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VOLUME:114 No.78, MARCH 14th, 2017
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Munroe ratified in Free Town drama Frank Smith beaten to nomination by ex-DNA candidate By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
CAPPING off an emotional evening of confusion and drama, the National General Council (NGC) of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) unanimously endorsed Wayne Munroe over Senator Frank Smith last night, ratifying the attorney for the Free Town constituency. That action at the PLP headquarters positioned the party to move into the next stage of its general election campaign now that it has ratified all 39 of its candidates. The at times chaotic process was transformed into a moment PLP officials said
highlights a key difference between their party and the Free National Movement: the ability to unite after a bitter internal dispute. Encouraged by Prime Minister Perry Christie, Mr Munroe, QC, and Mr Smith shook hands and embraced each other on stage, drawing huge cheers and applause from supporters in the packed room. Mr Smith acknowledged that he accepted his defeat “with some pain,” but said: “I use the quote of my leader, ‘seven times down, eight times up.’ Tonight is not my night. Tonight belongs to the PLP and to the successful candidate.” SEE PAGE SIX
VINCENT PEET CONSIDERING INDEPENDENT ELECTION RUN By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net FORMER Cabinet minister Vincent Peet is considering a comeback to frontline politics, but this time as an independent candidate, a source inside the Progressive Liberal Party told The Tribune yesterday. Mr Peet, the former minister of financial services under a previous Christie
FIGHTING FIRE FROM THE AIR
administration, is contemplating a run for North Andros and the Berry Islands, the source said. He represented the constituency from 2002 to 2007 and again from 2007 to 2012. Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez currently represents this constituency and is on the governing party’s ticket for the area in the upcoming 2017 general election. SEE PAGE SIX
A FIREFIGHTING gel is dropped on the burning dump as part of efforts to extinguish the flames. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net GELTECH solutions, a company that specialises in fighting fires while protecting the environment, has been contracted by the government to assist in extinguishing the massive blaze at the New Providence Landfill that has been burning for more than week. In an interview with The
Tribune, Environment Minister Kenred Dorsett said the US based company, along with Fletcher Air, began dropping FireIce - a firefighting gel - on the sites at the landfill on Sunday, that were either too dangerous or unreachable by firefighters. The exercise will cost the government under $80,000 and is expected to continue over the next few days. “The product will be dis-
SUPER VALUE ALSO HIT BY CONTAINER THIEVES By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net SUPER Value owner Rupert Roberts yesterday confirmed that his grocery store chain has been victim to container thieves this year, saying this has not been the first time carrier freight equipment was stolen from under the control of his business.
However, it appears this trend of stolen containers from the areas surrounding the port could possibly proliferate, as Mike Maura Jr - president and chief executive officer of Arawak Port Development (APD), which owns the Nassau port, sought to downplay the seriousness of the matter. SEE PAGE FIVE
tributed by the air so you would have seen planes flying over the landfill,” Mr Dorsett told The Tribune. “With the few drops that have taken place so far it appears that the chemical is working and working well. “Areas we could not see are clearly visible and so they are going to continue to do drops by air. The product will be deployed on the ground through Hydroseeders, meaning activ-
ity will take place in the air and on the ground using some of the fire retardant product. Our objective is to get the smoke out of the area. The reality is depending on where the wind shifts, the smoke shifts and impacts communities and so we are going to be working as aggressively as possible to eliminate the smoke and put out the fire.” SEE PAGE THREE
DAVIS AND MILLER BLAST MINNIS OVER BAHA MAR DEPUTY Prime Minister Philip Davis lashed out at Dr Hubert Minnis’ pledge to “execute a real sale” of Baha Mar should the Free National Movement (FNM) win the next election, accusing him of plotting for the resort’s demise for political benefit while spouting untruths. Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller also took aim at Dr Minnis over the issue, say-
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
ing while the Killarney MP is his friend, he is “not the smartest man on two legs”. In a statement released to the media last night, Mr Davis said it was unfortunate that the country has come to a point where some would “bet against the interests of their fellow Bahamians to better their own political lot”. SEE PAGE SEVEN
PAGE 2, Tuesday, March 14, 2017
FIREFIGHTERS hard at work yesterday as they try to extinguish the flames at the dump.
THE TRIBUNE
Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
A BIT of fun from one firefighter as he tackles the blaze at the dump yesterday in a Viva Mexico sombrero.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, March 14, 2017, PAGE 3
A FIREFIGHTER tackling the blaze at the dump yesterday.
Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
Miller: $5m needed to fix landfill site problems By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net TALL Pines MP Leslie Miller yesterday estimated that it would cost the government nearly $5m to “fix the problems” at the New Providence Landfill and prevent future fires. Mr Miller told The Tribune that the entire process will be “very expensive but in the end it will be worth it to ensure another disaster
does not occur at the landfill.” He also said an intensive cleanup process will begin in Jubilee Gardens on Saturday and residents will be given cleaning products, paint and washing supplies to return their homes “back to normal.” He said 95 per cent of the residents have returned to the subdivision. “At the end of the day, it will cost about $5m to get this thing right, to fix the landfill and to do the nec-
essary repairs,” Mr Miller said. “They have to pay for surveillance to be in place, to build the new roads that need to be built, to build the fences around the property to keep the stragglers out and hopefully after all this money we will get this right. “The residents also want some type of compensation, a few of them have asked if they have to pay their mortgages this
A PLANE approaching the dump site yesterday ready to drop fire ice gel onto the blaze.
FIGHTING FIRE FROM THE AIR from page one
“This is the first time we have ever deployed aircraft to assist us in outing a fire. These are the same resources that are used in the United States for forest fires, metal fires and tyre fires and thus far it seems as though the product is working and we should be able to give a better assessment by the end of today (Monday),” Mr Dorsett added. On Saturday, the Ministry of Works and Urban Development, as well as the Department of Housing and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) conducted an assessment of Jubilee Gardens and the areas affected Mr Dorsett said on Monday that the assessment will continue throughout the week to determine the immediate needs of persons in the area. He said an all clear will be given by Fire Chief Superintendent Walter Evans when the area is
determined safe for residents to return. “We are continuing our door to door assessment to determine the damage in the home, the soot, inside and out and the extent to which the homes need to be deodorised,” he said. “The Department of Housing along with NEMA and Social Services will continue that assessment. As far as the all clear is involved Mr Evans and his team will make that determination.” On March 5, a massive blaze broke out at the Harold Road landfill site, blanketing nearby communities, and in particular Jubilee Gardens, in thick, black hazardous smoke and forcing residents in that community to evacuate their homes. Last Wednesday, Mr Dorsett said there is no definite date set for when Jubilee Gardens residents will be able to return to their homes. Initially, officials said residents would have to wait five to seven days.
month. I mean obviously we can’t pay everyone’s bills but we will help where we can. What they really want is for the Ministry of the Environment or Health to certify that the air they are breathing is not hazardous and so we are going to get that report as soon as we can. They also want a 10 foot perimeter around the property to ensure that stragglers don’t continue to light fires,” Mr Miller said. He also told The Trib-
une that since the government brought in crop duster planes to assist with outing the blaze at the New Providence Landfill, the smoke in Jubilee Gardens has significantly subsided. “The smoke is almost gone and that is a great thing,” Mr Miller said. “So we are in a much better shape. We got some stuff from Frank Hanna Cleaning Company to deodorise the homes and (Super Value owner) Rupert Roberts donated dome detergent and fabric softeners. “On Saturday we will have about 50 persons cleaning up and we will make it a community thing. The smoke has dissipated, the fire is arrested and we hope things will be back to normal soon.”
Residents in Jubilee Gardens evacuated their homes on March 5 after a fire at the landfill blanketed the community in thick, black hazardous smoke. Officials have said the fire did not start at the dumpsite, but spread from a nearby area. However, the city dump has been plagued with recurring fires for a number of years. Renew Bahamas was engaged by the government in 2014 to manage the landfill and help address the matter, however the company ended its services in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew last October. The government subsequently took over management of the landfill as it looks for another company to remediate the site.
