Leaked letter: Bannister is ‘sick and sad’ for rush to judgement on purported attack

Following former Deputy Prime Minister Leader Desmond Bannister’s push for a convention after a purported attack on Free National Movement’s deputy chair Richard Johnson, an anonymous member of the FNM in a leaked response, hit back at him calling his assertions “sick and sad” and an attempt to “harm the reputation of your former colleagues.”

Bannister who serves as Johnson’s legal advisor, wrote a letter to Party Leader Michael Pintard, which was leaked to the press earlier in the week, urging a convention “at the earliest possible date.” Bannister highlighted the alleged attack, which occurred last week while the party met for a council meeting, as one of the reasons for the party to go to a convention to challenge Pintard’s post.

Concerned with Bannister’s position, an anonymous FNM member addressed Bannister, raising the possibility that the attack claimed by Johnson was “staged”.

The member asked Bannister to consider other possibilities and motives alluding to his client’s checkered history.

Although Johnson’s purported attacker has not been found out nor has motives been determined by the police, Bannister insists that one reason for a convention is the “blatant and violent attack on one our members” which “threatens to undo decades of progress.”

“Our party has always condemned political violence,” Bannister continued in the letter. “In our beloved Bahamaland, no person, least of all, an executive of the party should be subjected to politically inspired attacks on their person.”

Bannister served in Minnis’ cabinet as Minister of Works and Utilities from 2017 to 2021 and eventually became deputy prime minister in December 2020. Minnis once promised to “split” leadership with him if his administration was elected for a second term.

Bannister has appeared distant from the party since the loss in 2021 and has only appeared on the political scene with a call for a convention, one week after Johnson alleged the incident took place with no witnesses.

Bannister did not make it known that he is Johnson’s lawyer.

It is believed that Minnis, who once boasted that Bannister was his “good counsel”, would use the convention as an attempt to topple Pintard.

Since Pintard was elected leader of the party more than two years ago, some of Minnis’ supporters like Johnson have become vocal and expressed to the media that they are fighting for his return as leader of the party while calling for a party convention.

Minnis has never attempted to quiet Johnson and other operatives and has never denied a comeback even amidst the public speculation of his plans.

“Could the attacker be associated with the dozens of Bahamians Johnson’s have maligned and vilified for years… or someone “he begged for funds or owed money to for loan or services received?” the anonymous FNM member continued to question Bannister.

“As a senior member of the bar, you know better than to draw conclusions without the facts. Your naked political objective to harm the reputation of your former colleagues could be the only reason you assume that such an attack if not staged, was politically motivated.

“To even think that someone would resort to clumsy violence to silence a paid Minnis operative who has limited impact, is sad and sick.

“FNM’s do not value [Johnson] the way you (Bannister), Minnis, Renward, Carl and the PLP do.

“Your FNM leaders would not have been stupid enough to send a grown man to the FNM location where your team had ZNS stationed to slap your spokesperson (who squealed for Omar).”

Omar Archer is another Minnis operative, known as a mischief maker, and often accompanies Johnson on his rants to the media.

The anonymous member indicated that Johnson is purchasable and has been used by some in office to carry out their agenda.

“The FNM could have easily paid Richard a little bit more than Minnis pays, then he would have turned on Minnis the way he did when he supported Loretta (Loretta Butler once challenged Minnis for leadership in a bitter fight; and became leader of the FNM from December 2016 to May 2017).

“Or the FNM could have given him a contract the way McKell (Bonaby McKell–Chairman of Public Beaches and Park and Member of Parliament for Mt Moriah) did at Beaches and Parks and he would have dropped Minnis like how he dropped the [Beaches and Parks] vendors he claimed to represent.

“Or the FNM could have secured an apartment for the near homeless [Johnson] who is being drip-fed by Minnis who is still flush with 2021 election funds.

“Or they could have silenced him by keeping him supplied with his favourite happy meals.”