Opposition Leader says no logical explanation to justify costs, if true
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The former Free National Movement (FNM) administration spent more than one million dollars furnishing an ambassador’s residence, and paying for the diplomat’s hotel accommodations in a European country, according to Minister of Labour and Immigration Keith Bell.
Pointing to invoices for a $14,000 mirror, and $19,000 rug, Bell questioned why the government would purchase such costly furniture during the pandemic when some Bahamians were struggling to feed themselves.
He made the revelation during his contribution to the 2022/2023 Budget debate in the House of Assembly on Tuesday evening.
“This is for the purchase of furniture for one apartment of one ambassador appointed under the former administration and what is significant about this, and the reason I chose to do this, is that this was done at the time when Bahamians were losing their jobs, had to pull their children out of university, lost their homes, had nothing to eat, was in the dark, no water, had to go to the pump, was arrested by police when they was going to the pump, was convicted, now we (Davis administration) have to clean up all of the mess.”
Bell said: “At the end of the day, some €644,161, $551,000 was spent to furnish this one apartment. More than half a million dollars…we now have the indiscriminate, callous, hemorrhage of the public purse by over half a million dollars. Coupled with the monies that were spent at the hotel it’s over a million dollars. This is The Bahamas money, one public purse.”
During his contribution, the Carmichael MP repeatedly referenced the former administration’s election pledge and subsequent fiscal legislation mandating accountability, transparency, and fiscal prudence in governance.
However, he said: “talk is cheap”.
Bell did not name the ambassador during his contribution, noting the residence was in a European country.
He said the ambassador “decided to stay in a hotel while they renovate at $20,000 per month”.
Itemizing costs, Bell continued: “The individual under the former administration started with the entrance foyer, spent $10,000 on a mahogany scroll, purchased a polished mirror for $14,000, purchased a lamp for $2,000. Then went to the first area, purchased a cream-colored table for $5,000, a sofa for $14,500, and a lamp for $3,000.
“Then they went to the bedroom one, and purchased a bed for $8,737…it was Ralph Lauren…purchased a cocktail table at $9,000, another table for $14,300, a brass and quartz shade for $7,800 and it just goes on and on, and this rug Harper Franklin $18,475.
Bell said he was well-traveled in his public life and had the opportunity to visit homes for ambassadors, insisting there was no need to renovate or “change-up nothing”.
“In the dining room, the dining room table was $9,000, the two end chairs were $6,000 each, the two end chairs and the middle chairs were $39,000.”
As he stood to defend the former administration’s record on a point of order, Opposition Leader Michael Pintard said he and his parliamentary colleagues found the claims “outrageous”, adding that if the figures were accurate, he “could not think of a logical explanation to justify those costs”.
