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Opposition Leader Michael Pintard’s claim about a “bag of passports” heading ‘south’ on a Bahamasair flight, and The Tribune’s report on an anonymous former Bahamasair flight attendant who was fired after being linked to a US$106,000 seizure in Haiti, raise troubling questions about governance, security, and oversight at the national airline.

While the government has moved quickly to deny Pintard’s passport allegation, the existence of a real, documented internal investigation surrounding a large cash seizure suggests that something is clearly wrong at Bahamasair.

Together, these stories point to deeper institutional issues, possibly extending beyond Bahamasair into the country’s immigration and border control.

Based on The Tribune’s interview, the former employee produced evidence that he was fired following an internal investigation tied to the US$106,000 seizure.

That alone lends weight to Pintard’s broader warnings about misconduct within the government-run airline, even if the specific passport allegation has not yet been proven.

The government’s strong and immediate denials regarding the passport claim may be politically necessary. However, in a society of low public trust, blanket denials without disclosure can also create suspicions, especially when a separate, serious incident involving the same airline is already on the record.

Whether or not Pintard’s claim proves to be fully accurate, the cash-seizure case gives him a stronger argument that irregular and dangerous practices are taking place at Bahamasair.

These practices carry significant national security implications.

Failing to confront this openly could cost the government credibility, both politically and in the eyes of the public.

The former flight attendant told The Tribune it was “no secret” that employees often carry bags for each other and, at times, even for managers, as a “favour.”

He also claimed that one coworker later refused to transport a bag after discovering several passports inside.

Pintard, in talking to Guardian Radio “Talking Heads,” on Tuesday, said he believed that the airline has been used to transport money and passports.

Contention quickly grew in the House of Assembly today when House Speaker Patricia Deveaux prevented Opposition Leader Michael Pintard from speaking on the indictment of senior officers of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force expected to stand trial for cocaine importation in a New York trial.

Deveaux contended that Pintard’s letter was dated today (November 27) but was requested to speak at “tomorrow’s sitting,” and was given to her at 9:05 which is not exactly an hour before the House meets.

She said this error warranted her putting a quorum on the floor and asking ten parliamentarians to stand in support of Pintard’s presentation.

Pintard insisted that in addition to the letter, he spoke to the clerk for permission to speak on Wednesday morning after Prime Minister Davis’ speech and had given the letter more than one hour before the House met.

Pintard said he should be granted permission due to “the matter of gravity” but Prime Minister Philip Davis said the arrest of the three officers in the United States, was “not necessarily a matter of public importance.”

However, Pintard noted that Davis had already noted the significance of the matter when he issued a statement notifying the public that he intended to address the matter in the House. “If it is important to him it can be no less important to us to have an opportunity to address the issue,” Pintard said.

Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis, Sergeant Prince Symonette and Chief Petty Officer Darren Roker are three of thirteen men charged with transporting cocaine to the United States from South America. Curtis is in charge of the Lynden Pindling Airport Division of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and stands 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.”
Read more| Damning evidence

Sergeant Prince Symonette of the Royal Bahamas Police Force is accused of working 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, while Roker of the Royal Bahamas Defense Force allegedly received $10,000 in bribery money as a down payment to alert traffickers about sensitive operations by the US Coast Guard and OPBAT.

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,” the indictment read.

After Davis spoke on the matter involving the indictment, Pintard attempted to speak on the matter too, but was shut down. St Barnabas MP Shanendon Cartwright defending Pintard said, “Madam Speaker it is wrong what you are intending to do,” as East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson joined and shouted, “You trying to silence him. It is wrong. It is absolutely wrong.”

Speaker Deaveaux then quickly suspended the House until December 4.

Featured picture credit: The Tribune