By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday insisted that government operatives are hard at work shifting the public attention from the allegations against NIB chairman Greg Moss.

His comments come on the heels of another leak of NIB information, this time about the salary and bonuses of NIB director Algernon Cargill, as well as other executives.

The documents claimed Mr Cargill received bonuses totalling almost $195,000 over two years.

Dr Minnis said the fact that Mr Cargill’s personal business somehow ended up on the internet is just another notch in “a smear campaign” against the director.

For his part, Dr Minnis renewed calls for either the dismissal or resignation of Mr Moss, and an end to the “defamation” of Mr Cargill.

“This whole issue of there being an investigation into NIB,” Dr Minnis said, “is not being undertaken properly at all. It is international standard that once an organisation is under investigation and those leading it find the same fate, those same people are placed on leave and are not involved.

“Supporters of the government are trying to shift the issue from Moss and place everything on Cargill.”

Dr Minnis also criticised NIB’s board of directors who at an emergency press conference on Sunday said they were in full support of Mr Moss, whom they claim was only their “chief spokesperson”.

They said that despite the allegations against both Mr Moss and Mr Cargill, the board will remain fully functional in ensuring that NIB maintains its status as the nation’s primary social welfare agency.

The NIB debacle was first sparked weeks ago when a sensitive board report was leaked and then published to a tabloid website.

Just how that report got into the public domain is still unknown.

Not long after, Mr Cargill was placed on administrative leave. Government officials said this would remain the case pending the results of an investigation into the claims outlined in the report.

Prime Minister Christie later decided that Mr Moss would not be placed on leave, despite affirming that he too would be under investigation.

This followed the filing of an affidavit by Mr Cargill, who claimed constant interference by the chairman and alleged the corporation twice came close to missing monthly payments to hundreds of Bahamian pensioners after Mr Moss revoked management’s authority to “manage cash flow”.