FOREIGN Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said he was “irritated” about journalists contacting him about whether he had met the deadline for public disclosures, saying he thought “none of your business” in response to questions on the matter.

Mr Mitchell’s comments came during his contribution in the morning session of the House of Assembly where he said he supports the Public Disclosure Act, going on to recall when the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) “almost broke apart” in 1976 due to former Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling’s efforts to place the public disclosure bill.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs responded to former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ quotes on an extension that was granted to March 31, with Dr Minnis saying the need for an extension led to “people treating it as a joke”.

Mr Mitchell denied this, saying: “I want to assure the public that I take this matter deadly serious and I conform to the law as do all of my colleagues, we conform to the law.

“The Public Disclosure Commission has all the powers which it requires, if it needs to investigate anybody’s disclosure and can do so, free to look up and down inside and out, I ain’t got nothing no how, so. I just wanted to make that point.”

He reiterated his support for the public disclosure legislation not withstanding his “deposition to the press”.

Later during the evening session of Parliament, Mr Mitchell stood on a point of order to question Dr Minnis on “declaring one’s interest,” as it relates to a company connected to Dr Minnis, who, when asked if he owned the company, responded saying he is familiar with the entity.

Mr Mitchell said the company, as well as Dr Minnis’ father, Randolph Minnis, were beneficiaries of certain tax exemptions, and presented a document to Parliament with intentions to table it in the House.

Dr Minnis prompted Minister Mitchell to table the document, to which Mr Mitchell asked: “I just wanted the member to say whether or not he is aware that these were beneficiaries of those exemptions because that’s what this table says, since you are a direct beneficiary of it, ought you not to have declared your interest when you spoke this whole policy?”

Dr Minnis responded saying he is not familiar with his father’s business adding that his father and family’s business has nothing to do with him.

According to the Public Disclosure Act, the penalty for not disclosing is a $10,000 fine and/or up to two years in prison.