Michael Pintard

FORMER Free National Movement Chairman Michael Pintard yesterday distanced himself from advertisements that indicated he was seeking to reclaim his post at the party’s convention.

Emphatically stating that he was committed to building the party’s base in Grand Bahama, Mr. Pintard maintained that he did not intend to run for any position.

Party nominations closed yesterday, with voting expected to start on Friday at the Melià hotel. Mr. Pintard did not receive a nomination on the convention floor.

“In recent weeks a number of delegates and supporters of our party have asked me to once again offer for chairman of the Free National Movement,” said Mr. Pintard in a post on Facebook.

“Consistently I have indicated that my focus is helping the party in general and concentrating on our campaign in Grand Bahama. While I appreciate the support being offered to me I wish to say simply and clearly say that it is not my intention to offer for any position in the upcoming convention.”

Mr. Pintard said: “I’m not directly or indirectly responsible for any advertisement being circulated about my participation in convention elections. I will continue to support my party as we unify and seek to lead efforts to build a strong, wholesome and prosperous country.”

Mr. Pintard resigned as the party’s chairman and as a senator in late March over concerns about his involvement in the contentious court action against Canadian fashion designer Peter Nygard that alleged the Lyford Cay billionaire had orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot against opposing activists.

Mr. Pintard was named as being the person who uncovered the alleged murder-for-hire plot after meeting with “gang members” Livingston “Toggie” Bullard and Wisler “Bobo” Davilma in early 2015.

The billionaire fashion designer - Mr. Louis Bacon’s neighbour - fired back with his own allegations and filed court documents that claim Bullard and Davilma were paid for “false testimony” against him.

The controversy heightened when FNM Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis later admitted to The Tribune that he met with one of the criminals involved in the alleged plot - Bullard - three times. Dr. Minnis maintained that he did not discuss Mr. Nygard and had no prior knowledge of the investigation with which Mr. Pintard was involved.

Mr. Pintard has maintained that his resignation was important to allow the public to focus on the issues and not an FNM official, and served to rob the PLP of having the ability to use him as a distraction.

Yesterday, he told The Tribune that he had no interest in the chairman’s post despite the outpouring of support. He pointed to the significant strides made by his non-profit relief group Light And Water Now (LAWN).

“I can only assess based on what persons have said. I’ve sought to hold the Progressive Liberal Party (to account), in terms of organisational skill and managing the day-to-day events. But right now I’m focused on laying the foundation in Grand Bahama for reform, for true relief.

“We have put in place funding for the construction of bathrooms in houses with no running water, refurbishing a couple homes. So far we have done one off East Street, and a second home in Marco City. Wherever people need assistance, we will take applications.”

Mr. Pintard added: “Priority categories are indigent or senior citizens, and single mothers with multiple children. We are grateful to all the persons that have come on board to make contributions to the fund in cash and kind.”

By Ava Turnquest, Tribune Chief Reporter

HEALTH Minister Dr. Perry Gomez.

HEALTH Minister Dr. Perry Gomez said Monday he doesn’t know when he will table long overdue audits of the Public Hospitals Authority in the House of Assembly.

Although The Tribune reported in May that several government institutions have contravened the law by failing to have audits for their institutions tabled in Parliament in accordance with various laws, the ministers responsible for those institutions have still not tabled the overdue audits.

An audit for the PHA, for instance, hasn’t been tabled in at least four years, leaving Bahamians in the dark about the financial state and operations of the institution.

The PHA Act says the accounts of the institution must be audited by an auditor appointed by the minister each year.

“Three months after the end of each financial year, the authority shall submit a copy of the audited accounts to the minister, together with a copy of any report made by the auditor,” the PHA Act says, adding: “The minister shall lay a copy of such audited accounts before each House of Parliament, together with a copy of any report made by the auditor on the accounts.”

Asked about the matter Monday, Dr. Gomez said: “No update yet. I haven’t received them. I have to check with the chairman of the board.”

But when contacted by The Tribune, PHA Chairman Frank Smith said PHA audits from 2012 to 2014 were conducted, completed and sent to the minister already.

Field work for 2015 has also been completed, he said, adding that officials are still writing the report for that year.

Although Mr. Smith couldn’t explain why Dr. Gomez said he hasn’t received the audits, he said he doesn’t believe the law gives institutions sufficient time to do audits.

