"I would have liked to see after 20 years final results of investigations from the Ethics Committee in to what happened with my complaints against four local lawyers, stated German investor Harald Fuhrmann, who staged during the IAAF World Relays a silent protest“ against the former or still acting chairman Caryl Lashley. He demands from the President of the IAAF, Lamine Drack, to get an independent advice about injustice and corruption in the Bahamas legal profession.

Fuhrmann criticized that from his point of view the chairperson is working at a snail's pace and even hoping that clients die in the meantime so bad lawyers easily have more control over client's settlements and properties? He insits that someone in the Christie's Government may know someting about the legal fraternity and corruption in the legal matter against his former brother in law. The Prime Minister should not talk only about “The Ethical Anti-Corruption Framework of the Bahamian Government: Lessons for the Caribbean”, because morality, trust and ethics can only be attained, if all institutions – legislative, executive, political, judicial and civil ensure transparency and accountability. In the past Perry Christie and his former personell assistent Trevor Whylly have turned only deaf ears to his plight.

Name of the chairman of the Ethics Committee is a secret

The question is not an idle question, said Fuhrmann. After 20 years of silence I ask the government, the Bahamas Bar Association and the chairman of the Ethics Committee, what did they know, when did they know, what do they hide and why do they hide? It is sad that Bahamians feel that they do not have access to the courts at reasonable costs and often justice would be denied. Nobody should ask why we have such an increase in crime and killing, stated the law abiding German investor. His inquiry whether the Disciplinary Tribunal is competent to pass resolutions left the President of the Bahamas Bar Association since weeks unanswered. The culminating point is today and according to a demand that the name of the chairman of the Ethics Committee – wow - is in the meantime a secret. How can the public know that the committee is run by a competent chairman - and in an open and transparent manner?

The Ethics Committee makes citizens and foreigners believe that it takes lawyer's unethical behaviour very seriously. Fuhrmann confirmed that the Disciplinary Tribunal did not sit for years. Therefore he demands to find out whether the Ethics Committee/Bar Association failed after a certain time to force the government by law that the Disciplinary Tribunal can sit. He points out that the chairman of the so called Ethics Committee puts extremly high psychological stress on him and this over years. Whereas promissed the German was never able to meet the chaiman at the Bar. On the advice of the police he went to the law firm where she is working. There he had extremly to wonder about the fact that the chairperson Lashley called the police while he was simply waiting in her lobby at East Bay Street. After waiting 20 minutes I have been told by two police officers that „I am not welcome“ and they forced me to leave the building. This is the Bahamas legal system, the cadre of top professionals to a legislative framework to rival any in the Caribbean. „The Bahamas legal profession leads the field“, we can deceitful read in The Bahamas Investor“, claimed Harald Fuhrmann.

Does the Bar investigation show that no list of damages have been provided to the court? I still remember how frustrated the judge was. Does the Bar investigation show that an experienced lawyer have no knowledge how foreign receipts have to be translated? Does the Bar investigation show that lawyers show attitudes which are not in harmony with the codes of ethics? Does the Bar investigation show that lawyers delayed judical rulings, did not appear to court dates, did not allow entitelt demands in acceptable ways with courts, did not answer emails, letter or calls, did not apply for judgement by default whereas the defendant did not show up?

Commission for the public benefit

Why was I not informed in time that the costs would exceed 5,000.00 $ as first agreed? Is there any evidence how and when I received a memorandum of appearance concerning an $33,000.00 invoice? Why is a lawyer able to get a judgement against his client within two months whereas a judgement for his client was issued after 6 years. Why didn't my lawyer go with me to court to present the documents of costs to the Registrar whereas he was that time in his office? Why was I forced to engage annother lawyer for a certain time to get from my main lawyer question answered? How and according to which Bahamian law was I informed that my property in Winton had to be sold by auction? Was I forced to pay $10,000,00 within one day till 23rd of December and annother $18,000.00 within three working days till 31st day of December?

Why did annother lawyer recommend to pay for work to be completed but which was not completed thus acting „officially in clear breach of the duty to complete the legal work assigned to him unless discharged by written agreement beween him and the German investor? Will the Governor-General wonder why I signed at a office of the forth enganged lawyer an assessment which is missing up to this day? Since two decades 1 invested $1,600,000.00 in to bring this matter to public attention and I did not receive a dime as yet, claims Harald Fuhrmann. He applies now to issue a commission of not less than three persons to report on the matter because this would be also in the public interest.

Fuhrmann passed also a letter to the Bahamas Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade to arrest the chairperson of the Ethics Committee in the Bahamas Bar Association because he makes citizens and foreigners alike believe that he would take lawyer's unethical behaviour serious because of having the mandate to investigate official complains and to undertake necessary steps to forward wrongdoings successfully to the Disciplinary Tribunal. „Dear Mr. Greenslade, why in God's name do citzens and foreigners have to quiver and quake before Bahamian lawyers and why is the chairperson of the Ethics Committee treating them like stray dogs? In 40 years of independance we should be much further than this?“