The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe said US prosecutors can still request the extradition of Donald Ferguson II, who was named in a United States indictment last month, despite him being charged in The Bahamas with a local murder.

He said any decision would depend on ongoing legal proceedings in The Bahamas and the nature of the charges in both jurisdictions.

“Usually, it’s worked out as to when each country gets their bite at somebody,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an inter-agency meeting at the prison on Friday.

“For instance, something the Bahamians would be aware of, is Peter Nygard. He was wanted in the US and in Canada. I think he finished his cases in Canada first, and now they’re seeking to send him to the US.”

“Sometimes, for instance, if he was wanted for murder in the US and just drug trafficking here, we might determine that murder is the more serious offence and permit him to go there first, but they would first have to make a request for his extradition.”

Last week, Ferguson was charged with the murder of 38-year-old Geovani Rolle and faced additional drug charges related to a major multi-million-dollar cocaine and marijuana bust linked to a plane crash in Acklins last December.

Ferguson had previously been questioned as a person of interest in Rolle’s killing, but was released pending further inquiries.

Police officials said they renewed their interest in him after he was named in a high-profile US indictment, along with a senior police officer in charge of the Lynden Pindling International Airport.

Both were allegedly involved in a cocaine trafficking scheme.

Mr Munroe said he was unaware of whether Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis was involved in Ferguson’s murder investigation.

“As far as I was aware, their investigations proceeded, and what was missing was the ability to lay hands on the gentleman, and once they laid hands on him, they executed their continued investigations, and they determined that they had sufficient evidence to charge him,” he said.