Chavette Strachan, Dale Gibson Jr and Kenton Fines.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THREE people who say police tortured them for confessions before releasing them without charge were told this week the time has expired for their matter to be addressed by the Royal Bahamas Police Force, despite the timely complaints they made.
Police recently summoned two of the three to give evidence against an officer said to be involved in the incident. The pair obeyed the summons and showed up for a Police Disciplinary Tribunal hearing in Eleuthera on Monday, but were turned away.
Chavette Strachan, Dale Gibson Jr and Kenton Fines have described their lock-up experience in harrowing terms. They allege in court documents that they were handcuffed, beaten and fish-bagged by Central Detective Unit officers in the Governor’s Harbour Police Station on January 19, 2018. They were released without charge on January 22, 2018, but their claims mirror those of many people who have faced criminal charges over the years. The trio was arrested and questioned as officers investigated an attempted murder and armed robbery on Eleuthera. They filed a complaint with the police force’s Complaints and Corruption Unit in February 2018.
Two of them, Ms Strachan and Mr Gibson, were recently sent a summons letter dated February 18 of this year. The letter, written by Superintendent Craig Gaitor, noted: “In accordance with Section 4 (1) of the Police Disciplinary Regulations, I have been appointed president by the commissioner of police, to conduct a Court of Enquiry to hear and determine disciplinary charges that have been brought against the defendant. By virtue of powers vested in me, I hereby summons you to attend a Court of Enquiry which will be held on Monday, 25 February 2019 at 10am at the Magistrate’s Complex, Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera to give evidence as it relates to this matter.”
Matters go to the Court of Enquiry only when the commissioner or deputy commissioner of police has determined that allegations against an officer have merit and that disciplinary action may be warranted.
After waiting hours at the Magistrate’s Court complex in Eleuthera for Monday’s hearing to begin, Ms Strachan and Mr Gibson were told to leave and go to police headquarters in Governor’s Harbour. After doing so, they were made to wait more hours before a “prosecutor” came and told them time has run out for their matter to be dealt with. The prosecutor told them they were not at fault.
“Your matter happened between January 19, 2018 and January 22, 2018,” the man told them. “Y’all made a report of that, that’s fine, it was done in time. Between that time and 2019, (the officer) was arraigned the end of January sometime, a year after you all reported the matter…We don’t know what happened between the time y’all reported it and it reached to us in January (but) the law states that in no matter, unless in exceptional circumstances, could a person be arraigned after six months.”
It is not clear what law the prosecutor was referring to. Police disciplinary regulations do not specify a time limit when complaints against officers must be addressed or brought before a Court of Enquiry.
Mr Gibson told the prosecutor: “Y’all playing a game with us.”
Ms Strachan added: “If it was me, (this matter) would’ve been (dealt with) from I was out (of custody) on (January 22, 2018). So whose fault is this? It’s y’all fault. It’s us versus the police. Every month I was in Nassau pushing this. Our lawyers were sending letters. How could you be telling me now that because time has passed the matter can’t be dealt with? Y’all trying to tell me y’all draw out the matter, wait until the time passed and then will come to me a year later to tell me it can’t be done? You trying to tell me I must do the police job as well as mine after I filed a complaint? This is upsetting.”
In addition to the complaints they made with the police force, Ms Strachan, Mr Gibson and Mr Fines have also filed lawsuits against the RBPF. A Supreme Court date has not yet been set for that matter.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 5 years, 1 month ago
Strange. Sounds like something the minister needs to address, he said to file complaints to report police abuse, well these people filed complaints to report police abuse
John 5 years, 1 month ago
Imbedded corruption. If a civilian was to commit these atrocities there would be no statute of limitations. They would have to face j justice if even 100 years later. And even when complaints are made against corrupt officers, who are helping to drive crime and violence in this country, the corruption unit takes over a year to report their findings so that victims cannot file a civil lawsuit. This police brutality and the corruption to protect dirty, crime infested officers, who are a disgrace bro their uniforms, must end in this term of the Minnis administration because he said it is the people’s time. This behavior must not be tolerated in the least when it is against innocent civilians. It is criminal and must be treated as such. And it will be weeded out. And Marvin Dames and Anthony Ferguson must be made to answer for the criminal actions of their police officers. How could you ever justify beat and torturing and threatening to kill innocent civilians as a process to solve crime? Even under wartime your actions would be illegal and you would be brought before the courts. And in some countries you would be put to death by a firing squad when found guilty regardless of what position you hold. Regardless of how many stripes on your sleeve or how much egg on your cap.
