The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

THE FNM is urging Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell to shed more light on the events surrounding the abuse of Cuban detainees and when he became aware of them.

As criticisms continue to mount over the government’s handling of the situation, FNM shadow Minister Hubert Chipman is also concerned that in the midst of an investigation, the officers responsible for the abuse have not been suspended or placed on leave. 

Notwithstanding the fact that the accused officers are still on active duty, comprising the probe, Mr Chipman said the government should at least offer the Cubans compensation for the abuses suffered in the Bahamas.

“On top of them sending the victims back to Cuba,” said Mr Chipman, “the officers that are culpable are still on the job. Now what kind of investigation are they going to have?

“This could have all been over a long time ago with the Minister admitting that something did happen and that the government would deal with it. But since he didn’t we have the ongoing situation.

“Fred Mitchell just needs to come clean and say what he knew and when he found out about it. There is no other way to shed light on this.”

Mr Chipman said he still believed that Mr Mitchell should resign from the post.

More than a week ago FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis called on Prime Minister Perry Christie to “dismiss Fred Mitchell from his Cabinet forthwith.” He said it was clear that Minister Mitchell had exhausted every ounce of credibility as Foreign Affairs Minister.

At the time he said: “To date, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has not given a full account of what took place at the detention centre on May 20, 2013.

“The FNM has been advised that several senior government officials and ministers became aware fairly early that a major instance of abuse had taken place.”

THIS morning Mr Mitchell issued a statement responding to the FNM.

He said: "It is a great pity that the FNM and its leadership cannot recognise when they have lost an argument and lost a battle.  Their statements to the press about the matter of my conduct as Minister of Foreign Affairs are silly and shows that they are thick as molasses and living in cloud cuckoo land.

There is no nexus between my personal conduct and that of the events about which they complain with regard to the detainees.

In the matter of the visit to the United States , Ms. Butler's comments are the usual propagandistic drivel from the FNM.

The real issue is this: the FNM must answer why it has linked arms with the enemies of The Bahamas against their own country in this matter of the detainees.

That is the only question that needs to  be answered."