By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
BAHA Mar has accused Prime Minister Perry Christie of misleading the country over the details of ongoing discussions in China and further jeopardising the future of the $3.5bn mega resort.
In a statement today, the resort called the government's late night announcement that it would seek to liquidate the stalled project an unnecessary and reactionary distraction that would put both its staff and assets at risk.
The resort insisted that it was still engaged in good faith negotiations with its general contractor, China State Construction America (CCA), and lender, the Export Import Bank of China.
"The discussions were not ended," the statement read, "the Government left the ongoing discussions to follow its own path rather than to continue to act in a mediator capacity between the private parties as it had announced it would do.
"Baha Mar has not refused to dismiss the Chapter 11. We have agreed to dismiss the case as soon as parties have a mutually-beneficial binding agreement to the benefit of all parties, an interest the Government should share, rather than taking actions that risk irreparably damaging the discussions."
Mr Christie announced that Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson had filed a winding up petition in the Supreme Court after negotiations in China had reached a stalemate, in a national address last night.
The Prime Minister said the best path for the country would be to take the fate of the project out of the hands of its developer Sarkis Izmirlian and put it under the supervision of the Bahamian court system and appoint liquidators. Mr Christie explained that talks in Beijing broke down because the resort refused to drop both its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing and legal action against CCA in the United Kingdom.
The Baha Mar statement continued: "We urge the Government of The Bahamas not to seize private party assets and to allow the private parties in what is after all a commercial enterprise to come to an agreement that would allow for the completion and opening of Baha Mar as soon as possible, as the Government has publically and explicitly urged.
"For our part," it added, "Baha Mar is evaluating its alternatives with respect to addressing the Government's precipitous action and will continue to move forward with its ongoing appropriate efforts to position the resort to be properly completed and opened successfully as soon as possible.”
State Minister for Legal Affairs Damien Gomez fired back at the resort, insisting that the government's team did not leave Beijing prematurely.
"We left when the Chinese left," he told The Tribune today. "The Chinese said that they [Baha Mar] were just wasting time. They [Baha Mar] have written them two letters and they are putting forward positions that were already disposed of during talks. You can't believe anything they are saying at this point."
Read Baha Mar's full statement HERE
Comments
ThisIsOurs 8 years, 9 months ago
If these statements are factual, what was that sideshow last night?
banker 8 years, 9 months ago
Could it be that the AG doesn't know the law and doesn't have standing ground?
TalRussell 8 years, 9 months ago
It takes a lot irritate me to level getting me all riled up enough to want go grab me shoe? Even watching each and every misstep with Izmirlian and all his foolishness, never could rile me like Carlton does.
Comrades this is a direct message for "Talkie Show Host" Carlton Smith and is not a knock against the passionate good people over at Creative Nassau, wanting to get their, needs and should be heard message out and who deserve to be heard and to be well supported by all.
But was I the only one tuning-in who wanted grab my shoe and throw it right through the damn radio while listening to Guardian Talk Radio's Carlton Smith who, how to host a good talk show that will keep your listeners entertained and advertisers happy, seems to have completely escaped his mindset.
Last night the Rt. Honourable PM did the right thing to address the nation on the liquidation of Baha Mar, and all Carlton wants talk about is the visions of the late Comrade Jackson Burnside. Yes, there is and should be a time and a place for a variety talk show topics but today was not one. Carlton might be well on his way soon replace Chrissy Love's list show topics, and that ain't such an easy task for any talk show host master, much less a man's host? But great venues that is, if you want to avoid having to take a position.
It ain't like first time Comrade Carlton has ignored the most pressing topics to cover 'happening in and around your communities' topics.
by TalRussell
ohdrap4 8 years, 9 months ago
true dat sometimes he is like a fish out of water and seems relieved when some frequent callers steal the show and he allows them to speak on and on for an hour. i stopped tuning in a while ago.
TalRussell 8 years, 9 months ago
Comrade I have notice same thing, thanks reminding. Yes, Carlton relies too much on his 'frequent callers' to his show as his primary sources. But his talkie competition 'His Eminence' Ortland H, Jr, while entertaining has to be one the weirdest talk show hosts, I have ever listened to. Man i swear that 'His Eminence' is something planetarium different from another universe, like three solar systems, beyond mushy planet of Mars. .
proudloudandfnm 8 years, 9 months ago
Wow...... Perry is killing us..... Amateurs in office.... We're doomed....
Hogfish 8 years, 9 months ago
All HAIL: Massa Nigga Perry "Mugabe" Christie ! Emperor of Wutlessness!