TheMadHatter 5 years, 1 month ago
In my family we practice "fish-bagging" each other every other weekend - just in case we are ever falsely arrested - the procedure won't be so shocking and traumatizing.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure i always say. Good practice but only for those over 18.
DWW 5 years, 1 month ago
Laugh or cry?
DDK 5 years, 1 month ago
What a sick, corrupt criminal system we have in this country. It starts at the top and makes its way right through, often including the judiciary........
TheMadHatter 5 years, 1 month ago
You must restrain your comments on the judiciary. It is an offense actually under the Constitution to make any remark disbaraging of the judiciary. Only in the USA and Pakistan are you at liberty to so comment. All other countries have the same restriction we have.
DDK 5 years, 1 month ago
Oh, stop!!!
pingmydling 5 years, 1 month ago
Madhatter you making this crap up. You must think all us bush people as stupid as you. Post one shred of evidence for your comments. What you know about the US and Parkistan judicial system, not to mention our own, wouldn't fill a 5c. Stamp. ( LAY OFF THE JUICE). PS Your spelling leaves a lot to be desired. If you need some remedial English I Am available at reasonable rates.
TheMadHatter 5 years, 1 month ago
Constitution Chapter 3 - Section 23 - Part (2) subsection (ii). "...maintaining the authority and independence of the courts, ..."
This is under freedom of expression. Many a lawyer in recent years has been required to plead for mercy before the courts and apologize for comments.
John 5 years, 1 month ago
Corruption is corruption and the higher the level it gets, the stinker it smells
pingmydling 5 years, 1 month ago
SOMETHING DON'T SMELL RIGHT ----HIRE ROBERT MUELLER.
DWW 5 years, 1 month ago
Unfortunately par for course in this sunshine cuntry.
DDK 5 years, 1 month ago
Acceptance of blatant police brutality is NOT a good thing and will lead to much worse, horrific though these alleged reports may be. If, for once, we could have a law enforcement official at the top who puts HIS money where HIS mouth is, instead of paying political lip service to all and sundry, this terrible, ILLEGAL practice of coercion by torture COULD be largely eliminated.
Clamshell 5 years, 1 month ago
Sickening. Scary, and utterly sickening.
Clamshell 5 years, 1 month ago
I attended a trial once on Eleuthera in which a police officer served as both the prosecutor and the prosecution’s key witness. He literally took the stand, under oath, and questioned himself. It was a joke. The magistrate, who’d been flown in from Nassau, appeared to have gotten her law degree from the bottom of a box of Cracker Jacks.
They’d already decided the guy on trial was guilty and just went through a charade. #ThirdWorldNation
licks2 5 years, 1 month ago
Let me enlighten you buncha ostriches. . . there is thing called statue of limitations. . .just like yinna say the people dem have their rights. . . them police officers have legislative protections too!! Those three people them failed to bring any case in court. . . they allowed the SOL to pass. . .so now they can't bring no case anywhere except perhaps in civil court!!
So take yinna damn heads outta the sand and use what ya mar them gee ya!! Both sides are using our sentiments to get away with they crap. . .WHEN YA WANNA USE THE SYSTEM TO GET OVER. . .MAKE DAMN SURE YA KNOW WHAT THE SYSTEM SAYS. . . BECAUSE THEM ACCURSED POLICE THEM HAVE THEY LAWYERS TOO. WHAT THE HELL YINNA THINK THIS IS? NOW LET BOTH SIDES CARRY THEY IGNORANT TAILS IN TO CIVIL COURT AND DO WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO!! AS FOR THE USUAL IGNORANT RANT AROUND HERE. . .CARRY ON LIKE DRIED PAINT!!
