Inappropriateness does not amount to criminality, said Leader of the Opposition Philip Brave Davis in reference to the arrest of former Nassau Village MP and Chairman of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) Dion Smith.
Smith was taken into police custody on Thursday for questioning over an alleged theft at the corporation.
Eight employees were taken in for questioning this week over several electronic items, including televisions and computers, were allegedly stolen on the night of the general election.
Those employees have since been released pending further investigation.
According to Smith's attorney, Wayne Munroe, the former MP decided to watch the results of the election at BAIC last Wednesday and brought his speaker and personal television to the corporation.
Smith and several employees packed these and other personal belongings after Smith learned he had lost his bid for office, according to Munroe.
Smith left the island last week Thursday and returned on Sunday.
Munroe said when Smith realized police wanted to speak with him on Thursday he complied and was arrested.
After receiving his instruments of appointment at Government House yesterday, Davis was asked to respond to Smith's detainment.
He was also asked whether watching the election results as a political candidate at the corporation was inappropriate for the chairman.
"Inappropriateness does not amount to criminality," he said.
"Inappropriateness does not involve police officers conducting themselves in the way they did.
"Many people act inappropriately, but inappropriate actions do not amount in all circumstances to criminal conduct. Watching election results at the premises of BAIC to which he had access by reason of his office, whereas in may be deemed inappropriate by some, it is not a criminal act from all accounts."
Davis said he did not wish to get into the appropriateness or inappropriateness of the matter and is more concerned about the conduct of the police in the way they have dealt with the matter.
He said based on the allegations the manner in which police have handled it "appears to be tremendous overkill in their show of force".
He was referring to the officers who visited BAIC on Tuesday.
Davis claimed the officers stormed the corporation with guns like the "Gestapo", the secret state police of Nazi Germany.
"As I am advised, Mr. Smith was appointed chairman of BAIC," Davis said.
"The appointment of chairman to BAIC is done under instruments signed by the governor general.
"I am not aware that he has resigned yet.
"So, there is still a lot of authority vested in him as chairman.
"And so, it is a question of what, in fact, are these allegations and whether or not he did have the authority to authorize anything related to those allegations.
"I am concerned that it appears that these are preemptive efforts on the part of the police.
"Motivated by what, we need to get to the bottom."
Davis said it is very easy to draw conclusions that this is a political witch hunt.
He said prior to this incident there were a number of allegations being made about a particular individual, who was reportedly "taunting members of the PLP who work at the institution".
"So, it is not [difficult] to arrive at that conclusion having regard to all the antecedents leading up to the events," Davis said.

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