Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander at a press conference at Police Headquarters. Photo: Dante Carrer
RBPF reaches out for support in investigation into leaked voice notes
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune News Editor
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Royal Bahamas Police Force has formally asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send diplomatic notes requesting Scotland Yard’s help investigating voice notes that purport to capture a quid-pro-quo arrangement involving a senior police officer and a gang leader, according to a senior Davis administration official.
The United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police is the force responsible for policing Greater London. It is one of the largest and oldest police forces in the United Kingdom.
The request for its help comes after Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said on Tuesday night that international assistance would ensure “an actual independent review” and that he was leaving it up to the police to define the parameters of that assistance.
Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander said during a press conference on Monday that officials had reached out to law enforcement in the United States and the United Kingdom. However, The Tribune understands only assistance from the UK has been formally requested.
Commissioner Fernander also said the Security and Intelligence Branch would lead the investigation. SIB is responsible for matters relating to the internal security of The Bahamas. It provides protection for ministers and foreign dignitaries. It vets people for various purposes and is tasked with preventing terrorism. It is unclear how many people work in that department.
Commissioner Fernander also said the “Inspectorate Board” –– the Police Complaints Inspectorate –– will supervise SIB’s investigation. The Inspectorate lacks investigators and has traditionally struggled to oversee the Complaints and Corruption Branch of the police force as it is legally required to do. Past members of the Inspectorate have recommended establishing a more robust institution because the body, which has five members, lacks the operational capacity to fulfill its mandate.
The police force was plunged into controversy after voice notes last week captured conversations involving a senior police officer, a lawyer and two murdered gang leaders: Michael Fox, Jr, and Dino Smith.
The Tribune reported on Thursday that Michael Fox Sr, the father of Fox, Jr, and Sandra Smith, the mother of Smith, said their sons told them to release the recordings if something happened to them. Ms Smith said she never got the voice notes. Mr Fox, Sr, said he had them, but was not behind their release.
Comments
Sickened 1 month, 3 weeks ago
This is great news!
ThisIsOurs 1 month, 3 weeks ago
That's reaction the PR priority Davis administration is hoping for. Nowhere in this entire story did they actually say what Svotlan Yard is actually going to do and what they're not allowed to do .What is "help investigating voice notes"? We can assume it means analyze these notes for authenticity, do the background investigation with Bahamian ISPs to identify the numbers involved. Perform voice analysis to identify participants. Employ forensic investigators to trace the money trail. We can assume they asked for help like that, but we dont know, the fact that we dont know says alot. Sure there might be reservations on revealing too much but a statement of "help" is just more of nothing.
mandela 1 month, 3 weeks ago
The investigation has hardly begun and the commissioner is speaking with two tongues, he said the US and UK investigators were reached out to, only to find out they only reached out to the UK. Trust the police, Never. The police force is a fraternity like a mason lodge, with good and bad people, and they all, the good and the bad will protect this fraternity to death end with lies, deception, or any means necessary. Never ever trust a police, especially, not our small minded and corrupt Bahamian police, when they aint killing us unnecessarily, they lying to us, they stealing from us or bribing us. Trust the police. Never. Our police force seems to be competing with the criminal element in the country to see which gang is more ruthless, dishonest, steals the most, sells the most guns, sells the most Marijuana. Never ever trust the police, ever.
SP 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander "deer in the headlights" expression speaks volumes!
TalRussell 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Where's the assurances that the broom hasn't a chance to sweep? -- Sending diplomatic aiding notes is not requesting Scotland Yard to 'lead the voice notes investigation. -- An independent review” is a far cry from an actual outside' investigation into the most serious of 'alleged criminal activities'. -- Yes?
TalRussell 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Not peep forthcoming out the Commish, Office Of The Premiership, Media, nor the Law Society, as to the Lawyer's mentioning. -- Is she/he still residing within the colony. -- Yes?
