By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
“WHERE is the beef?”
That was the question put to the government by FNM Chairman Darron Cash yesterday as he demanded that NIB Minister Shane Gibson reveal the much touted “shocking” details of the probe into the Board’s inner-workings.
Outside the Cabinet office, Mr Gibson also said that there was nothing new in either of the reports. “This is nothing new to him (Algernon Cargill, suspended Board Director) and there is nothing new in the reports.
But in March, Mr Gibson told the media that the reports were not only “shocking” but that the findings against Mr Cargill, were “worse that he thought they would be.” He said that it was also clear that some individuals thought their positions gave them more authority than it did.
However, Mr Cash said he strongly doubted Mr Gibson’s words as all of the information leaked up to this point have for some time been public knowledge.
Mr Cash was speaking to The Tribune yesterday on the heels of a leak of both audit reports which focused on the allegations that both Mr Cargill and former Chairman Greg Moss levied at each other.
“With respect to the Minister’s continuous reports of shocking revelations the question is ‘where is the beef?’
“This is a giant smoke screen and a diversion from Mr Christie’s one year anniversary of failure and incompetence.
“The cost of this exercise has been considerable and the government has paid a fee price in its credibility.”
He further questioned how the reports were prematurely released in the Bahamas.
“He was in the newspaper boasting about how few people had access to the report, but low and behold the report was leaked. The question that must be asked is who will pay the price for insulting the intelligence of the Bahamian people.”
For months speculation existed that the reports might not have been as earth-shattering as Mr Gibson has alleged, especially with the continuous delay of its official hand over to the government. This came amid requests from the FNM to screen Grant Thornton.
FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis said: “Said the audit is independent, so the FNM would like to see a report when the audit is finished.
“Moving forward, the FNM, well minority parties in general, should have an opportunity to interview these so-called independent auditors.”
Comments
TalRussell 10 years, 11 months ago
The best evidence of one's credibility is when you allow that individual to speak for itself?
Comrade Darron has to be the most confusing among red shirts to have held the party's Chairmanship. Despite issuing statements that he had no faith in the leader and the deputy leader of his party, he remains their Chairman?
He never did explain what he saw so new in the leadership of the red shirts, that he couldn't see, before he resigned his first stint as party Chairman, ahead of getting his pink slip from Minnis and Loretta?
It is clear that Hubert anointed Darron for the job the first time around, when he replaced the late Charles. What about his second time as Chairman? If so, leader Minnis, he's still behnd your back, just waiting to strike?
PKMShack 10 years, 11 months ago
@ Tal.....What does that have to do with the big news that was supposed to be told. All that has been said is public knowledge and now it is nothing new to tell. After all that has happened or not happened ''Do you Tal feel as tho Shane has told you about the audit. Or are you just here to talk yellow vs red?
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 11 months ago
I want to know how much Messrs.' Christie and Gomez of Grant Thornton was paid to copy Guardian and Tribune reports and turn them in as results of an investigation.
One thing you can say about the PLP is they live up to their expectations. When I heard it was Messrs.' CHRISTIE AND GOMEZ OF GT I thought to myself well this is going to be just another PLP sham. And lo and behold, they lived up to my expectations.
Tal give it up man, your PLP is nothing but corruption and failure. You need a new party bro, this one will only make you look foolish...
wave 10 years, 11 months ago
Proud, he is paid to much to quit, he can not quit or his pay plan will change.
getrightbahamas 10 years, 11 months ago
iT IS SO SAD THAT SOME PEOPLE, IN ORDER TO PROTECT THEIR POLITICAL PARTIES, WILL STOOP TO DEFENDING WRONGDOING. THESE CIRCUMSTANCES ADD UP TO CRIMINAL CONDUCT. MILLIONS OF OUR MONIES WERE STOLEN AND THE IDIOT CHOOSES TO PLAY POLOTICS. SAY WHAT YOU WILL ABOUT MR CHRISTIE, THIS NIB MESS IS SOMETHING I THINK TO BE BELOW HIM.
C_MonMan 10 years, 11 months ago
@getrightbahamas, i don't know what the facts are here, however, I do know that to judge someone as guilty, calling them a criminal or accusing them of stealing millions of dollars before even giving them an opportunity to defend themselves against such accusations appears to be inconsistent with natural law and justice. I don't know Mr. Cargill, but put yourself in his shoes. You have been given a certain amount of days to respond to accusations made against you in your professional capacity in the context of your employment, however, before the expiration of that period and before you have an opportunity to defend yourself the accusations are made public with only one side of the story. That ain't right! We need to ascertain the facts, however, that will now become impossible because this matter will now be resolved in the courts and the issues will go way beyond the particular facts noted in the report.
