Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Bradley Roberts said yesterday that Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe’s call to suspend the winding up petition against Baha Mar and focus on its role as mediator of negotiations falls in line with what the government’s intentions were all along.

“That action and that pursuit has been the intent of the government all along,” said Mr. Roberts. “The prime minister sent the attorney general and the team to China on two occasions and his talks over and repeatedly again with Mr. Izmirlian.
That’s exactly what the prime minister wanted to do. But to no avail.”

He said the winding up petition is a result of the failure of the parties involved in the Baha Mar debacle to come to a compromise.

“So how long do you talk,” he said, “until the birds come home? There has to be some culmination of talks.”

For three days last week, legal counsel for Baha Mar and the government battled in the Supreme Court before Justice Ian Winder arguing the winding up petition filed by the government in an effort to place the stalled $3.5 billion Cable Beach property in the control of provisional liquidators.

Mr. Wilchcombe has said the biggest losers in the legal fight over the $3.5 billion mega resort are the Bahamian people.

He predicted that court rulings in both The Bahamas and U.S. courts would be followed by lengthy appeals. He suggested that the appointment of liquidators to oversee the resort, would lead to an “uphill battle” for the government.

The winding up petition was filed on July 16 shortly after the first round of talks mediated by the government in China failed to reach an agreement.

Arguments came to an end last week Friday. Justice Winder is scheduled to reveal his ruling on September 4.