bahamiangoddess
06-20-08, - 12:07 PM
No criminal charges for Mayfair Hotel owner
By JASMIN BONIMY, Guardian Staff Reporter, jasmin@nasguard.com
Criminal charges have not been filed against the owner of the former Mayfair Hotel, which housed an alleged brothel that was shut down earlier this week.
According to Assistant Superintendent of Police Oscar Sands, officer-in-charge of the Fort Charlotte Police Station, there is no evidence that indicates the derelict building's owner was involved with the brothel that operated out of his building.
Still, ASP Sands added that the owner, a local businessman, could face charges if he does not clear out the rooms that were once occupied by the suspected prostitutes.
"There will not be any charges at this point," said ASP Sands, who was assigned to the northern station three months ago. "If he decides not to obey the law with respect to that, he will be brought before the courts."
On Monday morning, the West Bay Street brothel was shut down after an early morning police and immigration raid. It was this year's third major bust involving prostitution dens that specialize in supplying 'johns' with non-residents.
In the meantime, new details about the disbanded brothel are surfacing.
ASP Sands told our news team that he has received reports that a "pimp" may have been operating the brothel at the former Mayfair Hotel.
"We know that there was a Haitian lady that took the girls around and looked after them," said ASP Sands. "But the girls got used to Nassau and would rent a SD car and started driving themselves around, so they didn't need her anymore.
"Now we think one man may have ran everything, but there is no actual proof that one person ran the prostitution ring," he added. "I can only speculate based on the information I have received. I believe he was also there taking care of the girls."
ASP Sands added that he believed patrons and prostitutes were tipped off before Monday's raid, allowing "three or four girls not to be netted" during the raid.
Meanwhile, immigration officials say that three of the eight women taken into custody at the former Mayfair Hotel on Monday have been repatriated.
Five Jamaicans and three Haitian nationals were arrested by police for allegedly working at the brothel, which operated less than 20 feet away from the Fort Charlotte Police Station.
Immigration officials also admit that more than two dozen illegal immigrants have been arrested and deported in the past six months for suspicion of prostitution. A total of 31 immigrants have been sent back to their country of origin.
The Immigration Department has also reported that it has shut down prostitution rings that operated out of private residences in New Providence.
By JASMIN BONIMY, Guardian Staff Reporter, jasmin@nasguard.com
Criminal charges have not been filed against the owner of the former Mayfair Hotel, which housed an alleged brothel that was shut down earlier this week.
According to Assistant Superintendent of Police Oscar Sands, officer-in-charge of the Fort Charlotte Police Station, there is no evidence that indicates the derelict building's owner was involved with the brothel that operated out of his building.
Still, ASP Sands added that the owner, a local businessman, could face charges if he does not clear out the rooms that were once occupied by the suspected prostitutes.
"There will not be any charges at this point," said ASP Sands, who was assigned to the northern station three months ago. "If he decides not to obey the law with respect to that, he will be brought before the courts."
On Monday morning, the West Bay Street brothel was shut down after an early morning police and immigration raid. It was this year's third major bust involving prostitution dens that specialize in supplying 'johns' with non-residents.
In the meantime, new details about the disbanded brothel are surfacing.
ASP Sands told our news team that he has received reports that a "pimp" may have been operating the brothel at the former Mayfair Hotel.
"We know that there was a Haitian lady that took the girls around and looked after them," said ASP Sands. "But the girls got used to Nassau and would rent a SD car and started driving themselves around, so they didn't need her anymore.
"Now we think one man may have ran everything, but there is no actual proof that one person ran the prostitution ring," he added. "I can only speculate based on the information I have received. I believe he was also there taking care of the girls."
ASP Sands added that he believed patrons and prostitutes were tipped off before Monday's raid, allowing "three or four girls not to be netted" during the raid.
Meanwhile, immigration officials say that three of the eight women taken into custody at the former Mayfair Hotel on Monday have been repatriated.
Five Jamaicans and three Haitian nationals were arrested by police for allegedly working at the brothel, which operated less than 20 feet away from the Fort Charlotte Police Station.
Immigration officials also admit that more than two dozen illegal immigrants have been arrested and deported in the past six months for suspicion of prostitution. A total of 31 immigrants have been sent back to their country of origin.
The Immigration Department has also reported that it has shut down prostitution rings that operated out of private residences in New Providence.