Peter Turnquest
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
IN his first interview since resigning as deputy prime minister and minister of finance on November 25, East Grand Bahama MP Peter Turnquest was coy about whether he will offer himself for reelection.
However he said he believes the Free National Movement has a good chance of winning the next general election.
“My party’s chances of winning the next election I think is good,” he said. “No administration goes without some challenges. But I think if you weigh it in the balance we’ve done some good work over the last three years and we’ll see what happens when the time comes.”
Asked if he will run again for a seat in Parliament, Mr Turnquest said: “We’ll see what happens.”
Mr Turnquest’s comments come as political observers watch closely for evidence of what kind of backbencher he will be: whether he will offer critical commentary about the administration he left or be fully supportive despite leaving Cabinet. After resigning as health minister in May, Elizabeth MP Dr Duane Sands has at times offered stinging criticism of the governing party.
Yesterday Mr Turnquest declined to give his views on such topical issues as oil drilling, saying he will leave that to the government to discuss.
Told he is in a prime position to comment on such matters as a backbencher, he said: “At the appropriate time I will give my views on that. However, I would again leave it to the Cabinet to comment on that. I have not polled my constituents on it so I can’t really give a position.”
His comments yesterday came at a press conference in which Bahamas Waste announced that it will start a new campaign to encourage Bahamians to wear masks.
Mr Turnquest resigned as deputy prime minister and minister of finance late last month after being mentioned in a Supreme Court lawsuit relating to an alleged $27m fraud.
In a statement of claim filed in November, Alpha Aviation Limited and Advanced Aviation Limited alleged that Randy Butler and Mr Turnquest conspired “wrongfully and with intent to injure” their companies and/or “to cause loss to them by unlawful means and/or to enrich themselves.”
Plaintiffs alleged that Mr Turnquest and Captain Butler used “some 39 fraudulent invoices and/or book entries, and for no adequate consideration” drained away some $3.8m paid by Alpha Aviation to Aviation Oversight Group via 39 separate cheque payments between February 2008 and July 2016.
They alleged that a further $3.026m was also siphoned off “as at December 31, 2017”, to AOG Maintenance Ltd, a company that owned Sky Bahamas’ maintenance hangar at Lynden Pindling International Airport.
Mr Turnquest was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit and maintains his innocence. His former Sky Bahamas partner, Captain Butler, has also said he is innocent of the accusations against him in legal action.
Comments
tribanon 3 years, 4 months ago
This buffoon unfortunately cannot even appreciate that, as a sitting MP who is no longer a cabinet minister, he has a duty to speak out on this most highly charged matter of great national importance, especially given the loudly voiced objections to BPC's oil drilling plans by so many of his constituents. The same applies to all the other MPs currently sitting on the bench.
JokeyJack 3 years, 4 months ago
Maybe he can speak with his good buddy Loretta Butler (LOL) and start a brand new political party? LOL.
To me, he will always be known as "the man who couldn't find the VAT money."
"Where the VAT money gone?" We will never know.
tribanon 3 years, 4 months ago
We do know though that our VAT money certainly DID NOT go towards paying down our national debt. And that was the case long before Dorian and COVID-19 came along and started being used by the corrupt Minnis-led administration as convenient excuses for their own gross incompetence.
proudloudandfnm 3 years, 4 months ago
I would suggest you go back to private life bro. Freeport is most definitely not interested in a second term for you or any of the other MPs we elected last time. Lol. All of you are completely useless. You will leave office having accomplished absolutely nothing for your constituencies.. bye bye and stay gone...
TalRussell 3 years, 4 months ago
Got me thinkin' might not be such smart political stance by Comrade KP to want stand in the same indecisive position too long cause if true Mr. Minnis's Comrade Joshua, has been spotted in and about Nassau Town, out here scouting for additional heritage sites and monuments to help generate $1.5 billions revenue for the investor group privateers.
Shakehead a quick once for upyeahvote, you really can't just make up such nonsense. Just, can't, a slow twice for not?
bimjim 3 years, 4 months ago
Our politrickians across the region seem to be these edumacated buffoons (good words!) whose sole purpose in life seem to be how fast and how full they can line their own pockets. The last Administration left Barbados $2 BILLION in debt while frantically employing lawyers to legalise their thefts with a range of documentations.
En masse they all seem to focus on themselves and their own wallets - where have our statesmen gone, the ones focusing on the horizon and how best they could prepare their people - and their region - for the future??
CARICOM did not come from nowhere, but this bunch of greedy narcissistic self-loving elected dictators are pulling that framework down while at the same time they are spouting to all and sundry about regional unity.
They, too, are enabling foreign purchasing of local lands, and warnings that it will not be long before our own peoples are returned to a tourism and absentee landlord service economy - modern slavery - if such a trend continues.
Stay safe.
BONEFISH 3 years, 4 months ago
In a more advanced country, Peter Turnquest's political career will be over.
Also the mainstream media in those countries would already done investigative pieces on the him. But here in the Bahamas, not so. This story was lurking in the background for some time.
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