It was well known and documented that in 2013 the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government a part of one of their many crime initiatives had ordered the members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) to work overtime, in an attempt to curtail the escalating crime rate. 

It was documented that same said PLP administration, for whatever reason, then refused to pay the members of the RBPF for their overtime.  It is well known and documented that the Police Staff Association (PSA) then took the government to court and won the case awarding them their overtime pay and even as the country prepared itself for a general election, it was known and documented that Keith Bell, former junior Minister of National Security had the case under appeal, thereby preventing the police from receiving the monies owned to them by the government and now we have this.

“Davis: Payout to police proves FNM was wrong” – The Nassau Guardian

Except from this article; “Police overtime payments made yesterday prove the statement by the Free National Movement (FNM) on the campaign trail pertaining t the Public Treasury were ‘irresponsible and reckless’ Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Interim Leader Philip Brave Davis said yesterday.

Police officers who worked overtime in 2013 had to take the matter to court as the previous government had refused to pay them.

In a statement yesterday, Davis said, ‘The progressive Liberal Party welcomes the payment of overtime due to police officers which was made today.

‘The PLP left the instruction in place to pay it and the FNM has now carried it out today.’

‘This payment is made today notwithstanding previous statements made by the FNM during the election campaign that the treasury was broke and that there was no money to pay the police.’

‘The PLP said then that the FNM’s statements were false, irresponsible and reckless.”

Actually, Mr. Davis, what was really “irresponsible and reckless” was the fact that your government refused to pay members of the police force, a vital part of our national security service, and eventually ended up appealing the court’s decision to pay them, to prevent them from being paid. In any sector of government or the private sector, to work a person and refuse to pay them is not only “irresponsible and reckless” but also against our country’s constitution and against our labour laws but yet the Interim Leader wishes to fight to prove the FNM lied about there being no money to pay these officers.

My question is if there was money available to pay these officers for services rendered then why did your government refuse to pay them?

It is a shameless act on behalf of the Interim Leader to attempt to prove someone a liar, which he has not yet, by exposing the dirty underside of the previous administration, sometime it is best just to remain silent.

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END