By NICO SCAVELLA
Tribune Staff Reporter
nscavella@tribunemedia.net
FORMER PLP Cabinet Minister George Smith yesterday criticised Dr Hubert Minnis for calling for Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson to resign due to her alleged conflict of interest with Baha Mar, adding that the FNM leader simply acted “without understanding the procedure that governs the conduct of ministers.”
Mr Smith said Dr Minnis simply reacted to “what seemed to him to be obvious.” Mr Smith said the public should not “waste too much time putting any credence into his nonsense.”
Mr Smith also suggested that none of Mrs Maynard-Gibson’s recent statements regarding her family’s involvement with Baha Mar were indicative of a conflict of interest. He subsequently referred this newspaper to the Manual of Cabinet and Ministry Procedure to conclude whether there has been a violation.
On Monday, Mrs Maynard-Gibson revealed that her husband Maxwell Gibson owns the retail jewellery store chain that has been granted storefront leases in Baha Mar. She said she makes “no apologies” for her husband having a business venture with Baha Mar.
This came four days after she initially said her two daughters had leases to operate stores in Baha Mar.
Her initial statement prompted Dr Minnis to accuse her of being caught up in an “overt conflict of interest.” Dr Minnis went further and called on Mrs Maynard-Gibson to do the honourable thing and resign over the controversy.
However, Mr Smith said when contacted yesterday: “I’m not about to exercise my intelligence by trying to fathom the logic of Hubert Minnis, because obviously when he made that statement he was reacting to what seemed to him to be obvious, without understanding the procedure that governs the conduct of ministers, something that he once was.
“So he obviously, while he was a minister, never read what constitutes a conflict of interest by a Cabinet minister. He is obviously not very capable of understanding and interpreting those rules accurately. So I wouldn’t waste too much time putting any credence into his nonsense.”
Mr Smith also suggested that none of Mrs Maynard-Gibson’s revelations warranted her being seen as being caught up in a conflict of interest.
“She’s the attorney general,” he said. “She was asked to do some particular things in terms of negotiations. Her husband has a little space in the property. So do other people in the business. Did any of her actions – was any of her conduct influenced by those facts? It doesn’t have to be.
“That arrangement by her husband’s company predated her having to negotiate, and I don’t believe it’s any particular secret that her husband has been in this business for 20 years or more. Her husband has been in the business for 20 years and it is natural for the jewellery outlet he has, as is the case with John Bull, to apply for outlets in hotels. That’s a natural thing. There’s nothing new to that.”
Mr Smith added, however: “If I were a Cabinet minister, if I’m asked to do something by the prime minister, and the rules that govern the conduct of Cabinet ministers would suggest that I could not be objective, I would certainly ask the prime minister to assign that responsibility to someone else.”
The Manual of Cabinet and Ministry Procedure provides guidelines for Cabinet ministers.
In Section II paragraph 37, it states that if a minister “possesses, directly or indirectly, an interest which conflicts or might reasonably be thought to conflict with his/her public duty or influence his/her conduct in the respective duty, that minister should disclose that information to the prime minister or Cabinet.”
In paragraph 38, it says when the interests of immediate family members are involved a minister must disclose those interests “to the extent that they are known to him.”
Mrs Maynard-Gibson has previously stated that Prime Minister Perry Christie was informed of her family’s involvement with the resort.
“So you don’t have to speculate on whether somebody thinks she did or didn’t,” Mr Smith added yesterday. “It’s clearly laid out. On the face of it, the mere fact that her family has interests in leased property, that doesn’t necessarily create conflict. Now appearance is another matter.”
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.
Comments
TruePeople 9 years, 3 months ago
Courtesy of WIki:
A conflict of interest (COI) is a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple interests (financial, emotional, or otherwise), one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation of the individual or organization.
