By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames said yesterday that no one is above the law, adding that if a complaint is made against someone “no matter who you are” police will investigate the claim and bring charges where warranted.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a press conference at police headquarters, Mr Dames said the government is not “bringing complaints to the police,” but the police force receives complaints and then “acts on evidence”.

He denied claims that the Minnis administration is conducting “witch hunts” against members of the former administration.

Earlier this month, Official Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis criticised the context in which the new administration is seeking to hold officials of the previous administration criminally liable, one that follows pronouncements from the Free National Movement on the campaign trail in which Bahamians were encouraged to expect “corrupt” politicians to be held accountable before the courts.

Mr Davis and other members of the Progressive Liberal Party have also accused the FNM of carrying out “witch hunts”.

“No one is above the law in this country and wherever a complaint is made the police have a responsibility to investigate and if it is found at the end of the day that persons are culpable, then they face the law,” Mr Dames said.

“Young men are being arrested in communities on a daily basis, who is out there defending them and standing up for them and making a big news story out of that? Every day you walk down to the courts and see the number of young men that are going before a magistrate, do we have people crying and saying there is a witch hunt when a young man is arrested for a joint or stealing from the food store and going and putting it in the papers and on TV and getting all this press? We have a problem in our country and for those who don’t see it, you can’t live here. No one is above the law and this should not be a debate on whether we are on a witch hunt or taking advantage of someone.

“When we are elected, we are elected to serve and if we serve upright we should have no concern.”

Mr Dames also brushed off rumours that Scotland Yard is in The Bahamas assisting the newly formed Anti-Corruption Unit.

He said at the end of the day, the courts will decide who is guilty and who is innocent.

“What’s perplexing to me is this, the police’s job is to investigate complaints that are coming before them. We as a government are not bringing complaints before the police and the police act on evidence,” Mr Dames said.

“This whole question about witch hunt is absurd and for us to continue to talk about it is ridiculous. The police investigate and if there is evidence of wrongdoing persons are held responsible, if there is no evidence of wrong doing then they are freed. There are safety values. Our system is designed as such that if the police after their investigation find out that there is sufficient evidence there is still another step. Police then compile their information and put it before the courts and the courts at the end of the day, will decide whether a person is guilty or innocent.”