NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS
NEWS TALKS AROUND THE ISLAND
THIS IS A LETTER FROM THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS, THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HUBERT A. INGRAHAM:
I have been told that a female caller to your radio programme,
yesterday maligned me asserting that I interfered in police
investigations and prosecutions while in the Office of the Prime
Minister.That allegation is a lie.
I never interfered in a police matter during my entire career in public
office including the 15 years during which I was honoured to serve as
Prime Minister.
The record will show that during my second term in office my close cousin Ejnar Cornish was arrested by the police after it was alleged that he, a serving Immigration Officer, beat a Jamaican national seeking to enter The Bahamas. I did not interfere in that arrest.
Ejnar was subsequently charged in court, convicted and sentenced. I did not interfere in the matter at any stage.
The Public Service Department interdicted Enjar’s public service. As a result of his arrest and conviction Enjar was dismissed from the Public Service in accordance with established Public Service policies. I did not interfere.
I never sought to influence, one way or the other, how the police, the court or the public service bureaucracy dealt with my close cousin following his breach of the law.
My refusal to seek to influence those in authority or to seek leniency on my cousin’s behalf created
tensions between me and some family members. Regardless of the hurt I did not seek to obtain preferential treatment for my relative.
In 2002, the Then Opposition Party, knowing of what had transpired in the matter befriended my cousin and promised to have him reengaged in the Public Sector should they win the election if he would join them and campaign against me leading up to the General Election.
My cousin took the bait and Mr. Christie’s first Government caused him to be engaged at BAIC; something that I would not do.
But my cousin soon grew disillusioned with the PLP who could not be trusted to administer honest, accountable Government. Notwithstanding their and his action, in the lead up to and following the 2002 general election; my cousin abandoned the PLP and returned to my support ahead of the 2012 general election.
After the 2012 General Elections and the return of the PLP to office they exacted their retribution by firing him from BAIC.
I was grateful and appreciative of Enjar’s support in 2012. That support is uncompromised; it was not tied to any favour that he was seeking nor to anything that I might offer. He knows and all my family knows that I do not go that way.
Any suggestion that I would interfere and secure leniency for a stranger arrested and prosecuted in The Bahamas is ludicrous, it is outrageous and it is a lie.
I would be grateful if you would inform your listening public of my statement on the defaming statement uttered by the female caller to your programme.
Thank you.
Hubert A. Ingraham
The record will show that during my second term in office my close cousin Ejnar Cornish was arrested by the police after it was alleged that he, a serving Immigration Officer, beat a Jamaican national seeking to enter The Bahamas. I did not interfere in that arrest.
Ejnar was subsequently charged in court, convicted and sentenced. I did not interfere in the matter at any stage.
The Public Service Department interdicted Enjar’s public service. As a result of his arrest and conviction Enjar was dismissed from the Public Service in accordance with established Public Service policies. I did not interfere.
I never sought to influence, one way or the other, how the police, the court or the public service bureaucracy dealt with my close cousin following his breach of the law.
My refusal to seek to influence those in authority or to seek leniency on my cousin’s behalf created
tensions between me and some family members. Regardless of the hurt I did not seek to obtain preferential treatment for my relative.
In 2002, the Then Opposition Party, knowing of what had transpired in the matter befriended my cousin and promised to have him reengaged in the Public Sector should they win the election if he would join them and campaign against me leading up to the General Election.
My cousin took the bait and Mr. Christie’s first Government caused him to be engaged at BAIC; something that I would not do.
But my cousin soon grew disillusioned with the PLP who could not be trusted to administer honest, accountable Government. Notwithstanding their and his action, in the lead up to and following the 2002 general election; my cousin abandoned the PLP and returned to my support ahead of the 2012 general election.
After the 2012 General Elections and the return of the PLP to office they exacted their retribution by firing him from BAIC.
I was grateful and appreciative of Enjar’s support in 2012. That support is uncompromised; it was not tied to any favour that he was seeking nor to anything that I might offer. He knows and all my family knows that I do not go that way.
Any suggestion that I would interfere and secure leniency for a stranger arrested and prosecuted in The Bahamas is ludicrous, it is outrageous and it is a lie.
I would be grateful if you would inform your listening public of my statement on the defaming statement uttered by the female caller to your programme.
Thank you.
Hubert A. Ingraham
