By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
ALLEGING that webshop owners are among Prime Minister Perry Christie’s financial backers, Free National Movement Chairman Darron Cash raised concerns yesterday about whether a recent meeting between Mr Christie and various webshop representatives was used to “cut favourable deals” days before the government tables its anticipated Gaming Bill in Parliament.
However, lawyer Wayne Munroe, who attended the meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister as a representative of several webshops, rejected Mr Cash’s claim as a misrepresentation “from the pit of hell.” He insisted that webshop representatives have never negotiated with government ministers on the Gaming Bill.
Mr Munroe said the meeting was between “African gaming consultants, accounting consultants, Graham Thompson representatives, (legislation) drafting people and Ministry of Tourism representatives” and webshop officials.
Calling the meeting “secret and exclusive”, Mr Cash decried the Prime Minister’s failure to invite opposition members and questioned why two Cabinet ministers “with no direct connection to gaming in their portfolios” were reportedly in attendance.
“With the Christie administration’s latest version of the Gaming/Webshop Bill scheduled to be presented to Parliament this coming Wednesday, Prime Minister Perry Christie has spent the last few days putting the final touches on the bill after his birthday celebration in ‘Sin City’,” Mr Cash said in a statement released yesterday.
“With a combined bill now on the agenda, the number of stakeholders has increased – land-based casino operators are as invested in this process as are webshop operators. The stakes are high for everyone.
“The FNM has learned that this past Saturday afternoon, Prime Minister Perry Christie convened a special and exclusive meeting of webshop owners and insiders at the Office of the Prime Minister for the purpose of making the final set of changes before the Gaming Bill is finalised.
“The FNM is advised that present in the meeting was the Prime Minister and his Minister of Tourism (with responsibility for gaming) Obie Wilchcombe. What was curious was the fact that two other Cabinet ministers with no direct connection to gaming in their portfolios also (reportedly) participated in the meeting. Amazingly, owners of the large webshops and their attorneys were invited to the secret meeting, but no member of the official opposition and no owners or executives of the land-based casinos were invited. The invitees represented a ‘members only who’s who’ of the Prime Minister’s insiders club. Or so it seems.”
When he spoke to reporters on Friday, Mr Christie indicated that while he would spend the weekend considering the recent controversy involving Ministry of Works Parliamentary Secretary Renward Wells, he would immediately return his attention to gaming reform. He added that his team is consumed with issues relating to regularising the industry.
Nonetheless, Mr Cash interpreted Mr Christie’s meeting with webshop representatives as a way for industry stakeholders to have sway over the laws that will govern the sector.
“The Prime Minister’s decision to hold these exclusive and secret meetings suggests once again that he is cutting a secret and favourable deal with the owners of webshops who just happen to be his (alleged) financial backers,” he said. “In effect, the owners of the webshops and their lawyers appear to be writing their own ticket to continued financial success and the Prime Minister is giving them the pen and paper and office space to set themselves up for the future. This might not be the reality, but this is what appears to be happening. This approach to governance is very unsettling to the official opposition, and we expect to the Bahamian people as well.”
However, Mr Munroe rejected Mr Cash’s assertions.
“We’ve never had a negotiation meeting with the Prime Minister or any other government member,” he said. “Cash really needs to stop being so irresponsible. Under the FNM, we had the same sort of meetings and the only difference is the FNM was not sensible enough to hire gaming consultants or accounting consultants.
“We’ve made representations to the gaming consultants, accounting consultants, lawyers with Ministry of Tourism, lawyers with the Office of the Attorney General, but we’ve never associated with the ministers.”
Comments
TalRussell 9 years, 8 months ago
Oh yes, it has been said he wept like a little infant baby and Comrades we ain't talking about no tears of joy. it was well reported at the time how a "Pre-Papa Hubert" had so cried the day when he was fired by PM Pindling from the PLP. Like they reported, he didn't go willingly, he went a kicking. I just wonder how Comrade Daron will be reported to have acted by this Tribune newspaper, the day the reds new leader (that's if they ever get around to holding a party convention) does too fires he's backside?
PKMShack 9 years, 8 months ago
@ tal what does that say for the prime minister, your support for foolishness is laughable, but bad part you are serious which makes others wonder if most of the support of these guys are from the mindset of you and others, no wonder we can't move this country forward,
TalRussell 9 years, 8 months ago
Comrade PKShack since you asking I will tell you-exactly what i think it means. That while the Comrade Red Chairman may know math well, he plays pretty damn dumb when it comes down to adding up all monies his very own red party's candidates received from the number men's. Why I ask is that? Any wonder they hiding from calling they overdue, constitutionally mandated (2) year maximum timetable convention? Why is it you think they ducking away from contesting the executive positions, more so by a man who done resigned once already. I think he, not I, was reported as saying that it had something to do with his lack of confidence in his own leader Minnis. Did I speak it truthfully?
