

Baha10 9 years, 3 months ago

Simple journalism:

  1. How many retail spaces exist at Baha Mar?

  2. To whom have such spaces been awarded?

  3. If to Companies, who serves as Registered Office therefore and what does the Annual Return filed at the Companies Registry reflect as Shareholders?

  4. If "nominee" Shareholders have been used, simply ask Baha Mar who they regard as the Tenant and communicate with.

  5. If for whatever reason Baha Mar decides not to answer for "whatever" reason, ask contractors/employees/suppliers who they are contracted by?

None of this is particularly complicated. At this point the field of "genuine" owners of spaces should have been greatly narrowed, particularly as the more legitimate business operations will have little to hide, leaving only a few to be further probed, including if necessary direct questioning of Members before the House as to "any" interest therein for the record. As we all know on this little Island, all will "eventually" come out in the wash in any event, so this record will be important for future reference.

Wideawake 9 years, 3 months ago

Great post Baha 10......IT'S SHOW AND TELL TIME!!!!!!

MonkeeDoo 9 years, 3 months ago

Baha10: The master contract for retail space leasing was handled by John Bull Limited.

Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 3 months ago

And apparently also by another company named Luxury Retail Ltd. whose CEO/Owner is none other than Max Gibson, husband of the Wicked Witch, Allyson Maynard-Gibson!

newcitizen 9 years, 3 months ago

Forget about the shops her daughter owns then. There is an even bigger conflict of interest if her husband is the one who was handling these retail space contracts. This only gets worse.

MonkeeDoo 9 years, 3 months ago

The plot thickens: Maybe BirdieStrachan or Comrade TalRussell can help us out here. Seems that PGC has two male offspring and we may be barking up the wrong tree,thinking that his autistic son is the pool partner. The other son is named Stefan or Stephen but pronounced Stefan. Seems he has a voracious appetite for lucrative business deals. He also seems to be partnering with PGC's stated good friend Jimmy ( spoke out of turn ) Mosko to be the master contractor for the Hilton Pointe development.

Not that the non-autistic son Stefan's involvement in such a prize sham contract is any less odious than it would be if he were autistic. If it is not a genuine business venture ( and it wasn't ) then it is a case of influence peddling. The same can be said for the AG and her husband / daughters shop leases. No they are not in your name but if you were not trading on the other side of the desk would they have been given to your husband ?. I have a very funny feeling that Stefan Christie's partnership may be a Baha Mar Chapter 11 creditor and that may be causing a lot of the angst that daddy is experiencing. Of course the AG too will be feeling serious angst, if Hubby's shops are all stocked but not open.

Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 3 months ago

Small wonder Christie has no difficulty with Maynard-Gibson's serious conflict of interest......he has conflicted himself in the very same way! Would be interesting to know whether they both got loans and advances for their Baha Mar-related business ventures on very favourable terms from Bank of The Bahamas ("BOB"), a bank majority owned by the government that falls within Christie's portfolio as Minister of Finance. BOB received very controversial bailouts from the National Insurance Fund ($32 million) and from the honest hardworking taxpayers of this country through a shady government owned entity known as Bahamas Resolve ( $100 million). Let's also not forget that Christie appointed his cousin Wayde Christie to replace the disgraced Paul McWeeney who practically ran BOB into the ground by allowing unsecured loans and advances to be made to Vomit's political friends and business cronies, many of whom subsequently defaulted on their repayment obligations to BOB.

Wideawake 9 years, 3 months ago

The can of worms is filled! ..........with cans of worms!!!!

asiseeit 9 years, 3 months ago

Seems the AG's whole family is involved in Baha Mar, Daughters, husband, and brother. There is no way she can be impartial and not have a conflict of interest. Oh the tangled webs they weave.

MonkeeDoo 9 years, 3 months ago

BirdieStrachan & Comade TalRussell: If PGC is circa 72 years old and we are talking about his sons, I don't think that we are talking about children in the commonly accepted understanding of what a child is. Even if he had the eldest at age 40, the child would be 32 and a 32 year old male son of a Prime Minister should be able to account for himself. I appreciate that he (PGC) could have fathered a child last year but methinks that he did not do that. Does anybody know the ages of these "children" ?

MonkeeDoo 9 years, 3 months ago

Well_Mudda_take_Sic: Luxury Retail Ltd - And if the shit had not hit the fan, who would have been any the wiser ? Maybe John Bull Limited and Max Gibson are partners in Luxury Retail Ltd. No wonder they are PO'd with Izmerlian for pulling the plug when and how he did. The baby's are going down the drain with the bathwater. OMG !!!

MonkeeDoo 9 years, 3 months ago

Well_Mudda_take_Sic: This is why we really have to push for a Commission of Inquiry with full authority. Maybe the Chapter 11 proceedings in Delaware will bring a lot of this dirt and grease out because there is no way in Hell that this Government will institute a Commission.

Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 3 months ago

Re-post: And knowing she had a serious conflict of interest, she still went ahead and caused upwards of $600,000 of the honest hardworking Bahamian taxpayers money to be spent on two luxurious trips to China with delegation in tow, including one of the key conspirators behind the government's efforts to defraud the Izmirlian family, namely Baltron Bethel. The entire delegation apparently flew first class on the two trips and stayed at the five-star Ritz Carlton in Beijing on each occasion; in fact the Wicked Witch made it a point to book the Royal Suite at the Ritz! Meanwhile we have many children in our public education system who will soon be returning to school from their summer break only to find that there are serious shortages of text books and other school supplies, not to mention school rooms, water fountains, bathrooms, etc. in a state of disrepair. That $600,000 this grotesquely evil woman wrongly spent in looking out for her and her family's own greedy and highly conflicted self interests could have gone a long ways towards much more useful and necessary things that are so desperately needed by the less fortunate and more vulnerable ones in our society!

