Algernon Cargill now under a web of questions as Director of NIB.
Some people need to hit jail if only for a day!
Nassau, Bahamas — It was back in 2009 when Bahamas Press began a serious investigation of alleged spending splurges at the National Insurance Board. Our probe sparked heated debates in the Parliament. By December of that year we began focusing on a vendor of NIB, Kenuth’s Electric.
Many would remember claims of alleged abuses at the Board noting how a purchase order of electrical supplies was requested at a hefty price tag.
The claims concluded that the electrical company had submitted to the Board a bill that was four hundred percent of its actual price.
In response to the claims director Algernon Cargill said, “I have no idea of an item that was purchased by NIB for over $60,000 where the average bid was $13,000. I’ve never even heard of this,” the director said. His response to this was swift, short, blunt and telling. And we know why.
Additional files on the books and in the systems at NIB shown to us back then confirmed that the electrical company almost every month is the sole provider of electrical supplies being ordered by NIB.
So when did this ‘sensual love affair’ with NIB begin?
Bahamas Press searched a background of this “couple” [Kenuth and NIB]?
Cargill and Kenuth Knowles are travel buddies, amigos, compadres that go back to Cargill’s days at CIBC. They both journeyed regularly to Florida together for fun and frolic.
In those days, it was common to travel to the big USA for sensual pleasures of carnal delights and lusts. And therefore, the fact that invoices from Kenuth’s Electric had ended up on the accounts payable at NIB was no surprise to BP investigators.
Kenuth practically collects a cheque from the Board every month for frivolous items not needed at NIB’s head office, but here’s just the beginning of our story.
Questions were put on the floor of the Parliament to the then Minister of Finance and former Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham about these deals with this same electrical company and NIB.
In fact, the then opposition members went further and challenged Mr. Ingraham to table what were the contract dollar values granted to Kenuth’s Electric by his government through NIB and here’s what the PM’s response was, though never carried by the ‘wutless gutless’ media.
The former Prime Minister noted that the company received some $362,932.00 [Three hundred and sixty-two thousand, nine hundred and thirty-two dollars] in contracts by his government through the National Insurance Board. He confirmed that this was all that Kenuth got between 2007 and 2012.
But this is not correct.
Sources deep in the government are now racking up the totals awarded in contracts and we can confirm to date that the former Prime Minister mislead the Parliament and told a big fat lie.
Sources confirmed to Bahamas Press contracts awarded to Kenuth’s Electric from contracts for NIB projects for the period 2007-2012 were as follows:
2. Abaco Government Complex – by Woslee Construction – $2.248 million.
3. Abaco Community Health Center – by Coastline Construction – $1.675 million
4. Exuma Community Health Center – by Reef Construction Co – $1.056 million (excludes generator, fire alarm system and contractor is purchasing some supplies).
5. J.L. Center Project – by Coastline Construction Co. Ltd – $1.108 million ($158,489 advanced under this contract) prior to contractor deciding to give up the contract.
And we repeat: the National Insurance Board funded all the works.
Additional works issued to Cargill’s good friend totaled some $2,093,619.82 [two million ninety-three thousand, six hundred and nineteen dollars and eighty-two cents].
It’s UNBELIEVABLE!
In short books reflects a total of over NINE MILLION DOLLARS [$9.3 million] was the true amount on contracts for Cargill’s buddy.
We have called for an investigation into NIB since 2009. We still wait.
We demand a public commission to investigate the SCANDALOUS OPERATIONS at The Board.
We demand that a Royal Commission look into these connections and ties and find out why so much of the damn taxpayers money ended up in the hands of the few. And examine whether or not the cost for such works was indeed inflated.
A commission is to seek TRUTH!
This cannot be right, especially when Mama cannot get her pension and death benefits?
