By RICARDO WELLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames announced yesterday the appointment of a “review committee” tasked with investigating the security issues related to the shooting death of Petty Officer Percival Philip Perpall at Government House on April 28.
The committee is composed of retired Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson, who will chair the group; retired Commander of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Rodrick Bowe; retired Superintendent of Police Douglas Hanna; and retired police officer and attorney Paul Jones.
The investigation will span two months, according to Mr Dames, and once complete its findings will aid in the formulation of new security measures for government buildings.
During his announcement at the Churchill Building yesterday morning, Mr Dames said the committee will ultimately determine whether there were any breaches or failures in security at Government House during the morning of the incident. He did, however, note the findings of this probe would not impact the ongoing criminal case associated with the case.
P/O Perpall, a 30-year veteran of the RBDF, was fatally shot while sitting in the guard room with two of his colleagues around 2.30am, according to police reports. Another RBDF officer, who was a subordinate to P/O Perpall, has since been charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder in connection with the incident.
Mr Dames insisted that given this particular circumstance, his office deemed it necessary for all reviews of the matter to be done in a transparent and balanced manner.
“In order to address this incident in a transparent manner, I am appointing four imminently qualified professionals of note and associated backgrounds to form the review committee which will conduct the inquiry with immediate effect,” he said.
Mr Dames said the committee has the “full backing” of the government and is mandated to conduct this investigations over the next two months.
He continued: “…The main objective behind all of this is that, at the end of the day, once the committee would have concluded their findings they would also be making recommendations for improvements and that is the critical objective behind this overall inquiry.
“If you remember now, the investigations into the death of P/O Perpall has been concluded by the Royal Bahamas Police Force, and so we want to keep that separate.
“And hence the reason for imminently qualified individuals would have been selected, because they understand investigations, bring law to the table and they will know how to keep that dividing line to ensure that from these findings that we can bring about the needed improvements in the long-term to a place like Government House.
“And this will assist us too, in some of the work that we have already started as it relates to protection of government buildings,” Mr Dames contended.
At the conclusion of the investigation, the committee is expected to submit its findings to the Ministry of National Security which will, in turn, communicate the findings to the public.
Comments
birdiestrachan 5 years, 6 months ago
Dames loves to be in the lime light , him and Sands even if they have nothing to say. Investigation WHAT Dames??. when a man has already been charged with the murder.
birdiestrachan 5 years, 6 months ago
No Games they have to eat, they have to sleep so give them somethin to do. so you can look as if you are doing something besides running your mouth
John 5 years, 6 months ago
This tragic incident seemed to have caught all the top brass off guard. Not that it is one officer of the armed forces accused of killing his superior but that the incident took place on Government House, which is not only the highest office in the land but suppose to be the most secure compound. So, yes there needs to be investigation beyond the criminal case. Is there any relation with this incident and all the retaliatory ‘hit’ type murders in the country? What is driving these killings and motivating the killers? Is there forces beyond the country involved? Is someone trying to destroy the economy or destabilize the country or all all these shootings and killings random and isolated persons incidents. Some being gangs earring with each other? When one citizen is not safe, none are safe. So this inquiry is a good one. But there should also be certain levels of security for information gathered.
John 5 years, 6 months ago
Control of the coming end time government will be consolidated into the totalitarian hands of the Antichrist. The dragon, which is the devil, gives this world governmental system its seat, power, and great authority (Revelation 13:2). We will all feel the oppression of this world government structure because it is satanically inspired, and it is forming right now.
ADRIANBRYAN1 5 years, 6 months ago
I occasionally revisit this page because I’m always interested with knowing how our elected officials are effectively governing my beloved Bahamas! To my dismay, the situation on ground seems to be even more degraded than the previous few weeks! As a retired US Army Infantry and SOC officer, I’m astonished with how the crime is being dealt with, especially with illegal firearms. My county is in a crisis and it seems that the priority is promoting one’s agenda, rather than Mitigating the ongoing crisis. Several years ago I reached out to the previous Commissioner of Police and offered basic tactics that I used in places like Iraq, to first identify root causes; second ways and means with eradicating crime systemically and effectively needless to say, it fell of deaf ears! Bahamians, illegal firearms is one of the most profitable businesses in our country. Emphasis should be placed on Ports of entry, situated patrols in heavily incidents areas and special operations teams embedded in these areas 24/7. The approach, politically incorrect to many, but asymmetrical tactics is the only effective alternative to this epidemic. I have experience the worst of war, the Bahamas will eventually, if not already would be listed as an active conflict!
birdiestrachan 5 years, 6 months ago
One pf the problems is there are many ports of entry into gated communities .Yachts move freely in and out of the Bahamas, Dames and the other members of the police force should be able to come together with all security and he does not have to spend tax payers money on retired policeman.
unless he says like doc they have to eat , they have to sleep.
John 5 years, 6 months ago
Yes I the manufacturer, trafficking and sale of illegal firearms is very profitable, especially to those who manufacture and traffic those weapons. And it has been determined that it is a very lucrative and organized business in the country where the guns are made. Like our big brother to the North, the United States. Just a few years ago it was found that a sitting judge was involved in the sale or trafficking of guns. He has yet to receive jail time. Yet America says illegal firearms is a big problem in that country. But most mass shootings in that country are carried out with legal and licensed firearms. And the current President, Trump, sides with the rifle association that Americans should have the rights to bear arms. And a few years prior the ATF agency of the United States conducted an operation dubbed ‘Fast and Furious.’ The purpose was to track down trafficking and sale of illegal weapons in Mexico and other countries. This agency was given a cache of high powered weapons to use in this operation. Unfortunately (or otherwise), many of these weapons went missing. The agency lost track of them. And around the same time similar weapons started showing up on the streets of New Providence. Just recently there was a shooting incident at Montagu that involved one such type weapon. Is there a connection? And the shooters in that incident were never identified. So yes more effort needs to be put into identifying and tracing weapons used in crimes in this country. And it must be done under the presumption that the sale and trafficking of illegal is a very organized business. Was the government house incident more than just a conflict between two officers of the defense forces?
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