NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday gave notice of his intention to direct a series of parliamentary questions to Labour and Immigration Minister Keith Bell during Parliament’s next sitting.
The questions will be regarding the immigration status of the late Frank Racine and the minister’s decision to confer citizenship to the deceased man’s widow and their two children at his funeral service last month.
Bell has come under heavy criticism from the Opposition over that decision as well as his intervention in the release of a group of undocumented Chinese workers at the British Colonial Hilton earlier this year.
“The minister clearly thinks that there are no checks on his power and he can do as he likes,” Dr Minnis said in Parliament yesterday, echoing his colleagues in the opposition that have called on Prime Minister Philip Davis to relieve Bell of his Cabinet portfolio.
“The sensitive work of immigration requires someone else as a minister. The current minister may be better assigned to a new and less demanding portfolio,” said Minnis.
The Killarney MP gave notice that he intends to question Bell on, among other things, when Mr Racine was first provided a work permit and permanent residency, whether he and his wife did in fact apply for Bahamian citizenship, whether he administered the oath of citizenship at the funeral service for Mr Racine and clarification on the timeline of his communication with Mr Racine prior to his death.
“It is evident there is a complete disconnect and dishonesty,” said Minnis.
He is also questioning whether Prime Minister Philip Davis appreciates the significance of the alleged breaches by Minister Bell.
Bell came under fire after a recording of the funeral service went viral. Bell asserted that he was honoring the wishes of a dying man.
A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday noted, “A number of concerns have been raised with respect to several immigration enforcement matters. We take such concerns seriously; Bahamians deserve the facts. We are working to pull together detailed answers to address these concerns and look forward to releasing those in short order.”
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