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Reported in the Royal Gazette: click here

Smith wants senior Police post

Larry Smith, the former narcotics chief accused of smearing Opposition Leader Michael Dunkley, has applied to be the next Police Deputy Commissioner. It's understood Mr. Smith, who retired last year, has put in an application to replace Roseanda Young who leaves at the end of the month — even though the post has yet to be advertised.

• The Royal Gazette understands the application has generated derision within the force.

Mr. Smith, who lives in Florida, popped up on YouTube internet site at the weekend where he made a ten-minute video making allegations against the United Bermuda Party leader Michael Dunkley. But this week a former senior Police officer told The Royal Gazette that Mr. Dunkley was never a suspect in the $3 million drugs conspiracy which led to two of his employees being jailed for ten years and the case had been closed.

That source said Mr. Smith himself had said Mr. Dunkley had not been a suspect.

In the video, Mr. Smith, head of Narcotics from 1999 to 2006, questions whether Mr. Dunkley had anything to do with cannabis importation in a Dunkley's Dairy container which led to Michael Madeiros and Steven Flood being jailed for ten years.

He claims that when visiting Mr. Dunkley at his office to update him on the investigation, a well-known drug dealer showed up.

Mr. Smith said when he related this to the chief investigator in the case, the inspector told him: "Well Chief, we need to arrest Dunkley on suspicion of conspiracy."

Mr. Smith says in the video: "I made a decision as the commanding officer: 'no, no, we'll leave Dunkley for now. Let's just continue the investigation and we'll investigate around Mike Dunkley'."

He then implies the inquiry was stifled by Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith and his successor George Jackson.

His public release of details of a criminal investigation comes after Government unsuccessfully fought a costly legal battle to prevent further publication of details contained in leaked Police files from an investigation into allegations of corruption at Bermuda Housing Corporation.

Mr. Smith, who Police sources say has applied and been rejected for top Police jobs at least three times has a history of going public with criticism of top officers, including those he lost out to.

Last year he attacked Acting Commissioner Roseanda Young for lack of courage in defending the force against allegations made by a drug dealer.

Mr. Smith wrote to this paper to say: "She totally lacked the courage to stand against allegations made against her officers. Instead she fed into the lies told by this uncircumcised Philistine, a demon of Satan.

"Surely she must realise that Satan comes but to steal, kill and destroy, but leaders must have the courage to stand and support their charges from untruths.

"All she did was to glorify lies and deception."

And he also took the opportunity to remind the public about criticism hurled at Mr Jackson and Ms Young had for their handling of a drugs case in the 1990s.

He added: "Isn't that amazing that they now run the entire organisation. Well that's where the Old Arab Proverb comes in, 'Lions being led by Sheep'."

Yesterday The Royal Gazette e-mailed Mr. Smith to ask him how he could work under Mr. Jackson after publicly accusing him of interfering with an investigation.

Mr. Smith replied that he was in the process of clearing up the You Tube matter via a Letter to the Editor and would then respond.

This week Mr. Dunkley said he was willing to take a lie-detector test if people still had suspicions about him and he pointed out he had assisted in the investigation, working with the Police on arranging surveillance of the suspects.

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