The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

DEMOCRATIC National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney yesterday accused Prime Minister Perry Christie of “running” from addressing the controversy surrounding Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald’s solicitation of contracts from Baha Mar while he sat in Cabinet.

This, Mr McCartney suggested, is because Mr Christie does not want to risk addressing the core question of whether he was aware of Mr Fitzgerald’s alleged conflict of interest, especially considering that the latter served as one of the government’s lead negotiators on Baha Mar’s remobilisation.

While Mr McCartney said it would be “amazing” for Mr Christie not to have known about the controversy surrounding Mr Fitzgerald, a lack of knowledge of the situation at hand means he is not abreast of what his ministers are doing or what is happening in the country.

Last month, The Tribune revealed how Mr Fitzgerald allegedly attempted to secure millions of dollars in brokerage, trucking and limousine contracts at Baha Mar from as early as 2013. Mr Fitzgerald had requested deals from Baha Mar from top officials, such as his readiness to start brokerage and trucking services for the Baha Mar project and remain the brokers of record for the property, according to an email dated May 18, 2013.

Mr Fitzgerald later released a statement admitting that he had solicited Baha Mar’s original developer Sarkis Izmirlian on behalf of his then sick father. In his statement, Mr Fitzgerald said his father had engaged in business with Baha Mar before falling ill. He said he was just following up on these earlier talks.

The statement did not address the matter completely, however, and Mr Fitzgerald has so far avoided addressing some of the other issues raised.

Meanwhile, Mr Christie has, on multiple occasions, refused questions from reporters over whether he will fire Mr Fitzgerald or demand his resignation over the alleged conflict of interest.

In one such instance, during a reception to celebrate Baha Mar’s ribbon cutting in commemoration of the opening of its first phase, Mr Christie was five times approached by the press with questions regarding his position on the explosive report published in The Tribune.

Instead, he dodged reporters who trailed him as he greeted guests gathered in the convention centre. In one instance, Mr Christie told reporters “don’t even try right now,” explaining that he had to get his mind right for a speech at the reception. A few days later, Mr Christie briskly walked past reporters and ignored the media’s questions about the issue while leaving an event at Enoch Beckford auditorium where he was expected to enroll in National Health Insurance.

Interestingly enough, however, while on the sidelines of an event commissioning a new ZNS broadcasting tower, Mr Christie told The Tribune “I don’t run from any issue” after being asked by this newspaper if he planned to address the controversy before the May 10 general election.

“That’s the PLP,” Mr McCartney said of Mr Christie’s “I don’t run from any issue” comment.

“The PLP say things and do something else. That’s typical. We’ve seen that throughout this administration over the last five years, so that’s completely typical.”

Mr McCartney added: “Obviously he is running from this issue. He hasn’t said anything about it. It is something, in any other country the leader of that country, the leader of that party would have had to address and Mr Christie has not addressed it. I think the Bahamian people will address it though, and they’ll address it very soundly on Election Day.

“His silence has been a detriment to the party, and I don’t think the Bahamian people appreciate it. And they will show it on the 10th of May.

“For the prime minister not to know about the conflicts, that would be amazing,” he said. “It means that he is not keeping a hand on what’s going on with his members and indeed the country as a whole. So I think that is the main reason why he is quiet, because it will come back and he would be questioned as to whether or not he knew or didn’t know. And the truth usually comes out.”

Last month, Mr Fitzgerald released a statement denying he had any contract with Baha Mar or any of its affiliates.

“Nor do I own any shares in Bahamas Cargo & Logistics, which is a company formed by my father many years ago,” Mr Fitzgerald said. “Sarkis Izmirlian and I have communicated on any number of matters over the past eight years either in person or by email.

“Prior to my father’s illness he had engaged in discussions with Baha Mar to get some work. After my father’s illness I wrote to Sarkis to follow up on those discussions and seek his assistance. Nothing came of it and that remains the case today.”

However, some observers have accused Mr Fitzgerald of a breach of the Manual of Cabinet and Ministry Procedure, which states in Clause 40b, a minister must not “solicit or accept any benefit, advantage or promise of future advantage whether for himself, his immediate family or any business concern or trust with which he is associated from persons who are in, or seek to be in, any contractual or special relationship with the government.”