Munroe points finger at DPP

Wayne Munroe
Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe

Wayne Munroe is pointing the finger at the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for unsatisfactory management of the country’s prosecutorial system. Munroe is not pleased with the Director’s job performance. He also noted that the DPP is ’independently’ in charge of prosecutions.

Minister of National Security Munroe said he plans to meet with Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Garvin Gaskin over his performance. Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander and Minister of Legal Affairs Jomo Campbell will also attend the meeting.

According to Minister Munroe, “We’re not pleased, for instance, that you can have a case for murder that is being defended by two [King’s Counsel] and a number of junior lawyers, and he would not be doing it personally, and people at a higher level would not be doing it.

“That’s regarded by the officers who work the cases as being disrespectful to their work,” said Munroe.

“He is independently in charge of the prosecutorial system. I have not been advised that there have been any appeals of those decisions onward to the Court of Appeal.

Munroe pointed out how persons on bail for murder and armed robbery breached the terms of their bail. He says those persons were fined instead of being remanded to prison.

“That is troubling to me as a practitioner who has been in practice for three decades,” added Munroe.


Controversy at DPP

This is not the only recent controversy involving the Department of Public Prosecutions.

In February, Franklyn Williams was sworn in as Acting Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) during Gaskin’s leave. He came under fire in March for apparent ‘victim blaming’ a teenage girl sexually assaulted by a forty-year-old man who impregnated the schoolgirl.

The forty-year-old is serving only four years in prison.

At the time, Williams defended the low sentence and said the country has “a generation of highly sexualized young people.”

Munroe backed acting DPP Williams, saying he would not have advised [the forty-year-old] to take such a high sentence because “she consented.”

Several human and women’s rights groups demanded both Munroe and Williams resign.

On the hot seat over crime

Director of Public Prosecutions Garvin Gaskin


In 2018, Garvin Gaskin, was sworn in as the country’s first constitutionally appointed Independent Director of Public Prosecutions under the Minnis administration. The Constitution of The Bahamas now requires that any policy directives given by the Attorney General to the Director of Public Prosecutions must be in writing, and published in the Gazette for the public.

Gaskin’s term is five years.

Now, as the country finds itself in the midst of a crime crisis, and he finds himself on the hot seat, National Security Minister Munroe is pointing the finger at DPP Gaskin who recently returned from a leave of absence.

On Monday, former Prime Minister Dr.Hubert Minnis said crime consultants hired by the national security ministry have not been effective in helping to crack down on crime.

Minnis said the consultants were “receiving the people’s money” without producing results.

Munroe has since defended those hires, insisting they were performing effectively.

The most questioned hire of the ministry is controversial talk show host Rodney Moncur. However, Munroe described Moncur as an “independent contractor” who is “purely for community engagement, and he engages with the community far and wide.”

Before the 2021 general elections, Monroe was an almost daily guest on Rodney Moncur’s talk show on Island Luck TV. Moncur continues to host his afternoon talk show.

In the wake of criticism directed at his hired ’crime consultants’, Minister of National Security Munroe is pointing to DPP Garvin Gaskin and highlighting what he believes is the fecklessness of this country’s prosecutorial system in the fight against crime.

These past few months, some accused murderers on bail were killed. Others on bail allegedly killed again.

According to Munroe, many attorneys and police officials complain about DPP policies that impact the progress of criminal matters. These have yet to be addressed by Gaskin, Munroe claimed.

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