The Tribune

• Minnis hits back on Brave’s latest assault

• Demands of current PM: ‘Bring the proof’

• Davis slams his ‘aggressive incompetence’

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday asserted that “not one red cent is missing” from any of the COVID-19 relief initiatives that came under fresh assault in Parliament from his successor.

The former prime minister demanded that Philip Davis QC “bring the proof” of any wrongdoing involving the National Food Distribution Task Force and Bahamas Health Travel Visa, as well as the Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority, and accused the current administration of “walking a very dangerous road” with its constant attacks on these efforts and agencies.

Telling Tribune Business that the Government needs to produce its reports on investigations into the these three areas, and “move on” if no irregularities are established, Dr Minnis argued that Bahamians are more interested in how Mr Davis and his administration plan to combat surging inflation and the “relative devaluation of the Bahamian dollar’s” purchasing power

Mr Davis and his predecessor renewed battle in the House of Assembly just five days after Dr Minnis promised to “buss his a-- and their a-- for talking stupidness” over assertions made in relation to the National Food Distribution Task Force and the COVID-related relief that it provided.

Speaking following the duo’s morning clash, in which Mr Davis further ‘doubled down’ with fresh claims against that initiative, the ex-prime minister retorted: “He came with no proof; he came with no proof yet. Nothing. Nothing. There were no irregularities in there to my knowledge. The Prime Minister, he came talking, but bring the proof.

“What he’s doing is damaging the private sector and the non-governmental organisations (NGOs). A lot of the food that we purchased was at rock bottom prices from the private sector, who were giving us all sorts of breaks.

“When you attack the NGOs, attack the private sector, if we have another disaster in the future, God forbid, they may not want to help because they don’t want to be used as political pawns. He’s got to be careful walking down that road, because the only ones who will lose will be the Bahamian people, not the Prime Minister. It’s a very dangerous road he’s walking.”

Dr Minnis reiterated he had no tolerance for any corrupt acts that could be proven against members of his former administration. “If you find me involved in something untoward, bring charges. If you find my people are involved, bring charges, but move on,” he said.

“What is he [Mr Davis] going to do about the cost of living increase? What is he going to do about fuel price increases? What is he going to do about food price increases? What is he going to do about the relative devaluation of the Bahamian dollar? Where they once spent $1 for their food, they now have to spend $1.50. It’s a relative devaluation of the Bahamian dollar. Tell us what you’re going to do about it.”

As for the Health Travel Visa, the former prime minister said the Auditor General’s Office had praised it for “out-of-the-box thinking and creativity” by rapidly putting together a scheme that facilitated the safe post-COVID re-opening of the Bahamian economy and tourism industry while collecting $34.5m - mainly from visitors.

“There was no money missing,” Dr Minnis said. “We concentrated on putting together a programme to ensure guests had safe entrance to The Bahamas, and enjoyed themselves in The Bahamas, so that the Bahamian economy and Bahamian people benefited..... Not one red cent was missing, and no government entity can speak processing 3,000 persons per day with minimal complaints.”

The COVID testing associated with the Health Travel Visa requirements helped to create 500 jobs in The Bahamas, he asserted, with another 120 posts filled at the laboratories that tested samples and provided results. And the Visa’s insurance component ensured that COVID-infected tourists did “not burden our healthcare system”.

Dr Minnis then touted his administration’s efforts in coping with the devastation inflicted by COVID-19, plus Hurricanes Dorian and Irma. With the latter, he pointed to the mass air evacuation that was organised to lift southern Bahamas residents out of Irma’s path.

As for Dorian, the ex-prime minister said the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had suggested “it would take 15 years to rebuild after such devastation, but everyone wanted us to do it in one year”.

“When we came in, our entire governance was a new frontier,” Dr Minnis told this newspaper. “We were the Government of new frontiers and solving problems... We faced three catastrophic events never seen before in The Bahamas, and in every one we stepped to the fore and delivered and brought The Bahamas through.”

Dr Minnis hit back after Mr Davis told the House of Assembly that the probes into the Food Taskforce, as well as the Health Travel Visa and Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority, had raised several “commonalities” in the issues uncovered.

Asserting that his government would adopt a different approach from its predecessor, the Prime Minister argued that the Minnis administration’s failure to reveal the results of investigations initiated during its time in office “added greatly to the cynicism and anger of our people”.

