Illegal Immigration Threatens Bahamian Sovereignty and The Bahamas

THE PLAGUE: A CALL TO DEFEND BAHAMIAN SOVEREIGNTY

Illegal migration into The Bahamas has reached a point that can no longer be dismissed, ignored, or politically sanitized.  This is not a problem we can continue to postpone.  It is a national crisis—and crises demand action.

Bahamians need to stop, look around, and ask a simple question:

What happens to a nation that refuses to enforce its own borders and laws?

Walk through places such as the Fish Fry and observe the changing landscape.  Listen to the languages being spoken.  Look at who is operating businesses and who is competing for opportunities.  These changes should force us to confront a difficult reality: our national identity, economic opportunities, and institutions cannot be protected by complacency.

But we must also be honest about who created the conditions that allowed this situation to grow.

The problem is not simply the presence of migrants.  The deeper problem is the corruption, greed, political cowardice, and exploitation that have allowed illegal migration to flourish.  Employers who deliberately seek cheap, exploitable labour are part of the problem.  Officials who compromise the integrity of immigration and citizenship processes are part of the problem.  Anyone who profits while ordinary Bahamians struggle is part of the problem.

For too long, we have tolerated a system in which enforcement can be weakened by money, connections, political interests, and personal gain.

That must end.

THE CURE: NATIONAL COURAGE

The cure begins with us.  We cannot demand national sovereignty while simultaneously selling pieces of it for profit.  We cannot condemn illegal migration while rewarding employers who exploit undocumented workers.  We cannot demand integrity from government while tolerating corruption when it benefits us personally.

The Bahamas belongs to Bahamians — not because we hate anyone else, but because every sovereign nation has the right and responsibility to control its borders, enforce its laws, protect its resources, and determine who is permitted to live and work within 

its territory.

- That means strong borders.

- It means serious enforcement.

It means transparent immigration and citizenship procedures.

- It means holding corrupt officials accountable.

- It means prosecuting employers who knowingly exploit illegal labour.

- It means protecting Bahamian workers and businesses from unfair competition.

And it means refusing to allow political parties, wealthy interests, or compromised officials to place personal gain above national interest.

We have been passive for too long.

Now is the time for Bahamians to demand accountability — not violence, not hatred, and not vigilantism, but lawful, relentless, uncompromising action.

Our national identity is not something we should surrender through neglect.

- Our borders matter.

- Our laws matter.

- Our citizenship matters.

- Our sovereignty matters.

- And Bahamians matter.

The time for excuses is over.

Enforce the law.  Defend the nation.  End the corruption.  Put The Bahamas first.

Source / Comment

Corruption in Bahamas Immigration?

Immigration Corruption in The Bahamas?

By James Julmis

Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas

It has been brought to public attention, including via a circulated voice note, that an Immigration Officer allegedly attempted to extort the sum of $500 from a Haitian national.  According to the allegations, the individual was only able to provide $150, after which the officer allegedly issued threats to conduct raids on the homes of other Haitian nationals in the area should the remaining amount not be paid.  Even more concerning, the voice note allegedly contains statements in which the officer boasts about “protecting” Haitian nationals in exchange for monetary payment.

If substantiated, these actions would amount to gross misconduct, corruption, abuse of public office, intimidation, and possible criminal extortion, all of which severely undermine public trust in law enforcement and immigration institutions.

Given the gravity of these allegations, I respectfully but firmly request the following:

1. An immediate and impartial investigation by the relevant authorities, including the Immigration Department and THE RBPF. 

2. Identification and suspension (pending investigation) of the individual heard on the voice note, should the authenticity be confirmed.

3. Protection for the alleged victim(s) and witnesses, particularly members of the Haitian community who may fear retaliation.

4. A formal update to the public or relevant stakeholders on the status and outcome of the investigation, in the interest of transparency and accountability.

5. That, if the allegations are proven, the individual responsible be held fully accountable under the law, including disciplinary and criminal proceedings where appropriate.

No public officer should be permitted to exploit vulnerable individuals or use the authority of the State as a tool for personal enrichment or intimidation. Failure to address such conduct decisively risks normalizing corruption and eroding confidence in national security and immigration enforcement.

