One of the two LNG companies vying for approval from the Bahamas government is starting to get the sour taste of doing business in the Bahamas.
Joining Harald Fuhrmann, the Inagua Fish Farm investor, the Korean Boat owners and many others, Tractebel is entering what is known as Phase II of the “Bahamian Foreigner rip-off” game.
Phase II is where the client gets frustrated and attempts to retain the services of a new lawyer. ﾠThe new lawyer usually promises the client that they can achieve better results that the previous lawyer, but really, knows full well that the situation isn’t going to go any differently.
On rare occasions the game includes actual relief for the client. This occurs when the client makes a change to a lawyer who is approved by the criminal organization known as the Bahamas Government. ﾠWhich lawyer one chooses depends on which criminal organization is in charge of the government at that particular time; the PLP mob or the FNM mob. ﾠBoth factions are criminal controlled, but by different criminal gangs.
The Tractebel company, still foolishly thinking they are dealing with a legitimate government, have been pursuaded to terminate the services of lawyer Fred Smith, whose contradictory actions included representing the Guana Cay protestors on an environmental stance, while simultaneously representing Tractebel in their attempt to gain approval for an LNG plant. Two clients, on oppposite ends of the environmental spectrum. Speaks volumes on the ethics of Bahamian lawyers, does it not?
Poor Tractebel. ﾠThey will probably spend another couple of million dollars before they are discarded like the fish farm investors, and so many others, who erroneously thought the Bahamas was a legitimate place to conduct business. ﾠHow wrong they were. ﾠAll anybody in the Bahamas ever really wanted were the lawyer fees. ﾠAnd that they got.
Of course, Tractebel has one big advantage. ﾠTheir new lawyer is the Prime Minister’s brother-in-law. ﾠThat could mean everything. ﾠNothing gets things done faster in this country than greasing the right palms.
Of course, that could backfire, like it did for Mohammed Harajchi. ﾠHe greased plenty of palm, but in the end was back-stabbed by the PLP in the same way many of the family island drug dealers were. ﾠThey all contributed money, only to find that once the PLP was elected, the party abandoned the promises they had made to their financial supporters.
Someday, Bahamians will get tired of the social and economic problems that are caused by having a gang of criminals manage their country. ﾠSomeday, Bahamians will demand a real government and will elect people who put the country first, not themselves. ﾠPeople who have ethics and morals. ﾠUnfortunately, they may have to import such people, as people with ethics and morals are fast becoming extinct in a country that continues to elect selfish irresponsible criminals to lead them down the path to national destruction.
