By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

TWO weeks after revelations that a company with ties to Brent Symonette’s family was awarded a contract to upgrade runways at Lynden Pindling International Airport, the St Anne’s MP resigned from his substantive Cabinet position.

It is not clear whether this situation factored into his resignation from the post of minister of financial services, trade and industry and immigration. It was not immediately known if he voluntarily left the post or was asked to resign by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. Mr Symonette will remain member of Parliament for the St Anne’s constituency.

As a result, Yamacraw MP Elsworth Johnson, the most recent state legal affairs minister, is set to take over this substantive Cabinet portfolio. The change comes into effect today. The Tribune understands, according to a well-placed source, there may be another shuffle in Cabinet later in the term.

Mr Symonette could not be reached yesterday for comment.

The government yesterday afternoon issued a brief statement, which confirmed the resignation. It noted: “It is notified for general information that Brent Symonette has tendered his resignation as minister of financial services, trade and industry and immigration, with effect from July 1, 2019.

“Elsworth Johnson will assume portfolio responsibility for the Ministry of Financial Services, Trade and Industry and Immigration with effect from July 1, 2019.”

This was followed by a statement from Dr Minnis who thanked Mr Symonette for his service over many years.

Dr Minnis noted: “While he will no longer serve in Cabinet, his constituents in St Anne’s will continue to have an MP who cares about them. I wish Mr Symonette all the best in his future endeavours.”

Dr Minnis said he was confident that Mr Johnson will serve the country well in his new capacity.

When faced with questions about Bahamas Hot Mix getting government contracts in 2009, Mr Symonette explained that his children’s trust may have a small investment in the company, but he did not. At the time, Mr Symonette, who was a Cabinet minister in the Ingraham administration, said he played absolutely no part in any of the competitive processes or negotiations of contracts related to BHM.

In response to the news, Progressive Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis said this will do nothing to resolve the perceived conflicts of interests in the government, adding the resignation decision was long overdue.

“The PLP welcomes the resignation of Brent Symonette from the government,” Mr Davis said yesterday. “It is long overdue. He is emblematic of conflict of interest and self-dealing in the government. There are others who need to follow him.

“Unfortunately for him and Prime Minister Minnis, the conflicts will not be resolved by simply stepping away from the government, he will remain in the House and will continue to be an influence on the body politic. Further, there must be a complete and thorough investigation and report of all that Mr Symonette has accumulated since his latest foray into the government and whether he can account to the Bahamian people on the issue of self-dealing.”

He continued: “We call on the country not to be distracted by this resignation because the light now shines fully on the prime minister who led a government full of self-dealing and conflicts of interest.”

The situation has also dredged up memories of Mr Symonette’s 2001 resignation as chairman of the Airport Authority during the second Free National Movement administration.

Then-Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham asked Mr Symonette to resign from the post after it was revealed the latter had awarded BHM a contract to carry out paving operations at the Lynden Pindling International Airport without approval from the board of directors.

According to previous reports, Mr Symonette later explained that he had done so because the matter was urgent and not enough board members were on the island to form a quorum at the time.

When the board did meet again, it approved Mr Symonette’s decision, the Nassau Guardian previously reported.

Opposition allegations of conflicts of interest were renewed in June when BHM beat five other companies for the rehabilitation work to Runway 09/27 and Taxiway India at LPIA.

The Nassau Airport Development Company stated the capital project was valued at just under $20m.

According to NAD, the request for tenders (RFT) for asphalt paving services was initiated in April and was sent to four international and two Bahamian firms.

The contract’s award angered many as it marked the second time since the Minnis administration took office that an entity with ties to the MP was receiving a substantial contract.

The government is now renting Town Centre Mall at a cost of around $900,000 per year to house the General Post Office. The building is partly owned by Mr Symonette.

The government is renting 75,000 square feet of space in the mall at a cost of $12 per square foot, which worked out to be around $4.5m over the five-year life span of the lease.