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BELL 'IMPROPER': Minister said oath given at funeral was unorthodox • Symonette says highly irregular move deserves resignation • Cabinet 'had given approval' to family

Tue, Jun 27th 2023, 08:53 AM
Politics Tribune Stories

IMMIGRATION Minister Keith Bell yesterday defended conferring citizenship to a woman and her two children at a funeral on Saturday even as one of his predecessors, Brent Symonette, said his actions were "highly improper" and warranted his resignation from Cabinet.

Audio of Mr Bell swearing in three people during a funeral at the Metropolitan Church of the Nazarene on Saturday went viral over the weekend.
#In the recording, Mr Bell acknowledges that conferring citizenship at a funeral was unorthodox.
#He can be heard presenting the people with certificates, saying he was doing so on behalf of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, “and Bahamians everywhere”.
#Mr Bell told The Tribune he was attending the funeral of Franck Racine, a man born in Haiti who came to The Bahamas in the 1990s. He said Mr Racine’s wife was also born in Haiti, and his two children were born in The Bahamas.
#He said Mr Racine asked for help after his renal kidney failure diagnosis.
#“He applied for citizenship under the former administration, but nothing was done,” he said. “As he cried, he said that he did not want to die and his wife and children was left in ‘no man’s land’. I told him I would look into his matter. It took some time, but his file was located.”
# Mr Bell said he took the matter to Cabinet and the Immigration Board, and that Mr Racine and his family were approved for citizenship. He said while Mr Racine was sworn in, several outstanding matters related to his wife and children prevented them from being sworn-in simultaneously. 
# “By the time as this was done, I was abroad on government business and he had to be admitted to hospital,” Mr Bell said. “He called me and said that he was in hospital. I told him that everything had been done and that as soon as I returned home, I would swear in his wife in his presence. He said thank you and God bless you. He died. In honouring my commitment to him, his wife and children received their citizenship.”
# Nonetheless, Mr Symonette called for a full investigation.
# He said when he was minister, swearing-in events happened at the Hawkins Hill office in a designated room with no press because the event was a “very solemn occasion”.
# He said a senior immigration officer –– either the director or the deputy director of immigration –– led proceedings, administered the oath, and did all the procedural work for the swearing-in.
# Mr Symonette said he never administered an oath.
# “I am unaware up to date of any swearing-in happening elsewhere than in, say, the Magistrate’s Court in Abaco, the immigration office in Freeport, or sometimes you can do it in the administrator’s office in a Family Island, but it’d be in a government office.
# “At the sidelines of a funeral, I don’t want to say –– if it’s not illegal, it’s highly improper at best.”
# He said if an immigration official did not administer the oath, this would be “highly irregular”.
# “So,” he said, “he obviously went to that funeral with the intention of giving this girl or woman her certificate and making a public show for political reasons as a matter which is putting into ridicule the whole solemn issue of issuing citizenship, which is one of the greatest attributes that government has to give any national, any country.”
# “I think the minister should step down, there should be a full investigation into this matter, and if his name is cleared, he can be reappointed. On the face of it, he has done an act which is totally improper for either political or personal gain.”

Audio of Mr Bell swearing in three people during a funeral at the Metropolitan Church of the Nazarene on Saturday went viral over the weekend.

In the recording, Mr Bell acknowledges that conferring citizenship at a funeral was unorthodox.

He can be heard presenting the people with certificates, saying he was doing so on behalf of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, “and Bahamians everywhere”.

Mr Bell told The Tribune he was attending the funeral of Franck Racine, a man born in Haiti who came to The Bahamas in the 1990s. He said Mr Racine’s wife was also born in Haiti, and his two children were born in The Bahamas.

He said Mr Racine asked for help after his renal kidney failure diagnosis.

“He applied for citizenship under the former administration, but nothing was done,” he said. “As he cried, he said that he did not want to die and his wife and children was left in ‘no man’s land’. I told him I would look into his matter. It took some time, but his file was located.”

Mr Bell said he took the matter to Cabinet and the Immigration Board, and that Mr Racine and his family were approved for citizenship. He said while Mr Racine was sworn in, several outstanding matters related to his wife and children prevented them from being sworn-in simultaneously. 

“By the time as this was done, I was abroad on government business and he had to be admitted to hospital,” Mr Bell said. “He called me and said that he was in hospital. I told him that everything had been done and that as soon as I returned home, I would swear in his wife in his presence. He said thank you and God bless you. He died. In honouring my commitment to him, his wife and children received their citizenship.”

Nonetheless, Mr Symonette called for a full investigation.

He said when he was minister, swearing-in events happened at the Hawkins Hill office in a designated room with no press because the event was a “very solemn occasion”.

He said a senior immigration officer –– either the director or the deputy director of immigration –– led proceedings, administered the oath, and did all the procedural work for the swearing-in.

Mr Symonette said he never administered an oath.

“I am unaware up to date of any swearing-in happening elsewhere than in, say, the Magistrate’s Court in Abaco, the immigration office in Freeport, or sometimes you can do it in the administrator’s office in a Family Island, but it’d be in a government office.

“At the sidelines of a funeral, I don’t want to say –– if it’s not illegal, it’s highly improper at best.”

He said if an immigration official did not administer the oath, this would be “highly irregular”.

“So,” he said, “he obviously went to that funeral with the intention of giving this girl or woman her certificate and making a public show for political reasons as a matter which is putting into ridicule the whole solemn issue of issuing citizenship, which is one of the greatest attributes that government has to give any national, any country.”

“I think the minister should step down, there should be a full investigation into this matter, and if his name is cleared, he can be reappointed. On the face of it, he has done an act which is totally improper for either political or personal gain.”

 

Click here to read more at The Tribune

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