Former Prime Minister Perry Christie.
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday rejected claims made by an event producer in a recent documentary that referenced payment demands by Bahamian officials for the ill-fated Fyre Festival.
Mr Christie dismissed statements made by Andy King in the Netflix film “Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened”, telling The Tribune “they’re talking foolishness”.
In the documentary, Mr King states that after the festival fell apart, “I had the head of the Bahamian Tourism Board, the minister of finance, and the head of the University of Bahamas waiting for a million dollars that they wanted to be paid.”
Yesterday, Mr Christie stressed the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Finance were never involved with the event at the political level.
“There is absolutely no doubt about that,” Mr Christie, who was minister of finance at the time of the festival, said.
“I’ve spoken to my permanent secretary and (former advisor) Sir Baltron Bethel. Quite frankly the same level of denial that the University of the Bahamas has issued, is what we would say, nothing at all.”
In a statement released on Monday, UB said its president, Dr Rodney Smith, was taking legal advice on appropriate action in response to the claims in the documentary, and denied being directly or indirectly involved in the festival.
Meanwhile Finance Minister K Peter Turnquest has confirmed some $175,000 in customs duties owed by Fyre Festival organisers for imported food and water have been settled.
However, he said on Monday he was still making inquiries concerning the reference to Bahamian officials made by Mr King.
Yesterday, Mr Christie said: “If the minister of finance is obliged to determine what they’re talking about, go for it. There is absolutely nothing, they’re talking foolishness. When I listened to the man, my wife showed me a clip, and then saying what he was prepared to do and then saying ‘oh but in the end the man was nice.’ Just smearing people.”
He was referring to claims Mr King made in the documentary in reference to the festival’s funding issues. Mr King claimed he was asked by festival founder Billy McFarland to perform sexual favours on a Department of Customs official in exchange for the release of imported water. Mr King states import fees owed were $175k. Mr King said he was prepared to perform the act but the customs official was nice to him and said he would release the water if the organisers promptly paid their import fee.
“There is no room for any other interpretation with respect to (my involvement) in that regard,” Mr Christie also said. “I did not know about this until the story broke.”
The Tribune also reached out to former Minister of State for Finance Michael Halkitis, who also denied any involvement yesterday.
“I have no idea,” Mr Halkitis said, “I didn’t see the thing. Never met (McFarland), never had correspondence or email. I have no idea (about a $1m fee). I never met the guy. He might have dealt with (Department of) Customs which comes under (Ministry of) Finance, but I couldn’t say what he’s talking about.”
Comments
The_Oracle 5 years, 10 months ago
shine the light, the rats and roaches scurry for cover. That the festival was ill conceived is not in dispute, that the typical Bahamian palm greasing occurred is probable. The "documentary's" were made to sensationalize the debacle, and it worked.
SP 5 years, 10 months ago
I wouldn't believe Perry Gladstone Christie if he was washed in the blood of Jesus, resurrected and descended from heaven!
yeahyasee 5 years, 10 months ago
LMAO
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 10 months ago
Settled how? Full payment received in cash? Or simply written-off by government? I strongly suspect the latter.
P.S. If 'Bag Man' Baltron Bethel had anything at all to do with the Fyre Festival you can bet your last dollar there must have been a great deal of underhandedness that went on behind the scenes. LMAO
joeblow 5 years, 10 months ago
Can't they write an article about Perry without showing his picture? Still trying to erase it from my memory and this ain't helping!
B_I_D___ 5 years, 10 months ago
http://thetribune.media.clients.ellingt…
SP 5 years, 10 months ago
LMAO Perry Fingers Da Nation!
screwedbahamian 5 years, 10 months ago
Apparently all members of the then GOVERNMENT(????) were on vacation in the united kingdom when all the FOOLISHNESS went down. Laughable but very very sad in what our Bahamian people have to endure in electing Leaders to govern and safe guard our country. The government embarrassment of continuous CORRUPTION, INCOMPETENCE and SLACKNESS is unfathomable.
Dawes 5 years, 10 months ago
So from what i can tell it is only the Fyre festival organisation to blame as no minister at the time had any dealing with them. This of course leads to the question of why did these ministers neglect doing their duty so much that an organisation like Fyre was able to come down and do all that they did. Or have the ministers not thought through fully what they are implying.
TalRussell 5 years, 10 months ago
Yes or no - Comrade former prime minister's administration was mostly free corruption allegations 258 days into their governing mandate. Suggest members Imperial red shirts cabinet tread cautiously cause they still have 1,202 days their governing mandate left for corruption alarm bells start rungs louder. Yes, no?
sheeprunner12 5 years, 10 months ago
Don't waste any newspaper space on Vomit Perry .......... just announce his death notice.
bahaymeeun 5 years, 10 months ago
Bigger scam going on in gofundme right now. Nothing but lies from that woman.
Revolutionary 5 years, 10 months ago
You know Perry lying when he says "my wife showed me a clip". Perry een never with his wife. #WheresPerrysWife?
Gabor 5 years, 10 months ago
$175,000 duty??? Those were very expensive cheese sandwiches. One crook complains about another one.
birdiestrachan 5 years, 10 months ago
Mr. Christie and the son of the soil who hails from Cat Island. I believe you all 100% The peoples time voters who can not think for themselves with their bad minds, are quick to believe anything, that any one tells them. <like the sun always comes up in the west and goes down in the east.
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