The Free National Movement (FNM) accused Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Local Government V. Alfred Gray of victimizing contractors in his constituency who do not support the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), but Gray shot back, saying there is no evidence that legitimate contracts are in place.
In fact, Gray said it appears the previous administration issued verbal agreements to certain contractors in Inagua prior to the recent general election, and he intends to ask the attorney general to investigate the matter with a view to prosecuting someone.
He said deposits were made to the contractors but there is no evidence that any formal contract is in place and no evidence that any work was actually done. Gray said about 15 contractors are impacted.
However, the FNM, in a statement issued by Chairman Charles Maynard, accused the PLP of “naked and shameless victimization”.
“The PLP government, led by Prime Minister Perry Christie, has singled out contractors they believe to have been supportive of the FNM and despite the fact that these contractors finished their work, having complied with the scope of their contracts, the government has refused to pay them though the checks were in the administrator’s office to effect such payments,” the FNM said.
“Two PLP contractors, however, who fell in the same category as those believed to be Free National Movement contractors were paid.”
The FNM cried shame on the government over the matter.
“The Free National Movement also cries shame on the PLP government for not paying all Inagua local government workers in May of this year,” the statement said.
“Despite funds being available at the administrator’s office to pay these people with families to care for, Minister Alfred Gray, the sitting member of Parliament for Inagua, instructed that they not be paid, sending Administrator [Alexander] Flowers to Inagua to run the office and confiscate all checks and cash.
“The unpaid workers are incurring late fee charges at the bank on their mortgages and loans and cannot meet their other family commitments.”
Gray told The Nassau Guardian yesterday that after Inagua Administrator Roderick Bowe fell ill, he (Gray) instructed Flowers to travel to the district and oversee matters until Bowe returns from sick leave.
“During the course of Mr. Bowe’s absence, it was discovered that he had pre-signed government checks and left them with an employee of his office, which in financial terms should not have happened, and so those checks were in fact canceled by my authorization.”
He stressed that the government has no desire to deprive legitimate contractors of payments they have worked for.
But he said, “In the cases cited by the FNM, the so-called contracts cannot be located, the scope of works cannot be located, despite numerous requests by my ministry which is responsible for local government for the production of these so-called contracts or scope of work.
“Hence, the contracts were suspended until the government is satisfied that the monies which have been claimed were in fact legitimately worked for.
“There is no paper trail, none at all. It was a verbal authorization.” Gray said the previous administration made deposits to contractors just before the May 7 general election.
“We find it very amusing that the FNM would not have expected us to stop these so-called contracts until we find legitimate reasons to continue them,” he said.
The minister alleged that the former administration used the contracts to buy votes.
“At some point in time we intend to put this to the AG with a view to charging someone for corruption,” Gray said.
Candia Dames
The Nassau Guardian
