Ingraham says Christie 'compromised'

Wed, Apr 25th 2012, 10:22 AM

Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said that Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Leader Perry Christie should not have taken on work as a consultant for a law firm representing the Bahamas Petroleum Company (BPC) if he was considering another bid for prime minister.
Ingraham said the person making the ultimate decision about oil drilling in Bahamian waters should not be biased in any way.
"Perry Christie should not be a consultant for an oil company if he wants to be prime minister of The Bahamas," Ingraham told reporters after a rally in North Andros Monday night.
"When the decision is made, if the decision is made, to drill for oil in The Bahamas it should be a very thoughtful thing and The Bahamas should be ready for it.
"It cannot be [done by] a compromised person who acted as a consultant, who got paid as a consultant, from that company."

Last week, Ingraham told The Nassau Guardian that he would not allow oil drilling in Bahamian waters if the Free National Movement is elected for another term.
At an FNM rally in Grand Bahama last night, Ingraham said, "A government led by me will not agree to any drilling for oil in The Bahamas until all necessary and appropriate regulations are in place and until we are fully and competently in a position to regulate such activity so as to protect our environment and that of the world's ocean beyond from harmful and risky activity in our country and in our waters".
He also said, "We are not now in a position to so regulate and oversee drilling operations in our waters. My greatest obligation is to do what I think is the right thing to do at any given time to protect the best interests of you, the Bahamian people, and that of future generations.
"I will not take any deliberate action to cause harm to our country regardless of the promised financial reward for a select few consultants and legal representatives. We in the FNM do not go that way. We accept that we are different, distinctly different from them."
Last week, Ingraham revealed that Christie was a consultant for BPC and suggested that senior members of the PLP had ties to the oil company.
After Ingraham's comments, BPC's stock lost a fourth of its market value.
On Monday, Ingraham told The Nassau Guardian that BPC's stock market dive was none of his business.
Last week, Christie said he was a consultant for Davis & Co., the law firm owned by PLP Deputy Leader Philip 'Brave' Davis. Davis & Co. is one of two Bahamian firms that represent BPC.
Christie told The Nassau Guardian that if his party wins the next election the decisions made by him and his deputy on oil drilling would not be swayed by their current relationship with BPC.
"It's not a conflict because the advice I'm giving now has nothing to do with any decisions I [will] make as prime minister," Christie said.
"What a Cabinet minister must do is declare [his] interests and ensure that it is clearly understood that in the past or present he's had a relationship [with a company]."
The PLP's candidate for Killarney, Jerome Gomez, is listed as BPC's resident manager on the oil company's website.

MOMENTOUS DECISIONS

Ingraham expanded on the issue at the FNM rally in Grand Bahama last night.
"The approval of drilling for oil in the pristine waters of The Bahamas is among the most momentous decisions that any Government of The Bahamas will ever have to make," he said.
"This decision by your government should never be influenced by any financial relationship that exists between the company seeking the permit and its paid consultants and attorneys.
"It is a decision with wide ramifications that will affect the very nature and essence of who we are as a country."
Ingraham said as the country prepares for a general election, the leaders of both major parties have an obligation to be transparent and up front with the Bahamian people on this critical issue.
"The leader of the Opposition must answer some critical questions," he said.
"The Bahamian people deserve and demand to know how long he has been a consultant for the oil company."
Ingraham questioned whether Christie was hired for his legal expertise or because he was a potential prime minister.
"Is it a mere coincidence that a foreign oil company decided to hire as consultants and pay handsomely, the two most senior leaders of the Official Opposition, and potentially two senior leaders of the executive branch in the country in which they are seeking to drill for oil?" he asked.
Ingraham added, "There must be no question or appearance of the possibility of a grave conflict of interest or the potential for secret deals which can compromise the individual who serves as your prime minister."

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian

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