So a Maritime Task Force for Revenue is on land? And why do they need the police and defense force for revenue collection? Is that their role?

And to make matters worst, this clearly shows the incompetence of the government. Do these people on the taskforce not have these records in their offices? They do not have computers that recorded what businesses turned in what? They have to walk into a business to determine if it is compliant?

This reeks of gestapo style aggression towards businesses.

Also , who owns Quality Home Center? Was that store invaded like CBS? Is that store owned by a government official?

PM Davis

Will the officers in the video get discounts when they come to buy merchandise?

Why have we become like this. Every government agency feels it should be militarized.

There is absolutely no reason why we should be behaving like this. Immigration, Customs, even the police have no business dressing and acting like this.

On top of being scary and intimidating, its just embarrassing. Look at them, look at Immigration when they get all dressed up, or at the military style road blocks. We are trying so hard to be a 3rd world militarized joke of a nation.

When I have my kids or foreign friends in the car and go through a road block I feel ashamed at what we have become. It perpetuates a vision of criminality and unease.

The uniforms are always mismatched, if you are a military branch you should be disciplined as such. Ever seen them with the intimidating face masks?

This is simply showing the incompetence and mentality of sone government officials. Showing up with guns for a tax issue. I also understand that a lot of businesses are receiving letters from DIR that are kind of threatening if the business is not compliant,although DIR has all the documents. I guess the slave mentality is alive and well

> However, Commander Bertram Bowleg, chairman of the Government’s Maritime Revenue Enhancement Task Force, yesterday pleaded to Tribune Business: “Don’t paint us to be the bad boys.” He explained that the visit to CBS Bahamas, and other businesses in the South-West Plaza, were part of a “door-to- door” compliance and enforcement strategy to ensure companies are com- pliant with all taxes.

>Signalling that this is the next step, following the recent voluntary compliance exercise staged by the revenue agencies, Commander Bowleg refuted suggestions that the team which visited CBS Bahamas were “heavy handed” or “aggressive” in their approach.

No government, no PM and no cabinet minister possesses this kind of discretionary authority or power under our Constitution. Even the type of ministerial "discretionary authority" language our corrupt politicians love to include in just about every piece of legislation they enact, does not vitiate the due process rights accorded every individual and business under our Constitution.

And even if a court order supported by a search and seizure warrant had been issued, this type of most abusive and intimidating revenue collection tactic is well beyond the pale of acceptable conduct by any revenue collection agency. Not even the highly aggressive IRS in the US would dare entertain such conduct without due process having been fully exhausted and absent a fully justifiable reason for the use of a heavily armed military-type force as opposed to inland revenue service personnel accompanied by police officers where necessary.

If corrupt PM Davis, Dumbo Halkitis and/or Simply Angry Wilson are found to be behind this horrifyingly abusive incident, there should be a loud public outcry for their heads to roll with the senior members of our judiciary system screaming in unison the loudest.

**Likened this captured on live video, armed visit** to in reference to now question what could lie ahead if our colony's troops that are heading to patrol and to guard over and protect the Haitian popoulaes **are likewise trained to respond -- with force even when unprovoked.** -- Even worse --- **alongside Kenyan troops** -- Known for their willingness' to use **deadly intimidation force,** against their own popoulaces. --- Yes?

I do not understand why did they go there with guns, they have to explain this one they could have caused heart attacks, to say the least,

Unfortunately, it can't be said it was the same after some CBS employees' -- Experienced loose bowel movements. -- Yes?

Due process, rule of law, suspicion of unlawful behavior or fraud, warrants, a day in court.
Are there offenders? Repeat offenders? sure there are. We are trying to overcome 50 years of corruption and cronyism. This does not stop that however. Bowleg needs pulling up short and hard, and anyone above who sanctioned this action/process. What % of this "task force" even knows what they're looking for in documentation? The permitted Haitian burning 10 year old documents in a trash bin out back?

Good question

Did the Task Force go to QHC in the same manner as they went to CBS?

Is QHC owned by our PM?????

Inquiring minds would like to know 💯

Is it possible that someone at the plaza called the Fuhrer a liar and he told them, "*I guh meet you inside*"

Disgrace, Nothing more to add, just the continued decline in this nation.

The team was not "heavy handed" or "aggressive" in their
approach. Does this mean that people are supposed to be gratefull because no shots were fired. Did they expect the managers and employees of the business to shoot at them?
Are you serious sir?

The matter was poorly handled by this task force.The persons need to be better trained and cognizant of the image they are portraying to the public. The department of inland revenue needs way better public relations.

Our thin-skinned corrupt PM & minster of finance Davis, and his two goons sorely lacking in common sense, namely simple minded and always angry Wilson and dumbo Halkitis, need to be held accountable by the people (voters) for this most outrageous act of terrorism, period!

