By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday suggested in the House of Assembly that he had received violent threats, which led the Royal Bahamas Police Force to increase his security detail.

While he did not go into detail about the circumstances that led to his increased security, he called the situation a matter of national security.

The Tribune understands that the threats were made against the prime minister on Facebook.

The content of those threats or when they were posted are unclear, as they have since been removed, The Tribune was told.

“We have to be careful as leaders,” Mr Christie said, “when we create public opinion that is interpreted by our supporters who might not be as discerning and as disciplined as us. That interpretation could manifest itself in violence being inflicted.

“I wish I could speak about something going on personally in my life as prime minister (but) I don’t want to say (anything) about it now because it is a matter of national security and why you see more police around me.”

Following the morning session of the House, Mr Christie was asked explain his comments, however, he declined to comment. He directed the media to speak with the police.

When contacted yesterday, Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade said he would not speak specifically to Mr Christie’s comments.

Mr Christie raised the issue in the House as he stood on a point of order to respond to Free National Movement members of parliament over the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) controversy.

Works Minister Philip Davis revealed yesterday that BAMSI’s male dormitory, which was destroyed by fire on January 15, was never covered by an insurance policy.

This came two weeks after he initially told the House of Assembly the contractor was negligent because he had allowed the dorm’s insurance policy to lapse at the time of the fire. The building should have been covered by the contractor’s all-risk insurance because it had not been turned over to the government.

This led opposition leader Dr Hubert Minnis and Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant to suggest fraudulent acts had taken place during the period of the dorm’s construction.

“Mr Speaker if they feel there are discrepancies (and) inaccuracies even fraudulent manifestations they have the power to send for persons and papers and they have the majority of the committee,” Mr Christie said, referring to the Public Accounts Committee.

“It is that committee we used to expose one of the grandest displays of uncontrolled expenditure on the part of the opposition when they were the government. We used it effectively when someone who called (himself) deputy prime minister in their government was connected by shareholding to the company that got the contract and they around here talking about cronyism,” Mr Christie said.