By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Chairman Michael Pintard said yesterday Prime Minister Perry Christie has “failed” to answer questions raised about the use of Bahamas Development Bank funds by persons connected to the Progressive Liberal Party.

Over the past few weeks, Mr Pintard has alleged that former PLP Cabinet minister Darrell Rolle and “another very prominent PLP supporter from the religious community” were awarded a $200,000 loan from the BDB. He has questioned if this money was used by Mr Rolle’s company to build the female dormitory at the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) in North Andros.

Mr Pintard has also questioned if the company, Andarco, has repaid the loan.

“The minister of finance must address the following: Should Andarco have been given the loan in the first place since it appears to be a commercial loan? Did the company go through the ordinary procedures in applying for the loan and what did they use as collateral?

“On what basis were they awarded the contract at BAMSI and for how much? Is it correct that they owe approximately $250,000 to BDB? Why did the government pay them for the work at BAMSI despite their apparent indebtedness to BDB?”

He added: “Can the government say whether there is any truth to a report that another PLP stalwart ... also obtained a loan in the vicinity of $200,000 for purposes not covered by the terms of reference of the BDB? And is it correct that Andarco was also awarded a contract to renovate the Detention Centre?”

Mr Pintard said many small businesses are unable to obtain badly needed funds “because the scarce resources available have been partially depleted by those politically connected who should have gone elsewhere for funding.”

He said this is yet another example of why the country needs a Freedom of Information Act.

On Tuesday, Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister V Alfred Gray defended the government’s decision to award Mr Rolle a construction contract at BAMSI, saying the government will do as much as it can for the people who supported them. Mr Rolle is also a former member of Parliament for Andros.

Mr Gray insisted yesterday that it was hypocritical for the FNM to raise questions over this issue.

He went on to warn that the FNM should not push him, suggesting that he would reveal similar actions on the part of the opposition when the party was in office.

The minister was responding to concerns the FNM has raised over the last few weeks as to why a company connected to the former PLP Cabinet minister was awarded a contract to build the BAMSI dorm.

Mr Rolle has denied that his company got the BAMSI contract due to cronyism.

When contacted by The Tribune about the BDB loan recently, Mr Rolle refused to comment.