Hannes Babak’s former engagement as chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) was outside of his approved immigration status and was accommodated under a work permit, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham explained in a recent letter to Sir Jack Hayward obtained exclusively by the Freeport News.
Ingraham was responding to Sir Jack’s comments weeks ago where he blasted the government for refusing to renew Babak’s work permit – a move he claimed stifled the growth of the Grand Bahama economy.
Hayward, who serves as honorary chairman of the GBPA, noted that a number of projects that Babak was working on, including attracting a LNG plant to the island, are now simply “gathering dust.”
“We’re working on things – we’re a bit leaderless without Hannes Babak,” Hayward said.
