NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis asked yesterday if the appointment of talkshow host Rodney Moncur as a crime consultant was Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis’ best idea amid an escalating crime crisis that has left Bahamians in fear.
“Bahamians are afraid,” Minnis declared in Parliament.
“One of the main answers the government seems to have is giving a national security contract to Rodney Moncur.
“Is Rodney Moncur now a chief crime advisory?
“What is his salary and benefits and his qualifications and responsibilities?
“Bahamians are offended by his ridiculous appointment as a crime advisor.
“In a serious crisis, is this one of the best ideas the prime minister can come up with?
“As bad as the level of killings was last month, the PLP crime crisis now appears to be spreading.”
According to the Killarney MP, crime in the nation has begun to affect tourism with criminals targeting visitors.
He expressed concern that if crime continues to impact The Bahamas’ tourism product, the result could be fewer jobs and less money circulating in the Bahamian economy.
In response, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell pointed to the killings under the Minnis administration.
“The record number of people killed in one day — six people in one day — that was on his watch and they still haven’t found out who did it,” said Mitchell of the Jerome Avenue massacre on April 15, 2021.
“And you want to talk about crime?
“You can get sanctimonious about crime and warnings by the US Embassy; the hotels in The Bahamas at this time are full to the brim, overflowing.
“That didn’t happen under his watch. The hotels were empty. The country was locked down.
“We told him that was a bad idea: [he] locked the country down, took away our civil rights and now he is suddenly concerned about VAT (value-added tax) and the poor, and crime.”
But Minnis charged that the prime minister’s failure to lead on crime is “threatening our entire economy”.
He said Davis’ legacy will be marked by the escalating levels of crime.
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