The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

Opposition Leader Michael Pintard vowed yesterday to press ahead with the Public Accounts Committee’s work and test the matter in court if necessary after House Speaker Patricia Deveaux ruled that unfinished committee matters from the previous parliamentary session had “fallen away” after prorogation.

The clash erupted in the House of Assembly hours after Mr Pintard said the PAC expected to release at least two reports within weeks, including one on the 2023 CARIFTA Games audit.

The dispute unfolded during the evening sitting after Nassau Village MP Jamahl Strachan said there had been an attempt by the PAC chairman to advance committee business from the last parliamentary term after the dissolution of the House of Assembly. He called for the Speaker’s intervention.

East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson, who sits on the committee, rejected the allegation as “completely inaccurate”.

“There were two motions that were made at that time,” Mr Thompson said. “One was because this was a new session, we moved to determine what would happen or which matters would be determined in this session. The committee made a decision that it would deal with matters that were unfinished during the last session.”

Ms Deveaux disagreed, ruling that all matters before the committee during the previous session ceased to exist when Parliament was prorogued.

“The house was prorogued and dissolved, all matters pending have fallen away, and the hurtful part about it is y'all know that and you know that,” the Speaker said.

“The newest thing is how do you bring an old matter in what has fallen away when there are new members sitting on this committee who have not been appraised, who was not involved in the dialogue previously,” she said.

Ms Deveaux continued to chastise the opposition, pointing to past claims that she has been unfair.

“You want to tell the speaker how to do her job and then go into the public arena and say I'm not fair, but there are rules and regulations,” she said. “Y'all know what is right from what is wrong, and then you want me to side with what is wrong. I'm gonna tell the world like how y'all tell the media, I will not be silenced, so you can over talk me all you want. I will not be silenced on what is wrong.”

PLP members banged on their desks in support as the Speaker delivered her ruling.

Mr Pintard challenged the intervention, saying the committee would continue its work.

“The PAC will resume its work and we are prepared to test it in court if it is necessary,” he said. “What you are saying is inappropriate.”

Ms Deveaux fired back: “You’re taking me to court, carry me there. My legal team ready.”

Before the confrontation, Mr Pintard told reporters ahead of a PAC meeting that members planned to meet permanent secretaries who testified during previous sessions.

“I spoke with one of the permanent secretaries who testified during the last session. We expect that within a couple of weeks we’re going to release at least two of the reports, and we just want to make sure that the statements were made on the record, that they agree that this is what was reflected with the previous testimony, and we’ll then proceed and release those reports,” he said.

In addition to the 2023 CARIFTA Games audit, he said the committee also planned to issue a report concerning the Consumer Commission’s office space issues.

An Office of the Auditor General report in 2023 highlighted irregularities concerning the 2023 CARIFTA Games hosted in The Bahamas, including a lack of financial control, failure to follow hiring procedures, unauthorised use of petty cash and unauthorised purchases.

The report found that the games recorded an $829,821 deficit even after the initial budget increased significantly.

Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg pushed back against the report, saying the games ended with a $185,000 surplus.