The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS  

Tribune Staff Reporter  

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net 

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe said he could not confirm whether the findings of a police corruption probe linked to voice notes would be publicised.

“I am not involved in the investigation and so I cannot confirm any aspects of it,” he said on the sidelines of an event at the Royal Bahamas Police Force Headquarters.

He noted that the Security and Intelligence Branch is leading the inquiry, with technical support from the US and the UK.

“If there are outcomes that result in criminal implications, then that fact would be made public as people go to court,” he said, adding that the Office of the Attorney General would address findings unrelated to criminal conduct.

His comments may leave the public awaiting clarity in a case that has already sparked significant concern and speculation about the integrity of law enforcement in the Bahamas.

Free National Movement chairman Dr Duane Sands said he does not buy Mr Munroe’s position.

“I am sure that they are being briefed as to more granular details about the investigation than the general public, and for him to suggest otherwise I think is being disingenuous,” Dr Sands said. “I think that the whole basis of the concern about a need for a commission of inquiry is because this has so deeply threatened the fabric of our democracy, and to suggest that it would not be made public is an absolute tragedy.”

The investigation centres around voice notes that allegedly reveal a quid-pro-quo arrangement involving a senior police officer, a lawyer, and two murdered men, Michael Fox Jr and Dino Smith.

Public interest in the case intensified following events surrounding the voice notes. Days after Sylvens Metayer, a US resident identifying as a whistleblower, released the voice notes, he was shot during a Facebook Live session but survived.

Michael Johnson, head of the Central Investigations Department, is currently on garden leave while the investigation continues. Commissioner Fernander confirmed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has joined the probe, which is being led by the Security and Intelligence Branch (SIB) of the police force. The Police Complaints Inspectorate will oversee the SIB’s investigation.

Michael Fox Sr, the father of Fox Jr, claimed that his son provided him with the voice notes, instructing him to release them if he died, but stated he did not release the tapes himself. Sandra Smith, Dino Smith’s mother, confirmed that her son informed her about the voice notes but did not provide them to her.

Mr Munroe’s comments come after Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander indicated that the police corruption probe, triggered by the leaked voice notes, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Commissioner Fernander stressed the importance of confidentiality during the investigation, stating that the public will be fully updated once it is complete.

“We want to keep everything tight, and when the investigation is completed, the public will be fully updated,” he said. “We don’t want to tamper with the investigation. We don’t investigate in the media; they don’t need to know every move we make, but the investigation is progressing very well, and a number of witnesses have been seen.”