Bahamas police detained an aircraft belonging to a local charity group, with government officals saying that the aircraft was allegedly flying its helicopters “too low” and landing on “unauthorised locations.
The Humanitarian Operation Foundation (HOPE Foundation) claim to have been conducting “search and rescue” missions, and delivering relief supplies to family island residents after Hurricane Irene.
Police detained one of the helicopters on Sunday in Cat Island. Previously, there had been some confusion regarding the humanitarian mission, that led to an alleged “mistake” in which the government temporarily seized some of the organisation’s relief supplies.
The HOPE Foundation was working with Sea Air Land Security (SALS) Inc, a security company from Florida that employs ex-military pilots and ex-special forces members.
Captain Stephen Russell, director of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said NEMA has had “no dealings” with HOPE.
However, a similar problem occurred in 2004, when NEMA was accused of blocking hurricane relief supplies by the same group.
It was during Perry Christie’s administration when NEMA prevented the delivery of sixteen thousand pounds of food to Grand Bahama by forbidding the International Rescue plane from landing on the hurricane ravaged island. At the time, NEMA said they tok that action becasue the previous day an International Rescue helicopter had on board a “private citizen” and a member of the press, but no NEMA representative, when it did a reconnaissance flight over Abaco. Feelng snubbed, NEMA blocke the humanitarian effort.
By the way, the “private citizen” on board the aircraft was Cooper’s Town MP, now the Prime Minister, Hubert Ingraham, a member of the opposing political party.
This time, again, Capt Russell said no one from the HOPE Foundation contacted NEMA to coordinate their efforts.
“Anyone who is doing relief operations in the Bahamas, and as far as we are concerned, anyone who has a desire to do so, should contact NEMA and coordinate their efforts,” said Capt Russell.
However, officials at the HOPE Foundation claim that NEMA officials turned down their offer of support, and were “rude” to them when inquiries were made about why their helicopter was detained in Cat Island.
“We offered to work with NEMA but they said they would get back to us. Apparently NEMA doesn’t need helicopters. We offered them for free. We did not ask for any money, but they turned us down,” Darren Adler, director of the foundation, told Tribune reporter.
Mr Adler lives, or used to live, in Lyford Cay and was once accused of defrauding a bank of almost $500,000. He was later cleared of the charges.
In the most recent debacle, Mr Adler accused NEMA of “stealing” humanitarian aid from one of its helicopters causing the group to pull its workers and supplies out of the country. Adler claimed the supplies were “forcibly” removed, without any explanation, by defence force officers working for NEMA.
“This is not an environment that is conducive to give, so we are not able to work with the government,” said Mr Adler.
“We offered, but the government confirmed they do not want to have a working relationship with us. That is a shame. To take food off our aircraft and put it in a warehouse, that is ridiculous. That is not normal in anywhere in the western world,” he said.
Mr Adler said the last time the organisation had food forcibly taken off one of its aircraft was “in Ethiopia at gun point, many, many years ago.”
The HOPE Foundation has operated in the Bahamas for several years, formerly operating out of the private airport Odyssey Aviation Bahamas.
The Tribune newspaper claims its sources say Odyssey is no longer affiliated with the company and the two did not part “on good terms.”
