Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts said former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham is “dead wrong on Baha Mar and his views are dangerous to our sovereignty.”
Mr. Ingraham this week told reporters that he warned Prime Minister Perry Christie not to place the beleaguered Cable Beach mega resort into liquidation – advice the nation’s chief ignored.
The multi-billion resort has been in provisional liquidation over the last several months.
“The decision of the Christie administration to oppose the subjugation of our sovereign jurisdiction to a foreign one, reducing our judiciary to a rubber stamp was a matter of sovereignty and we stand behind the government on this policy decision,” Mr. Roberts said.
“Further, the presiding judge in the Delaware bankruptcy court and the Bahamas Supreme Court agreed with each other and the Government of The Bahamas. What Hubert Ingraham is suggesting in the media sets a dangerous precedent and it will undermine the sovereignty of The Bahamas if he or the FNM have their way in the governance of the country.
“Ingraham’s conflict is really with The Bahamas courts as no decision regarding Baha Mar is made without the approval of The Bahamas Supreme Court, but he deceitfully misleads Bahamians on the Baha Mar issue.”
The former prime minister also said that he is disappointed in the level of service BTC provides.
The Ingraham administration sold BTC to Cable and Wireless in 2011 for $210 million plus stamp taxes.
Mr. Ingraham said Prime Minister Christie’s statement that the government bought back two per cent of the telecommunications company is not accurate.
“They still have 49 per cent,” he said. “Nothing has changed.”
Mr. Roberts said the former prime minister should explain his administration’s BTC deal.
“Since Hubert Ingraham is in such a talkative mood these days, he is cordially invited to explain to the Bahamian people how and why he gave BTC away for peanuts and at a fire sale price. To add insult to injury it was later discovered that he left fifty nine $59 million in BTC’s bank account to be turned over to its new owner; resulting in a gift to C&W,” he said.
“That same BTC became the most valuable and profitable strategic Business Unit (SBU) in the CWC asset portfolio and greatly influenced the huge sales price of CWC to Liberty Communications for literally billions of dollars a short time later.
“While Ingraham is at it, he should also explain the reasons for his decision to reverse the decision of his duly appointed BEC Board on the infamous contract to purchase generators. Ingraham’s cabinet rejected the South Korea company in favour of French energy giant Alstrom in light of the troublesome DA 11 generator purchased by BEC from that very same company earlier. Many Bahamians still believe that there is a connection between the international bribery scandal and the actions of the Ingraham cabinet, but Ingraham has an opportunity to clarify all of this for the Bahamian people.”
