The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said a New York judge’s ruling that China Construction America (CCA) sought to “curry favour” with Christie administration officials during its dispute with Sarkis Izmirlian “may only be the tip of the iceberg” as he called for an independent investigation into the allegations.

His comments mirrored those of FNM leader Michael Pintard, who also called for an independent commission of inquiry into the Christie administration’s handling of the feud.

Their remarks followed a ruling by Justice Andrew Borrok on Friday, which determined that Mr Izmirlian, Baha Mar’s original developer, had proven his fraud claim against CCA “beyond doubt”.

Justice Borrok also ruled that Baha Mar’s contractor had attempted to “curry favour” by paying $2.3m to a firm run by the son of Sir Baltron Bethel, a top adviser to former Prime Minister Perry Christie.

The payments were made between December 2014 and January 2016 — at the height of the dispute between Mr Izmirlian and CCA.

However, both Sir Baltron and his son denied that CCA influenced the former’s stance towards the dispute and its participants or his advice to the government and its actions. 

In a statement released on Sunday, the Office of the Prime Minister said Attorney General Ryan Pinder had been instructed to review the judgment’s findings and that no further comment would be made on the issue.

Yesterday, Mr Pintard described the allegations as damaging to The Bahamas’ reputation as a credible place for business. He urged the Prime Minister to “rise above his instincts to protect members of the PLP” and demonstrate that The Bahamas is a country of laws where “absolutely no one is above justice”.

“There’s a consistency in terms of their lack of transparency on very serious issues,” Mr Pintard said during a press conference. “We cited FTX. We can very well cite BPL, and the level of conflict that you continue to see between members of the Cabinet and parliamentary caucus and political operatives and their backers –– those persons who contribute and yet end up being the beneficiaries of single source contracts with minimal to no explanation.”

Mr Pintard stressed the need for an independent investigation, saying the opposition does not believe this administration will investigate itself and produce impartial, transparent conclusions.

When asked if the government should reconsider its deals with CCA moving forward, Mr Pintard did not respond directly. He only said regardless of whether a company tends to be a good or bad actor, it is the government’s responsibility to act as the gatekeeper, ensuring that all transactions comply with the laws of The Bahamas.