The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

FORMER National Security Minister Marvin Dames would have raised any concerns about Sebas Bastian during the vetting process for his diplomatic appointment if there had been evidence of wrongdoing, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe said yesterday, pushing back against allegations referenced in FBI files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Mr Munroe said the fact that Mr Bastian was appointed ambassador under the FNM’s watch spoke for itself, despite unsubstantiated claims contained in a September 30, 2021 FBI document in which a redacted informant alleged that Mr Bastian and others were involved in human and firearms trafficking.

“He must have had comfort to not advance any objection to the appointment of Sebas Bastian as an ambassador. If he felt there was anything that disqualified him, he had a duty, as the Minister of National Security, to come forward with it. Clearly he didn’t, because Mr Bastian was appointed ambassador under his administration, so I like to think the best of people,” Mr Munroe said.

He added that the vetting process itself undermined the credibility of the allegations.

“I would like to think that Minister Marvin Dames carried out his duty as minister of national security, which would indicate to me that there is no substance to any sensible complaint against Mr Sebas Bastian as he would have brought it forward. I could always be wrong, and Minister Dames might have been a horrible Minister of National Security who didn’t do his job, but I think on something as simple as that, he would have done his job,” he said.

Mr Munroe also noted that any credible complaint delivered to the US Embassy would have been examined by American law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF and Homeland Security.

Asked whether the resurfacing of the FBI files could damage The Bahamas’ international image, he warned against treating untested allegations as proof.

“You can say that nothing in it means that you're guilty of anything. If persons, notwithstanding that, go against what they're told, then, by all accounts, there are persons in the US mentioned, and then persons all over the world mentioned in it. And so if you decide that contrary to what I'm told, I'm going to think that if your name called, you did something, then you would one be not operating in the spirit of its advance, and you would be not thinking much of any country in the world, from what I can tell,” he said.

The renewed focus on the Epstein-linked documents has also prompted another public response from Adrian Fox, co-founder of Island Luck, who on Sunday issued a statement rejecting what he described as false commentary circulating on social media.

“Over the past few days, I have watched with deep disappointment as commentary and speculation about me has circulated on social media,” Mr Fox said, adding that the claims were “simply untrue”.

Mr Fox acknowledged mistakes earlier in his life but said those experiences were now being unfairly distorted.

“I am not a perfect person. Like many other Bahamians, I made mistakes early in my life that I truly regret and have learned from,” he said. “However, it is wrong and unfair to twist those past experiences into narratives that suggest I am someone I am not. I have paid my debt to society and worked hard to move forward.”

He also said he did not wish to be drawn into partisan politics.

“I have no interest in being used as part of the political point-scoring that has intensified as The Bahamas heads into what is commonly referred to as silly season,” Mr Fox said.

Mr Fox said his focus remains on philanthropic work through the Fox Foundation, which he said has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships, supported youth development initiatives and assisted families during times of hardship.

“What truly defines my life today is the work of the Fox Foundation,” he said, adding that the organisation plans to significantly expand its community outreach in 2026.

“The inner city is where my heart is. That is where my energy will remain,” he said.

Mr Bastian and Mr Fox were among several Bahamians named in the FBI document, which detailed unproven claims by an informant alleging that Epstein exerted influence over elements of the Bahamian and US governments.

Both men have denied any involvement in Epstein’s activities or in human or firearms trafficking.

“I don’t do fool,” Mr Bastian has said. “The closest I come to Epstein, Jepstein or any Stein is the stain on my shirt. We have a country to build and I’m focused on helping with that.”

Mr Bastian is currently campaigning as the Progressive Liberal Party’s candidate for Fort Charlotte.

Other Bahamians mentioned in the FBI document, including Craig Flowers of FML Group, were not accused of trafficking and have not been alleged to have committed any wrongdoing.