Gray defends BAMSI contract for former PLP minister

Alfred Gray

As of Tuesday, February 16, 2016

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

AGRICULTURE and Marine Resources Minister V Alfred Gray has defended the Christie administration’s decision to award a former PLP Cabinet minister a construction contract at BAMSI, saying the government will do as much as it can for the people who supported them.

Mr Gray insisted yesterday that it was hypocritical for the Free National Movement to raise questions over this issue.

He went on to warn that the FNM should not push him, suggesting that he would reveal similar actions on the part of the opposition when the party was in office.

The minister was responding to concerns the FNM has raised over the last few weeks as to why former Progressive Liberal Party Cabinet minister Darrell Rolle was awarded a contract to build the female dormitory at the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute.

FNM Chairman Michael Pintard has also questioned why Mr Rolle was reportedly allowed to borrow approximately $200,000 from the Bahamas Development Bank (BDB) when he, along with a business partner, should have been directed to a commercial bank.

“When the FNM gave contracts to their supporters, (Dr Andre) Rollins who just joined them and the FNM establishment, you don’t hear a word about it,” Mr Gray told ZNS yesterday. “The press don’t seem to care.”

“But as soon as some supporter of the government or some perceived supporter of the government, whether they be Darrell Rolle or any other person there is a big to do.”

“It is nothing to do with money well spent or otherwise. What they do not want us to do is help people who support us. But that’s going to be a lie. We are going to do as much as we can for the people who support us because if it hadn’t it been for them we wouldn’t be in power today.”

Mr Gray added: “Both Darrell Rolle and Reverend Sam Greene are from Andros and so when we ran out of contractors in Andros at the time there were some people who lived here (who) needed to work and we gave them the opportunity to participate.

“If that’s wrong, then the whole Bahamas is wrong . . .”

Dr Rollins, the MP for Ft Charlotte, raised the issue of the BAMSI contract in the House of Assembly on February 3, calling for disclosure on the matter.

Mr Rolle has admitted to reporters that a company that he has interests in along with associate Samuel Greene and others, Andarco Construction Ltd, received the BAMSI contract.

Earlier this week, it was reported by The Nassau Guardian that Andarco was incorporated just in time to be awarded the contract – on April 30, 2013. However Mr Gray said he did not see an issue with this.

“As long as it was a duly registered company or if they had to form it, what’s the issue? If they say it was a shell and it wasn’t properly formed that is another matter. But if it is a properly formed company if the company was able to take advantage of an opportunity, which presented itself, what’s the big deal?

“If they say that the work that these people do are not up to standard that is something that we need to look at, but they can’t say that. So now they are saying we gave it to people who are your supporters and what’s wrong with that?

“Ask the former government who is (name withheld) in Freeport who does everything in Nassau for the government? I am not going to call any names but if they push me I will. These are the hypocrisies that bother me.”

Last week Mr Pintard questioned if the BDB loan helped finance the building of the female dormitory at BAMSI.

Mr Pintard said: “We would like to know, what was the process by which they obtained the loan? Did they fill out an application and follow all of the regular protocols that ordinary businesses would have had to go through? We also want to know what was the purpose of the loan? Was it to mobilise them for the contract which they eventually received from the government to construct the female dormitory in Andros?”

He added: “Having obtained the contract in Andros and having been paid in full by the government, is it accurate that they were paid somewhere between $2.5m to $5m? Could the government clarify that figure?”

Mr Rolle, who once served as an MP for Andros, has denied that cronyism was involved in the contract awarding process.

John 8 years, 10 months ago

Does this man have any shame?

B_I_D___ 8 years, 10 months ago

nope

Required 8 years, 10 months ago

Gray is not only admitting that this current PLP government is corrupt, but he is furthermore admitting that the PLP does not even care about corrupt government practices of other parties.

This means that the PLP is not only not fit to be the government party, but that they are also unfit to be the opposition.

It's time this organisation be flushed down the toilet.

BMW 8 years, 10 months ago

You mean the outside tiolet.

Tarzan 8 years, 10 months ago

Well he got one thing right, "then the whole Bahamas is wrong." It is pathetic that the only defense ever offered by this government for case after case of egregious inefficiency and gross corruption is that "someone else was equally inefficient or corrupt. What difference does that make?

