By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

OPPOSITION Leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday accused the Christie administration of conducting business with a Canadian man “known to swindle” clients of money as he questioned the government’s ability to properly police the petroleum industry.

According to Dr Minnis, the government in January granted approval to Ryan Bateman for seven licenses to allow his company to conduct oil exploration.

Dr Minnis told the House of Assembly during its morning session that he took issue with Mr Bateman’s alleged criminal past which involved a standing bench warrant for his arrest over an assault charge when he was living in the Cayman Islands and allegations of misappropriating client funds.

Environment Minister Kendred Dorsett read a statement in the afternoon session of the House from Mr Bateman, who sent an email to defend himself against the allegations.

However, Mr Bateman acknowledged a previous bench warrant for a domestic incident with his wife, but said he was unaware if the warrant was still active.

“Regarding the court ordered bench warrant, at no time was it related to Bateman & Co or its business interest,” he said in the statement sent to Mr Dorsett. “There was an arrest warrant issued in the Cayman Islands related to a domestic dispute I had with my former wife. We have since reconciled and hope to put this issue behind us. I am unaware if the warrant is still indeed outstanding.”

According to Mr Dorsett, Mr Bateman said during his 15 years in the exploration business, which involved international and domestic oil and gas companies, a number of companies which he invested in went on to make world-class discoveries. This he said profoundly changed the financial landscape of the counties where the companies were operating. He added that his company has never been subject to any regulatory investigations.

“There has never been a regulatory investigation into Bateman & Co or its business. We have just most recently completed an annual audit as required by the Cayman Monetary Authority.”

This led Mr Dorsett to urge Dr Minnis to withdraw his previous statements, however Dr Minnis refused to do so.

During his contribution to the Petroleum Bill 2014 and the Sovereign Wealth Fund 2015, Dr Minnis insisted that the Christie administration had not done its due diligence in ensuring that it knew the backgrounds of foreign investors.

Dr Minnis said: “In January of this year, seven licenses were issued to grant approval for drilling. Those were to Atlantic Petroleum Ltd and Bahamas Exploration Ltd.

“Mr Speaker these companies are held in the register office of the deputy prime minister. But what is most important, the principles of the companies are Mr John Rainwater and Mr Ryan Bateman. This is significant because Ryan Bateman, principal of the company that was given a license to drill within our waters, a warrant of arrest has been issued for him by a foreign jurisdiction but yet we are going in bed with such individuals.

“Besides that, not only has a warrant of arrest been issued for him in a foreign jurisdiction and he has absconded but he is welcomed in the Bahamas. He is a broker, Mr Speaker, nothing to do with oil.

“Also you would note that he is noted to take clients money placed within his own account and informed the clients they have no more money.”

He added: “The point I tried to make is the license was issued in January of this year. One of the main principles, a warrant was issued for his arrest and is known to swindle clients of money.”

Responding to the claims, Mr Dorsett stressed that it was the previous Ingraham administration that first engaged Mr Bateman in oil exploration matters and accepted $720,000 from both companies to begin the application processes.

“Mr Speaker on a point of order,” the Southern Shores MP said, “and maybe it is also to get a bit more of clarification because I know of the gentleman that the member for Killarney speaks of.

“But with relation to the companies that he refers to, I find it of interest because it was their administration that accepted $720,000 from both Mr Rainwater and Mr Bateman when they were in power to begin the processing of the applications.

“So it began under their watch, they processed the applications (and) held on to the money, Mr Speaker, from 2008. Almost three quarters of a million dollars they held then indicated to the gentlemen that they lost the cheques and asked them to come back with fresh cheques in January of 2012, which they deposited again with the purpose of proceeding to process the application.

“The draft licenses, the leases (and) everything was in my file so I don’t want the member to sit here and say that this is something that this administration began. This began under the Free National Movement administration between May of 2007 to 2012 and the member for Killarney sat around the table during that time. So let me just set the record straight.”

To this Dr Minnis insisted that Mr Bateman’s warrant of arrest was not issued during the FNM’s term in office, but in 2014 under the current administration.

“I want to put the question back to the government, a question that was put to them before and they would know very well (about) a nation for sale. This goes back down that road. Mr Speaker, I only want to close by saying that birds of a feather flock together.”

A letter obtained by The Tribune, sent from the Ministry of the Environment and Housing to the Commercial Banking Centre April 24, 2015, noted that Atlantic Petroleum Ltd and Bahamas Exploration Ltd were granted approval for seven licenses on January 8 by the government to explore for petroleum in waters north of Grand Bahama.

Mr Bateman, who now resides in Florida, and Mr Rainwater of Oklahoma were named as principles of the companies that are registered in the Bahamas. The letter sought the bank’s assistance in establishing bank accounts for the companies.

The government has said it plans to hold a referendum on oil drilling if commercially viable quantities of the product is found.