‘A dark moment for the police force’ | News

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The allegations that a senior police officer and other members of Bahamian law enforcement were engaged in a widespread conspiracy with Bahamian and Colombian drug dealers to smuggle cocaine into The Bahamas and ultimately the United States is a “dark moment” for the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander said yesterday.

The allegations are contained in a 19-page indictment filed in the Southern District of New York and unsealed on Tuesday.

“This is a sobering reminder that no institution is immune to breaches of trust,” Fernander said in a statement.

“I fully understand the disappointment of the Bahamian people. They have every right to demand answers. Any officer implicated in wrongdoing will face the appropriate consequences. There will be no shield of protection for those who tarnish the honor of this uniform.

“Let me also acknowledge the many hardworking, honest officers who continue to serve with integrity despite the actions of a few. They deserve a force they can be proud of, just as the Bahamian people deserve institutions they can trust.

“The journey to restore confidence will not be easy, but I assure you: The Royal Bahamas Police Force will do the necessary work. The Bahamian people deserve no less.”

Eleven Bahamians and two Colombians are named in the indictment.

Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis, officer-in-charge of the Airport Division, Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) Sergeant Prince Albert Symonette, who works closely with Curtis, and Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Chief Petty Officer Darrin Roker are named as conspirators who helped facilitate the transshipment of tons of cocaine from South America through The Bahamas and ultimately into the United States.

Curtis and Roker were arrested in Florida on Monday, Fernander noted.

Symonette was placed on leave, the commissioner added.

The stunning allegations in the indictment have rocked the country.

It alleges that corrupt police officers and government officials undermined the work and progress of Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) to smuggle cocaine from South America into The Bahamas and then into the US.

“These corrupt RBPF and Bahamian government officials support the drug trade into the United States at every turn — from the airports, airstrips and ports in the island chain that serve as points of entry for the cocaine shipments into The Bahamas, and onto maritime vessels that are then used to transit the cocaine through shipping routes from the northernmost points of The Bahamas into the United States,” the indictment reads.

Prime Minister Philip Davis yesterday called the ordeal a breach of trust — a betrayal.

“The government of The Bahamas will act decisively to ensure that those responsible for these breaches, regardless of rank or position, are held accountable,” he said in Parliament.

“This betrayal will not go unanswered.”

He said The Bahamas cannot wait for the outcomes of court proceedings in the United States.

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‘A dark moment for the police force’ | News

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