Anna Nicole Smith has spent much of her life as a cover girl, reality show “star” and Hollywood celebrity steeped in publicity of one kind or another.
But the headlines surrounding her stay in Nassau are not the usual tabloid tittle-tattle, they cut right to the root of the Bahamas system of governance and the way we lead our lives.
Circumstances surrounding her fast-tracked residency application and the unfortunate death of her 20-year-old son Daniel are giving rise to genuine concern among all thinking Bahamians. And that’s because there are still so many crucial questions that remain unanswered.
This week’s disclosures by the Callenders law firm about the background to Ms Smith’s residency application have given rise to deep disquiet.
If true, and we have no reason to believe they aren’t, their claims suggest that Immigration Minister Shane Gibson not only gave Ms Smith preferential treatment on the basis of their “friendship” without any due diligence at all, but neither was he frank when he said he did not personally receive, on the treasury’s behalf, the $10,000 cheque needed to facilitate her application.
Prime Minister Perry Christie now needs to get right to the bottom of this distasteful affair and do what needs to be done.
If Mr Gibson is found to have lied to the nation about his involvement in receiving the cheque, and if he did indeed fast-track Ms Smith’s residency application without doing all the necessary background checks, then he should be fired.
There is no room for equivocation here. A Cabinet minister who lies publicly to protect his own position has no place in public life. If Callenders’ story is correct, then Gibson must go. Moreover, if Ms Smith was not the true owner of the $950,000 house, Horizons, on the Eastern Road, then the entire foundation of her residency claim crumbles before our eyes. Her status must be rescinded immediately.
In fact, if she really promised to execute a mortgage to cover funds provided by her friend Ben Thompson, then reneged on the deal once her residency had been secured, it could be argued that she gained her status under false pretences. That might well leave her open not only to prosecution, but also expulsion.
The issue of Daniel Smith’s death is, if anything, even more troubling than his mother’s residency woes.
Six weeks on from Daniel’s sudden demise at Doctors Hospital, the Bahamian public is in the dark about how he died he even though it’s now clear he had a highly toxic cocktail of drugs in his system.
Chief Magistrate Roger Gomez told The Tribune two weeks ago that he is still awaiting the result of the police investigation and of toxicology tests before deciding whether an inquest should be held.
Not surprisingly, his words were considered to be far from satisfactory. The public is becoming increasingly uneasy over how long the police investigation and laboratory tests are taking. And, from the public’s viewpoint, the need for an inquest is already established beyond doubt. You don’t need a law degree to know that Daniel’s death was highly suspicious and possibly the result of unlawful behaviour.
In the interests of transparency, an inquest is needed now.
Ms Smith’s privately-hired pathologist, Dr Cyril Wecht, and her own mother. Mrs Virgie Arthur, have already revealed enough – via American cable television – for us to conclude that, at the very least, this matter deserves intense scrutiny in the public domain.
In Mr Gibson’s handling of Ms Smith’s residency application, it has already become clear that she was afforded treatment not available to others – especially the many hopefuls who have been waiting for years to have their applications processed.
The public is entitled to ask, therefore, whether the investigation into Daniel’s death is also being handled in a way designed to protect her interests rather than serve the public good.
Ms Smith having been told to leave her Eastern Road home, is now reportedly taking refuge at Nygard Cay, home of the Canadian fashion tycoon Peter Nygard. With her baby daughter Dannie Lynn Hope and lawyer/boyfriend Howard K Stern in tow, the former Playboy playmate has once again sought a bolt-hole from her troubles.
However, she may as well know now that she is unlikely to find peace in the Bahamas while these two major issues – one involving ministerial probity, the other this nation’s rule of law — remain unresolved.
The Tribune, like all intelligent Bahamians, wants the government to speak up now on Mr Gibson’s role in Ms Smith’s residency application, and the true story behind the seemingly endless inquiries into Daniel’s death.
Until these matters are given a full airing, the foul odour surrounding them will not be dispelled. The longer they are allowed to drag on, the more suspicious the public will become of the government’s motives.
Speak up, Prime Minister. The nation is waiting.
Editorial from The Tribune
