Officers of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) are seeking to silence vocal critics of the Minnis Administration by threatening them with prosecution.
Social media personalities, who have gained a following for holding the government’s feet to the fire, claim they were contacted by Inspector Toote who informed them that police have received formal complaints from senior FNM members over the contents of their social media posts.
Inspector Toote, who reports to Assistant Superintendent of Police Maycock, allegedly contacted persons on social media and instructed them to come in for questioning about their negative comments about cabinet ministers and FNM members on social media.
RBPF sources tell the Gallery that the two officers have been tasked with monitoring social media sites for scathing rebukes of the Minnis Administration and intimidating the persons who post them.
The move comes as no surprise to those who know the petty nature of Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis.
Minnis has come under fire for making thinly-veiled public threats to a whistleblower.
While wrapping up the 2021/2022 budget debate in the House of Assembly, Minnis threatened to release confidential information on former Ministry of Finance procurement officer Daniel Ferguson, who has pointed out deficiencies in the government’s procurement process and has repeatedly called for transparency in the award of government contracts.
Minnis warned he might reveal details from the ex-contractor’s personnel files held by the government if the public procurement issue continues to be raised.
“If you push me enough, I will,” Minnis warned.
The prime minister also suggested Ferguson would have difficulty finding a job in the future.
“Who would hire such an individual moving forward?” Minnis asked.
The prime minister’s threat to release the files of a qualified Bahamian and ensure he could not find future employment is in keeping with his government’s attempt to turn the Bahamas into a police state during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite promising transparency and accountability, the Minnis Administration is seeking to threaten and intimidate those who dare to demand that it actually lives up to that campaign promise.