By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
A GRAND Bahama woman is pleading for the return of tens of thousands of dollars seized by police six months ago, insisting she provided proof of its origin and has hired an attorney to fight for its release.
Marilyn Newman said officers confiscated her savings during a police search on August 28, 2024, and took her to police headquarters for questioning.
In an interview with ZNS Northern Service last week, she said the money was from her work as a cosmetic surgery consultant and an insurance settlement from an accident.
“I have been saving this money for so long. This isn’t money I just had one time, this money I saved over a period of time not knowing I could trouble for doing it,” she said.
She also alleged that police linked her to a drug-related scandal involving her wanted brother, a claim she strongly denies.
Despite hiring an attorney and requesting the return of her money, a court issued a detention order, allowing police to hold the funds for another three months.
Ms Newman’s case has raised broader concerns about cash seizures by police, particularly in cases where people claim to have lawful earnings but still face prolonged investigations.
Addressing the issue during an appearance on ZNS’ The Sabrina Brown Show yesterday, Superintendent Remy Minnis, Officer in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Unit in Grand Bahama and the Northern Bahamas, defended police procedures.
He acknowledged that it is not illegal to keep cash at home, regardless of the amount. However, he said that when large sums are found during a police search, officers take the funds into custody for investigation.
“So, what happens in most matters like that, officers would take the funds into custody, not take the funds, but take it into the custody. Basically, we hold the funds so an investigation can take place as to where the funds came from,” he said.
He said people could provide documentation to show their money came from legitimate sources, including business earnings or asue savings.
He acknowledged that some Bahamians, particularly those without legal status or bank accounts, store money at home, citing Abaco’s large Haitian and Haitian-Bahamian communities as an example.
He explained that when large amounts of cash are found, police take custody of the money and count it in the owner’s presence before handing it over to the financial unit for investigation. Only the court, he said, can authorise the final seizure of funds.
“Once it’s proved that these funds are not derived from ill gains, illegal stuff or activities, your monies will be in full returned to you,” he said.
He urged the public to allow investigations to take their course, acknowledging that some cases take longer than others.
“Once the investigation is complete, it may be quick in some cases, it may be longer in other cases. It usually is the investigator and the investigation, sometimes things have twist and turns,” he said.
Ms Newman, however, remains frustrated with the ongoing delay and insists that she has done nothing wrong.
Her attorney is continuing efforts to recover her money, but for now, her savings remain in police custody with no clear timeline for their return.
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