The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Leader Michael Pintard said it is Immigration Minister Keith Bell’s “job to show up and explain” his actions, noting the minister was absent during the evening sitting of the House of Assembly yesterday.

“The minister didn’t even show up today who we’re expecting,” Mr Pintard said. “He promised he would tell us, tell the public. He didn’t show up, possibly on the advice of the minister of the public service. It’s his job to show up and explain, to face the music. It is his responsibility.”

Mr Pintard read from a Nassau Guardian editorial and a headline story featuring former Minister of National Security Loftus Roker, who questioned the circumstances surrounding Chinese nationals released from custody in January.

He said: “It says the justification used by the government was the hotel rooms are critically needed to create opportunities for Bahamians and the article is saying that’s not germane in this case. There is no scenario in which a Bahamian should benefit at the expense of developers being allowed to shirk immigration laws and possibly exploit foreign labourers. Bell was out of order in his initial directive and wildly inappropriate in his public response to the matter.

“There is no longer any reason for the public to have any faith in him as an immigration minister. We should extend as a labor minister either. We should extend as a minister in any capacity because if there’s a problem of judgment, if there’s a problem of behaving in an unlawful and unethical manner, no matter where you place someone, it’s likely to be a behaviour repeated.”

He raised questions about the event.

“Imagine this, the explanation used for causing someone to breach the law by releasing people who should be in custody. Today we don’t even know where they are. We don’t know who they are, where they are, how they came, who facilitated them on the government side, on the private sector side. We don’t even know the company that hired them.”

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said Mr Bell should do the “honourable thing and resign” and if not the prime minister must fire him.

He urged the member to resign by today, saying he will “bury him” if he doesn’t.