FREE National Movement Senator Maxine Seymour tabled a letter in the Senate yesterday that purports to show that the Ministry of Finance gave the Progressive Liberal Party temporary approval to import “equipment, apparatus, trailers and supplies” for the Christmas Carnival event.

The letter, which is addressed to PLP Secretary General Barbara Cartwright, comes after the Ministry of Health denied the operator of carnival, Midways by McCafferty Enterprises, approval to have the event, citing COVID-19 related health concerns.

Political insiders have said it is not unusual for political parties to partner with the carnival operator to bring the event to the country. Both the PLP and FNM have apparently used the event as a party fundraiser although this is not generally known to the public.

How the operator brought in and set up its equipment without having final approval from the Ministry of Health to host the event has so far been one of the central mysteries of the controversy.

 Joseph Alberts, manager and coordinator of the company, told reporters last week that his company will encourage the government to reconsider its decision, saying it will now “talk to other people in the political platform.”

On the weekend, the company confirmed in a statement it has submitted a new application to the Ministry of Health for approval.

Asked yesterday about the letter Ms Seymour tabled, Fred Mitchell, chairman of the PLP, said: “I’m advised that this is the normal practice with the importations with the carnival. I think the operators have to get various permissions and that is playing out in the press and in official bodies. It would (be) imprudent for me to go any further.”

The letter, which is not dated, was signed by Whitney Kenny “For/Financial Secretary.”

It says: “Reference is made to your correspondence dated October 28, 2021 in connection to the subject matter as captioned (RE: Request for Temporary Import-Carnival Extravaganza 2021-2022).

“I am directed to advise that approval is granted to the Progressive Liberal Party for the temporary importation of equipment, apparatus, trailer and supplies for the Carnival Extravaganza of 2021.

“Approval is granted under the provisions of Section 186 of the Customs Management Act and Regulations 86 (i) and 94 (2) (b).

“The Bond requirement for customs is also waived in this regard. The Comptroller of Customs is advised by a copy of the communication.”

Yesterday, former Free National Movement State Minister for Finance Zhivargo Laing said political parties have partnered with carnival operators to host the event in the past and have likely reaped substantial financial benefits for doing so.

“The party in power tends to be involved and gets some financial benefit from it, that’s basically what I know,” Mr Laing said. “I thought (the financial benefit for a party) could be $200,000 plus thousand dollars, but I think it all depended on the economic circumstances of what they have in the projections of what carnival could do, but I have no definitive number on it.”

 Mr Laing said there is nothing untoward about a political party partnering with an operator to host an event like carnival.

“Say carnival was never coming here and say some political operative took some interest in saying ‘you know, I understand there is a carnival that could be brought and I was speaking with a person and they would be prepared to do something for the party and so forth and so forth as a matter of course for facilitating them coming in’; it certainly doesn’t breach any law and I don’t know what the ethical dilemma would be for something that would bring employment, engagement, business licences and other taxes that have to be paid as per the law so what could be wrong with that?”

 Mr Laing said to his understanding, permission for an operator to host the carnival is not contingent on their willingness to team up with a political party and give them money.

 “I’m not the person with all the details and facts on that; I’m only going based on what I understood over time,” he said. “There are certainly people who have been around politics a lot longer who should be able to be much more helpful than I.”

 One former government minister told The Tribune yesterday that normally the process for considering an application to host a carnival would begin when a letter is sent to the government.

 “Cabinet would deliberate, inclusive of all the relevant ministries’ opinions,” said the former minister who spoke anonymously because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter.

According to the former minister, an application would be sent to the Department of Immigration for temporary work permits for foreign workers; the operator would need to clear sanitation and environmental health requirements; they would have to submit and receive approval for health and safety protocols, including food handlers certificates; the Beaches and Parks Authority would have to approve the use of Clifford Park and collect the required fees; the Ministry of Works would certify technicians, the set up and safety of the rides and issue an operational certificate; and Bahamas Power and Light would also require proof of this certificate to provide power.

The former minister said the purported waiver of a customs bond in the current case is unusual because it deprives the treasury of tax revenue.

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