Source / Comment

Police Corruption Live and in Color in The Bahamas

Corruption in The Bahamas

By Franklyn Robinson

What makes that video so damaging is not only what was said, but what it signaled: the ease, the confidence, and the procedural choreography of a roadside stop being turned into a private “arrangement” — “can’t be too obvious,” “too much people around,” “go out of the view.”  That is not the language of lawful enforcement; it is the language of a shakedown.  And the public outrage is justified because the scene described in the reports was not a lone officer acting in isolation — it was a staffed roadblock with multiple officers stopping multiple vehicles near St Matthew’s Anglican Church off Shirley Street.

If the Royal Bahamas Police Force wants the public to believe this is “not reflective of standards,” then the response cannot be generic.  The Force has already confirmed it is investigating the matter after reviewing the circulating video.

Now the burden is transparency, not slogans.  The public should be shown the written operational order that authorised that specific roadblock: who ordered it, what lawful purpose it served, the time window, the command structure on scene, and the enforcement output (warnings/tickets issued, vehicles seized, arrests made).  Because without that, the reasonable conclusion in the public mind is exactly what the video communicates: an organised environment where leverage is created in public and monetised in private.

And it gets worse when you widen the lens.  The tourist in the footage said he rented a scooter near the cruise port and produced a contract, while the officer raised concerns about the scooter being damaged.

That is not a minor side issue — it is a second corruption channel sitting beside the first: unsafe or improperly regulated rentals being put onto Bahamian roads, and then tourists (and Bahamians) being trapped between defective equipment and discretionary enforcement.  If a vehicle is unroadworthy, then the system’s priority should be safety and compliance — not extracting money to “make it go away.”

If a rental operation is legitimate, it should be licensed, traceable, insured, and operating vehicles that are demonstrably fit for the road.  The Road Traffic (Vehicle Inspection) Regulations are explicit that vehicles must have a valid certificate of inspection, owners must present the vehicle for further inspection before expiry, and inspection certificates are not to be transferred between vehicles.

In addition, the Road Traffic Department’s own published guidance for public service vehicles states inspections are conducted twice per year (May and October).  A tourist rental scooter being on the street in questionable condition, tied to an informal rental source near the cruise port, is a flashing sign that regulation and enforcement are not being applied consistently.

This is why the “bad apple” framing fails.  A roadblock is not a private one-on-one interaction; it is an operation.

The moment an officer can tell someone to step out of view and “work something out,” the question becomes systemic: what supervision was present, what culture is tolerated, what discipline is actually enforced, and why so many Bahamians recognise the script immediately.  The Tribune report itself notes the clip triggered widespread condemnation, precisely because the public read it as brazen, familiar misconduct — not as an unimaginable anomaly.

The political dimension cannot be ducked either.  When this kind of conduct becomes normalised, it is not only a policing problem; it is governance decay.

It seeps into licensing, inspection, enforcement discretion, and the quiet tolerance of “small corruption” as if it is harmless.  It is not harmless.  It is reputationally catastrophic for a tourism economy, corrosive to public trust, and financially predatory to ordinary Bahamians who cannot afford to buy their way out of inconvenience.  And every time leadership responds with vague statements rather than hard disclosures, it reads like protection of the institution over protection of the country.

So, yes: the encounter is shameful — not merely because it embarrasses The Bahamas internationally, but because it reflects an out-of-control culture where too many people believe government-facing systems can be navigated by side-payments, favours, and quiet arrangements.  If the country is serious about cleaning it up, the standard must be simple and public: publish the roadblock authorisation trail, disclose the command accountability, identify the rental operator pathway that put that scooter on the road, and show enforcement outcomes that match the gravity of what the public saw and heard — not “investigation” as a holding pattern, but consequences that make the next officer think twice before trying to turn a public duty into a private hustle.

Source / Comment

The Decline of The Bahamas

The Steady Decline of The Bahamian Nation - The Bahamas

By Dennis Dames
Nassau, The Bahamas

The public's perception of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) is at an all time crying low - in my view. Recent bad news about the Force and some of its Officers has added unfavourably to how the Bahamian people see the Police, and their organization.

The Coroners Court has concluded lately that a number of Police Officers have committed manslaughter in the excution of their duties. This has left a totally bad taste in the mouths of many citizens and residents generally - and has widen the distrust between the Police and the general public - which has eroded further the national security of The Bahamas.