Sickened 9 years, 8 months ago
African gaming consultants? Why would anyone look to Africa for expertise in anything?
If the web-shop bosses weren't at the meeting, they should have been. After all they have been doing it for YEARS now and certainly know how the payoff and payout works. I have more faith in getting the truth from an admitted criminal rather than a closet criminal.
TalRussell 9 years, 8 months ago
Comrades no need burn brain cells speculating, if the red shirts party's candidates had in fact accepted cash campaign donations from numbers men's, after all, none other than former PM Hubert acknowledged it. Maybe, while he's on his numbers soap box, if the red chairman Daron will confirm how much was received, by whom and was it for just the 2012 GE or ALL other General and By Elections?
Daron try revealing about what you have the books on - right in your red Mackey Street headquarters and stop your bull shit.
bismark 9 years, 8 months ago
In the eighties we were a nation for sale,fast forward 2014,a nation bought,luckily by our own currency,the numbersmen run this country like it or not,the police cant touch them neither the irrevelant authorities,you know why?we have become so addicted to the almighty dollar that we will sell our soul for anything immoral as long as it satisfies our greedy lust for material things,the PM could dress it up all he wants ,he is just pandering to a bunch of criminals who got rich off the backs off poor people,some of these men are alleged to have conducted numerous illegal activities before joining the lucrative webshop industry and now they are trying to pass themselves off as decent businessmen,bunch of damn crooks.
The_Messenger 9 years, 8 months ago
Government officials and the webshop operators ARE the same entity, they work together to illegally suck hundreds of millions of dollars from Bahamians year after year. Sadly if there was a legitimate national lottery in place the Bahamas would not be in debt, but the greedy criminals want it all for themselves.
concernedcitizen 9 years, 8 months ago
@ the -messenger ,if the was a national lottery have of the cash would disappear like the old departure tax ,and the winners would all be connected to the politicians
concernedcitizen 9 years, 8 months ago
meant 'half"
TalRussell 9 years, 8 months ago
Wanna here how lazy it is be messing with the numbers thing, when since Comrade Dr. Andre resigned as the government's whip in the House of Assembly, then who in hell was his deputy? Wasn't it the "$600 Million Letter Of Intent" Renard. Think about it, doesn't it mean Renard is now the Acting House Whip? Daron how did you overlook this one?
birdiestrachan 9 years, 8 months ago
Even if it is true, Mr: Cash what is the harm.? Are they not human and Bahamians? Perhaps if they were of a different hue and of a different Country, in your view would it have been alright.?
birdiestrachan 9 years, 8 months ago
Even if it is true Mr: Cash what is the harm? are they not human and Bahamians? If they were of a different hue and from a different Country would it have been all right with you and your FNM party? .
TalRussell 9 years, 8 months ago
Comrades if you too think it's laughable the red party is going after the numbers men's, me was reminded today about something that restart me belling jumping - over how on March 26, 2011 even PM Hubert stood up on the floor of the House and accidentally voted "against" the sale of BTC to them London based foreigners. And, they dared to laugh at PM Christie for saying he was too tired answer a reporter's questions? I got a whole manual packed and at the ready of some really laugh-your-asses-off papa stuff, if and when Papa makes it official, he's coming back.
TalRussell 9 years, 8 months ago
PM Hubert votes NO.
Note there was not a single smile much less laughter coming from the stunned red shirts side of House.
...............///http://vimeo.com/37222135">http://vimeo.com/37222135
birdiestrachan 9 years, 8 months ago
There are those in the FNM Party who call Web shop owners criminals, Why would they want to meet with criminals? May be so they can call them criminals to their faces. Mr: Munroe is right those fellows are not smart at all.
GrassRoot 9 years, 8 months ago
Mr Cash! These deals were cut a long time ago. Go back under your rock.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 8 months ago
Why is it that the illegal webshop operators get direct access to the PM but police association representatives are treated like criminals?
asiseeit 9 years, 8 months ago
As of right now the numbers game IS ILLEGAL in this country. Doing something Illegal = Criminal. I don't know how you twisted people think any different. Now when they change the LAW it will be LEGAL and therefore NOT Criminal. Do you understand the english language, or are we in the Bahamas able to twist our language to mean something else just like they have tried to twist our HISTORY? By the way I voted yes and as far as it seems, our P.M. is bought and paid for! Why does it always seem as if the PLP is a slave to the mighty dollar?
PKMShack 9 years, 8 months ago
@ TAL @ BIRDIE = you dummies ,Let me ask some yes or no questions. Is gambling legal? Did the vote given by the PLP pass and make gambling legal? Are the owners of these businesses breaking the law with their number houses? Are the PLP government requiring the Police to close the number houses down? Do you have common sense or just PLP SENSE, I know this test may be hard for you both.
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