Former Prime Minister of the Bahamas Calls For Commission of Inquiry Amid Police Corruption Scandal

NASSAU, Bahamas – Former Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis is calling for decisive action to restore public trust in the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) following allegations of corruption that surfaced two months ago, resulting in a senior officer being placed on leave.

Hubert Minnis, former Prime Minister of the BahamasSpeaking in the House of Assembly during the debate on the National Crime Intelligence Agency Bill last week, Minnis repeated his demand for the government to establish a commission of inquiry, arguing that an independent probe is essential to address the concerns of the Bahamian people.

“Bahamians remain deeply concerned that confidence in the police force has decreased to an all-time low due to a voice note scandal,” Minnis said. “More than two months have passed since the allegations of bribery, corruption, and possible complicity in murders regarding the police force came to the attention of the public. Bahamians remain shocked and deeply anxious by the explosive allegations. To date, as far as the public is aware, no one has been charged with an offense related to the matter.”

The controversy erupted in July when Chief Superintendent Michael Johnson, who led the Criminal Investigations Department, was placed on leave after leaked audio recordings surfaced on social media. The recordings allegedly featured a senior police official in conversation with a now-deceased gang member wanted by police.

In one of the leaked conversations, the wanted man appeared to be negotiating the terms of his surrender to the police and the cost of securing his release from custody. The situation took a more sinister turn when a Facebook user who released the voice notes also claimed that some police officers had been sharing the GPS locations of men on bail, who were electronically monitored with ankle bracelets, with hitmen. According to the Facebook user, these hitmen then carried out assassinations of these individuals.

The allegations have shaken public confidence in the RBPF and raised concerns about corruption at the highest levels of law enforcement. Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander responded by announcing that the RBPF’s Security and Intelligence Branch (SIB) was leading an investigation into the allegations, with support from investigators from the United States and the United Kingdom.

However, Minnis has argued that the current investigation is inadequate and lacks the transparency needed to restore public trust. “If this is the sole investigation, this scandal may worsen, and confidence in the force may sink lower and lower,” Minnis warned.

He expressed doubts about the ability of the police force to investigate its own officers, particularly when allegations involve senior ranks. “The police force cannot investigate the police force when the allegations involve police at the highest ranks,” Minnis said, suggesting that a more independent body is necessary for an impartial investigation.

Minnis also criticized the government for its hesitation in launching a commission of inquiry, questioning whether there are elements of the scandal that are being deliberately concealed from the public. “Any hint of a cover-up will not sit well with the Bahamian people and may have significant consequences,” he added.

The former prime minister warned that allowing the investigation to drag on without resolution could further damage public confidence. “Many fear the Davis administration is hoping the public will forget about this scandal and growing crisis over time [with] a long, inconclusive investigation,” he said. “This would allow the government to take no further action. If this investigation just takes forever and comes to nothing, justice would not have been served in the eyes of the Bahamian populace.”

Last week, Commissioner Fernander provided an update on the investigation, reassuring the public that it would be completed by the end of the year. “An investigation is like a puzzle,” Fernander said. “As you move, you put a piece here and a piece here, and at the end of the day you have a perfect photo, and they are nearing that.”