The findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the 1992 Lorequin incident point to five defence force officers who were most likely responsible for the disappearance of 50 packages of cocaine.
ﾓThe Commissioners are of the view that the most reasonable and most probable explanation for the disappearance of the 50 packages was that some or all of the members of the RBDF who were detailed to bring the Lorequin from Nassau Harbour to Coral Harbour, were responsible for the disappearance of the 50 packages of drugs,ﾒ the report said.
ﾓThese persons were: Acting Sub Lieutenant Alpin Taylor; Leading Seaman Sham Burrows; Marine Seaman Lucius Fox; Able Mechanic Anthony Symonette and Marine Seaman Wayne Williams.ﾒ
It said that the conduct of Sub Lieutenant Alpin Taylor on the morning of 21 June at Coral Harbour was ﾓhighly suspicious.ﾒ
ﾓHe may very well have had something to do with the three packages which may have gone missing at the base. ﾠBut there is no direct evidence implicating him with that disappearance.ﾒ
The report also said, ﾓThere was no direct evidence from which an inference can be drawn that the RBDF personnel on the Inagua during the journey to Coral Harbour were also complicit in the removal of the drugs.ﾒ
The commissioners also concluded that, ﾓthe evidence adduced is unlikely to support a criminal prosecution of individual persons. ﾠ
ﾓHowever, the commissioners found that on the totality of the evidence, there was no real likelihood that the crewmembers of the Lorequin would steal only a portion of the shipment or that they would extract a portion of the shipment as payment for services, given the lower prices that would be obtained in The Bahamas.ﾒ
The commissioners have also concluded that a larger, more elaborate investigative operation targeting the crew of the Inagua following the Lorequin incident was vetoed by the U.S. State Department.
It was the view of the commissioners that such an operation had the potential to either show conclusively the criminal disposition of members of the crew of the Inagua, or to show that the men were not like-minded.
The Commission of Inquiry was launched this year 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 Royal Bahamas 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.
The report said that it would appear from the evidence that the head of the RBDF at the time of the Inagua incident, Commodore Leon Smith, had all but ﾓabdicatedﾒ his responsibilities and appeared to be almost completely out of touch with what was happening within his own force.
In the report, the Commissioners ﾖ retired Justice Stanley Moore, His Grace Archbishop Drexel Gomez and Sir Albert Miller ﾖ said after the events of June 21, 1992 had played themselves out, retired Commander Smith was content to leave all investigations to the police, ﾓto do nothing himself, and to take no further investigative and if warranted, disciplinary action.ﾒ
ﾓThis in spite of the grave allegations made against members of his force which constituted charges of serious breaches of civil as well as military law,ﾒ the report added.
ﾓThe favourable portents for a successful career notwithstanding, by 20 June 1992, Commander Smith had virtually retired to his cabin, so to speak, relinquishing the virtual control and command of the good ship RBDF to his subordinate officers.
ﾓHe appeared to have little first-hand knowledge of what was happening beneath him in the force in general, yet was genuinely peeved not to have been taken into the confidence of the planner of the operation.ﾒ
The report said despite the sporadic efforts of Commander Edison Rolle and the Intelligence Unit, there is no evidence of a concerted effort by the leadership of the Defence Force to cause a thorough investigation to be carried out in light of these extremely serious allegations.
The report recommended that, ﾓcareful attention should be paid to the selection of a suitably qualified and capable officer to replace Lieutenant Commander Edison Rolle, who should be re-deployed to a position for which his abilities and experience equip him.
ﾓFurther, that a cadre of able, well qualified and efficient support staff be recruited as replacements for those members of the department who are clearly not suited to the performance of intelligence duties.ﾒ
The commissioners have also concluded, based on the evidence of several persons who appeared before the commission, that the personnel assigned to the Intelligence Section of the RBDF were ﾓpoorly trained and woefully ill-equipped for the task at hand.ﾒ
The report also recommended that, ﾓserious consideration be given to the desirability of Lieutenant Franklyn Clarke continuing in his present position given the findings of this commission concerning his credibility and his less than adequate competence displayed during the Lorequin incident and during his testimony before the commission.ﾒ
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 commissionerﾴs report said, ﾓIt is hoped that this report has disclosed the identity of those persons whose conduct has been suspect and that they alone, and not the entire Royal Bahamas Defence Force of which they are or were members, will bear the fitting reproach for their suspicious behaviours.ﾒ
The 160-page report made a number of other recommendations for improving the defence force.
The Bahama Journal