To make matters horribly worse, a senior Officer of the Force - who occupied a high position of trust and responsibility - is accused of engaging in serious criminal activities with a high profile, highly and politically connected, potentially rogue and criminal-minded attorney, and street gangsters; some of whom have been murdered on the streets of Nassau in recent times. This has created a public scandal of monumental proportions.

The leadership of the Police Force along with the government of the day - seem to be taking the matter very lightly - in my opinion. Thus, the Bahamian community's view of the Police and the government - is one of complete disgrace. The handling of such a serious situation to date has left one to wonder if the powers that be have decided that they will gamble politically and just pretend that all's well.

Well, all is not well in The Bahamas under the political and immoral leadership of the status quo and its devoted facilitators. The Bahamian public feels as if endemic wholesale corruption, incompetence and criminality in high places throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas - is the order of the day which the shamelessly corrupt leadership of the nation holds so dearly close to their demonic hearts and souls.

The fruit of such diabolical corruption in high places will continue to rip apart the Bahamian nation. The wickedly corrupt political and otherwise leaders in The Bahamas do not care about the future welfare of their own friggin children! So, the future of The Bahamas will be more and more of the much sought after devilish corruption in high places - while powerful criminals and blood-thirsty bosses have their way with impunity!

How very sad - as many so called good Bahamian men and women remained silent! It looks like every Bahamian citizen are standing on the sidlines just watching The Bahamas descend in to the pits of hell.

Investigation into The Root Causes of Crime in The Bahamas is Urgently Needed

The Bahamas Government Can Best Prevent and Address Crime by First Setting Good Examples

Pursuing Sustainable Solutions to Combat Crime and Hostility in The Bahamas with a Collective Approach

By Dr Kevin Alcena

Nassau, The Bahamas

The Bahamas is grappling with significant challenges related to crime and violence, impacting communities and hindering progress within society. While legislation plays a crucial role, addressing these complex issues demands a comprehensive strategy that includes various sectors of society.

This article explores the key aspects of a collective strategy to curb crime and violence in the Bahamas, emphasizing the empowerment of communities, the establishment of a compulsory national service, the enhancement of education, the application of scientific approaches, and economic reforms.

Community Empowerment

Central to the reduction of crime and hostility in The Bahamas are initiatives that focus on the community, offering education, vocational training, and social support to at-risk youth. Such programs can divert these individuals from criminal activities by providing opportunities for positive involvement.

Furthermore, cultivating a relationship of trust and cooperation between law enforcement officials and community members via community policing can significantly decrease crime. This method promotes dialogue and partnership within communities.

National Service

Implementing a compulsory national service program stands as a crucial element in reducing violence and criminal actions. Involving youth in structured tasks such as environmental conservation or improving public amenities can foster a sense of responsibility, self-control, and collaboration. These activities not only equip them with skills valuable for employment but also open up educational opportunities, presenting a constructive alternative to criminal behaviors.

Education and Literacy

Ensuring access to quality education and literacy is vital to breaking the cycle of poverty and curtailing involvement in criminal activities. By launching literacy campaigns across the nation, The Bahamas can enable its citizens to pursue better employment opportunities, make informed decisions, and contribute to societal development. An increase in literacy rates can elevate economic conditions, reducing the desperation that can lead individuals to engage in crimes.

Scientific Initiatives

Investing in scientific research focused on crime prevention and social improvement can reveal important insights and innovative strategies. Utilizing evidence-based approaches is key in identifying the fundamental causes of crime and violence, leading to the development of effective deterrents and interventions. Collaboration among government agencies, academic institutions, and community organizations is necessary for creating tailored solutions that cater to the specific needs of Bahamian communities.

Economic Reform

Gaining a comprehensive understanding of both formal and informal economic sectors is essential for effective governance and crime reduction in The Bahamas. Meticulously recording economic activities, including those in the informal sector, enables authorities to monitor business practices and directly address illegal operations. Integrating informal sectors into the formal economy provides them with access to resources, legal protection, and growth opportunities, thereby reducing the allure of criminal endeavors.

In efforts to decrease crime and violence, The Bahamas must adopt a strategy that addresses social, economic, and administrative challenges. Strengthening communities, engaging citizens in national service, enhancing education and literacy, allocating resources to scientific research, and pursuing economic reforms can create an environment conducive to security, prosperity, and the well-being of all citizens.

