Tuesday, October 12, 2021
By FARRAH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
THERE is enough information in the public domain to “warrant an investigation” into contracts issued at the Water and Sewerage Corporation, according to Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis.
Just weeks before he assumed office, Mr Davis called on the attorney general and the commissioner of police to instruct the Anti-Corruption Unit at the Royal Bahamas Police Force to launch an investigation into allegations regarding contracts awarded at WSC.
When asked if the AG or police commissioner have investigated WSC contracts to date, Mr Davis told reporters: “I know that is being looked at. I don’t know where it is because I don’t want to interfere. The information is in the public domain. We’ll expect those who have responsibility to do their work, to do their work. Where it is, I do not know. All I know is that sufficient information was out there in the public domain to warrant an investigation.”
Mr Davis said he is “not going to say” anything more about the issue, because those “who know what they have to do, ought to just” do it.
“I’m not going to interfere,” he said on the sidelines of an event at the Hilton. “If they’re not doing it, then they must have some reasons why and I guess at some point in time they will be called to account for that.”
In August, documents were leaked to the media showing that WSC contracts, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, were awarded to Elite Maintenance. A woman listed as director of the company in 2018 — a lawyer — is said to be close to Long Island MP and former WSC Executive Chairman Adrian Gibson.
The leaked documents purported to show payments made to the company between November 2018 to January 2021. The largest of these was $263,206 on January 7, 2021. Another large payment of $131,601.12 was received by the company on July 7, 2020. There was also a $15,600 payment in November of 2018 along with numerous other payments from then to the early part of this year.
In August, Mr Gibson would not confirm or deny that the woman lawyer was at one point his fiancée, however she shares the same name as a woman identified as such in a leaked police report he filed in 2020.
The Long Island MP has also previously stated that he had no beneficial interest or any other interest in the company. He also insisted that “false allegations” regarding the issue were the sad reality of “silly season” and “mudslinging” that have become features of Bahamian politics.
Comments
tribanon says...
**GET ON WITH DOING WHAT YOU WERE ELECTED TO DO!!**
**YOU PROMISED THE IDIOTS WHO VOTED FOR YOU THAT IT WOULD BE A "NEW DAY" SO JUST GET ON WITH GOVERNING THE COUNTRY IN THE INTEREST OF THE BAHAMIAN PEOPLE!!!**
**STOP FEEDING YOUR EGO DAVIS.......MANY PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY AND HURTING!!!!!!**
Posted 12 October 2021, 9:18 a.m. Suggest removal
BahamasForBahamians says...
F*** that!
Coming from a party who was elected on a slogan "dey Gern to jail" ... No investigations should be spared. Charge and convict Gibson to make an example! Losing his law license will disqualify him from ever disgracing the country again
Posted 12 October 2021, 9:46 a.m. Suggest removal
FrustratedBusinessman says...
At this point, I would be happy if water and sewage could just keep the water on. Really tired of paying for services that I never get in this country.
Posted 12 October 2021, 9:50 a.m. Suggest removal
carltonr61 says...
Minnis' FNM was a historical sham.
Posted 12 October 2021, 9:51 a.m. Suggest removal
stillwaters says...
Davis is trying too hard to pander to his base.....and his base is busy baying for FNM blood.......we are sinking and all they seem to want is instant revenge......
Posted 12 October 2021, 10:05 a.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
All the whilst The Colony's former RedRegime was fixin' the RedParty's loyal hes' and hers' up to head and contract out this and that ministry, crown corporation and boards with paycheques of $100,000 - $300,000++ and everything like ways of saying that you are not surprised that 'twas not single** peep** about fixin' notin',
What about the long list of **state and state sanctioned and funded funerals** for some very **underserving and tainted red connecteds'** and everythng like that who were **more current** at offending The Colony's Popoulaces, — Yes?
Posted 12 October 2021, 11:32 a.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
Brave is going to embarrass himself if he goes after Gibson. He should leave that alone. The smoke already confused the electorate and he won. Nothing is there
Posted 12 October 2021, 11:53 a.m. Suggest removal
hrysippus says...
Why would Hon. Philip even feel the need to say that he will not interfere in this investigation? I mean was that even a possibility? And what about the other elected officials; are any of them likely to interfere with this investigation?
Posted 12 October 2021, 12:57 p.m. Suggest removal
Topdude says...
And what was Shane Gibson’s modus operandi? Let’s wait to see how the PLP does it this time around. It is unfortunate that a culture of revenge permeates our political system. The Prime Minister should let bygones be bygones and demonstrate that moving forward we will seek the high road and leave the politics of the gutter to an era now passed.
Posted 12 October 2021, 3:42 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
Revenge? Have you ever had someone deposit thousands of dollars into your account intentionally? and then had to report it to the corruption unit? If "you" did I would suspect a novice arranged the payment and didnt understand how easily the transaction could be traced
Posted 12 October 2021, 9:22 p.m. Suggest removal
realfreethinker says...
Doesn't he look rather shady?
Posted 13 October 2021, 8:46 a.m. Suggest removal
tribanon says...
Trust me, he's got the worst possible kind of short, stubby, grubby, dirty, yellow, sticky fingers. You can't help but be the shadiest of the shady when you readily acknowledge that Adrian Fox, Sebas Bastian, Craig Flowers and Peter Nygard are among your closest and best friends. LOL
Posted 13 October 2021, 11:13 a.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
Wait and see for when this PLP new day bubble burst
Posted 13 October 2021, 12:25 p.m. Suggest removal
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