THE Opposition PLP has announced that it does not support the appointment of former commissioner of police Reginald Ferguson to be director of the Financial Intelligence Unit.
In a party statement, the PLP claimed that Mr Ferguson was criticised in the report of the 2004 Commission of Inquiry into the mv Lorequin when drugs disappeared in a sting operation conducted by the US Drug Enforcement Agency.
“Mr Ferguson,” said the PLP statement, “was also criticised by Senior Justice Jon Isaacs in the case of R v Sean Bruey and Warren Ellis.”
In that case, said the PLP, the judge “accepted the sworn evidence of the witness who said that she was forced to give evidence by Mr Ferguson and that the evidence that she gave under duress was untrue.”
The party claimed that Mr Ferguson was given four separate chances to refute her sworn testimony, but did not.
“The failure to refute her evidence was deemed to be an admission by the Crown of the truth of her sworn evidence. An appeal was filed, but was withdrawn,” the party said.
Because of these incidents, the party did not think that Mr Ferguson should be appointed director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
“The FNM through its inept management of financial services, including the ‘stop, review and cancel’ treatment given to the Ministry of Financial Services was in large measure responsible for the lay-offs of scores of young Bahamians from Bank of Butterfield, Ansbacher Trust Company, Royal Bank of Canada, First Caribbean Bank and other banks, trust companies, insurance companies and other financial services institutions,” said the statement.
“The PLP believes that there are many suitably qualified young persons in the Bahamas who are more than able to fill the post of the Director of the FIU. The PLP does not believe that someone aged 63 on pension of 60 per cent of $67,086 together with other benefits received by former commissioners of police ought to prevent young Bahamians from holding that post. The PLP is obliged to remind the public that senior police officers younger than Mr Ferguson were sent home without the offer of any other positions; many of them are still unemployed,” said the party statement.
December 14, 2009
tribune242
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