By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
POLICE Commissioner Ellison Greenslade yesterday said he is not happy about the early release of nine Bahamian prisoners who were incarcerated in Cuba, adding that he was not sure the former inmates would stay out of trouble.
He added that some other prisoners who were locked up internationally would be back in the country “very soon” to “add salt to an already open wound.”
However, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage said because the prisoners are Bahamians, “we have a responsibility” to allow them to come home.
Both men made their comments during a walk-a-bout through Kemp Road yesterday.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that nine Bahamians were freed after Cuba announced pardons for more than 3,500 prisoners to mark the four-day visit of the Pope last week.
Alma Adams, the Bahamas ambassador to Cuba, bade farewell in Havana to the nine former inmates last Wednesday as they boarded the 1.15pm Bahamasair flight to Nassau.
It is unclear what crimes were committed and Commissioner Greenslade said it was not his place to reveal the alleged infractions.
“I am not excited about that and I wish they had stayed in Cuba where they rightfully belonged,” Mr Greenslade said. “That is my simple answer. I am going to offend a lot of people, but if you traffic drugs in the Bahamas and you get yourself arrested in international jurisdictions as a result of a transhipment of drugs, then I say you should spend your time in prison. I don’t think that the Bahamas should be a safe haven for you and if you are upset or your family is upset I am sorry. Because I am not sure those folks are going to come back and go to church and be saints. I would lie to you if I said they were and I am not going to lie to the public.”
He added: “They are free to go. I don’t want to get into details, but the officials who released them they know exactly what they did. The officials on our side who would have done the paperwork are well aware of what they were involved with. But they aren’t the only ones, you are going to hear some other names soon, very, very big names and I fear that when these people are back in our communities, our communities that are already reeling from a crime problem, you are adding salt to the wound.”
Despite the commissioner’s concern, Dr Nottage said the government will meet with the released Bahamians and “try to get” them to stay away from crime.
“They are Bahamians, they have been released and they are going to come home and it is our responsibility to meet with them when they come home because many of them have been in prison a very long time, some of them as much as 20 years,” Dr Nottage said.
“They have been given a second chance by the Cuban government, they have not committed any crimes in the Bahamas. So the best we can do is meet with them, talk to them and try to get them not to get involved in any serious crime or any crime once they come home because by the grace of God many of them would have not been allowed to see the Bahamas for the next 10, 15, 20 years.”
The released Bahamians are among 3,522 pardoned inmates from Cuba.
The press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “With few exceptions for humanitarian reasons, this did not include persons sanctioned for the crimes of murder, homicide, rape, pederasty with violence, corruption of minors, theft and illegal slaughter of cattle, drug trafficking, robbery with violence and intimidation against persons in their aggravated forms, nor those crimes committed against the security of the State.”
Comments
CatIslandBoy 8 years, 6 months ago
What a disappointment, this Commissioner of Police. What a terribly statement to make on a matter that has nothing to do with him and his police force. He should learn by now to keep his personal feelings to himself. But, I guess when a microphone is constantly shoved in one's face, sometimes the mouth begins to move before engaging the brain. You know, when Nottage is saying something more sensible, the Commissioner needs to just shut up.
UserOne 8 years, 6 months ago
I think it has everything to do with the police if people convicted of crimes are released into society.
ThisIsOurs 8 years, 6 months ago
I agree
tuger0069 8 years, 6 months ago
they are Bahamians what the hell COP talking about.
sheeprunner12 8 years, 6 months ago
Come on COP ..................... you get some senior fellas there with the squads who pick up the ex-cons .............. just wait for them to land from Havana and get on with it
John 8 years, 6 months ago
Some of these individuals have spent up to 20 years in Cuban prisons. Some claim they were just Bahamian fishermen who drifted in Cuban waters and were sentenced to a long jail sentence for drug trafficking without a fair trial. At least one of these persons is detained at Fox Hill for a matter he allegedly committed 18 years ago in the Bahamas. While the commissioner's concern about persons committing serious offences abroad, then being dumped back into the Bahamas jurisdiction is a genuine one, one must also remember that once a person completes his sentence here or is released from prison, for whatever reason, he or she is sent back to his/her country of origin and from the Bahamas. This policy is wreaking havoc on countries in Central and South America, where the US virtually emptied its prisons of persons originating from these territories and shipped them back home. Many were hard core criminals, gang leaders and drug dealers. The murder count in a number of these countries doubled and even tripled and serious and violent crime escalated through the roof. Of the 3,000 that Castro freed, eight were Bahamians. Others are expected to be sent back from the US and Canada and maybe the UK. So what does the commissioner suggest we do, even with those who are released from prison here and meet their demise in just a short while. The ankle monitoring system cannot save them. Do we then need a half way house type system where these persons are gradually released into society?
Emac 8 years, 6 months ago
Agree with CatIslandBoy on this one. This man seems to be grasping at straws, blaming this one or the other for the lack luster performance of the police force. Sure it will take the assistance of the community. But the onus lies flatly on the commissioner himself to get the job done. Yes, we know that there is a lot of political interferences, the judicial system is a mess etc. But the fact still remains that the RBPF is really not effective as it could be, mainly because of corruption. Clean up the mess on the force and the community will start to respect the police department again. The release of the Cuban prisoners is an international matter which has nothing to do with the commissioner. Fact remains, this is not the first time ex criminals are being deported back to the Bahamas, USA do it all the time. Doesn't make sense to cry like a spoil child over the inevitable. If you cannot handle the job at hand, simply resign and at the same time expose those criminals in parliament that are holding this country down.
TruePeople 8 years, 6 months ago
Police ein get paid like dat yinno. Obviously they have motivations other than money for doing what they do
TruePeople 8 years, 6 months ago
"I am not excited about that and I wish they had stayed in Cuba where they rightfully belonged"
By that reasoning all the Haitian and Cubans arresting here actually BELONG here..... so why is Freddy deporting them?
sheeprunner12 8 years, 6 months ago
This was an unusual act of benevolent grace............ how many Bahamians are actually missing or locked up in Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, DR, Colombia etc ....................... are they ever extradited or deported back home????? ............. we only hear about US cases ........
BTW ..............................Is Dwight Major back home yet???????
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