Irate investor Harald Fuhrmann has launched another web site assault on The Bahamas, this time castigating “fat cat” lawyers who, he claims, are charging up to $400 an hour in a society where the minimum wage is only $30 a day.
He has challenged a Bahamas Investment Authority claim that The Bahamas offers the “right ” climate for investment, saying poor attitudes and inefficient service by Bahamian lawyers often spoil conditions here.
“We have knowledge of various official complaints but no decisions are taken by the Bar Association or the Ministry of of Justice. Attorney fees, of up to $400 per hour, seem grossly out of proportion compared to the Bahamian weekly minimum wage at $30 a day only,” he said.
Mr. Fuhrmann said his intention is to highlight discrepancies between advertising statements in investment profiles and the real difficulties in the investment business.
Drawing attention to the rising crime and drug trafficking, he says, “It is necessary to inform foreigners about the bad conditions they may encounter in the island nation. One mentions theft, armed robbery, physical attacks, kidnapping and murder of foreigners as potential risks.”
His comments follow criticism of his persistent campaign of vilification by Cabinet Minister Allyson Maynard-Gibson and Tribune columnist Andrew Allen, who hit out this week at what they call the “hateful” tone of his comments. Mr. Allen described Mr. Fuhrmann as a man who did not deserve to be taken very seriously.
Criticising the sale of “cheap articles from the Far East” in US dollars, he also mentions the high import duties, Mr. Fuhrmann said, “Tourists are beginning to question overall whether The Bahamas represents value for money as a tourist destination.”
Source: The Tribune
