business@tribunemedia.net
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
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Now-minister’s warning to US investor over ‘fronting’ BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A NOW-Cabinet minister last year warned a US investor he was “in direct contravention of Bahamian law” through his involvement with a Briland tourism operator doing business in an industry exclusively reserved for 100 percent local ownership only. Darron Pickstock, then a Glinton, Sweeting & O’Brien attorney and partner, told Pablo Conde and his US lawyer via a May 21, 2025, e-mail that the Government had made it “abundantly clear” that the Conch & Coconut tour operator, destination management and visitor
‘Contravening Bahamian law’ alert sent before joining Cabinet
Ex-Briland partners battle over local law firm’s representation
Claims challenge to DIR’s $1.2m in unpaid taxes was blocked
“concierge” business was in a sector of the Bahamian economy that is off-limits to foreign ownership and investors. “It must be made unequivocally clear,” he wrote. “Pablo’s involvement in this business is in direct contravention of Bahamian law. Conch & Coconut is a
Bahamian company, and the operation of this business, particularly in the tourism sector, is explicitly reserved for Bahamians under our statutory and policy framework. The Government of The Bahamas has made this position abundantly clear, both to us and the relevant regulators.”
Mr Pickstock, who would have been a Senator when he wrote the e-mail, was subsequently elected to the House of Assembly in the Golden Isles by-election later that year. He then won the same seat in the May 12 general election, and has been appointed minister of state for Immigration in
BAHAMIAN motorists face having to pre-pay for their vehicle’s annual inspection, and fines if they fail to renew its licence and registration on time, as part of the Government’s drive to boost road safety and compliance with a “modernised” traffic regime. Little-noticed reforms to the Road Traffic Act, which have been tabled in the House of Assembly alongside the 2026-2027 Budget, introduce several subtle but important changes to the vehicle inspection and licensing regime that will impact thousands of Bahamians as early as July this
Motorists to pre-pay ‘non-refundable’ inspection fee Penalty for not renewing vehicle licence before expiry Title Certificate needed to release imports from Customs year provided Parliament passes them into law. The Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2026’s fifth clause is designed to amend section 32 in the existing Act by requiring vehicle owners to pay the annual inspection
Wellness and sports tourism project attracts $40m funding BY FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net THE founder of a New Providence-based wellness and sports tourism development yesterday disclosed it has attracted between $30m-$40m in investment and is fully booked for the peak December holiday period as it prepares to welcome international visitors from July 1. Abdoulaye Fadiga said the Champion Spirit
Country Club project, which combines high-end accommodations, sports training facilities and wellness services, is positioning itself at the crossroads of sports, medical and longevity tourism - a sector he believes presents significant opportunities for The Bahamas. "We are approaching $30m in total investment, and we are planning to invest much more as we continue building residences and expanding the development," said Mr
fee to the Road Traffic Department “before the inspection is conducted”. This will mark a major cultural shift, as both Bahamians and residents have grown accustomed to paying this fee after the inspection - and only if their auto is deemed roadworthy enough to pass, However, the proposed Road Traffic Act change stipulates that the inspection fee “shall be payable whether or not a certificate of fitness is issued” - meaning that no refund is available for motorists whose vehicles fail to pass. And, for those owners whose autos are deemed not roadworthy, they will have to pay the inspection fee again whenever these Fadiga. "Today, we are between $30m and $40m invested, and that figure will continue to grow." The development has been operating in a soft-opening phase, serving primarily Bahamian residents, but will officially begin welcoming international guests next month. "Beginning July 1, we will start welcoming guests from the United States, Canada, Europe and other international markets," said Mr Fadiga. "Before that, we were only accepting residents of The Bahamas. Now we are opening our doors to the world, and the response so far has been very positive." While the July launch coincides with the traditionally slower summer tourism season, Mr Fadiga
sparked by the messy break-up between the US investor and Julian ‘Shaq’ Gibson, who ran the Harbour Island end of Conch & Coconut’s operations and has continued with the business following their split. Mr Gibson disclosed the e-mail as part of evidence which, he asserts, shows Glinton, Sweeting & O’Brien was hired to represent himself and Conch & Coconut - but not Mr Conde - in addressing the more than $1.2m in unpaid taxes owed to the Bahamian Public Treasury and Department of Inland Revenue. The “engagement letter” refers to the “temporary closure of the business and issues with the Department of Inland Revenue”. However, Mr Conde, who controlled and oversaw the US side of Conch & Coconut’s operations prior to the break-up, is alleging that it was he who hired Glinton, Sweeting & O’Brien - not Mr Gibson - to handle and resolve the situation with the Bahamian tax authorities.
