Former Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts has hit out at Minister of Works Desmond Bannister after the sudden resignations of several top Bahamas Power and Light executives over the weekend.
In a statement Mr. Roberts said Mr. Bannister knowingly misled the House and the nation and was being neither truthful nor transparent in his communication of the BPL Audit.
“Without notice and suddenly on 1st December, a memorandum purportedly authored by BPL’s CEO Whitney Heastie made the rounds on social media announcing that Cecile Greene, the CFO that Bannister just praised and thanked in Parliament, had stepped down along with Marisa Mason and Deepak Bhatnagar.
“Was Minister Bannister being truthful to members in the Honourable House and Bahamians at large when he thanked Cecile Greene, characterized her as one of the “highly valued team members at BPL” and that BPL valued her service and was looking forward to “many years of continued productivity and goodwill?”
“And what about this new culture of transparency at BPL he spoke of?
“He spoke platitudes out of the left side of his mouth whole secretly ordering and sanctioning the dismissal of the very staff he praised and thanked.
“If anybody believe that these staff members were not forced out but stepped down willingly, then those persons must also believe in the existence of Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny,” Mr. Roberts said.
On Friday BPL’s Chief Executive Officer Whitney Heastie confirmed the departure of Executive Director Deepak Bhatnagar ; Chief Financial Officer; Cecile Green, and Human Resources Director, Marisa Mason Smith with immediate effect.
Ms. Green served in the post for nine years, and will be replaced by acting CFO Chandrice Ferguson. Ms. Mason Smith had been with the company for more than 15 years, according to the memo.
