In what he describes as an “absolute scandal,” Sir Jack Hayward, co-chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, says he has been unable to get an accounting of $1 million he and the late Edward St. George donated to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
The funds, he told The Tribune in an exclusive interview on Monday, were to be used exclusively for Grand Bahama.
Sir Jack said he has not seen any evidence that they have been used for the purposes for which they were intended.
In addition, Sir Jack said his inquiries have met a wall of stony silence by NEMA.
“I think this is one of the biggest scandals the Bahamas had in years. I cannot get anything out of Mr. Carl Smith who is supposed to be in charge of NEMA,” he said.
Sir Jack said that he and Mr. St. George wrote the prime minister on October 12, 2004 highlighting their decision to make a personal contribution to NEMA of $1 million dollars.
They specifically stated the funds were to be earmarked for Grand Bahama, with 50 per cent to be spent in Freeport and 50 per cent in the communities of east and west Grand Bahama.
“The YMCA was devastated by the hurricane and we appealed for funds from Mr. Conrad Bethel (the person in charge of NEMA’s efforts in Grand Bahama) months ago and he said he had no money – it was all in Nassau.
“Sir Albert Miller said to us last October, ‘Gentlemen you were very silly to give that money to the government, you should have earmarked it for what you said and spent it yourselves – see that it gets there yourselves.
“We were stupid, Mr. St. George and I, we did not follow his advice,” said Sir Jack Hayward.
Source: The Tribune
Read the Commentary: Million Dollar Donation Missing
