Friday, November 27, 2009

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Family of Tex Turnquest gives private testimony in public hearing By KRYSTEL ROLLE ~ Guardian Staff Reporter ~ krystel@nasguard.com: Relatives and friends of a former government official accused of nepotism after he approved the sale of prime pieces of crown land, reportedly asked for the media and wider public to be barred from a public hearing yesterday. Derek and Sonia Rutherford, Mae Morton Curry, George Morton, Philip and Shell Stubbs — family members of former director of Lands and Surveys Tex Turnquest — testified during a private hearing before the House Select Committee appointed to investigate matters related to government owned lands. They are the former owners of three of four parcels of crown land in Forbes Hill, Exuma that were granted in 2001 and later resold to foreigners for large profits. Committee Chairman Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell said portions of their evidence will be made public at a later date. However, Mitchell did reveal that the group denied that any collusion was involved. Turnquest, who abruptly resigned from his post in May, testified last month. He confirmed that the parcels — which were approved for the purpose of building homes but were later sold — were granted to his family and friends. However, he also maintained that he did not act inappropriately. Also testifying yesterday was Tribune reporter Paul Turnquest, who initially reported on the issue. His testimony was open to the public. He said he found it "very interesting" that Tex Turnquest's family members did not testify publicly. During his opening remarks, Paul Turnquest suggested that the onward sale of the crown land was a pre-mediated act and should be met with more harsh punishment. "Anyone who assists in the acquisition of government land through false pretenses should be charged with an offense," he said. "In this case, a slap on the wrist cannot be sufficient. This was a premeditated act that defrauded the people of The Bahamas out of use and access to beachfront property in Exuma; all so that one family could profit and live high off the hog." Turnquest added: "The resignation of Tex Turnquest should not be trivialized as a political stunt. Some have stated that the actions of these individuals are not technically illegal, but my God, they have to be considered immoral." When asked by committee member and MP for Bamboo Town Branville McCartney to expound on that, Turnquest said the issue goes much deeper than Tex Turnquest. Rather, he said it reveals what has been wrong with the Department of Lands and Surveys for years. "So, I don't think that one guy being fired is sufficient," he said. Turnquest said there is no way that all of those people purchased the property right next to each other, sold it to the same developer, and sold it for the same price, without any form of pre-mediation. "No such luck was involved in this," Turnquest said. He added that the committee ought to make an example out of them in a bid to assure Bahamians that the formation of the committee was not a waste of time. "We are supposed to see that justice is done," he continued. Turnquest said lots of changes ought to be made to the Department of Lands and Surveys. "We need to update the system at the Lands and Surveys Department so that every transaction can be made public and tracked through an online database, thus creating transparency in the application process straight through to the granting of any lease or crown land grants," he said. Turnquest added that the system must be easily used and well maintained so that every Bahamian can access it to ensure that land is being protected. Public hearings will resume on Monday. The committee is expected to give a report to the House of Assembly by January 27, 2010. Tuesday, November 24, 2009