The presence of a conflict of interest is independent of the occurrence of impropriety. Therefore, a conflict of interest can be discovered and voluntarily defused before any corruption occurs. A widely used definition is: "A conflict of interest is a set of circumstances that creates a risk that professional judgement or actions regarding a primary interest will be unduly influenced by a secondary interest."[1] Primary interest refers to the principal goals of the profession or activity, such as the protection of clients, the health of patients, the integrity of research, and the duties of public office. Secondary interest includes not only financial gain but also such motives as the desire for professional advancement and the wish to do favours for family and friends, but conflict of interest rules usually focus on financial relationships because they are relatively more objective, fungible, and quantifiable. The secondary interests are not treated as wrong in themselves, but become objectionable when they are believed to have greater weight than the primary interests. The conflict in a conflict of interest exists whether or not a particular individual is actually influenced by the secondary interest. It exists if the circumstances are reasonably believed (on the basis of past experience and objective evidence) to create a risk that decisions may be unduly influenced by secondary interests.
newcitizen 9 years, 3 months ago
Well done. The AG and PLP seem to think that it's only a conflict after an impropriety.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 3 months ago
Exactly!!! Existence of profits/losses/influence peddling are immaterial. For so many learned people to be propagating otherwise is mind boggling. These are trained lawyers, Madame AG is a QC and she doesn't understand what conflict of interest means?
Islandgirl 9 years, 3 months ago
Remember that perry was handing out those "QC" designations like candy. Those who were not exactly the most deserving of the title got them, so I would not put too much into Alison's carrying of those initials. Her responses to this very obvious conflict of interest brings her "expertise" into question.
HarryWyckoff 9 years, 3 months ago
This text needs to be run as a full page in the Tribune, Guardian and Punch.
Every day for a week.
Just this text, highlighted exactly as it is.
Nothing added, nothing removed.
bahamasPatriot 9 years, 3 months ago
Did you know that in most developed counties, driving while texting is frowned upon and in some countries illegal? Well it appears that this whole country is guilty of DWT!
Baha Mar is in shambles and the weight of this country has shifted to whether or not the AG has a conflict of interest. While at best she finds herself in a very awkward place, this AG certainly knows that even if this episode does not rise to the level of a conflict, her immense Famiky investment in this project certainly taints her position to put the country's interest at the centre of her dealing. That aside, have you noticed the "storm troopers" who are rushing to her defense? Have you noticed that they ALL have been plagued by the same scandal brush?
Driving while texting, getting Baha Mar moving in the right direction, is too important a national project to be made a political football for these amateurs who have yet to accept that DWT can lead to the destruction to others and themselves.
Wideawake 9 years, 3 months ago
Exactly, Mr. Smith; " appearance IS another matter". Honest people don't need to point to "the fine print" of our parliamentary rules to decide on issues of right and wrong. They know in their minds and hearts what is truly honorable, what is just, what is righteous and what is ethical.
Remember Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio? "Always let your conscience be your guide".
We are all faced with issues of conscience as we go through our lives. How we deal with these issues decides whether "Honorable" belongs in front of our name or whether it does not.
themessenger 9 years, 3 months ago
Right on Georgie, you should give lessons on conflict of interest. Got any BMW's or emerald necklaces going cheap?
sheeprunner12 9 years, 3 months ago
Agreed ............... Perry or his Cabinet should feel uneasy about George Smith defending them against the FNM ........ just go back to the 1980s
TalRussell 9 years, 3 months ago
Comrade Georgie, who was it that decided it was time to appoint Allyson, as an Queen's Counsel? To my recollection, Bahamaland's longest serving Attorney General of the 20th century, holding the post for 17 years Paul Adderley, would not accept neither a Knighthood or Queen's Counsel. Let us not forget that much to the credit of prime ministers Christie and Papa Hubert, they would not accept Knighthoods or Queen's Counsels designates. Talk about holding on to your colonial past?
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 3 months ago
Here's what one well-known Bahamian journalist had to say about George Smith's role in the history of the Bahamas as far back as 1982: ".....the Bahamas was in the throes of a criminal takeover by South American drug cartels. The Colombian flag was raised over Norman's Cay in George Smith's Exuma constituency by the notorious gangster Carlos Lehder, who drove ordinary visitors away at gunpoint and orchestrated hourly cocaine flights to the US. The 1984 Commission of Inquiry found that Smith had accepted gifts and hospitality from Lehder, who is now serving a long sentence in an American jail. In fact, one parliamentarian said at the time that 'Pindling and his crew make the Bay Street Boys look like schoolchildren.'" Smith will tell you he has since welcomed the Good Lord into his life and sought, found and received forgiveness and redemption for all of his earlier transgressions.....WHAT A BUNCH OF POPPY COCK FOR ANYONE WHO REALLY KNOWS THIS SCOUNDREL!
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