NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Police are investigating the break-in and vandalization of the Free National Movement (FNM) headquarters on Mackey Street.
FNM Chairman Carl Culmer said the office manager discovered the break-in around 6am when she entered the building to collect additional paraphernalia for Nomination Day and discovered that the ceiling was compromised in the lobby.
Parts of the ceiling at the entrance of the office were cut through and debris from the ceiling was scattered across the floor. There was another exit/entry point in the storage room that had parts of the ceiling damaged.
Culmer noted that the treasurer’s office was also broken into, along with the safe that was kept inside that office.
He said there were “small stuff” in the safe that was taken.
That office, along with other parts of the headquarters was ransacked and the drawers and desks were opened as if they were searched.
Culmer said the suspects even attempted to log in on the office manager’s but was unsuccessful. He said the suspects left the device but took other items.
“It doesn’t seem coincidental that our party’s headquarters would be broken into on the evening before nomination day,” he noted in a statement.
“But regardless of intent, it is a shame that someone would do this after the years of peaceful elections that our country is proud of.
“We encourage all political parties in The Bahamas to rebuke this type of behavior as it has no place in our electoral process. The FNM will provide more information when it becomes available.”
The FNM chairman said despite the disappointment of the break-in, the party will not be “discouraged or dismayed”.
“Our role is to govern and our role is to win the election and this will not deter us from winning the election. We have a strong team that is energized to win. This is just a step for us to go over.”
The Progressive Liberal Party said in a statement that they had seen the reports of the break-in and are “confident the police will investigate thoroughly and hope the perpetrators are brought to justice”.