PAGE 4, Tuesday, March 14, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
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Dump fire lights political fuse under the PLP WHEN the Nassau city dump erupted in massive flames on March 5, spewing thick black smoke for miles and setting a scene that from above looked like the island was on fire, no one could have predicted that what happened that day could have such far-reaching and long-lasting effects or that it could possibly swing an election and displace a government. More than a week later, the public fury is as hot as the smouldering fumes. Like the smoke and toxins, the daily anguish and concern for long-term health impact, the problems with the Nassau city dump linger. As they do, the message they impart is carried on an ill wind. There is trouble ahead for the Progressive Liberal Party and what appeared to be a beleaguered Free National Movement only 10 days earlier now has new energy and, presumably, financing. Part of the reason for the shift is the treatment of victims of the fire. Residents who lived in nearby Jubilee Gardens, some of whom fled for their lives with little more than the clothes on their backs, are still displaced or facing homes sodden with ashes and dangerously scarred by potentially deadly carcinogens. Police and first responders who are guarding the area must be exhausted and we can only hope that they have been equipped with proper high-efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) filter breathing apparatus and are not relying on thin paper masks like the ones donned by painters. But another part of the reason for the roiling anger is the rudeness with which it has been handled by those who have shown too little sympathy or sensitivity. The dump fire and its aftermath were the hot topic on a popular radio show last week during an interview with State Minister for the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation and Member of Parliament Arnold Forbes. Even the host was stunned and speechless for a moment when the member of Cabinet said he wanted to switch the subject so they could talk about “something important”. We wonder how the people sleeping at the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium felt about the lack of importance of their fate. We also wonder why a group has not formed to bring legal action. Two respected medical professionals have expressed concern about the long-term impact on health. If what happened in an industrial section of Grand Bahama serves as a model, there is reason for concern. According to a very reliable source, 14 students out of 98 in the Class of 1982 have died, 12 of them diagnosed with cancer believed to be related to industrial pollution. Every day, there are new twists and turns in the Nassau city dump saga. With
elections only months away, the dump has become the glue holding a fractured FNM together and a blade that threatens to cut the reigning PLP from the office it so comfortably looked like it would retain only a few weeks before. People can argue that crime is not solely a government’s problem, that it is a community problem, a result of high unemployment and social ills or a reflection of loss of hope in general. But no one can argue that the dump is not a government problem. It sits squarely on the sagging and tired shoulders of the present regime which came in with such promise. Waste management all over the world has political reverberations. When it has been mishandled for so many years, decades, and it explodes it is an occasion for fingerpointing not at all the governments and bad decisions that went before it, but at the government of the day. That is especially evident in a case like this when the government of the day has had five years to confront the issues surrounding the dump and should have recognised the warning a year before when there was a similar fire the very same week. The urgent issue now becomes finding a solution. While we hoped that the consortium of Bahamians who are in the business of waste management would be appointed to take control of the operation we are not averse to doing whatever it takes to transform the unsightly, horridly unhealthy dump into a proper landfill. There is precedent in Europe, where scarcity of land has caused need for compaction and conversion, and closer to home in the Turks and Caicos Islands where an American company transformed a dump very similar to Nassau’s into a landfill that is a tourist attraction. We are also reminded that in Grand Bahama, the landfill that is so clean it is said you can picnic on it is owned by a foreign entity but managed and operated entirely by Bahamians. Caring enough about the people of The Bahamas is the first step to the solution. It cannot be having to fix the dump before Baha Mar comes on stream, as the Prime Minister has indicated, but because Bahamian lives matter. Throw the politics into the dump and pull together for a solution. Others have done it and they have succeeded. Surely, if we are the best little country in the world, we can figure out a way to deal with our own garbage and trash. Then plant that model in the Family Islands, where the problem is repeated with far too much regularity, and we will see that no problem defies solution once the political will and public conviction is there to do it.
The coronation of Wayne Munroe, QC EDITOR, The Tribune. THE Progressive Liberal Party has now selected Barrister Wayne Munroe, QC, as our standard bearer in the newly renamed and revamped constituency of Free Town. He will be going up against Dionysus D’Aguilar (FNM), a well known and highly respected businessman who brings a no nonsense attitude to the political arena. Free Town, of which Kemp Road and Five Pond Lot Subdivision form a key component in our anticipated victory. Over in Blair; Johnson Road and other eastern demarcations of this fabled constituency, is where the PLP will face its most severe challenges. Dionysus is a people’s person and has a gung-ho approach to identifying problems and coming up with solutions Wayne, as a trained lawyer, is more reserved and one who appears to want to dissect each and every problem to death, as he is
trained to do. The Hon Frank Smith waged a ferocious and determined political battle while seeking to obtain our party’s political coronation, for that is what it will be tantamount to. If Munroe were to lose Free Town, the national chances of the PLP would be badly damaged and a clear message sent to us. In hindsight, rehashing the debacle of Messrs Renward ‘letter of Intent’ Wells; Gregory ‘Moon Beam’ Moss and Andres ‘3000’ Rollins, I would have gone with another choice. The party, however, is paramount when it comes to our internal politics. Munroe, however, has been selected and we must gather the proverbial wagons around him. Munroe is warned, however, that he must bring something different to the table, as I fully expect, once we are returned to office, he will be appointed to the cabinet. Alfred Sears and
Munroe are two of the principal attorneys who represented the web shops during the licensing and regulatory process. Sears acted for FML and Munroe for Island Luck, et al. Is it coincidental that they are now both candidates for the PLP? The PLP has its work cut out for it. We have failed the expectations of the people in many areas and have failed, miserably, to properly brand our core message and too many of our current representatives have grown too smug and missing in action. We must all rise to the occasion and get on with wiping away the tears from every eye; bring sight to the blind; feed the hungry; clothe the naked and, of course, set the captives free. Wayne Munroe will and must play a vital and pivotal role in our long march forward. To God then, in all things, be the glory. ORTLAND H BODIE Jr Nassau, March 13, 2017.
Cut up Christie’s credit card EDITOR, The Tribune. PERRY Christie and his flyboy Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell continue to be tone-deaf to the cries of middle and working class Bahamians who are struggling to pay the mortgage, send their kids to school, keep the lights on and put food on the table. Hard on the heals of splashing out to fly a contingent of British Privy Council judges and their retinue here for a working vacation at our expense, there was Christie and Mitchell at it again slamming down our maxed-out credit card to pay for a backyard party for the President of Guyana. Christie and Mitchell couldn’t even get their stories straight. They sold the occasion as a State visit, the highest honour a country can give a visiting head of state. Problem is, President David Granger told the Guyanese people he was on an Official visit to The Bahamas. For those schooled in the art of diplomacy and protocol, there is a big difference between a State Visit and an Official Visit. For starters, for a State visit it is Her Majesty’s Representative in the Bahamas, the Governor General, who should send out the invitation, not the Prime Minister, and certainly not the Foreign Minister. Guyana is a Republic and so Mr Granger doubles as both head of state and head of government. If it were a state visit then the only person who could host him is our Governor General, Dame Marguerite Pindling. She would have to be the one welcoming him to the Bahamas and it would have been Government House, not the Cabinet Office coordinating every move he made on Bahamian soil. But instead we saw Christie and his Cabinet at the airport with Police Force and Defence Force guards of honour plus a Junkanoo “rush-out” to welcome the Guyanese President. We learned later that he paid a “courtesy call” on the representative of our head of state. Dame Marguerite was most gracious to receive him because if it truly were a state visit, then Mr. Granger
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net would have committed a fatal diplomatic faux pas. But all and sundry knew that it was an official invitation, something that is within the remit of the Prime Minister and he need not consult with Her Excellency. His obligation was merely to advise her of his action. I have no doubt that Fred Mitchell went to Guyana last year to represent us at the 50th anniversary celebration of their independence from Britain and that it was then that he “puff up he chest” and invited Granger to The Bahamas. Of course, it turned out to be perfectly timed, as Christie needed to divert the nation’s attention away from his vulgar hand gesture. The visit afforded him an opportunity to show off and puff up his chest. For the consumption of his audience back home, Granger was telling his media that this was an official visit and that he was looking for economic assistance from The Bahamas. Guyana is a rich country imbued with gold and other natural resources. Trouble is that for decades that wealth has been spirited out of the country and what remains is very poorly distributed. That is about to change though as Guyana recently discovered that there are billions of barrels of oil deep in the waters off their coast. They could be swimming in money once this oil starts flowing and the price stabilises. It was perfectly okay for Granger to want to come here to discuss Caricom issues. He just happens to be the current head of Caricom, an organisation that Christie treats with such contempt that he rarely attends meetings of the heads of government. That assignment duly falls to Mitchell and you can see how the mingling with Prime Ministers could cause the Foreign Minister to get ideas beyond his station. To Granger, this was an economic mission to The Bahamas. He wanted to first tap into the Guyanese diaspora here who, as a group,
