PM and Cabinet Mulling Over Turnquest’s Future

As calls for the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister PeterTurnquest grow louder, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis says Cabinet is deliberating that decision.

Why it matters

The Minister of Finance is accused of fraud and a writ as since been filed in the Supreme Court alleging “bogus loans” when he was director and manager of Sky Bahamas and Aviation Oversight, which was owned by a former business partner Randy Butler.

Prime Minister Hubert Minnis says the resignation is being discussed in Cabinet

What Opposition Leader Philip Davis says

Opposition leader Philip Davis said he awaited a response from Minnis on the matter while calling for Turnquest to resign. He said, “First, the Prime Minister must be reminded that he has a duty to act when his ministers refuse to take the honourable course.”

Davis said if Turnquest does not resign willingly, then Minnis must fire Turnquest.

Attorney John Wilson says no reason to resign

Attorney John Wilson, QC, says not so fast. He said he sees no reason for Turnquest to resign considering the writ is only an allegation, which he called, “uncalled” and “untested.”

“I really see no justification why anyone should resign over simple allegations in a writ of summons because that is all it is, allegations,” he tells Eye Witness News.

“It has not been tested in a court of law and it has not been subjected to any sort of proof; not to mention the fact that from what I have seen, and I can only opine as to what I have seen and circulating on social media, so I say this with this caveat.

“The minister has not been named in these proceedings at all.

“And having not been named in the proceedings, I don’t quite understand why his name featured so prominently in the allegations in the writ itself.

“One would have thought that if there was a case to be made against him, he ought to have been made a party to proceedings.”