The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

LORETTA Butler Turner, FNM deputy leader, is questioning the Christie administration’s approach to governance if an elected official acting as Prime Minister can be left without a proper security detail.

Of main concern, Mrs Butler-Turner told The Tribune yesterday, was the government’s failure to properly notify the general public of any vacancies that might occur in the Prime Minister’s post when he travels on official business.

Such a breakdown contributed to a poor security detail for Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis when he and his wife Anne Marie were the victims of an armed robbery at their western New Providence home on December 9.

Mrs Turner’s comments came after National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage and the Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade each blamed the other for failing to ensure Mr Davis had adequate security at his home. Dr Nottage said the question of providing security for statesmen was not up to the politicians.

“At the end of the day, we are left in utter confusion,” Mrs Butler Turner said. “They have no regard for protocol and procedures. Since that is clear we can understand why the acting Prime Minister only had a civilian driver when he and his wife were the subject of an armed robbery.

“Whenever the Prime Minister leaves, the public should be advised via the Cabinet office or the Governor General and then be made aware of who will be acting as the chief executive. The Prime Minister’s team, or whomever, should then ensure that the one acting has all of the security detail normally afforded to him.”

“From my view obviously it appears that the Commissioner is indicating that there seems to be a lot of influence in over the directions he takes. Ultimately, there are only two persons that can give him directions and they are the National Security Minister and the Prime Minister.

“The fact that he is denying culpability shows he was not sure of what should have been done.”

On Wednesday, Dr Nottage said the police were

ultimately responsible for any decision to increase security for government officials.

“Obviously,” he said, “the assessment of statesmen’s security wouldn’t be up to politicians. We will have to depend on information from the security agency, the police, to tell us what risks there are and what they regard as the measures that are necessary to be taken to minimize that risk. We would again have to approve that activity, but the evaluation of what is needed clearly would be expected from the Commissioner of Police and his men.”

However, Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade suggested on Tuesday that any calls for armed security would come from his superiors.