Ex-developer threatens legal action to halt Baha Mar sale

BMD Holdings Ltd., the former developer of Baha Mar Casino and Hotel, is asking the government of Bahamas to impose a moratorium on the final sale of the casino resort to Hong Kong conglomerate Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE).

In a letter sent to new Prime Minister Hubert Minnis, BMD Holdings owner Sarkis Izmirlian warned that he would take legal action against the former administration on grounds of “state-sponsored discrimination,” The Tribune reported.

BMD Holdings was the original developer of the Caribbean casino project until the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2015, citing debts of more than $1 billion. This prompted the local government to look for a solution to the project, which was originally slated to open for business in 2014.

In May, the government of Bahamas finally closed the sale of the unfinished Baha Mar casino to CTFE, albeit under highly favorable terms for the Hong Kong buyer. In his letter, Izmirlian accused former Prime Minister Perry Christie of granting CTFE multi-million-dollar tax incentives that are “toxic” and “one-sided,” stressing that the government could not afford the “wholesale giveaway” considering its current precarious financial position.