are a highly educated lot making significant contributions to the development of our country and we ought to be grateful. But they are, by and large, handsomely rewarded for their services and some of that money ends up as remittances that Guyana needs. Guyana is ripe for eco tourism and Granger wants to learn from us how to exploit the tourism goose. No problem with that, it’s good to help out our cousins. But if they want our help, shouldn’t Christie have been the one invited for an official visit, and if they insisted on a state visit then surely Mr Granger should have invited Dame Marguerite. During the week Christie commandeered a Bahamasair plane to fly the President and his delegation to Freeport (so he needs to stop complaining when Bahamasair comes cap in hand looking for subvention). So while a new $20m Bahamasair plane was pulled from service, the President’s private aircraft sat at Lynden Pindling International. Hopefully it was out of Christie’s line of sight because the next thing you can bet on is that in the dark of night Christie will do one up on Mr Granger and buy a bigger plane for his personal use as Prime Minister. Christie continues to demonstrate his penchant for embellishing his role as Prime Minister, forgetting that the Governor General is above him. Then there was the socalled state dinner at the Hilton in Nassau where the vintage champagne flowed like a busted Water and Sewerage Corporation street pipe. Guyana makes undoubtedly the best rum in the world and one can only hope that President Granger walked in with a couple cases of his 50th anniversary El Dorado Demerara premium rum that sells for $3,500 a bottle (+VAT, of course). At least then we could auction off the rum to help our broke Treasury pay for this unnecessary, unwarranted waste of public money. THE GRADUATE Nassau, Marach 13, 2017.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, March 14, 2017, PAGE 5
We March Bahamas to call for Carnival to be postponed By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
WE March Bahamas intends to stage its third protest on April 9 to, among other things, demand that an election is called before May 7 and the postponement of Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival. In a Facebook post, the civic group mentioned the successes of its two previous protests, noting that efforts mounted by the group had averted several major events. At the conclusion of the post, We March declared,
“Now, we march again.” The organisation announced six issues that it wanted to have addressed by government within the coming weeks. The post read: “Now, we march again. This time to postpone carnival and use our tax dollars wisely while promoting our own culture. To have the dump fires addressed immediately. To demand that we have elections on or before May 7. To demand that the Baha Mar case be unsealed. “To demand that the government stop playing politics and allow the commissioner of police’s
plan to crush crime to be implemented immediately.” The group also said that it wants to “put an end to the ‘spy bill’ and ‘spy agency,’” referring to the government’s proposed Interception of Communications Bill 2017. Last month, We March urged residents to mount a protest against the proposed legislation, suggesting that if passed, the bill could impede some civil liberties. Several politicians, attorney Fred Smith, QC, and many civic groups also came out against the leg-
islation after The Tribune revealed the contents of the bill, which was tabled quietly in the House of Assembly in the evening session on February 9. The campaign mounted in opposition of the proposed bill ultimately resulted in the delay of the legislation being debated, with Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson granting a “period of public consultation” before the legislation is implemented. Earlier in February, We March announced that it planned to staged 12 more “events and protests”
throughout The Bahamas before the next general election. At that time, lead organiser Raynard Henfield said the group was still on mission and would continue to “stay focused” despite “the tactics and anger of people that want to resist change”. He said We March would take its message to various islands throughout the country. The group also launched a Go Fund Me page with a view to raising $120,000 to aid with expenses. The group said of the need for the funds: “The Bahamian people are suf-
fering from political corruption, victimisation, a frightening crime culture and the most arrogant administration in our history.” It added: “Our organisation, We March Bahamas, picked up the baton on November 25, 2016 and began raising the awareness of the general population while demanding that the government account to the people and be transparent in its dealings.” Since stepping to the forefront as lead organiser of We March Bahamas, Mr Henfield has been at odds with members of the governing party.
SUPER VALUE ALSO HIT BY CONTAINER THIEVES from page one
He told The Tribune yesterday that after reaching out to two of the port’s largest carriers, he was told their losses were not significant. He added that security controls are specific to the port property and the area outside of the port is left to the police and relevant authorities for surveillance. The surveillance of this area is a concern for truckers, they told this newspaper yesterday. One of them suggested that they are considering banding together to agree on measures they might take to safeguard themselves from further instances of theft. On Monday, The Tribune reported that security concerns were raised about the surrounding areas of the Nassau Container Port (NCP) with claims that several containers have gone “missing,” pointing to an alleged container theft ring. Reliable sources said at least three well-known local companies and two smaller businesses have been victims and possibly face hefty fees and/or payment of between $16,000 to $25,000 to replace the missing equipment, which was last registered as leaving the port under their respective companies’ names. However, Mr Roberts said Super Value was lucky to have recovered the stolen equipment, which was moved from an area just outside the Nassau Container Port’s gates in January and February. “The two that went missing from my guys were
CONTAINERS at Arawak Cay Port. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff APD was “concerned” and found,” Mr Roberts told vised that they are takThe Tribune yesterday. “sympathetic” to this situa- ing steps to enhance their “They were parked out at tion. equipment management, He said: “The Nassau but that their losses have the dock outside of the gate and they were moved from Container Port security not been significant. there. The gate was shut so controls are specific to the “Today APD was conthe boys left them outside port property. We leave the tacted by two truckers who the gate and they disap- area outside of the port to advised that they had lost the police and relevant au- carrier equipment that was peared. “They not only steal the thorities. under their control. They “APD is concerned with asked APD for assistance port containers, the thieves steal any containers and the the recent theft of carrier with surveillance footage. wheels off of them. They freight equipment. We have We advised that while we steal them from us. They reached out to the two largsteal them from the ware- est carriers in an effort to house. They steal them any better understand how big way they can. Fortunately an issue this is for them they were empty when this and they have advised the following: One advised happened. “The reality is they are that they have lost ‘one’ going to disappear if you container in the past four park it there. A lot of the years. This carrier advised people other than mer- that they focus and manchants buy the containers, age their freight equipment people want them to park each day, making sure that on farms and people want only authorised truckers to live in them. They cut are permitted to use their windows in them and live freight equipment. They bein them. But the buyers are lieve that this level of focus worse than the thieves,” Mr and control is the reason they’ve only lost one unit in Roberts said. In a statement to The over four years. “The other carrier adTribune, Mr Maura said
BAIL REJECTED FOR MAN ACCUSED OF RAPE By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was remanded to prison yesterday after he was arraigned in Magistrate’s Court on a sexual assault charge. Reginal Chase of Nassau Village appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt facing a charge of rape concerning an alleged incident on Saturday, December 24, 2016. It is alleged that the 30
year old had sexual intercourse with a 23-year-old woman without her permission. He was informed that due to the nature of the charge – an indictable offence – he would not be allowed to enter a plea until his formal arraignment before a Supreme Court judge. He is scheduled to return to Magistrate’s Court on May 7 to be presented with a voluntary bill of indictment that will fast track the matter to the higher court.
Chase was remanded to the Department of Correctional Services, as the court did not have the jurisdiction to consider bail. However, he was informed of his right to apply for a bond by filing an application to the Supreme Court. The accused has retained attorney Ian Cargill to represent him against the sexual assault charge which could see him face up to life imprisonment if convicted.
WARRANT ISSUED FOR MURDER ACCUSED By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A JUDGE issued a warrant of arrest yesterday for a man accused of murder who failed to appear in court for his case. Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs made the order for Karron Collie to be ap-
prehended at the request of prosecutor Desiree Ferguson following Collie’s failure to appear in the Supreme Court on Monday for the start of his murder trial. His lawyer, Glendon Rolle, also was not present in court when the matter was called. Collie, who is on bail, is accused of the murder of
Tavon Williams who was shot in the head on December 16, 2013 on Leeward Drive and died in hospital four months later. Collie was formally arraigned in the Supreme Court in June 2014 where he denied the allegation. The matter was adjourned to March 22 at 9.30am.
MAN ON FIREARMS CHARGES DENIED BAIL By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was remanded to prison yesterday after he was arraigned on firearm related offences. Sheroy Mackey, 23, of Mermaid Blvd appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt facing a count each of possession of an unlicensed firearm and
possession of ammunition. It is alleged that on March 12, he was found in possession of a black 9mm pistol and four live rounds of ammunition for the weapon without being the holder of a licence or certificate to possess the items. Mackey pleaded not guilty to both charges and was told that the case would be transferred to Magistrate Saboula Swain for trial.
