Office of the Attorney General
PRESS STATEMENT
The crimes that Colton Harris-Moore allegedly committed in The Bahamas, the United States of America and Canada are not frivolous matters. They are serious in nature and have taxed the human and other resources of various law enforcement agencies in several jurisdictions.
In no way should Harris-Moore’s alleged criminal behaviour be minimized. The Government of The Bahamas and the vast majority of Bahamians take with the utmost seriousness the breaching of our laws by Bahamians as well as non-Bahamians.
Harris-Moore’s alleged crimes must be treated with the seriousness they deserve. It was therefore decided to act in a manner which ensures that Harris-Moore’s alleged crimes are dealt with in a firm manner.
It is not uncommon where an individual is alleged to have committed a series of crimes over multiple jurisdictions, for the jurisdiction where the lesser of the alleged crimes occurred (while acting in an appropriate way to condemn the breach of its laws) to allow the other jurisdiction where the greater of the offences allegedly took place to proceed with its charges by sending the individual to that jurisdiction.
Consistent with this, Harris-Moore was convicted in a Bahamian court of law for a criminal offence. He was subsequently deported. He now faces substantially more charges in the US than he would have faced in The Bahamas.
It is to be noted that The Bahamas has often been afforded reciprocal treatment in requesting the return to this country from the United States of America, individuals who may have committed more serious and more numerous crimes here than in the United States.
To reiterate, in the case of Harris-Moore, The Bahamas granted various U.S. authorities the same consideration which they have extended to us on various occasions.
The Government of The Bahamas acknowledges the diligent work done by the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the attorneys of the Office of the Attorney General and other Government agencies to bring this matter to a safe and swift conclusion. The Government also wishes to thank those many concerned citizens who assisted law enforcement in bringing this matter to a close.
The Bahamian people are justifiably proud of their fellow citizens as well as public officers who concluded in an orderly, transparent and fair manner a case which highlights the finest attributes of our citizenry, the criminal justice system and the rule of law.
The Bahamas needs to quit bowing down every time the U.S. snaps its fingers! This so-called “barefoot bandit” should, at the very least, have been charged with the crimes he committed in the Bahamas and if found guilty, served his time in a Bahamian jail before being deported to the U.S. The $300. fine was a joke and doesn’t even begin to pay the costs involved in apprehending this criminal. The only example of the U.S. extraditing an individual to the Bahamas recently was a Mr. Birbal who was sent back to the Bahamas after being held in the U.S. for months. Anyway, when the U.S. gets around to it and if the U.S. finds it in its best interests, the U.S. will cooperate with the Bahamas. The Bahamas however, sends the “barefoot bandit’ back pronto. This does not set a good example for discouraging anyone from committing crimes in the Bahamas. The U.S. economy is in serious distress and not likely to improve very soon. The Bahamas needs to find other sources of tourism from other countries so as not to be so ‘beholden’ to the U.S.
John Delaney you are full of it. All of your education and training have gone to waste. Your actions are nothing short of sinister and direspectful to our Bahamaland. You clowns careen about believing your law degrees give you more intelligence than the rest of us. The truth of the matter is you all are just a bunch of sociopaths hell bent on leaving your Uncle Tom names in the annals of history that will accurately depict you as a foolish, out of touch, wannabe elitists.
Name a few criminals who the U.S. has turned over to the Bahamas. Do you think we are stupid. The U.S. will never turn over anyone to the Bahamas if they are facing criminal charges in that country.
John Delaney you are a nut!!! All Bahamians who know anything about the U.S. know that the U.S. has a multi-tiered criminal justice system. For example you have criminals doing time at the county/parish level, the state level, and the federal level.
Which state in the U.S. is going to hand over individuals charged in thier courts to the Bahamas, a country smaller and with less resources than many counties in many states. You clowns have got to be kidding!!!
Look at the arrogance of you fools!!! Bahamians don’t want press releases!! Give us the facts. Produce a comprehensive report that shows the historical relevance of your supposedly “logical” decision!!!
If you can’t then I guess this press release was really written by the black conscious African American female who married a white man now I’m feeling guilty U.S. ambassador!!!
I can’t wait for the general elections to vote out you and Papa Doc!!!
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