Former Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
ATTORNEY General Allyson Maynard-Gibson said yesterday that the probe into an alleged Bahamas Electricity Corporation bribery incident that took place over a decade ago is “nearly complete”.
“As I indicated previously, (there are) two important things to know about this,” she told The Tribune yesterday. “One, it’s important for the integrity of the system that it is seen that the process of justice works. Secondly, police have sent the file from their investigation over to my office. My advisors are in the process of reviewing it.”
“It’s very important for Bahamians and those who visit and do business in our country to understand that our justice system works. Bahamians would’ve seen most recently in the Baha Mar case the Delaware Court’s extensive citation of one of our Supreme Court justices, which indicates that our policy is no way in contravention of the public policy in the US. Likewise, with this matter, it is important for people, Bahamian and non-Bahamian people, to see that the system works in a fair and trustworthy manner.”
Mrs Maynard-Gibson said last week that Bahamians will “absolutely” learn the identity of the person accused of accepting a $325,000 bribe from the French power company Alstom SA more than a decade ago.
The news that she may 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.
This is related to a widespread scheme involving tens of millions of dollars in bribes to countries around the world, including Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
The Bahamian suspect in the case allegedly accepted $325,000 in bribes to influence BEC contracts to a French company between 1999 and 2003.
The French company allegedly 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.
Following the revelation last year – which was reported exclusively in Tribune Business - former Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson, who at the time had the electricity corporation in his portfolio, expressed “difficulty” with the situation.
Mr Watson has maintained that he was unaware of any controversy surrounding generator purchase contracts, or the events that allegedly took place between 1999 and 2001 when the Free National Movement was in office.
Comments
sealice 9 years, 2 months ago
who wants to bet on "conflicting information" and nothing will be done about this either....10 years later....
iamcitizen 9 years, 2 months ago
"Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…". what is Allyson going on about. She has not done one single thing, as Attorney General, to improve the judicial system of The Bahamas. She has instead sullied it with her political interference and decisions. Ask Jerome Fitzgerald.
Court calendars are backed up; “Swift Justice” is apparently for the privileged only. What is ironic about this so called “swift Justice” is that it has apparently been adopted by the criminal element in the society to settle scores amongst themselves.
After she has dispensed with the alleged BEC bribery case perhaps she could tell the Bahamian people why a case of stealing by a politically connected Supreme Court Finance officer, that was initially turned over to the police, was covered up and the Finance Officer simply transferred to another Government Department. Maybe, just maybe, the police and her advisors “are in the process of reviewing it”.
We shall wait and see.
DillyTree 9 years, 2 months ago
Oh, for God's sake, get on with it! Enough talking about it. File charges and let the chips fall where they may. Enough with the stalling, though I suspect the stalling has more to do with damage control, as I doubt there is just ONE person involved in this.
And think about this, if it were just an FNM cabinet minister to be charged, they would have done it a long time ago. So either they are waiting to make a political statement timed with the next election or they are worried that some of their own PLP party folk are also involved. Either way, it's more corruption that just never seems to see the light of day in this country.
rosiepi 9 years, 2 months ago
Yup the sanitization is complete, obstification ready for roll out!
TruePeople 9 years, 2 months ago
They gots tuh finish spend and launder tha monies!! sound like they almost done spend it after Ten years.... Almost people just hold on... what the most expensive weave on the island? Dang is still a bunch of money left over!
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