A shocked Paul Adderley, former attorney general of The Bahamas, stood in the doorway of his law chambers on Monday morning after returning from a quiet weekend and discovering that the Frederick Street office had been ransacked.
Mr. Adderley told The Bahama Journal that this was not the first time his office had been broken into, but the way in which it was turned upside down this time proved that the thief or thieves may have been seeking documents.
He said he could think of two or three files that may be of interest to someone, but he said there was nothing the burglar could do to sabotage any information because his documents are recorded.
The attorney explained that the burglar gained entry into the office through a two-storey window in the back area of his office.
The windowﾴs lock and the lock for the hurricane shutters were broken.
ﾓThey were determined to get in here because in the back of this office is a high wall with barbed wire fence. They also had to carry a ladder because [thereﾴs] no way they could have gotten into the building otherwise,ﾒ Mr. Adderley explained.
He pointed to the front door of the office which was locked when he arrived at his office at 8am and said that the burglar never exited the building using the front door.
Mr. Adderley also told The Bahama Journal that he would usually work at his office on Saturdays, but he had traveled to Jamaica over the weekend and did not return to the capital until Sunday.
Tipping over the massive amount of files that were tossed all over the office, Mr. Adderley said from first glance the only valuable item ﾖ in terms of what a burglar could get cash for ﾖ that was missing was a necklace that he had purchased in New York for his wife as her Easter gift.
ﾓThey took out all the drawers out of my desk and so if you open a drawer and see that there is no money in there, why would you take out everything and throw them all over the place? That makes no sense,ﾒ Mr. Adderley said.
He said it could take years to determine which files are missing.
ﾓIt doesnﾴt appear to be a conventional burglary because the person had to go through a lot of trouble to break the door off that safe because that safe is very old,ﾒ added Mr. Adderley, referring to a safe, which was also broken into.
ﾓIf you break the hinges off the door it doesnﾴt come off. If you break the combination off the door it doesnﾴt come off. You have to go through a lot of trouble to break the door off that safe.ﾒ
The safe contained clientsﾴ files and old Bahamian money notes, including shillings and five-pound notes, Mr. Adderley said.
The reception area of the office was untouched and remained as Mr. Adderley had left it before traveling.
ﾓItﾴs obvious that the burglars were not after money,ﾒ he said. ﾓThe way the files were found on the ground proves that money was not their motive.ﾒ
Mr. Adderley said he believed that the culprit may have used a steel pole in his office to pry the heavy door of the safe open.
Valuables like computers, fax machines and other equipment that are often stolen during burglaries remained in place.
Two antique watches were also left behind in the office on Mr. Adderleyﾴs desk. He said it was clear that the thieves handled the watches while they were in the office because they had been removed from where he left them on Friday afternoon.
The burglars even took some time to have some champagne while perusing the office, said Mr. Adderley, noting that two bottles of Moet were missing from the wine collection.
The police were called in and Mr. Adderley said that the officers took several items to look for fingerprints. He said he hoped they are successful in finding prints because the ﾓchampagne drinking burglarsﾒ were smart enough to wipe the areas clean which they touched.
ﾓThis is a bucket we kept in the bathroom and as you can see there is a wet rag in the bucket in the back part of the office,ﾒ Mr. Adderley noted. ﾓAll the areas, including the window area, were wiped clean. I never heard of a thief wiping the place clean before leaving.
ﾓThis is different and thatﾴs why I say this is no ordinary burglary.ﾒ
Mr. Adderley said despite the robbery, he plans to continue practicing from that office.
Bianca Symonette, The Bahama Journal