He is scheduled to appear before the presiding magistrate on Thursday, March 16. Mackey was remanded to the Department of Correctional Services in the interim. However, he has the right to apply for bail to the Supreme Court. He has retained attorney Alex Morley to represent him.
are sympathetic to their dilemma, unfortunately NCP is an ISPS port facility and that we do not share our confidential security information with the public,” the statement continued. “We do however share the information with the RBPF and have always responded to inquiries without question. Today (Monday) we put these truckers in contact with the police. I wish to mention that up to today when APD reached out to the police, APD had not been contacted for assistance on this matter. “In earlier discussions today with a trucker, we learned that the trucker had not filed a police report at the time of the incident. This is an important matter for truckers as they are financially responsible for the containers and chassis until such time that they have entered the Nassau Container Port and received an equipment interchange receipt ‘EIR’ indicating the return of the equipment. “Equipment that is tem-
porarily placed in vacant lots throughout New Providence or outside the port has not been returned and the trucker is still responsible for this equipment. There is a police station at the Fish Fry and APD has contacted this station and requested that the Police increase the frequency of their patrols at night.” Mr Maura’s statement said. The Tribune was alerted about the container theft concerns by truckers who said they parked containers in the area next to the port and returned to find the equipment missing. One business, which was also victim to theft, was Just In Time Trucking and its owner Justin Knowles. He said his business has been adversely affected and the thefts have presented challenges. He said despite taking precautions from theft, including placing locks on the containers left outside the port, thieves had sawed the locks off to obtain the freight carrier equipment.
PAGE 6, Tuesday, March 14, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
Collie: It’s time to ring the bell By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement Chairman Sidney Collie yesterday urged Prime Minister Perry Christie to “ring the bell,” insisting that voter registration numbers now indicate that the electorate is “ready and prepared to make their choice.” As a part of a telephone interview with The Tribune on Monday, Mr Collie contended that the governing Progressive Liberal Party’s time in government is nearing its “necessary and expected” conclusion, stressing that voters have responded to calls by political organisa-
tions throughout the country to register to vote. The Nassau Guardian over the weekend reported that nearly 80 per cent of eligible voters have registered to cast ballots in the next general election, according to data from the Parliamentary Registration Department. A source within that department yesterday suggested to The Tribune that the “surprising” increase came as a result of focused efforts and registration drives organised by political parties and the government over the course of the last month. That source added: “Residents are ready and we see it in the means and ways by
which they are coming to register. They are coming in droves with everything needed. They know that the serious time is now upon us.” To this point there has been no firm indication from the Christie administration on when the next general election would be held, with the prime minister suggesting several months ago that a potential date hinged on voter registration numbers. Those comments came in December, amidst a slow registration period. Over the course of the last six weeks, however, numbers have steadily increased. Meanwhile, Mr Collie yesterday said the FNM
will “continue to beat the drum” until Mr Christie publicly identifies a date for the next general election. “If you have paid attention to our election machinery, you would have seen that we are ready to go and prepared to go. We are like the Bahamian people in that sense, they are ready and prepared to make their choice,” Mr Collie said. “We have named all of our candidates and they are in their respective communities. We have launched in strong fashion all throughout New Providence and on our way to Grand Bahama to launch out five candidates there. “All we are waiting on is
Mr Christie. If he dissolves Parliament (today), then we know that we are working in a 30-day window until election. Now, I don’t believe Mr Christie will do that, they want to push as far as they can. But, we are ready.” Mr Collie said that based on the country’s Constitution, Parliament has to be dissolved before May 7. He added that he suspects that the PLP will dissolve the House of Assembly within the next two weeks, submit its writ for a general election and commence its campaign machinery. When contacted on Monday for insight into the PLP’s line of thinking on the issue, party chairman
Bradley Roberts said there has been no internal discussion centred on a possible election date. The former Bain and Grants Town MP added that the party was focused on constructing the best slate of candidates possible and “working our respective areas.” When asked directly if a potential date was being considered, Mr Roberts added: “Only the prime minister could say, if you want that answer, I suggest you ask that man directly.” As of Friday, 134,279 persons were registered for the 2017 general election. This figure accounts for 78 per cent of eligible voters.
MUNROE RATIFIED IN FREE TOWN DRAMA from page one
Mr Munroe ditched his prepared remarks. He was too overwhelmed by Mr Smith’s gesture to read them, he said. “The courage and strength and fortitude of the man who preceded me in this constituency is such that I don’t think I’m going to fool (with my prepared remarks) tonight,” he said. “The reason that this party is set and prepared to govern and the other party is not, is because of just what you witnessed here. Understand that Frank and I knew each other well before this and when the press stuck their mics in our faces, I always said this, that we are not like those other people who, when they don’t get their way, they break a bottle on the court and go home. We are not like that. We are PLPs. “We never lost civility that happens elsewhere,” Mr Munroe said. Before the show of unity,
however, it was unclear how the night would unfold. Supporters of Mr Munroe came out in large numbers to support their preferred candidate. At one point, they formed a barrier to the entrance of the PLP headquarters in an attempt to block Mr Smith’s smaller group of supporters from entering the building, although no confrontation took place. Not long after, the party’s chairman, Bradley Roberts, issued a statement to the press announcing that the ratification would not take place as expected because of a letter the PLP’s Montagu branch wrote to Mr Christie in a last ditch effort to give the nomination to Mr Smith. In the speech that was sent to the media, Mr Roberts said a 10-member committee would be set up to “amicably resolve the matter and report to the leader its findings.” The speech sent out to reporters also said that he expected this committee to
PLP senator Frank Smith and PLP candidate for Free Town Wayne Munroe embrace after yesterday’s ratification. Though they interpreted meet by next week Wednes- would conclude. In a subsequent emailed The mood among the the scream as a sign that statement to the media, Mr day, and submit a report thereafter, and then the crowd of supporters gath- their candidate was ratified, Roberts said: “Further upparty’s ratification process ered outside the building Mr Smith was, at first, un- date. NGC rather than any dampened as news of the convinced. further delays overwhelmpostponement spread. “The reality is the people ingly voted to endorse About two hours later, of the Free Town constitu- Wayne Munroe to carry the however, a supporter of Mr ency will have to choose PLP banner in Freetown.” Munroe exited the build- their next representative,” Moments later, Mr Muning and began to scream, Mr Smith told reporters. roe entered the headquarprompting the rest of Mr “I’m out of the room. As far ters’ meeting room at the Munroe’s supporters to re- as I now, the process is not urging of Mr Christie, with spond in kind. finished.” Mr Smith right behind him.
PRIME Minister Perry Christie is pictured speaking last night alongside the PLP’s newly ratified candidate for Free Town, Wayne Munroe, right, and PLP senator Frank Smith, who was beaten to the nomination. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
VINCENT PEET CONSIDERING INDEPENDENT ELECTION RUN from page one
However, the party’s decision to run Dr Gomez once again has angered some in the constituency who feel the MP is no longer capable of good representation in the House of Assembly, insiders have said. When he was contacted yesterday, Mr Peet would not comment on what his political intentions were, telling The Tribune: “I am listening to my people on the ground in Andros. “When the time is right and if there is an announcement to make, I will inform The Tribune.” In 2011 after much speculation, Mr Peet confirmed that he would not run in the 2012 election. He said after much de-
bate he decided to take his name out of the race. At the time he said: “After much prayerful deliberation and after much consultation with constituents, colleagues, family and friends, including the esteemed leader of my party the Rt Hon Perry Christie, I have decided not to stand for re-election in the forthcoming general elections. My decision in this regard in final and irreversible and I have informed my leader and the relevant councils of my party accordingly. “At this particular juncture of my life, I need to concentrate my attention and energy on my legal practice. Hopefully, however, I will be able to offer myself for renewed service to my party and nation in the future.”
