The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

An ex- Prime Minister yesterday argued it was “very troubling” that a China Construction America (CCA) executive who played a key role in the Baha Mar dispute has been made a “special envoy” for The Bahamas.

Dr Hubert Minnis, speaking in the House of Assembly, questioned the appointment of Daniel Liu, CCA’s former senior vice-president, who featured prominently in a New York State Supreme Court ruling which found the Chinese state-owned contractor “actively worked to curry favour with the Bahamian government”.

“I wish to raise a very troubling revelation that is being exposed by the press. It concerns the hiring by the Davis administration of a Mr Daniel Liu as a special envoy working for the Government of The Bahamas,” said Dr Minnis.

“Why are the details of his hiring being kept secret? We need fuller information and details. Who exactly is this gentleman? Why is he a special envoy for The Bahamas? Who requested that he be made a special envoy?”

Mr Liu disclosed in his biography, buried at the back of a 16-page brochure for an entity named SilverStar Management Group Company, for which he is named as the president and managing director, that he was officially approved as The Bahamas “special envoy to China” in 2023. Fred Mitchell, minister of foreign affairs, corrected this by saying that while Mr Liu was made a “special envoy” it was not specifically to China.

Still, Dr Minnis probed Mr Liu’s relationship with, and connections to, officials within the Davis administration and former Christie administration, and his role in the Baha Mar debacle. “So, what exactly is Daniel Liu’s special relationship to the PLP”, he questioned.

“What key PLP figures did he, or does he, have relationships with in the Christie administration and the Davis Administration, including current and former Cabinet ministers? What role did Mr Liu play in the Baha Mar-related issues now swirling around the PLP after a court ruling in the US in favour of the original developer of the mega resort?”

Dionisio D’Aguilar, a key ally of Sarkis Izmirlian, Baha Mar’s original developer, said Mr Liu’s biography details and appointment raise questions over whether he has been rewarded by the Government for his role in the dispute despite the recent New York court ruling which found CCA committed multiple frauds and breaches of contracts.

Dr Minnis said such questions should be “thoroughly investigated and answered”, as well as queries surrounding his Immigration status and appointment as special envoy. “There are a number of other urgent questions that need to be answered by the Prime Minister and his government,” he added.

“Is Mr Liu a Bahamian citizen? Is he also a citizen of any other countries? If so, when was he granted citizenship and under what circumstances? if he was granted citizenship, did he receive it in 2023 around the time that he was also made an envoy.

“Why was he given special status as a special envoy, and does he have a diplomatic passport? Has he been vetted by the Security and Intelligence Branch in order to serve as a special envoy? Is he ordinarily resident in The Bahamas?

“Would the prime minister please note his involvement in the ‘special envoy’ status and contract for Mr Liu, especially as diplomatic appointments at this level require the direct involvement of the Prime Minister?”

Mr Minnis also questioned Mr Liu’s business dealings with the Government, including SilverStar Management Group Company. “What are the nature and details of his contracts with the Bahamas Government? How much is he being paid? Why has information on him and his work for The Bahamas been kept secret?” he continued.

“Is he an agent for any other governments, and do any of his domestic or foreign contracts place him in any conflicts of interest? What is the nature of his SilverStar business, and where is this business registered and where does it pay taxes? What kind of business is it?”

Dr Minnis again called for a full investigation into the matter, and maintained the Davis administration must take the matter “more seriously” so it does not affect investor confidence. “These questions need to be answered,” he said

“Once again, I repeat the call made by many for a full investigation into certain matters related to Baha Mar under the Christie administration. The current PLP government must take this matter more seriously, including the potential negative fall-out in investor confidence in The Bahamas.”