indictment

The US indictment of senior law enforcement officers in the Bahamas alleging cocaine transport conspiracy has reached London.

Former Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle alluded that the charges brought by the US Southern District of New York implicating 11 Bahamians, including Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis and Defence Force Chief Petty Officer Darren Roker in helping drug traffickers to smuggle tons of cocaine through The Bahamas from South America to the United States, are embarrassing.

Rolle, who once served as Commissioner from March 2020 to July 2022 is presently the Bahamas ambassador to the International Maritime Organization in London.

“How do you think I feel when everywhere I turn here in London people are talking about it? They are talking about this thing that happened with the police officers. Every newspaper you look at, it’s there.

“So, we have to continue to be our brother’s keeper and let us try and preserve and salvage what little reputation we have left,” he told the Nassau Guardian.

During a national address on Sunday, Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander said he had a conversation with Rolle to get a comprehensive look at the activities involving the serious case, which reportedly began in May 2021 when Rolle was in office. “I have already initiated consultations with key individuals who held leadership roles during that period,” Fernander said.

But Rolle said Fernander’s comments “hurt and disappointed” him.

“I don’t support corruption in any form,” Rolle said. I can say categorically I have never been involved in any kind of corruption.

“I was quite disappointed when I heard his comment because it does not adequately and accurately address the conversation which we had and it gives the impression as though he spoke to me in a different form, as a suspect.

“That was never the case.”

Fernander and Rolle share a frosty relationship. Rolle was appointed by the Minnis administration and Fernander was appointed by the Davis administration.

Soon after, Rolle was given the position as ambassador to the International Maritime Organization in London.

Speaking of the call which he said took place last Friday night, “I thought it was a cordial conversation. He asked for my opinion on something and I told him that I thought…he needs to focus on addressing the image of the police force. That was the essence of it.”

Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander is awaiting a request from the US government to arrest the remaining individuals mentioned in a New York indictment following charges of conspiracy to transport cocaine and firearms into the United States.

Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Chief Petty Officer Darren Roker of the Royal Bahamas Defense Force along with William Simeon and two Colombians– Lorielmo Steele-Pomare and Luis Fernando Orozco-Toro, were arrested by US officials.

Eight other men remain free.

“We will of course cooperate fully with the US Department of Justice and to date we have not received a request to arrest the other names in the indictment,” Commissioner Fernander said on Sunday in a television broadcast.

Fernander assured that he knows no other individual than those mentioned in the indictment.

“Neither have we given the names of any additional government officials who may be under suspicion. As far as I know, no one else has been given the names of any individual reference with the indictment,” he said.

According to the indictment, Curtis mentioned the name of a politician who allegedly authorized the shipment for $2 million.

The politician is not publicly known, but many speculate.

“Speculation as to who those individuals might be can be extremely damaging to the reputation of innocent people,” Fernander contended. “At the moment, nobody knows. We therefore discourage people from calling any names from the current or previous administration. It is pure speculation.”

The indictment said the crime and its investigation started in May 2021, with some pointing at the previous administration. As calls for Fernander’s resignation grow loud, he made it clear in his speech that he was not Commissioner at the time.

Fernander said he contacted the past Commissioner Paul Rolle and will reach out to the Former Prime Minister Hubert Minnis and the former Minister of National Security Marvin Dames to find out if any concerns were raised or intelligence given during their tenure.

In light of the recent events surrounding Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis, and Chief Petty Officer Darren Roker, the conversation about accountability and leadership within law enforcement agencies has been reignited.

The indictment of Curtis, Roker along with Sergeant Prince Symonette, for their alleged involvement in a cocaine importation conspiracy in the United States, is a stark reminder of the weaknesses that exist within the institutions tasked with protecting the country.

The role of a chief superintendent or a chief petty officer is crucial in setting the standard for integrity and ethical conduct within law enforcement. When an individual in such a position is accused of crimes that directly undermine the organization, it casts a shadow over the entire organization they represent.

It is a breach of public trust that cannot be overlooked.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force is already plagued with corruption allegations following leaked audio recordings released on social media involving another Chief Superintendent Michael Johnson who is in charge of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). The public is still awaiting the results of the investigation after he was placed on leave for involvement in the matter.

Leader of the Free National Movement Michael Pintard and Party Chairman Duane Sands have rightfully called for resignations and a commission of inquiry into the force regarding the outstanding matters rocking the organization.

