By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
BELIEVING the Progressive Liberal Party has captured the bluff of the new administration, Senator Dr Michael Darville dared Cabinet ministers yesterday to send the information they have about criminality of former PLP ministers to the police.
Failing this, the FNM should get down to the business of governing, Dr Darville said.
His comments came after Attorney General Carl Bethel said nothing revealed during the recent budget debate in the House of Assembly raises any criminal concerns.
His comments drew outrage across social media among Bahamians eager to see someone be held liable for the alleged fiscal mismanagement described by ministers.
In the Senate Friday Mr Bethel also noted that the government is not broke even though it has a liquidity problem.
"The majority of their contributions (in Parliament) were about alleged PLP corruption and who got what government contracts," Dr Darville said about FNM ministers. "I believe the Bahamian people are saturated with all this political posturing and are ready for this government to put plans in place that would bring relief to the poor by creating jobs."
"In an interview on the evening last night, the Attorney General admitted no formal complaint has been filed by any government official, or citizen, that would substantiate the claims made in the lower house."
"It is my sincere belief that if the Free National Movement can prove acts of criminality by any former minister or public servant, they should forward that information to the police and allow the authorities to take legal action or make the allegations outside these honourable chambers."
Dr Darville also blasted the government for borrowing what he considered an unprecedented $722 million.
"This voodoo style economics of trying to borrow their way out of debt appears to be the first part of the FNM's plan to turn the Bahamian economy around," he said. "What is ironic is that this same scenario was predicted by many local prophets during the election campaign who clearly articulated that the Free National Movement win the general election, the first thing they would do is increase borrowing. It appears now that these prophecies have come to pass."
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years, 10 months ago
Danville is right - Minnis and his cabinet ministers and Attorney General Carl Bethel are all making fools of themselves. They should either PUT UP or SHUT UP! Most voters who supported Minnis and the other FNM house members have a queasy feeling that they "got swung" by a Doc who ain't gonna Roc for them! A real sense of betrayal is beginning to set in and it seems Minnis, his cabinet ministers and the AG are all oblivious to it. The backlash to come is not going to be pretty to say the least!
Socrates 6 years, 9 months ago
another intellectually dishonest presentation. the govt just came to power so any borrowing is paying off debt left behind.. i didnt hear of any proposed initiatives that would require money.. in any event, its still a PLP budget..
Tarzan 6 years, 9 months ago
The PLP windbags are now resorting to Orwellian Newspeak: Peace is War. Stealing is Giving. Don't believe your lying eyes!
birdiestrachan 6 years, 9 months ago
Doctor Darville is an engineer and a Doctor. Wind bag does not apply to him. not in the least. He is not a greedy Doctor as one FNM Doctor is. That one no money no treatment.
proudloudandfnm 6 years, 9 months ago
Darville was the second emptiest suit in the PLP cabinet behind BJ.
This is the moron who continuously said Freeport was booming. Now the PLP are saying (factually) that Freeport is at rock bottom and in need of a cash injection.
Darville is the worst kind of traitor...
Truism 6 years, 9 months ago
At no point did Dr. Darville say that Freeport was booming. He was optimistic about the outlook for Freeport is what he's always said. Read to much of what the FNM said he said and to few of his actual pronouncements. They propagandist got you good.
TheMadHatter 6 years, 9 months ago
Truism - anyone living in Freeport who said the outlook is one to invoke optimism is in need of mental help.
Has the tractor run through the two Princess Hotels and opened up the road again, yet?
The new government needs to run a bulldozer through there tomorrow. Open up the damn road and let commerce flow.
Maybe they will hire some Canadian consultants to tell them that first, though, that is standard procedure in the Bahamas. We only do what Canadians say is good.
Baha10 6 years, 9 months ago
I agree the Government is rapidly squandering the most political capital ever vested in an Administration and the backlash is coming, unless they start actually doing something positive, as it is all well and good to confirm the reasons why the people voted for you, but that is all you are doing, substantiating why the people voted for you in the first place, and in the process, boxing one's self into a corner, whereby one has to follow through with prosecuting the "allegations", as if there is neither major positive news nor no one is in jail in short order, the backlash is going to be extreme and unforgiving.
