By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

ST Barnabas MP Shanendon Cartwright says prosecutors have found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing during his time as executive chairman of the Bahamas Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority, hitting back at long-standing allegations tied to his tenure.

“I have been reliably advised that, in October of last year, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions

concluded its findings into the inquiry into the operations of the Bahamas Public Parks and Public

Beaches Authority during my tenure,” Mr Cartwright said during his contribution to the budget debate yesterday.

“It concluded Madame Speaker in clear, concise and definitive terms, that in my capacity as executive chairman, there was no evidence of actions, activities, or decisions that violated any criminal statute of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.”

Mr Cartwright said he welcomed the inquiry “in the spirit of transparency and accountability”. “I always knew that, in time, truth would rise above propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation,” he added.

His comments followed an investigation and audit into the authority’s operations under the Minnis administration. The Davis administration cancelled all contracts at the authority just four months into its term, citing lapses in oversight. An audit by K Christie & Co. reportedly flagged overspending without clear need, unfiled VAT returns, and inconsistencies in contract signatures.

Police later confirmed they were in the “advanced stages” of a criminal investigation and interviewed Mr Cartwright over a weekend. At the time, it was not clear whether he was a subject of that investigation. Mr Cartwright did not comment then but has repeatedly defended his record and called the allegations “laughable”.

Yesterday, he credited the investigators for their work.

“I commend those involved in the inquiry for their fair, comprehensive, and meticulous work, and for their commitment to uncovering the truth,” he said. “To God be all the glory.”

He also acknowledged the toll of public service under scrutiny. “Since entering elected office, I have come to accept that the bright lights which bring public recognition and acclaim also cast shadows of intense scrutiny both fair and unjust,” he said. “That is why, in life, I was taught and have always maintained, not to be easily swayed by either the jeers or the cheers. It is in the stillness of such moments that character is revealed.”

Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Fraizer did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.