If true, the claim by Florida developer Ben Thompson – an ex-boyfriend of the former reality star – could cause massive political fallout for Prime Min= ister Perry Christie and his government.
Under Bahamian law, Ms Smith, a former Playboy playmate, had to buy a property worth at least $500,000 to qualify for residency. Immigration Minister Shane Gibson fasttracked her application on that basis, claiming he would have granted her wish within a day if he could.
Now Mr Thompson, of Myrtle Beach, has dropped a bombshell which calls into question the entire process – and Mr Gibson’s reason for giving her priority over hundreds of other residency applicants.
Outraged attorneys and politicians last night questioned the practices of the Department of Immigration and Mr Gibson.
At press time, 265 internet news articles were alleging that Mr Thompson, of Myrtle Reach, had instructed his attorneys to issue Ms Smith with notice to vacate his home by the end of the month.
Reportedly, Mr Thompson had sold the home to Ms Smith on credit but had yet to receive any payment on the house.
“She said it was a gift. I never said that,” Mr Thompson is reported as telling People Magazine.
“I don’t want to embarrass or humiliate her. I just need my money or collateral back,” he said.
If these reports are true, then the granting of Anna Nicole’s permanent residency must come under closer scrutiny.
Speaking with The Tribune yesterday, FNM leader Hubert Ingraham said if such reports are true, he hoped it would cause the prime minister to face up to the reality of the kind of people he has around him.
“If reports are true that Ms Smith does not now, and did not own a house at the time of the application and the grant by the Immigration Board of a certificate of permanent residency to her, then I would expect the government will do whatever is necessary to retain the people’s property.
“If false information or misleading information was provided to the government in connection with the application, then I also would expect the government to do whatever is necessary in accordance with the laws of the Bahamas.
“I expect the government to move expeditiously, and in due course we will make a statement,” Mr Ingraham promised.
Former registrar general, attorney Elizabeth Thompson, echoed these sentiments.
“I think the state of Immigration is in utter confusion. What kind of message are we now sending? There are a number of us out there with pending applications for any number of things …can this just be done because of a personal friendship, or what?
“The question now is: why wasn’t it done properly? The minister was clear that this was done for her in a number of weeks. He stated that himself.
“Well, if that is the case, what kind of due diligence could have been done? It is relatively basic to know who a homeowner is – you ask for the conveyance, the title documents.
“But if it is friendship, what does it mean? Does a friendship obviate the need for all of these questions?” she asked.
Attorney and activist Paul Moss said: “If someone else in fact owned this house, and the house was the basis on which she was given this status (permanent residency), that is egregious, and it is a blatant error.
“I call it an error because I cannot see someone being so deliberate in giving her that status if she doesn’t own her home, because that is the basis for her residency.
“But if she is pretending that she is the owner of the house when in fact she is not, then that raises very serious issues in respect to how she attained the status of permanent residency,” he said.
Mr Moss added that, in his opinion, the threshold for investors to be eligible for permanent residency should be lifted much higher than the $500,000 marker to at least $2 million to $3 million.
Source: The Tribune
