The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE 

Tribune Chief Reporter 

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said investigations into Hurricane Dorian-related deaths are ongoing “administratively” to guide future actions, as his administration decided to forego a more formal inquiry that he once suggested might be necessary.

His comment came after The Tribune asked about his previous calls for an independent inquiry — either by outside police investigators or through a commission of inquiry — to determine the fate of those still missing in Abaco and Grand Bahama following the Category 5 storm.

The unresolved uncertainty surrounding the number of people unaccounted for after Hurricane Dorian continues to linger.

In June 2020, then National Security Minister Marvin Dames reported that 279 people were missing, while then Assistant Commissinner of Police Solomon Cash said that only 33 remained unaccounted for.

Last year, Mr Davis said an inquiry had not been ruled out but did not confirm whether one would occur.

“I did not promise a commission of inquiry,” he told reporters during a press conference last night. “I mooted that one might be necessary, and as we took office and realised the other issues that impacted this country and its people, we thought it best to tackle those issues, and we’re doing (that) and attempt to through administrative means, get to the bottom of what happened at that time in Hurricane Dorian.

“There’s much resources that are required to pull us from where we are and to get us where we are today, and so we didn’t think that a useful exercise for us to go through a commission of inquiry with respect to that.

“But investigations are continuing administratively to determine what actually happened and to get recommendations for the way forward in respect to those matters that would require improvement and recommendations going forward.”

September marked the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Dorian, the devastating Category 5 storm that killed more than 70 people and displaced hundreds.

FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands recently told The Tribune that he still supports a formal inquiry, emphasising that some families need closure regarding their missing loved ones.