National

$1.1M Spent on Political Prosecutions

The failed prosecutions of a former Cabinet Minister and former PLP Senator cost the government $1.1 million, according to the AG.

Published

4 years ago

November 8, 2021

Jasmin Brown

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The failed prosecutions of former Cabinet Minister Shane Gibson and former Progressive Liberal Party Senator Frank Smith cost the government a whopping $1.1 million, according to Attorney General Ryan Pinder.

The Attorney General also revealed that what was spent on the Gibson and Smith trials was more than a quarter of what the Minnis administration spent with foreign law firms in the last four years.

While in Opposition, Prime Minister Philip Davis repeatedly called on the Minnis administration to come clean concerning how much it paid foreign Queen’s Counsel to assist with its prosecution of Shane Gibson and Frank Smith.

Both men were cleared of all charges.

The PLP has long claimed the Minnis administration was on a political witch hunt, something members of the Minnis cabinet repeatedly denied.

Pinder also lashed out at his predecessor and claimed former Attorney General Carl Bethel dropped the ball.

Pinder also addressed what he termed the controversial hiring of the non-Bahamian senior lawyers in the Department of Public Prosecutions, positions he says Bahamians are more than qualified to fill.

Pinder says he has requested that the Judicial and Legal Services Commission terminate these contracts.