The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A former Bahamasair acting chief financial officer is demanding $1.111m in total damages over allegations that she was forced out after exposing “significant financial governance concerns” that threatened to cost both the travelling public and taxpayers.

Claudia Pinder, in a March 6, 2026, legal claim filed with the Supreme Court is asserting that she identified “deficiencies” in internal controls and approvals processes, plus “structural weaknesses” in signatory authority over the national flag carrier’s bank accounts, as well as concerns over almost $2m per year that was paid to staff in “allowances” in excess of regular salaries.

However, she claims that when these “governance concerns” were raised with Bahamasair’s senior management, she was subjected to a campaign where she was “marginalised” and undermined, with Tracy Cooper, the airline’s managing director, subsequently informing Ms Pinder that unspecified “complaints” had been made about her by other staff.

Asserting that these complaints were “fabricated”, Ms Pinder alleged that her ‘whistleblowing’ ultimately resulted in her “orchestrated” termination without cause at an April 13, 2023, meeting with Bahamasair’s senior management. She is claiming that her firing “was not motivated by performance or misconduct, but was instead a retaliatory act intended to silence internal reporting of governance failures” within Bahamasair.

And, besides claiming damages for wrongful dismissal and breach of contract, Ms Pinder is also alleging she has been unable to secure fresh employment following her termination because Bahamasair has “provided negative and misleading references” about her to potential employers.

As a result, she is seeking a Supreme Court Order that Bahamasair not only pay her $170,000, representing the loss of two years’ salary had she remained with the national flag carrier, plus her bi-weekly allowance and health insurance benefits, but also a further $250,000 for “loss of future earnings capacity” over a three-year period. A further $150,000 is being sought for “damage to professional reputation”; $100,000 for “emotional distress and humiliation”; and a combined $400,000 for “aggravated and exemplary” damages.

Mr Cooper, in a messaged response to Tribune Business inquiries, signalled that both himself and Bahamasair are aware of Ms Pinder’s allegations but he declined to comment on the basis that the dispute is now before the Supreme Court.

“Thank you for your inquiry,” he messaged. “The matter you have referenced is currently before the courts and is therefore sub judice. As such, neither Bahamasair nor I are in a position to comment at this time.” Documents seen by this newspaper show that Ms Bethell’s complaint was served on Ferron Bethell KC, the Harry B. Sands, Lobosky & Company attorney and partner, on March 20, 2026. The airline is now likely to be determining its response, and drawing up its defence.

Ms Pinder, in her standard claim form, said she was first hired by Bahamasair as deputy chief financial officer before serving as acting chief financial officer. Besides having primary oversight for the national flag carrier’s financial reporting, she was also responsible for its internal financial controls, regulatory compliance, reporting to the Board of Directors and “safeguarding the financial integrity of the airline”.

“During the course of her employment, the claimant identified significant financial governance concerns within the operations of the first defendant [Bahamasair],” Ms Pinder’s statement of claim alleged. “These included weaknesses in internal control structures, deficiencies in approval processes and failures in financial governance procedures.

“Internal corporate documentation revealed structural weaknesses in banking signatory arrangements, which created the possibility of collusion and financial misappropriation. Internal reports also revealed substantial supplemental salary allowances paid to staff totalling approximately $1.997m annually.

“The claimant raised concerns regarding these matters in the course of performing her professional responsibilities. The claimant will contend that the concerns raised by her were legitimate matters relating to financial governance and internal controls within” Bahamasair, and they raised issues “related to matters of financial accountability within a publicly-funded corporation”.

Given that Bahamasair is a loss-making state-owned enterprise (SOE), which is forecast to require a $25m subsidy for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to enable it to cover its bills and remain operational, the nature of Ms Pinder’s allegations - if correct - means that the additional costs these governance deficiencies create will ultimately have to be paid for by both passengers and the Bahamian taxpayer.

The former acting chief financial officer, though, alleged that Bahamasair, rather than addressing the weaknesses identified when she sounded the alarm, instead sought to “undermine and marginalise” her by excluding her from executive meetings and management discussions. Ms Pinder is also alleging she was “removed from communications with government ministries”, her “responsibilities for financial oversight were substantially reduced”, and her authority undermined.

And, despite Mr Cooper informing Ms Pinder that other Bahamasair staff had made complaints about her, she was never presented with “particulars of any alleged misconduct” or summoned to a disciplinary hearing. She branded the complaints “as “baseless”, and a “pretext” for force justify her termination at the April 13, 2023, meeting with senior management.

“The claimant will further contend that her termination was not motivated by performance or misconduct but was instead a retaliatory act intended to silence internal reporting of governance failures within [Bahamasair],” her legal claim alleged, asserting that she was fired “in order to suppress scrutiny of financial governance” at the airline.

“The claimant will further contend that the actions of the defendants were arbitrary, oppressive and undertaken in abuse of public power within a state-owned enterprise, and were contrary to the principles of fairness, transparency and accountability which govern public bodies in The Bahamas….

“The claimant will contend that her removal from the first defendant formed part of a deliberate effort to remove a senior financial officer who had raised concerns regarding internal financial governance within the organisation.”

Ms Pinder is also alleging that her termination did not follow the correct internal process, as the dismissal of senior executives required approval from Bahamasair’s Board of Directors via a resolution, which did not occur. She also claims that the “summary dismissal” breached her employment contract because she was not given reasonable notice or payment in lieu of notice, while no disciplinary process took place and she had no chance to respond to the alleged complaints against her.

“Following the termination of the claimant, the defendants engaged in conduct that further damaged the claimant,” Ms Pinder alleged. “The defendants delayed providing documentation required for unemployment benefits. The claimant’s medical coverage was cancelled shortly after termination.

“The defendants provided negative and misleading references concerning the claimant to prospective employers. As a result of the said statements, the claimant was unable to secure employment despite numerous applications within her field.” As a result, Ms Pinder is also claiming for “substantial loss of future earning capacity”.