PRIME Minister Perry Christie last night insisted that Bahamian citizenship is “not for sale at any time at any price” as he refuted allegations that his government had agreed to the sale or grant of 500 Bahamian citizenships to Chinese investors in connection with the beleaguered Baha Mar project.

Mr. Christie described it as an “absolute lie” that citizenship in return for foreign investment had been agreed, saying that was a “non-negotiable position” for his government.

The Prime Minister was responding to allegations which surfaced yesterday of a major request for concessions by China Construction America (CCA) to jumpstart the stalled $3.5bn resort.

The allegations were made by radio talk show host Steve McKinney, who claimed that CCA, Baha Mar’s lead general contractor, has requested that the resort’s current developer Sarkis Izmirilian to be removed from the project, a 30-year exclusivity with regards to its casino licence, a 30-year Value Added Tax exemption, a 25 per cent increase in concessions currently enjoyed by the resort, and the granting of 500 citizenships to Chinese nationals attached to the project in various capacities.

It brought a call from Free National Movement (FNM) leader Dr. Hubert Minnis for Mr. Christie to give a full explanation of the Baha Mar negotiations .

In his statement last night Mr. Christie said: “Bahamian citizenship is not for sale at any time at any price to anybody. This is a non-negotiable position of my government. Moreover, it is for me personally, a matter upon which no compromise is possible.

“I can therefore assure the Bahamian people, without any equivocation whatsoever, that no deal offering Bahamian citizenship in return for an investment in The Bahamas will ever be entered into while I head the government of The Bahamas. I find the very idea of citizenship-for-sale to be repugnant to all that I believe in and to all that I stand for as a Bahamian. It will never happen on my watch.”

The Prime Minister added that the grant of Bahamian citizenship is subject to strict eligibility requirements and qualifications under The Bahamas Nationality Act. “The suggestion that just because you buy Bahamian real estate or make an investment you somehow qualify for Bahamian citizenship is complete and utter nonsense. Not only is it as a complete non-starter from the standpoint of the Government’s immigration policy, it is not even legally possible.”

Earlier, Dr. Minnis insisted that the Bahamian people would not accept such a deal and that he would personally lead a demonstration against it. He said the Prime Minister “owed it” to the Bahamian people to discuss both the allegations and concerns surrounding the matter.

“(Mr. Christie) needs to address the nation and say whether or not this is true,” he said,”because if this is true, he needs to tell whoever sent that letter where to jump and where to go.

“Bahamian people will not tolerate it. If (the letter) is so, I will personally lead the demonstration to stop such an event. But we will not tolerate it. There is no way that will happen. Not in this country. Not while I am here. So, (Mr. Christie), I say to you: ‘If that is so, then tell them where to jump, where to go,” Dr. Minnis said.

Mr. McKinney revealed the contents of a purported letter addressed to Mr. Christie from CCA during a segment of his “Hard Copy” talk show on Peace 107.5FM over the weekend.

Recordings of Mr. McKinney’s show have since gone viral on social media, fuelling speculation that Christie administration were attempting to kickstart the mega resort during the course of 2016 at any cost.

Mr. McKinney further alleged that Attorney General, Allyson Maynard-Gibson and the Prime Minister’s senior policy adviser, Sir Baltron Bethel, were en-route to China with plans to strike a deal with CCA.

The Tribune understands that Mrs Maynard-Gibson and Mr. Bethel are presently in China; however, the trip’s purpose could not be confirmed.

A source familiar with the matter would only state that the pair had departed for China this weekend with directives from the Prime Minister.

Mr. Christie is expected to make a communication in the House of Assembly on Baha Mar this week, and sources point to a direct correlation between the Attorney General’s current trip and ongoing CCA negotiations.

Speaking on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony for Senator Dr. Duane Sands at Government House yesterday, Dr. Minnis lambasted Mr. Christie for his passive action in this saga. He emphasised that former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, when faced with a similar situation, led negotiations in China to ensure its success.

“And he (Mr. Ingraham) came back with a better deal for the Bahamian populace,” Dr. Minnis said.

“An additional $400m. So (Mr. Christie) needs to go (to China). You do not send somebody junior to you, you go and you speak with authority. You speak for the Bahamian people and you let them know what (you went) there for and what the Bahamian people expect.”

Dr. Minnis said: “Do not send somebody who you can.... hide behind, no. Let us know what is going on and the Prime Minister can be assured that he would have the backing of the entire Bahamas because we will not allow ourselves to be walked on.”

Dr. Minnis urged the Christie administration to launch a formal investigation into CCA contracts for Baha Mar to uncover the truth behind the Baha Mar debacle.

He highlighted a past invoice discrepancy between CCA and Baha Mar developers.

When asked by The Tribune if the FNM had launched any investigations of its own into CCA, and the assertions offered by Mr. McKinney, Dr. Minnis said the party has not.

He maintained that it was the responsibility of the Christie administration to ensure that there was no “skullduggery” surrounding the actions of CCA as it was the only regime with knowledge of the intimate details of the current scope of negotiations.

Dr. Minnis said the new allegations raised more questions over the pace of construction at The Pointe - another Nassau-based project being constructed by CCA.

He questioned whether the confusion surrounding the Bay Street project’s building permits had anything to do with “backdoor deals” between CCA and the government.

In a later press statement, Dr. Minnis expressed solidarity with disenfranchised Baha Mar workers who were made redundant when the project went into liquidation earlier this year. The workers purportedly sent an open letter to Mr. Christie lobbying against CCA’s continued involvement in the project.

Dr. Minnis said the Baha Mar debacle was just a number on the long list of failures under the Christie-led government.

He demanded that Mr. Christie choose whether the government represented the Bahamian people or a foreign corporation.

By Ricardo Wells, Tribune Staff Reporter

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