By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Deputy Chief Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

ERRINGTON “Minky” Isaacs, Progressive Liberal Party chairman emeritus, said yesterday his political affiliation had nothing to do with the nearly $2m contract he was awarded for remediation at the former Bahamas Electricity Corporation, as he labelled Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ criticism of the situation a “witch hunt”.

In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, Mr Isaacs said Bahamians got “plenty” value for money for the contract, adding that his client had not expressed any issues with his work.

Asked to define the parametres of his work, Mr Isaacs did not respond, but said PLP leader Philip Davis was expected to address the matter at some point today.

On Tuesday during the afternoon session of Parliament, Dr Minnis said Mr Isaacs knew as much about oil remediation as he, the prime minister, knows about flying a space shuttle.

While speaking of his discovery of questionable contracts relating to the utility provider, Dr Minnis said there were two separate agreements of concern: one of them for customs brokerage worth $923,707.75 a year to a Fitzgerald—whose first name he did not call—and another to Mr Isaacs worth $1,853,829.56, who was a director of Penta Industrial Services Co Ltd. These contracts were for services to Bahamas Power and Light Ltd, formerly BEC.

For Mr Isaacs’ contract, Dr Minnis said the commencement date was March 27, 2013 and the expiration date for the contract was March 27, 2017. He said while contracts over $100,000 require bids or requests for proposals (RFPs), no bids were sought for the contracts in question.

Dr Minnis further explained that requests for proposals were sent out and companies sent in their documents but were ignored. He said individuals were subsequently contacted and asked to bring their contract in and they were granted the deals.

On Wednesday, Mr Isaacs said he did not know when the contract began. He also insisted that he did bid to be awarded the contract.

“Does he (Dr Minnis) know what the work entails? Before you open your mouth, you supposed to check,” Mr Isaacs said.

“I was asked to bid, I was invited rather to bid. I submitted a bid like everyone else. I don’t know who else did but I submitted a bid. That was November (and) it didn’t come out until March. I even forgot about (it but) I said, ‘fine my company won the bid.’

“I am a Bahamian. If I am asked to bid, I would like to bid on a contract. BPL never complained about the work I did. The work went along all right.

“I’ll say this to you, the fellas who own the basketball teams and the football teams they can’t play basketball. They can’t play football. So, what you do? They hire experts, people who know.

“I know what I am doing (and) I don’t get into anything that I don’t know anything about,” he also told The Tribune.

The contract was for “the provision of labour and cleaning services for BEC’s premises located at Blue Hills Power Station and Clifton Pier Power Station.”

Remedial work of this kind requires specialised knowledge, Dr Minnis said on Tuesday.

It has been suggested that the customs brokerage contract was awarded to a company owned by Edward Fitzgerald, the father of former Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald.