By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

TWO directors on the board at the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation have been removed.

Officials confirmed to The Tribune that directors Bernard Adderley and Mark Turnquest will be replaced by Bar Association President Khalil Parker and realtor Ethan Adderley.

Agriculture Minister Michael Pintard declined to speak on the new appointments yesterday.

BAIC executive chairman Michael Foulkes confirmed the two board members had been removed and referred this newspaper to Mr Pintard for comment.

Mr Adderley and Mr Turnquest were informed of the decision at a board meeting on Monday, The Tribune was told.

Both men will reportedly still be engaged by the Ministry of Agriculture in different capacities.

The board changes come amidst human resources challenges at the corporation.

A source close to the matter said the ministry was currently engaged in an audit of BAIC and its some 165 employees.

Thirteen employees were terminated from BAIC earlier this year with the dismissals ranging from longstanding employees to recently confirmed workers.

The dismissals came as a shock to some who were affected, and were branded as "politically motivated" by the opposition Progressive Liberal Party.

Assertions of victimisation led Labour Minister Dion Foulkes, at the time, to emphatically deny the claims.