The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Bahamas Power and Light chairwoman Darnell Osborne says she has not been contacted concerning a promised investigation into what caused the collapse of BPL’s board when she led the team in 2018.

Mrs Osborne was controversially removed from the board in August 2018 along with former directors Nicola Thompson and Nick Dean as relationships between them and other board members deteriorated.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis promised the matter would be investigated. He told reporters in April 2019 his government had signed a contract with an international firm to probe the affair.

Details of that investigation have been scarce and officials have never publicly revealed the name of the firm which was hired.

“There has been no contact from anyone as it relates to any investigation into BPL,” Mrs Osborne told The Tribune. “The same thing is true as far as other former directors are concerned as well.”

Mrs Osborne said she would expect to be contacted if an investigation is happening.

“If you are investigating anything to do with allegations, you would certainly expect that the people who are involved, particularly the former chairman, would be contacted. I don’t know what they are investigating,” she said.

Current BPL chairman, Dr Donovan Moxey told The Tribune an investigation is ongoing.

“Where it is I don’t know,” he said. “It’s up to the investigators who received their mandate from the Office of the Prime Minister. BPL is not controlling it. We are accommodating their requests.”

Dr Moxey said investigators are “constantly and consistently” requesting documents from BPL officials.

“We cooperate fully, 100 percent,” he said.

A trial relating to the board’s disintegration is scheduled for January, 2021.

Mrs Osborne, Mr Dean and Mr Thompson claim in lawsuits that they were wrongly removed contrary to the provisions of the Electricity Act.

Attorney Alfred Sears is representing the trio. They are suing for $1,164,933.33 in special and exemplary damages after efforts to settle the matter outside court failed.

At the time of the controversy, Minister of Works Desmond Bannister said the old board members were at odds on critical issues facing BPL. Mrs Osborne, Mr Dean and Mrs Thompson called his claims “untrue, inaccurate and misleading” and said political interference was to blame.