HOUSE Speaker Halson Moultrie has lashed out at a “fabricated, fake and politically motivated” story printed in The Punch last week that claimed he was set to “cut a deal” with the Progressive Liberal Party.

Mr Moultrie, Nassau Village MP, quit the Free National Movement this month and is now an independent member of Parliament.

The tabloid’s article claimed Mr Moultrie was set to run as an independent as part of an alleged “deal” with the PLP to split FNM votes and secure the opposition’s win in the area.

In response to the article, Mr Moultrie strongly denied the claims. He released a statement yesterday which said, in part, “The story which appears to be a paid political advertisement is diabolical in origin, pathological in nature and sycophantic in its objectives and desired results.

“It is yellow journalism in its nastiest and ugliest form. Clearly the concocted narrative is designed to undermine the Speaker’s Office and Parliament. The publication raises issues of privilege and contempt of Parliament contrary to the Rules of Procedure of the House of Assembly and the Powers and Privileges (Senate and House of Assembly) Act.”

He added that “there has been no discussion with, no offer and no deal between the Speaker and the PLP”.

He also said: “The people of The Bahamas are hereby reassured that even if such an offer or proposal had been made, it would have been flatly rejected as the proposal from the Prime Minister was.”

His statement did not elaborate on this “proposal”.

He added that if he runs as an independent candidate in the next general election, it will be for the love of the country, to further democracy and in an effort to win the most votes — not split the FNM’s votes to help the PLP.

Last week, in his first ruling as an independent Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Moultrie overturned a controversial ruling that his predecessor had made that restricted the powers of the Public Accounts Committee.

The body is Parliament’s most powerful committee.

Former Speaker Dr Kendal Major, then a PLP MP, ruled in 2015 when the FNM was in opposition that the PAC could only examine documents that had been tabled in Parliament and could only send for persons, papers or records if a parliamentary resolution permits it to do so.

The consequence of this ruling has been that access to documents sought this session by the opposition-led PAC have been denied.