Nassau, Bahamas — Derek Walcott, the playwright who wrote the trilogy of ‘Te’ Jean and his Brothers’ is quoted as saying, “Justice is an invention of the Devil”. His statement was proven true yesterday when a Bahamian judge fined the Barefoot Bandit $300 for illegally landing in The Bahamas.

Colton Harris-Moore had evaded US authorities for two years gathering followers online around the world as he robbed US citizens in a burglary trail from the West to East Coasts of the United States.

After stealing planes and boats, 19-year-old Moore crash-landed – like a secret agent on the run – a stolen aircraft in Abaco. Trained pilots don’t do that well. While on Abaco, Moore continued his charade of housebreakings and boat thefts. By the middle of last week Moore was near the central Bahamas as his island hop began; stealing everything he could get his hands on. By Saturday night he had a gun, and a new boat as he headed for Cuba wearing his bulletproof vest.

When captured Moore, according to police, began co-operating with Bahamian authorities and everyone thought he would get time. Imagine this now; a man illegally lands a plane in your backyard, breakup your property, stole boats all across the country, ransacked home after home in the process and when he comes before one a them ‘VIGZY HEAD’ people he is fined $300? We cannot believe what we are hearing.

This latest ruling reminds of the guest who beat the hell out of a police officer near the straw market, ripped his clothes, called him nigger and threatened to kill him right in the face of the public. And again that criminal was only given a fine and released. Something must be wrong with our justice system, ‘eh’?

It took authorities almost one year to bring Andre Birbal [the man who molested all those boys in Eight Mile Rock] back to the Bahamas. It took the same time for the Bahamian authorities to return Madison Pugh [the girl who is accused of the death of her mother] back to the country and stand trial. And if a Bahamian was arrested in Dade County do you think they would see the Bahamian Ambassador come to your aide? So why in the name of the Risen Lord we in this country cannot show we are independent to the world?

When will this Mickey Mouse Justice system prove to the Bahamas and the world we are a nation govern by LAWS and will make an example of LAWBREAKERS WHOEVER THEY ARE?

You know today the boy from Bain Town is watching all this unfold and is saying to himself, “I TOO can slap a policeman to the floor and get away with it.” And another is saying. “I could get a gun, hold up a boat owner, THIEF HIS BOAT and go on my robbing spree and only pay a $300 fine or get bail.”

The Tribune editorial today supports the decision by the judge in Moore’s case and for us we oppose it. Bahamas Press finds it unconscionable to let someone go scot-free with a mere $300 slap on the wrist after terrorizing an entire community. Who is going to pay for the expat’s boat whose engine was shot out by police? Who is paying for all those man-hours consumed by the Royal Bahamas Police and Defence Forces to capture this bandit?

Bahamas Press contends you can commit MURDER in the Bahamas and Justice will never catch up with you. Today the people of Long Island are shaking scared after an elderly women, dragged miles from her home last night, was discovered dead while her killer[s] drove her taxi back home. We only wonder if the same manpower used for the ‘Barefoot Bandit’ is being put to use on this latest case. We guess not.

Derek Walcott said, “Justice is an invention of the Devil” and we say our authorities have made a JACKASS OF THEMSELVES, AGAIN!

WE NEED CHANGE!