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 11 months ago
So far I haver not seen anything incriminating against Cargill. But it does appear that Grant Thornton has some questions to answer. So far the only people looking bad is Grant Thornton. What an amazingly bad forensic audit. Almost as though the PLP gave them a script....
TalRussell 10 years, 11 months ago
However, the resigned Comrade Darron, now back again in the red shirts Chairman's seat, surly couldn't have doubted that it was none other than Hubert who was both the then minister of NIB and finance minister.
Comrade Darron please leak to the natives, how was it that with Hubert being the hands on operator he professes to be, still he didn't know a damn thing about the bonuses, until it recently surfaced in the media?
Please, let's not pass over an important fact, that "Hubert's board of directors" are now admitting that they were never told about these bonuses? They too only caught wind of the bonuses, after it appeared in the media?
Maybe the NIB board was intentionally kept the dark, or just didn't want to know, because Cargill's bonus was a whopping 71.8 percent of his $145,600 salary. You go ask any private board of directors, if 71.8 percent would ever be acceptable to their board of directors? Of course not. Somebody ass be fired real quick?
Fact is Hubert was the CEO of NIB and it all occurred on his watch?
But again what's new about his lack of knowing what was going on as Prime Minister? Didn't Hubert also say he had only heard rumours of numbers bosses funding his red shirts candidates?
No damn wonder it was Hubert's ass that was the one who ended up getting fired?
jackflash 10 years, 11 months ago
I thought that I read in the report somewhere that it was in the minutes that the board and the minister knew of the bonuses.
SO TAL - YOU ARE WRONG AGAIN.
What's a mater Tal and how come no more photo's of the fisherman/lawyer from Coopers Town??
PKMShack 10 years, 11 months ago
Is PGC aka Tal Russell? I'm just saying...
TalRussell 10 years, 11 months ago
Why is it that Darron and so many posting on here, never seem to get around to acknowledging that PM Christie was still the opposition leader when the then minister of state for finance Zhivargo claimed how he was kept in the dark about payments of NIB Bonuses?
But it shouldn't come as a total shock that Zhivargo had been kept in the dark over the payment of "unauthorized" NIB bonuses, when he seems to be in the dark over the actual dollar amount of his own ministerial salary?
Tell me something have you ever seen two men more in the dark about what actually went on, in their own red shirts regime, than Hubert and his junior minister of finance Zhivargo? The two who were in charge of the coins?
Hail to PM Christie for coming to the rescue of Bahamaland's public treasury.
.
John 10 years, 11 months ago
Unless we forget: when the FNM came to office after Hubert Ingraham came out of retirement: Electricity was going off up to SEVEN times a day in some areas and staying off in some areas for many hours
Hardly a street (traffic) light on the island of New Providence was working, in fact so many were in the 'blinking' mode for so long they were called Christmas lights.
The roads were so bad and so full of potholes pieces of cars were found left in them. Pray it didn't rain because you would spend your lunch hour in a pothole, getting sprayed by muddy watter from passing vehicles.
Schools were in a state of disrepair and overcrowded
Where was Anna Nicole buried?
Murder rate was climbing to the level it is now and so was crime in general
Is that where we are headed back to?
John 10 years, 11 months ago
Did I mention that there was hardly any garbage collection, because there were no garbage trucks? just pieces of them that they were constantly trying to fit together to try do a half of a collection now and then .
ANd you remember how the dump site was almost always on fire, not unlike how it is today...smoking out everyone and sending them to the hospital, or an early grave
PKMShack 10 years, 11 months ago
Until we get pass the colors things will remain the same, right is right and wrong will always be wrong. We need major change. Too much of always pointing a finger to see who did less wrong, HAI did this PGC did that, when both have failed us in service to some point. 2013 and we still have people sticking to color. Move up Bahamains we need to get out of the darkness,,,,,,, our country needs it. Forget the colors and lets find and appoint people who has our country at the helm. Tired of the pointing fingers. LOP did what he did, HAI did what he did, PGC did and now doing his part. Let's hold their feet to the fire today and not hold the past in the present. If PGC seems to be lacking in his JOB let's hold him accountable like we should. PERIOD
SP 10 years, 11 months ago
For such a small Island.... there are a lot of jackass's here!
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