The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

Tribune Staff Reporter

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

COALITION of Independents Leader Lincoln Bain and party supporters delivered a letter to the Office of the Governor General yesterday urging a commission of inquiry into the actions of Immigration Minister Keith Bell.

The Commissions of Inquiry Act empowers the governor general to initiate an inquiry for the public’s benefit.

The letter addresses several recent controversies involving Mr Bell.

The letter accused Mr Bell of unlawfully interfering with an immigration operation to release 65 Chinese nationals found at the British Colonial Hilton. It also accused Mr Bell of unlawfully granting citizenship and “other immigration status designations” to illegal immigrants.

“We are concerned about human trafficking, because of the obvious dangers of it. We should not have corruption in our immigration department,” Mr Bain claimed yesterday.

“Based on his actions we must have a commission of inquiry. We’ve had a commission of inquiry for lesser things. We’re going to file for a commission of inquiry and we hope that this leads to more. It is informing the world of the crisis that is going on here in The Bahamas. We cannot accept this.

“We are also writing to the King of England, King Charles III. The application for the commission of inquiry is already drafted, and the letter to the king is already drafted. There’s more action that we’re going to take. We’re looking into legal action and judicial review against the government. This is our first step,” Mr Bain said.