The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Works Minister Neko Grant yesterday seemed to support Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’ contention that his ministry was not responsible for acting on developer Sarkis Izmirlian’s claims that China Construction America (CCA) conducted substandard work on Baha Mar. Baha Mar filed a lawsuit in England earlier this month against China State Construction Engineering Corporation – CCA’s parent company – seeking compensation for its allegedly poor work at the resort.

Last month, the international news agency Reuters reported that discussions with more than 20 contractors, inspectors, Bahamian government officials and executives who have worked on the project suggested that shortcomings were present in the resort’s construction.

In response, Mr Davis told the press at the time: “Inspections would have been done. We are called into inspect to ensure that the necessary code requirements are in place of the purposes of safety…We have been doing our job in respect of that.”

Mr Davis, the minister of works, said deficiencies would not have been irregular for a project of Baha Mar’s size.

When asked about the matter yesterday, Mr Grant suggested that the threshold buildings must meet to adhere to this country’s building code standards could be lower or different from the standards stakeholders or investors hold contractors to.

“Mr Davis suggested that it was not the government’s responsibility to deal with the quality of work other than check the structures and determine whether they were sound,” Mr Grant said when contacted for comment. “The government is responsible for inspections in relation to them based on our building codes. The structure must be sound. But in terms of cosmetics, the structure might not have been up to the developer’s satisfaction. However, I’m looking from the outside. The minister and his technical team would have to say what it is they have or have not done.”

Baha Mar filed for bankruptcy in a US court on June 29, blaming CCA for a number of opening delays.

Baha Mar was expected to open last December. The resort missed subsequent opening dates in March and May.