By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe announced in a press statement yesterday that Corrections Commissioner Charles Murphy has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into matters at the prison, including the handling of a prisoner who caught COVID-19 during lock-up.

However, Commissioner Murphy countered yesterday evening that the new administration is only doing what it wants to do to fulfill its agenda.

“My lawyer will be addressing the matter soon,” Mr Murphy said. “Whatever is being said is baseless and they have their own agenda they want to fulfill. They seek to put forth information to hide their blatant agenda. Their agenda is clear so they are seeking to cover their agenda up and use me as a scapegoat. The Bahamian people know their agenda.”

Mr Munroe said Deputy Commissioners Doan Cleare and Bernadette Murray have been ordered to return to the correctional facility from the Ministry of National Security, with Mr Cleare acting as corrections commissioner in Mr Murphy’s absence.

 Mr Cleare and Mrs Murray brought lawsuits against the Minnis administration in 2019, alleging they were forced to take vacation leave to facilitate the appointment of Commissioner Murphy, their deputy. Mr Munroe was the lawyer representing them in that case. The status of their lawsuit is unclear.

 In explaining Commissioner Murphy’s suspension, Mr Munroe said in his statement yesterday that there are three areas of concern regarding the facility.

 “The briefing produced for me by Commissioner Murphy disclosed on the face of it that the Bahamas Department of Corrections (BDOCS) was not being operated in accordance with the Correctional Services Act,” he said.

 “It came to my attention that BDOCS, the management of which is vested in Commissioner Murphy, may have breached an order made by Supreme Court Justice Klein ordering the release of Prescott Smith who had been committed to BDOCS himself for failing to obey an order of a Supreme Court judge.

 “It was reported to me that the aforesaid Prescott Smith has subsequently tested positive for infection with the SARS cov2 virus. It came to my attention that during his stay at BDOCS, Mr Smith was quarantined in a cell with three other individuals. In the face of these concerns, Commissioner Murphy was directed to proceed immediately on administrative leave.”

 Mr Smith is a prominent supporter of the Progressive Liberal Party.

 Mr Munroe said he led a delegation to BDOCS that interviewed several people, including “the officers in charge of the Central Intake Remand facility where Mr Smith was held; the officer in charge of the medium security unit of BDOCS; the officer in charge of the maximum-security block of BDOCS; the officer then in charge of the sick bay at BDOCS; personnel in the medical records section of BDOCS; Dr Johnson the medical officer at BDOCS; and the officer in charge of the female unit at BDOCS.

 “I am concerned over the condition of BDOCS and some of the protocols reported to be in place,” he said. “I have tasked Acting Commissioner Cleare and Deputy Commissioner Murray to assess the current condition to immediately seek to remediate poor conditions and tighten protocols in line with the advice of Dr Johnson.

 “I believe that with a cooperative effort we can truly see a new day at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. If we are truly about rehabilitation, transformation and correction then we must ensure that stakeholders are treated fairly and civilly.”

 In their 2019 lawsuit, Mr Cleare and Mrs Murray claimed that Mr Murphy actively campaigned for the FNM during the 2017 general election campaign “in contravention of public service policies.”

 The Tribune saw Mr Murphy at an FNM rally in February 2020; it is unusual for a senior public official to attend such events.