It is time for the Free National Movement (FNM) to “stop lying” and “start governing,” according to Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts, who refuted a “lie” that the former government wasted $234 million.

Roberts said yesterday that Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest’s suggestion that the PLP government “horrendously blew $234 million is a damnable lie and an irresponsible statement.”

He explained that the PLP would like to lecture Turnquest and inform him that the public financial administration is governed by settled law, specifically the Financial Administration and Audit Act.

“Further, the chief accounting officer or the accountable officer under the law is the permanent secretary and not the minister,” Roberts said.  “Ministers do not sign checks.  If Turnquest has evidence that applicable laws were violated then he should present the same and allow the law to take its natural course.

“The PLPs advice to Peter Turnquest is to ‘cut the crap’ and get to work as the FNM’s lying political campaign is over.  It is time to govern.”

The PLP chairman also noted that the FNM told additional “lies” concerning the PLP government and “as the days go by Bahamians are mercilessly and painfully subjected to one more outrageous claim from the FNM, more ridiculous and reckless than the previous one.”

He said the FNM claimed that the VAT money was stolen, which was proven as a “damnable lie.”

Roberts also pointed out that the FNM claimed that the Baha Mar deal was a government inspired corrupt and secret agreement.

“That too turned out to be a damnable lie and they (FNM) were forced to walk back and climb down from that fallacy,” he said.

The PLP chairman also explained that PLP government never gave 10,000 acres of land in Andros to the Chinese and 500 citizenships were not sold to the Chinese as the “FNM foolishly and dishonestly claimed.”

“These too were damnable lies,” Roberts said. “The FNM claimed the country was insolvent and had to grudgingly walk back that bold faced lie.”

He warned that whenever the FNM speaks Bahamians should automatically and instinctively question the veracity of the party’s statement.

“Immediate doubt is reasonable because none of the FNM’s claims to date turned out to be true. The FNM is on record during the budget debate assuring the Bahamian people that they would honour the financial commitments of the government.  The $722 million in borrowing is the proof, so what is this bit of salacious non-sense about horrendously blowing $234 million?” he said.

“When will these people get to work and quit this foolish political grandstanding?

“There are myriads of challenges facing this country that require vision, a strategic plan, focus and strong leadership. Running off to the media every day with one lying and deflective hyperbole after the other in search of salacious headlines is not governance and will get this country absolutely nowhere.”