By NEIL HARTNELL 

TribuneBusinessEditor 

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Opposition’s leader last night demanded that the Prime Minister dismiss an unidentified “senior advisor” over alleged “conflicts of interest” stemming from the now-aborted Bahamas Moorings deal.

Michael Pintard, in a statement demanding the Government “come clean” over the controversy, and pledging that the Free National Movement (FNM) will not permit it to be “swept under the rug”, called on those involved in the Exuma-wide moorings scheme to be held to account.

And, while not naming who he was referring to, the Opposition leader blasted: “We are certain that the Prime Minister is also aware of the conflicts of interest that tie the president and other principals

of Bahamas Moorings to another senior advisor in his office. That advisor must also be dismissed along with any other public officials who have been aware of these conflicts of interest but did nothing.”

Mr Pintard’s statement came as Tribune Business uncovered and confirmed further coincidences involving Bahamas Moorings’ address. This newspaper’s own records, plus a VAT registrants list from 2016, reveal that 138 Wulff Road was also once the home of Bahamas Cargo & Logistics (BCL), a company owned by the family of the “senior advisor” to whom the FNM leader was likely referring.

This newspaper reported yesterday how a bill of lading, detailing Bahamas Moorings’ importation of anchors and link chains from China, gives the company’s address as Suite No.5, 138 Wulff Road. That is now the address of Cubix Bahamas which, like Baha- mas Cargo & Logistics, is also a shipping company and freight forwarder.

Sandra Kemp, deputy director of communications in the Prime Minister’s Office, and who witnessed the execution of Bahamas Moorings’ 21-year lease deal on the company’s behalf while still employed by the Government, states on her Linkedin page that she has served as “head of marketing communications” for Cubix Bahamas from March 2018 to the “present”.

This newspaper also previously reported that many of those involved in Bahamas Moorings deal have close links to the Office of the Prime Minister, including the “senior advisor”. Of the two principals named in the lease, Tribune Business research showed Philip A. Kemp II is a former City Markets chief financial officer, having been part of both the ill-fated Trans-Island Traders deal and its predecessor, BK Foods.

And Raymond Christian Knowles, better known by his middle name, is a boat captain with the ‘Pieces of 8’ tour boat and charter operator, where he is described as “a 30-year veteran on the open waters” who has worked as a commercial fisherman.

The address for serving Bahamas Moorings Company, No.3 Bayside Executive Park in western New Providence, is the same as that for two entities playing a key role in the Government’s energy reforms - Bahamas Grid Company, which now controls New Providence’s energy grid, and Island Power Producers, the company that will supply energy to cruise ships docked in Nassau.

The address is the home of Levant Advisors, incorrectly spelt as Lavent in the lease document, which appears to be a newly-formed boutique financial services firm. Its website lists Levant’s principals as Anthony Ferguson, the company’s founder who is also CFAL chief, and Antoine Bastian, the Genesis Fund Services head.

Both men are heavily involved with the Office of the Prime Minister as they are leading the

Government’s efforts to monetise The Bahamas’ seagrass meadows, man- groves and other so-called ‘carbon sinks’ via the creation of ‘blue carbon credits’ - an initiative much-touted by the Government. That is separate from the Bahamas Moorings deal.

Mr Pintard, meanwhile, suggested that Bahamas Moorings had committed a criminal offence by installing its moorings/anchorages and associated infrastructure without possessing the required approvals under the Environmental Planning and Protection Act. And it also questioned whether the Government has to pay Bahamas Moorings a break-up fee or other compensation over their aborted deal.

Blasting what he described as a “fiasco” and a “litany of transgressions”, Mr Pintard said: “Bahamas Moorings reportedly had already begun installation of moorings through the Exuma Cays without authorisation from the Department of Environmental Planning & Protection (DEPP).

“This is illegal under Section 11 of the Environmental Planning and Protection Act, which states that anyone commencing a project without a certificate of environmental clearance (CEC) commits a criminal offence.” He also urged that the “blatant conflict of interest” involving Mrs Kemp’s role in witnessing the lease be “resolved without delay”.

“Finally, the Prime Minister must tell the nation how much money has been spent - and the value of any human resources used - in the pursuit of this folly. Does the Government have to compensate Bahamas Moorings or any of its affiliates or agents for money spent on this now-abandoned misadventure? The Bahamian people want/ demand answers,” Mr Pintard said.

“Will the Government again have to shell out more Bahamian taxpayer money to cover for their latest screw-up? If not, who is footing the bill?” The “compensation” reference appears to allude to a section in the Bahamas Moorings lease detailing the damages itself and the Government must pay to each other if on terminates the deal “without cause”. This has not happened here as they “mutually agreed” to terminate.

In return for leasing a total 4,615 acres from the Government for 21 years, with effect from February 1, 2025, Bahamas Moorings had agreed to pay an annual rent equal to 3 percent of gross revenue collected from boaters plus 10 percent VAT. The firm, which says its fees are VAT inclusive, also issued social media messages saying boaters could use its moorings free of charge until its official launch.

This was to take place at the Palm Beach International Boat show from March 19-23, 2025, but will now not happen. For mooring at its round buoys, Bahamas Moorings was proposing to charge fees ranging from $25 to $135 per day depending on vessel length, plus fees of between $170 and $250 per day for “super yachts” mooring at its taper buoys again depending on length. Some 49 sites were covered by the lease.

Anchorage fees were to range from 55 cents per foot per day to $1.10 per foot per day, again depending on boat length. Bahamas Moorings argued that its mooring/anchorage plan would bring order to the present chaos on Bahamian waters by giving boats and yachts designated points where they can tie up, thus preventing damage to the seabed, coral reefs and other ecosystems from anchors dragging.

But besides raising questions over the Davis administration’s apparent lack of transparency and failure to consult Out Island communities, observers had also challenged why a deal of this nature was not put out to competitive bidding via a request for proposal (RFP).

And they queried why the Government had not adopted a different public- private partnership (PPP) model by retaining the seabed and, instead, hiring a private management company through competitive bidding to operate the moorings/anchorages. The two sides could then have entered into a revenue/profit sharing arrangement with some of the proceeds directed to environmental preservation.