WHAT IS THE REAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DAMES AND THE DRUG TRAFFICKER?

The quiet rhythms of the boating world were shattered recently by a discovery that continues to send shockwaves through the Bahamas. A 42ft vessel, intercepted and boarded, was found to be carrying not tourists or fishing gear, but a jaw-dropping 200 kilograms of cocaine.

While such busts are unfortunately not unheard of in our region, it’s the ownership of the vessel and the connections of its passengers that are driving an intense, almost frantic, level of public interest.

The central figure in this unfolding drama is Marvin Dames, the former Minister of National Security and former Deputy Commissioner of Police, former head of the Drug Enforcement Agency, with years of experience in taking down drug traffickers, whether shipping or distribution on the streets. He led the investigations, so it is safe to say that he knew the game very well.

In a move that was perhaps an attempt at get-ahead-of-the-story damage control, Dames publicly admitted that he and his wife own the vessel in question. This admission alone is explosive, linking a sophisticated drug smuggling operation directly to the family of the man once entrusted with the entire nation’s security apparatus.

But Dames didn’t stop there. He also acknowledged that the alleged smuggler piloting the boat is, or was, a business partner. This admission transforms a terrible optics situation into something far more insidious.

We are no longer talking about a boat that might have been stolen or used without the owner’s knowledge. We are talking about a vessel owned by the family of a former National Security Minister, being operated by his own business partner, loaded with a massive quantity of illicit narcotics.

It is the gaping holes in Dames’ “explanation,” however, that are fueling the most feverish speculation. While admitting to the business partnership, he remained conspicuously silent about the nature of the business he and the alleged smuggler were engaged in. Was it a maritime business? A security firm? A real estate venture? The nature of this partnership is now the single most critical question. In the absence of clarity, the vacuum is being filled by increasingly dark rumours, and rightfully so. The public deserves to know the exact terms and operational areas of this business relationship.

Furthermore, a significant question mark hangs over Dames’ own whereabouts and intentions at the time of the bust. The narrative implies the vessel may have been en route to Broward County, Florida. The silence from Dames on this point is deafening: Was he, in fact, waiting for his “business partner” to arrive in Broward? A simple timeline and itinerary could clear this up, but so far, we have only stonewalling silence.

This situation has left FNM supporters and leadership, including Michael Pintard, in an acutely embarrassing position. Pintard, who has made anti-corruption a central plank of his platform and frequently attempts to paint the PLP as the party of corruption, is now facing a potential “Shadow Minister of National Security” whose family is at the centre of a monumental drug-smuggling scandal. The hypocrisy is stunning. Either Dames, as a former national security head, was incredibly naive and negligent—which in itself should disqualify him from shadow governance—or he may have felt a sense of invulnerability, thinking his deep knowledge of the “lay of the land” afforded him protection.

This story is far from over. With every passing day, there are more questions than answers. The people of the Bahamas demand, and deserve, a full and transparent accounting. Until Mr Dames fills in the critical blanks, the suspicion will only grow, and the shadow over his public life will only darken.

Furthermore, the honest and sensible FNM should want to know whether the people purporting to be above board are, in fact, above board.

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