The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and Opposition Leader Michael Pintard clashed in the House of Assembly yesterday after government MPs rehashed accusations that the Minnis administration did not reveal accurate figures about the government’s true liabilities in a pre-election fiscal report.

Tensions rose between the two sides after Central and South Andros MP Leon Lundy laid contents of a report from the Deloitte firm which, he claimed, showed a $1bn difference in the former government’s pre-election report and the country’s actual liabilities.

He said the documents supported comments made in an earlier sitting by Centreville MP Jomo Campbell.

However, East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson denied the allegations yesterday.

He said: “The allegation that the other side has put was that the ministry of finance said there was one billion dollars worth of expenses that was left out of the pre-election report. They also said that the Deloitte report backed up this allegation.”

“The Deloitte report does not back up that allegation. The Deloitte report specifically says that there was a different of interpretation of the law as to what was required. It also said that the previous administration had a specific interpretation as to what should be included in the pre-election report and this administration had a different interpretation of what should be included.”

He was supported by Marco City MP Michael Pintard who denied that the Minnis administration left behind $1bn in unpaid bills.

But, Mr Davis shot back and called the opposition leader “disingenuous”.

He said: “The character of the member is continually revealing itself. It does not match his words. I say now that he is being very disingenuous who is suggesting that there was not near a billion dollars outstanding right and that report speaks to that.”

Mr Pintard said the opposition never disputed the amounts that were owed.

He said they disagreed with the prime minister “seeking to mislead the public” that the Minnis administration was obligated to include that in the pre-election report.

“He has now modified his position,” Mr Pintard said. “His original position is they couldn’t find this one billion. Now all of a sudden, it is simply obligations.”