By JADE RUSSELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
THE Free National Movement (FNM) said that all its parliamentarians met this year’s deadline for filing financial disclosures under the Public Disclosure Act.
Several Davis administration officials told The Tribune they filed their disclosures, including Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin, Grand Bahama Minister Ginger Moxey, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe, Labour and Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle, Energy and Transport Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis, Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg, Social Services Minister Myles Laroda, Central and South Abaco MP John Pinder, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Leon Lundy, Health Minister Dr Michael Darville, Economic Affairs Minister Michael Halkitis.
The Tribune could not reach many other elected officials.
North Andros and the Berry Islands MP Leonardo Lightbourne said his declaration should be completed by tomorrow at the latest, attributing his delay to being on bed rest for a medical issue.
FNM leader Michael Pintard has called for the Public Disclosures Committee chairman, Bishop Victor Cooper, to be more transparent about who has complied with the law.
Bishop Cooper told The Tribune earlier this month that the committee’s office may have been affected by mould, which made the building inaccessible and delayed the processing of public officials’ disclosures.
“We’ve had people who’ve been affected by mould, we’re not going to have anybody else affected,” he reiterated yesterday.
“I can’t speak to what this one say and the next one say, we have an office that’s infected with mould, and so we are not accommodating anyone in there, because it’s not safe to be there.”
Bishop Cooper said the commission had temporarily relocated to the Cabinet office until a new, secure space could be arranged. He stressed that documents must be stored securely and in an organised manner.
Once the office is cleared to return to its original location, officials will do so, with plans to modernise operations.
Under the Public Disclosure Act of The Bahamas, senators and Members of Parliament must submit annual declarations of their assets, income, and liabilities. The deadline for submissions was March 1.
Bishop Cooper has previously downplayed the committee’s role in publishing disclosures, stating that while it compiles reports, it does not have the authority to publish them in the Gazette. He suggested that this responsibility lies with the Prime Minister and the opposition. However, the Public Disclosure Act clearly states that the committee must publish a summary of the declarations once reviewed.
The law also requires the committee to report non-compliance to the prime pinister and opposition leader, who can escalate the matter to Parliament, the attorney general, or law enforcement.
Last year, Bishop Cooper said that 90 percent of parliamentarians had met the March 1, 2024, deadline, though he acknowledged that several senators and senior public officials had failed to comply. The names of those who did not comply were never disclosed.
Under the law, non-compliance can result in fines of up to $10,000 or two years in prison.
Comments
quavaduff 16 hours, 19 minutes ago
Follow the law .... anything short of that is corrupt/criminal and should be prosecuted accordingly.
bahamianson 15 hours, 31 minutes ago
There is a list of Physicians, Accountants, Engineers, And Dentist whom filled out their licenses for the upcoming year. The list is placed in the local paper for all to see. The same needs to be for the parliamentarians. Freedom of information act. Does that sound familiar.
DWW 12 hours, 38 minutes ago
all jokers and bishops especially. pray tell how does having a ecclesiastical learning translate to the real world and governance? being a self appointed, self styled bishop of a church automatically confirms that you are qualified to fly an airbus A303 of course. everyone knows this. LOL
Sickened 12 hours, 28 minutes ago
The 'good' bishop needs to be fined and incarcerated for his dereliction of duties.
truetruebahamian 11 hours, 24 minutes ago
Yes
bogart 5 hours, 53 minutes ago
Yes.
ExposedU2C 11 hours, 14 minutes ago
VICTOR COOPER SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY FIRED BY THE VERY PERSON WHO APPOINTED HIM - WIMPY DAVIS.
moncurcool 8 hours, 22 minutes ago
So MPs break the law and no one goes to jail.
And the so called Bishop who is in charge of the disclosure process is totally inept to do his job to have them fined and to publish the list as required by law.
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