It is clear in this photo that something has terribly gone wrong with the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Zhivargo Laing. Questions again came from MP Frank Smith for Laing to come clean with his involvement in the reduction of government taxes paid on Mona-vie Drink by one of his relatives. The brewing scandal by the #2 man in the Ingraham Finance Ministry is now stirring national attention. Laing was invisible as the Ingraham Government presented its historic mid-term budget report on last week. Below are photos taken back in June of 2007, when the government presented its first budget to Parliament. Then Laing was seen holding the ‘red briefcase’ and was the centre of attention during that presentation. However, (in photo above) last week’s mid-term budget walk from the Cabinet office to the Parliament, Zhivargo Laing was almost invisible and the Prime Minister was seen holding his own ‘red briefcase’. As Laing was faded in the distance. One would also notice Minister Laing was not allowed to second the mid-term budget review. Laing also did seconded the 2007/2008 budget in June last year. A picture tell a thousand words and once again here are photos that you would not see captured together in the daily newspaper. We simply ask, what has happened to the junior minister?
Speaking on the issue of credibility, now that criminal complaints for fraud have been filed against both Senator Dion Foulkes and former Senator Desmond Edwards, I wonder if Mr. Ingraham will fire Mr. Foulkes as I have advised from November of last year? Yes like Coleby said the jury is still out on Mr. Ingraham’s credibility
Not so fast GCF. The Prime Minister has done nothing thus far so the jury is still out on his credibility, especially in light of the bravado shown by him during the presentation of candidates ceremony held at the convention center in April of 2007.
As for Mr. Ingraham’s record, when the scandal surrounding the bounced cheques to the Treasury by company partly owned by Frank Watson was revealed, The then PM defended Mr. Watson as the only trustworthy minister he has. He further went on to attack the youngest daughter of the father of the nation who had nothing to do with the scandal.
On the issue of Dion Foulkes and the school contracts, Mr. Ingraham is on record as saying that the amounts on the contracts were excessive, given the scope of work. In 2007 he contradicted himself by saying that he reviewed the matter and found nothing wrong. How could the PM investigate his own ministers? How could PM Ingraham be the judge and the jury?
He knowingly allowed his deputy to chair a committee meeting on the relocation of the container port knowing that the DPM owns property on which the container port sits. He saw no conflict of interest. Even after this was made public, Mr. Ingraham stated that Mr. Symonette would be involved in the negotiations.
The behavior of the PM raises questions about trust, transparency, accountability, conventions, and Mr. Ingraham’s respect for due process and the supremacy of the rule of law.
Not so fast GCF, NOT SO FAST.
In fact what would worsen the PLP state is if Mr. Ingraham sacks Laing. The PLP would have a greater difficulty to recover.
And the church say? AMEN to that last statement.
This speaks volume to the style of governance Hubert Ingraham demands, from his cabinet ministers. Mr. Ingraham is not going to cover for no minister’s shortcomings to lose “his” creditability.
It is a lesson the next PLP leader should observe, in order to restore creditability in their party.
Then, and only then the Bahamian may give the PLP another chance.
(unfortunatly it is too late for CHRISTIE to learn this lesson).
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