FORMER State Minister for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez.
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
STATE Legal Affairs Minister Damian Gomez yesterday said he has not deserted his previous declaration to tackle corruption at the government level, but suggested that the Public Accounts Committee has not been as effective as it should be in unearthing wrongdoing where it exists.
Mr Gomez said while his work is not always obvious, it is ongoing.
The Central and South Eleuthera MP was responding to questions from The Tribune over his pledge, made in August, to tackle instances where the Constitution was breached at the parliamentary level.
At the time, he said he intended to file Election Court Petitions with a view to having the seats of Killarney MP Dr Hubert Minnis and Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner declared vacant over an alleged violation of the Constitution in respect to conflicts of interest.
He said both MPs had violated Article 49, which says where an MP has a contract with the government they are obligated to get the approval of the House of Assembly by resolution.
While the matter was turned over to attorney Wayne Munroe, QC, no petitions have been filed to date.
In August, Mr Gomez also said the government is not serious about rooting out corruption.
The Grand Bahama Human Rights Association (GBHRA) has criticised Mr Gomez saying his pledge has gone unfulfilled with the final year of the Christie administration’s term drawing closer.
“I am quite busy pursuing the goals of honesty and transparency in public life,” Mr Gomez, who was attending a Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) meeting in Trinidad and Tobago, said.
Asked if his focus has now changed from tackling alleged corruption in government, Mr Gomez said: “Far from it.
“The work of the Public Accounts Committee is most important in the war on corruption. That committee, if functional, has the capacity to assure in the most open and transparent manner that not only parliamentarians are honest in their public life but that across the board government policies are pursued and achieved in the most cost effective manner.
“While my work is not always obvious, it is ongoing. We like other democracies are addressing the issue of transparency in government with enthusiasm. It is hoped that our success will be measured in the encouragement of all our citizens to engage and participate in the promotion of the common good.”
He added: “It is important to focus on the ultimate objective and to be undistracted by personalities while building a new Bahamas of the 21st century. Our goal is institutional strengthening throughout our political system. The legislative agenda for qualitative change must be informed by best international practices.
“The PLP assigned to Wayne Munroe, QC, the task of assessing what legally ought to be done with respect to any Election Court petitions,” he added.
“I am busy advancing the transparency in public life agenda. The success of our community at achieving high levels of transparency will depend on all of us collectively and independently working toward this salutary goal.”
The MP said while he has yet to receive any feedback from Mr Munroe on what can be done in this matter, in due course more will be revealed.
Dr Minnis’ alleged conflict of interest centres on the Stat Care contract signed between a company in which Dr Minnis has interests and the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) in 2005, before the Killarney MP entered politics. The arrangement continued while Dr Minnis served as health minister from 2007 to 2012 and continues on a month-to-month basis.
Dr Minnis has said the issue is a moot point because he disclosed the matter after he was elected. He has also said that while he was minister of health he ordered the PHA to move its facility, however the agency has not yet done so.
The alleged conflict with Mrs Butler-Turner reportedly centres on a government department renting space from the Milo B Butler and Sons building, a business operated by members of her family.
Mrs Butler-Turner has said she was not in any way involved with this.
Comments
Emac 9 years ago
Blah, blah, blah...This idiot done put he foot in his mouth now all he doing is talking air. This pretending to be honest politician knows that his own party is the epitome of corruption. So if he ever decides to fully expose corruption in government, he must start with the crooked men and women in his team. Really and truly, all Damien is doing is taking up space. If I had my way he and his entire crew would be banished from this country for the rest of their lives.
themessenger 9 years ago
Amen! If Gomez is serious about tackling government corruption his very first step should be to tender his resignation from the cabinet.
SP 9 years ago
Exactly how does Gomez propose investigating Perry Christie, Brave Davis and the Head Witch?
sealice 9 years ago
"his work is not always obvious" Is that the PLP mantra?
observer2 9 years ago
This is all rhetoric with with no substance. Because there is no constitutional segregation of powers between the Executive Branch of Government and the AG, coupled with us being an independent sovereign nation (thanks to a flawed 1973 constitution) there thrives in the Bahamas an ideal environment for unchecked corruption, non transparent government, lack of accountability or checks and balances. This allows for the continuation of dysfunctional government evident by BEC bribes, CoB, BoB, Bamsi, Post Office Bank, BTC, Abaco DMV, large travel and entertainment bills, carnival, Baha Mar etc. etc.
Compare us with the Turks and Caicos where the EU have recently gave them glowing marks on governance, transparency and much improved fiscal performance.
Because the Turks and Caicos are a colony (and not a sovereign) the UK was able to root out corruption.
So when you hear politicians chatter about sovereignty and why the medieval Bahamian liquidation law is superior to a state of the art Delaware bankruptcy legal framework based in a transparent developed world jurisdiction...you now know why.
http://www.tcinewsnow.com/topstory-EU-a…
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/For…
Sickened 9 years ago
If only this guy was serious. Although this is something we desperately need, this is something that I will never see.
A beautiful country run and funded by criminals.
SP 9 years ago
....................... Damian Gomez lost all credibility 3 Months ago ...........................
PLP already on the run and bumping into each other from Greg Moss focus on corruption.
Gomez will NEVER be able to do anything about corruption without first addressing massive ongoing corruption in the PLP.
PLP MP's involved in any number of under the table deals at The Point and Baha Mar alone would be enough to get rid of the Cabinet itself!
No thanks Damian, we prefer to have another party come in and do a thorough investigation on the PLP and FNM group of four decades of endemic piracy that drove our country into the ditch and destroyed our people.
DonAnthony 9 years ago
Absolute gibberish. Lost all respect for Mr. Gomez when he failed to deliver on his pledge a long time ago. He is now a poster child for this " promise everything and deliver nothing" government. He should just resign as he tried to do several times and go back into private practice, his time in government has been an abject failure, and his word is worthless.
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years ago
His father let Pindling off the hook during the Royal Commission of Enquiry and so too this little Minion will continue to let Christie, The Wicked Witch and others like them off the hook. When it comes to the Gomez family tree, the apple never falls far from the base of the tree!
cmiller 9 years ago
I am just sooooo sick of seeing these useless people called the PLP on the pages of this newspaper. Tribune, can yall go out and find some real news, please?????
BMW 9 years ago
Hey Gomez the PAC has been finding alot of corruption ie passport office road traffic etc. But nothing ever happens because who tiefen is connected. Bunch of jokey clowns the plp are.
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