Strong disciplinary recommendations are being made in the Lorequin Commission of Inquiry report into the seizure of drugs by a group of Defence Force officers a dozen years ago.
The Commission of Inquiry was appointed on January 21, 2004, with retired Justice Stanley Moore as president, and two commissioners, His Grace Archbishop Drexel Gomez and Sir Albert Miller.
A copy of their report is scheduled to be presented to Governor General Dame Ivy Dumont this morning.
The commissioners frowned on various practices of the Defence Force over the years and are reportedly condemnatory of the manner in which drugs were handled and transported by members over the years.
In the report, certain senior officers of the Force were also criticized for dereliction of duty and negligence.
The Commission of Inquiry was launched after scathing remarks were made at a US/Bahamas Joint Drug Task Force Meeting on December 6, 2002 by former U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas J. Richard Blankenship on the alleged improprieties on the part of members of the Defence Force during the arrest and subsequent removal of drugs from the Lorequin.
Following the ambassadorﾴs speech, the Government of the Bahamas, in an attempt to resolve the continuous speculation surrounding this incident decided to mount a full and thorough investigation into the incident.
In launching the inquiry, government officials said their aim was to discover the truth and restore the integrity and good name of the Defence Force.
The Commission sat for 30 days between March 1 and May 25. Overall, the Commissioners heard a total of 53 witnesses and received in evidence a total of 35 exhibits.
ﾓSince March 2004, the Commission has met with all concerned parties involved with the incident and has now completed a thorough and full inquiry into all aspects of the HMBS Inagua Incident,ﾒ Secretary to the Commission of Inquiry Leroy Sumner said in a release yesterday.
The incident dates back to June 1992, when Defence Force officers who had been onboard HMBS Inagua, seized drugs from the Lorequin. Some of the drugs reportedly went missing.
The commission was mandated to investigate the circumstances surrounding the delivery of the dangerous drugs to members of the Police Force.
The Bahama Journal
