Housing and Environment Minister Romauld Ferreira. (File photo)
By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Deputy Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
ENVIRONMENT Minister Romauld Ferreira revealed that he and his mother, who was on her deathbed, were victims of harassment and intimidation as a result of his advocacy work.
While not revealing much detail in the House of Assembly yesterday, the Marathon MP said receiving threats of death, having his tyres slashed and the harassment of his mother were the results of standing up for what he believed in. He referred to the appeal of the advocacy group Save the Bays, of which he was formerly a member, made to an international group last year calling for protection against threats and harassment due to the organisation’s position against the Christie administration and a private developer.
Save the Bays was also involved in a standoff with former Cabinet Minister Jerome Fitzgerald after he read personal e-mails of the group in the House of Assembly.
The matter ultimately went to the Supreme Court where it was ordered that Mr Fitzgerald, former education minister, pay $150,000 in damages for the breach.
A parliamentary privilege appeal lodged by the Crown under the former government was formally withdrawn and dismissed in the Court of Appeal in July.
“Mr Speaker, I have dedicated my entire life to serving my country to bring law and environment together,” Mr Ferreira said during his contribution to a Constitutional Amendment Bill to establish the independent Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
“Whether it was standing up for justice in the wake of the Marathon oil spill cover up or speaking out on behalf of the residents of Bimini, even leading judicial action to prevent the environmental destruction of their island.
“So, Mr Speaker, as a result of standing up for what I believed in or having the courage to face my own convictions placed in my heart by the Almighty, speaking out on behalf of those who had no voices or whose voices were stunned by fear, as a result of that, I experienced brutal victimisation.
“I endured threats of death, attempted break-ins at home and my office, car tyres slashed, harassment of my dear mother on her deathbed.
“Some of my colleagues endured much more than this.”
He continued: “Mr Speaker these criminal acts were reported, but no prosecutorial action was taken.
“Ultimately to ensure my safety and that of my family, we had to reach out to an international human rights group for help who urged the then government to ensure our safety and those of our colleagues.
“So I have a special interest in this legislation. Anything which strengthens the independence of the country prosecutorial system will get my support.”
Last November, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) called on the Christie administration to take steps to protect the lives and personal integrity of five Save the Bays members and their nuclear families following a petition made by the Grand Bahama Human Rights Association (GBHRA) members Fred Smith QC, journalist Francisco Nunez, activist Joseph Darville, singer Kirkland Bodie and Mr Ferreira.
The petition alleged the men have been subject to threats of harm, harassment and intimidation as a result of their advocacy and adversarial stance against the government and private developers on environmental issues, and that these actions have been endorsed by “official and unofficial” state agents.
Comments
TalRussell 7 years, 1 month ago
Comrades! No individual much less their family members should be subject any form of threats...but does this means the reds in government will be assigned licenses for packing pistols and provided with added policeman's security? I think its important that we separate one's public office business from their private business when it comes using the public purse to guard them?
Sickened 7 years, 1 month ago
So this is who's in charge of our environment!!! Sorry to hear about the death threats.... but can you get to work protecting our environment please??
BahamasForBahamians 7 years, 1 month ago
There is floating Styrofoam in Bimini, diesel leaking in LI and this guy stands up in the HOA to seek pity for a personal matter that occured in excess of a year ago?
Oh my God.
B_I_D___ 7 years, 1 month ago
Maybe he needs to be threatened to get on with the task of doing his job!!
TalRussell 7 years, 1 month ago
Comrade BahamasForBahamians, now we wait?
I'm thinking that this red is on my shortlist of the red shirts cabinet members in the governing pressure cooker, who just might have all the ingredients of being no more than a shrinking Styrofoam red shirts politician - that somehow got swept into a constituency by the accidentally science May 10, 2017 "Mayday Bahamaland Voter Spring" experiment that even the reds weren't expecting. Mayday, Mayday!
Shrinking Styrofoam Red - Cool May 10, 2017 Voter Science Experiment.
...............///https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEIBfMGstp0
BahamasForBahamians 7 years, 1 month ago
LOL
birdiestrachan 7 years, 1 month ago
This man is a tool that has been used. He should know who threaten him. and they should be brought to justice providing this story is true in the first place.
he and his government should get along doing the business of the Country and not continue to allow himself to be used. by a man that is a tiny bit brighter than he his.
truetruebahamian 7 years, 1 month ago
B.S. Bull Shit..Birdie Strachan you make this acronym so very fitting!
sheeprunner12 7 years, 1 month ago
The PLP goons will have to lay low for a while now ....... bol
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 1 month ago
The old I'm not doing my job, maybe I can talk about the death threats trick...LBT tried it too. I'm going to bet they all get them
Socrates 7 years, 1 month ago
no action taken? man they would have wiped out this man and his family and all that would result in is more headlines in the papers about the murder count countinuing to rise.. we all need to carry guns and take responsibility for our own protection.. why? because the bad guys are already packing....
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