Wow! Seriously? This is just insane. To make this even more ubsane it appears thus wasn't about non-compliance but a routine check if compliance. What is going in this country?

Inexcusable!
Inexcusable.
We have a corrupt government.
From the top to the bottom.
There is absolutely no excuse for this type of behaviour.
This goes to show that the police will protect nobody except those at the top.
They will kiss those butts until the cows come home.
Just blind obedience, with their big guns, because they have no brains or balls.
The PM is a total loser for allowing this to happen.
If he were a man he would............. Forget it, he ain't no man.
Sad day for The Bahamas. I hope the rest of the world gets to see how jokey we've become.
Worse, no shame. None of them. The PM will talk trash as he usually does.

If they come through my doors like that, I’ll shut the whole business down…total disrespect from people who abide by the rules and pay their bills…easier to screw over the big retailers for what may be a fraction of a percent of discrepancy vs chasing after everyone else slipping through the cracks or that have political connections.

One thing we don't like as Bahamians is enforcement boy. As soon as the government take a serious stance, we worried about appearance more than those not wanting to pay their fair share, when the small man being taxed but the big man playing stupid and gaining all the profits.

Bahamians don't like a government using lawlessness to fight lawlessness. A nation ***lacking*** a government that respects the laws of the land while enforcing the laws of the land is destined to be a failed state. Our government exists to serve the citizenry and enforce the laws of our nation without the use of unlawful intimidation and terrorist-type tactics.

This has nothing to do with enforcement. This is intimidation.

IF the business was not ib compliance why not go to court and shut it down?

Further, the nonsensical response was that they checking for compliance. That is ridiculous. Every government entity has records. All they had to do was check their records.

Since when do we have goon squads with guns going around to check for compliance? This is gestapo tactics.

This was not enforcement. When police show up at a business site for financial matters, in real countries, 100% of the time they have evidence of a crime. And a warrant. 100%. This was a "show of force" and nothing else. A show of force for law abiding citizens where in the world does that make sense?

I don't see the issue, was the owner held at gun point? was the owner humiliated? If the owner is compliant, then what's the real issue?

Yup, you fully qualify as a Heil Hitler kind of person ready for promotion to a senior position within the ranks of corrupt Davis's newly formed PLP Gestapo.

You are not serious right?

If the owner is compliant, all the goon squad has to do is check the records at the relevant government offices.

This is intimidation.

But it easy not to see the issue, until they do it to you.

Govt can do this anytime they want cause people gah vote for them anyway. PLP & FNM.

As was predicted in my comment below posted a week or so ago in connection with corrupt PM Davis's Hitler-like rantings.

**"LET ME SUM THIS UP FOR ALL OF US:**

**THIS MOST CORRUPT DAVIS LED PLP GOVERNMENT IS NOW PROMOTING AND ENGAGED IN THE WEAPONIZATION OF ITS DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES IN AN ALL OUT ASSAULT AGAINST THE PEOPLE AND THEIR BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY THOSE IT PERCEIVES TO BE WEALTHIER AND MORE VULNERABLE TO BEING COERCED AND/OR EXTORTED UNDER THREAT OF THEIR PROPERTY BEING SEIZED AND CONFISCATED, OR THEIR BUSINESSES BEING ALTOGETHER SHUT DOWN, WITHOUT ANY REGARD FOR THE DUE PROCESS RIGHTS AFFORDED BY OUR CONSTITUTION.**

**AND TO THINK CORRUPT DAVIS AND HIS FAVOURED LOCAL CRONIES ARE AMONG THE BIGGEST TAX DODGERS IN OUR NATION, WITH THE SINISTER AND EVIL SNAKE AND THAT SLEASY THUG KNOWN AS KING SEBAS BEING THE SHINING EXAMPLES AMONG THEM.**

**IT'S HIGH TIME WE THE PEOPLE SEND DAVIS AND THE ELITIST HIERARCHY WITHIN PLP PARTY A MESSAGE THEY WILL NEVER FORGET."**

Like corrupt Vomit Christie before, Stumpy Davis is now giving all Bahamians his "middle finger" knowing that the PLP are likely to lose at the polls in at least the next two national general elections. Yes indeed, it's going to be a very long time before the voters forget the blatant level of corruption associated with the elitist hierarchy of the PLP who always only care about their own greedy wants and needs.

the childish name-calling weakens some otherwise good points. Its unnecessary amongst mature adults

Point taken ........ not that it will matter much.

Most of the comments I post to this website concern known corrupt, unsavory, and immature government officials and their favoured despicable cronies/partners in the private sector, many of whom fully deserve to be dressed down from their preferred lofty titles like "The Right Honourable", "His Excellency", and so on.

If you find the name-calling highly offensive, then I would suggest you stop reading my comments. I don't read most of @Tal's comments only because they are usually unenlightening gibberish, but I do recognise everyone is entitled to their own writing style and form of communication absent abusive profanity.