Supreme Court Judge questions signature on VBI
NASSAU| Justice Bernard Turner got the shock of his life a few weeks ago after a Voluntary Bill of Indictment [VBI] was filed on a matter in his court by a team from the Attorney General’s Office.
The learned Justice, being meticulous and thorough, began to question prosecutors on the VBI, asking whose signature is being presented on the documents? He noted in his discourse that one of the VBIs was not signed by the DPP. He questioned why this was the case?
It was explained that the signature on the VBI was not that of AG Carl Bethel, nor was it the DPP, but was signed by one Mrs. Nebo-Jones.
Justice Turner then asked if she was authorized to sign the document, to which the Prosecutor responded that she is the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions. Lord, in the morning! Help the Bahamas! What in the hell is this?
Now readers should note that this is the same OAG which used attorneys and senior officers of the court who participated in fabrication of evidence against Shane Gibson and Frank Smith. And look at this: now Officers of the Court are once again running afoul of the law!
Bahamas Press warns defenders of citizens to be careful when examining files to protect their clients against matters coming from the AG OFFICE! Carl Bethel, for one, is weak when following the procedures of the law and we are now convinced that his appointed DPP and their Deputies are no better.
Let us at Bahamas Press help Attorney General Carl Bethel and his weaker DPP to understand the rules that govern his office and protect citizens of the Bahamas. Section 258(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code says that the Attorney General or a “LEGAL PRACTITIONER” acting on his instructions SHALL sign every VBI.
How could the African Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Nebo-Jones, sign a VBI when she is NOT a practitioner of the Bahamas Bar? She has not been called to the Bahamas Bar. And her application to practice has not been accepted! And so what is this? Again, we warn Defence Attorneys across the country to examine these papers out of the AG Office carefully.
And here is something else for the learned people of the country. We should all note that the Parliament of the Bahamas HAS NOT YET AMENDED THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODES to have all references to the AG changed to the DPP after the Constitutional Amendment. We need to do better around here!
We ga tell yinner once again cause most persons have not gotten it yet! Carl Wilshire Bethel in our view is UNFIT to be Attorney General of the Bahamas!
We report and ga let yinner decide!
