The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

DEMOCRATIC National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney has said the time has come for the government to “come clean” over its spying on the Bahamian public.

The former FNM cabinet minister made the demand in a statement over the weekend, highlighting the government’s failure to address the issue of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) more than two and half years after the May 2012 general elections.

“The government has offered no definitive statements on the NIA, which by all reports has been operating illegally, and on money from the public purse” said Mr McCartney.

“As has been their MO (modus operandi), the government in this matter put the cart before the horse, establishing and funding the agency before even bringing the legislation that would govern it. Now several months after the organisation allegedly began functioning, the funds allocated in the government’s budget for the NIA have yet to be accounted for and the public remains in the dark.”

The NIA has been a point of contention between the government and the FNM as Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner initially sounded the alarm on the agency. She said it was operating without a legal framework and possibly spying on Bahamians but the government has since denied that the NIA is eavesdropping on civilians.

Three months ago, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage told reporters the government had to postpone tabling the NIA legislation because the Attorney General’s Office wanted to review it. He also said it was unlikely the debate on NIA legislation would take place in January when the House resumed.

“The PM’s recent budget communication again failed to address the matter,” said Mr McCartney, adding that “the absence of facts leave room for countless questions”.

“For example, does each individual or registered voter have a personal file in the NIA? Just how much data has been collected on these individuals? Are some persons more closely monitored than others? What criteria does the NIA use to categorise criminals? By NIA standards what is the definition of criminal behaviour? And how much is this organisation costing taxpayers in terms of salaries, equipment and utilities?

“The time has come for this government to come clean. In the face of growing public mistrust of the government and its systems, this administration must stop allowing for inferences and speculation to take the place of the truth. The government still has a chance to correct the misinformation that exists by simply putting out the facts.”