By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORT Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins yesterday denied allegations by PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts that he failed to pay more than $10,000 in electricity bills at his former constituency office.

Mr Roberts made the claim during a speech to members of the PLP’s Fort Charlotte branch on Tuesday.

He suggested that the Auditor General’s Office is looking into the matter given that the parliamentarians receive annual constituency allowances of $30,000 a year, money that is supposed to maintain those offices.

The claims come nearly a year after Dr Rollins resigned from the PLP and months after he joined the FNM, where he has become one of the opposition’s most critical voices of the Christie administration, frequently sparring in Parliament with his former party members.

“Mr Roberts’ assertions are entirely untrue and it is a desperate bid to distract and deflect from the failings of this PLP government by attacking one of its harshest critics,” Dr Rollins told The Tribune yesterday.

“When I left the PLP, the branch chairwoman, Ms Donna Moxey, never made these allegations even at the height of the party’s anger in relation to my resignation from the PLP. Why not? The answer is simply because all bills for the community centre were up to date at the time of my departure.

“I cannot and will not take responsibility for any bills that may have been allowed to accumulate since my departure from the PLP. While (Mr Roberts) is busy concocting stories to distract the public’s attention from the devastation being wrought by this PLP administration, I will give the Bahamian people much to focus their attention on during my mid-year budget contribution.”

Mr Roberts, who for awhile downplayed Dr Rollins criticisms of the PLP prior to the MP resigning from the party last summer, apologised on behalf of the party on Tuesday for helping make Dr Rollins its candidate in 2012.

“As the national chairman, I wish to immediately and simply acknowledge to you that both the national party and branch made a wrong choice in ratifying Dr Andre Rollins in 2012,” he said.

“I apologise profusely for that, but that bad experience does not dissuade the party in any way from being a big tent that offers a national platform for young Bahamian leaders to make meaningful contributions to the development of our country. The PLP is still an open party with a big tent.

“You expressed disappointment in his representation of Ft Charlotte and we heard you loud and clear. I am advised that notwithstanding the government’s monthly constituency allowance, Rollins left behind utility bills in excess of $10,000 at the Ft Charlotte Community Centre where his constituency headquarters was located. Dr Rollins simply failed to pay the electricity bill. This is unacceptable and contrary to the established guidelines for members of Parliament,” Mr Roberts alleged.

“It will be interesting to learn how constituency allowance for Ft Charlotte was spent. We await the auditor general’s report.

“I am further advised that Dr Rollins was aloof, rarely attended monthly meetings, rarely held constituency office hours and when he resigned from the PLP, he declared that he would not join the FNM as that organisation was not the answer for the way forward for the Bahamas. The words were not fully out of his mouth when he did an about face and induced his buddy Renward ‘LOI’ Wells to jump on Hubert Minnis’ divided fractured FNM bandwagon. An unreliable bill ducker who is not true to his word is bound to be a failure in public life.”

While seeking to denigrate Dr Rollins, Mr Roberts also announced that Dr Rollins’ predecessor in the Fort Charlotte constituency, Alfred Sears, would likely replace him as the PLP’s candidate in that constituency for next year’s general election.

“Ft Charlotte it is no secret that you were pleased with the quality of representation delivered by your former dynamic MP for the period 2002 to 2012 in the name of Alfred M Sears,” Mr Roberts said. “In stark contrast to Dr Rollins, he is a man of integrity, honesty, hardworking, engaging and a straight shooter about what he could and could not do for his constituents. He was visible in his constituency and always accessible. These are the fundamental qualities that constituents desire in their representative. Rollins was clearly incapable on building upon the rich legacies left behind by Valentine Grimes and Alfred Sears.”

“The good news I have tonight is to affirm that the national party will shortly respond to the unanimous request of your branch to approve the application of your former MP Alfred M Sears to be the party’s candidate here in Fort Charlotte in the 2017 general elections. Mr Sears has expressed a desire to return to frontline politics, if you want him as your representative and with the blessings of the party, this fruitful political marriage shall resume.”