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

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Bahamas' police commissioner has resigned after a sergeant and two officers were recently indicted in the U.S. in what federal authorities describe as a case of massive drug trafficking.

The Bahamas' prime minister, Philip Brave Davis, 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,” 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 Defense Force officer, and several other suspects were indicted in the U.S. in late November.

The U.S. 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 U.S. with the help of corrupt local officials who controlled airports and disclosed information about U.S. Coast Guard movements.

The bribes that officials were promised or given ranged from $10,000 to $2 million to help with the trafficking, 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.”

During Wednesday’s meeting in Parliament, a scuffle erupted as a crowd outside protested that an opposition leader was not allowed to speak about the indictment.

One lawmaker grabbed a large ceremonial staff on the table of the House speaker and threw it out a window, according to The Nassau Guardian. The newspaper said Deputy Speaker Sylvanus Petty tried to stop the lawmaker and was hit on the head. He suffered a concussion and was hospitalized.

Police then dragged out a group of opposition lawmakers who refused to leave the room, according to The Nassau Guardian.

The paper quoted Davis, the prime minister, as saying that prior to the scuffle, he had invited the opposition leader to a meeting after the session to talk about the appointment of a new police commissioner.