COMMISSIONER of Police Clayton Fernander speaking to the press. Photo: Dante Carrer
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune News Editor
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has joined a police corruption probe sparked by voice notes that leaked in July, according to Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander.
His revelation to The Tribune yesterday came after he said earlier this month that senior United Kingdom National Crime Agency members would arrive in the country to help oversee aspects of the probe. The investigators were expected to arrive in The Bahamas on August 14 but did not do so as scheduled.
The investigation surrounds voice notes that purported to capture a quid-pro-quo arrangement involving a senior police officer, a lawyer and two murdered men, Michael Fox Jr and Dino Smith.
The conversation on the voice notes centred around a $1.5m airport bank car heist in November. Fox Jr and Smith were suspects in that matter but were never charged. Two other men, Oral Roberts, 34, and Akeil Holmes, 26, were charged in connection with the robbery. Roberts was killed in the Fox Hill area last month.
Michael Johnson, the head of the Central Investigations Department, has taken garden leave as authorities investigate.
Commissioner Fernander has said the Security and Intelligence Branch of the police force is investigating the matter. He said the Police Complaints Inspectorate, a little-known body that has traditionally lacked the resources to perform its duties, would supervise the SIB’s investigation.
Michael Fox Sr, the father of Fox Jr, told The Tribune last month that his son gave him the voice notes and told him to release the recordings if he died. He said he was not behind the release of the tapes. Sandra Smith, the mother of Dion Smith, said her son also informed her about the voice notes and their significance, but she never got them.
The matter has gripped the public’s attention partly because of other events that have occurred involving people connected to the voice notes. Days after Sylvens Metayer, a man living in the US who considers himself a whistleblower, seemingly released the voice notes, he was shot during a Facebook Live and survived the incident.
Roberts, meanwhile, was killed a week after meeting officers probing the matter, according to his mother.
Former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has urged his successor to appoint a Commission of Inquiry.
Comments
bahamianson 2 months, 3 weeks ago
The fbi joined the probe. What does that mean? He whom controls the media controls the minds. It would lead one to beli3ve rhat the fbi is assistimg and helping us to solve the case. Someone said the guy was shot in the stat3s. Are they here to solve their own case or are they here to help us with ours?
ExposedU2C 2 months, 3 weeks ago
LOL. Most Bahamians naturally have as much, if not more, distrust of the FBI as the vast majority of Americans do today. After all, let's not forget for one moment that it took the FBI years to verify the authenticity of Hunter Biden's laptop, the so called "laptop from hell." I guess this means the FBI have indicated a willingness to take years to confirm the authenticity of the voice notes centred around the $1.5m airport bank car heist in November. And why did corrupt Stumpy Davis order Sweet Lips Fernander to give the original Scotland Yard investigators the boot?
ExposedU2C 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Exactly how much more gardening is this corrupt Davis led PLP government going to let this heinous man do at the taxpayers' expense?!!
birdiestrachan 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Never mind doc with his commission of inquiry Granted one is needed on him during his time office to name a few OBAN and what happened to senior Police officers and all of-those trumped up charges, the voice is important But is there a phone ? That may be helpful
trueBahamian 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Let's be clear. This is a very serious situation. The police as well as the attorney involved should be arrested and jailed for what happened here, just based on the content of the tape. Then factoring in the murders as well, this should be additional jail time or perhaps the death penalty. We can't condone lawlessness. This isn't the time birdy for party politics. Bahamians pledge allegiance to the flag not to a party. You're a Bahamian first not a PLP or FNM supporter.
ThisIsOurs 2 months, 3 weeks ago
"the Police Complaints Inspectorate, a little-known body that has traditionally lacked the resources to perform its duties, would supervise the SIB’s investigation."
Seems weird. They're doing everything possible not to have independent eyes on this thing. While no blood was found in a govt vehicle, lots of people around this have been murdered and there are some voice notes with possibly very incriminating evidence
trueBahamian 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Can we have this article in English? Lol. What does it mean the FBI have joined the probe? What exactly are they doing with regards to this case specifically? Why are journalists not asking questions to clarify for the public the specifics? It's just annoying that readers seem to have a better grasp of journalism than local journalists do. Can we hire people who actually know their jobs.
trueBahamian 2 months, 3 weeks ago
The Commissioner and PM are trying to sweep this case under the rug. The aim is nothing happens here. At best the officer resigns and gets a huge pay package and the police wash their hands and say their job is done. This is very serious. NO ONE is pushing the Commissioner or the PM to try to hold their feet to the fire. This is corruption to the nth nth nth power. Everybody involved needs to ne tried. Don't assume for a second it's just this officer and this attorney alone in this level.of corruption. To say you can make files disappear implies other people who are aware of the files have to look the other way as well. That means other officers, perhaps AG office attorneys and everyone who have oversight over them. You can't have a major case and suddenly poof the files are gone and nobody knows anything. Another big question is where is the Bar Association in all of this. People don't realize they are WAY too quiet. Why?
John 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Facts are THE FBI has always been involved! They are currently providing protection to the ( whistleblower ( informant) and may have more knowledge about this matter and the internal operations of the BaHAMAS police force than the commissioner does. Is this a good thing? Well you decide. The question that begs answers are ( 1) where did the ‘whistleblower ( informant) get intricate information on this matter and several other high profile crimes that had occurred in this country? And sometimes information that is ‘leaked’ to the press and to social media is not always accurate and even correct and sometimes bimpkicated persons in matters they are not involved in or even have no knowledge of. ALL have heard the cries of mothers and loved ones who claim ‘police put these charges on my son, lick him up, then give him a ankle bracelet and let him out. Then he was shot desd like a dog in the streets.’ Followers a recent high profile murder, information was put out ( false information) attempting to link someone to that murder. BUT because of the information being made public, police quick investigation determined that the targeted person was not involved in that crime. Then there are cases of persons being charged with crimes while they are physically in jail. Not on bail, not wearing the death sentences ankle bracelet but in FIX HILL PRISON. ( BDOCS). So the claim is tge investigations are about the ‘voice notes’ and the authenticity of them. But what are the actual parameters of this investigation and what is the objective or goal?
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