Bahamian legislator accused of rape by ex-girlfriend

NASSAU, Bahamas, Apr 19, CMC – Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper says he remains confident that the police will adequately investigate allegations that a current Member of Parliament raped and assaulted a woman.

“There is a complaint with the police in relation to some very serious allegations,” said, Cooper, who is also the Minister of Tourism, Investment and Aviation.

“I’m certain that the police will investigate aggressively. We believe in the rule of law and we are confident that due process will prevail and the police will do their jobs,” he told reporters.

Police said that the unidentified woman had filed a complaint in Grand Bahama on April 7 against her ex-boyfriend.

The woman told the Tribune newspaper that she had been raped, choked and poked in the eye by the legislator, who also made death threats against her and her family during their relationship, prompting her to fear for her life.

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe said the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) he is not interfering in the investigations, adding that “satisfaction with investigations is a question properly addressed to the Commissioner of Police.

“We don’t interfere with the police in their investigations regardless of who is the alleged victim or accused. Critics can say what they like. The record shows that a PLP (Progressive Liberal Party) parliamentarian went to prison under a PLP government and (former Senator and MP) Pleasant Bridgewater was charged under a PLP government,” he added.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Bernard “BK” Bonamy told a local television network on Tuesday night that the police are in the preliminary stages of the investigation, adding “when we investigate, we don’t put a time on investigations.

“We try to do it in a decent manner. I can’t say two days, I can’t say three days. Once we interview persons who can assist with the investigation then we’ll move forward,” he added.

Meanwhile, the opposition Free National Movement (FNM) is calling on police to vigorously investigate the assault allegations.

“The first statement from the police was ‘we’ll see how this goes.’ That’s an unacceptable response,”  said former senator,  Heather Hunt.

Hart, who was part of a group of prominent women members of the FNM, told a news conference that “at this point, we are expecting the police to aggressively investigate, carry out due process and transparency.

“We want an aggressive and transparent investigation and we do not want a let’s see where this goes because that is the quote that came from the police when asked. So we’re not going to wait and see how it goes.

“We want you to tell us right now, immediately, the state and the status of the investigation and be transparent and report to the people on this case.”

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