Branville McCartney
By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT
tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Free National Movement Cabinet minister Branville McCartney was detained, released and ticketed by police for allegedly violating the emergency orders by staying out past the 10pm curfew on his birthday last Thursday night, The Tribune was told.
On Friday, news broke that the former minister was being detained at a police station in western New Providence. The news was followed by several voice notes of different renditions of what allegedly led to the attorney’s detainment.
The Tribune spoke with attorney Wayne Munroe, QC, who said he represented Mr McCartney while he was being detained. Mr Munroe said the former Bamboo Town MP was released and was set to pay a fine for being out after the curfew.
“Like any other citizen he can be arrested by the police,” Mr Munroe said on Friday. “He has been interviewed and released pending further inquiry. He was not charged with anything at the moment. They will evaluate material they have and determine if they have a case to charge him.
“That is what they do ordinarily. If he wasn’t Bran McCartney, nothing would be known of it.
“He went through the processes like everyone who gets arrested does. He cooperated with the police and they were cordial and polite. He is a lawyer and he knows how the system works. I represented him at the police interview. He has gotten a ticket for breaching the curfew. I won’t be representing him in the case because he will be paying the ticket as far as I know.”
Mr Munroe took issue with the voice notes that were circulating and said if the male voices in fact belong to police officers as purported, then authorities at the Royal Bahamas Police Force ought to deal with them.
“I’ve heard these voice notes—one of them when somebody purports to be a policeman,” Mr Munroe said. “If in fact he is a policeman, then he will be subject to discipline by the police, because that is not something that they are supposed to do. In fact there was a circulated release by the commissioner of police admonishing officers not to do that – not to take photos of people in custody, not to circulate voice notes of the details of matters being investigated by the police.”
When contacted on Sunday, Mr McCartney only said, “I do not wish to make a comment save to say there are a lot of untrue rumours.”
The Tribune also contacted police press liaison officer, ASP Audley Peters who said he had no details on the matter.
Comments
WETHEPEOPLE 3 years, 6 months ago
This government is a joke, the police are even more a joke, and the tribune is the biggest joke of them all. The police who detained branville must have had a pants full of jizz during his interaction and questioning.
tribanon 3 years, 6 months ago
And what about the many other Bahamians who were detained for violating the curfew and/or lockdown orders for one reason or another, and who had to appear in court before a magistrate or judge and were ordered to pay a hefty fine or face imprisonment for a period of time?
It's painfully clear we have two sets of laws in our country. One set for the privileged and wealthy politically connected elite, and another set for the rest of us plebes. McCartney no doubt very much enjoyed his birthday party and is looking forward to a paying a small fine for the event that he can most easily afford.
Cobalt 3 years, 6 months ago
Right, on all accounts!
Cobalt 3 years, 6 months ago
This citation and detention represents a double standard within our justice system. If I remember correctly, those who were found in breech of the curfew were hauled before the courts. Why wasn’t this the case for Mr. McCartney?
TalRussell 3 years, 6 months ago
Remember the Homeless man who got himself arrested for breaking the curfew, got held in a cell whilst waiting to be charged and hauled before a judge and was given the two option justice payment plan of (a) paying a Fine - or (b) imprisonment after was caught in act scratching out some cash by engaging in the selling coconut waters to buy food?
Not exactly sure how the authorities can expect comrades living on the street to abide by their curfew law? ...What is there with judges that make it lost upon them about the reality that Homeless Comrades who are always in breach of the curfew as residents of streets - including on their birthdays - are always unable to post bail, yes?**
B_I_D___ 3 years, 6 months ago
So many people are busting curfew these days, if the police would book everyone we'd clear all of our debt out of the treasury.
tribanon 3 years, 6 months ago
Minnis, Dames, AG Bethel and Commissioner of Police Rolle all owe the public a full and frank explanation for why McCartney was given the gentle kid gloves treatment as compared to so many others that were hauled before the courts for similar violations and ended up facing large fines and/or imprisonment. What the hell is going on here? Are Minnis, Dames, Bethel, Rolle and our entire court system all blind to the serious injustice here and the danger it poses to our democracy. We simply cannot permit a two-tiered system of justice to take hold in our country at the discretion and whim of Minnis, Dames, Bethel and Rolle. This is so fundamentally wrong!
TalRussell 3 years, 6 months ago
How taking arrest and detention all in like was out Birthday's evening stroll that really didn't end so badly has pointed at some kinds of negotiation in play to rejoin the reds' inner circle....but gonna change like a Dorian if no position be forthcoming...There is start street talk of replacing the politically appointed AG Carl Wilshire, yes?
John 3 years, 6 months ago
How long has it been since the system was changed for persons violating curfew? And other emergency orders. Aren’t they ALL given tickets now with the options to either pay the tickets ( like a traffic ticket) or go to court and fight it. The 20 pm curfew hasn’t been strictly enforced for several months now and soyes, police are exercising variance on who is ticketed and who are not. Some say that restaurants and bars in hotels remain open beyond the 10:00 pm curfew. The trick is you either have to stay on the property until curfew ends at 5:00 am or risk breaking curfew to get home.
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