The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said his Cabinet had no involvement in the COVID-19 food assistance programme after establishing a National Food Distribution Taskforce to manage it.

His comments came a week after he told The Tribune that three senior police officers interviewed him earlier this year as part of an investigation into the programme.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Leamond Deleveaux has said Dr Minnis is not a suspect in the investigation.

Yesterday, Dr Minnis again said his hands are clean.

“If they want to question me, they can question me. They know the facts,” he said “The facts are Cabinet approved the individuals (working within the food programme), Cabinet approved the budget and that was the end. The politicians would have had no involvement whatsoever after that. The conclusions are sent to the various ministries, and that is it. And that’s all any politician can say to them, that it’s been approved by Cabinet (and) sent to finance.”

He further said officials agreed with NGOs not to distribute food at constituency offices to prevent political involvement or bias.

“My hands are more than clean; my hands are more than clean,” he said. “I’ve said it before I think the Prime Minister when he questions me, he’s barking up the wrong tree. And he knows that. And he does not want this giant or this gorilla to come forth.”

Dr Minnis said NGOs and supermarkets who helped during the pandemic should be given more credit.

“They were able to deliver food in a timely manner. (They avoided) the problems the rest of the world was having in terms of unrest, in terms of rioting, in terms of starvation or insufficient food. They have been able to avoid that,” he said.

He added: “The supermarkets did their part by giving the Bahamian taxpayers discounted rates just to ensure that foods are low. So rather than the prime minister trying to demean individuals, the prime minister should recognise these individuals as heroes.”

Last month, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis accused an unnamed non-profit organisation of going on a spending spree, buying two high-end trucks and boats with public funds that were meant to provide food assistance during the pandemic.

That was one of several criticisms Mr Davis has made about the programme since taking office in 2021.

He had previously said his administration had struggled to determine how the $53m issued to the National Food Distribution Taskforce was spent.