Wideawake 9 years, 3 months ago

Tell that to diehard PLPs whose light is off and who are scrapping for groceries!!

It's the same old story, repeated once more; the rich are too rich and the poor are too poor!

birdiestrachan 9 years, 3 months ago

It is to bad none of you had these comments when Brent Symonett was awarded millions of dollars Bahamas government contracts. and he was also busy quieting poor people's property. Her husband and daughter what is the difference in a family business rented space from Sarkis. so she must be on his side and not on China Construction side as you all say. Now have you ever wondered why so few people from over the hill have economic power. it is because of persons who think the way you all do. Her husband is not suppose to roll over and play dead his business must go on;

Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 3 months ago

And when we all complained about Brent Symonette's conflict of interest, then PM Hubert A. Ingraham asked for him to resign and that's exactly what he did - he resigned! With that in mind Birdie, is there anything sensible you want to tell Christie or our seriously conflicted attorney-general, Allyson Maynard-Gibson? Or are you just like our AG in which case you would simply say to her: "Keep on grabbin' all you can get baby 'cause Christie say it ain't wrong no matter how ya do it!"

MonkeeDoo 9 years, 3 months ago

birdiestrachan: why so few people from over the hill ...... Most are looking for the easiest way to get something and that is the universal problem. Not just here and in America but all over Africa. Which over the hill people have succeeded from hard work alone. Post it. Post the names. Don't say Brad, don't say Finlayson, don't say Wilson. The people who are upset are the ones that have had to struggle in the main to make it. Do you remember Alison's father "All for Me Baby" ?

birdiestrachan 9 years, 3 months ago

I would really appreciate a good sensible answer to my question. and I have been asking it for some time Why so few persons of colour have economic power. Why are so many so poor.? Why do so many become old and have to depend on food stamps? The Bahamas is a rich Country with to many poor black born Bahamians. you all will do well to consider this and come up with some answers.

realfreethinker 9 years, 3 months ago

Because your all for me baby crowd is keeping it all to themselves. If you aint a friend family or lover of the PLP ain't nothing happening for ya. THATS WHY BIRDIE

asiseeit 9 years, 3 months ago

The only reason there are so many poor black people in the Bahamas is because of poor governance and leadership by very rich black people. Remember Birdie, this country has been ruled by the black elite for 60 odd years, the failure or success over those years can only be put on them. Look at Singapore they are celebrating 50 years of independence, check them out and see what good leadership and governance look like. You need to stop with your pathetic cry of the poor black man, why not just say, poor Bahamians, there are poor Bahamians of ALL colors. The only reason you support the PLP is because YOU THINK the PLP works for the "poor black man", and therein lay's the crux of the problem, THEY DO NOT! #Wakeup and come out of the 1950's-1960's, those days are DONE, thank god! But I think your eye's are so clouded by race that you really can not see.

newcitizen 9 years, 3 months ago

43 Years of little to no upward economic mobility for the average Bahamian is more than enough evidence to show that the government has no interest in helping 'the poor Bahamian'

crabman 9 years, 3 months ago

come on this can't be real, this whole Baha Mar thing must just be a Tyler Perry movie, this can't happen in real life,,,, or can it

Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 3 months ago

Re-post: The types of unseemly matters thus far unearthed about our government in connection with the Baha Mar project cannot be solved only by allowing the Chapter 11 bankruptcy to proceed and run its course. Much more will need to be done within our own legal system as regards the apparent criminal/fraudulent activities that have occurred as a result of the many side deals and quid pro quo arrangements involving senior officials within the corrupt Christie-led PLP government. If the U.S. government does not perceive that we can mete out the punishment warranted by certain politically exposed persons who have crossed the line under our own laws, then U.S. law enforcement agencies will be inclined to take things into their own hands alla FIFA style! Keep in mind that the covert operation known as "Yellow Bird" has now been put in play by the U.S. government as a result of its own national security concerns about mainland China establishing a significant outpost on the door step of Florida. Christie can pat himself on the back for triggering the U.S. government's pivot to Cuba in our small region of the world. Up until now, and largely due to our dimwittedly blind, ignorant and belligerent Minister of Foreign Affairs, the corrupt Christie-led PLP government had no inkling whatsoever of the serious geopolitical implications associated with allowing the Yellow Bird to land on our shores and climb into bed with the Bahamian government in such a big way.

MonkeeDoo 9 years, 3 months ago

Re-post: Did Steffan Christie's realty firm also help with Baha Mar Pools and Waterways development

Did Daddy help to open the doors ? Is Daddy conflicted on this deal too ? Did Daddy do any favours for the buyers ?

http://www.bahamasrealestateassociation…

http://www.thenassauguardian.com/bahama…

Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 3 months ago

If these web site posts are legit, the U.S. Department of Justice should be pressing charges against CCA and its executives under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. No doubt CCA paid a significant portion of the total commissions received by Cross & Mosko Real Estate and Development Company Ltd. CCA certainly appears to have enriched Christie's son in exchange for "favours" (expedited government permits, etc.) received from the corrupt Christie-led PLP government. This likely rises to the level of bribery of a foreign government official by a U.S. corporation!

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