The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie was forced to again defend himself against allegations of a conflict of interest connected to the country’s oil exploration industry over which he castigated the Free National Movement for using “smear politics” to “wantonly” assault his integrity.

During his wrap up of debate on the Petroleum Bill 2014 and the Sovereign Wealth Fund Bill 2015, the nation’s leader said he resented the assertion that he was guilty of any wrong doing, calling the issue a “completely bogus red hearing” and an “old worn out story” that had first been put out at the climax of the 2012 election season by the FNM to sway votes in the party’s favour.

He spoke about the matter again after Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins criticised him for failing to adequately address the issue.

This is the second time in less than a week that Mr Christie was led to address the allegations.

Last Wednesday, Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner reignited the accusations in the House of Assembly by questioning whether the Bahamas Petroleum Company (BPC) paid Mr Christie, then opposition leader, handsomely when it was a client of Davis & Co where he served as consultant. Davis & Co is the law firm of Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis.

BPC has several licenses for oil exploration.

Yesterday, Mr Christie went to great lengths to again explain his position admitting that he was paid for his consultancy and that he gave the company advice through his work with Davis & Co but denied that he now or ever was a direct consultant for BPC.

“Mr Speaker, we are now being subjected to an old worn out story that is being dusted off and thrown out there once again,” Mr Christie said.

“So just as I did back in 2012 let me once again set the record straight so there could be no more misunderstanding as to what the true facts are concerning my relationship with Bahamas Petroleum Company, a Bahamian company and subsidiary of the publicly listed UK company Bahamas Petroleum.

“I am not now nor have I ever been a consultant to BPC. Between 2002 and 2007 when I was in opposition I practised my profession, the profession of the law as a consultant for Davis & Co, the successor of the law firm of Christie Ingraham & Co that I co-founded with the Rt Hon Hubert Ingraham.

“Davis & Co, as had the firm of Christie Ingraham & Co before it, represented a number of oil exploration companies. Among the oil exploration companies represented by Davis & Co was BPC. When (former Prime Minister) Hubert Ingraham and I were practising, we grew the reputation of being able to represent this area and even today companies are using the material that we patented. I do not own any part of the law firm Davis & Co.

“While I was in opposition and practising law I did give advice to BPC then a client of the firm. I did so as a lawyer, as a consultant for Davis & Co and not as a consultant for BPC. I did receive remuneration for my professional work.”

He continued: “I was the one, Mr Speaker, and I would call upon the minister for the environment to certify this, that I was the one while in opposition with the consent of the senior partner of the firm Davis & Co advised BPC that they should leave Davis & Co and go to another law firm because as long as they were there they would be crucified for who were their lawyers.”

He questioned why the opposition had been critical of this situation but ignored the fact that law firms Higgs & Johnson and Graham Thompson, where BPC later took their business upon his urging, employed attorneys who later went on to become a part of the Ingraham Cabinet.

However, Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Butler Turner branded the prime minister’s explanation as a “diatribe of verbal gymnastics”.

Last night, the House of Assembly passed the Petroleum Bill and the Sovereign Wealth Fund Bill despite all opposition MPs unanimously voting “no” to the Petroleum Bill. Marco City MP Greg Moss, who is also the United Democratic Party leader, voted against the petroleum legislation.