By DENISE MAYCOCK
Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
EXUMA resident Terry Bain, spokesman for the Save The Exuma Park (STEP) committee, was arrested by police in Farmer’s Cay yesterday.
His wife Ernestine told The Tribune three officers came to their restaurant at Ocean Cabin and took her husband into custody around 4pm.
Mrs Bain believes his arrest is connected with his ongoing opposition to the dredging and excavation at the Bell Island in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park.
“He has been speaking out and doing a lot of shows on the radio educating Bahamians on what has been going on in the Exuma Land and Sea Park,” she said.
Mrs Bain has contacted a lawyer for her husband.
She claims officers had informed her that Environment Minister Earl Deveaux had brought charges against Bain.
When The Tribune contacted Police at Farmer’s Cay yesterday to inquire about Bain’s arrest, an officer identified as Constable Rolle confirmed he had been arrested by CDU officers and was en route by boat to the Police Station at George Town, Exuma.
When asked the nature of his arrest, Constable Rolle said he could not disclose the reasons for Bain’s arrest. He directed The Tribune to speak with police at George Town.
However, when The Tribune contacted the George Town Police Station, an officer said they did not know the reason for Bain’s arrest and were still awaiting the arrival of the arresting officers and Bain from Farmer’s Cay.
Bain, an Exuma environmental activist, has called for development in all national parks to be banned.
He has criticised the Bahamas National Trust for not opposing dredging and excavation at Bell Island in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park.
Protesters are outraged at the granting of permission to dredge and excavate more than 13 acres of land and seabed around Bell Island in the Exuma park.
What an abuse of power! With all that is going on with real criminal activities in this country I can’t believe that the powers that be would have the nerve to do something like this. Firstly, to send three detectives out of Nassau to arrest a law abiding citizen, by having to fly them round trip to George town Exuma, hotel room rental, car rental and rental of a boat to travel from Exuma mainland to Farmers Cay (a boat with two 250HP engines) in a time when fuel is over $6.00 per gallon. Bahamians, think about the cost of this exercise. All of this because a government minister don’t like it that a citizen is questioning his decision on the land and sea park of our country! What the hell is going on in this country? If the minister wanted to bring charges against a citizen, I believe the right course of action is to seek relief through the Bahamian courts, not by sending the police to arrest a citizen, who did not commit a criminal offense. What this government is doing is making it very easy for persons not to vote for them. Is this the 21st century of what? Do they think we live independent of the rest of the world? Don’t forget the role the social media is playing in highlighting world leaders who believe that they can dictate and intimidate their citizens, the Bahamas is not isolated. The world is watching and actions like this can go VIRAL very quickly….Hurry up and call an election so we can fix what is broken in our beloved country.
What is even sadder is we hear nothing from the opposition and in particularly its lousy, lazy Leader. The country is in serious problems and all our leaders do is ti and wait for their turn. Saddest of all is Bran is not an option!
WE getting just like CUBA .
This ain’t gat nothin to do with “SHAME” the Bahamian has become the villain in his own land;and is the victim of his own government’s brutality,instead of being protected by it.
i have to concur with media ingraham and his cronies are looking the other way its clear that this kind a dishonesty behaviour and bad conduct starts at the top and trickle its way down to the small man. im not saying by a long shot its right to steal and be rouge in your duties as public official but they need to start showing better example.
It goes to show that is no more freedom of speech in The Bahamas. This is our country, why are we selling out to foreigners for a few dollars more and a helicopter ride?
But what does get me Ivasson is this, every time the PM get to speak at some passing out ceremony he wana talk about how we shouldn’t be thief or abusing the government service for our own benefit, but members in his Cabinet have become the CHIEF abusers of the public purse.
BP
If this is true, this ain’t right!!!!!
Ingraham’s Tonton Macoutes strike again. Stand up to him and he will unleash them on you. Why do you think he has self-styled himself as Papa. Papa=Papa Doc.
Remember this day, because Ingraham will soon start having his opponents vanish (the record will show that they were released from custody of course)
Two monsters using their own version of the Gestapo. Boy when these people rise up it will be terrible to watch!!!!
I mean where does this Government get off dragging members of the public into the street in the middle of the night. Ingraham dem has no DAMN SHAME!!!
THEY ARE DESPERATE! First they threaten to kill BRANVILL and now they dragging opposition voices out of their home? NO DAMN SHAME NONE!
BP
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