FORMER Urban Renewal Deputy Director Michelle Reckley at a previous court appearance. Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
OPPOSITION leader Philip “Brave” Davis accused the government of pressuring the police force to send a senior assistant commissioner of police into retirement.
It was confirmed to The Tribune that ACP Clarence Reckley - the husband of former Urban Renewal Deputy Director Michelle Reckley - is now on vacation, effective yesterday. Mrs Reckley was arraigned last month on 21 charges relating to allegedly defrauding the Urban Renewal Small Homes Repairs programme in Grand Bahama of over $1.2m.
Mr Davis alleged the directive on ACP Reckley came from the Office of the Prime Minister.
The Tribune reached out to the OPM’s communications department but there was no response from the government to the claim up to press time.
“I just received a call,” Mr Davis alleged, “just before the start of this press conference that the Office of the Prime Minister directed the commissioner of police to sever the employment of senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (Clarence) Reckley. That he should take immediate vacation, and at the end of that vacation he should retire.”
Mr Davis continued: “The question we ask, what manner of people are we dealing with, what manner of persons are running this country? Who terminates the services of a senior assistant commissioner of police who has served the police force well? As far as I’m aware, there are no questions about the merit of services that he provided in his role as a police officer serving this country. He was fired, while Dames still remains.”
Mr Davis was referring to his party’s call for National Security Minister Marvin Dames and Health Minister Duane Sands to resign over their conduct related to Frank Smith’s bribery case. Mr Smith was acquitted last month.
Yesterday, Mr Reckley did not respond to calls placed up to press time.
However, sources close to the matter told The Tribune his impromptu vacation started yesterday.
It was further noted Mr Reckley’s service contract expires in August 2020, marking some 40 years.
The Tribune was told the senior police officer’s accrued vacation time nearly covers the period from now until August 2020.
Yesterday, Mr Davis said the appearance of political victimisation was not lessened whether Mr Reckley was fired or forced into retirement.
“If you tell someone that you need to retire,” he said, “that’s constructive dismissal. However you want to dress it up, they are terminating you.”
Mr Davis continued: “I’m not aware of any complaints about the services provided by the senior assistant commissioner in respect to the carriage of his duties over the many years he’s been a police officer. Just to suddenly, without notice be told that he has to take his vacation, go home and retire afterwards.
“Anyone would understand what is happening there,” he added. “It’s clear that is what it is.”
Comments
BMW 5 years, 1 month ago
He obviously turned a blind eye to his wifes misdeeds, or was he complacent? It was public knowledge she was deceiving and receiving for gods sake.
momoyama 5 years, 1 month ago
or maybe it is just FNM victimisation again?
sheeprunner12 5 years, 1 month ago
She probably used to cut his ass behind closed doors.......... SMH
John 5 years, 1 month ago
Innocent until proven guilty. Look like Meltdown Marvin and Cain Toad about to mess up another court case.
yeahyasee 5 years, 1 month ago
LOL
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 1 month ago
When I told my spouse about this she laughed heartily and said: "Can you imagine one of us stealing that amount of money and the other not knowing about it; for goodness sake we live under the same roof, eat at the same dinner table and sleep in the same bed. How could a spouse possibly not know what was going on?!" I must give my spouse a lot of credit for her common sense as applied to this matter. LMAO
John 5 years, 1 month ago
Innocent until proven guilty. If Meltdown Marvin loses the case this is a definite lawsuit
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 1 month ago
You're really such an idiot. My spouse was simply suggesting that a proper investigation should be done to determine how on earth Mrs. Reckley's husband could not have known about his family's unexpected and surprising new found wealth.
proudloudandfnm 5 years, 1 month ago
If he's anything like his wife then his retirement is a good thing....
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 1 month ago
A proper investigation would warrant expansion to include Reckley's husband, and he too should be charged with aiding and abetting the theft of government (the public's) funds if the evidence obtained supports doing so.
John 5 years, 1 month ago
Don’t let ignorance cloud common sense. As hungry and anxious this government is to get a conviction against the PLP do you think If there was a shred of evidence to implicate this man, he would have already bred charged and dragged before the courts, probably while still in his police uniform? Hungry wolves don’t care who they hunt.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 1 month ago
Remember, the short pudgy fella in the photo above has dirty stubby grubby yellow sticky fingers. For him, theft is never a crime. LMAO
John 5 years, 1 month ago
Is there any Bahamian who doesn’t fit this description in your book? You so sad.
momoyama 5 years, 1 month ago
When you are dealing with prejudice and ignorant bigotry, you waste your time with appeals to common sense, decency or due process.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 1 month ago
What is it about a call for a proper investigation that you don't understand? LMAO
momoyama 5 years, 1 month ago
was referring to the comment wherein you displayed your primitive, prejudiced ignorance re pudgy fingers etc. about a man who has made a lot more money than you (the legal way) and yet you presume to besmirch his character with zero evidence.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 1 month ago
OK - I give up - You win joke of the day. Hell, you've probably won it for the entire month! ROWL
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 1 month ago
Damn! Davis made The Tribune change the photo. No longer Davis but rather Reckley. At least still short and pudgy with sticky fingers. LMAO
realfreethinker 5 years, 1 month ago
Why is this a story. Did any of you clowns note that there were 2 other senior officers put on leave at the same time. Politics haved really f..ked ya'll minds up. The media in this country is just a piece of shit. At no point did they name the other 2 retirees.