In the wake of these allegations, it is important to consider the broader consequences for the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF).

The arrest of Curtis and Roker suggests a systemic issue that may require a more extensive review of the internal controls and leadership structures of these organizations.

An unnamed politician is alleged to have authorized the shipment of narcotics for $2m, according to the indictment. This breaches further trust in our government.

The question of who should resign is about restoring faith in the system.

It’s about ensuring that those in positions of power are not only seen beyond reproach but also capable of nurturing an environment where corruption is not tolerated.

This incident is a catalyst for a thorough examination of the RBPF and RBDF and should lead to reforms that strengthen their ability to serve and protect.

Resignations, in this case, should not be limited to those directly implicated in the scandal. They should extend to any individual whose oversight failed to detect or prevent such egregious abuses of power.

This includes higher-ups who may have turned a blind eye or were complacent in the face of warning signs.

The integrity of law enforcement is paramount.

The citizens of The Bahamas deserve to have confidence in their protectors.

The actions taken in response to this scandal will be a testament to the RBPF and RBDF’s commitment to upholding the highest standards of law enforcement and rebuilding the eroded trust.

Court filings from an indictment was unsealed in a Southern District Court of New York where two police officers—Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis and Sergeant Prince Symonette—and a defense force officer Chief Petty Officer Darren Roker– will stand trial for cocaine importation conspiracy, firearms use, and carrying and possession and firearms conspiracy.

The big picture

The officers with ten other people, are mentioned in the indictment and are accused of trafficking tons of cocaine through the Bahamas into the United States for distribution, since May 2021, “with the support and protection of corrupt Bahamian government officials,” and “provided sensitive law enforcement information to drug traffickers,” [and] “protected them from investigation and arrest.”

Driving the news

Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis is in charge of the Lynden Pindling International Airport and is accused of accepting bribes from traffickers to facilitate the transportation of cocaine while “providing safe passage for the traffickers and their cocaine loads through the Nassau Airport and elsewhere in the Bahamas.”

• According to the unsealed document, Sergeant Prince Symonette of the Royal Bahamas Police Force worked with Curtis and traffickers to transport the drug by air and sea while accepting bribes “for streamlining customs clearance for aircraft,” receiving bribery money of $10,000 as a down payment.
• Chief Petty Officer Darren Roker of the Royal Bahamas Defense Force received $10,000 in bribery money as a down payment to alert traffickers about sensitive operations by the US Coast Guard and OPBAT.

State of play

The names of several other pilots, a purported Bahamian government official, and Columbian officials appear in the document:

• Riccardo Davis, a purported Bahamian official allegedly used his influence to authorize trafficking. According to the indictment, he along with Curtis and Symonette “planned a trip to the United States to receive approximately $1.5m in US currency, which would represent an advanced payment on an agreed-upon at least approximately 500-kilogram load of cocaine to be imported through The Bahamas into the United States.”
• William Simeon is accused of being a trafficker, working with “certain corrupt RBPF officials and others” to transport cocaine by air from South America.
• Theodore Adderley is accused of being a trafficker working with “certain corrupt RBPF officials and others” to transport cocaine by air from South America.
• Joshua Scavella, a pilot, was accused of coordinating shipments and working with Simeon and Adderley.
• Lorielmo Steele-Pomare is a Colombian citizen and an alleged narcotics broker, who introduced Colombian and Bahamian traffickers.
• Luis Fernando Orozco-Toro is a Colombian who ships cocaine from South America to the US from the Bahamas.
• Davon Rolle is an alleged trafficker who facilitates the operation “typically by boat, including go fast boast from Bimini to Miami” according to the document.
• Darren Ferguson, a former pilot, operates as a middleman.
• Domonick Delancy, a pilot “flies cocaine shipments from South America to the Bahamas.”
• Donald Ferguson II, a pilot who “works closely with Domonick Delancy.”

Context

The indictment shocked the country and became one of many corruption claims plaguing the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Curtis has implicated a politician in the dealings claiming the unnamed politician authorized the shipment of narcotics from The Bahamas to USA for $2 million.

Between the lines

Curtis and Roker were caught in Florida but will be transported to New York for trial.

Featured Image: Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis (Left) and Chief Petty Officer Darren Roker