Contract Awarded – Funds Paid – Work Never Done! It’s these people time!
Exuma – The Anti-Corruption Unit of the Royal Bahamas Police Force should open an investigation to examine the dealings of two hardcore FNM contractors, a Ministry of Education Officer and Finance following a criminal rip-off against the children of the Black Point School. Here is the story.
Two contractors, Barry Brown and Loan Rolle, were recently awarded a $49,000 contract to repair the bathrooms at the Black Point All Age School – some five months after the school year began.
To argue the point further, PLP Viceroy and MP for Ragged Island and Exuma, I. Chester Cooper, raised the matter on two occasions, defending the right of the children to “comfortable, safe accommodations when receiving their education.” The Minister promised that the work will be done, but the Minister’s words have fallen to the ground. Repairs are yet to be done.
As your only real investigative arm in media today in the country, BP sought to go deeper into this story and try and figure out why the children of Exuma are being denied what they should have while FNM contractors continue to enjoy the fruits of government, but fail to deliver their labour to the Bahamian people even after collecting tax dollars.
Readers should note the following events which led to the crime:
1) The Government first stripped authority to do repairs from the District Superintendent in Exuma and managed school repairs out of New Providence. And by doing so, directed the contract to two FNM generals [Barry Brown and Loan Rolle].
2) Bahamas Press has seen records that confirm Don Turnquest [the brother of the Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest] is presently responsible for hand picking contractors. He, you should note, is the Deputy Director, newly appointed under the FNM, responsible for physical plants and also regularly reports to the Free National Movement Headquarters on Mackey Street.
3) Readers should also note that Rolle was Chief Councillor on the island when that CORRUPT dredging took place in the “protected” Land and Sea Park in Exuma for the Agah Khan on Bell Island. You should remember how the Bahamas National Trust collected a $1m donation for their silence.
4) Now, Loan Rolle, was to be initially awarded the contract for the Black Point School upgrades, but with records of outstanding taxes with NIB and licenses, he was not current enough to complete contractor’s requirements. And this is no new thing; under the lawless Papa Regime such infractions were common.
5) And so, with this being the case, Rolle’s partner, Barry Brown, was awarded the repairs contract and now the children are suffering the consequences of this bad, crooked rip-off of the taxpayers. What a CORRUPT BUNCH! The contract was awarded to Brown, money was paid, work was promised to begin but nothing has happened. WHAT A DISGRACE!
Meanwhile, as all this scandal unfolds on the island, National Insurance Minister Brensil Rolle was on the island on Monday, chilling out and showing all his teeth around the town as if the carnival had arrived. He perhaps is laughing at Minnis over the poor handling of these rogues and their lawless fleecing of the public.
We report yinner decide!
