The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

LONG Island MP Dr Andre Rollins yesterday demanded that the government disclose whether convicted drug trafficker Eric Gardiner made campaign donations to the Progressive Liberal Party over the past decade, as he intensified scrutiny of government contracts awarded to a company linked to him.

During his contribution to the budget debate, Dr Rollins questioned how a company tied to a man previously convicted of narcotics trafficking in the United States could receive major government contracts, including a $35m public-private partnership deal to construct the Government’s Eight Mile Rock administrative complex.

The contract was awarded to Top Notch Builders one day before the May 2017 general election. Documents from The Bahamas’ registry of records have linked Top Notch to Gardiner, who is listed as president and director.

Corporate records also show Top Notch owns Complete Construction, the company developing the Government’s flagship Carmichael Village affordable housing project, which got underway last term.

Finance Minister Michael Halkitis has confirmed that he once served as a director of Top Notch Builders, but said he resigned in 2021 because of the pandemic.

Dr Rollins devoted much of his budget contribution to the government’s dealings with Top Notch, pressing for answers about who approved the Eight Mile Rock deal, whether it went through a competitive bidding process and whether Gardiner ever donated to the PLP.

“Who in the government knew what, and when did they know it?” he asked. “Was the project open to a competitive bidding process, and if not, why not? Which minister of government was responsible for signing off on the terms of the agreement?”

US authorities said Gardiner was allegedly carrying $30,000 when US rescue teams reached him and ten other survivors after a plane crashed on Election Day. Several survivors were seen wearing PLP paraphernalia.

Dr Rollins said Bahamians should know whether Gardiner had made campaign donations to the PLP since 2017, when the Grand Bahama contract was issued.

“This is important because it would help to explain why a company he is alleged to be a beneficial owner of would receive unusually favourable contractual terms by public contract,” he said.

“It would also help us to investigate which government ministers had direct involvement in the issuance of that eight mile rock government complex contract to top-notch construction.”

Dr Rollins claimed that a “poison pill provision” was inserted into the PPP agreement, making the deal unbreakable.

He said the incoming Minnis administration in 2017 would have been forced to pay the full value of the contract, including principal and interest, if it had sought to cancel the agreement.

“It's unbelievable that any government would not have done its due diligence on the principal of top-notch builders,” he said, “and with a principal who has been already convicted of narcotics trafficking by the United States of America to get $50.6m in government money means if one notice I said if one was so minded or had that amount of money to wash or clean, it would be a very convenient way to do so.”

On the broader issue of PPPs, Dr Rollins warned that without proper disclosure, such arrangements could become attractive vehicles for money laundering.

He said full implementation of the Freedom of Information Act would help strengthen transparency and accountability by creating a clear paper trail.

His contribution began with sharp comments about the influence of money in politics and alleged exploitation in the House, but Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell repeatedly raised points of order on relevance. House Speaker Patricia Deveaux backed Mr Mitchell’s position.

The exchange escalated into a heated back-and-forth, with Dr Rollins and Speaker Deveaux accusing each other of doing a disservice to the country’s democracy.

At one point, Dr Rollins cautioned the Speaker to be careful, saying he did not want her to suffer a health incident.

“You could never,” Speaker Deveaux shouted. “Ten of you. Ten just like you could not bring my health event. Be careful. Boy look here. Don’t do that.”