Chief Justice Could Be Ousted for Ties to Bacon

The new Bahamas administration is reportedly putting some pressure on current Chief Justice Michael Barnett to resign.  CJ Barnett was appointed under the former administration, the Free National Movement party, but his tenure thus far hasn't gone smoothly.  In fact, he has been under the suspicion of dealing with court matters that he should not, due to the fact that it could be seen as a conflict of interest.

The Progressive Liberal Party Government is making as many changes as necessary to get tough on a crime rate, which was spiraling out of control under the former administration.  PLP advisors say the most recent conflict of interest allegation against the CJ should be the last straw for him and he should resign from such a significant post in the justice system.

The most recent allegation is really, just an old one that has resurfaced.  It stems from an issue centered on a financial transaction that Sir Michael allegedly handled while he was the Attorney General.  While the powers that be debate that issue, we'd like to remind them of Sir Michael's behavior as it pertains to the case of two foreign investors, Peter Nygard and Louis Bacon.

Chief Justice Michael Barnett

The obvious bias that the FNM extended towards Mr. Bacon even when he was caught in wrongdoing is flabbergasting.  The former administration had the then AG John Delaney sign off on a nolle prosequi to throw out a legitimate case of defamation and conspiracy against Bacon, but in their haste, all of the other defendants' names were included on that document except Mr. Bacon's.

Sir Michael is caught up in the issue because he was formerly a part of Bacon's legal team, Graham Thompson & Co, before coming into the public justice system.  Meanwhile, his daughter has taken up the case against Nygard for Graham Thompson & Co.  This is seen as a big conflict of interest and too close to home, especially when Nygard's legal team has made complaints that have even been reported in the media about all of the dodgy actions happening in the courts as they try to push forward their case.

Nygard and Bacon have been locked in court battles ever since Bacon moved into Point House, the neighboring property to Nygard Cay.  An excited Bacon started extending and building up his property.  In one instance, he utilized the roadway, which is designed to be a shared roadway for the residents, and build up his easement in such a way that he commandeered the roadway for himself.  This led to much confusion as Nygard's guests had trouble finding their way around the new layout.  It was obvious that Nygard had been left with nothing but a small pathway leading to his entrance gate.

It is for this reason that "To Nygard Cay" signs were created, for the benefit of guests.  Yet, Mr. Bacon took that matter to court seeking to have those signs removed, even though he no longer lives at Point House and has it up for sale for some $85 million.  His exit from the Bahamas left a trail of cloudy smoke behind, as people try to figure out why one Bahamian foreign resident had so much power with the former administration.