One of the Cuban detainees allegedly beaten by detention center guards back in May claimed when he was interviewed by investigators that detainees paid money to defence force guards to use their uniforms in a video they made reenacting the abuse, and paid the guards to provide cell phones with video recording capabilities.

The detainee's interview is contained in a report into the alleged beatings.

The report was completed by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) in July.

Up to now, it has not been revealed and has only been in the possession of a small group of law enforcement authorities. 3

One marine interviewed by investigators also said he "was aware and had seen two officers selling cell phones to the detainees".

A cell phone was allegedly used to record the reenacted beatings.

That video caused a firestorm when it was aired by a Spanish language television station in Florida.

The detainee reported to investigators that the video was shot in the male dormitory by a Cuban detainee called Chino who used a cellular phone camera.

This allegedly happened after guards severely beat detainees following an attempted escape in May.

According to the report, Chino allegedly hid this cellular phone camera near his bunk. One of the detainees interviewed alleges that Chino "paid a guard for it".

He said detainees posed as the military marines and acted as if they were beating detainees.

The detainee told investigators he along with six other Cuban detainees had attempted to jump the walls of the Carmichael Road Detention Centre around 3:45 a.m. "and were prevented by the guards who used some degree of force to subdue them, resulting in injury and bruises to the detainees".

"As the result, they, the detainees, made the video the night following the escape with the motivation of retaliation to the guards for restraining and foiling their escape attempts through violent suppression and force," the report says.

"The detainee also alleged that the detainees paid money to two defence force guards who were stationed at the rear guard post for the use of their uniforms, and that all the detainees who were stopped from escaping earlier participated in the video." 3

The report also says that on Monday, June 24, a team of officers from the RBDF's commando squadron and intelligence section conducted a search of the dormitories and confiscated the following items: Seven cell phones; $1,636 in assorted U.S. and Bahamian currency; two camouflage pants; two camouflage sweaters; two camouflage undershirts; four camouflage caps and one Bahamian immigration jacket.

That same day, investigators also conducted interviews with several marines.

At least one of the marines detailed for investigators the reported abuse that took place following the escape attempt. The government has said that it has ordered a more complete investigation into the reported abuse at the detention center and that the "chips will fall where they may".

Prime Minister Perry Christie said earlier this week he could not say for certain whether the final report will be made public. See today's lead story for more details on the report into alleged abuse at the detention center.

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