The Free National Movement’s (FNM) candidate for North Eleuthera Howard “Rickey” Mackey has apologized for his failure to pay a 15-year-old Customs bill.

In a statement released yesterday via the party, Mr. Mackey offered an apology to the Bahamian people for allowing the issue to get this point, all the while chiding the Progressive Liberal Party.

“This morning, as promised over the weekend, I paid in full my outstanding customs tax bill.  I’m sorry I allowed this to become a distraction in this campaign taking away from the issues.

“Bahamians want us focused on – such as how we will fix our educational system, get our economy moving again to create jobs and target the growing crime epidemic – just to name a few.

“I know the PLP seeks to avoid engaging on these issues because of their abysmal record – and releasing my tax statement this weekend is the latest example, however, but the problems facing our communities

and country today are too big for us to allow them to distract us from the things that truly matter to the Bahamian people,” Mr. Mackey said.

The FNM’s North Eleuthera candidate took “full responsibility” for his failure to settle a 15-year-old debt worth $9,500 to the Department of Customs.

Mr. Mackey said he made one $3,197 payment to the Public Treasury, via RBC’s Harbour Island branch, in April 2013 but left around $9,500 due and owing until exposed by his political opponents this weekend.

Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts over the weekend told his party’s campaign rally at Hatchet Bay: “The FNM candidate for North Eleuthera, Howard ‘Rickey’ Mackey, to date owes the Bahamas government thousands of dollars in Customs duties which he committed in writing to pay, but has failed to do so.”