The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts yesterday blasted his colleague Raynard Rigby for labelling his recent claims against FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis as “nonsense,” and accused Mr Rigby of acting “like a little child in school”.

Mr Roberts also said he would not hire Mr Rigby, who is a former chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party, as his attorney “even if I had a cat to represent me”.

Mr Rigby currently practices commercial law at Baycourt Chambers.

Last week, Mr Roberts accused Dr Minnis of a conflict of interest and abuse of power regarding his interests in a company that has a lease agreement with the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA). Mr Roberts had also asked for Dr Minnis’ resignation from Parliament.

On Sunday, however, Mr Rigby described the allegations against Dr Minnis as “political nonsense.” Dismissing Mr Roberts’ comments as “irresponsible” and “erroneous,” Mr Rigby insisted that “small minds” have to get out of politics if the country is to attract the cadre of leaders required to propel the Bahamas forward.

Mr Roberts said yesterday: “(Mr Rigby) is a former chairman of this Progressive Liberal Party. He is also a practising attorney. That kind of advice that he gave, if he was looking to represent me, even if I had a cat, I wouldn’t give him a job to represent me.”

On Sunday, Mr Rigby also suggested that Mr Roberts’ claims against Dr Minnis were indicative of an old, tired culture of politics that has long blocked esteemed professionals from entering public life.

“That is why I said I would not hire him even if I had a cat to represent me,” Mr Roberts continued. “Him making those kind of statements that he made. We’re dealing with something of substance and he is just merely reflecting like a little child in school.”

Dr Minnis’ company, Leechez Investments Ltd, was awarded a two-year contract with the PHA to rent its Stat Care building in 2005, before the Killarney MP entered politics. However, the arrangement was continued on a month-to-month basis while he served as minister of health from 2007-2012, and is continuing.

Dr Minnis did not declare the contract when he registered as a candidate in the 2007 general election, and has since claimed that it was unnecessary to do so at that time because his company was a separate entity.

However, he said he declared his interests in the company after he was elected to office, and that the allegations were an attempt to besmirch his character.

Dr Minnis has also said that he told the PHA to end the contract and move to another building, however the government agency never did so.

On Sunday, Mr Rigby supported Dr Minnis’ explanations. He said the PHA was a statutory corporation that may not have sought Cabinet approval for the lease agreement. Mr Rigby served on the PHA board of directors during the 2002 Christie administration, but said he could not recall whether the matter had come before that body.

Mr Rigby ultimately concluded on Sunday that determining factors in the controversy would be whether a new lease was brought before Cabinet while Dr Minnis sat as health minister, and if so, whether he disclosed at that time.