The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are still investigating the arson attack that left a dorm at the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Sciences Institute gutted, despite reports last week that a disgruntled employee admitted being the culprit.

The revelation from police came after Agriculture Minister V Alfred Gray said last week that an upset worker confessed to police that he set the fire because he had not received money owed to him by his contractor, reportedly bringing closure to the investigation.

Fire Chief Supt Walter Evans has confirmed to The Tribune that the fire was the result of arson.

Last week Mr Evans also said that “several persons” were assisting officials in the investigation at that time, but did not say whether police believed one of these people started the blaze.

Neither did he say whether officials had determined a motive behind the fire.

When contacted yesterday for further update on the situation, Supt Evans told The Tribune that the

investigation was still open. Mr Evans would not divulge any additional information, however.

“That matter is still under investigation at this time,” he said when contacted yesterday. “That’s all I can tell you.”

As yet no one has been charged in connection with the incident.

The fire started on the evening of January 15, around 7pm.

Officials battled the blaze and managed to subdue it shortly after 11pm that night, however, it left one of the male dormitories at the institute severely damaged.

Last Monday, Mr Gray said he was “aware” of payment issues when dealing with contractors, but stressed that there were “better ways to solve disputes.”

BAMSI contractor Audley Hanna told The Tribune last week Monday that it would cost more than $120,000 to repair the dormitory. However, Mr Hanna said he expected the cost to rise after a team from the Ministry of Works has completed their assessment of the damage.

He added that the contractor had had some problems with a disgruntled sub-contractor in the past.

“We were waiting on a cheque from the first of December which we did not get, so the last cheque that we got was right before Christmas,” Mr Hanna said last week. “It was about eight employees that did not get paid but I do not think it was one of them.

“We did have an incident with one sub contractor that claimed we owed him more money. We paid him, but he wanted more. He carried on really bad and made threats, the police had to be called. So, maybe that is what people are talking about, but the police know the information and we just have to wait for them to finish their investigation. The Ministry of Works is assessing the damage and my engineers are assessing the damage, but at last count it was about $120,000.”

BAMSI is a major government initiative established in an effort to reduce the country’s reliance on food imports.