Sickened 1 month, 2 weeks ago
I imagine there's plenty of time for the police to remove evidence, add evidence, add an extra line or two in the margin of witness statements so that they become disallowed as evidence in a trial. I also suspect some people will also go missing or accidentally die before any foreign investigators actually step foot here.
rosiepi 1 month, 2 weeks ago
So the RBPF has requested some sort of “assistance” from the world’s top law enforcement with an investigation through a sort of ‘police’ board that lacks the very detective investigative authority to root out and expose this corruption?
Isn’t this the same as what’s usually done, ie. nothing? A confusing statement about nothing at all..
Porcupine 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Right. Anyone who believes a word spoken by our officials, be they police, pastors or politicians, hasn't been paying attention to the fact that all of them are total liars. All of them.
ExposedU2C 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Frankly I would prefer Scotland Yard be called on by the Bahamian people to conduct a full investigation of all the criminal activities of this most corrupt Davis led PLP government over the last three years or so. We now have a criminal culture embedded throughout just about every government department, agency and state-owned enterprise.
birdiestrachan 1 month, 2 weeks ago
He is a smart man because no matter how right and perfect the Bahamian police investigation will be some on this site will say they hiding something, but if people come from Scotland especially of a different hue you folks will believe everything they say even if they lie, it is all right My Lord Jesus had the same problem and we Can not compare with Jesus
trueBahamian 1 month, 2 weeks ago
The PM said he is allowing the police to determine what the "help" will be from Scotland Yard. Then the Commissioner said that the SIB department from the RBPF will lead the investigation but they will be supervised by the undermanned Imspectorate whose job is to oversee the Corruption Unit. So, an understaffed department that we can be sure lacks any expertise int his arena will guide a local police unit on what will be done to investigate their fellow officers and they will then instruct Scotland Yard what help they need from them. This is a long way of just saying, this ain't a real investigation. It's just some smoke blowing to look like they are doing something. Scotland Yard along with the FBI need to investigate. A shooting happened on US soil connected to this story. So, let these two independent bodies look into this matter. The Commissioner and his men need to stand down for this one.
Given all this dancing and bobbing and weaving we should deduce that there are a lot of dirty hands. Some hands may not be connected to this matter but as we know once the ball starts rolling other things may come into play. I don't think the police and PLP want that. So, they are doing all they can to control the narrative. It wouldn't surprise me if at the end they say it isn't the head of CDU on the tape and he's a decent upstanding guy. Then he may even get a promotion given the nonsense that happens here. Another thing, why wasn't the lawyer brought in for questioning with regards to this matter? The President of the bar have a sore throat aye? You can't hear a peep from him. Everybody gone fishing on this one! This country needs to get rid of corruption. Time to clean house with the police and the politicians. I sincerely hope the US and other countries apply enough pressure to bring all of these low down criminals to justice.
trueBahamian 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Why is commenting enabled for this story but disabled for the one where a lawyer is calling out the President of the Bar to speak on the allegations made against a lawyer who is sitting on a committee of the bar? This country is a joke. You have a guy sitting on a committee on the Bar Association, which is responsible for upholding the integrity of the legal profession locally appearing to be deeply involved in criminal behavior. This ain't a country. This is a sh$t show in the Atlantic.
TalRussell 1 month, 2 weeks ago
A solid 89.8 percent of the colony's policemans' are honest, loyal, and hardworking ... Are in adherence to Robert Peel's words that -- “The Policemans' of all ranks are the public, and the public are the police”, and that they are only members of the public “who are paid to give full-time attention to duties that are incumbent on every citizen”. -- Yes?
SP 1 month, 2 weeks ago
So the Security and Intelligence Branch "the Inspectorate" that lacks investigators and has traditionally struggled to oversee the Complaints and Corruption Branch of the police force as it is legally required to do, will be "leading Scotland Yard" in the investigation?
This is a total non-starter!
The only acceptable solution would be independent investigations by Scotland Yard AND the FBI.
Just two weeks ago PM Davis was boasting loudly about the "great friendship" between the United States and the Bahamas. How come he's not adamant now about having his "great friends" lend a hand in this most serious matter?
