NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Commodore Tellis Bethel is expected to immediately take a senior post in the Ministry of National Security after officially handing over command of the RBDF on Thursday.
National Security Minister Marvin Dames confirmed the move today, outside Cabinet.
“He won’t be going too far,” Dames told reporters.
“He will be moving over into the Ministry of National Security. We’ll be happy to have him there. We have a lot of work for him to do there.
“And we are quite certain that he will bring a tremendous amount of knowledge and expertise for the job that we have for him.”
The RBDF advised in a statement yesterday that Acting Commodore Dr Raymond King will officially take over command of the law enforcement agency at a ceremony on Thursday.
The handover comes more than six months after Bethel was made to take a leave of absence that began on October 15
Over that time officials remained tightlipped concerning his future.
Asked about the lagging of time over the announcement of Bethel’s future, Dames insisted that it was a “very sensitive situation”.
“When you are dealing with persons retiring or demitting office, I am of the view that that is not something that you conduct in the press,” he said.
“You can’t conduct the affairs of another in the press. I don’t think that is a responsible thing to do and I don’t think that’s the right thing to do.”
Dames once again maintained that nothing sinister is at play, adding that Bethel’s new position is not a demotion.
“The fact that we are welcoming him now into the Ministry of National Security is a clear demonstration that we do have a relationship and he has agreed and accepted to move over and we are happy to have him,” he said.
While he would not reveal what Bethel’s new portfolio will look like, the national security minister said it will be a “senior-level position and it will fit right into his skillset.”
More details are expected to be released during the handing over ceremony on Thursday.
Bethel was confirmed as commander just days before the 2017 General Election after serving two years as acting RBDF commander.