Prior to this decision, it was speculated that Mr Peet was being dropped as a PLP candidate after he was accused of allegedly mismanaging $180,000 worth of client funds. In a statement to the press, Mr Peet confirmed the existence of a “matter” regarding client funds, but stated that no legal action was pending between himself and the client. It was not the first time he found himself amid controversy. In 2006 he was the centre of media reports when it was revealed that his chauffeur allegedly stole $10,000 in US $100 bills from his bedroom closet in 2003. At the time, Mr Peet maintained that the money, which was all in US currency, was to pay his daughter’s college tuition.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, March 14, 2017, PAGE 7
Munroe hints at Minnis being mentally unstable over his Baha Mar comments By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net ATTORNEY Wayne Munroe yesterday ridiculed the pledge made by Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis over the sale of Baha Mar as dishonest and irresponsible, and accused the opposition party of pandering to the agenda of former developer Sarkis Izmirlian. Mr Munroe, a member of the Progressive Liberal Party, suggested that Dr Minnis could be considered “mentally unstable” for stating that the FNM would execute a real sale of Baha Mar if elected to government. He underscored that the government could not sell the property, or dictate that process, without first undertaking a compulsory acquisition that would cost taxpayers billions. The noted QC delivered a scathing rebuke of the party leader in an interview with The Tribune, advising that Bahamians employed at the mega-resort, and creditors that were paid sums owed, should vote against the FNM. “It’s irresponsible,” he said, “it’s almost like the person is mentally unstable, that is how one would approach a government like that. You don’t know what they’re going to do and that is not good for any country. People dealing with the Bahamas government must have certainty that the Bahamas government is continuous. “How do you exactly accomplish this and you don’t own the property?” he continued. “The FNM, they talk about all these taxes they are going to make sure collect, the FNM agreed to the heads of agreement that gave Baha Mar all of the concessions, they agreed to them. This is what I’m talking about being dishonest, they agreed to them, they know what they are because they agreed to them. They’re the ones who put them in place, they’re the ones who agreed to a certain number of foreign workers.” Mr Munroe also said: “Recently the Bahamas government has been stepping back on the ratio of foreign to local workers, but the thing about saying this is something this government is doing, you would think Dr Minnis has amnesia about being in government when the FNM was in
government. “It’s just sad and that’s why (Senator) Rodney Moncur calls him pusillanimous, which sounds funny but all it means is you lack a backbone. You blow where the wind takes you. I couldn’t imagine what Sarkis Izmirlian is giving him or doing for them that would cause him to do something so dangerous.” The government and Mr Izmirlian have been locked in a bitter, public war of words over the mega-resort’s embattled track to completion since the ex-developer applied for Chapter 11 proceedings in 2015. It was a move that later saw Mr Izmirlian ousted as developer and the resort placed into provisional liquidation and then receivership. Mr Munroe, a noted QC, represented the Gaming Board and other government creditors of Baha Mar during the liquidation process. He characterised Dr Minnis’ statements concerning Baha Mar as “a ploy driven by Sarkis Izmirlian who really has a high degree of control over the FNM.” Mr Munroe argued that Mr Izmirlian had a fair op-
portunity to bid on Baha Mar if he had the money, adding that Mr Izmirlian’s bid would have been chosen by the Export Import Bank of China over Chow Tai Fook Enterprises if it was the best option. Prime Minister Perry Christie announced the official sale of Baha Mar to CTF BM Holdings, a subsidiary of CTFE last December. The sale has not yet been finalised; however, officials insist that the resort is on track for a phased opening starting with its casino, casino hotel, convention centre and golf course next month. Speculation over the embattled resort’s opening was heightened after the Rosewood hotel brand, owned by the Baha Mar buyer, announced that its opening had been delayed to Spring 2018. The details of the sale are still sealed by the Supreme Court at the request of the EXIM Bank; however, critics have raised concerns over the government’s stated commitment to table those documents ahead of the resort’s opening. Former Court of Appeal President Dame Joan Sawyer last week suggested that
DAVIS AND MILLER BLAST MINNIS OVER BAHA MAR from page one
He said Dr Minnis “appears to be crossing his fingers and praying” the resort does not open for his own political benefit, despite the thousands of Bahamians who would suffer. “I understand he thinks his only way to succeed is to tear down any progress we make – to distract from the utter turmoil and startling accusations about Minnis from his own colleagues - but what about the thousands of Bahamians who are training right now for their job at Baha Mar? Bahamians deserve better than someone rooting against their employment to try to score a political point,” Mr Davis said. “The sad part is - he is dead wrong. Baha Mar is now in the safe hands of a world-class operator that is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in its success. Contractors and employees were paid what they were owed. And 650 Bahamians have been hired of the thousands who will be hired as the hotel opens. Those are the facts,” he added. Mr Davis also said Dr Minnis’ own colleagues have accused him of not being a man of his word, adding that the Killarney MP, who is “not fit for leadership,” is using the Baha Mar issue to try and “salvage”
his political career. “Baha Mar will open and Bahamians will see once and for all that Dr Minnis, despite facts to the contrary, is trying to use this to salvage his political career,” Mr Davis said. “But don’t just take my word for it - come see for yourself. Right now, 200 casino employees are being trained and the casino equipment is being installed. And Baha Mar continues to hire – and is well on its way to hire 1,500 employees by April 21. World-renowned hotel chain Rosewood has increased its investment by $35 million dollars, and CTF is increasing its capital, marketing, and preopening investment from $200 million to $250 million. Those are the facts,” Mr Davis said. Yesterday Mr Miller also chimed in on the issue. The Tall Pines MP asked: “How do you take back private property? Dr Minnis’ head can’t be no good. How you going to sell what don’t belong to you? “Dr Minnis has to stop, I know it’s political season, but he has to stop with these false promises. He is my jack but isn’t the smartest man on two legs. I never said he was intelligent you know, I said he was my friend.” On Sunday, in a statement posted to his Facebook page, Dr Minnis said his party would “engage and execute a real sale of
Baha Mar to a qualified and respectable purchaser who believes in Bahamians; a purchaser who will utilise only Bahamian labour to complete the resort, and will put Bahamians back to work with real jobs as quickly as possible.” Yesterday he added that if the Baha Mar deal does not stand up to public scrutiny, his party reserves the right “to not approve any sale that is not in the best interest of the Bahamian people.” “Prime Minister Christie has been put on notice to make their phantom sale agreement public along with any terms and concessions given,” Dr Minnis posted on Monday. “The FNM also calls on the prime minister to make public any heads of agreement that is to be signed with CFTE by tabling it in the House of Assembly before Parliament is dissolved.” Prime Minister Perry Christie announced the official sale of Baha Mar to CTF BM Holdings, a subsidiary of CTFE last December, at the time stating the resort was set for a phased opening beginning in April 2017, and a full completion by this fall. It has since been revealed that the sale has not been finalised and that the opening date for the Rosewood hotel brand, owned by the Baha Mar buyer, has been delayed to Spring 2018.
there were no legal grounds to seal the new deal to open the resort; however, Mr Munroe yesterday argued that the practice was not uncommon for commercial sensitivity. Mr Munroe said: “(The FNM) suggests that somehow the government has the ability to sell the property when they must know full well that they can’t, because the deal with China EXIM Bank was agreed to when the FNM was in power and Hubert Minnis was a Cabinet minister. That is when Sarkis Izmirlian borrowed the money from EXIM Bank, that is when the government approved the charging of all the property as security to China EXIM
Bank, that is when the government put into place the heads of agreement. “So to begin by misleading the public as they talk about all the secret deals with the Chinese,” he said, “this is a deal that the PLP inherited.” He continued: “They keep talking about heads of agreement but no heads is sealed by virtue of any court order, what is sealed is the sales process for a very simple reason at any point somebody could try to retrade their deal.” Compulsory acquisition is permitted under the Constitution, Mr Munroe explained, but it must be for a public purpose. As such, Mr Munroe argued that it
would be improbable that the government would then be able to resell the property if the unlikely acquisition was successful. “So unless he (Dr Minnis) knows some law that I don’t know,” he said, “one if you could compulsorily acquire it you would have to pay the value of it, and secondly what would be the public purpose of acquiring it? Everyone who has a job at Baha Mar should vote against the FNM. Everyone who has gotten their money paid by the Bahamas government should vote against this joker and his party.” He added: “The only person who you would think he’s trying to benefit, Sarkis Izmirlian, can’t vote.”