The dedication of government officials, social organizations, and the business community is imperative for the successful deployment and lasting effectiveness of these measures. Through persistent efforts and a commitment to change, The Bahamas can establish a foundation for a future free from the scourge of crime and violence.

The Infestation of Crime in The Bahamas

Crime emerges from our lifestyles and the deliberate or inadvertent efforts by family members, friends, and acquaintances to hide criminal activities. Crime is a manifestation bred inadvertently by society’s actions.

According to the French nobleman Marquis de Sade (1740-1814), “Crime embodies lust. What would pleasure be without the thrill of crime? It’s not the debauchery itself that excites us, but the notion of committing evil.”

Former US FBI Director John Edgar Hoover (1895-1972) emphasized that within the upbringing and education of family members, it is crucial to “impart truthfulness to the children.”

CRIME: A SOCIOLOGICAL PHENOMENON

The term “CRIME” originates from the Latin word “CRIMEN” and is defined in BLACKSTONE'S CRIMINAL LAW BOOK as “the act of committing an illegal activity.”

The first recorded crime, a homicide or murder, was committed by Cain against his brother, Abel. Historically, crimes were considered sins. Hence, crime has existed since the sin of Adam and Eve and will persist till the end of days.

“Sociological” is derived from the French word “Societe” and the Latin “Socius,” meaning “Society.” The term “Phenomenon” comes from the Latin “PHENOMENON,” referring to “any observable fact that can be scientifically described” by humans.

Thus, when it is said that “crime is a sociological phenomenon,” it means that crimes are acts committed by individuals based on environmental or societal influences through the senses. Crimes are perpetrated through the senses of touch, sight, hearing, taste, and smell. By touching and feeling, one can commit the crime of homicide, through sight and hearing, the crime of pornography, and through taste and smell, the crime against consuming drugs in all their varieties.

A super predator, essentially a psychopath, can commit heinous acts like murder and rape without remorse, believed to be due to the absence of a functioning conscience.

Most crimes, such as murders, rapes, robberies, and other violent offenses, are committed through the senses of touch and feeling. Crimes are classified as blue-collar, committed mostly by the impoverished, and white-collar, committed by those more affluent.

The notion that charity begins at home extends to evil as well.

It follows that parents, with rare exceptions, are not to blame for their offspring's crimes, just as political parties, politicians, or police are NOT responsible for citizens’ crimes. Nevertheless, the governing party, whether PLP or FNM, alongside the Police Commissioner, has a sworn duty to prevent, reduce, and solve crimes. The Attorney-General commits to prosecute all crimes committed by anyone, “without fear or favour.”

The ruling government can best prevent and address crime by setting a good example, establishing proper infrastructure like more entertainment and sports facilities, and promoting friendly relations between the police and the populace.

Additionally, everyday citizens have a responsibility to look after one another and follow the golden rule.

The perspective above is merely a starting point. Further investigation into the root causes of crime is urgently needed.

Not every perpetrator is apprehended. Many cleanly-dressed criminals, in suits or uniforms with polished shoes, walk among us in The Bahamas. The French Philosopher Voltaire noted, "If every man had to display his crimes on his forehead, he would wear his hat over his eyes."

Focus must be on: (A) The Resolution of Crime, and(B) The Rehabilitation of The Offender.

A systematic cultural shift in addressing crime, including the restructuring of the Royal Bahamas Defense Force and establishing a commission to tackle corruption levels, is necessary for the Bahamian people.

This would inevitably foster a culture of respect within society. The government maintains zero tolerance towards corruption.

The Resolution of Crime

Two methods for resolving crime include: The Preventive Approach, and The Practical Common Sense Approach.

The Preventive Approach

The Book of Proverbs in The Holy Bible advises parents to guide their children in righteous ways, promising they will adhere to these teachings lifelong. In essence, instructing children to follow Biblical teachings, such as the ten commandments, love for God and neighbor, the golden rule, and manners.

