Derek Ryan, attorney for Iranian businessman Mohammed Harajchi, has asked the deputy prime minister to publicly apologize to Mr. Harajchi or face a character defamation lawsuit.
Last week, Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia Pratt characterized as lies Mr. Harajchiﾴs charges that he gave her money to put burglar bars on her constituency window. She also told the Bahama Journal that she would support any move to revoke his permanent residency status as he is not an asset to the country.
Reporters were presented yesterday with documents that Mr. Ryan said supports his clientﾴs claims that he did a personal favour for the Cabinet Minister, in settling her post election debt that totaled a little over $6,000.
This included payments to her poll workers, who worked in the St. Cecilia Constituency during the last general election.
Minister Pratt said she has never denied that Mr. Harajchi paid those workers.
She told the Bahama Journal that she was meeting with attorneys Sean McWeeney and Michael Barnett to ponder her next move.
Meanwhile, about 50 supporters of the St. Cecilia MP gathered near the Churchill Building yesterday toting placards and posters that expressed their support.
They expected the deputy prime minister to hold a press conference refuting Mr. Ryanﾴs allegations.
However, Minister Pratt aborted the idea, as she went to meet Prime Minister Perry Christie at the airport on his return to the Bahamas following a state visit to the Peopleﾴs Republic of China.
Itﾴs the latest episode of the Harajchi saga that begun to unfold two weeks ago when the permanent resident of the Bahamas told reporters he had injected substantial funds into the Progressive Liberal Partyﾴs election war chest.
Mr. Harajchi has said that he expected nothing in return for his donation and thus far, he has received nothing, according to Minister of Works and Utilities Bradley Roberts.
When pressed by the Bahama Journal yesterday on why his client held the first press conference that started the media frenzy, Mr. Ryan refused to comment on the matter, saying Mr. Harajchi intends to hold another press conference ﾓat the appropriate time.ﾒ
He told reporters, ﾓIt is important that she apologizes and certainly this is not sending the right message to our foreign investors. We rely on them for jobs. They help to fuel the engine of this economy. We are certainly not sending the right message.
ﾓWe request from Mother Pratt forthwith, to render a public apology to my client, Mohammed Harajchi, because the facts as they speak for themselves – show that the monies that were given to her were not for constituents.
ﾓAnd even if these members were constituents in her area, they were being paid for services rendered to the deputy prime minister,ﾒ Mr. Ryan asserted.
The press was presented with a copy of an invoice headed as ﾓSt Ceciliaﾴs Outstanding Election Bills as of May 30, 2002.ﾒ
Mr. Ryan claims the deputy prime minister faxed it to his office. He said he was unable to locate the original copy.
Mr. Harajchiﾴs attorney told the media that Minister Pratt advised him to make the 11 cheques payable to her creditors and not to her personally, as it could be misconstrued in the future, according to Mr. Ryan.
On the invoice, the names of five St. Cecilia residents were listed, along with the amount of money owed to them.
Elaine Adderley; Jo Jo Pratt; and Emma Moss were owed $100 each, according to the invoice. Ivy Charlton was owed $200 and Henry Wallace was to receive $50.
Minister Pratt told the Bahama Journal that she never had the Iranian pick up the tab for the installation of any burglar bars at her headquarters as he claimed.
She also reported that the Jo Jo Pratt in question was not her husband, Joseph, but one of her husbandﾴs relatives.
On the invoice under ﾓOffice Staff,ﾒ Allison Adams was owed $750 pay for working from May 13 through May 31.
Expenses incurred on election day included $270 for Trevor Adderley for six wave radios.
Also listed under election day expenses was $400 for tents from Ken Strachan. Sidney Kemp was owed two figures – $1,285.55 for van rental and $674.69 for office supplies and materials.
All the items listed on the invoice were typed except for the handwritten notation at the bottom listing a $2,400 expense for burglar bars from Community Hardware Company.
David Bowe, the hardware company owner, told the Bahama Journal he does not sell or install burglar or security bars. He said he never received any cheque from Ryan and Co.
Mr. Bowe added that he has worked for Minister Pratt on numerous occasions. In fact, he said his company is carrying out some work at her St Cecilia home right now.
He disclosed that money owed to him by Minister Pratt is not a large sum of money.
Tosheena Robinson-Blair, The Bahama Journal
