The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

STATE minister for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez has rebuffed suggestions that the country's statute of limitations could potentially hamper the government's ability to prosecute the alleged Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) bribe-taker.

Mr Gomez told The Tribune on Friday that he expects the Office of Attorney General to move forward with the case next week, adding that he had no reason to be concerned about their handling of the matter.

"The statute of limitations shouldn't be an issue with this," he said. "It would only rend when you know of the offence. It's a concealed fraud: when you have concealed fraud the time doesn't start until you learn of the offence."

Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson said on Tuesday that officials are reviewing the files concerning an alleged bribery of a former member of the BEC, adding that she will soon go public about the next course of action.

The news that Mrs Maynard Gibson will soon go public on the matter comes nearly a year after the US Department of Justice reported that Alstom SA agreed to pay $772 million following allegations that it bribed foreign government officials.

The Bahamian suspect in the case allegedly accepted $325,000 in bribes to influence BEC contracts in favour of the French company between 1999 and 2003.

Alstom SA hid payments to the Bahamian official, routing them through an American consultant who was a “close personal friend” of one person able to influence the awarding of BEC contracts.

A source close to the matter suggested to The Tribune on Friday that although the police found cause to prosecute the suspect, the Department of Prosecutions must consider the legal issues relating to the case, such as whether the statute of limitations applies, before deciding whether to prosecute.

Yesterday, Mr Gomez said: "They would look at all legal points raised but that wouldn't even arise given that it wasn't someone saying 'look I'm accepting bribes'."

"The Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney General are responsible for the matter," he said. "I know that they've been working hard at it so I have no reason to be concerned about it."