It is being reported that Prime Minister Philip Davis; Secret Squirrel, has directed the appointment of a foreign independent investigator the inquiry into allegations against Chief Superintendent Michael Johnson, officer if charged of the Criminal Department.

My first thought is to enquire whether Secret Squirrel is only now finding out about these allegations, which would not surprise many, but we know that he has been aware of this developing saga, so my other thought is that he has been forced to act based on the negative attention that this story is getting especially since the shooting of the self-appointed “whistle blower” this past weekend.

“Accusation involving senior officer terribly disturbing” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said he found voice notes purporting to capture a quid-pro-quo arrangement involving a senior police officer and a gang leader “terribly disturbing”.

“We want to ensure that we restore the confidence of Bahamian people in our police force because there are many good police officers that are doing a wonderful job in protecting our property, our lives, and our country and citizens,” he exclusively told The Tribune Tuesday night. “We need to ensure that we get to the bottom of whatever the tapes mean, and to ensure the confidence, I’m advised that they will be calling in assistance so that there will be not only a semblance but an actual independent review.”

Mr. Davis said he could not give more information about the involvement of foreign investigators.

“I’m leaving that to the investigators, and I want them to set the parameters, but I want to make sure that what happened, that we get to the bottom of it all and that the confidence of the Bahamian people in the police force has been restored,” he said.

He said it is “quite alarming” that many Bahamians do not trust the police force to investigate the matter probably because it involves a senior officer.

“We have to appreciate that we’re all humans, we make mistakes, we have to understand what’s going on and where the bad apples exist, we have to weed them out,” he said. “The overall goal is to find the truth and let the chips fall where they may and any persons who are culpable, they should be brought to justice.”

First it is interesting the prime minister finds it “quite alarming’ that many Bahamians do not trust the police force to investigate the matter, maybe it is time that someone brings him up to speed on the fact that a lot of Bahamians simply do not trust the police. Then there is this last paragraph which is a bit unsettling; the prime minister first states that “we all makes mistakes” but as if he is suggesting that the country be more understanding of such instances but then goes on to say what most of the country is already saying; “weed them out” and bring them to justice, so all of the eloquent verbiage is very unnecessary.

So, while the Secret Squirrel was leading us to where we already were; his Chairman and Minister for Foreign Affairs; Fred Mitchel [Snagglepuss], was busy seeming to undermine the prime minister with his own message, which was simply one to contradict the Hon. Michael Pintard, the Leader of the Opposition; Free national Movement (FNM) – or in other words, simply being the ball of contradiction that Snagglepuss has become known to be.

“Mitchell dismisses calls for commission of inquiry into police operations” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article;

“The Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) was “read the riot act” over serious allegations that led to the head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Chief Superintendent Michael Johnson being sent on garden leave pending an investigation, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell said yesterday.

Mitchell said the country’s leaders are taking the claims seriously but dismissed calls from the Free National Movement (FNM) for a commission of inquiry or for foreign law enforcement agencies to step in and investigate.

“We are now faced with a set of allegations [that] go to the root of law enforcement capabilities,” said Mitchell in a voice note released on Independence Day.

“We have gone down this road before and one thing we know is that in order to achieve justice and equity, you don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

“The government has been looking into the performance of the force since it came to office. Looking at its management, looking at its future and where it’s headed.

“… Our friends in the FNM always have this knee-jerk reaction to call in foreigners to clean up the mess. But we may say this: this is The Bahamas.

“When we accepted the responsibility of independence, we took on the responsibility of managing and solving our own problems. The rules in this matter have so far been followed and they will be followed. The decisions must be evidence-based and not by some cockamamie suppositions and conjecture.”

Indeed, Mr. Mitchell we have accepted the responsibility of independence and managing and solving our own problems but there are instances where outside help is needed and/or, to avoid the appearance of impropriety and conflict of interest and I think that even you would understand understands this concept but there seems to be such a great distain for the opposition that you are willing to go against your very own leader and “throw the baby out with the bath water”, exactly what you accuse the leader of the opposition of doing; so just contrary, even to commonsense.

As the chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) seems to not see the potential tremendous backlash of this entire situation; the international papers are now erroneously binding the Taylor Casey case and to the allegations of corruption in in the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF); the very tenuous link being that the police force is so corrupt it is unable to conduct a proper investigation.

 It would appear that the chairman of the PLP’s great distain for the opposition Free National Movement (FNM), and him attempting to ‘save’ the PLP from “them”, has him so blinded that he would even risk the reputation of The Bahamas and just like that the “baby and the bathwater gone out the window.

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature; maybe now two, because of the myopic and bitter approach that its chairman has taken to politics.

END