Three weeks to file missing disclosures or file will go to the Attorney General

As of Wednesday, June 7, 2017

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

DELINQUENT former and sitting parliamentarians have been given three weeks to file disclosures or face the court for breaking the law, according to Press Secretary Anthony Newbold.

The deadline imposed by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis affects more than 20 MPs, and follows a report in The Tribune last week that revealed a handful of parliamentarians did not make a single disclosure last term.

Mr Newbold said yesterday that the number of parliamentarians that did not disclose for the entire five years was “not less than six”.

“All of those members of Parliament sitting in the last House as at December 31, 2016, who did not disclose by March 1, 2017, the prime minister has given them three weeks in which to file that disclosure form or he is going to turn that file with their names over to the attorney general and instruct him to do what the law prescribes,” he said during a press briefing in the Majority Room of the House of Assembly yesterday.

“They could face a fine of $10,000, or two years in prison, or both, or confiscation of land if land is involved. I can tell you from having seen those documents that more than 20 MPs, former and present, have three weeks in which to file.

“Some of them who were sitting from 2012, I’d say about six of them they didn’t file at all over the five-year period. So it’s going to be interesting to see what happens over the three-week period.”

Last week, Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) Chairman Myles Laroda revealed that a handful of officials failed to disclose as he underscored the critical need to bolster the independence of the PDC.

Mr Laroda would not disclose the list of delinquent politicians, but noted that they included members of both the former governing party, the Progressive Liberal Party, and the Free National Movement, which served as the Official Opposition until the May 10 general election.

He stressed that the commission has written numerous letters to delinquent officials since 2015, inclusive of the former Prime Minister Perry Christie and Dr Minnis, the then leader of the Official Opposition.

Present and former members of Parliament and senators, along with senior public officers, are required to submit their disclosures to the PDC by March each year.

While he did not provide any further clarification, Mr Newbold noted that the list of officials being targeted were comprised of MPs and senators.

Alex_Charles 6 years, 10 months ago

good move.

However, Mr. PM you need to divest yourself of those contracts you hold pronto. be an example, not another Perry

sheeprunner12 6 years, 10 months ago

Sooooooooo, what if all of the delinquent MPs pay their $10,000 fine ........ and still don't report??????? .............. This is putting serious pressure on the Chairman of this Commission (who has been spineless to do anything to rogue MPs thus far)

Porcupine 6 years, 10 months ago

I want names.

TalRussell 6 years, 10 months ago

Comrades! Selectively, PM Minnis 'randomly picked' only '2012' as the go back to year for MP's to file their financial disclosures but isn't the authority with the House Speaker and not the PM, who must sanction legal action be taken against the offending MP's?
What about Senators and Government Officials who have not filed their Financial Disclosures?
And, why only go back to the year 2012, when Howard “Rickey” Mackey, who had “completely forgotten' about the settlement agreement he made with the Customs Department in mid-2013, relating to $12,789 in outstanding import duties owed by his company since 'June 2002' - decided to pay-up his old "forgotten about' bill- just days before the May 10, 2017 General Election?
What civilians would be allowed to intentionally break a law and not be held responsible for ALL law-breaking offending years? Is the PM now suggesting that MP's are above the common man's and woman's?
Will the PM now instruct the policeman's and courts - not to proceed with charging law-breakers for committing any and all offenses prior to the year 2012?

http://tribune242.com/users/photos/20...">

http://thetribune.media.clients.ellin..." alt="None">

by TalRussell

birdiestrachan 6 years, 10 months ago

The Bahamas Donald Trump speaks. One is one and two is two A is A And B is B what you don't understand about that. The Bahamian media for the most part will be all over the place defending him.