Bahamian police chief resigns after US indicts officers in ‘massive’ drug trafficking case

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP):

The police commissioner of The Bahamas has resigned after a sergeant and two officers were recently indicted in a US drug trafficking case that federal authorities describe as “massive”.

The Bahamas’ prime minister announced on Wednesday that Clayton Fernander was stepping down, noting that he faces no charges in the case but that the police department needs a change.

“We are taking important steps to restore trust and accountability,” Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis told Parliament, adding that there’ll be more leadership changes in upcoming days.

The resignation comes after a police sergeant, a senior police officer and a Royal Bahamas Defence Force officer and several other suspects were indicted in the US in late November.

The US Justice Department called the case a “massive cocaine importation conspiracy enabled by corrupt Bahamian government officials, including high-ranking members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.”

The department noted that since May 2021, drug traffickers have smuggled tons of cocaine through The Bahamas bound for the US with the help of corrupt local officials who controlled airports and disclosed information about US Coast Guard movements.

The bribes that officials were promised or given ranged from US$10,000 to US$2 million to help with things including the movement of 1,320 pounds (600 kilograms) of cocaine through The Bahamas’ main international airport, according to the indictment.

The Bahamas has not yet appointed a new police commissioner.

On Monday, Fernander said he was interviewing officials to determine when the alleged drug trafficking began and said he supported a government proposal for independent civilian oversight of the police department. He also announced several measures including the creation of an encrypted and anonymous whistleblower system to crack down on corruption.

“This culture of corruption that has infiltrated the Royal Bahamas Police Force did not happen overnight,” he said. “But from today, we will redouble our efforts to stamp it out.”