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 9 months ago
AS I SAID YESTERDAY: Christie, Maynard-Gibson aka Wicked Witch and Gomez aka Minion will now seek to rob the Izmirlian family of their entire interest in the Baha Mar property physically located in the Bahamas by any means possible, which, when all is said and done, will be tantamount to a de facto confiscation by expropriation of the Izmirlian family's equity interest in the property for the benefit of Christie's new found Chinese friends. You can be rest assured every Bahamian government department, agency and corporation will be instructed not to assist the Izmirlian family or Baha Mar's representatives in any way whatsoever without the express approval of Christie or his Wicked Witch on his behalf. As for any legal actions to be heard in the Bahamian courts....well, we all know the influence that can be wielded at will over our courts by the Wicked Witch doing Christie's bidding. Of course it will take many years for the value of the Izmirlian family's equity interest in the venture to be determined by the eventual outcome of the legal actions properly brought by Baha Mar, as a last resort, before foreign courts in Delaware and the U.K. The only honourable thing Christie could possibly do now is dissolve parliament, but he is too delusional, self-infatuated and irrational to do anything honourable!
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 9 months ago
AS "REALITY_CHECK" SAID YESTERDAY: If delusional Christie, hissy tissy Maynard-Gibson and minion Gomez are fool enough to do as you say here, then the Bahamian people can be rest assured that no other significant foreign investors (other than the Chinese government) will ever invest in our economy. Foreign investors already here (except the Chinese) would also accelerate the selling-off of their hard property assets in order to make a clean exit from our shores as quickly as possible. Also, the Izmirlian family, through Baha Mar, would likely be justified in asserting very substantial legal claims (in foreign courts) against the Bahamian government for the added losses that would be incurred as a result of the vindictive conduct of Christie, Maynard-Gibson and Gomez. Any claims the foreign courts might award Baha Mar (the Irzmirlian family) against the Bahamian government would amount to mega-millions of dollars and would have to somehow be paid out of the hides of honest, hardworking and already over-taxed Bahamians.
MonkeeDoo 8 years, 9 months ago
We could settle those claims with our soon to be junk bonds !.
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 9 months ago
Apparently Halkitis was overheard saying that it now looks like the VAT rate will need to be pushed up to 15% after all. Does anyone remember the hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars of losses incurred over only a couple of decades by the government run Hotel Corporation of The Bahamas?!
B_I_D___ 8 years, 9 months ago
Christie and the PLP misleading the people...REALLY...no way...say it isn't so!! Birdie, you need to some and set the record straight on the straight shootin' PLP.
MonkeeDoo 8 years, 9 months ago
Why in the name of The Almighty did the government have to insert itself into a private matter. God knows there are a thousand other things that need Government attention. Christie only thinks his head is spinning. That's only because its up his rectum.
Hogfish 8 years, 9 months ago
Why? you ask why? because members in his very close cabinet all have interests that they don't want to have exposed. simple.
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 9 months ago
Rumours have spread all over town that Christie and Maynard-Gibson are going to propose to the Bahamas Supreme Court that the following three men be appointed as provisional liquidators of Baha Mar: Barry Farrington (for his hotel/tourism expertise), Sean McWeeney (for his legal expertise and undying loyalty to the PLP) and Franklyn Wilson, aka Snake, (for his general business/accounting expertise and undying loyalty to the PLP). But Snake may have dealings with Baha Mar that present a serious conflict of interest in which case its rumoured Ray Winder maybe be named. It seems Christie and Maynard-Gibson have decided the team should be all Bahamian and all men.
MonkeeDoo 8 years, 9 months ago
We better hope and pray that this does not get to that point. Could the judiciary be that ignorant ?
B_I_D___ 8 years, 9 months ago
The judiciary are mere political puppets.
Economist 8 years, 9 months ago
If the Export Import Bank of China decides to appoint a "receiver" then the government liquidator would have no assets to deal with.
If the government has not come to some agreement with the Chinese bank then they are wasting the taxpayers money.
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 9 months ago
Our government and the Chinese came to an agreement a long time ago: They are bona fide partners in the corrupt nationalization of Baha Mar by the Christie-led PLP government!
SP 8 years, 9 months ago
............... Baha Mar Accuses Christie Of 'Misleading' Nation.....LOL ............
Baha Mar has to get in line behind Bahamians....Christie has been misleading the nation from campaign 2012 with his promise of "Bahamians first"!
NOT ONE Bahamian can step forward after 3 years of this PLP deep goosie and claim he or she felt "first" as a Bahamian for anything!
Go to darkest hell Christie and take Allyson Da' Witch Maynard, Baltron Useless Bethel and Khaalis bullshitter Rolle with you!