“Audits aren’t done within 30 days,” he said.

“While much of the legislation governing tabling of reports give a fairly stringent timeline, in my view it is unrealistic even though it keeps you going towards something to achieve. Ninety days to complete an audit for an institution of this size?

The cost to do that would be astronomical. When you look at audits, audits have to be facilitated by staff and management. You’re moving from target to target, putting in price control and measures along the way.”

Mr. Smith said he is not alarmed by the failure to have the audits tabled.

“I’m not alarmed because I know audits have been completed. And we had no failed audits,” he said.

In recent years, the internal auditor for the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) as well as external auditors, Grant Thornton, HLB Galanis and Co and UHY Bain and Associates have raised red flags about operations at PHA.

The UHY Bain’s forensic audit, for instance, suggested a culture of slackness and corruption exists within the PHA.

Nonetheless, the Christie administration has not acted on the findings of these audits.

Last year Prime Minister Perry Christie said the government would have another audit into PHA conducted, suggesting his administration wasn’t satisfied with the quality of the audits that have been conducted so far.

Mr. Smith said such audits examined special issues and differed in scope from the annual audits that are supposed to be tabled every year.

By Rashad Rolle, Tribune Staff Reporter

Loretta Butler-Turner delivers her FNM Convention speech.

PAINTING a picture of a country trampling toward ruin if the Progressive Liberal Party remains at the helm, Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner last night made her case for why she is the best person to lead the Free National Movement even as she urged the party to move past the bitter infighting that has gripped it for several years.

The speech came a day before she hoped to reverse the results of 2014’s convention when she lost decisively to Dr. Hubert Minnis in the leadership race.

The challenge ahead of her was made clear when, just before she was scheduled to speak, Dr. Minnis made his initial appearance in the ballroom of the Melia Resort, prompting the crowd to burst into cheers and sustained chants of “Roc wit Doc,” his campaign slogan.

As she wrapped up her speech, many chanted the same phrase again.

“Let us pledge to do better in living up to our values and working for the greater cause of unity,” she said. “If you elect me as your leader I pledge to unify our party in word and deed.”

In what was one of her last, best chances to turn delegates towards her, she presented a vision of a country failing in every way while expressing optimism that an FNM government could initiate a turn around.

“Our middle class is collapsing and the poor are getting poorer,” she said. “The Bahamian people are struggling under the weight of debt and bills, while they are taxed to high heaven, with little to show in return.”

“If the PLP is re-elected, by 2022 the Public Treasury may be bankrupt, our currency may be devalued, our credit rating may be even worse, and the economic miracle that was the Bahamas will be at death’s door.”

To this dystopia she offered one solution: a unified FNM that, she said, would rid the country of the PLP’s corruption and improve the economy.

“It must be the mission of the FNM to restore hope and confidence in our people and to rescue the country we love,” she said. “It has always been the job of the FNM to rescue the Bahamas. We did so in 1992 and in 2007. We must do so again in 2017.”

Bahamians are not “feeling the FNM,” she said, adding: “You and I know that an army needs boots to march….But it also needs a leader. A leader who will inspire. A leader who will stay on the battlefield. A leader who will look out for all FNMs, who will look out if any of us hits hard times and needs the family to look after them.”

As Mrs. Butler-Turner called for unity, some in the room gestured that she has been a chief source of disunity in the party.

Her prepared remarks appeared to briefly address their gripe, saying: “At times I have not lived up to the spirit of (our party’s) enduring motto. For this I offer regret and the promise to help heal and unify our party.”

However, she did not make this statement from the stage.

The overture may have helped mollify some delegates who have repeatedly expressed fury at the role they believe she has played in exposing the party’s divisions.

Near the end of her speech, Mrs. Butler-Turner called for FNM parliamentarians to join her on stage, just as she had done when Dr. Minnis invited her on stage Wednesday night. However, none of the parliamentarians, other than Senator Dr. Duane Sands, her running mate, responded to her request.

As her speech ended, the crowd, some appearing agitated, began chants of “Roc wit Doc.”

By Rashad Rolle, Tribune Staff Reporter

The Hon. Philip Brave Davis, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Urban Development, left, welcomed His Excellency John Pilbeam, High Commissioner (Designate) of Australia, on Thursday, July 28, 2016.

(BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)

Source: Bahamas Information Services