Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts said yesterday that former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham’s allegation that more than $800,000 was stolen from the Ministry of Finance is false.
Mr. Roberts made this comment in response to remarks made by the former prime minister during the Free National Movement’s (FNM) rally on Monday night in Coopers Town, Abaco.
Since the allegation was made, the Ministry of Finance, in a statement, responded by refuting the claim challenging Mr. Ingraham to provide the evidence.
“The PLP is satisfied that there was no theft at the Ministry of Finance as Ingraham alleged in Abaco and reported uncritically by the media. I publicly challenge Hubert Ingraham to produce the evidence; turn it over to the police – that is, put up or shut up. We trust the police, the financial secretary and the auditor general over the Abaco Dragon any day of the week,” Mr. Roberts said.
“And what manner of man would have evidence in his possession on criminal activity and refuse to turn the same over to the police? And a former prime minister no less,” he said.
Mr. Roberts in essence indicated that Mr. Ingraham is not in a position to cast stones.
“It is not Bradley Roberts or the PLP but the unforgiving glare of history that records the Abaco Dragon Hubert Ingraham and his FNM government as the most corrupt government in the history of an independent Bahamas! That much is sure and not up for debate,” charged Mr. Roberts.
In retrospect, Mr. Roberts recounted what he called “real FNM scandals”.
“The dark clouds of secrecy and corruption surrounding the giveaway of BTC to CWC, place the FNM in a category all by themselves and no member of the FNM’s leadership has been able to defend the shameful actions of that ignoble FNM cabinet of which both Ingraham and Minnis were a part,” he said.
“Who received the finder’s fee and why? Why BTC executives were paid huge bonuses after the sale? Was it hush money? What was the real sales price after it was discovered that more than $60 million were left in the company’s bank account for the new owners? Now is as good a time as any for Ingraham to come clean to the Bahamian people,” Mr. Roberts insisted.
“After all these years Ingraham has failed to answer these damning charges because they love corrupt secret back door and smoke filled back room deals at the expense of the Bahamian people,” Mr. Roberts lamented.
Mr. Roberts further highlighted the more than a decade old Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) bribery scandal, which was concluded in the Supreme Court last year.
“The BEC bribe scandal exposed by the United States Department of Justice made international headlines and embarrassed the entire Bahamas, a proud people. A member of the FNM appointed BEC board accepted a bribe and subsequently the decision of the board was overturned by the Ingraham led cabinet; that is what the available evidence reveal. Had it not been for the U.S. government, Bahamians might still be in the dark about this global scandal that hurt Bahamians to this day. That was a scandal of epic proportions,” he said.
Meantime, the PLP chairman urges Bahamians to ignore allegations made against the party by the opposition, and instead focus on the PLP’s action plan for securing the country’s future.
