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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.

Sean Combs, the famed rapper charged and held for racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and the sexual abuse of women, is being held in the same jail unit as disgraced crypto giant Sam Bankman Fried whose FTX empire was based in the Bahamas.

Both men are living in a Brooklyn unit at the Metropolitan Detention Center, sleeping in a dormitory-style room with a group of other defendants assigned to the same section, a person familiar with the living arrangements told NBC.

Combs has pleaded not guilty, but a federal judge on Sept. 17 denied bail and ordered that he be held until his trial, concerned that he would tamper with witnesses.

The unit where Combs and Bankman-Fried live is described as a barracks-style area that houses 18 to 20 inmates. This group –from high-profile defendants to people who cooperate with investigators–require special protection.

Bankman-Fried, 32, was extradited from the Bahamas to New York and was sentenced for stealing $8 billion in a financial scheme, described as one of the largest financial frauds in history. He is appealing his sentence.

A spokeswoman for the Bureau of Prisons said the agency “does not provide information about conditions of confinement, including housing assignments or internal security practices for any particular incarcerated individual.”

From the onset, Combs’s lawyers argued that the conditions at M.D.C. were too “horrific” for a defendant awaiting trial.

Metropolitan Detention Center has a history of problems and is described as “an overcrowded, understaffed and neglected federal jail that is hell on earth” with almost 1,200 inmates.

Ricah Neely is turning her harrowing ordeal into story time about her chilling experience in a New York City nightclub, when her drink was reportedly ‘spiked’ without her knowledge.

In a Facebook thread, the Bahamian woman recounted her nightmare which almost led to her alleged abduction, with her boyfriend while on a five-day trip.

She did not make a police report nor did she give the name of the nightclub, but within minutes of posting, she garnered over one thousand comments and over two thousand shares.

Neely said after arriving at the popular nightclub, her boyfriend retrieved drinks for them and within a few minutes, she felt unusual.

“We both started drinking it but I took the first sips. After about four minutes, I felt weird.”

She then went to the restroom, became nauseated and began vomiting.

“I was confused as to why I was vomiting because I wasn’t drunk.”

Neely said she eventually blacked out and was awakened by a knock on the door, realizing the nightclub was closing then realizing she had spent nearly four hours in the restroom.

Now her boyfriend was missing.

A security guard then booked an Uber to get her back to the hotel where she found her boyfriend who too may have been drugged because he acted erratically. “The man was literally going out of his head…he started packing his clothes in plastic bags saying he going to work.”

She believes they were drugged and only because of a supernatural intervention, she was saved. Neely believes her story can bring awareness and is now turning her ordeal into a cautionary tale for other Bahamians traveling to the ‘Big Apple.’

Disgraced FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried who moved his multi-million dollar crypto empire to the Bahamas in 2021, is on a third night at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after he violated his bail order.

The 31-year-old who adopted the Bahamas as his home, courting government officials before his empire imploded and was extradited to face fraud charges in the United States, tampered with witnesses ahead of his October trial according to Judge Lewis Kaplan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

“My conclusion is there is probable cause to believe the defendant has attempted to tamper with witnesses on at least two… there is a rebuttable presumption that there is no set of conditions that will ensure Bankman-Fried will not be a danger.

“He has gone up to the line over and over again, and I am going to revoke bail,” Judge Kaplan said on Friday.

Since his extradition, Bankman-Fried was on bail and confined to his parent’s $4 million Palo Alto home.

What happened?

Prosecutors said, Bankman-Fried reached out to former FTX.US General Counsel Ryne Miller and used a virtual private network to watch the Super Bowl. Also, he shared part of his associate’s Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison’s private diary with the New York Times in an attempt to intimate her since she is a major witness for the prosecution in the case.

While on bail, prosecutors said he’s had conversations with author Michael Lewis, who is writing a book about FTX that is set for publication the week the trial begins.

