FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.
By JADE RUSSELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said the failure of US officials to warn his successor about an explosive indictment shows their lack of trust in the government and police force, claiming that during his tenure, US authorities warned his administration about a separate, unrelated indictment involving a top local official.
Dr Minnis said in 2020, while he was prime minister, US officials warned authorities in his administration about an impending indictment involving an official. He said he instructed the authorities to proceed, emphasising he had “nothing to hide”.
Pressed for details, he declined to elaborate or say whether anyone was charged. He nonetheless argued that if Mr Davis was uninformed about the recent United States Southern District of New York indictment, it reflects a lack of trust from the US in the current government.
The federal indictment alleged that police and government officials facilitated the smuggling of large quantities of cocaine through The Bahamas to the United States. Prime Minister Davis has repeatedly said that neither he nor the former Commissioner of Police, Clayton Fernander, had prior knowledge of the allegations.
Dr Minnis also reiterated his call for a Commission of Inquiry into the Royal Bahamas Police Force to root out corruption and address longstanding questions.
The recent federal indictment had alleged that a “high-ranking politician” was expected to authorise Bahamian law enforcement officials to facilitate the cocaine trafficking operation for $2m.
Dr Minnis urged the opposition to find ways of communicating with US authorities to identify the politician involved.
Mr Davis on Tuesday appeared frustrated at US officials’ failure to name the person mentioned in the indictment. However, Dr Minnis questioned whether Mr Davis would do anything even if he discovered the identity of the politician.
Last month, The Tribune reported that the Southern District of New York –– the same office behind revelations of the cocaine smuggling activity –– disclosed in an FTX submission that the US was concerned that Bahamian authorities would not arrest FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried unless his “precise location” was known, so they enlisted the FTX co-founder to identify the hideaway.
Comments
birdiestrachan 2 hours, 57 minutes ago
Doc Is a smooth liar. Doc should find out who the high ranking politicians are I would like to know Why they have not been named
IslandWarrior 1 hour, 16 minutes ago
I fail to see why "drug-tinted" Brave Davis would expect the DEA or U.S. authorities to trust him, given his historical ties to figures like Samuel “90” Knowles. Knowles and his associates were central to a major drug trafficking network that operated through The Bahamas from the 1980s until Knowles’s extradition to the United States. Knowles was eventually tried and convicted as the leader of a transnational smuggling operation spanning South America, the Caribbean, the U.S., and Canada.
Davis's past affiliations with individuals linked to such illicit activities cast a long shadow over his current leadership. It is no secret that these historical connections undermine his credibility, especially in the eyes of international law enforcement agencies like the DEA.
Further, the internal discord between former schoolmates Clayton Fernander and Marvin Dames during their time in law enforcement highlights the dysfunctionality within the system. The unresolved tensions, which led to Clayton's temporary removal from the force, only for him to return as Commissioner under circumstances many considered politically motivated, underscore the questionable decision-making that plagues the government. It is widely recognized that Clayton’s return to such a high-ranking position exceeded his professional capacity, a reality the U.S. authorities are undoubtedly aware of.
Given this backdrop, the lack of trust exhibited by the U.S. toward Davis’s administration is not surprising. Trust must be earned through integrity, transparency, and consistent action—qualities that appear lacking when considering the legacy and current state of Bahamian governance.
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