This simply does not pass the smell test!
SP 1 month, 2 weeks ago
So after spending an entire lifetime on the RBPF Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander wants us to believe that he had "no idea" that there is massive corruption at the RBPF? 🤔
trueBahamian 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Lol.
ThisIsOurs 1 month, 2 weeks ago
That's the thing, these voice notes suggest that there was an ongoing relationship between Mikey and whomever Mikey was asking to disappear charges on a 1.4million robbery. Said person mentioned another case he'd made disappear.
While the public may not have noticed every single case, nobody on the police force leadership noticed anything? No pattern among cases that just disappeared from the docket? The National Security Minister didnt notice anything? And if people on the dark side were talking to one police officer in the senior ranks, noone from same side was speaking to any other officer saying I hear so and so? I hear this one is the one to talk to? Its stretches belief that one man was the only man who knew anything
ThisIsOurs 1 month, 2 weeks ago
The FBI likely have Metayer. And Metayer says he knows where the bodies are buried. No FBI assistance requested
TalRussell 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Well comrades, If the policemans' are no better or worse under PLP's or Redshirts' - Then what will/can be done -- Other than wait for yet another "from within** switchin' around of the Commishs'. -- Come the General Election. -- Yes?
tom1912 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Oh Dear, Oh Dear
I think your Government and/or Police Force/Service have harking back to the 1970 and have not bothered to keep in touch with the “Mother Country” :) ;) and London’s Metropolitan Police Service, ( Scotland Yard is their HQ) notwithstanding they haven’t even enough officer’s to police the capital, they have given up on Burglaries, knife crime, shop lifting etc, the good detectives have long since retired or left the service out of discussed
They do not recruit on merit, they paint their patrol cars in pride flag colours, most of the Senior management are woke and they spend more time on investigating “non hate crimes”, Making a profit on speed cameras, stuck in their patrol cars and not walking the beat. Local Police Station being closed on mass!
Once in a blue moon they will deal with high profile murder or a terrorist attacks.
Joe public can go and take a hike and you only just get a crime number so you can make a claim against their home insurance, If you call 999 (911 for you ) you be unlikely to get police present within 4 or 5 hours maybe even the next day unless you lie and say there have bee gun shots!
This all from the father of a Metropolitan Police officer who knows how service works.
Good luck Bahamas, using London’s police service you will need it!
Tom
ExposedU2C 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Yet you, no doubt as a registered UK voter, happily voted for the woke socialist political party that now has a clown 'serving' as PM of the UK. Good luck to you and your country! LOL
tom1912 1 month, 2 weeks ago
It would appear you have “exposed” yourself as being superficial, by making a judgment on someone without bothering to avail yourself of the facts, difficult I know. The Labour party was only voted in by only 34% of the a 60% of the population that bothered to vote! This means only 20% of the UK population supported/voted for the Labour party and the flip flop PM. Unbelievable eh :(
For your edification,I nor my Bahamian Wife of 5 years [She is a registered voter in the UK , yes she can vote here but I cannot vote in the Bahamas ] did not vote for them. :p
So my dear friend before you put your thoughts in print get your facts right or keep them to yourself. Unlike me you would seem to have lacked any training in critical thinking in your early career path much like many of the woke brigade!
For the record the police service become woke in the last 15 years under the “so called** right of centre” conservative government that were thrown out! Unfortunately we have the SOS in the Labour party as was said by one of our more enlightened politicians, two cheeks on the same backside. All run by career politicians who have PPE degrees or are lawyers and have nether worked in a real job in their lives
Tom
ExposedU2C 1 month, 2 weeks ago
The fact that you're obviously not a proponent of our small country seeking the external help it so desperately needs to properly deal with this dire matter tells me all I really need to know about you. Sorry to hear you suggest Scotland Yard is now no better than the US Secret Service. I can assure you most Bahamians believe our criminal intelligence agency is among the most corrupt in our region of the world and an independent investigation simply cannot be had without external help.
xtreme2x 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Krama had enough!
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