Source

The social climate in The Bahamas is one that lends itself to violence... Poverty, frustration due to the lack of opportunity and creative outlets, alcohol and marijuana abuse, verbal and physical abuse as a means of rearing children, noise and dirt, poor educational achievement, weak state regulation of an array of activities, unemployment, poor housing, and widespread corruption create an enabling environment for criminality

Gangster’s Paradise Part 4

By Ian G. Strachan

Thirty-eight years after independence, we are (in the net) not much better off as a people.  Despite all of our blessings, we have squandered many of the gifts and have not achieved our national potential.  We are living in an era, a time; we are experiencing a moment in this civilization’s history when we are obliged to stop, to reflect, to take note and to question all that we have thought to be right and true.  We must look critically and honestly at our current course, define our preferred destination and reset our course. - Senator Dr. Duane Sands, October 26, 2011

 

Senator Dr. Duane Sands’ words strike the right chord but they, in the end, are just words.  We face a situation that is far more troubling than those who want our votes will ever admit to.   When I speak to people who know, people who have seen the underbelly of this country up close, they tell me the system, from top to bottom, is plagued by corrupt players.  Where then is the hope?

Certainly we must root out corruption; certainly we must do our best to police neighborhoods, as well as stop and punish criminals, but we must also understand that our greatest hope is in prevention.  I noted last week that I would focus on seven areas.  First we looked at social justice and inequality, at education and at parenting.  We continue now with four more areas of concern.

Discipline and order

The social climate in The Bahamas is one that lends itself to violence.  Poverty, frustration due to the lack of opportunity and creative outlets, alcohol and marijuana abuse, verbal and physical abuse as a means of rearing children, noise and dirt, poor educational achievement, weak state regulation of an array of activities, unemployment, poor housing, and widespread corruption create an enabling environment for criminality.  Bahamians need discipline.  We are an unruly people, accustomed to ad hoc approaches and shortcuts, bribery and curry favoring.  We want punishment doled out for gross offenses like murder, but by and large we want to be left alone to duck taxes, steal by way of employment, buy stolen goods, hire illegal immigrants, break traffic laws, keep a filthy yard, etc.… How do we “reset our course”?

Here are some suggestions.  I’m sure you can think of others.  These will have a cumulative effect on the psyche of Bahamians:

· Legalize and regulate Numbers.   Government should even consider a complete takeover of the industry.  If not, it should heavily tax it and control the number of outlets, hours of operation, and the zones in which they are allowed to operate locations.  Begin seriously educating the public (starting with kids) on the follies of gambling.  Establish services for gambling addicts.

· Bring bars and nightclubs under tighter regulation.   Reduce the number of liquor outlets and control where they can be located.  Strictly enforce the legal drinking age.  Raise the age.  Prohibit the sale of alcohol on Sunday.  Close all bars and clubs at 1 a.m. and heavily police them at closing time.  Include breathalyzer tests in road block inspections.   Increase taxes on alcohol.

· Introduce a unified bus system, including dedicated school buses.  Bring all public buses on strict regulation and management and have them run on a schedule.  Remove loud music from buses.

· Increase the number of public/environmental health inspectors to ensure sanitary conditions of homes and yards with a system of warnings and fines for homeowners and landlords who do not ensure proper sewage disposal or proper garbage containment and collection, and who do not remove derelict vehicles and debris, or who have overgrown yards.

· Crack down on noise makers: whether they are private cars, public buses, corner prayer meetings or bars trying to attract customers.

· Introduce cameras that can catch people driving without seat belts, running lights, riding without helmets or skirting through gas stations to avoid stopping.

Community development

· Follow the recommendation of the 1994 Task Force on Youth Development and establish a network of community centers in every constituency.  Use church spaces or schools after hours.  Provide tutoring, sports leagues for all ages, adult literacy, life-long learning, and Big Brother/Big Sister programs.  Fund these centers through the Ministries of Youth and Education, churches and area businesses.  Take funds for constituencies out of MPs hands and put it in the hands of local boards that can govern and run these community centers.

· Increase funding for all existing outreach and youth organizations, such as Boys Brigade, Scouts, Brownies, Island Stewards, Focus etc.  These groups shouldn’t have to beg for money each year.  Demand data collection and longitudinal studies to track the careers of children in such programs, to ensure that support is justifiable through evidence which proves they prevent delinquency and violent behavior.  (Revisiting the work of Safe Bahamas might be a good start).

· Government should make it a point, through the Ministry of Youth and Culture, or National Security or Social Development, to assist with technical support and funding, in the creation of a Neighborhood Improvement Association in every New Providence neighborhood.  Neighborhood churches can also be enlisted.  These organizations can help police, and help maintain clean neighborhoods and build community cohesion.   They can also lend support to the vulnerable in their midst.  Sadly, most communities will not do this work on their own.  Leadership and support are needed.