PAGE 8, Tuesday, March 14, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
Questions, questions about the dump fire By NICOLE BURROWS
I
NSTEAD of beginning the conversation myself about the news of the past week, I asked a few colleagues to send me their own questions about the week’s news so I could answer specifically what they wanted to talk about. Most of the questions were about the recurrent fires at/smoke emanating from the city dump. Who on earth would build an affordable housing district like Jubilee Gardens next to a public dump site and who on earth would buy a mortgage to live there? I believe the answer to that question is in the word “affordable”. A person who would approve a site immediately next to a dump as a location for human habitation in affordable housing is someone desperate to keep office, or get into office, and someone who would seek to appeal to the less fortunate among us. Those who would choose to live there, as “affordable” housing suggests, are people who couldn’t afford much to spend on a mortgage to begin with. It’s shameful that politicians, developers and banks have taken advantage of these people, and for so long. The fact that you sell a false ideal of “home ownership” is criminal in and of itself - you never own a house or the property it’s on until the bank gets its last penny from you. The bank will indulge you in the fantasy that it is yours as long as you pay your debt to them, because that is really what you own ... not a home, not a house, not a lot, you own a debt to the bank or the developer. The minute you stop paying or can’t pay for that debt you own, the bank will step in and show you who the real owner of that property is. When you consider that false home ownership and the fact that you buy into it, and in doing so you take on a lifelong debt to live in the mouth of the city dump, I think it’s borderline scandalous, maybe even inhumane. Banks couldn’t possibly expect the residents there to live long enough to pay their debts in full, or maybe that’s a part of the equation. What should be done about the homes and people affected by the latest dump fire? I’ve heard some people, even residents there at Jubilee Gardens, say the government should move the dump site. Well, that can’t happen, and if it could, it certainly would not happen easily. The waste material is already there in and on the landfill. You can’t just move it. You could probably be-
gin a brand new dump site elsewhere, but you would be doing that on virgin ground and it would have to be done properly. Even starting a new landfill elsewhere, with bells and whistles of recycling or waste-to-energy treatment, you still have to deal with what happens to the existing site. How will it be remediated - even if it is shuttered - and who will remediate it? And what about the people next door to it, in the meantime, who are still being affected by it? That also includes people a little further away from Jubilee Gardens. I don’t think anything other than buying out those mortgage debtors and letting the people relocate themselves is/ will be acceptable as a solution for the residents, especially those closest to the landfill in Jubilee Gardens. Why do the Jubilee Gardens residents expect that the government should be compelled to help them at all, when they knowingly moved next door to a dump site that’s been smoking off and on for 25 or more years? That sounds about right; I used to visit my boyfriend and his family out in that area when I was 16. On a draughty night that smoke would create a thick layer of fog that could impede driving so you had to go real slow over the highway. It wasn’t nearly as bad then, because we had fewer people piled on top of one another living on New Providence, and therefore less garbage at the city dump, but the smoke was still around. I think people in general, but especially people who are disadvantaged and people who are disadvantaged in The Bahamas, tend to think that the government is supposed to take care of their every need from birth to death and beyond. That foolish belief is the fault of the people and the fault of the government for allowing the people to believe it. But I suppose it is in the interest of any sitting government, especially in a third world country, to make the people believe the government is the fixer and provider of all things. The government’s real purpose is to provide an environment in which you, as a citizen or resident, can adequately care for yourself and your family. The government of the Bahamas has not done that across the board or in any significant, sustained way. Maybe if they had put more of the 1980s drug money into building the country’s infrastructure instead of their bank accounts, the residents of Jubilee Gardens and really the rest of New Providence today would not have “nowhere else to go”, or “no one else to turn to”,
FIRE still ablaze at the dump yesterday as workers fight to extinguish the flames. or be demanding that they “be treated like humans” with valuable lives. They would have the wherewithal to go where they need to and not wait for handouts ... a cot, a tent in a gym, or snacks and refreshments. But this dump smoke thing really goes beyond Jubilee Gardens; it affects many people on the western end of the island. I know several people who are close enough to have been affected with respiratory complaints this past week. It’s maddening. But I guess we’ll soon see what the novel plan is to arrest the dump fire and smoke problem. Maybe they’ll agree to let the Bahamian waste management consortium address the problem and not make it any more political than it already is. What is the alternative to engaging the Bahamian waste management consortium to solve the problem? Go foreign? That’s always the go-to plan, right? Bring in foreign people or foreign entities to solve the problem for us when we created it and may know better than anyone what it will take to solve it. And then they’ll up and leave again. I see Kenred Dorsett, environment minister, says they’ve approved the remediation plan by a Bahamian engineer (Carlos Palacious) and his company. I don’t want to think that that approval has been swiftly granted because that person’s family is a “PLP” family. I would surely hope that is not the case, as it has been suggested.
I hope that he represents a company that is both professional and cutting edge, with international contacts to assist along the way with whatever his company’s landfill remediation plan may be. And I would also hope a decision is not made out of sheer desperation, using that young man and his business as a scapegoat, to have a name to call in the midst of controversy, only to have it backfire on us all and then we’re back to square one, again, on the problem. The FNM, specifically Hubert Minnis, says if elected to office as the next government, they will fix the problem at the dump once and for all. Should we believe him? Where have we heard this tune before? Anyone seeking office knows they have to convince you they’ll do something about the problems that face the nation. As voters, we just have to learn how to decide who best to believe, and that would typically be based on track record. Minnis needs to be careful about those loose, free promises he’s making, unless he has a personal endless supply of money to fix all the country’s problems. People shouldn’t vote for anyone on account of promises made, in spite of desperation. You see what the governing party has not done, compared to all their promises? What does that tell you? Frankly, if you believe them then maybe you deserve to be lied to. And not that I’m in the habit of agreeing with the PLP or
Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
its Chairman Bradley Roberts, but he did point out - and there is evidence to prove it - that Hubert Minnis, as Minister of Health, did nothing about the solid waste disposal problem during his time in office. In fact, there is a recorded total of $33.5m borrowed from the Inter-American Development Bank and not accounted for with respect to solid waste disposal and remediation on New Providence and the Family Islands. So, are you going to take Minnis’ word for it that he will fix the problem now, because all he needed was to be Prime Minister in order to do it? Regarding politicians’ promises ... Prime Minister Perry Christie made one about the fire and the dump smoke, too, particularly about reparations for Jubilee Gardens residents. What do you make of that? The same thing I make of Minnis’ promises. He’s a real Blow Hard. How are you going to promise people that you will restore them better than they were before? He is quoted as having said the government will “put them back in the position they were in, or even a little better than they were in”. If that’s not campaign speech, I don’t know what is. Even if that were true or possible, the dump site is still vulnerable, and so are the people as long as it is, so what’s all the talking for? Christie has his own stock of flammable waste matter every time he speaks. What do you think about
Kenred Dorsett’s comments about Renew Bahamas? It was reported that Renew Bahamas pulled out of managing the city dump “claiming low profitability” of the venture, but Kenred Dorsett said it wasn’t supposed to be a profitable venture. That’s conflicting. Did Renew Bahamas not know the nature of their own venture? Or did the government of The Bahamas not explain it? Which is it? Dorsett said the work done by Renew Bahamas was “a pilot project”. He said “it was done at no cost to the people of the Bahamas”. He said Renew Bahamas left because “their fiscal regime was not one which allowed them to sustain themselves”. I say, if you knew The Bahamas needed a real, longterm solution to a mammoth problem, why would you make an agreement with anyone who didn’t have the “fiscal regime” for the long haul, and therefore could not remain involved in the long term, or at least long enough to fix the problems then hand the project over to another capable entity equipped with the proper “fiscal regime”? It’s unbelievable how foolish all of that is. And I say the people of The Bahamas have paid a cost ... Renew Bahamas’ transient status and the government’s inability to make a sensible decision on this issue has cost the people of dearly, in (literal) fallout alone. • Comments and responses to nburrows@
READERS RESPOND TO MINNIS PLEDGE OF ‘REAL SALE’ FOR BAHA MAR AFTER FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis pledged that, should his party win the election, it will “engage and execute a real sale” of the Baha Mar resort “to a qualified and respectable purchaser who believes in Bahamians”, readers gave their reaction on tribune242.com. ThisIsOurs warned against “wild promises”: “I’m begging Dr Minnis, please don’t make any wild promises. The most you can do is expose any agreements that were not made in the best interest of the Bahamas. You could claim the property but there are repercussions and those need to be carefully considered and not spoken about in loosey- goosey language.