John 5 years, 1 month ago
Yes this country has a police force that shoots innocent civilians eighteen times and refuse an investigation. A force that beats, torture, water boarding and fish bags innocent civilians and the only response is ‘the victims took too long to take action.’ No wonder Meltdown Marvin starting to look like an ole 💼.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 1 month ago
LMAO
bobneville 5 years, 1 month ago
SORRY,BRO,BUT MY COMMON SENSE TELLS ME TO GO WITH 'WELL MUDDA TAKE SIC'MUDDA ,YOUR WIFE MUST BE SOMEONE OTHER THAN A BAHAMIANTO GET THAT KIND OF LOGIC.SMART.boy these people hate mr dames,hey?well mudda take sick.
TigerB 5 years, 1 month ago
In the police force after 30 years you are serving at the pleasure of the government. Hubert Ingraham sent home many officer who were over 30 years, some just were 55 years old. Perry brought many of them back... It is not a right or entitlement to go for 40 years. Police earn pensions at 30 years, after that they can either leave or hope to get stay and make 40 years in the inspector or above ranks. The longer you stay the more gratuity you get. The deputy and commissioner is the toughest to be removed under the police act. See Greenslade and B.K. Bonamy. The government bargain with them to get them to go because they could not be touch by law.
John 5 years, 1 month ago
The streets say Marvin Dames is having nightmares of his significant other with a plastic fishbag over their hard And grasping for breath, struggling to breathe but innocent of all accusations. Life changing moments.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 1 month ago
You've become an annoying distraction for most of us ...... move on.
John 5 years, 1 month ago
The door is open... there lies your way
licks2 5 years, 1 month ago
There are going to be plenty more. . .plenty of the PLP dirty trash promotions of incompetent persons in the past is now getting thrown out. . .let the PLP chips fall where they may!! The FNM is not know for putting dumb, incompetent, tiefin and loud buffoons in management positions in public services!! The PLP is the poster boys for such stacking of the system!!
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 1 month ago
licks2 IS A BIG TIME WORTHLESS DIE HARD FNM SUPPORTER WHO WOULD NEVER EVER DARE INFORM MINNIS BY WHISPER IN HIS EAR THAT HE HAS TERRIBLY BAD BREATH. LMAO
licks2 5 years, 1 month ago
Accuse me of being a big time FNM supporter any day. . .JUST DON'T CALL ME DUMB AND MYOPIC!! And yes. . .if I am a big time die-hard political supporter. . .indeed I will be useless as big rocks and dumb as a door nail. . .at least ya learning one thing from hanging around here. . .POLITICAL HACKS DON'T WORTH THE TIME. . .JUST LIKE YOU SAY "I WILL NOT TELL MINNIS HE BREATH STINK EVEN IF HE STINKING UP THE PLACE". . .I was trying get you to see such lame brainess for soooooooooooooo dang long! Finally ya getting lil bit of sense!!
jujutreeclub 5 years, 1 month ago
The Tribune was told the senior police officer’s accrued vacation time nearly covers the period from now until August 2020.
If that is so, then it is time for him to go home and give a younger officer a chance to move up. These people want to die on these jobs. This happens to a lot of public servants who have this accrued vacation. Take the vacation and relax. Still getting paid.
sheeprunner12 5 years, 1 month ago
The Police Force does not need another new person wearing frigging khaki for the next 10 years ............. They have 300 too many now.
John 5 years, 1 month ago
When the FNM loses the government Meltdown Marvin and Cain Toad Ferguson are gonna be the first two to be fishbagged and waterboarded. Not that it’s the right thing but that sometimes people need a dose of they own poison.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 1 month ago
Now that's outright invective and vindictive! LMAO
John 5 years, 1 month ago
Can Marvin Dames or a police spokesman say if any of the high powered assault weapons found on the streets of new providence came from that cache of high powered weapons that went missing from the US's department of Alcohol, firearms and Tobacco? And if so how many?
TalRussell 5 years, 1 month ago
Yes, yes and yes the comrade PM hides behind policeman's guarded walls PMO. well hidden away from the Queen, the House Speaker, his rebelling red House MP's, the press and the PeoplePublic- being he is more interested in crafting political interference than he is at governing Colony of Out Islands, yes, no?
FreeportFreddy 5 years, 1 month ago
No
licks2 5 years, 1 month ago
Pindling and PGC were the only PMs with police guards stationed at their residence 24/7. . .HAI could not stand that and Minnis don't want it I assume.
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