Leader of the Free National Movement Senator Tommy Turnquest has accused the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Local Government V. Alfred Gray of continuing to play an active role in the running of his law firm which is reportedly representing one party in a local government dispute.
But Minister Gray on Monday clarified the matter, saying that he is not involved in any conflict of interest situation.
His comments directly contradicted comments Mr. Turnquest made while a guest on the Love 97 programme “Jones and Company” which aired Sunday.
Mr. Turnquest said, “[Mr. Gray’s] law firm is representing Mr. Alexander Flowers who is a district administrator for the city of Freeport and is threatening to take legal action against Ms. Marva Moxey, Chief Councilor of the city of Freeport.”
He added that Mr. Flowers said that Ms. Moxey made allegations and untruthful statements against him.
Mr. Turnquest said he had proof that Mr. Gray was still active in his practice.
“He is not inactive,” he said. “I have seen a copy of a cheque on Mr. Gray’s client’s account that he himself signed [since May 2] – and I have seen his name on any number of legal documents – so I have every reason to believe that it is an authentic signature.”
But Mr. Gray said, “It is true I signed a cheque prepared for by the office for a client since May 2 because I was a sole practioner and I was given three months to wind up my business affairs and I did sign a cheque for the client because the client needed his money and I had no lawyer in the office at the time to sign on the account.οΎ”
He also said that the dispute Mr. Turnquest raised is not a local government matter. Mr. Gray said it is a dispute between two local government representatives.
“Local government has nothing to do with the personal dispute between the chief councilor and the administrator for alleged defamation,” he said. “It is my son who is Mr. Flowers’ lawyer. The first time I heard about the matter was when Mr. Turnquest mentioned it on the show.”
Mr. Gray is the second Cabinet Minister who Mr. Turnquest has accused of having a conflict of interest.
He also accused Trade and Industry Minister Leslie Miller of conflict of interest when he rented out an outlet in a shopping plaza he reportedly owns, the Summer Winds Plaza to the Bahamas Telecommunications Company.
But it’s a claim Minister Miller has denied.
Tables were turned when the governing Progressive Liberal Party pointed out that Mr. Turnquest was said to have rented out his Highland Park home to Justice Austin Davis when he was a government minister.
Mr. Turnquest said he was unaware of the situation at the time because his house was being let by a property management company.
The opposition leader also criticized Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Neville Wisdom again for his handling of the Junkanoo celebrations.
He suggested that Minister Wisdom acted improperly by contracting the C Cube Seating Company. Under the deal, the government will pay nothing to provide bleachers for the Junkanoo parades. C Cube will get 90 percent of the proceeds of ticket sales from the parades, while the government will get 10 percent each year over the 5-year life of the agreement.
Mr. Turnquest said that Prime Minister Perry Christie should fire Mr. Wisdom.
He said that he will put pressure on the Prime Minister to rid his Cabinet of unsuitable ministers.
“We will continue to agitate until Mr. Christie fires these improper Ministers,” Mr. Turnquest said.
When asked by the show’s host Wendall Jones whether he had the kind of gravitas needed to be the type of opposition leader that could defeat the Progressive Liberal Party government, Mr. Turnquest responded, “Absolutely.”
“We are well on the way to doing so,” he added. “What we have been unable to do so far despite our setbacks, despite our disappointments, despite the fact that we had to pick ourselves up from ground zero, I think it’s most commendable to be at the stage we are at today and we continue to move forward.”
Mr. Turnquest also said that he takes responsibility for the FNM’s embarrassing defeat at the polls in the May 2002 general elections.
By Julian Reid, The Bahama Journal
