The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS


Tribune Staff Reporter


lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE Free National Movement says the new Cabinet appointments of Sebas Bastian and Leslia Miller-Brice should be tested before the courts if necessary, arguing that the government has not fully explained how two people with known links to the gaming industry were cleared to serve as ministers under the Gaming Act.

The opposition stopped short of confirming it will take legal action, but said judicial interpretation may be needed to determine whether the Davis administration properly applied the law before the two were sworn in.

“The Bahamian people deserve clarity on whether the persons appointed continue to hold gaming interests or financial interests, and if not, when and how they were disposed,” the FNM said. “Accordingly, the Opposition believes this matter should be fully disclosed and, if necessary, tested before the courts so that the law may be clearly interpreted and upheld in the national interest,” the party said in a statement yesterday.

On Saturday, Mr Bastian, the Fort Charlotte MP-elect, was sworn in as Minister of Innovation and National Development, while Ms Miller-Brice, the Seabreeze MP-elect, was sworn in as Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage.

Their appointments have drawn scrutiny because of their links to the gaming sector. Mr Bastian is the former chief executive officer of Island Luck. Ms Miller-Brice’s husband, Leander Brice, reportedly resigned as chief executive officer of GLK Limited t/a A Sure Win Gaming House Operator before her appointment.

The dispute centres on whether the Gaming Act’s restrictions on gaming licences and financial interests were satisfied before the appointments were made.

Section 25 of the Gaming Act says a person may not hold an employment licence if that person is a member of the Cabinet, a member of the Gaming Board or a family member of such a person. Section 26 applies that restriction to certain other licences and financial interests in licence holders, including a financial interest of five per cent or more in the holder of specified licences.

The provisions do not appear to impose a blanket bar on people connected to the gaming industry entering Parliament or being appointed to Cabinet. However, they do raise questions about whether Cabinet ministers, their family members or associates may continue to hold licences, significant financial interests or other arrangements caught by the Act.

FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands said the issue is not merely technical, but goes to transparency, accountability and public confidence in the rule of law.

“The thing speaks for itself. The public deserves an explanation from the Progressive Liberal Party,” Dr Sands said, adding: “Follow the money. Are these individuals now also saying that they are going to forego any income from these businesses, or whether that income is going to be less than five percent? I mean, there are a lot of unanswered questions.”

Dr Sands said the party has not committed to legal action, but all options are on the table.

He said the government must explain whether the spirit and intent of the law have been followed.

“It seems unusual that the Prime Minister himself, in his previous term, did not feel that Leslia was a fit and proper person to be in the Cabinet,” he said. “Has that changed? While we note the placement of putting assets in trusts, we are obviously interested to know whether or not the spirit and intent of the law is being adhered to, and so I think the government has some explaining to do.”

Both new ministers have insisted that they complied with the regulatory requirements before taking office.

Mr Bastian stepped down as Island Luck’s chief executive officer earlier this year after he was ratified as a Progressive Liberal Party candidate.

On the sidelines of Saturday’s swearing-in ceremony at Government House, he defended his appointment and said he had worked with regulators to ensure compliance.

“The gaming laws are in place, and we would’ve done work with the regulator to ensure that we were compliant and meet all of the regulatory conditions, which were a prerequisite obviously to these appointments, and I am confident that they have been satisfied and any additional questions towards that you can direct those to the Bahamas Gaming Board,” he said.

Ms Miller-Brice gave a similar defence.

“We have taken the proactive steps necessary, we have engaged with the Gaming Board, and so we’ve done all that we can to follow the rules and the guidelines that the gaming board has put in place. Now this gives me and Mr Bastian an opportunity to take on the role of serving in the capacity as cabinet ministers.”

Office of the Prime Minister communications director Latrae Rahming has directed questions to the Gaming Board, saying the matter will be formally addressed in an upcoming release.

Critics may not be satisfied by referrals to the Gaming Board. Under the Gaming Act, board members are appointed by the minister responsible for gaming, who also designates the chairperson and may terminate a member’s appointment.

Ms Miller-Brice’s links to the gaming sector and its impact on her getting a Cabinet seat had attracted speculation before. She served in the last term as Ambassador to CARICOM and chair of the National Independence Secretariat, but was not appointed to Cabinet then.

In July 2025, she publicly supported amending the Gaming Act, saying she believed the restriction on Cabinet ministers and their families holding gaming licences should be reconsidered. She did not confirm whether she was directly affected.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said at the time that there were no plans to amend the law and that Cabinet eligibility rules relating to gaming interests would remain in place.