By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Deputy Leader Shanendon Cartwright called yesterday for the resignation of National Security Minister Wayne Munroe, citing a loss of public confidence in the minister’s ability to address the country’s crime situation.

Mr Cartwright said the state of national security is in disarray and claimed Mr Munroe no longer commands the trust of the Bahamian people to safeguard the nation’s security interests.

“The minister’s public words have been equally diminishing in his ability to remain responsible for our nation’s national security structure,” Mr Cartwright said in a statement yesterday.

“The public has often wondered whose side the minister is on, the victims or suspects.”

“While his legal arguments are suited for his role as a defence attorney, there is no confidence in his role as minister of national security. This is not about questioning the minister’s integrity; it is a question of competence.”

Mr Cartwright argued that rebuilding trust in national security leadership begins with Mr Munroe’s resignation, as the public’s confidence in law enforcement has been further shaken by a recent revelation from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The federal indictment alleged that members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) provided critical support to drug traffickers smuggling cocaine from South America through The Bahamas to the US. The indictment also claimed that a “high-ranking politician” was expected to authorise Bahamian law enforcement’s involvement in a $2m cocaine trafficking scheme. Mr Munroe has denied any connection to the allegations.