Customs raid on Ash bar

Bottles of allegedly undeclared liquor are seized on Tuesday. Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune staff

As of Wednesday, April 29, 2020

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

CUSTOMS officers raided Made Men Bar Sports Bar yesterday and seized bottles of allegedly undeclared liquor from the establishment.

This came more than a week after Jonathan Ash, the lead witness in last year’s high-profile bribery trial of Shane Gibson, was fined for breaking Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ restriction against the sale of alcoholic beverages when he was caught selling liquor at Made Men.

Tyrone Sands, superintendent of customs, told The Tribune officers had suspicions about the Faith Avenue bar before videos of alcohol being sold there against Dr Minnis’ emergency orders circulated this month. When officers visited the bar yesterday, they discovered the establishment has allegedly been operating without a valid licence, a matter that customs officers will now refer to another agency, he said.

“We had suspicions there may have been (undeclared) goods in that establishment, goods where duty has not been paid for,” Superintendent Sands said. “Our enforcement team, like we suspected, found a variety of alcoholic beverages for which they couldn’t prove that duty was paid. Since they couldn’t prove it the goods were seized.

“Further investigations also revealed that they were operating that business without a valid business licence,” he alleged. “We are in the initial stage of the investigation and the goods are in (Department of) Customs’ care and once we’ve completed the investigation the controller will determine how we are going to proceed.”

Superintendent Sands could not say how much alcohol was seized or how much the liquor is worth.

However, he said: “We’re on the ball. People take this process as a word to the wise. Customs is here, we’re vigilant, we’re doing what we’re mandated to do and if you act outside the law it’s just a matter of time before you are caught.”

Last week, Mr Ash was fined $7,000 for selling alcohol at Made Men Sports Bar in breach of the emergency orders in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Eyebrows were raised when he showed up to the Magistrate’s Court without handcuffs or shackles. He dashed into the courtroom to avoid being photographed by the media.

The 35-year-old pleaded guilty to the charges of violating the national curfew and operating a non-essential business.

Magistrate Rolle-Davis labelled his actions a “blatant disregard for the law.”

Mr Ash made headlines as the Crown’s main witness against former Cabinet minister Shane Gibson in his bribery case. Mr Ash alleged he paid Gibson hundred of thousands of dollars in bribes so he could receive outstanding government cheques for hurricane clean-up work.

A jury acquitted Mr Gibson of those charges last year.

TalRussell 3 years, 11 months ago

Wow!! A smack face a rush 68 promotions should beg a yeah, how is it such a so profile nobid maintenance contact sought comrade to the government day can be alleged has operated so many business activities and out in open - a Royal Constabulary vehicle and who was the actual one alleged have been sitting the car parked out front too? Could the government have contributed some spoil a citizen's alleged brazen activities? Can't make this up. Just, can't.

Well_mudda_take_sic 3 years, 11 months ago

Tyrone Sands, superintendent of customs, told The Tribune officers had suspicions about the Faith Avenue bar before videos of alcohol being sold there against Dr Minnis’ emergency orders circulated this month.

Translation: If you as a businessman conducting a legal or illegal business dare to violate any of Minnis's orders, you risk the Supreme Ruler personally ordering a major 'hit job' on your business establishment.

In the case of what has happened here to Jonathan Ash, well, let's just say, it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy (my tongue pressed hard in cheek). But all business owners should be taking careful note of what has taken place here because their business could well be next for just about any reason our new Supreme Ruler may deem fit.

Porcupine 3 years, 11 months ago

I thought the exact same thing without having read your comments. Customs is just another method of wielding total control, and crippling anyone who sticks there head up. Could be Ash, could be any of us. And someday, it will be. Read your history.

themessenger 3 years, 11 months ago

@Porcupine, you wouldn't by any chance be referring to Martin Niemöller's famous words now would you?

Porcupine 3 years, 11 months ago

Yes. First they come for..............

themessenger 3 years, 11 months ago

Here is the scenario if this ever makes it to court: Justice: Please present your evidence! Police prosecutor and Customs witnesses: Well your Honor it's like dis, da bars dem bin shut going on two months nah an ween even had a taste from den, so we did drink it. Justice: You drank the evidence? Case dismissed!

DDK 3 years, 11 months ago

Let Bahamian business open Mr. PM. Quit holding The People hostage to your tyranny using your bands of lawless civil servants as your enforcers. . Remember Most Powerful One, What Goes Around, Comes Around!

DDK 3 years, 11 months ago

Wonder who gets to keep the spoils? Corruption is alive and well and rampant in our Bahamaland 😫

Well_mudda_take_sic 3 years, 11 months ago

Red China.....in the case of our country.

TalRussell 3 years, 11 months ago

Comrades ... be “praying every night” that the People's Republic of China doesn't pull out Baha Mar as it turns inward to deal with its country's gigantic problems. Yes?

mandela 3 years, 11 months ago

First of all, I need to have a business license to operate my business then so should he and everyone else who wants to operate a business. Secondly, how was he able to get his product through and out of customs possession into his possession without PAYING. Ash has to be a very good magician or he has some corrupt custom people in his pocket who are his customers. This is what needs to be explained and investigated.

Diplomat 3 years, 11 months ago

The name of the establishment in question actually answers the question. The owner is most likely a “Made Man”

TalRussell 3 years, 11 months ago

Hope in the end that the Customs fellows do go easy on the comrade...Not goin' be easy for Imperialists redshirts so quickly recruit a qualified replacement of a similar kind of a princely comrade ...to raise a whole new set "no tendered maintenance contract* Eyebrows over kinds things what was revealed during sworn testimony before the court of justice...something any other leader Queen's opposition, would've jumped latch onto, tightly... that ignoring of such a gift-horse has puzzled all the hell out me? Nod once for yeah, twice for no?

hrysippus 3 years, 11 months ago

why are Customs seizing cases of Kalik Beer? Is someone really importing this Bahamian made beer and not paying the requisite duty? This seems very unlikely to me. Another over reach by the state security services maybe, or perhaps they were using the Kalik cases to seize the bottles of imported beer that did not have cases?

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