The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

IMMIGRATION Director Stephen LaRoda said he is satisfied that the matter involving a dismissed immigration officer has been concluded and that there was no further need for police action at this time.

His comments came as Bahamas Customs Immigration and Allied Workers Union (BCIAWU) president Deron Brooks said he was informed that the dismissed officer engaged in conduct that was “not legal in the least”.

Trainee Immigration Officer Alex K Riley was dismissed on January 16 with immediate effect from the Department of Immigration as voice notes were circulated online last week suggesting the solicitation of a bribe.

Mr LaRoda told The Tribune yesterday that an internal investigation was conducted over a period of three to six weeks. He said the matter first came to the department’s attention in the latter part of last year, sometime between November and December.

The director said multiple factors were considered during the investigation, including additional evidence beyond the circulated voice note. He said the Department of Immigration’s Special Investigations Unit led the inquiry, compiled and reviewed the evidence, and submitted its findings.

While declining to share specific details of the investigation, Mr LaRoda said the findings indicated it was not in the department’s best interest to continue employing Mr Riley.

He said the incident did not warrant changes to existing policies or protocols.

“Individuals are individuals and they make decisions,” Mr LaRoda said. “That was not a situation where I could see the need to warrant policy changes or implement different protocols. Some individuals make decisions, rightfully or wrongfully. We have no control over why a person decides to do what they do.”

When asked whether there was a police investigation into the matter, Mr LaRoda said: “As far as I am satisfied, that matter has been concluded and there was no further need for police action to be taken at that point.”

The recording surfaced amid increased scrutiny of alleged misconduct within law enforcement agencies.

Mr LaRoda said isolated incidents should not be viewed as a reflection of the department as a whole, noting that the majority of officers serve the public responsibly.

“We have hundreds of officers who come to work every day and put their best foot forward and make sacrifices in the best interest of the public,” he said. “They are public servants, and they do their job well.

“Whenever we find there’s someone lacking or somebody who’s not in our best interest to keep in the service, we move quickly to ensure that either they can be corrected and rehabilitated or, if necessary, ties are severed.”

Mr Brooks said he was not involved in the investigation or evidence review and only became aware of the matter and its outcome at the final stage. He said a civilian lodged a complaint and provided evidence.

He said due diligence was exercised and the investigation was not rushed.

Pressed on what he was told about the incident, Mr Brooks said: “That he did something that was pretty much untoward — something that’s frowned upon, something that’s not legal in the least.”

The officer joined the Department of Immigration in 2025.

Mr Brooks declined to comment on the specific offence but said the union accepted the outcome of the investigation.

“Based on their findings, if what is purported to have happened did occur, then I don’t think it was done maliciously, unfairly, or haphazardly,” he said. “But we don’t want those types of actions being done by officers. Those are illegal things. They’re trained not to do that. They know what they should and shouldn’t do. It’s sad that it happened, but I guess the ends of justice were not defeated.”