North Abaco Member of Parliament Kirk Cornish was taken into custody yesterday, police confirmed.

Police said in a short statement to the media that Cornish, 48, of Cooper's Town, Abaco, turned himself in to police in Grand Bahama accompanied by his lawyer around 5:25 p.m.

Police said only that investigations were continuing and did not reveal the specific nature of their investigations.

Last night, police nor the individual who was identified to The Nassau Guardian as the MP's lawyer answered any questions on the matter of his arrest, which unsurprisingly has attracted great public interest.

It was not clear up to midnight whether Cornish had been questioned and released or whether he was being held overnight.

It is not unusual for police to arrest someone for questioning and release the individual pending further investigations.

When approached by reporters outside the House of Assembly on April 19, Cornish said he had "absolutely no comment" regarding any allegations that were being made against him.

Police have promised to conduct a thorough and fair investigation.

Though he was in police custody, there is no legal requirement for the MP to resign from the House of Assembly.

If police determine there is a reason to charge the MP and take him before the court, there would also be no legal requirement for him to resign.

Under Article 48 (1)(f) of the constitution, a seat would become vacant if an MP is convicted of a crime and sentenced for a period exceeding 12 months.

Under House rules, a seat would become vacant if an MP misses Parliament for a period of 90 days without leave.

It is unknown whether police have any intention on bringing any charges against Cornish; and, again, it was unknown how long they intend to hold him or whether he was being held overnight.

A flier that was circulated via social media on Wednesday purportedly showed that the MP planned to have a grill and chill event at the Green Turtle Cay basketball court tomorrow.

Cornish is a first-time MP. He received 42 percent of the votes in the September 2021 general election.

After that election, the prime minister appointed him parliamentary secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister.

There was no public reaction last night from the prime minister or any of Cornish's colleagues to his arrest.

There was also no public reaction from his constituents.

On the Progressive Liberal Party's website, Cornish is described as "candid, dependable, courageous and astute".

The House is scheduled to meet next on May 10.

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