No wild, uninformed promises please. It would be good to have a legitimate buyer and not a chess player.” Banker said: “Actually, if there was no sale, the property could be nationalised by act of Parliament and handed to Sarkis or anyone. This could be an opening gambit to get the big money behind the FNM. It is a brilliant strategic move on Minnis’ part.” Honestman welcomed
Dr Minnis’ statement: “Baha Mar has NOT been sold and if, as is likely, it remains unsold by the time the FNM reclaims control of government then Minnis is entitled (if not required) to do what is best for the Bahamian people. I welcome this announcement. I would welcome even more a pledge by Minnis to hold a Commission of Enquiry over the whole Baha Mar debacle and the rest of the corrupt dealings perpetrated by this PLP administration since May 2012.” And there was this from TalRussell: “We all know PM Christie gets his legal advice from his trusted madame Attorney General Allyson. However, we’re
not even sure Minnis sought or received legal advice prior to his Facebook press release on how he plans on selling Baha Mar, if he becomes PM soon in 2017. I mean. shouldn’t Minnis at least know what the ‘escape clause’ is in the signed contracts and how many millions will it cost taxpayers when he rips them contracts up?” In Tribune Business, Consumer Protection Commission chairman Jerome Gomez openly questioned whether Bahamians benefit from foreign-owned banks, prompting Empathy to say: “There is much to admire in Mr. Gomez’ discussion points that I simply have to say ‘I concur’. Probably the greatest disaster
from these commercial banks is that their policies stifle small business’ growth and development. Although the insane ‘Red Tape’ that successive Bahamian governments have tied up businesses with has been equally bad. So unfortunately it’s probably a pipe dream to expect a government agency (the Central Bank) to rescue us from this morass.” Mr Gomez also praised Jamaica’s move to create a financial services consumer protection agency specifically to regulate that country’s bank fees. Avidreader said: “Perhaps the average reader is not aware that 5,000 Jamaican Dollars is worth about US$39.37 and 385 Jamaican Dollars
is worth about US$3.03 at the present exchange rate of 1:127. Many Bahamians are not fully appreciative of the luxury we enjoy of having a dollar on par with the US dollar. The day that changes we will all suffer greatly from an instantaneous rise in prices here at home and not just when we travel abroad (as one of our young aspiring politicians remarked not so long ago). How spoiled we have become and how unprepared for devaluation if such an event should occur, an event that would signal the end of our standard of living as we know it.” • Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, March 14, 2017, PAGE 9
US EMBASSY PICKS WINNERS IN PHOTO CONTEST
SHANAYE Smith receives the top prize from US Embassy Nassau public affairs officer Penny Rechkemmer.
TO commemorate Black History Month in February, the US Embassy Nassau held its first nationwide digital photo contest, entitled “The Dream”, which encouraged young people to reflect on the principles of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and his influence on race relations worldwide. The contest’s objective was to focus on Dr King’s principles and his role in advancing equality and human rights. Entrants submitted photos illustrating one of the basic principles put forward by Dr King. The photos submitted reflect his principles and how they manifest themselves in the Bahamas. The first place winner was Shanaye Smith, of New Providence, with “Nonviolence Holds That Suffering Can Educate
SHANAYE Smith’s “Nonviolence Holds That Suffering Can Educate and Transform” took first place in the US Embassy’s digital photo contest On March 9, the US Em- ceived Apple products in- test judges, artist Antonius and Transform”. Hadassah K McHardy, also of New bassy recognised the top cluding Apple iPad’s and Roberts of Hillside House, Providence, took second winners during an awards the iPod touch devices. Amanda Coulson, director place with “Together We presentation held at the Public Affairs Officer Pen- at the National Art GalRise” and Danyelle Sweet- American Corner in the ny Rechkemmer made the lery of The Bahamas, and ing, of Grand Bahama, Harry C Moore Library and formal presentations to the Derek Smith, photographer third with “One People Information Centre at the top two winners. at Bahamas Information The US Embassy thanked Services, for their participaUnited in Love and Ser- University of The Bahamas. The winners each re- the entrants and the con- tion and support. vice.”
“TOGETHER We Rise” by Hadassah K McHardy took second place.
“ONE People United in Love and Service” by Danyelle Sweeting was voted third.
BTC TEAMS UP WITH SCHOOL TO HONOUR STAR STUDENTS
DOCTORATE AWARDED TO FINANCE SPECIALIST
HAVING developed reputation as a leader in its own right, BTC joined forces with the Bishop Michael Eldon High School on Grand Bahama to honour some of the school’s top achieving students. “When contacted by the school’s business department about their plans to celebrate a group of amazing students, we quickly answered the call,” said Senior Manager of Commercial Services Ethel Laing. “We pride ourselves on being good corporate citizens and we couldn’t think of a worthier cause than this to be a part of.” While all the students did exceptionally well in their respective national examinations, three young women stood out from the crowd. D’Ajonae Jayawardana
- who was honoured for receiving the best results for a student on Grand Bahama – received six As of the nine BGCSEs she sat. Kiara Williams received eight BGCSE passes including five As and three Bs and Amor Ferguson received eight BGCSE Passes – including two As, two Bs and three Cs. “In addition to being exemplary academics, each of these young ladies remain active participants in various extracurricular disciplines and have proven themselves to be extremely well rounded students and future leaders,” BTC said. As reward for all their hard work, the students were presented with brand new Samsung J7 cell phones. BTC has long supported
the Bishop Michael Eldon School and its students in their continued push toward academic excellence. Since 2016, the company has been a major sponsor of the institution’s SECME VEX Robotics Programme. “The skills these young people learn by participating in this programme are exactly the kinds of skills that are going to continue to drive the world of technology into the future and we believe it’s important to support that kind of development in the country,” Ms Laing explained. This year six teams of students are sent to participate in the international competition which is held at the University of Alabama where the team’s robots will be required to showcase their programming and engineering skills.
WASHINGTON PARADE PRIZE FOR YOUTH BAND THE Urban Renewal Music Masters Youth Band was voted ‘Best in Parade’ in the annual St Patrick’s Parade of Washington, DC, last year. As the acclaimed Bahamian youth band did not return for a repeat performance in
last Sunday’s parade, Bob Monagan, chairman of the St Patrick’s Parade of Washington, DC, paid a courtesy call on Dr Eugene Newry, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States, yesterday and presented him with the ‘Best in Parade’ trophy from
last year. Mr Monagan was accompanied by his daughter, Colleen, and is pictured in the Ambassador’s office with Jade Williams, Third Secretary, Embassy of The Bahamas, and Ambassador Newry.
RACQUEL ThompsonElliott has been awarded her doctorate in Business Administration specialising in Finance at Walden University, Minneapolis, Minnesota. After gaining 25 years experience in the travel and hospitality industry, Dr Thompson-Elliott resumed her academic career in 2008 at Strayer University and in 2012 took leave from her job as Academic Assistant to the Fort Lauderdale Campus Dean to pursue her doctoral studies at Walden and raise her two children, Serena and Marco. As a Business Professor at Strayer University, she is committed to empowering individuals to pursue business ownership. She continues to educate business owners and managers about the resources available to support business growth and sustainability. Dr Thompson-Elliott is enthusiastic about contributing her practical, realworld experience when teaching business management theory and providing insight and applied knowledge to business students. Her experience, aligned with her doctoral study, “A Qualitative Study of the Growth Strategies of Mature Small Businesses”, which is published in the Scholarly Works Journal, allows her to bring that knowledge to her endeavours. Dr Thompson-Elliott was born in Freeport, Grand Bahama, to the late Irma Rita Kirton-Thompson, an entertainer, executive secretary and author, and Paul R Thompson, former Assistant Commissioner of Police, author and owner and president of Paul Thompson and Associates security firm.
RACQUEL THOMPSON-ELLIOTT Dr Thompson-Elliott ment international law firm, attended St Paul’s Meth- Greenberg Traurig, as a Seodist College, Freeport, curities Administrator. from 1973 to 1986, spendIn 2008, Dr Thompsoning childhood summers in Elliott joined Strayer UniTrinidad and Tobago from versity, where she met her where her parents hailed. husband, Professor Dwight She earned a Bachelor of T Elliott, who, born in JaArts (Honours) in Busi- maica, earned his Juris ness Administration con- Doctorate at University centrating in Econom- of Maryland after gaining ics at St Leo University, a Masters in Information Florida. She continued Technology at Syracuse to a Masters in Business University. Administration (Honours Her management experiClass, Valedictorian) con- ence and leadership skills centrating in International supported her entrepreBusiness at Nova South- neurial pursuit as an Exeastern University, Davie, ecutive Director and partFlorida. owner of Trinity Home She spent 25 years in the Care Facility Inc, founded travel and hospitality indus- by her mother-in-law, Pastry as a Marketing Director tor Georgia P Thomsonand at a financial invest- Elliott, of Jamaica.
PAGE 10, Tuesday, March 14, 2017
FORMER PM ADOPTS TWO DOGS FROM SHELTER
THE TRIBUNE
TWO lucky dogs were adopted from the Bahamas Humane Society by former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham. According to a post on the BHS’ Facebook page, potcakes Oreo and Reeses were happy to be picked up from the shelter by their new owner and excited to head to their new home. “The Bahamas Humane Society is very grateful that the honourable Hubert Ingraham chose to adopt adult dogs from the shelter and set a wonderful example,” BHS said. The dogs are pictured immediately following their final check up by shelter veterinarians Dr Issah Hanson, centre, and Dr Tanya Chase, left, along with Mr Ingraham and shelter workers.
