By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday rejected claims made by an event producer in a recent documentary that referenced payment demands by Bahamian officials for the ill-fated Fyre Festival.

Mr Christie dismissed statements made by Andy King in the Netflix film “Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened”, telling The Tribune “they’re talking foolishness”.

In the documentary, Mr King states that after the festival fell apart, “I had the head of the Bahamian Tourism Board, the minister of finance, and the head of the University of Bahamas waiting for a million dollars that they wanted to be paid.”

Yesterday, Mr Christie stressed the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Finance were never involved with the event at the political level.

“There is absolutely no doubt about that,” Mr Christie, who was minister of finance at the time of the festival, said.

“I’ve spoken to my permanent secretary and (former advisor) Sir Baltron Bethel. Quite frankly the same level of denial that the University of the Bahamas has issued, is what we would say, nothing at all.”

In a statement released on Monday, UB said its president, Dr Rodney Smith, was taking legal advice on appropriate action in response to the claims in the documentary, and denied being directly or indirectly involved in the festival.

Meanwhile Finance Minister K Peter Turnquest has confirmed some $175,000 in customs duties owed by Fyre Festival organisers for imported food and water have been settled.

However, he said on Monday he was still making inquiries concerning the reference to Bahamian officials made by Mr King.

Yesterday, Mr Christie said: “If the minister of finance is obliged to determine what they’re talking about, go for it. There is absolutely nothing, they’re talking foolishness. When I listened to the man, my wife showed me a clip, and then saying what he was prepared to do and then saying ‘oh but in the end the man was nice.’ Just smearing people.”

He was referring to claims Mr King made in the documentary in reference to the festival’s funding issues. Mr King claimed he was asked by festival founder Billy McFarland to perform sexual favours on a Department of Customs official in exchange for the release of imported water. Mr King states import fees owed were $175k. Mr King said he was prepared to perform the act but the customs official was nice to him and said he would release the water if the organisers promptly paid their import fee. 

“There is no room for any other interpretation with respect to (my involvement) in that regard,” Mr Christie also said. “I did not know about this until the story broke.”

The Tribune also reached out to former Minister of State for Finance Michael Halkitis, who also denied any involvement yesterday.

“I have no idea,” Mr Halkitis said, “I didn’t see the thing. Never met (McFarland), never had correspondence or email. I have no idea (about a $1m fee). I never met the guy. He might have dealt with (Department of) Customs which comes under (Ministry of) Finance, but I couldn’t say what he’s talking about.”