HRB suggests incident not isolated but result of predatory culture; Immigration Dept says matter was investigated
“Someone has to have the courage to bring it to an end”
NASSAU, BAHAMAS Human Rights Bahamas (HRB) yesterday called for the immediate removal of all male officers from the Department of Immigration’s “safe house” and demanded a full investigation into claims of sexual assault of detainees at the facility.
The call follows recent allegations by a 27-year-old Surinamese woman that she was drugged and raped by an immigration officer.
The allegations were outlined in a writ filed in the Supreme Court on May 11, which claimed the woman was unlawfully arrested, falsely imprisoned, assaulted, battered, drugged, sexually assaulted, raped, sodomized and deprived of her constitutional rights.
Standing from left: Freedom of Information Commissioner and retired Supreme Court Justice Keith Thompson; Attorney General Carl Bethel; former Assistant Director of Legal Affairs (ADLA) and Deputy Freedom of Information Commissioner Shane Miller; and Permanent Secretary in the AG’s Office and the Ministry of Legal Affairs Cecilia Strachan. (BIS PHOTO/ULRIC WOODSIDE)
NASSAU, BAHAMAS Attorney General Carl Bethel yesterday named retired Supreme Court Justice Keith Thompson and former Assistant Director of Legal Affairs (ADLA)Shane Miller as the first Freedom of Information Commissioner and Deputy Freedom of Information Commissioner, respectively.
The announcement is a major step towards the enforcement of the Freedom of Information Act, which successive governments have tried to implement.
Smith calls on govt to hold off on shantytown demolitions while case ongoing Fred Smith.
Fred Smith, QC, is urging the government to halt demolitions in The Farm shantytown on Abaco, until an ongoing judicial review on the matter is wrapped up and Supreme Court Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson has given her ruling.
Shantytown residents, who are represented by Smith, are challenging the government’s policy to get rid of shantytowns in The Bahamas.
Implementation of the policy was halted after Grant-Thompson granted an injunction in 2018.
Grant-Thompson was expected to give a ruling on Smith’s application to vary the injunction to cover all shantytowns across The Bahamas on Friday.
Attorney General Carl Bethel.
Despite campaigning on transparency and accountability, the Minnis government is seeking to block reporters from attending or asking questions at two major press conferences planned for this week.
Ironically, one of those press conferences is to discuss the Freedom of Information Act.
On Friday, the media was advised that Attorney General Carl Bethel will hold a press conference on Sunday, 2 May 2021 at 3:00 p.m. at the Office of the Attorney General to announce the appointment of the Information Commissioner and Deputy Information Commissioner, and the official opening of the Freedom of Information Office.
However, minutes later, reporters were informed “BIS will be the only one allowed to cover and will disseminate the information from the AG’s Office.”
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