Photo: Bahamas Humane Society
Law school wins moot contest FOR the fifth time in nine years of the competition, the Eugene Dupuch Law School has won the Caribbean Court of Justice’s (CCJ) annual International Law Moot Court Competition. The Bahamian team of lead advocate Janessa Murray, junior advocate Raven Rolle and research advocate Megan Curry triumphed last week at the CCJ, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Fittingly, the team - advised by Raquel Williams - claimed victory in the week of International Women’s Day. Eight teams representing law schools and law faculties from throughout the Caribbean participated, coming from the University of Technology (Jamaica); University of Guyana; University of the West Indies (St Augustine); University of the West Indies (Mona Campus); University of the West Indies (Cave Hill); Hugh Wooding Law School (Trinidad & Tobago); and Norman Manley Law School (Jamaica). The CCJ’s annual International Law Moot Court Competition was inaugurated in March, 2009, to encourage budding attorneys to become familiar with the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC) and other areas of Community and International Law. The CCJ’s Law Moot provides
the law students with the opportunity to appear and present before the region’s highest court on original jurisdiction matters. This year’s fictitious case dealt with issues surrounding the freedom of movement within the Caribbean region of a Belizean-based company with shareholders and employees of varying nationalities. Arguments were presented before a panel of CCJ Judges - Justices Nelson, Wit and Hayton. Caribbean Court of Justice President Sir Dennis Byron spoke of the benefits of the moot. “The good news is that your delving into the inner workings of the RTC and thrashing out an Original Jurisdiction matter before this very CCJ does more than provide you with an opportunity to hone your adversarial skills,” he told the particpants. “Through the very process of your investment and your praxis, the Court itself is imbued with a greater strengthening of its ethos, of its armour, of its structure and is better fortified assuring that leadership role.” The Court Judges and spectators were impressed by the submissions and presentations of each team and Justice Nelson commented “these submissions indicate that Caribbean region is in good hands”.
CARIBBEAN Court of Justice President Sir Dennis Byron presents the International Law Moot Court Competition trophy to Raven Rolle, Megan Curry and Janessa Murray, of the Eugene Dupuch Law School, in Trinidad and Tobago. Second place went to of the competition were Haraksingh, Chairman of dom, the European Union, the Norman Manley Law Justice Ivor Archie, Chief the CARICOM Competi- Mexico, Jamaica, South AfSchool with the University Justice of Trinidad and tion Commission; Reginald rica and Suriname. of the West Indies, Cave Tobago; Justice Desiree Armour, President of the Assisting with the proHill Campus, taking the ti- Bernard, former Judge Trinidad and Tobago Law ceedings were first-year law tle of “Best Academic Insti- of the CCJ; Anthony D J Association; and members students of the University Gafoor, Chairman of the of the diplomatic corps rep- of the West Indies, St Autution”. Among the observers Tax Appeal Board; Kusha resenting the United King- gustine Campus.
PRIZE TRIP TO LAS VEGAS FOR CIBC CUSTOMERS JOHN and Doreen Peters are busy planning their prize trip to Las Vegas as the winners of the CIBC First Caribbean ‘Take Me to Vegas’ sweepstake that ended mid-January. CIBC FirstCaribbean Visa Classic and Visa Gold credit card clients who made purchases of $50 or more were entered to win return airfare tickets to Las Vegas for a six-night hotel stay with $2,000 spending money. The Nassau couple said they were thrilled to learn they had won. “We’re really excited about it and plan to see as much as we can,” they said. “We’ve been busy researching hotels on the Las Vegas strip - we want to be in the middle of all the action, glitz and glamour. We plan to see some shows at night and take day trips to nearby local attractions. We like the idea of sightseeing from a helicopter over the Grand Canyon and the opportunity to explore as the helicopter does land in one of the canyons.” Trevor Torzsas, Managing Director of Customer Relationship Management and Strategy at CIBC FirstCaribbean, said the bank’s seasonal contests were always well received. “We will continue to offer opportunities to our cardholders to win exciting trips and other rewards as a part of
JOHN Peters receives his prize from CIBC First Caribbean’s Cherise Archer, Sandyport branch manager, and Trevor Torzsas, managing director, customer relationship management and strategy. our strategy to improve the customer experience across all products and services. “For instance, last year we introduced a Mobile Banking app to give our customers more options in
24/7 banking preferences. Also, as a part of our mandate to create banking solutions that fit everyone’s lifestyle, we now offer Chip & PIN and “contactless” “smart cards” to improve
the security and flexibility of purchase payments for our cardholders,” Mr Torzsas said. He added the new cards allow cardholders to tap or wave their CIBC First-
Caribbean Visa Credit or Debit cards at the point-ofsale terminal or equipped reader in the United States, Europe, Canada and other countries to make small purchases.
JCNP HONOURS BTC FOR SUPPORT
BTC was recognised for its commitment to culture during the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence’s (JCNP) annual awards banquet. BTC has been the title sponsor of the Boxing Day and New Year’s Day Parades for more than five consecutive years. In 2012, the company officially announced its five year partnership with the JCNP, which was recently renewed. BTC CEO Leon Williams said: “In 2012, BTC officially adopted Junkanoo. We didn’t just adopt the parade itself, but we also provided funding to every group. In addition to the funds the JCNP receives as a part of our annual commitment, we also provide seed funding for each of the choreographed dancer sections from the groups. “Every year we step it up a bit, and add something extra. This year we added a ‘Kiss Cam’ in Rawson Square that wowed parade patrons and customers were also able to sign up for our new ‘FLOW To Go’ mobile television service during the parades.” In addition to the New Providence Junkanoo parades, BTC also supports Junkanoo in Grand Bahama and the Family Islands, including Abaco and Eleuthera.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, March 14, 2017, PAGE 11
Artist honoured by 7 Pillars of Greatness TRIBUNE cartoonist Jamaal Rolle has been presented with an invitational package by 7 Pillars of Greatness and will be recognised formally at the organisation’s third annual honoree gala dinner at Serenity Gardens on May 28.
Mr Rolle, aka The Celebrity Artist, was given his award at The Tribune yesterday by Shakera Strachan and members of the committee. 7 Pillars of Greatness representing Selfless, Endurance, Visionaire, Em-
powering, Nucleus - is a Nassau-based community organisation which aims to recognise people who have made significant contributions to society in various roles, from a parent, teacher, Pastor or in Mr Rolle’s case, artist.
J-LO AND A-ROD ON HOLIDAY BREAK TO ABACO AMERICAN pop star and actress Jennifer Lopez and former New York Yankees baseball star Alez Rodriguez have been on vacation together over the weekend in Abaco, confirming reports that they are dating. The star-powered couple - dubbed J-Rod after news of their romance broke last week - reportedly arrived at the Baker’s Bay Golf &
Ocean Club, a private resort on Great Guana Cay, on Friday. They have been dating for four months. Rodriguez, who retired from Major League Baseball in 2016, and Lopez were each in Miami on Friday before meeting up for their trip to The Bahamas. The couple’s relationship was first reported last week. Lopez was previously linked to hip-hop star
Drake after they appeared in several photos and attended multiple events together late last year. ‘A-Rod’, meanwhile, recently attended one of the singer’s shows at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, where he was seen backstage. The three-time American League MVP broke up with his last girlfriend, Silicon Valley tycoon Anne Wojcicki, several months ago.
PAGE 12, Tuesday, March 14, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
THE students of Stuart Manor Primary School in Exuma enjoyed a real Jamaica experience yesterday to commemorate Commonwealth Day, decorating their school with the Jamaican flag and the national colours of green, black and yellow.
A Jamaican experience for Exuma students THE students of Stuart Manor Primary School in Exuma enjoyed a true Jamaica experience yesterday to commemorate Com-
monwealth Day, decorating their school with the Jamaican flag and the national colours of green, black and yellow.
Principal Joy Burrows and teacher Crystal McIntosh-Ferguson wanted the students to gain new knowledge about other Commonwealth countries. Each student wore a white shirt with Jamaica printed on the front, custom designed for the occasion. They learnt about the history of the country and also practiced cultural dance arrangements. The table was spread with native Jamaican dishes including ackee and codfish, bammie, plantain, festivals, gizzada and chicken patties. Jamaica’s motto, “Out of Many, One People”, encourages natives of Commonwealth nations to stand united and focused for the betterment of each country and people. The theme of Commonwealth Day was “A Peace Building Commonwealth”.