Marvin Dames. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
By JADE RUSSELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
FORMER National Security Minister Marvin Dames said the Davis administration is awarding government contracts to senior police officers without proper parameters, setting what he believes is a dangerous precedent that opens the door to officers prioritising personal gain over public service.
Deputy Commissioner Anthony Rolle, whose appointment has drawn criticism from the Free National Movement, is purportedly the founder of a company, Priority Security Services, that received a contract for security services from the Post Office Department in February 2024 for $947k. It is unclear whether others were invited to bid for the contract.
On Friday, Mr Dames said during his time in the Royal Bahamas Police Force, policy emphasised that senior officers should not get business contracts from the government. He said the absence of clear guidelines for awarding contracts to senior officers raises concerns about whether political considerations influence such contracts.
He claimed there is an increasing number of police officers in high-ranking positions running businesses while juggling their duties on the force. “This is only something that has come to light in recent times, and certainly under this government,” he said.
“The precedent that this is setting in the absence of any guideline and policy is a very dangerous one. Because if it’s saying that as a very senior officer, the government will give you a contract or will give you a business over other Bahamian citizens who are competing against you.”
“It opens the door to even a greater element of corruption.
“What happens now is that when you should have your senior officers focused on fighting crime, reducing crime and crime prevention, they’re more focused on their own bottom line, which is how do I make more money?”
While Mr Dames stressed that he is not opposed to senior officers or other senior government officials seeking additional ways to support their families, he urged the need for clear rules governing how contracts are awarded to those in high-ranking positions.
For his part, Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe said he did not recall renewing or granting security licenses to any senior police officers. He said he may have granted licenses to one or two retired chief superintendents after their retirement.
He said there are no special guidelines for senior officers applying for contracts, except that officers cannot engage in work that conflicts with their duties. He noted that a conflict of interest would only arise if an officer’s public duties were at odds with their private business activities.
“The duty of a policeman is for public safety and security,” he said. “He can’t do anything that compromises his duty to ensure public safety and security.”
Comments
birdiestrachan 5 days, 10 hours ago
This man interefed in the police force . Then there was the Hanna court case now he has become Lilly.white
rosiepi 5 days, 9 hours ago
RBPF and/or RBDF-royal gateways to corruption!
TalRussell 5 days, 7 hours ago
Romans 8.28: 'All things work together for financial good.' -- All is good and not a dangerous precedent as long as does not conflict with their policing job. -- Hundreds Bahamian policemans' has side money hustles'. -- Yes?
quavaduff 5 days, 5 hours ago
This is indeed a real problem .... recent incidents show that the policing hierarchy is for sale.
ExposedU2C 5 days, 5 hours ago
The police officers who directly or indirectly derive financial benefit from these government contracts are engaged in the outright theft of taxpayer dollars.
Dames himself must have personally benefitted from such outrageous government contracts if, as he says, he is not opposed to such contracts. Notice how Dames did not say, nor did The Tribune staff reporter seek to find out, exactly who in government thinks they have the authority to approve such contracts and has in fact been approving them.
Munroe is all too quick to deny his involvement in renewing or granting so called "security licenses" to police officers who have not retired and are still on the government's payroll, but he readily admits having granted such licenses (contracts) to retired police officers.
Where does Munroe derive his power to grant what is tantamount to a 'business license' to any business or person controlled by or employing any police officer, retired or otherwise? Has our minister of finance wrongfully delegated powers to the minister of national security that he himself does not have the power to delegate without legislative (parliamentary) approval?
These illegal government contracts not only create the appearance of a conflict of interest but also create a grave inherent conflict of interest that cannot be overcome by the police officers who derive financial benefit from them. Can you imagine a member of the public having to file a criminal complaint or any type of civil or criminal action against one or more of the recipients of these illegal government contracts??!! How on earth would the harmed person(s) ever get a fair shake by the RBPF or our courts???!!
Why doesn't our doofus AG Pinder open an investigation into what is going on here? At the very least we have active police officers on the government's payroll double dipping into the public's purse by way of illegal side agreements with the government.
mandela 5 days, 4 hours ago
FOIA is all that's needed, corruption, corruption, and more corruption.
JokeyJack 5 days, 3 hours ago
Constitutional Amendment to hold elections every 2 years instead of 5. Five years is too long. If govt doing good after 2 years then elect them for another 2. But people dying before govt change man.
The back and forth would then become more obvious.
sheeprunner12 5 days, 1 hour ago
Shameless New Day PLP govt will do their dirt, wipe their mouth and act like nothing is wrong.
And the stupid voters continue to fall for that.
Total insanity as Einstein defined it.
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