Sands concerned probe lacks the urgency to maintain public trust

By LEANDRA ROLLE 

Tribune Chief Reporter 

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement (FNM) chairman Dr Duane Sands yesterday criticised the police force for its silence on when international investigators would arrive to assist with an ongoing corruption probe after they failed to show up last week.

Dr Sands expressed concern that the investigation lacked the urgency and sincerity needed to maintain public trust.

Senior members of the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency were expected to arrive in The Bahamas on August 14, but did not do so as scheduled.

Police officials did not respond to requests for comments on the reason for the delay or provide a new arrival date up to press time yesterday.

Meanwhile, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe has distanced himself from the investigation, insisting that he would not get involved.

“This is a matter that’s being driven by the security and intelligence branch. I leave investigations to police and I leave the oversight of it to the partners they have chosen,” Mr Munroe recently told reporters when asked about the expected arrival of the group.

Dr Sands said he found the minster’s comments unusual, noting that Mr Munroe often speaks on various issues under police investigation.

“Well, you know, the minister has not been shy about full-throated commentary on all manner of issues about matters before the court. We have raised concerns that he has been acting more like a defence attorney and less like a cabinet minister so why this peculiar approach now, which is not in keeping with his ordinary demeanor,” Dr Sands told The Tribune yesterday.

“It is a significant about-face for somebody who has been quite willing and able and capable to speak on all manner of issues about all aspects of cases being investigated by the Royal Bahamas Police Force and being even before the courts.”

Dr Sands stressed that the public should not have to “beg for” updates surrounding the investigation.

“We’ve made it very clear that this matter touches at the very heart of the democratic process and public confidence in the criminal justice system,” Dr Sands continued. “We have not deviated from that position, and we believe that the urgency and the sincerity that this issue demands has been lacking and you know, there is nothing about this process over the last week or two that has done anything to increase public confidence,” he said.

The police force was plunged into controversy in July after voice notes allegedly captured conversations involving a senior police officer, a lawyer, and two murdered gang leaders, Michael Fox Jr and Dino Smith, which purportedly reveal a quid-pro-quo arrangement.

The conversation on the voice notes centred around a $1.5m airport bank car heist in November.

Fox Jr and Smith were suspects in that matter but were never charged.

Two other men, Oral Roberts, 34, and Akeil Holmes, 26, were charged in connection with the robbery. Roberts was killed in the Fox Hill area last month.

Michael Johnson, the head of the Central Investigations Department, has taken garden leave as authorities investigate.

Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander has said the Security and Intelligence Branch of the police force is investigating the matter with the assistance of outside help.

He said the Police Complaints Inspectorate, a little-known body that has traditionally lacked the resources to perform its duties, would supervise the SIB’s investigation.