The Tribune

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

THE public will “know exactly what has taken place” regarding the government’s probe into abuse allegations at the detention centre unless making that information public will “endanger any further steps,” Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday.

Noting Amnesty International’s call for the investigation’s outcome to be made public, Mr Christie firmly stated he has “no problem” with making investigation results public unless those reports “have some relationship with people’s rights before the court” – such as possible prosecution.

“So obviously subject to advice of a legal nature, I have no difficulties with publishing reports,” he said.

“I’m aware of the fact that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister (Fred) Mitchell indicated that he would be making a recommendation to publish and he’s pointed out to the Leader of the Opposition (Hubert Minnis), when his government had the opportunity to publish – they didn’t.

“Moving forward, where a matter is of such important public issue, we will obviously speak to our colleagues in Cabinet, but I would expect that a decision would be made to let the Bahamian people know exactly what has taken place – except that there is advice it might endanger any further steps that have to be taken, in terms of justice being seen to be done for anyone who may be impugned as a result of the investigation. So other than that, no problem.”

While speaking on the abuse allegations at his office over the weekend, Mr Mitchell had said although it is his wish for the results from the probe to be made public, he suggested that Cabinet would have to decide.

Mr Mitchell further called on FNM leader Dr Minnis to explain why the findings of a 2009 investigation into events at the detention centre were never made public, as was criticised by Amnesty International. Dr Minnis was the Health Minister at the time.

Also yesterday, Mr Christie said he does not have a problem with the local media visiting the detention centre. In fact, he said, he would like to go, as well.

“I do not have a difficulty of the local press being able to have an opportunity to look at the detention centre. Again, if there is some implications to the security and the conditions there, I will take that into consideration.

“Insofar as you’re concerned, Bahamian press, I have no difficulty. I would be surprised if there is a difficulty in that regard. So most certainly, if there has been some rule preventing that other than national security concerns – and I’ll have to be briefed on those concerns, I don’t have any hesitation whatsoever saying I’d like to go with you myself. I would like to go with you and look at them, myself, and see if we have the same appreciation of what is taking place.”

He added: “We have a situation where we are really struggling to see how close we could come to the American position – particularly on dealing with Cuban refugees – where they are able, if they find them in international waters, (to) put them on board a boat and hold them there until such time as they are accepted by Cuba and then they return them to Cuba.

“I would want to do the same thing. People come to our country and we have to put them up. There’s a process that takes place that involves the United Nations and we have to go through that process, we have to house them in the Bahamas, we have to do all that is necessary that requires resources of our country being spent on guests that we did not invite to come here and that we have to maintain here.

“And so yes, we are supposed to do so in a civilized way, we’re supposed to do so in a way that even though there may be trouble-makers amongst them who escape – who do all sorts of things, we are supposed to use reasonable force – if in fact, force is necessary. All of these requirements are in place.”