After the judge’s order, Bankman-Fried was instructed to remove his navy suit jacket as two US marshalls prepared to handcuff him. His mother, Barbara Fried, attempted to approach him but was warned to stand back by a court officer and was expected to be taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

The big story

After moving his exchange from Hong Kong to the Bahamas, Bankman-Fried flooded the Bahamas with money and donations. A little more than one year later, the millions of dollars disappeared from his exchange and it collapsed. He filed for bankruptcy.

Bankman-Fried’s trial is set for October as he faces charges of wire fraud, commodities fraud, securities fraud, money laundering and related conspiracy charges.

The industry titan courted by politicians and celebrities is now a criminal defendant facing years in prison.

Bankman-Fried’s lawyer said in court, he was protecting his reputation and intended to appeal.

Disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried could face an additional 40 years in a US prison after prosecutors hit him with four more charges in documents unsealed on Thursday.

The additonal charges include conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transfer business and demands for the forfeiture of assets which include assets held in Binance accounts, $170 million in cash held at Silvergate Bank and more than 55 million shares held in a commission free investing app Robinhood Markets.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, said in new statements since the new indictments, “We are hard at work and will remain so until justice is done.”

The indictments also claim that Bankman-Fried, and his co-conspirators–Gary Wang and Caroline Ellison– “made over 300 political contributions, totaling tens of millions of dollars, that were unlawful because they were made in the name of a straw donor or paid for with corporate funds.”

“To avoid certain contributions being publicly reported in his name, Bankman-Fried conspired to and did have certain political contributions made in the names of two other FTX executives,” the new filing claims.

Other claims in documents stated that Bankman-Fried created a bogus company called North Dimension, “which had no employees or business operations,” to open a bank account for trading purposes after rejections from another bank. He also created a website for the fake company using monies from his credit card, prosecutors say.

Since being extradicted to the US from the Bahamas where FTX was headquartered, Bankman-Fried remains under house arrest at his parents’ home in California. He has pleaded not guilty to the eight previous charges against him.

Photo credit: Reuters

Former crypto-darling and billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried left the Bahamas on Wednesday around 8 pm, bound for the United States to face fraud charges in a New York court.

The extradition was the conclusion of his stay in the Bahamas since establishing his multibillion-dollar crypto headquarters in the Bahamas. And it marks the end of a tumultuous week since his arrest last Monday.

He intended to fight the extradition but eventually reversed the decision which landed him at Odyssey Aviation where he was carried by US Marshalls to New York, where he is detained.

He is represented by high-profile lawyer Mark Cohen who could apply for bail. It remains to be seen if it will be granted.

Bankman-Fried’s handover at Odyssey Aviation, Bahamas

Bankman-Fried’s arrival in New York, USA

Photo credit: The Royal Bahamas Police Force and Fox News

US Securities and Exchange Commission charged FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried with defrauding investors of billions of dollars.

The US SEC filed a complaint on Tuesday alleging that the failed billionaire promoted FTX as a safe and responsible platform while raising more than $1.8 billion through FTX, but diverted the funds to his trading firm Alameda Research.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler said the crypto genius “built a house of cards on a foundation of deception while telling investors that it was one of the safest buildings in crypto.”

“FTX operated behind a veneer of legitimacy Mr. Bankman-Fried created by, among other things, touting its best-in-class controls, including a proprietary ‘risk engine,’ and FTX’s adherence to specific investor protection principles and detailed terms of service. But as we allege in our complaint, that veneer wasn’t just thin, it was fraudulent,” said Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.

This comes after Bankman–Fried was arrested in the Bahamas on Monday evening at the request of the US Government. He is expected to be extradited to the USA to face a litany of fraud charges.

The 30-year-old has been a popular fixture in the media since the implosion of his crypto platform a month ago, apologizing for the ‘accounting errors’ as he claimed he did not commit fraud in one interview with New York Times.

Bankman-Fried is expected to face a judge today in the Bahamas to process his extradition.

US regulators signaled that other charges are pending stating that there are ongoing investigations into “other securities law violations” and into other entities and individuals.