TruePeople 8 years, 10 months ago

Two wrongs never gone make a right

cmiller 8 years, 10 months ago

"We are going to do as much as we can for the people who support us because if it hadn’t it been for them we wouldn’t be in power today.”

Sadly, that does not include all the grassroots voters, just the likes of Darrel Rolle, Lady pindling, Baltron Bethel etc

TruePeople 8 years, 10 months ago

That is 100% admitting cronyism. These guys are so entrenched in their corrupt ways now they don't even realize what they are saying. It's like the AG denying conflict of interest, while simultaneously confirming that she was in a clear cut Conflict of Interest Situation (RE: Bahamar contracts)

John 8 years, 10 months ago

Whatever happened to the process of bidding on contracts? ATTENTION ALL NON PLP BAHAMIANS: V Alfred Gray has publicly admitted that they are a government who is only loyal to PLP supporters. Does this mean that everyone else does not have to pay taxes or abide by the laws of the country? So make sure instruct Commissioner Greenslade and his police to only arrest loyal PLP supporters!

sheeprunner12 8 years, 10 months ago

Agreed .... 100% ........... force the government to close down and resign

clawdad 8 years, 10 months ago

hey john this happens every where even in green turtle cay abaco

B_I_D___ 8 years, 10 months ago

I have a friend who was qualified to bid for another building contract, they flat out refused to let him tender a bid. When the matter was pressed by higher ups, they finally accepted his bid. I guess his bid was too good or competitive, because all of a sudden the bid terms changed and before he had a chance to revise his bid to match the new terms, they quickly awarded the contract to PLP croony. Very sad.

HarryWyckoff 8 years, 10 months ago

This is the same V Alfred Grey who's mailing address crops up repeatedly in the HSBC 'billions stashed in Switzerland' leaked list? Seems legit.

Tribune people - if you have any journalists who actually do any investigative journalism, you should poke around that list.

SP 8 years, 10 months ago

So provide us with the "HSBC leaked list" so the poking can begin!

HarryWyckoff 8 years, 10 months ago

The fact you couldn't find it on your own pretty much sums up the investigative capabilities in the Bahamas!

https://offshoreleaks.icij.org

SP 8 years, 10 months ago

Certainly your superior investigative sleuthing abilities has already connected these billions to questionable sources, and you are well on the way to filing a report with the commissioner of police to bring charges.

EasternGate 8 years, 10 months ago

Gray is a slime ball extraordinaire. So is the rest of the PLP hierarchy. It amaze me that the FNM thinks that Minnis is the man to lead us into victory in 2017!

Economist 8 years, 10 months ago

What was done in the past ,by both former governments, was wrong.

We must move on from this childish "you did it so I can do it" attitude.

This is 2106 and we should have a proper and transparent bidding process for all government and government related contracts.

Grow up.

Honestman 8 years, 10 months ago

Alfred Gray and the awarding of this contract sums up everything that is wrong with the Bahamian political system. There is no hope for the country while this mindset prevails.

sheeprunner12 8 years, 10 months ago

Agreed

TalRussell 8 years, 10 months ago

Comrades I have not seen in of any the leaked HSBC data any mention of the minister's name or his connection and seriously doubt his name is listed anywhere.
However, in the case of Bahamaland although we are a recognized financial center, there are "55 Bahamander citizens or passport holders" were among the 202 listed clients from Bahamaland associated with accounts at HSBC to the tone of a whopping $7 Billion.
However, it does begs the question - should the "55 Bahamander citizens or passport holders" have grabbed the attention of our local authorities? Maybe it is all legal banking permitted under we laws - by citizens and passport holders?
Is there a Freeport connection to the $7 Billion?
Is any of the $7 Billion being held in way connected to any non-elected active/retired official of Bahamaland's government?