John 8 years, 9 months ago
NOW LOOK HERE: seems like the trip to China was only an effort to strong arm Izmirilin into signing an agreement for an additional $600 million loan and agreeing for China Construction Company to get paid for work it has to correct or should have completed since last year. Furthermore they want Izmirilin to withdraw his lawsuits charging corruption and sabotage and in addition they want him to take Bah Mar out of bankruptcy protection. AND SO WHAT WAS THE CHINESE GIVING UP as part of the Agreement? Absolutely NOTHING! So they wanted BAH MAR to strip naked and throw itself to the sharks so they can finish feeding on it. AND WHAT DOES OUR GOVERNMENT DO? Tell BAH MAR "if you don't hurry up and throw yourself to the Sharks we will do it for you!" This gives Bah Mar all the more reason for Bah Mar to take its case to Delaware and elsewhere. The Bahamian government has made a hostile but solvable situation more hostile.
birdiestrachan 8 years, 9 months ago
It appears Mr: Sarkis izmirlian made the first move by the chapter 11 bankruptcy. I am very sorry for all concerned except the China Bank. They have nothing to lose. It is Mr: Sarkis dream, the workers , it is hard to be without work. and the Bahamas Government. I hope it all will be worked out very soon.
mrknowitall 8 years, 9 months ago
It amazing how some seem to criticize Christie on the action taken in this case. Baha Mar gives it's side of the story and so many are quick to jump on the kill Christie band wagon. If we would only remove our political bias out of the way, maybe we can be a little more reasonable in our assessment of the truth. Fact is, what ever we think of our Prime Minister we most or should respect the office. If we were to go back just a few months ago when the chief executive of Baha Mar addressed the Chamber of Commerce...he spoke with contempt and was very disrespectful to our Prime Minister and more importantly the office that he holds. This is unacceptable. I will not allow Baha Mar ( foreigners ) to explain away their actions and dismiss the Prime Ministers's position on the matter. Baha Mar should not be allowed to dictate to our Government, what it will or will not do...I say proceed Mr Christie and put this mess in order and put these rude investors who have no respect for Bahamians our Government in their place.
John 8 years, 9 months ago
When you take a contractor to court for poor or shoddy work or failing to complete work for which he was paid, the question almost always arises: "why did you continue to give him more money when he was not completing the work or not doing it in a satisfactory standard."
Hi_Ho_its_off_to_work_I_go 8 years, 9 months ago
Someone asked why the Government had to insert itself into a private matter?. Why indeed, unless some of the current ruling political class have some murky dealings in all this that may come to light unless they obfuscate the whole proceedings behind a mask of government probity. Mind-you, this whole Baha-mar saga has gone on so long that those on the other side of the house are probably equally up to their necks in the Baha-mar mire. I think it was Winston Churchill who said that the difference between a Politician and a Statesman is that a Politician does what he does form his own benefit while a Statesman does what he does for the benefit of the country. Seems to me that we have a whole bunch of politicians masquerading as statesmen. The whole things stinks. For those that fret that this paints Bahamas in a very bad light - you are correct but then ask yourselves - who elected the government?.
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 9 months ago
Less than a majority of the electorate elected the current bunch of thugs, but this does not give them license to trample all over our constitution as they did in our last national referendum when the Bahamian people voted against their government becoming partners with organized criminals, i.e. the racketeering numbers bosses. The nationalization of private property they are now proposing is unconstitutional and our constitution remains intact.
asiseeit 8 years, 9 months ago
So if government does this what is to stop them from coming to take your business or your land? That is what is at stake here. Very scary stuff! Zimbabwe of the Caribbean indeed!
happyfly 8 years, 9 months ago
The guy borrowed 2 billion from a china state owned bank to pay a china state owned construction company, lets them do whatever they want for three years and decides to get in a pissing match now ! There have been some stupid developers wash up in the Bahamas but Iz'y really does take the cake. I just hope the Chinese understand what kind of circus it will become if the PLP get their hands in the pie.
TheFacts 8 years, 9 months ago
Be very scared. The Chinese have a history of corruption. They were blacklisted by the World bBank for corruption. The Christie government went to the Chinese to restructure the Bahamian debt. Is it a coincidence the Bahamian Gov't is in lock step with the Chinese to take control of the Baha Mar? The Chinese are corrupt and bribe who they have to, to get their way. Wake up, ask questions, this is so obscene. I fear for the Bahamas. The Christie Gov't has thrown all Bahamians under the bus to line their pockets with Chinese money. When will we rise up and say enough is enough?
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