Manhood

At some point this country must acknowledge that the problem of violent crime and crime against the person and property is a male problem.  Males are almost always the perpetrators.  To address crime then, address the socialization and education of males; and we must focus intently on identity formation among boys.  Media images and social mores support a version of manhood that is in many ways destructive and anti-social.  This is at the heart of male violence, male academic underachievement, male disengagement from civil society, male absence from the lives of children, male violence toward women and children, and the pressures on males to rob, steal and deal to acquire and maintain female affections.

Criminal justice

Some cry out for hanging.  Hanging does not deter crime.  As Irwin Waller, author of “Less Law, More Order”, notes, “The rates of homicide are unaffected by whether capital punishment is used or not.  For instance, the rate of decline in rates of homicide in the United States has been similar to that in Canada since 1976 when the United States reinstated the use of the death penalty and Canada took it out of its criminal code.”

I understand the call for the death penalty in a society where 95 percent of the murders between 2005 and 2009 went unpunished by the time of Chaswell Hanna’s 2011 study.  People want to see murderers punished, even more than they want future murderers deterred.  The bitter truth is most crimes (of whatever sort) in this country will forever remain unpunished.  I repeat therefore that our greatest hope is prevention.

Nonetheless, I believe that there is value in making an example of those you do capture and convict.  I believe in reform, but I also believe in appropriate punishment and restorative justice.  Victims, in my view, are best served when their victimizers are made to repay and must face those they made suffer.

I support life sentences for murder (30 years minimum).  Give the murderer no choice but to live with the consequences of his actions; the death penalty in my view is an easy out.  While in prison, make the lifer work for the state and for the victims.  Give him every opportunity to contribute to the society he attempted to destroy.

I also believe we need a national conversation about sentencing.  It should not be left solely to political parties and their MPs to decide.  A recent sentence handed down on a notorious trafficker left me stunned.  The Americans must think we are ridiculous.

We must decriminalize drug use (marijuana and cocaine), and approach these phenomenon as public health issues.  However, since the U.S. may never end the prohibition on these substances, we must get serious about sentencing traffickers.  The danger of course is that cracking down on traffickers doesn’t do away with the traffic; it in fact promotes more violent crime as new players and rivalries over turf emerge.  Which brings us right back to education, social justice, parenting, the economy, etc.

As we crack down on drug traffickers we must ask ourselves this: if possession of a firearm is four years (the public thinks this is too mild by the way), how much do you give the gun trafficker?

If we want to be tougher on crime, we must also be tougher on those who are supposed to uphold the law but instead pervert it.  All judges and magistrates should be appointed through public hearings and their finances should be scrutinized annually.  The same for high ranking policemen and defense force officers; customs, immigration and prison officials; and those who work for the AG’s Office.  They should also all be subject to random drug tests.

In the end, so many of these suggestions come down to one thing: money, money, money, and that is in seriously short supply in this country.  But more than money, it speaks to will, courage, and character.  Are we prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure that in 10 to15 years we have a more peaceful, more orderly country than we do today?  If so, we must all make sacrifices, and we must all share the burden.  Otherwise, we’ll continue on our current “course” – anything buckup go.

Nov 14, 2011

Gangster’s Paradise Part 3

thenassauguardian

Gangsterism and politics: Bahamian politicians take note of the deadly end result of politics and corruption

Electronic fence needed between gangsterism and politics

tribune242 editorial



ANYONE who has followed the rise and fall of Jamaica's drug kingpin, Christopher "Dudus" Coke, or read KC Samuels' account of Coke's meteoric rise and eventual fall into the arms of a waiting "Uncle Sam", should be grateful that the Bahamas' own drug kingpin, "Ninety" Knowles, was eventually extradited to the US before he had time to consolidate his own growing empire.

By the time Dudus, who was born into a life of crime, had run his course, he was becoming more powerful even than the Jamaican government. However, before his saga is done, what might be revealed during his trial in the US, could well bring down the JLP government of Bruce Golding.

Dudus' father, Jim Brown, who died mysteriously in a fire in his prison cell in Jamaica, was Prime Minister Edward Seaga's man. Brown was a don who could be relied on to deliver the votes from Tivoli Gardens for Seaga's Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). Brown headed the Shower Posse and violence and bloodshed entered Jamaican politics. The politicians and hoodlums were too close for comfort right up to last year when "the President" - Dudus himself - challenged the prime minister, who under pressure had agreed his extradition to the US.

