The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

AN activist considers reports of prostitution occurring at Festival Place an “indictment” on the current government if investigations into the matter turn out to be true.

Rodney Moncur, a taxi driver and former political candidate for the Democratic National Alliance said yesterday that “if the minister is correct that prostitution is taking place at the Festival Place, perhaps this has begun since the PLP came into power.”

“When the FNM was in power, there was no prostitution taking place there,” Mr Moncur said.

“So I don’t know when this started. I’ve spoken to one or two colleagues and they seems to not have any knowledge of that.”

Last week, Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe said the government is investigating incidents of tourists on arrival at Festival Place at Prince George dock being solicited by drug dealers and persons engaged in prostitution.

Calling it “more than embarrassing for the country” if it is not stopped, Mr Wilchcombe also said the solicitation “speaks to the deterioration of some of the morals of our society.”

He also noted that the prostitution is reportedly involving boys.

“It’s something that has me troubled because that’s not what we’re supposed to be all about... I think it’s a lack of guidance here when you’re talking about boys or you’re talking about young people. Of course, the drug situation is always something troubling that we have to deal with and so we’re addressing that right now and the police are doing the best they can,” the minister added

Mr Moncur said even if one assumed the reports of prostitution to be true, “I think that it is nasty that he has publicly announced that.”

He claims the police should have been brought in immediately to arrest and prosecute the persons engaged in the alleged activity instead of it being announced.

“When I read the article, I was sick to my stomach. I thought it was just nasty and disgusting and very sensational.”

“When we know crimes are being committed, we have the political authority to pass the information along, we should do just that.”

“If prostitution is taking place, it is an indictment of his party and government. What are they doing to force citizens to prostitute?” Mr Moncur asked.

Tribune online readers also weighed in on the report and views on the subject varied.

One reader, B_I_D, said: “Isn’t it also sad that that strip of town is one of the most, if not THE most policed sections of the country, with police on almost every street corner...yet it continues.”

ProudLoudAndFNM claims this “has been going on for decades on Bay St” and ThisIsOurs supported this with “I wondered the same thing...nobody in the administration seems to know what’s going on in the country.”

Tal Russell agreed with Mr Moncur about the reporting of the matter.

“The minister needs stay out of the media unless he is presenting a positive tourism image for Bahamaland. Such negatives are best left to the Commish and the minister of security,” he claimed.

However, JustTheFactsPlease disagreed and argued that doing so was only hiding the issue instead of addressing it.

“Just dress up the corpse and present it as a bride ... don’t deal with the issues, pretend they are not there and they will go away,” said JusttheFactsPlease.