Ailing Bridge Authority Chairman Greg Bonaby, while on sick leave, went around his acting chairman and issued a nearly $19,000 contract to a company owned by his friend to perform an assessment already conducted by the Ministry of Works for free, according to documents obtained by the Gallery.
Upon Bonaby’s instruction, Countrywide Builders and Developers manager Johnny Outten sent a fee proposal to Bridge Authority General Manager Tony Smith on December 2, 2020 for structural assessment services related to the Paradise Island bridges.
The company submitted a quote of $18,592 and requested $9,296 up front and the remaining $9,296 upon completion of assessment services.
However, the same services were provided by the Ministry of Works at no charge in March of this year.
Instead of allowing the proposal to go before the Bridge Authority’s acting chairman and board of directors, Bonaby personally instructed the general manager to approve the contract and issue a check for the full amount of $18,592 without the board’s knowledge.
If Bonaby is on leave and there is an acting chairman in place, why is he still issuing orders?
If the project is above board, why would he and the general manager keep the Board of Directors in the dark?
Countrywide is the same company that Bonaby issued contracts to for the building of jersey walls for $35,275 and a $22,500 retainer wall, at inflated prices, without board approval.
According to the General Manager’s Report to the Bridge Authority’s Board of Directors, Bonaby went behind the board’s back and issued a $22,500 contract to the company to build the East Paradise Island Bridge Bulkhead Retaining Wall.
The wall is an unimpressive 7 feet 8 inches long, 3 feet high and is too small to retain anything.
Insiders tell The Gallery that 35 8-inch blocks were used to build the wall which serves no purpose. That means it cost the Bridge Authority about $630 per square foot to build.
Since being appointed chairman, Bonaby has been treating the Bridge Authority like his personal piggy bank. However, his actions have gone without consequences as he is a childhood friend of Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis.
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