FNM Chairman Dr Duane Sands speaks during a press conference on March 19, 2024. Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement (FNM) chairman Dr Duane Sands criticised Attorney General Ryan Pinder’s defence of the Bahamian government in light of a New York Supreme Court ruling that awarded $1.6 billion in damages to Baha Mar’s original developer, Sarkis Izmirlian.
Dr Sands accused Mr Pinder of selectively addressing the court’s findings, which detailed alleged corruption and questionable dealings involving China Construction America (CCA) and senior Bahamian officials during the resort’s controversial collapse and subsequent sale.
In October, Judge Andrew Borrok ruled Mr Izmirlian had proven his fraud claims again China Construstion America (CCA) “beyond doubt”.
The ruling indicated that CCA “actively worked to curry favour with the Bahamian government” behind Mr Izmirlian’s back. It revealed that CCA made $2.3m in payments to Notarc Management Group, an entity managed by Leslie Bethel, to gain access to Sir Baltron Bethel, who was Mr Christie’s senior policy adviser in the Baha Mar dispute.
Mr Pinder told reporters last week that his office had reviewed the ruling and found some aspects unfair. He said government officials only began discussing new ownership after the original developer had defaulted on obligations, the hotel’s opening was clearly no longer viable, and the project had advanced into receivership. Mr Pinder maintained that the government acted appropriately and in the best interest of The
Bahamas to ensure the successful completion of the nation’s largest single investment.
In response, Dr Sands said: “The Attorney General of The Bahamas does not get to cherry pick what commentary is made by a sitting justice in another jurisdiction. The justice who issued that ruling, like thousands of Bahamians, are very interested in how China Construction of America managed to get the Bahamian government to curry favor, and many of those thousands of Bahamians want to know whether that $2m contract had anything to do with it. The $2m contract that went to the family of a senior politician.”
He added: “This administration claims that they are immune from corruption or that they don’t suffer from the surge of corruption. Well, let us turn over every stone. Let us find out exactly how CCA was so confident that the government would side with them. Let’s find out how an executive of CCA ended up being a consultant to the government. Isn’t that bizarre?”
“I believe that the attorney general, who’s speaking about politics and not about law, certainly could not have been speaking about law to come up with a comment like that.”
Comments
birdiestrachan 10 hours, 23 minutes ago
To hell with the doc we will go with Pinder who is a very qualified esteemed lawyer. We know doc can never see anything that is good and worthy in the Bahamss
birdiestrachan 10 hours, 17 minutes ago
Worthy in the Bahamas. THERE is who evidence that has been presented to cast blame on Mr Bethel or his son but the sands loves that way we remember Mr Frank Smith that is who he is all about.
rosiepi 6 hours, 17 minutes ago
There’s an old saying ‘give your other end a chance’..good advice for foolish birdies.
The problem with disparaging a man like Duane Sands, “he can never see anything good and worthy about the Bahamas” is that he’s educated at the most prestigious US universities, Tufts and John Hopkins, he could practice anywhere but he came back here to establish the first heart surgery program in the Bahamas and here is where he practices-on Bahamians and all else who wander in needing his care. So there’s that..
Then this business about the “esteemed” AG Pinder..
What Dr Sands doesn’t come out and say is that the AG lied about former PM Christie and his ‘advisor’ Sir Beltron’s substantial role in the demise of Mr Izmirilian’s endeavour the Baha Mar project. In the judgement handed down the judge states the frauds perpetrated by CCA etc etc., (and one of those ‘etc’ is the Bahamas gov’t, former PM Christie and tag team of Beltron and Leslie Bethel) directly caused that project to fail to meet substantial completion.
That they lied repeatedly, promising an opening of March 27, 2015 when they had in fact been in negotiations with said ‘advisors’ and gov’t since at least 2014 for the manner in which they’d take over the project and seem to cause Izmirlian to default.
It’s all there in discovery and direct testimony of the CCA principal Tiger Wu.
The monies paid to the Bethels from 2014 on, there’s the email to Liu of CCA from the good sir after CCA missed the date and were shaking Izmirlian down for more $$. “How do YOU want the manner of negotiations to proceed? refusing to complete the project wanother “how to you want the manner of negotiations to proceed?” suggesting bringing in another partner within 90 days adding “such a suggestion should come from the Bank (CEXIM) and not the government” to prove the government is not trying to push Izmirlian out” Makes for some very interesting reading! https://law.justia.com/cases/new-york/o…
Entrepreneur 4 hours ago
Go Sarkis! We all know what happened....
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