The Tribune

By MORGAN ADDERLEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

madderley@tribunemedia.net

“A NATIONAL disaster” is how the brother of slain Royal Bahamas Defence Force Petty Officer Percival Philip Perpall described the circumstances surrounding his brother’s murder, as he delivered a blistering attack on the RBDF yesterday during Perpall’s military funeral.

Tyronne Perpall said there must be a “clarion call for a thorough investigation”, adding that there is the “appearance of a cop out” regarding Perpall’s death, which was allegedly at the hands of a fellow RBDF marine.

Mr Perpall’s criticisms of the RBDF spanned decades, as he accused the organisation of giving Perpall’s family a “hard fight” in the late ‘80s when the RBDF reportedly resisted the family’s pleas for the slain marine to be let out of training to “mourn his mother’s death”.

He also said that the RBDF previously punished Perpall for working a side job by assigning him to mop and detention duties while those who were “not so decorated” were promoted.

Mr Perpall made these comments from the pulpit of Church of God Auditorium as he delivered his tribute for his dear brother — and as he was standing mere feet away from RBDF Commodore Tellis Bethel, who earlier in the service had made warm-hearted remarks about Perpall’s life and service.

Commodore Bethel told The Tribune yesterday he would not be commenting on this matter. “I do not have a response for Mr Perpall’s comments as there is an independent review authorised by the Minister of National Security (Marvin Dames) that is already underway; in addition to a marine who is currently awaiting trial in relation to the matter as was reported by your paper,” Commodore Bethel said.

Perpall, a 30-year veteran of the RBDF, was fatally shot while sitting in the guard room of Government House with two of his colleagues around 2.30am on April 28, according to police reports.

Another RBDF officer, who was Perpall’s subordinate, has since been charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder in connection with the incident.

Mourners filled the church yesterday to celebrate Perpall’s life. Born on February 12, 1967, Perpall was described by his emotional son, Maleek Perpall, as a beloved father of six and a man of respect and honour.

Similar praise was bestowed upon Perpall by Commodore Bethel and Education Minister Jeff Lloyd, who was speaking on behalf of National Security Minister Marvin Dames.

Both applauded Perpall’s service to the nation as an RBDF officer, which began in 1988. His career highlights include serving on a United Nations Peacekeeping Mission to Haiti in 1995, a Tradewinds exercise in Guyana in 1999, and assisting Ragged Island following Hurricane Irma in 2017.

However, his brother also underscored more troubled times that Perpall had endured on the force.

“My brother though, was no perfect saint,” Mr Perpall said. “The (RBDF) had a rule sometime back. And you could not have a second job in the day. But he told me many senior officers and many junior officers, they did their own thing and kisses went by favour. eliverThis same Defence Force sent him out to (help) Bahamian citizens in distress.

“When he went on the Family Islands, people knew good work. People knew quality people. And it was those same people who came back and (asked) for him to work for them. The Defence Force banished him and threw him at extra mop duties and detention duties while others, not so decorated, were put forward. But he took his assignment. He endured all the abnormalities and just kept plowing as a loyal Bahamian citizen.

“This same Defence Force gave me and my sister a hard fight in 1988 when we came to you to ask you to let him out of the training to mourn his mother’s death. He was in training and they thought maybe he was going to jump ship. But mummy died in the middle of that training. She never knew him as a defence force officer. He felt slighted that he was not standing by during mummy’s final minutes.

“This same Defence Force assigned him to assist families following emergency disasters. He would have made contacts and these same individuals would call on him to perform, to advise, and to oversee their projects as he was respectful, he was kind, he was honest, and he was open.”

Mr Perpall went on to condemn his brother’s death as “mutiny within the ranks” and called it a demoralising blow to the RBDF.

“This is a hard one. But as a family, we must take heed and be obedient,” he said. “There must be a clarion call for a thorough investigation into his death, and the matters arising. But there are some shortcomings, including security systems, operational procedures also at the morgue which hurt our family. Family liaison, grief and care, and judicial processing. Some good must come from this.”

The final sentence of Perpall’s obituary reads: “This unsung Bahamian citizen has soberly become ‘the defence force martyr’ and the nation’s ‘sovereign hero’ at what must now signal a turning point for a troubled society.”