The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Free National Movement will not be negatively affected by the revelation of the identity of the former Bahamas Electricity Corporation official who is alleged to have taken bribes between 1999 and 2001, former Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson said yesterday.

Mr Watson had responsibility for BEC at the time of the alleged bribe taking.

Months after the allegations surfaced following an investigation by the US Department of Justice, the identity of the BEC official accused of accepting more than $300,000 to secure a contract for the French energy company Alstom more than a decade ago has not yet been revealed, with Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson telling The Tribune yesterday that police are still investigating the matter.

“The committed professionals at the Office of the Attorney General always stand ready to carry out their duty,” she said. “The decision to prosecute any matter must be based on evidence that a crime has been committed. This evidence is obtained from the investigative agency, which in the Bahamas is the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Please allow them to complete their thorough investigation.”

Asked about the matter, Assistant Commissioner Anthony Ferguson said authorities are actively investigating it, adding that he could not give a timeline on when the results of the probe will be made public.

Regardless, Mr Watson said, the revelation will not have an impact on how the public perceives the FNM.

“I can’t think of any member of the FNM team to even pinpoint or suggest any name from the board (that would’ve engaged in this),” he said.

Despite this, he conceded that he believes the allegations to be credible and reiterated his call for the investigation to be finished and its results released.

“I don’t have any reason to believe that they will do anything but the right thing,” he said.

In December, Tribune Business exclusively revealed how, in its $772 million settlement and “plea bargain” with the US Justice Department, Alstom, admitted to paying an unnamed Bahamian, called “Official 8”, via intermediaries to ensure it won the contract to supply BEC with a slow speed diesel generator.

For his part, FNM Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest dismissed the notion that the revelation of the alleged bribe taker will have a negative political impact on the party which, as some observers have argued, has portrayed itself as transparent and not corrupt.

The FNM has also consistently tried to paint the Progressive Liberal Party as a group mired in corruption.

“It has nothing to do with politics of the matter,” Mr Turnquest said. “It’s about the protection of public assets to ensure that the resources are not unfairly managed or wasted. I don’t see it as a political issue. I see it as systems issue, as a matter of proper accountability and no undue influence on how we manage the affairs of the Bahamian people.”