“We intend to find the answers, and intend to make them public whatever the result,” Mr Davis said. He accused the former administration of using the crisis created by COVID-19 to “bypass” public sector processes and protocols, and “hide their spending decisions”.

“Who was getting how much, and for what purpose, and under what terms?” the Prime Minister blasted. Dr Minnis then intervened to urge that the Government complete its investigation, and “let the chips fall where they may”.

“Mr deputy speaker, we would not be having this conversation if he had done his job and followed the law,” Mr Davis hit back. Last evening, in response to Dr Minnis’ mid-year Budget address, he said of his Food Task Force allegations: “It’s not an attack on NGOs. It’s an attack on your aggressive incompetence.”

Mr Davis said the Food Task Force and Health Travel Visa, in particular, were structures “set up outside the public service, outside the system of accountability. These structures were staffed by people that had no competency to run these particular structures, and there were little to no checks and balances.

“These violated a number of laws, regulations and good practice. Vast sums of money were run through these structures, totalling hundreds of millions of dollars. These structures had incredibly poor record-keeping in how the money was taken in, and how the money was spent,” Mr Davis said, arguing that there was “a lack of transparency in financial reporting and accountability”.

“This administration handed over big structures of governance to their wealthy friends,” he added. “Let me be clear: The words ‘food assistance’ are not so sacred, and the Bahamian people do deserve answers as to how millions of dollars” in taxpayer monies were spent. “The good work of some does not provide justification for the malfeasance of others.”

Mr Davis identified Hands for Hunger as the NGO which mistakenly received $2m via an accounting error. Susan Larson, the Food Task Force chair, last week told Tribune Business that the NGO was unaware it had these monies in its accounts and, once the error was discovered, the funds were placed in escrow for return to the Public Treasury.

However, the Prime Minister, asserting that the Government was “extremely surprised” by this response, retorted: “While the phrase accounting error many cover any multitude of sins, what we do know is that on February 17, she [Mrs Larson] said she knew of no organisation that had such a balance in an interview with those persons she was talking to.”

Given that Hands for Hunger had returned the funds, Mr Davis added: “We don’t know where the truth lies. During the inquiries they [Hands for Hunger] started off by saying they had $1.1m something to return. Then they later discovered: ‘Uh oh, there’s another misapplication or accounting error where $588,000 was not properly booked. Therefore, the $1.1m ended up being $1.7mm to return.”

Mr Davis said two unidentified entities, which collectively received $15m via the Food Task Force, had “not responded to queries on how the money was used”. And he suggested instructions from Mrs Larson to transfer funds between participants showed the initiative was badly designed.

When it came to the Health Travel Visa, Mr Davis largely recycled questions that have been raised before. He argued that the involvement of digital payments provider, Kanoo, resulted in the creation of another structure and payments system that was outside the Government and public service.

Kanoo has previously denied that it set up, and controlled any bank account, asserting that at all times the Ministry of Tourism had charge and oversight of all Health Travel Visa monies. However, Mr Davis asserted that this arrangement was “in direct contravention of the law” with up to six months elapsing between funds being received and the surplus transferred to the Public Treasury.

“We only have their word that they have handed over the funds. That may well be the case, but we don’t know,” Mr Davis said. “What was the connection between Kanoo and the Ministry of Tourism that made them the beneficiaries of a large contract agreed to after a verbal discussion?”

Kanoo has always asserted that it had a written contract with the Ministry of Tourism. While the delay in remitting funds to the Public Treasury was admitted, the Ministry of Tourism’s reply to the Auditor General said it had been focused on ensuring the Health Travel Visa worked for tourists and the timeliness of money transfers had constantly improved.

Mr Davis, though, accused the Ministry of Tourism of operating in “flagrant violation of the law” with several entities involved in the Health Travel Visa seeking “to delay or frustrate our investigation”.

“There are many, many questions that need to be answered. Rest assured we will not let this drag on forever,” the Prime Minister said, questioning the lack of co-operation “if they have nothing to hide”.

The Ministry of Tourism, in its response to the Auditor-General, said the Promotion of Tourism Act allowed it to open bank accounts and enter contracts such as those involved in the Health Travel Visa.