The don of Tivoli, who by this time had taken his father's criminal enterprise and built it into an international empire, was receiving all the Jamaican government's construction contracts, as well as collecting from his international drug-dealing enterprises. Over time he had built himself such a strong outpost that by the time the US government targeted him, he had an armed force ready to challenge his arrest. The residents of Tivoli barricaded themselves in to protect their don and opened fire on the forces sent to arrest him. By the time the armed forces had quelled the uprising, 74 Jamaicans, including a police officer, were dead, but Dudus was still on the run.

For more than a month Dudus eluded the authorities. When he was eventually caught, disguised in a woman's wig, he waived his rights and agreed to be extradited to the US to face drugs and weapons charges.

Tivoli Gardens was former prime minister Edward Seaga's stronghold. Seaga took care of the residents. Dudus, taking on his father's mantle as head of the Posse, pushed the prime minister's care and protection of Tivoli residents to a new level.

Dudus had two faces. To the people of Tivoli and all those who paid him homage he was a good man, a generous man, a man without blemish. However, to others he was a gangster, a crook, a drug and gun peddler - a threat to society. The Americans described him as a dangerous narcotics kingpin.

Golding's government fought the extradition request. Golding explained that the attorney general and justice minister had refrained from signing Dudus' extradition because the evidence as outlined by the US was obtained illegally. Eventually an embarrassed Golding, with calls for his resignation echoing in his ears, apologised and signed.

Here in the Bahamas, employing every delaying tactic in the courts, "Ninety" Knowles from his jail cell in Fox Hill prison, held the Americans at bay for six years. President George Bush had personally labeled him an international narcotics kingpin under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpins Designation Act. He was described as the head of a multinational drug organization and in the US was found guilty of drug conspiracy and sentenced to 28 years in a Florida prison. The jury recommended that his US$19.5 million in assets be forfeited to the US government.

However, Knowles' extradition created a furor in Nassau, and even drew out placard-carrying demonstrators when then foreign affairs minister Fred Mitchell signed a warrant of surrender before Knowles had exhausted his legal appeals. The Court of Appeal recorded its "serious concern" at the manner that Knowles had been removed from the Bahamas.

However, legally right or wrong, it was the best decision for the Bahamas. Already Knowles, like Dudus, was building his little empire of supporters. He was generous with his ill-gotten gains, which he distributed liberally among the poor.

According to Wikileaks, a US diplomat wrote in November 2006 that Knowles' extradition would lead to the "withdrawal of an important source of election funding." Yes, Knowles was a menace to society.

But as Samuels concluded in his book "Jamaica's first President - Dudus, 1992-2010" -- "What needs to be realised here even more than anything else, is the deadly end result of politics and corruption. Duduses are a dime a dozen, hundreds have been born since he was extradited. He was not the first and he won't be the last to face such a fate, and therein again is the problem -- because if Jamaica is to move forward as a nation, and his type of behaviour is to be confined to the pages of history, then the line between gangsterism and politics must become an electronic fence."

Bahamian politicians take note.

Friday, June 10, 2011

tribune242 editorial

Bahamas: ...the men and the women with the stone-cold hearts now run things in this stone-cold hard place

“…stone-cold…”
By Felix F. Bethel.
Rough Cut
jonesbahamas


That these are hard times is no longer a question that needs to be put; it is self-evident that the times are hard; that men and women are getting harder and harder by the day.

And for sure, there is no getting around the fact that there are men and women in our land who have succumbed to the mystery of evil and who –as a consequence- have hearts that have become petrified.

As a consequence, some of these brothers and sisters of mine have become stone-cold hard in their hearts and in their minds and in their spirits – and thus that litany of bloody crimes they commit against their neighbors, family and friends.

The core fact today is that where we have sown corruption, we now reap perversions in the guise of rape, robbery, pillage and artful pilferage by the rich from the poor; and by the poor from the rich… and the bloody beat goes on.

Where parents once ate of sour grapes, today, their children’s teeth are on edge… and the bloody beat goes on.