The_Oracle 8 years, 10 months ago

And this is why the country will end in ruin, but it won't hurt them, PLP or FNM politicians, their nest eggs are secured in foreign banks, It will only destroy the damn fool Bahamians who voted for either, bought into the game, believed either bunch was doing anything but screwing the country over. Incapable of self control, ethical behavior, honesty. Easy for personalities of either ilk to laud themselves above the other when none can stand tall.

sheeprunner12 8 years, 10 months ago

He just admitted that Bahamian politicians engage in kickbacks ........ that's all

GrassRoot 8 years, 10 months ago

High time we join the WTO, then at least everybody else (who was not invited to bid or was kicked out because of the wrong color of their shirt) has some recourse against this government. Other than African countries and the Middle East, I think the Caribbean and the Bahamas is the last place on this planet where contracts like that have to be publicized and offered to the general public for tender.

sheeprunner12 8 years, 10 months ago

Is that the main reason why we are the LAST country in America to join WTO????????

asiseeit 8 years, 10 months ago

V. A. Gray and all like him are traitors and political scum. They work for their organization (PLP) to the detriment of ALL other Bahamians. This type of flawed action is deplorable and a very corrupt practice that in the end hinders our nation. Selfish, self serving, miscreants, such as Gray should be roundly denounced and run out of the country, they do not have the welfare of the country at heart but will destroy our country to elevate their chosen few. If you want to know where the PLP will take this country look no farther than Venezuela and what Chavez and his crew accomplished.

birdiestrachan 8 years, 10 months ago

"There is nothing new under the sun" Right or wrong the FNM has done the same things they aare complaing about check, Grand Bahama, Abaco and Exuma to whom were the contracts ggiven? Now you all want to pretend. how quickly you all forget or wish to believe that the BBahamian people have forgotton.

BahamaPundit 8 years, 10 months ago

In most countries around the world, a public admission like the one in today's paper that you paid a kickback out of the public treasury to a PLP supporter would get you locked up. You just confessed to stealing the people's money and giving it to a friend. Instant jail time. If you want to help a supporter, use your own F#@@#%# money, not ours!!!!!

Franklyn 8 years, 10 months ago

Bahamian Government Minister, Mr. V Alfred Gray may have exposed his PLP lead government for lawsuits; by admitting publicly: that "What they do not want us to do is help people who support us. But that’s going to be a lie. "We are going to do as much as we can for the people who support us because if it hadn’t it been for them we wouldn’t be in power today.” ...or should there be a constitutional review of how political parties govern The Bahamas - Government by the people for the People. It was long held that being a supporter of an opposing political party - you could not contribute economical in the Bahamas; because of victimization, favoritism and cronyism. Now a sitting member of The Bahamas Government (who is a member of the PLP organization) his admitted publicly that this corruption is practice in governing the Bahamas by his PLP party members and members of The Bahamian Government ...how worst can it be and here lay an admission why our country has not advanced economical, where there has being an unnatural imbalance in the economic share which now has the Bahamas bordering a fail state status, poor - with desperate Bahamians resorting to crime to survive.

ThisIsOurs 8 years, 10 months ago

These people cover themselves in the trappings of success, but when they open their mouths you have to wonder how they could possibly have gotten in that position. The only conclusion is, they are smarter and more industrious than the people who elected them. Who else would suffer them? A very scary thought. Because it could happen again. Why is Minister Grey still in cabinet? The lawyer who said, ~if he did interfere with a judge's decision, he didn't know it as wrong, and the cabinet minister who says ~my government does give kickbacks, what's wrong with that?

sheeprunner12 8 years, 10 months ago

Almost every senior PLP politician is a multi-millionaire ............. and they all claim that they care about the poor .......... what a cruel joke ............. how did they get rich????????

jus2cents 8 years, 10 months ago

Gray is a Minister, representing a government department, IF he knows of ANY impropriety be it FNM or PLP, he has a Duty to the nation to 'let the cat's' out of the bag. Let the Rule Of Law run its course. Otherwise his insinuations are baseless, whatever the scenario it's not a good portrayal of his character and moreover outwardly unpatriotic.

This cronyism has to stop, they're picking away at every department and bit by bit destroying this beautiful nation from the inside out, it is Unforgivable they must start prosecuting the thieves that steal from the nation's finances.

I do not know how they can sleep at night.

DiverBelow 8 years, 10 months ago

Looks like we have Banana Republic ethics at it's best.
There is certainly need for Freedom of Information Act for all government decisions.
The real danger is in having an act with no teeth, everyone is still awaiting the Financial Statements from members of Parliament from many years back and that is the Law.
I am entertained by the lack of remorse, 'just business as usual' no matter the colour of shirt or skin. Next thing we will need to carry $20 in our drivers license/passports, in case our papers are checked... Venezuela/Cuba here we come.