Prime Minister Perry Christie said he was surprised to learn that Bahamas Telecomunications Company (BTC) executives associated with the sale of 51 percent of the company in 2011 were awarded $1.5 million in bonuses.
"[I was] surprised, but I wasn't there," he said yesterday.
"I don't know what goes into having to provide incentives to the executives of a company that you are privatizing.
"I thought it was strange to be able to incentivize them in that way.
"Some of them getting $200,000, others getting over $100,000, it was a decision made by the government and the former prime minister of The Bahamas.
"It has to be seen for what it is. I'm sure in the fullness of time we'll have wonderful debates and discussions on it."
Christie had promised to reveal "shocking details" surrounding the sale, but never did.
"I'm obviously privy to everything that took place in the BTC sale and obviously I was aware that one of the members of Parliament had made a request for a select committee to examine it," he said yesterday.
"I happen to know all of the details of it and that is why on many occasions I have described the deal as not a good deal for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
"But on a number of occasions I've made public statements where I would refer, without being specific, to the fact that this payment was made and [it was] very obvious who wrote the check, who signed the checks and it is very clear who did it.
"So I don't know whether there was an attempt to keep [it] secret. It was never revealed. Now, for the first time the Bahamian people are becoming aware of part of the story of the acquisition of BTC."
According to correspondence associated with the deal, payments were made from the Public Treasury, according to documents obtained by The Nassau Guardian.
The payments ranged between $210,000 and $15,000.
The $1.5 million allocated for bonuses for the executives for their efforts was split among 15 executives.
One executive got $210,000; three executives received $150,000; six received $100,000; one got $75,000; three were given $50,000, and one received $15,000.
This is in addition to the salaries of the executives, who were paid an annual salary of at least $99,000.
Then Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham personally wrote each executive on April 15, 2011 and thanked him or her for the "valuable role played by you and your colleague executives in the government's realization of the recent privatization of BTC".
Christie said more details surrounding the sale will emerge when the select committee to investigate it is called.
Bamboo Town Member of Parliament Renward Wells advised in the House of Assembly in February that at the next sitting of the House he would formally call for the establishment of a select committee to examine the deal.
However, that didn't happen.
Christie said once the constitutional ammendment bills are passed, the establishment of the committee should move ahead.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian