The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Director of Public Prosecutions Eucal Bonaby said he had no information to support the United States’ claims that The Bahamas is failing to investigate corruption allegations against immigration officers at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre.

The US claimed this in its latest Trafficking in Persons report, giving the country a Tier 1 ranking, which signifies that it continues to meet the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking and that the government demonstrates serious and sustained efforts toward this goal.

The report nonetheless said allegations of corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remained a significant concern, inhibiting law enforcement action during the year. 

The report said: “In one case, foreign sex trafficking victims reported officers at the detention centre asked for bribes in exchange for their release; the government had not completed its investigation by the end of the reporting period, and the victims returned to their home country. Observers previously noted some immigration officials may have solicited Haitian migrants, including potential trafficking victims, for bribes to prevent detention.”

Mr Bonaby said investigations are underway, but no information suggests that these claims are true. 

“Just like anyone else, we have heard something to that effect,” he said during a press conference yesterday. “We’ve always, the police that is, would generally look into those allegations, and so far, we haven’t determined anything to that effect.”

He said the people who allegedly accepted the bribes were not identified and are a critical part of the investigation. 

“I think the challenge has been, from what I’m aware, is identifying who those individuals are, and I think as soon as that has been done, the individual can say exactly what has happened with respect to those allegations. Because allegations can be made, until it is some concrete, something concrete to suggest that it is in fact true, it just becomes an allegation, or just is an allegation until proven otherwise,” he said. 

The US report provided the country with nine recommendations, noting the government did not proactively screen for human trafficking among vulnerable communities in 2023. 

“The difficulty is these groups, where they are located, it’s not easy to ascertain and reach out to them in the manner that we would like to reach out to them and so that is the challenge with respect to that,” Mr Bonaby said.

He said the vulnerable group consists of Haitians, Latinos and Filipinos. He said the Trafficking in Persons task force finds it challenging to reach these communities.

He said efforts to reach the vulnerable communities include working with faith-based organisations and hosting prevention seminars.

The TIP Taskforce is hosting various initiatives throughout July to spread public awareness on the matter ahead of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30.