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Jet ski crackdown requires ‘more consistent progress’
Road Traffic fees shake-up to boost safety, compliance BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
the second Davis administration’s Cabinet, which has seen him give up all private sector activity including representing Conch & Coconut and Mr Conde’s former Bahamian partner. While the stipulation on 100 percent Bahamian ownership for businesses such as Conch & Coconut is not enshrined in statute law, but instead articulated in the National Investment Policy, Mr Conde’s involvement would nevertheless still need approval from government regulators such as the Investments Board and National Economic Council (NEC) The e-mail was filed with the south Florida federal court last week as part of the ongoing legal battle
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LEON LUNDY deficiencies are fixed and they present the vehicle for a fresh examination by Road Traffic Department officials. And, apart from paying inspection fees in advance, the Bill also inserts new sections into the Road Traffic Act that will impose a “penalty” on motorists who fail to bring their vehicle forward for inspection, and the annual renewal of its licence and registration, before the latter expires. In other words, if a vehicle’s
DRIVE - See Page B4 said demand for the property's year-end offerings has already exceeded expectations. "July is a good time for us to begin welcoming international guests because it is traditionally a quieter period during the rainy and hurricane seasons," he said. "By October, we expect to be fully operational, and we are already fully booked for the end-of-year period in December." The Champion Spirit Country Club founder argued that The Bahamas possesses several advantages that could help it develop a stronger foothold in wellness and medical tourism, including accessibility, its climate and international appeal.
BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A SENIOR hotelier yesterday conceded that “more consistent progress in a timely fashion” is needed to crackdown on rogue jet ski operators while also acknowledging that the body charged with overseeing this effort needs to meet more frequently. Robert Sands, Baha Mar’s senior vice-president, revealed to Tribune Business that the Government’s Jet Ski Task Force met yesterday morning just one day after Herschel Walker, US ambassador to The Bahamas, called for it to be fully “activated” as he and his embassy warned all American tourists against renting jet skis during their vacation due to safety concerns sparked by recent deaths, injuries and sexual assaults. Mr Sands, himself a Task Force member, said that while the group had made an initial “positive impact” towards its goal of a “compliant, safe and secure” Bahamian jet ski industry, the effort had “gone somewhat silent in the last two to three months” and needs to be rebooted. Pointing to prior Tribune Business reports of
ROBERT SANDS fines, arrests and jet ski confiscations, he signalled that policing the industry is challenging and requires “the commitment of manpower” and other resources by the authorities. Mr Sands said The Bahamas’ very geography, featuring multiple beaches and isolated cays, meant that “once you clog up one hole it creates opportunities in other areas” for unscrupulous operators to exploit. Asserting that the Government’s and tourism industry’s objectives were aligned with those of the US embassy when it came to safety and regulation in the jet ski industry, the Baha Mar chief added that the key is for the Task Force to move forward with its mandate and “achieve an acceptable environment”
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Minister warns Nassau outages set to persist BY ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter anixon@tribunemedia.net THE Cabinet minister responsible for energy yesterday warned that New Providence electricity outages may persist after $130m in vital grid upgrades were delayed by about eight weeks following the earlier fatal shooting of a US contractor. During a tour of the nearly-completed Big Pond substation, Jobeth Coleby-Davis, minister of energy, utilities and
aviation, acknowledged the frustration caused by recent outages but argued they are a consequence of the extensive transmission and distribution improvements. “One of the challenges that we’ve experienced over the past few weeks is the inconvenience of the outages at different times in different areas,” she said. “In my Budget communication, I explained that most of the outages are attributed to the upgrades.” Mrs Coleby-Davis said the project, which has entered its final phase, had originally been
JOBETH COLEBY-DAVIS scheduled for completion by the end of May, adding: “Unfortunately, the incident that occurred with a Pike employee had us delayed by eight weeks. And because of that, we are now having to
complete our upgrades in a time period that also has extreme heat.” Her comments come just over a week after Opposition MP Kwasi Thompson
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6 BR | 4.5 BA | POOL | HILLTOP VIEWS | 2.11 AC
Eastern Road, New Providence $4,100,000 | NS63420
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