Tarzan 6 years, 9 months ago
This is a ludicrous analysis. The first steps in cleaning up a disastrous mess are to find out where and what the problems are. This PLP theft-ocracy has left the entire apparatus of government in total chaos. The new government is doing exactly the right thing in making their first priority the identification of all the problems. You cannot start solving problems until you know what the problems are and to what extent they have been permitted to putrify under PLP malfeasance.
BahamasForBahamians 6 years, 9 months ago
Tarzan so it stands to reason that after all this posturing, or in your words, identification of the problems, there will be prosecutions?
If there is not, can we agree that this present government would've already failed us on promise #1?
proudloudandfnm 6 years, 9 months ago
Darville stated clearly on multiple occassions that Freeport had turned the corner and was booming....
Fact...
proudloudandfnm 6 years, 9 months ago
I don't understand thia idea that the Bazaar will be revitalized if that road is opened. There is no issue with access to that dilapidated and useless structure. The Bazaar is easily accessible right now. That road is nowhere near being an urgent need. Open that road today and nothing will change at the bazaar. We have way more important things to worry about than that little road...
Like getting our main hotels re-opened. Lowering landing fees at our airport. Eliminating those idiotic fees and levies the PLP drowned us in. Improving relations with the shipyard so they don't pull out.
Things like this are way more important than that road. That road may have been important a few hundred years ago. Today it's about as irrelevant to Freeport's econony as chocolate chip cookies...
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
The PLP parliamentary rump has a simple agenda ............ Holler as loud as hell and call out the FNM to do a witch hunt on the PLP ...... Then try and spin that into public sympathy when the cases go cold for a lack of evidence ........ The former PLP Cabinet (Brave, Martin, Mitchell & Darville) know where the skeletons are hidden .......... and they know the traps they set for the FNM who may want to uncover them .............. This is going to be ugly if Minnis, Carl, Desmond, Lloyd, DocSands and Peter lose their nerve.
SP 6 years, 9 months ago
You people have conveniently forgotten that PM Dr. Minnis appointed Damian Gomez and Greg Moss to lead investigations into corruption.
Both gentlemen are more than capable and astute enough to KNOW where to look, how to build ironclad cases and bring them to fruition.
Pillage Loot Plunder are laden with slick lawyers well versed in defending criminals for a living and they are now using those skills for themselves. We should expect no less than hearing them scream innocents until proven guilty.
This is totally normal for political pirates. As witnessed in Turks and Caicos, Argentina, Brazil, Panama and any number of other countries where politicians caught buried in corruption NEVER ADMIT ANYTHING even after irrefutable evidence is presented against them in the courts.
I have every confidence Damian Gomez and Greg Moss are very well motivated enough to cause Pillage Loot Plunder to face justice before the Bahamian people!!!
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
Ohhhhhhhhhh???????? ................... Interesting twist of justice here
Truism 6 years, 9 months ago
I'm sorry I should not have responded to your posting as your ability to bark at print is now confirmed. The cabinet is shuffled and positions that were initially not included have come into being. Freeport should be happy they now have a minister. East and West Grand Bahama should be jealous, but, I'm sure this will be remedied when you release your next group of FNM appointees. LMAO as I reach for one of those scented wet wipes to dry my tears.
TalRussell 6 years, 9 months ago
Comrades! You red shirts enjoyed calling the previous government's AG "The Wicket Witch" - so what "descriptive name handle"- has the new attorney general (AG) Carl earned for not revealing the Baha Mar 'tell-all' his red shirts had "guaranteed' voters they would release as their first order of governing business? {You don't have make AG Carl up, now do you?}
And, the rest of Carl's red colleagues in the upper red chamber, have totally forgotten about their party's pledge to reduce the cost of 'Bread Basket' items for the many thousands their own fellow citizens that were really expecting a helping hand up from the new red regime. This poor "Bread Basket" judgment by Carl and his fellow Senators must be returned as priority #1 to fix.
