By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said yesterday that the government did not spend over $400,000 on BMWs for The Bahamas embassy in Washington, DC, saying the vehicles were part of a long-standing lease agreement established under the previous administration.

Speaking in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, Mr Mitchell countered accusations from St Anne’s MP Adrian White, who said that between 2022 and 2023, the government acquired luxury vehicles while essential services, like fire trucks in Grand Bahama, remained underfunded.

“These arrangements have been in place for four years, with no changes to the terms under this administration,” Mr Mitchell said. “What the member should have said is that these BMWs were used to ferry the FNM’s ambassador and VIPs during the height of COVID, when the country had extreme money problems.”

Mr White had specifically pointed to the acquisition of three BMWs — a 2023 BMW 740i, a 2023 BMW 740 Xi, and a 2022 BMW 740 — allegedly costing over $300,000 in total. He criticised the expenditure as out of touch with the needs of many Bahamians.

Mr Mitchell also pushed back on Mr White’s claims about fire-fighting capabilities in Grand Bahama, saying: “Grand Bahama was never without the ability to fight fires. Officials assured me that the fire department was equipped to meet emergencies at all times. Today, there is a fully functioning fire truck in place.”

Additionally, he criticised a Tribune headline that used the word “purchase” when referring to Mr White’s comments. “The press ran a story with a headline criticising the ‘purchase’ of BMWs for $300,000,” he said. “The only problem is that isn’t what was said,” he added, calling for more responsible reporting.