The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE FNM government met a $400m deficit in place, despite former PLP Cabinet Minister Michael Halkitis’ rave review of the economy under his stewardship at the PLP convention earlier in the year.

In attempting to explain how the VAT money was spent, Halkitis conveniently left out crucial information which would have enraged thousands of ordinary Bahamians. He chose not to inform Bahamians that his government had awarded contracts to scores of PLP cronies, many of whom were woefully unqualified for the projects they were contracted for. And in instances where they were qualified, the contracts appear to have been grossly inflated.

Revelations of PLPs being hired on exorbitant salaries have surfaced in recent days. One such instance is that of Ian Poitier being paid $400,000 annually. Another example is that of PLP chairman emeritus “Minky” Isaacs being awarded a $1.8m contract for oil remediation at BEC. And yet another example is former PLP MP Jerome Fitzgerald’s father’s company receiving a brokerage contract worth $900,000 per year. If this isn’t a clear example of conflict of interest, then I don’t know what is. Former PM Perry Christie must explain how the $18m that was deposited into an account for an Inter-American Development Bank event was spent?

Christie and his former Cabinet ministers should be summoned before an FNM tribunal to explain why they decided to pay Poitier $33,000 a month to consult the former PM on cultural matters, even though he lived abroad for 34 years.

And why would Christie even need an adviser to begin with, seeing that he already had an overstaffed Cabinet? Bear in mind that Mr Baltron Bethel was also a high priced consultant to the former PM.

Moreover, who are the PLPs behind Ash Enterprises - a trucking firm which pocketed over $8.6m in the lead up to May 10 in order to assist in the clean up efforts after Hurricane Matthew?

The former PM must explain where and how the $28m was spent in cleaning up New Providence and other islands impacted by Matthew.

The principals of Ash Enterprises must be grinning from ear to ear all the way to the bank. They collected cheques of $250,000, $206,000, $220,000, $195,000, $225,750 and $151,524 from the PLP government, while the country sunk deeper in debt due to Christie’s blatant mismanagement.

The $8.6m Ash Enterprises received represents almost one-third of the $28m allocated for the hurricane clean up, while scores of other trucking agencies sat on the sidelines. It would appear that this particular trucking company, along with its family group of companies Heavy Truck Line Services Ltd, Earthmovers Incorporated Company and Industrial and Heavy Duty Equipment Company, attempted to hog up all the business with no regard for other trucking agencies who could have used the financial shot in the arm. The issue with these other trucking agencies is that they are not owned by prominent PLPs.

As was the case with the lucrative BAMSI and Lowe Sound Primary School contracts, they were rewarded to high ranking PLPs who had no business receiving those contracts in the first place. BAMSI is nothing more than a financial blackhole, with very little to show for the nearly $100m dumped into it.

The Christie Cabinet placed its party before the country. They nearly wrecked this country. The FNM must haul these people before the courts with the aim to recouping monies that were mismanaged. Sending them to jail is not enough. The Bahamian people gave Minnis and the FNM a mandate to set an example to future would-be political mercenaries. Enough is enough.

THE WHISTLEBLOWER

June 21, 2017.