PM: I do not have to get involved over web shops

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

FOLLOWING the FNM’s call for the immediate closure of illegal gambling and lottery operations, Prime Minister Perry Christie said he does not have to “get involved in enforcing it” as police know how to do their job.

He dismissed the opposition’s statements as “nonsense”, saying the well-trained and “well-led” Royal Bahamas Police Force are responsible for enforcing the law.

FNM Leader Hubert Minnis criticised the government and police for “inordinate delay” following Chief Justice Sir Michael Barnett’s decision to lift an interlocutory order that protected gaming web shops.

“Tell them stop from talking nonsense,” Mr Christie said yesterday. “Read the judgement of the Chief Justice – I don’t know if they (web-shops) have appealed yet on this matter, but the government, the prime minister, doesn’t get involved in enforcing it.

“The police know what their jobs must be; it is for the police to do what they have to do and interpret the judgement as they have to interpret it and if they need advice, they get their advice from the Attorney General. But it’s not Perry Christie closing it down.”

His January statement that all web shops must close with immediate effect “speaks for itself” and he’s “moving on,” the prime minister said.

“We are a country of laws and we are a country where the police are responsible for enforcing the laws of the Bahamas,” he said. “If they see wrong, if they know wrong, if they apprehend wrong, they know what their job is, and I can’t insinuate myself in, saying ‘Go and arrest this one and arrest that one.’

“They are police officers. The police officers are well-trained, well-led organisation, and this whole thing about the Leader of the Opposition – what he could do?”

Following the January referendum on web shop gaming, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced that all web-shops must close with immediate effect; but web-shops filed an injunction to block any move by the government from interfering with the operations.

Crown attorneys Lauren Klein, Darren Henfield, Darcell Williamson and Melissa Wright-Knowles, moved to have the January 30 court order lifted in a hearing before the Chief Justice a week ago.

They argued that operators had themselves admitted they were engaging in gaming and that such activities went outside of what they were licensed to do as web shop cafe operators.

However, attorneys for the plaintiffs noted that the Crown did not dispute that there was a meeting between the operators and the Ministry of Finance in April 2010 when full disclosure of their operations was made to the government and their licenses were renewed.

On April 10, Chief Justice Sir Michael Barnett ruled that “the police must be allowed to enforce the law unless and until the law has been declared to be invalid.”

National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage said that although he was certain that the police force has enough personnel to do whatever needed to be done with web shops, he could not say what the plans were.

He said that it was not his job to direct the police chief, adding that officials would have to wait for the advice of Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson before making a decision on the way forward.

In response to public calls for the police to take action and shut down number houses everywhere, Mr Greenslade said the force is now conducting a probe to see if web shop owners are deviating from the clauses of operation allowed in their business licenses.

This past weekend, Dr Minnis said: “It is now the job of Mr Greenslade to do his best to enforce the law; to stop making what sounds like lame excuses, and to stop trying to anticipate the legal challenges which people who are breaking the law may try to raise. Let lawyers do the job of lawyers while you, Mr Commissioner, do the job for which we believe you to be fully qualified and capable, namely prevent crime, including ‘white collar and computerized gambling’ crimes.”

Wayne Munroe – the attorney for Island Game, Island Luck, FML, Asue Draw, Whattfall and Chances – has filed an appeal and a stay of execution on the decision to drop the injunction.

Mr Munroe said that in the interim it would be in the best interest of his clients for the government to shut them down, rather than them closing voluntarily.

In an interview with Tribune Business, he said that if the government chooses to act on the Chief Justice’s ruling, it could set itself up for further legal action at the cost of taxpayers

Comments

B_I_D___ says...

Boy...the PLP ducking and dodging like crazy, they don't want to be seen to 'advise' the police on ANYTHING with regards to the numbers racket...that money must have been SWEEEEEEET in party donations!! After the referendum failed, they have distanced themselves as much as humanly possible from saying anything that may reflect poorly on the numbers guys cause they need the money to keep the PLP machine afloat!! Sadly, I think the majority of Bahamians won't even clue into the bigger picture and will just keep backing and voting these clowns into office. PGC and BN deserve each other...LOL

Posted 17 April 2013, 12:42 p.m. Suggest removal

Ironvelvet says...

So which one is it PM: At the verdict of the referendum you ordered the webshops CLOSED! I suppose you did that to please the masses. because the attorney and your web shop friends told you they would be filing the legitimate injunction. Now that the law has been enforced you want no part of it because it is not your job? Nottage says crime is not his job? So please tell us what is your job? Because too often the newspapers are quoting you as saying, "I will handle xyz PERSONALLY." You seem to be selective on what is and isn't your job.

Posted 17 April 2013, 3:17 p.m. Suggest removal

proudloudandfnm says...

Ah well the number man going back to the lil black book....

Posted 17 April 2013, 4:18 p.m. Suggest removal

USAhelp says...

They will just take down the sign then keep on selling then numbers.

Posted 17 April 2013, 8:59 p.m. Suggest removal

BahamasGamingAssociation says...

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bahamas-…

WHICH ON OF THE BELOW REIGNS SUPREME IN THE BAHAMAS?

The Bahamas Lottery and Gaming Act Chapter 387 Section 50 Persons prohibited from Gaming

Or

The Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas Chapter III – Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedom of the Individual. Section 26 Protection from Discrimination on grounds of Race, Place of Origin etc.

The Bahamas Gaming Association stands by the Ideology that all human beings who are 18 years or older should be treated equally in all sectors of the Bahamian Economy which is enshrined in the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

Posted 30 June 2014, 4:17 p.m. Suggest removal

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