The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis has dismissed accusations that his administration is on a political witch hunt regarding the Water and Sewerage Corporation.

It is a matter in which both Mr Davis and Public Works Minister Alfred Sears - who has WSC in his portfolio - has said they will not interfere.

Yesterday, Mr Sears went so far as to say that he did not know the details or particulars of the ongoing probe.

This comes after Official Opposition Leader Michael Pintard contented on Saturday that the Davis administration was targeting former Water and Sewerage executive chairman Adrian Gibson, after several rental vehicles belonging to Mr Gibson were allegedly seized on Long Island as part of a police investigation.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Leamond Deleveaux confirmed on Sunday that officers were in Long Island conducting investigations concerning the water provider. However, he would not confirm whether police had taken several of Mr Gibson’s rental vehicles into custody. Further, he would not say whether the Long Island MP was being investigated.

But sources familiar with the matter told The Tribune on Sunday that some of Mr Gibson’s vehicles were seized by police last week.

Asked about the situation yesterday outside Parliament Mr Davis said: “Well all I’m aware of is the investigation is ongoing and they are deciding what they are going to do. It started off as an internal audit report that was presented to me. I turned it over to the Attorney General and the police investigations are continuing.

“We are different from the FNM,” Mr Davis also said. “We understand what witch-hunting is about because that’s their modus operandi. That’s not what we’re about.”

For his part, Mr Sears noted the internal audit and it being referred to the police.

He asserted his respect for the separation of powers.

“….That it is a matter which he will not get involved in in any way with the conduct of that investigation,” he told reporters outside of the House of Assembly.

“I can tell you as a former attorney general I respect the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary should it proceed to that,” he said.

“I was advised with respect to the internal audit and the Water and Sewerage, referred it to the police and I am advised that there is an investigation. I don’t know any of the details nor the stage or any of the particulars of the investigation, where it is right now.”

On Saturday Mr Pintard said the Free National Movement was hopeful that the accusations made against Mr Gibson were false.

He said: “As you are fully aware, the present Progressive Liberal Party has targeted Mr Gibson. We do not know all of the facts in this matter, but they are going out of their way to drip feed the public with a fair amount of information suggesting a conclusion that has not been arrived at yet. So, we are waiting to hear the full set of accusations being made by the Progressive Liberal Party and Mr Gibson is a young talented Bahamian and we’re praying that anything that they’re asserting is absolutely false, but we are going to hear all of the facts. He’s a member of our family that we care about dearly and so we’ll wait and see.”