Response to Hysterical Statement by Dr. Duane Sands, by Latrae Rahming, Director of Communications in the Office of The Prime Minister
STATEMENT: It remains one of the greatest privileges of my life to serve the people of The Bahamas as Director of Communica9ons in The Office of The Prime Minister.
Having been appointed at the age of twenty-seven, I am honoured to have been the youngest senior official appointed in this administration.
My job requires me to communicate as needed, on all matters of policy and practice on behalf of the Prime Minister and his administration.
Every day in this office, I carry out my duties with integrity and in good spirit, guided by the law, the rules of public service, and the trust placed in me.
I have never abused my office.
I have never been investigated by the police.
I have never been accused of coaching a witness or tampering with evidence.
I have never been condemned by any court for unethical conduct.
I have never given a government contract to a witness in a corruption case.
I have never been fired by a sitting Prime Minister (and I have had the honour to serve two of them).
I have never been forced to resign.
Dr. Duane Sands cannot say the same.
Before he even became Minister of Health, while still in opposition, he was taking calls from Barbara Hanna – the very person who later became the government’s key witness in the Frank Smith case.
He later was forced to admit that she was one of his political donors.
And, after coming into office, he met with her in person and then directed her to Marvin Dames, instead of ensuring the matter went through the proper legal channels.
Then, while her testimony was still before the courts, Dr. Sands approved a $1.9 million hospital cleaning contract for her company, without the approval of neither the Public Hospital Authority Board or Cabinet, a practice which was found to be without legal authority.
The Chief Magistrate, in her ruling, called the conduct of both Dr. Sands and Mr. Dames “wholly inappropriate, to state it mildly.” She warned that their actions created the “appearance of a political flavour” and reminded the country that “justice must not only be done, it must be see to be done.”
When Bahamians were reeling from the traumatic landfall of Hurricane Dorian, Dr. Sands showed a profound lack of compassion and respect by shoving the remains of 55 souls into a trailer and leaving them there for a year.
He didn’t even see fit to attend the mass burial to give comfort to the grieving families. And when The Bahamas needed steady leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Sands was forced to resign as Minister of Health after breaching the Emergency Orders to allow foreign nationals entry into The Bahamas. He admitted that it was an error of judgment, and the Prime Minister enthusiastically accepted his resignation.
This came after the almost total collapse of the healthcare system under his watch, which saw Bahamians dying in corridors and parking lots as hospitals flooded and roofs caved in.
Against this backdrop, it is even more offensive that he would now suggest that journalists who have served with distinction, do not have the right to choose professional advancement for themselves, or that if they choose to serve their country, they are wrong for doing so.
That view is gross, insults those individuals, and shows his contempt for public service.
The comments by Dr. Sands are not worth the paper they are written on.
He has no standard, no credibility, and no authority to ask for my resignation.
I will continue to serve the Bahamian people with integrity.
Sir: Don’t mix me up in your political games.
