SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The police commissioner of the Bahamas has chosen to resign following the indictment of a police sergeant and two officers in a significant U.S. drug trafficking investigation. This case has been characterized by federal authorities as “massive.”
Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis made the announcement on Wednesday, clarifying that Clayton Fernander is stepping down without facing any charges himself. He emphasized that the police department requires a new direction.
“We are making crucial efforts to rekindle trust and ensure accountability,” Prime Minister Davis stated while addressing Parliament, adding that more shifts in leadership are expected in the coming days.
This resignation comes on the heels of an indictment issued in late November, which implicated a police sergeant, a senior officer, a member of the Royal Bahamas Defense Force, among other suspects, in the drug trafficking operation.
The U.S. Justice Department described the case as a “massive cocaine importation conspiracy” facilitated by corrupt officials within the Bahamian government, including high-ranking personnel from the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
Since May 2021, the Justice Department noted that drug traffickers have been moving large quantities of cocaine through the Bahamas en route to the U.S. with the assistance of corrupt local officials, who monitored airport activities and provided sensitive information related to U.S. Coast Guard movements.
According to the indictment, bribes offered to officials varied dramatically from $10,000 to $2 million, aimed at facilitating the transport of around 1,320 pounds (600 kilograms) of cocaine through the country’s main international airport.
At this point, the Bahamas has not appointed a new commissioner of police. On Monday, Fernander mentioned he was engaging with officials to ascertain when the suspected drug trafficking operations began and expressed his support for a government initiative advocating for independent civilian oversight of the police force. He also revealed new measures, including the establishment of a confidential and encrypted whistleblower system designed to tackle corruption.
“This pervasive culture of corruption infiltrating the Royal Bahamas Police Force has not developed overnight,” Fernander stated. “However, starting from today, we will intensify our efforts to eliminate it.”