Evidently, as I age and rage at how fast time seems to be moving, I sometimes find myself wondering about whether I will ever have time enough to do this or to do that; to witness this or to achieve that…

And for sure, whenever this mood creeps in and threatens to infest my mind with a plethora of regrets, I remember the fact that I am promised no day but this one; and that in this one, I should do all that I can; this because I can be gone in a moment and in a twinkling of an eye.

And on occasions when things seem especially rough, I remind myself that the real struggle – the really real struggle; indeed the struggle that matters most is that struggle spoken of in the scriptures, where we are admonished to be still and know that, “…For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]…”

And when I remember my own wrestling struggles with some of the darker forces within this carcass that is mine; I tremble with the knowledge that I too have sinned and that I too have fallen far from the mark; but yet even as I struggle and fall; I pick myself and my tired shadow up and get back into the fray where I work and toil to help pay my way in this wicked world; this because it is so very true that, “…we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]…”

Here you might well be interested in this apparently unrelated announcement: Police are appealing for information to assist investigations into all matters criminal.

Anyone with any information should call police on 919 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously on 328-TIPS (8477).

And now, some news from that road that led to Golgotha. “…But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children…”

Notwithstanding the Rabbi’s request, women continue to wail and lament as Jesus is crucified in these barbaric times.

Here you might wish to note that just this Tuesday past, I thought to myself that I should pass by the place where Joseph Tynes sat and where –as he sat there with a friend, perhaps in that moment, talking about this or that- some thug; some imp; some twisted brother or sister – some armed and dangerous person; some cold-hearted beast evidently decided that Joseph Tynes and his good friend should be killed.

As one newspaper report puts a particularly morbid story: “…A CONVENIENCE store owner was shot in the head by an armed robber outside his shop in Fire Trail Road…”

The man who was shot in the head is dead.

Anyone with any information should call police on 919 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously on 328-TIPS (8477).

But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.

Note also that, this yesterday-evening killing marked the 73rd murder this year in this place that is home to us all. What a stink-hole of a place! What a bloody mess!

But back to the man who was shot, the word today is to the effect that, “…the man, unofficially identified as shop-owner Joseph Tynes, was sitting outside his establishment with another man when the gunman approached…” And as it is in most of these nasty matters, I am told that, “…The robber stole cash and jewellery from the pair before he shot Mr Tynes in the head and got away…”

This is precisely how police press liaison officer Sgt Chrislyn Skippings put the matter when the question was put to her; that question having to do with what might have transpired in the seconds before Joseph Tynes was blasted into eternity by way of a gun-shot wound to the head.

I told you before and I tell you again; this is a nasty, messed up place. It is also that kind of place where men and women with stone-cold hearts have been put in high positions; perches from which they swoop down and prey upon Innocence.

Police are appealing for information to assist investigations into all matters criminal.

Anyone with any information should call police on 919 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously on 328-TIPS (8477).

But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.

But back to Skippings and her report about the man who was shot dead; the word from this woman-police officer says that, this woman would not confirm the age or identity of the man as police investigations into the murder were in their initial stages.

But clearly, a whole lot of people – some of them family, neighbors and friends knew that the man who was killed was their own Joseph Tynes. That is why they could identify him as the owner of the Morning Star Convenience Store in Fire Trail Road, off the Tonique Williams-Darling Highway in southwest New Providence.

This is the place I passed the other night while – out of morbid curiosity- I wanted to see the place where this good man bled to death; that same place where women wailed and where men cried for the life that had been lost in the whirlwind of these troubled times.

And I am told that, Jospeph Tynes distraught and heart-stricken mother pleaded with the police; begging to see her son's body; and as I learned the police held her back and the murdered man's body was taken away in a hearse.

And so it was that, Sgt. Skippings could say that the police were called shortly after 5pm and responded immediately to find that a gunshot to the head had instantly claimed the life of the man dressed in grey trousers and a striped shirt.

And as the police report notes, “"It was reported that Joseph Tynes, the deceased, was sitting outside the establishment along with another man when they were approached by a man armed with a handgun… The gunman then robbed the men before shooting Mr. Tynes in the head… The suspect fled the area on foot heading west on Fire Trail Road…”

And thereafter, it was noted that, EMS personnel pronounced Mr. Tynes dead at the scene.

The other man – the man chatting with Tynes – was left unharmed.

And the bloody beat goes on; and in same mean-time, the men and the women with the stone-cold hearts now run things in this stone-cold hard place.

jonesbahamas

Bahamas Blog International