The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

WITH its term nearing an end and little tangible progress to point to on corruption and accountability, the Davis administration yesterday reaffirmed its “zero-tolerance” stance after a US defence attorney publicly accused Bahamian institutions of being steeped in drug money and corruption.

Director of Communications in the Office of the Prime Minister Latrae Rahming acknowledged the attorney’s remarks in a statement and said the Davis administration continues to cooperate with international law-enforcement partners while strengthening internal accountability, oversight and enforcement across government agencies.

“Individuals who betray the public trust face consequences, and the actions of any one person do not define the integrity of the nation or the many public officers who serve honourably every day,” he said.

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe also defended the administration’s approach, telling reporters on Wednesday that prosecutions of law-enforcement officers demonstrate that wrongdoing is being identified rather than ignored.

“People ask me, well, how do I feel because you have all of these cases coming up against law enforcement?” he said. “I would think we should be more afraid if you didn’t see cases. If you saw absolutely no case against a law enforcement officer, you should be afraid.”

The government’s reaffirmation comes amid criticism that key anti-corruption and accountability measures remain unfinished or under-resourced late in the administration’s term. Observers have repeatedly pointed to chronic underfunding of the Freedom of Information Unit and the Office of the Ombudsman, along with gaps in enforcement of the Public Procurement Act, as evidence of faltering commitment to good governance.

Meanwhile, the Independent Commission of Investigations Act has yet to be brought into force.

Governance advocates have long argued that extended delays in anti-corruption reform amount to avoiding oversight.

The renewed debate was triggered by remarks made this week by US defence attorney Martin Roth during the sentencing of his client, former Royal Bahamas Defence Force chief petty officer Darrin Roker, before US District Judge Gregory Woods.

Roker was sentenced to four years in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in a cocaine-smuggling conspiracy in which he accepted payments in exchange for providing information to help traffickers evade detection. He had faced up to 20 years behind bars, but the judge cited his advanced cancer as a “powerful mitigating factor” and said that without it, he would have imposed a “substantial period of incarceration.”

Roker is the first of 13 defendants to be sentenced in a sweeping corruption case involving multiple law enforcement officers.

During the hearing, Mr Roth acknowledged his client’s personal failings but said, “It’s not easy when you are living in a culture where the entire system, almost every branch, is infected with drug money and corruption.”

In a statement yesterday, Free National Movement leader Michael Pintard said the case, along with others before the courts, highlights vulnerabilities that must be addressed to protect the integrity of the country’s uniformed services.

He said that while the criminal actions of one person do not define an entire institution, such breaches of trust demand serious reflection and decisive corrective action.

Mr Pintard added that accountability is not about demoralising officers who serve honourably, but about strengthening systems to detect, deter and address wrongdoing effectively.

He also pledged that an FNM government would not weaponise law enforcement for personal or political gain.

“We recommit to removing bad actors, and deepeening collaboration with local and international observers to improve investigative oversight,” he said. “We also intend to ensure serious investment in training, internal oversight, ethics education, and modern accountability mechanisms that reduce the opportunity for corruption before it begins.”