The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A FORMER financial officer at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) said in court yesterday that the Ministry of National Security has the final say on promotion matters at the prison, not the prison commissioner.

His comment came as the case involving former prison commissioner Charles Murphy, who sued the government for sending him on administrative leave in 2021, continued before Supreme Court Justice Carla Card-Scott.

The Davis administration justified sending Mr Murphy on leave by citing his failure to fill deputy commissioner and assistant commissioner posts, among other things. 

The financial officer, Melvin Capron, said when current prison Commissioner Doan Cleare returned to the job in September 2021, he fulfilled his request for a report about outstanding financial matters.

The report included a list of assistant commissioners and chief officers awaiting promotion.

Mr Capron said although there used to be a promotion board, and that the commissioner signed off on promotions, the Ministry of National Security made the final approvals. 

He also said while the prison commissioner would be informed of financial issues, those matters would require the ministry’s involvement.

A section of the report noted that $1.5m worth of promotions were outstanding at the time and that officers brought back from retirement were awaiting pay. He said that although he no longer works in the financial department, many of the outstanding payment issues have been resolved.

When Anton Thompson, the defendants’ attorney, asked if the report highlighted issues about Mr Murphy, he said it did not.

Mr Murphy’s lawyer, Romona Farquharson Seymour, asked Mr Capron about prison officer Valencia Green, whom Mr Murphy disciplined and sent on retirement, only for Mr Cleare to bring her back after he returned in 2021. Mr Capron could not speak to why Mr Murphy disciplined Ms Green.