Truism 6 years, 9 months ago
SP, when did this appointment happen? I'm looking at every credible news source and some incredible ones and can't find any mention of it. Think I'd better call the press secretary. LMAO
SP 6 years, 9 months ago
Obviously, you are still suffering and wearing pampers from the well-deserved cutass your PLP pirate masters got on May 10th and missed this one. Below is the full PDF list of the FNM appointees. Use your scented wet-wipes when you get to the last appointments.
Cabinet Decisions will not be made by Cabinet Numbers but instead will reflect the desires and collective will of All Bahamians.
Prime Minister & Minister without portfolio: Right Hon. Huber A. Minnis Deputy Prime Minister, Min. of Finance & Min. Freeport (HCA): Hon. K. Peter Turnquest Minister of State Finance: Hon. Reece Chipman Attorney General: Senator Hon. Carl Bethel Minister of State Legal Affairs & Reform: Hon. Elsworth Johnson Minister of Works & Utilities and Leader of of Government Business: Hon. Renward Wells Minister of State Minister of Works & Utilities: Hon. Navardo Bowe Minister for Grand Bahama: Hon. Michael Pintard Minister of Health: Hon. Dwayne Sands Minister of Foreign Affairs: Hon. Desmond Bannister Minister National Security: Hon. Marvin Dames Minister of State National Security: Immigration & Defense: Hon. Frankie Campbell Minister of State National Security: National Intelligence Agency: Hon. Darren Henfield Minister of Social Services & Community Development: Hon. Lanisha Rolle Ministry of Transport & Aviation: Hon. Brensil Rolle Minister of Education, Science & Technology: Hon. Jeffery Lloyd Minister Youth & Sports & Culture: Hon. Iram Lewis Minister of Environment & Energy: Romauld Ferriera Minister of Labour (Human Capital Development) & Public Service: Hon. Mark Humes Minister of Out Islands Affairs & Local Government: Hon. Miriam Emmanuel Minister of Tourism: Hon. Dionisio D’Aguilar Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries: Hon. Pakeisha Parker-Edgecombe Minister of Commerce, Financial Services & Investments: Hon. Brent Symonette Speaker of the House: Hon. Halston Moultrie Deputy Speaker of The House: Adrian Gibson Damien Gomez and Gregory K. Moss - Transparency (FOIA) & Anti-Corruption Strategy
Truism 6 years, 9 months ago
OMG! After your attempt to insult me, which only proved to be an assault on your perceived intelligence, I realized that not only had you reshuffled PM Minnis's cabinet, but, you had exposed the level of research that we are subjected to when we accept anything you propagate. WOW!
by Truism
CatIslandBoy 6 years, 9 months ago
Seriously, SP, your list of Cabinet appointments has nothing to do with reality. Please explain how you arrived at this re-shuffled cabinet before it is announced publicly?
Truism 6 years, 9 months ago
Still trying to find Dr. Darville's Freeport booming pronouncements. Proudloudfnm, where can I find them.
TalRussell 6 years, 9 months ago
Comrades! Things have remained tough on Grand Bahama's 'Bread Basket' items, regardless if under prime ministers Pindling, Papa Hubert and Christie's governing administrations...... And things ain't looking no better for Grand Bahamians under this Minnis red shirts regime - where after you've calculated how much 'bread basket' items cost today from back in the times of Pindling, Papa Hubert, Christie and now under Minnis - even if Jesus wanted boost Freeport's tourism by re staging the miracle he performed to feed five thousand (5,000) people - the cost at Freeport prices today to buy the required barley loaves and two fishes would prohibit such an successful re staging. Just look at all the millions dollars that the failed internationally heralded Fyre Festival cost? As a further cost comparative, we can also revisit the many millions dollars wasted to hold all them Kanavals in Freeport? Yep, I thinks Jesus would pass over Freeport!
Two things have not gone up on the entire island of Grand Bahama - wages and property values - in fact they're both down by some Fifty-Percent!
{Comrades, you just can't make this Jesus passes over Freeport stuff up}.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
Freeporters should go and live on Ragged Island or Acklins if they want to experience "tough times" .......... Freeporters are a bunch of cry-babies
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