The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe said that recent corruption allegations involving senior law enforcement officers could harm The Bahamas’ partnerships with international policing agencies.

Mr Munroe, who is attending a CARICOM Security Ministers meeting in St Kitts, said the extent of the impact will ultimately depend on the judgment of these agencies.

However, he said it is vital for the government to address the issue head-on to show its commitment to holding everyone accountable.

“This is why we have to address it aggressively,” he said as a guest on Guardian Radio’s Morning Blend with Dwight Strachan.

A federal indictment by the United States District Court Southern District of New York has accused members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) of providing critical assistance to drug traffickers smuggling tons of cocaine from South America through The Bahamas to the US.

Prosecutors claim that corrupt officials received millions in bribes, used their positions to support the drug trade, obstruct DEA operations, and protect traffickers from arrest with intelligence from such partnerships as OBPAT (Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Island).

When asked how the allegations could impact The Bahamas’ partnership with OBPAT, Mr Munroe said such claims could likely influence how international partners view the country.

For instance, he added that the allegations could lead to a reassessment of how they engage with local law enforcement officers moving forward.

“I discovered from defence force officers and marines who served on board a ship ride of the coast guard that they’re not allowed in the command centre with the radar feeds,” he added, “and so if this justifies their lack of trust of us then that creates a very real problem in being full partners.”

He also addressed a National Geographic documentary released earlier this year, which focused on a smuggler at Nassau’s airport and raised concerns about drug trafficking.

Mr Munroe said the documentary and the indictment are unrelated, stressing the indictment involves a far more serious matter.

“The (documentary) is talking about someone taking a kilo or so through the airport,” he said. “This indictment and this is what the prime minister is speaking about isn’t talking about something low level like that. It’s talking about something coordinated, large scaled where quantities are flown in by plane, broken down and taken in by boats.”

“That is what the indictment says and that is why this is so serious.”

The indictment, which names 11 Bahamians, including two senior law enforcement officers and alleges the involvement of a high-ranking politician, has heightened scrutiny of the country’s law enforcement agencies.

When asked about calls for his resignation, Mr Munroe said the decision rests with the prime minister.

Meanwhile, OPM’s communications director, Latrae Rahming, said in a release yesterday that no Bahamian politician has been publicly linked to the allegations.