Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts yesterday blasted the media over the revelation that Dame Marguerite Pindling owes the government over $300,000 in unpaid real property taxes and said the story "stinks".
"I said it was sick," said Roberts when contacted for comment.
"Lady Pindling is a retired lady.
"For a lady [over] 80 years of age, sir, who gave to this country, do you all figure that, that is major news to you all? Jesus, where is your sense of dignity, man?
"[Look at] what she has done for this country and for the people of The Bahamas, including you, me, all of us, that woman."
Roberts, a former Cabinet minister in the Pindling administration, questioned why there is so much interest in Dame Marguerite's outstanding taxes.
Dame Marguerite is the wife of the late Sir Lynden Pindling, the first prime minister of The Bahamas. He died of prostate cancer in 2000.
Documents obtained by The Guardian show that she owes $306,831.73 in back taxes and interest on the home she shared with the former prime minister, according to an accounts receivable inquiry from the Department of Inland Revenue dated June 18, 2014.
The Guardian reached out to Dame Marguerite again about the issue, but she declined to comment.
When contacted yesterday, her son, Obi Pindling, simply told The Guardian that "God is never asleep and God is never dead".
The document obtained shows that the tax on Sir Lynden and Dame Marguerite's home at Skyline Heights has piled up over the past 14 years.
The interest accumulated on the back taxes is $105,763.23.
Roberts questioned the motive of whoever leaked the information.
"Who put it there?" he asked.
"What do you think they have against her that she would be the focus of attention at this time? Why? Because of the question that she might be a possible candidate for governor general? It stinks."
He said in fairness, The Guardian should ascertain which former deputy governors general had outstanding debt.
As Sir Lynden's widow, Dame Marguerite has been receiving his prime minister's pension since his death -- an annual disbursement of $86,000.
Dame Marguerite is also deputy to the governor general and widely considered to be the front runner to be appointed governor general when Sir Arthur Foulkes demits office on July 8.

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