Democratic National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney said yesterday that Prime Minister Perry Christie remains silent, despite the noise in the market surrounding Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson’s conflict of interest with Baha Mar.

Mr. McCartney said the prime minister’s silence is what he calls “deafening.”

“After adamantly declaring that he is the only person to speak on issues relative to Baha Mar and its ongoing negotiations, his lack of response to the controversy surrounding the government’s lead attorney is both arrogant and dismissive,” Mr. McCartney said.

“Despite attempting unsuccessfully to distance herself from what is obviously a conflict of interest, the attorney general who like other members of cabinet, serves at the pleasure of the prime minister. After being made aware of Mrs. Maynard Gibson’s family ties to the now stalled development, it was, and is the responsibility of the prime minister to ensure that such conflicts are not allowed to exist.”

Mr. McCartney is also calling for Prime Minister Christie to confirm that he was aware of the attorney general’s husband interest in Baha Mar and approved it.

“By allowing the attorney general to lead the Baha Mar negotiations the prime minister not only facilitates the conflict, but is also tacitly complicit in the flouting of the country’s laws on public disclosure,” he said.

Mr. McCartney further outlined specifically Chapter nine of the Public Disclosure Act to solidify his argument.
“As an attorney and as prime minister of the country, Mr. Christie is aware that section five of the Public Disclosure Act states, ‘A declaration shall include such particulars as are known to the declarant of the assets, income and liabilities of himself, of his spouse and of his children,’” he said.

“Further, under the Second Schedule of the Public Disclosure Act Chapter nine of the Statute Laws of Baha Mar, the declaration states, ‘Where any property is held by the declarant, the declarant’s spouse or the declarant’s children in trust for any other person this should be indicated.’ It is safe to say then that since the leases obtained by the attorney general’s husband were granted two years ago, the prime minister was fully aware of her family’s involvement.”

However, Mr. McCartney said Mr. Christie is derelict in his duties by failing to address the issue.
He added that it is in the interest of transparency and accountability and owed to the Bahamian public for Mr.Christie to come forward.