By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said his public disclosures would be filed yesterday if the documents had not been turned over on the deadline, which was Wednesday.
According to the chairman of the Public Disclosure Commission yesterday, about 10 percent of members of Parliament did not meet the March 1 deadline.
The prime minister was asked about his filing by reporters yesterday.
“I should be filing today. If it didn’t go in yesterday, it will go in today,” he told reporters.
He did not elaborate any further.
Yesterday, Bishop Victor Cooper, Public Disclosure Commission chairman, indicated that most members of Parliament have filed.
“Like I was indicating we have about 90 (percent) of them have filed and so that’s a good indication,” he told The Tribune yesterday. “It’s an important disclosure and so we trust that everybody will kind of comply with that but as I thought I said earlier we also need the senior civil servants to ensure that they make their disclosures with the proper documents to verify what it is they’re saying and so that we can put this behind us those who fail to disclose we’re just going to be sending their names to the prime minister and the leader of the opposition as a matter of fact.”
When he was told that Mr Davis had indicated he was unsure if he had filed on time, Bishop Cooper said: “Well some persons didn’t get there on time, but like I said we have a number of them, a very high percentage of them that filed,” Bishop Cooper said.
Asked directly if Mr Davis had filed his documents on time, Bishop Cooper said: “The PM has generally done his on time, I don’t want to get into the specifics of it but they do a good job in ensuring that all of the documents that should accompany their disclosures are put in as well...”
Bishop Cooper said most of the MPs who missed the deadline are first-time representatives. “Most of them are the younger MPs that didn’t get theirs in but generally those senior persons have been getting their documents in,” he said.
Before the House of Assembly on Wednesday morning, The Tribune asked several members of Parliament if they had disclosed ahead of the deadline.
Parliamentarians such as Marco City MP Michael Pintard, Public Service State Minister Pia Glover-Rolle, and St Anne’s MP Adrian White indicated they had done so before the deadline.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper assured his filing would be done before the end of that day.
Some MPs have called for the process to be modernised.
Parliamentarians and senators, along with senior public officers, are required to submit their disclosures to the PDC by March each year.
The Public Disclosure Act empowers only two people to act on delinquent filings: the prime minister and the leader of the opposition.
Either of them can publish the information through a communication in the House of Assembly or cause for it to be laid in the Senate. Either can authorise that the information be presented to the attorney general or commissioner of police so those who failed to disclose could face a penalty.
The penalty for not disclosing is a $10,000 fine and/or up to two years in prison.
Last year, Bishop Cooper told a local daily that some first-time MPs missed the deadline because they were not aware that there was a legal requirement for them to file financial disclosures under the Public Disclosures Act.
Press secretary Clint Watson later dismissed it as a “simple oversight”.
Comments
Sickened 1 year, 1 month ago
Okay now. I want to know the names of everyone that filed late or who has not filed yet. Then I want to know the $ amount of the fines applied to each person and when those funds are actually received into the people's account. And don't f'in tell me that that information is not available as at March 1, 2023.
bookiedread 1 year, 1 month ago
These politicians can do any foolishness they want and get away with it. If any Bahamian doesn't license their cars on time there is a penalty. What is going to happen to the nations Prime Minister who had not filed as prescribed by law? We need to hold these people to a higher standard. And for the Press Secretary to downplay its importance shows you the lack of accountability these people have for the rule of law.
TalRussell 1 year, 1 month ago
Precisely what popoulaces' have come to expect from the 'House-elected members from both sides isles... ---- A 'comedy of errors' by 'lawmakers', who 'themselves' are exposed for constantly 'ignoring the laws' of the colony. --- 'Themselves' are 'guilty as sin' of the evils --- Whilst being quick to harshly punish members of the popoulaces' for being lawbreakers. ---- The fight 'was not won' on 16 September 2021 'was never designed' to elect 38 'true popoulaces' representative' members of the House of Assembly..--- Yes?
themessenger 1 year, 1 month ago
Does anyone actually believe the figures that they disclose? Are they subjected to any sort of forensic analysis? Garbage in garbage out. If you believe what they provide is genuine I have some prime swampland I can sell you for a bargain.
TalRussell 1 year, 1 month ago
@ComradeTheMesseger, particularly so questions, when amongst the financial disclosures is a 'legal requirement, ---- Requiring that they must communicate in writing and under signator and under the risk of facing years of imprisonment for failure to declare ALL of Sam Bankman-Fried's 'generous for the cause of the 16 September 2021 campaign donations'. ----- Financial disclosures IS the law for ALL 38 House-elected members. --- Yes?
themessenger 1 year, 1 month ago
@comradeTalRussell, as we all know when it comes to we House elected members, the law is an ass, mere lip service only--- Yes?
TalRussell 1 year, 1 month ago
I agree and 'will remain so;' so long as we seek out the 'stimulus of change* from the status quo. - By turning to 'another' which has also been 'proven to possess' the exact political intentions', --- Yes?
TalRussell 1 year, 1 month ago
Mess, must first answer as to the degree of homework a popoulaces' will go to --- Before electing their representatives'. --- Yes?
themessenger 1 year, 1 month ago
Tal, the more things change the more they stay the same. As for political intentions, our road to hell has long since been paved with our politicians' intentions. WSC once said of politicians " they're asked to stand, they want to sit, they're expected to lie!" Napoleon Bonaparte said it best, " The surest way to remain poor is to be an honest man."
ThisIsOurs 1 year, 1 month ago
1 in 10 doesnt give an accurate description. That's only 4 people. It would be better to hear about the quality of the disclosures and possibly an auditing of a randomly selected set of the disclosures by various weight classes like budget of the ministry, length of time in parliament. And start with what these disclosures are supposed to do, so trending assets vs salary. That would give us better quality information. Pray for the day we have a PM who actually hold their party to that standard
And to be fair to the MPs the process is invasive. Noone probably enjoys it, noone would like it, but it's a necessary part of being granted power over billions of dollars of public funds and contracts. Theres probably a need for better training of everyone who gets it in their head that they could be an MP because they love the country and they want to help or they look good in a suit, this is a tough job and not many of them are prepared for it, have the mental capacity to handle it or the service mindset.
Emilio26 1 year, 1 month ago
I realize that Brave Davis is all about talk and no action. This guy has been in politics for over 30 years but sadly he has to accomplish anything positive or worthwhile to this country.
TalRussell 1 year, 1 month ago
Hard to tell if it's more of a case of the premiership has surrounded himself with those who are 'ill advising or manipulating' him. --- The governor-general 'is the only one' should has the powers.'to override' the thinking of the colony's premiership. --- Yes?
Commenting has been disabled for this item.