Following the arrest and charging of former Minister of the Environment Kenred Dorsett yesterday, Minister of National Security Marvin Dames said it should not come as a surprise as the government is simply fulfilling the promises it made to the Bahamian people.
Those promises, he said, are to find the persons who are corrupt and have them brought to justice.
Dorsett was charged with extortion and bribery before Magistrate Samuel McKinney yesterday.
“This should not come as a surprise to anyone. We committed to it. Our prime minister committed to it and we are determined that we will continue to use those agencies of government with the responsibility for investigating crimes and in this case we are referring to crimes where the anti- corruption related matters that we will allow them to do their jobs unimpeded,” he said.
“When a matter is opened or being investigated by the police force, the police force has the responsibility to look for evidence and wherever they find evidence they should do what comes next which is you, either you press charges against those that may be implicated and let the courts deal with it from there.”
Minister of Health Dr. Duane Sands and Senator Renard Henfield agreed with their parliamentary colleague.
“There’s been an awful lot of talk about monies going missing, about corruption ,about the appearance of corruption and what the prime minister did and is to do, is engage in a review or audit in our respective ministries and wherever there was information that warranted a communication with the commissioner, we did it,” Dr. Sands said.
“Clearly the commissioner of police and the attorney general believe that there is adequate information to warrant moving to this point and I say let the chips fall where they may.”
Mr. Henfield said, “We don’t want it to be seen as a victory for any side. This is a move for the best interest of the country. The previous administration and persons in the present administration, anyone moving forward, anyone offering themselves for public office must appreciate that you are stewards of the people’s money.
“We are no longer going to sit by and allow people to squander our funds.”
Meantime, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Member of Parliament Glenys Hanna-Martin said she just hopes that these things are being handled the correct way.
“The only thing I would say is that we have to assure that the legal process remains investigation and adjudication that stays above the fray,” Hanna-Martin said.
PLP Leader Philip Davis early yesterday morning issued a voice message urging party supporters to remain both calm and strong in the face of the charges levied against his former parliamentary colleague, as such events he said are merely designed to sap the will of the PLP and destroy the party.
“Please do not be provoked. Please stand strong. We pray for our friend and brother and his family this morning,” he said.
“We urge the authorities to ensure that justice is done in this case and this is not some witch hunt.”
The PLP chief went on to lambast the Free National Movement government as one that engages in vengeance politics, stopping, reviewing and cancelling programmes left in place by the previous administration without any logical justification.
Furthermore, he said the Minnis administration has dismissed people at the bottom of the ladder and using the power of the state to bring people before the court and into police stations with little to show.
Mr. Davis is convinced though that whatever the outcome of this particular matter, the state has already ruined Mr. Dorsett’s reputation.
