Two months after it was recommended that charges be brought against four officers who gave the green light for a man to get married while in custody, their fate remains unknown.

According to National Security Minister Dr. Bernard Nottage, as required by law, the police have submitted a report to Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes and the matter is under consideration.

In what Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade called a “disturbing and embarrassing” event, the officers – an assistant commissioner of police, a corporal and two police constables – sanctioned the March 8 jailhouse wedding.

Reports indicate that a pastor was even called in to officiate.

Thirty-five-year-old Kendrick Tinker was one of three men arrested in connection with a major drug bust at Potter’s Cay Dock the day before he was set to marry his fiancé.

Police reportedly found two packages containing over 50 pounds of marijuana.

A day after his arrest, Tinker was allowed to get married at the Central Police Station, despite the commissioner’s objections.

“I wish to indicate that prior to developments at Central Police Station on Saturday, I gave orders to command level personnel in this force to ensure that the public might not lose any confidence in this force,” Commissioner Greenslade told reporters after learning what had happened.

“Despite my best intentions and my instructions which were defied (the wedding took place).”

An embarrassed Commissioner Greenslade further pointed out that this clearly breached the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s (RBPF) policies and procedures and speaks to conduct that is likely to bring discredit to the force.

“No one in their right mind anywhere on the planet would recognise that there could be any semblance of order to having a person incarcerated whose liberties, by law, have been taken from them, to be taken out of a police force cell and be allowed to consummate a marriage ceremony in a police station,” he said at the time.

“That is a disgrace to The Bahamas, to the Royal Bahamas Police Force and everything good and decent that we stand for. I will not be a part of that, I am not a part of that and I tell you it is out of order and goes against everything that we’ve stood for since 1840.”

The officers were subsequently sent home on administrative leave, pending the results of an internal investigation.

Since then, the groom has been formally arraigned on drug charges.
He was later released on bail.