Clamshell 5 years, 1 month ago
... uh ... yeah, speaking of ignorant rants ...
hrysippus 5 years, 1 month ago
SLICKS2 cannot help himself, he just loves the police , wishes he was one still.
licks2 5 years, 1 month ago
It is called putting ya information where ya calling ignorant is. . .don't just act like the big dumb bully in the school yard. . .if ya say I ignorant. . .ergo. . .then you know. . .or you cannot say I am ignorant. . .therefore, state ya information or stop "trowing jeers" . . . state ya case man. . . provide ya information!! Or stop acting like ya know something when ya don't know jack. . .or play like ya don't know jack!!
ThisIsOurs 5 years, 1 month ago
"They" didn't allow anything to pass. They filed on time, no action was taken by the police and then the police claimed it was too late to take action
licks2 5 years, 1 month ago
Use ya head there. . .they allowed the time to run out because they went around the police and fail to go to court. . .the law says that after 6 months the csase cannot be taken to COURT ANYMORE. . .NOT THE POLICE. . .so now their lawyers are saying since the SOL has run out in law. . .HOW CAN THE POLICE GO FORWARD WITH THE CASE. . .IT IS BLOCKED BY LAW!!! So now if they have the evidence that they say they have. . .SUE!!!
hrysippus 5 years, 1 month ago
When the Police routinely torture the people they arrest, . . . While ministers strut in parliament in two thousand dollar suits they're dressed, .. .. .. . .Then you know that this, our country, is on the way to failed state. . .
Breeding contempt for politicians and for the police a simple hate. .. . . .. They like to shoot at harmless dogs and beat up helpless men, . …………. . We can only trust God above is watching and, in his good time will punish them.
licks2 5 years, 1 month ago
Yinna realy don't pay attention to jack!! Look at the pictures taken of the shooting. . .first frame the dog way over by the door. . .police not in the frame. . .second frame the dog half way across the drive way. . .the dog is moving into the direction where the police is standing out of camera view. . .third frame police is over on the opposite side of the drive way from where the dog first was. . .police did not enter the drive way as shown by third frame. . .but the dog was over on the opposite side of the drive way where it was shot point-blank by the police!! Common sense tells you that according to the camera shots the dog was moving into the personal space of the police officer. Firsts shot the dog was near the door on the opposite side of the driveway about 20 to 25 feet away from the police. . .second frame about 11 to 10 feet away. . .third frame about 2 feet away!! The news says the dog was shot point blank. . .first frame shows it 20 or more feet away at first and shot point blank at about 2 feet on the opposite side of the drive way!! . Point blank??? The damn dog was moving in the direction of the police officer. . .a dog breed to kill without mercy!! Clean shot. . .dog went for police. . .police defended himself!!
Yinna see why I does tell yinna that yall een worth damn when it comes to using yall common sense. . .around here at least!!
Hhahahahahahaha. . .I think I may look good in one er them clean looking uniforms nah. . .just dreaming a lil bit. . .hehehehehehehe!!
John 5 years, 1 month ago
They say Marvin Dames now has a police escort/security. Maybe in case them tight pants he wears happen to give up in the wrong place and time and expose all his indecency, as Minister of National Security.
John 5 years, 1 month ago
Marvin Dames had a meltdown in HOS today. Do wicked people have a conscience. Watch when the deeds of Anthony Ferguson start to kick in. Almost a half century of deeds . Just watch.
licks2 5 years, 1 month ago
SO WHAT DID MCALPINE SAID TO HIM? He said that he went over to say hello!! Yea right. . .but that een no reason for Dames to go postal on he backside.
BMW 5 years, 1 month ago
I know a lady that was out walking near a seaside settlement, was approached and bitten by a trash can terrier (AKA Potcake). She went to her ( private) doctor to get medical treatment after which she went to the police station to file a complaint. Would you believe the officer told her she needed to go to a government doctor for treatment in order to file a complaint. #thirdworldstupidity
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