resignation

In the wake of recent events that have shaken the foundations of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), the eyes of the nation are fixated on new Commissioner of Police Shanta Knowles, tapped for the post after the resignation of Clayton Fernander, in the wake of a U.S. indictment of a chief superintendent and a sergeant of the organization.

The question is whether Knowles can steer the RBPF toward trust, integrity, and efficacy.

Knowles, a veteran with over 33 years of service, has held a leadership role within the RBPF. Her time has been marked by management of the sexual offenses squad and the Trafficking in Person squad, with her diverse experience across various divisions of the RBPF, including the Criminal Investigations Department and the National Crime Prevention Office.

Is she a competent candidate to lead the force in these turbulent times?

The challenges ahead are tough and tempestuous.

The indictment that led to the resignation of Fernander has cast a shadow over the RBPF, raising concerns about systemic corruption and the integrity of law enforcement in the Bahamas.

The public’s trust was eroded when another chief superintendent was placed on leave in June after audio recordings of collusion with criminals in an airport heist were circulated on social media. These instances add to years of allegations from the public about corruption in the organization.

Restoring trust will require not only a change in leadership but a noticeable shift in the culture of the police force.

Knowles’ approach to policing, characterized by community outreach and a focus on crime prevention, could be the key to transforming the public’s perspective of the RBPF.

She has a history as its liaison officer which suggests she has strong communication skills useful in building transparency that could in turn be instrumental in rebuilding confidence in the force.

As the first woman poised to lead the RBPF, Knowles also represents a break from tradition and hopefully inspires a new generation of officers committed to decent and ethical service.

Her appointment offers a chance to redefine the values and vision of the RBPF.

The task is Herculean. The road ahead for Knowles and the RBPF will undoubtedly be fraught with obstacles. We can only hope Knowles has the fortitude, judgment, and moral compass to guide the organization into a new era of policing where integrity is non-negotiable, community relations are paramount, and the badge is worn with honor, untainted by corruption.

Only time will tell.

In the wake of a scandal that has rocked the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), the Bahamian public is left grappling with questions of trust and integrity within their law enforcement institutions. The recent indictment by the United States on Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis and Sergeant Prince Symonette for their alleged involvement in a cocaine trafficking operation has sent shockwaves through the nation, leading to the resignation of Commissioner Clayton Fernander.

The spotlight now turns to Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe, who is responsible for the RBPF and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF), of which Chief Petty Officer Darren Curtis, another of the men charged, is a member. Calls for Munroe’s resignation have intensified, with critics arguing that it is necessary to restore public confidence in the national security organization.

The Opposition has voiced concerns over Munroe’s competence, suggesting that his legalistic approach may not be suitable for the role of safeguarding the nation’s security interests.

As fingers point to who could be the politician accused of authorizing the cocaine shipment from the Bahamas to the United States for $2 million, Munroe, however, has categorically denied any involvement in the allegations and insists that his future in the position is a decision for Prime Minister Philip Davis.

Amidst these developments, and other allegations of corruption within the RBPF, the Bahamian government faces a critical juncture. A resignation of Commissioner Fernander, while not an admission of personal wrongdoing, signifies recognition of the need for change at the helm of the RBPF, and Munroe should follow suit.

Resignation in the face of scandal is an acknowledgment that the efficacy of the institution supersedes individual leadership. It is a gesture that can begin the process of rebuilding trust and demonstrating a commitment to transparency and accountability.

The Bahamian people deserve a national security that operates with the highest standards of integrity.

As the New York trial unfolds, the actions of the nation’s leaders will be under intense scrutiny. Whether or not Munroe resigns can restore or further erode the public’s trust in the government and its systems.

Shanta Knowles is named the new Commissioner of Police following the surprised resignation of Clayton Fernander in the wake of a US indictment of senior law enforcement officers.

Prime Minister Philip Davis announced Fernander’s resignation in the House of Assembly on Wednesday. This comes as public cries grow loud amid law enforcement officers’ indictment for conspiracy to transport cocaine out of the Bahamas and into the United States. The officers will stand trial in a New York court.

This is one of many allegations of corruption, plaguing the organization.

Knowles will be the country’s first woman Commissioner of Police.

Here’s what to know about her:

1. Before the new position, she was the Assistant Commissioner of Police in Grand Bahama & Northern Bahamas. She was the Commander of the Grand Bahama and Northern Bahamas Division.
2. Knowles also served as the press liaison officer in New Providence.
3. She has been a member of the Royal Bahamas Police Force for the past 33 years.
4. Knowles served 28 years in criminal investigation and has managed the sexual offenses squad and the Trafficking in Person’s squad.
5. During the period 2017-2020, ACP Knowles served as the Director of the National Crime Prevention Office.
6. She was the first woman to head the Criminal Investigation Department, where she was responsible for the investigation of major crimes in the country.

Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander resigned from his position, Prime Minister Philip Davis announced on Wednesday morning in the House of Assembly.

Davis addressed the session with an update on the US indictment alleging corruption and cocaine shipment, surrounding two senior officers.

Davis said he has identified an individual to replace Fernander, adding he will bring further reforms to the RBPF’s leadership.

The big picture

Two senior law enforcement officers– Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis and Defence Force Chief Petty Officer Darren Roker stand accused of conspiring to transport tons of cocaine into the United States. Another RBPF officer, Sergeant Prince Symonette is also implicated in the indictment, including eight other Bahamians.

The indictment implicated an unnamed politician who allegedly authorized the shipment for $2 million.

Driving the news

The RBPF has been plagued with allegations of corruption including a recent incident surrounding leaked audio recordings released on social media implicating another Chief Superintendent Michael Johnson who is in charge of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). He is heard to be colluding with criminals after an airport heist.

The public is still awaiting the results of the investigation after he was placed on leave for involvement in the matter.

Bishop Neil Ellis won’t comment on his recent church split which has gained widespread attention.

“I am not talking about that,” he told a reporter following the National Day of Prayer Service in Rawson Square on Monday night.

He was there to offer prayers for the nation and the government,  but appeared solemn.

“I’ve been quiet and I remain quiet on that,” he said before walking away.

Bishop Ellis appointed Pastor Rickeno Moncur to the church as senior pastor one year ago, but the relationship seemed to have soured, resulting in Moncur’s resignation on Friday in a video post.

Moncur, in his first Sunday service, acknowledged that he was  “hurting for one year” while “preach[ing],” “serv[ing]” and “minister[ing] through it.”

“Some of you didn’t even know about it because I did not make it the priority,” he said on Sunday while he met with new congregants at the Super Flex Fusion. Moncur seemed to have carried with him some faithful members of Mt Tabor’s pastoral team, some church mothers including Bishop Ellis’ mother-in-law, and those who would have joined during his tenure.

Mt Tabor continued as usual though, with Bishop Ellis’ brother Delton Ellis on the podium offering the preached word where the pews seemed scant compared to other Sunday services.

At the end of his sermon, he invited hurt members to the altar to release their pain. Bishop Ellis’ wife Patrice was the first, where she knelt and prayed. Their eldest daughter stood near Bishop Ellis, and she was seen wiping tears from her eyes.

This makes the second humiliation for the church in one year. Bishop Ellis was preparing to appoint US-based Pastor Dario Carey to the post. Eventually, Bishop Ellis reneged on it, saying God told him not to do so anymore, after introducing Carey to the church and placing billboards on street corners.

With his wife and children, Carey moved back to New Orleans.

Claiming this is what God wants, Bishop Ellis then appointed Moncur.

North Eleuthera MP Sylvanus Petty remained mum when news circulated that he would be fired after he revealed in a court case that his daughter was granted a maintenance contract with the Water and Sewage Corporation where he served as executive chairman.

However, when the Office of the Prime Minister accepted the resignation at the request of Prime Minister Philip Davis, Petty took to social media. “Thank you all for the tremendous amount of support, the calls, texts, messages and most importantly the prayers.

“It is much appreciated.”

Prior, local dailies reported he was unreachable for comment and may have turned off his phone over the last few days. Now, this recent posting on social media may be an indication he is ready to talk.

Since he took the stand on Monday to testify in the Adrian Gibson court case, Gibson’s lawyer Damian Gomez KC hit him with a cross-examination, asking an unexpected question about a contract granted to his daughter, to which Petty said, “None of my family ever came to the board for a contract for us to vote on.”

Gomez then revealed that his daughter Sylatheia Gierszewsk was granted a contract of $26,000 for her company Mainscape Maintenance, which never came to the board’s attention.

Petty responded, “They are of smaller value. They don’t come to the board.”

Petty then doubled down that he does not frown upon nepotism because “everyone in the Bahamas was family.”

The Free National Movement Chairman Duane Sands then called for his resignation, prompting Davis to respond, who said he would review the claims. Days later Davis then requested a resignation letter from Petty.

On Wednesday, he posted to Facebook, a scripture verse from Galatians 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.”

Others responded, “Be encouraged Syl (his nickname.) No weapon formed against you shall prosper.”

Another supporter Jerome Deleveaux added, “Fret not thyself of evildoers, my friend.”

Petty remains the deputy house speaker.

After months of waiting to see if the controversial sitting North Abaco MP Kirk Cornish will face charges for the alleged sexual and physical assault of his former girlfriend, the first-time MP will be arraigned on charges of sexual assault and threats of death.

