The Tribune

THE following statement was made by Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant, during a point of order in the House of Assembly in response to a communication by Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP Philip “Brave” Davis about the lack of insurance for the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI). The failure to ensure the compound was revealed when a dormitory was recently destroyed by fire. A man has been charged with arson.

“Mr Speaker,” said Mr Davis, “the member of parliament for Rum Cay, Cat Island and San Salvador, during his contribution to the mid-year budget debate stated emphatically that the building was insured and that the insurance lapsed because the project went beyond the projected date of completion and the contractor failed to pay the renewal premium. He has come here this morning, Mr Speaker, and has admitted that the building was never insured.

“Mr Speaker, we are not speaking about a layman, we are speaking about an attorney who is an officer of the court and has the distinction of being a Queen’s Counsel. For him to have made the statement emphatically as he did, that the building was insured and that the insurance lapsed, and to come here this morning and (admit) that the building was never insured, it is obvious that he has misled this House.

“He is not only a member of parliament, Mr Speaker, he is the deputy prime minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. He spoke about the pertinent documents, the all-risk insurance, a business licence and a National Insurance compliance letter.

“These documents, policy and procedure require that these documents be attached to every stage of payment. We heard this morning that some $2.5m has been paid out; the procedure is that the project officer generates the originating request for payment. It is then quantified by a quantity surveyor, it is then signed off by the director of works, and the treasurer, by law, cannot draw a cheque unless this procedure has been followed. There has been many stage payments made from what we have heard this morning, we still would not have evidence of the insurance ever being taken out.

“If fraudulent acts have been committed, and it would appear that it has, I believe that it requires a police investigation. Secondly, since the member has misled this House, he should do the honourable thing. Mr Speaker, this is a sad day in the Parliament in The Bahamas.”