Acting Prime Minister of The Bahamas Chester Cooper has publicly pushed back against allegations that his administration is obstructing a parliamentary investigation into the National Investment Fund (NIF), arguing instead that the Opposition-controlled Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is overstepping its defined parliamentary authority and allowing partisan political incentives to guide its work.
In a series of formal remarks addressing the weeks-long escalating dispute, Cooper categorically rejected claims of government interference with the probe, noting that there is no barrier preventing PAC members from consulting specialized technical staff at the Attorney General’s office who possess the relevant expertise to clarify the complex financial and legal questions tied to the NIF. Drawing on his own prior experience as a senior PAC member during his time in Opposition, Cooper emphasized that he fully respects the committee’s core mandate to oversee public spending, but stressed that all parliamentary bodies are bound by clearly established procedural rules that cannot be disregarded for political gain. He noted that new committee members receive formal procedural training from the House of Assembly clerk, and acknowledged that partisan pressures can create temptation to “push the envelope” of permitted authority – a dynamic he suggested is currently playing out with the PAC’s recent actions.
The PAC, chaired by Official Opposition Leader Michael Pintard, launched its inquiry to examine the Ministry of Finance’s movement and expenditure of public funds via a Central Bank account held under the NIF’s name. Central Bank Governor John Rolle previously confirmed in written correspondence to Pintard that the NIF’s formal board never convened, and the committee has been seeking clarity on the specific legal framework the government relied on to operate the fund. Finance Minister Michael Halkitis has publicly disclosed that $310.9 million in NIF proceeds were allocated to critical public infrastructure projects.
The core of the ongoing conflict centers on the legal guidance that underpinned the government’s management of the fund. Pintard has repeatedly demanded that the state waive attorney-client privilege and longstanding governmental confidentiality conventions to compel current Attorney General Wayne Munroe KC and his predecessor Ryan Pinder KC to release all legal advice they provided related to the NIF. Cooper affirmed that his administration is deeply committed to full transparency around public finances and will ensure the Bahamian public has access to all necessary information to draw informed conclusions, but argued that the PAC must pursue its inquiries through the formal, legally defined parliamentary channels available to it rather than exceeding its statutory powers.
Tensions reached a new peak on November 3, when the PAC’s three Opposition members voted to issue a formal summons to Pinder, who held the Attorney General post at the time the NIF-related legal advice was first issued. Kingsley Smith, the sole government representative on the PAC and Member of Parliament for West Grand Bahama, argued in the House of Assembly that the summons was unlawful because the committee had not secured explicit prior approval from the full legislative body, and revealed that Munroe had warned he would pursue action in the Supreme Court if the PAC continued to exceed its authority. Pintard has countered that the summons was issued in full compliance with guidance from the PAC’s secretary, who also serves as the clerk of the House of Assembly.
Munroe, who appeared for a testimony session before the PAC but declined to respond to a subset of its questions, has stated that the official ministerial oath of office prohibits both himself and Pinder from disclosing confidential Cabinet advice, and that no authority exists to waive that requirement. He also noted that the PAC has not identified any irregularity or improper handling of the accounts linked to the NIF, and joined Cooper in rejecting claims of government obstruction. For his part, Pintard has accused the administration of reneging on Finance Minister Halkitis’s September 16 public pledge to fully cooperate with the PAC investigation, alleging that the government is actively attempting to avoid public accountability for its management of the NIF.
PAC pushing limits in NIF probe, says Cooper