The new and stunning development came Tuesday evening though police reports failed to specifically identify the “48-year-old male of Abaco.”

Cornish responded after reports circulated that he was indeed the individual to be arraigned in the Magistrate’s Court at 10 am.

“The charges are based on allegations which are totally false.

“I am fully confident that the facts which emerge during the judicial process will prove my innocence. I look forward to ending this nightmare,” he said in a statement.

This statement came after he resigned as Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, to which PM Philip Davis said the Director of Public Prosecutions “determined that there is sufficient evidence to bring charges” against Cornish.

“It is now up to our judicial system to resolve the outcome,” Davis summed up in a press release.

Cornish was questioned in May about the alleged incident which occurred in April and turned himself in to authorities in Grand Bahama where the police report was filed, but was soon released after questioning.

Many in the public doubted his arrest considering his public profile.

This case is unprecedented in nature and rarely do Bahamians see the arrest and charge of parliamentary members.

His charge and arraignment means he has a case to answer but Cornish said the evidence will show that “this was a break up that was manipulated and exploited for political reasons—and nothing more.

“The truth will set me free.”

Cornish remains the member of parliament for North Abaco.

Newly appointed British Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned her position following an economic plan many described as disastrous.

Truss spent only a month and half in office following her official appointment by Queen Elizabeth II on September 6.

Key points

• Her new mini budget plunged the British pound. Though she reversed it and appointed a new chancellor, she faced opposition within her party and the economic market as UK grapples with inflation.
• She is now the shortest-serving prime minister in British history.
• She will remain on as PM until the Conservative Party selects a new party leader next week.
• She served under former PMs Theresa May and Boris Johnson in various capacities. After Johnson resigned, she was the favourite to replace him.

DNA Leader Arinthia Komolafe announced her resignation from the Democratic National Alliance, after the party’s third unsuccessful attempt at the electoral poll.

Komolafe made an official announcement at the party’s headquarters on Friday, citing various reasons, including a financial strain on her personal resources.

Komolafe acknowledged the difficulty of third parties to secure funding for campaigns, while admitting that she spent nearly six figures to fund the DNA’s recent political campaign.

“Third party politics in the Bahamas is brutal and extremely difficult. It involves taking on established guards of the PLP and the FNM,” she said.

Komolafe lamented the current model of operation within the party stating it is unsustainable since the party depends on volunteers. Komolafe said during her tenure, she served as the financier of operations, writer of press releases and charged the administrative work of the party.

She said the candidates in the recent election personally funded their campaigns.

The big picture

Arinthia Komolafe succeeded the party’s founder Branville McCartney, to become leader of the party in 2017.

In the run up to the election, the party faced internal turmoil and fighting made public.

In the 2021 early election, the party suffered its worst support, garnering only 1,742 votes in 22 seats; in 2017, the DNA received 7,537 votes in its run for 39 constituencies; and in 2012, the DNA got more than 13,000 votes in 13 constituencies.

Why it matters

A third party has never won a general election nor seats in the House of Assembly. Leaders of third parties wound up joining the established parties after being wooed by positions and support.

Komolafe was praised as the first woman leader of a political party. However, she seemed to have never electrified her base.

What’s next?

Komolafe said she will not leave front line politics. But at the moment, she will focus on personal endeavors.

The party’s deputy leader Steven Nesbitt becomes interim leader.

Former Coalition of Independents member Wellington Roberts said he would reveal damning details about the party if members persist in criticizing his decision to leave and support the Progressive Liberal Party.

“I ain’t tell the full story. If I tell the full story, the wall of Jericho will come crumbling down,” Roberts warned.

When Roberts initially resigned from the COI, he cited health, safety, and financial concerns after receiving the nomination to run for the party in the North Andros and the Berry Island constituency.

However, on Monday, Roberts insisted there were other reasons why he left the party, “that I would not mention at this time.”

Since the move to leave the party, Roberts has received backlash on social media with many calling him a “traitor.”

Roberts said on Monday during a social media live, “I ain’t tell the full story yet. I am begging you and your organization to leave me alone. The slick jeers, the slick comments…you’ll leave me alone.”

He spoke directly to Bain, “Talk to them, because you’ll control them. They are you’ll ‘blackanites,’ ‘COInites,’ ‘Lincolnites.’ Talk to them. Leave me alone. Let sleeping dogs lie. I ain’t tell the full story.”

Why it matters

Roberts was considered an influential member of the third-party COI before his resignation. He garnered a large number of social media followings as he worked with Bain to expose “corruption” that they said are in the governing party and the PLP.

On the day of his resignation, he was seen dressed in a PLP shirt standing with Opposition Leader Philip Davis, while campaigning for the party.

Roberts said he now supports the PLP’s candidate for the North Andros and the Berry Islands Leonardo Lighbourne