Nassau, Bahamas- A police officer accused of helping drug smugglers land a $25 million cocaine shipment remains on the job, pending an investigation.
The officer, who was recently promoted, allegedly turned on the lights to the airstrip in Crooked Island so that the smugglers could land safely at night on December 22.
Venezuelan smugglers Luis Andres Perez, 29, and Jaime Digiacomo, 64, claimed that the policeman had helped them land soon after their arrests.
They repeated those claims after they pleaded guilty before Magistrate Samuel McKinney on December 28. They were sentenced to five years in prison, plus a $100,000 or an additional year.
According to the smugglers, the alleged crooked cop helped them land. They said the officer was supposed to take possession of the plane and the drugs and help them leave the country by boat.
By contrast, the officer took credit for the drug arrest. However, his name was conspicuously absent from the witness list on the court docket.
The implicated officer was previously assigned to the Drug Enforcement Unit.
Police Commissioner Paul Rolle confirmed that the officer remains on duty during the investigation.
He said, “He don’t need to be on leave for me to do my investigation. He will be on leave if I find him at fault. He’ll have to answer. The chips will fall where they may.
“ I just hope that he’s not involved but the investigation is ongoing and we will see where it goes.”
