The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Leader Michael Pintard revealed the party’s legal team is going to take action against the government on behalf of several people he said are owed money by the Bahamas Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority.

He said they expect to file a writ sometime over the course of the next week addressing that issue.

The latest move comes after Mr Pintard warned that the party intended to take legal action against the government to initiate a judicial review targeting its refusal to follow the Public Procurement Act.

Mr Pintard made the disclosure about the impending writ when giving an update to The Tribune on the proposed legal action regarding the Procurement Act.

“So we’re just waiting on securing the legal opinion on that particular matter, and then we’ll be able to update the public further. One of the things we are doing in advance of that, the legal team is going to take action against the government on the many persons who are still disadvantaged through beaches and parks. And so we expect to file a writ, sometime over the course of the next week, addressing that particular issue. That’s where we’re heading.”

Asked how many people he would file the writ on behalf of, the Marco City MP replied: “Well, we’re going to begin with an initial 20 that we have prepared the matter on - that number can very likely grow in terms of the writ. We are agitating on behalf of all of those persons who have not been paid and who have actually executed the work. But the initial legal action, we will pick a group in order to proceed.”

Mr Pintard said they would like for those who are owed funds to have their matters settled.

“We are ultimately trying to get the persons paid, you know persons who have completed work, who have verification of having completed the work, and we believe that - a number of those persons are just unjustly being dealt with and that the government should proceed and settle the matter with them,” he explained.

“A number of them have gone through the verification process. They follow the instructions of the persons who were in charge when we were in. They followed the guidelines of those who inherited the control for beaches and parks and the number of them have indicated to us, we are advised, they have not gotten the appropriate payments nor have they gotten reasonable explanations as to why they have not been paid. So we would like for those persons who are owed funds to be settled.”