A US court judgment, made public in December of last year, confirmed
what Bahamians have known to be true for many years. That systemic government
corruption at all levels has slowly eaten away at the fabric of our national
development. The judgment against French Industrial firm Alstom pointed to
countless cases of foreign bribery including that of a Bahamian official at BEC
who was reportedly paid up to three hundred thousand dollars to influence the
awarding of a BEC contract. The payments, which were recorded as commissions by
the company’s records, were paid through a consultant with whom the reports say
the unnamed official had a close relationship. To maintain that relationship
and secure monetary gain, that unnamed official – referred to only as official
8 – sold out the Bahamian people to a foreign company whose intentions were not
to better the lives of Bahamians but rather to improve their profit margins.
In the years since that contract was executed, we the pubic have lived
the consequences of that decision. We the public, have all witnessed the
deterioration of the BEC’s facilities and equipment to the detriment of
residents and businesses alike.
More than 2 months after the troubling revelation of bribery and
corruption at BEC grabbed headlines however, Bahamians across the country have
yet to receive the answers that were promised by this Christie administration.
More than two months later, we are still left asking:
WHO IS OFFICIAL 8?
Even as our nation’s leaders pledge their commitment to addressing high levels
of crime in the country, it appears that this government, like others before
it, is content to overlook criminal activity when it occurs in the upper
echelons of our society.
The government should have moved by now to send a strong message to the
people of this country that it is serious about addressing corruption at all
levels and further, that no man or woman, irrespective of their political
connections or influence is beyond the reach of the law.
According to published media reports, the incident occurred under the
former Free National Administration however the government’s handling of the
news has left much to be desired. In the days immediately following some PLP
politicians including BEC’s former chairman Bradley Roberts have called for a
Parliamentary Review and even a Commission of Inquiry, none of which have
actually occurred thus far and none of which will carry any real legal ramifications
for official 8.
The Democratic National Alliance repeats its call for that individual to
be named and made to feel the full brunt of the law. The Commissioner of Police
must intervene in this obviously criminal matter and bring the individuals at
the center of the allegations to justice.
Henry Kissinger once said: “Corrupt politicians make the other ten
percent look bad”. For far too long now, government officials, their friends,
family members and cronies have been allowed to embarrass our country. No
longer can these corrupt individuals be allowed to get away with bending the
laws to suit their personal agendas. The time has come to end the years of
ingrained corruption and restore the reputation of our beautiful country.
Branville McCartney
