NASSAU| Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle is attempting to cover up corruption at the highest level of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) to protect disgraced Assistant Superintendent Debra Thompson who lied and schemed to get the bank accounts of government witness Jonathon Ash frozen.
In 2017, Thompson signed an affidavit that alleged that Ash’s account was being investigated. However, when Thompson was ordered to produce the results of this so-called investigation, she signed another affidavit that claimed she made a mistake when she alleged the bank account was under investigation.
This means, Ash’s bank account was unjustifiably frozen for two years.
During her testimony at the failed Shane Gibson trial, Thompson admitted to a jury that what she did was wrong. She also admitted to holding an illegal joint meeting with the prosecution’s two key witnesses and their attorneys to iron out “inconsistencies” in their witness accounts.
Following his acquittal in 2019, Gibson made a formal complaint to Commissioner Rolle in February 2020, requesting that the Corruption and Complaints Unit of the police force investigate Thompson’s questionable behavior in this case.
However, Rolle never acknowledged receipt of the letter or bothered to refer it to Corruption and Complaints for investigation.
Gibson also penned a letter to the Police Service Commission, which informed him that his complaint had been forwarded to Commissioner Rolle to be referred to Corruption and Complaints.
Two years later, Rolle has refused to acknowledge Gibson’s letter of complaint or refer it for investigation, in accordance with the Police Act.
Rolle was promoted to Commissioner of Police under the rejected Minnis Administration as a reward for pursuing police investigations into former members of the Christie Administration Kenred Dorsett, Frank Smith and Shane Gibson.
Despite interference at every level from senior members of the former government and the police force, Smith and Gibson were both acquitted of all charges.
During their trials, which cost Bahamian taxpayers millions of dollars, it was revealed that Debra Thompson coached witnesses in the Gibson case while then Minister of National Security Marvin Dames met with Smith trial witness Barbara Hanna at his constituency office and called her over a dozen times before charges were brought against Smith.
Rolle – who headed the Anti-Corruption Unit before Dames promoted him for carrying out their political witch hunt – has proven he is not fit to lead the police force.
Instead of allowing the Corruption and Complaints Unit to investigate Thompson’s actions and allow the chips to fall where they may, he is trying fo cover it up.
New Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe has also failed to get to the bottom of this matter.
