BAHAMAS -Police call on Scotland Yard to help in a probe involving a senior police officer

NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – The Royal Bahamas Police Force has formally asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send diplomatic notes requesting Scotland Yard’s help investigating voice notes that purport to capture a quid-pro-quo arrangement involving a senior police officer and a gang leader.

Scotland Yard is the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police force for policing Greater London.

The request for its help comes after Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said that international assistance would ensure “an actual independent review,” He left it up to the police to define the parameters of that assistance.

Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander, during a press conference, said the local police force’s Security and Intelligence Branch (SIB) would lead the investigation.

SIB is responsible for matters relating to the internal security of The Bahamas. It protects ministers and foreign dignitaries, vets people for various purposes, and is tasked with preventing terrorism.

Commissioner Fernander added that the Inspectorate Board –– the Police Complaints Inspectorate –– will supervise SIB’s investigation. This comes as The police force was plunged into controversy after voice notes last week captured conversations involving a senior police officer, a lawyer, and two murdered gang leaders: Michael Fox, Jr, and Dino Smith.

The Tribune newspaper reported this week that Michael Fox Sr, the father of Fox, Jr., and Sandra Smith, the mother of Smith, said their sons told them to release the recordings if something happened to them.

Smith said she never got the voice notes, while Fox, Sr, said he had them but was not behind their release.

The leaked voice notes feature conversations seemingly about an arrangement that would allow the police to drop their investigation into Fox and his associates.

Police had issued wanted posters for Fox and Dino Smith concerning the theft of US$1,475,000 from an unattended security vehicle transporting cash for the Bank of the Bahamas to a private airport on November 2. However, the men were never charged with the incident.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said he found the voice notes “terribly disturbing.”