The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

DOCUMENTS filled in Florida last week show Peter Krieger is still a part of Oban Energies’ team, despite Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis saying in the House of Assembly on Tuesday that he resigned on March 1, Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis claimed yesterday.

Mr Davis based this on documents which circulated on social media on Tuesday indicating Oban Energies President Satal Dhunna and Mr Krieger have been removed as managers while “Oban Energies Management,” a company, was added as manager on registration files.

Mr Davis called on Dr Minnis to resign, saying he has deceived people. He was speaking at the Sadie Curtis Primary School during a PLP regional meeting.

He said: “In the articles of Amendment to the Articles of the Organisation of Oban Energies registered document #L1600011652 filed on March 12, 2018 at 12.41pm by the Secretary of State Tallahassee, Florida, the same address, 3804 PGA Blvd. Palm Beach Gardens Florida 33410 is given for both Mr Peter Krieger, Mr Satpal Dhunna and Oban Energies Management. More importantly all future correspondence in relation to Oban Energies was to be sent to Peter Krieger.

“If you are removed from a company, you wouldn’t expect them to be corresponding with you anymore, would you? But who are they to contact? The same Peter Krieger. So where has he gone? If the registry department in Florida is required to contact anyone about this company, they are to contact Krieger. Why if he resigned or had no further dealing with Oban he remains the contact person for Oban? We fool eh? From this document supplied by the State of Florida, Mr Peter Krieger did sign Articles of Amendment to Articles of Organisation of Oban on the 9th of March, 2018.”

To add to the confusion the document which appeared to show Dhunna had been removed from the Oban management team seems meaningless given his appearance last night as the company’s front man at a town hall meeting in Grand Bahama.

At the meeting Mr Dhunna clarified his position with respect to the company, having identified in the aforementioned registration file as being removed from management.

“There was no official resignation,” he said in response to questions from a resident. “There was no resignation letter from me. The situation is as a corporate entity moves into a critical stage we needed to appoint more managers, managers with the depth of experience in the energy sector for example. So the intent of the company was always from the outset under the previous government to move the management of Oban Energies into Oban Management LLC. The organization was incorporated approximately twelve months ago and the idea was that the organization would then govern the operations of Oban Energies of which I am appointed still, officially as the president of that company. I have a document that belongs to the Attorney General. They’ll all been made available at their discretion.”

In his questions last night, Mr Davis said he has not been able to determine from his search of Florida’s registry who the beneficial owners of Oban Energies are.

“I don’t see the name K Family Irrevocable Trust,” he said, referring to the trust Dr Minnis said owns the company.

Mr Krieger’s role in the company came under fire when it was revealed he was accused of misappropriating investor funds and subsequently made settlement.

It was later revealed he pleaded guilty to the first-degree felony of organised fraud in 2006.

Last night Mr Davis accused Dr Minnis of “fabricating untruths”.

“He announced that Mr Peter Krieger of Oban Energies LLC had resigned from the company effective March 9, 2018. He failed to show any evidence to the same,” he said.

“The prime minister is lost! He is out to lunch! He has entangled his entire government in a weave of deception and lies. Prime Minister Minnis has failed to do his due diligence! He witnessed fraud in the full glare of the press. He has reduced the Office of the Prime Minister into a web of lies, deceits and deceptions. He has deceived the country! He has betrayed my beloved people of Grand Bahama. And I submit the Minnis government has now engulfed itself in a web of corruption and must do the honourable thing and resign! Resign! Resign! Resign!”

Mr Davis said: “My favourite question remains: Who is the mystery man and real owners of Oban Energies?

“Why was it necessary to proceed with Heads of Agreement without an EIA study in the area, which sits on one of the most pristine ecological environments in the community of Grand Bahama?”

“Where is the funding for the proposed refinery?”

“How many acres is to be given away? Whose land is it?”

He also knocked government ministers for their silence. “The Environment Minister silence is deafening,” he said. “The Attorney General is mute. Peter Turnquest is lost for words even though it is his constituency to which the development is planned. And the rest of the shameless bunch can’t find a microphone to discuss the crisis now engulfing the FNM government.”