WHEN A Q C CAN BECOME A JACKASS

Recorded audio of Fred Smith QC making racist comments towards Black Bahamians

Joe Darville, whom we often describe in this space as the other half of the ventriloquist and his dummy pair of Fred Smith Q C and himself, was in the press on Thursday 26 January in The Tribune trying to defend as usual the indefensible.  There is before the Committee on Privileges of the House of Assembly a very serious allegation against Mr. Darville, Fred Smith and other colleagues of theirs who call themselves Save The Bays. Save The Bays is supposed to be an environmental organization.

The allegation is that they are they are a front organization for a more sinister effort by a rich Permanent Resident in The Bahamas who wishes to unseat the PLP because of a fight which he is having with one of his neighbours in Lyford Cay.  It is alleged that some 8 million dollars up to the time of the report in Parliament had been spent in that effort.  Mr. Darville is allegedly paid some 90,000 dollars per year for his “work” at Save The Bays.

If this is true, it would be no surprise that someone would be singing for their supper.  The allegation is that the money is being funnelled through the Callanders and Co law firm where Fred Smith Q C is a partner.  So it is no surprise that Joe Darville, in one of his many guises with Mr. Smith, would come to the rescue of an even more serious allegation against Mr Smith.

Mr. Smith, who was born in Haiti, and became a Bahamian citizen upon application after independence, condemned the black people of The Bahamas (hear the audio file posted) as being hateful and racist.  Mr. Smith later wrote something which the newspapers called an apology but the apology was not that at all, but it was simply a screed justifying what he earlier said.  So he said the words apology but it was not that.

To the rescue came Joe Darville as the fallout from the stupid remarks made by Mr. Smith continued.   Mr. Darville attacked the messenger.  He said that it was Fred Mitchell, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who revealed the audio, saying that the minister was unbalanced by repeating the allegations made in the House of Assembly.

This is very sad for a man who was widely respected as a principled principal of the Catholic High School in Grand Bahama.  In a word, he has let the side down.

There is no defence for what Fred Smith did and said.  Mr. Smith in a 1 hour and some rant at the meeting of the Condo Association on 15 January in Freeport   savaged and disrespected the Bahamian people, saying that they were hateful.  He must resile absolutely from it, not play around with words.  Mr. Darville must condemn his friend for saying it and force him into silence.  Mr. Smith has said enough to hurt this country overseas and at home to be deemed unpatriotic and some are calling him words in words that cannot be repeated here.

Mr. Smith is a Q C but it is clear that a Q C can also be a jackass.

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