Will John Bostwick also get his record expunge under an FNM Government?!
By Jerry Roker
for Bahamas Press
In my view, Opposition Leader Dr. Minnis stepped out of bounds when he announced that should those thugs who tore down the fence on Cabbage Beach be convicted, he would expunge their criminal record. This is a very serious matter as it attacks the very core of our constitutional democracy, which has as one of its fundamental pillars an independent judiciary with powers unto itself, totally outside of the influence of the executive branch.
The unfortunate part about this is that Dr. Minnis was obviously acting out of the purely selfish political interest of himself and his party. His announcement was very dangerous and reckless.
We are a nation of laws, and for a member of the executive branch to speak of removing a conviction of a magistrate should they so bestow same, after weighing the evidence, for me, amounts to contempt. Dr. Minnis, this is no banana republic. And your announcement as to your intent in this matter, even before the first witness has been called, is odious and frightening. For an aspiring Prime Minister to position himself, before a determination of guilt or otherwise has been made, to cure an unfavourable decision of the courts, disqualifies you from that position.
We have thousands of young men, who have never been convicted of committing any violent acts, but were caught with a joint of marijuana for their personal recreation, and are now saddled with a criminal record. I dare say, that had you committed to expunging their criminal records, such would have been a noble act, and I would have been among the first to applaud you.
