The Tribune

By Ava Turnquest

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

ROYAL Bahamas Defence Force officers apprehended four more Dominican fishermen in waters near Great Inagua over the weekend - bringing the total number of arrests this month to 18.

Meanwhile, the seven fishermen found with compressors and gas canisters last week have been released without charge because officials ran out of time to hold them.

Attorney General Carl Bethel told The Tribune yesterday that law enforcement officials were advised by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to charge the Dominicans with conspiracy, as they did not have any catch.

He said he was surprised to learn 48 hours had lapsed since they had been arrested and not been arraigned, and that there was no magistrate or administrator on the island to hear the matter.

“I was only informed of this situation when it was too late to reach out and get a magistrate down there,” he said. “If they told us the day before that the administrator wasn’t there, of course we would have sent one.

“I was surprised that 48 hours had lapsed and no indication was made to us at any point that there was no magistrate in town.

“Two days before (the fishermen) were released, (officials) were advised by the DPP that they could bring charges of conspiracy to them. So something happened because the magistrate wasn’t there.

“If they had only told me,” he continued, “I’ve done it any number of times in pure immigration matters and one of the poaching matters, where we arrange for a magistrate to come down and deal with matter. A magistrate in Nassau could have dealt with it.”

RBDF officers apprehended the seven Dominicans aboard two go-fast type vessels with several compressors and containers of gasoline off Great Inagua on December 17.

The Dominicans’ fishing apparatus were reportedly confiscated.

Under Bahamian law, it is unlawful to detain an individual for more than 48 hours without charge or without an extension from the court.

The release is likely to anger local fishermen who have expressed deep frustration over the government’s response to the poaching threat in Bahamian waters and in bilateral talks with countries like the Dominican Republic.

However, Mr Bethel insists the move only illustrates the Bahamas is a “law-abiding country”.

“The only message we’re sending is we’re a law-abiding country,” Mr Bethel said, “and if the time in which it’s permissible to hold someone in jail has passed, and it comes to attention of higher authorities, then those officials will be ordered to release because it amounts to unlawful arrest at that point.”

He added: “The laws are the laws and even foreigners doing bad things in our country like that, are protected by them.”

The Saturday arrests were a joint effort by the US Coast Guard, Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) on Saturday, according to reports.

“A US Coast Guard helicopter operating out of Inagua under the OPBAT programme reported the sighting of a 20-ft small go-fast vessel southeast of Great Inagua to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force in Inagua,” an RBDF press statement said.

“Shortly thereafter, the RBDF patrol craft P-128, coxswained by Petty Officer Edison Rolle, was dispatched to intercept the vessel. The vessel was subsequently apprehended and taken to Inagua.”

Officers reportedly found fishing apparatus and a group on board the vessel with the four Dominicans.

“The men, along with the boat and fishing apparatus, were taken into custody and handed over to police and immigration officials at Great Inagua,” the report continued.

The apprehension marks the third group of Dominican fishermen picked up in Bahamian waters.

Earlier this month, another seven Dominican fishermen were apprehended off Inagua with over 300 pounds of fish. Those poachers were convicted and sentenced to up to 9 months and $413,000 in fines.