The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis has said he is concerned about the management of the Royal Bahamas Police Force in light of the recent events including promotions of three Chief Superintendents to Assistant Commissioners.

According to Mr Davis there was evidence that several senior police officers had been previously sidestepped by the political directorate without a plausible reason.

In a press statement, Mr Davis said he also has issues with recent events surrounding businessman Jonathan Ash who was allowed to run into the Nassau Street Court complex on Monday to face charges for breaching the national curfew and COVID-19 emergency orders. Ash was not handcuffed nor shackled for his court appearance where he was fined $7,000 for the offence after pleading guilty.

“Let me be clear that the PLP supports a politically neutral force - one that acts without fear or favour,” Mr Davis said. “This does not mean that individual officers may not have their personal preferences but these preferences must never interfere with the execution of their duties and in the application of Force Orders in a non discriminatory manner toward the public. I use discriminatory to mean treating one class or group or individual differently from another class or group or individual because of their parochial, political, familiar or other ties with the force or the government.

“I recently sent a ‘no objection’ letter in the consultations that I had with the prime minister on the appointment of the current commissioner of police. It is my basic view that the prime minister is by reason of the provisions of the constitution, entitled to his choice for commissioner. Were I to become prime minister I would therefore exercise in my own deliberate judgment who should be commissioner of police, should that become necessary within my term. I would have objected to the new appointment of the now commissioner if I believed that it was not possible for the nominee to perform in that high office without fear or favour. I was assured that neutrality would be possible.

“However, I stipulated in my ‘no objection’ letter that I was concerned about the management of the force because in the public domain there was evidence that several senior officers had been shunted aside by the political directorate without any reason which could be accepted as plausible.

“By this I refer to the reason given by the national security minister that the force was top heavy in its management and there were too many assistant commissioners of police.

“In retrospect my point has been shown to be correct. With the announcement of the four new assistant commissioners of police, there are now 11 assistant commissioners of police, exactly the same number as when the FNM administration came to office. No public rationale has been given for the apparent contradiction,” Mr Davis said.

“Let me hasten to add that this statement makes no comment on the personal characters of any of the individuals concerned. This is about the policy makers, not about the officers.”

Regarding the handling of Ash, Mr Davis said when former Cabinet ministers and a former senator were hauled before the courts, the intent must have been to embarrass the men who he said were not flight risks and could have been allowed to show up for hearing on their own volition.