By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts yesterday dismissed Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins’ claim that he was manipulated into accusing Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis of conflict of interest in 2013.

Mr Roberts called Dr Rollins a “has-been” as he brushed off the independent MP’s explanation that a senior member of the PLP lured him into making the claim in the House of Assembly when he was still a part of the governing party.

“I don’t pay no attention to Rollins,” Mr Roberts said when contacted yesterday, “he’s a has-been. Rollins is a one-time member of Parliament.”

On a local talk show this week, Dr Rollins revealed that he regretted his statements against Dr Minnis, adding that it was an embarrassing mistake to accuse the FNM leader of not disclosing his link to a company that had a contract with the Public Hospital’s Authority.

During a 2013 row in the House of Assembly, Dr Rollins claimed that Dr Minnis had benefitted from a lease agreement with the PHA while he was minister of Health under the former Ingraham administration. He also alleged that Dr Minnis sought to cover the matter up.

Dr Minnis has acknowledged that he has shares in a company called Leechez Investments Ltd, and explained that the contract was awarded before he entered politics. Dr Minnis has since maintained that he disclosed his involvement when he was elected in 2007.

However, Mr Roberts renewed the conflict of interest claim last week as he defended Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson against Dr Minnis’ calls for her resignation.

Dr Minnis has made repeated calls for Mrs Maynard-Gibson, the government’s lead negotiator in the Baha Mar debacle, to be removed from her post after it was revealed that her husband owned a jewellery store chain granted leases to operate in Baha Mar.

Declaring that Dr Minnis was a “hypocrite,” Mr Roberts insisted that the Killarney MP did not declare his interests when he was elected and subsequently appointed as health minister.

It was reported this week that the two-year lease agreement between Leechez Investments Ltd and the PHA – awarded in 2005 – had continued while Dr Minnis was health minister, and still exists today.

When asked whether or not the extension of the contract was at the crux of his allegation, Mr Roberts instead explained that the only reason Dr Minnis’ conduct presented a conflict of interest was because he did not declare the interest.

“If he [Dr Minnis] declared it, it would be on record somewhere,” Mr Roberts said yesterday.

“I challenge him to produce the evidence, anyone to produce the evidence that he declared it. No, he did not declare it.”

Mr Roberts has threatened to reveal documents that extensively outlined the nature of Dr Minnis’ alleged conflict of interest.

However, when pressed further by The Tribune, he insisted that he would release the information when it was politically advantageous.

“I’m a politician,” he said, “I will do so when I feel the time is right. I’m going to do it on my time, you think I’m going to do it on his (Dr Minnis) time?”

Dr Minnis did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.