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‘Stop spreading TOURISM EVENT SHOWCASES misinformation,’ THE BEST OF THE BAHAMAS warns Gibson By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net  HURRICANE Matthew Czar Shane Gibson yesterday accused Opposition Leader Dr Hubert Minnis of spreading false information to gain political points, as he demanded the Killarney MP produce proof that the National Emergency Management Agency is giving preferential treatment to Progressive Liberal Party supporters in the wake of the monster storm. Mr Gibson said he also drafted a letter, which was sent to Dr Minnis, asking him to formally state the names of stores operated by PLP supporters in Andros that were reportedly being
patronised by the government. He said that “NEMA has not purchased anything like that as all the supplies came out of New Providence� with an exception. Mr Gibson pointed to one instance in particular that involved a grocery store owner on the island who experienced flood damage and the government bought goods from her to distribute throughout the island. He said this happened during a recent trip to Lowe Sound, Andros, where the owner placed all her items outside of the store to dry. It was then that he made the decision to purchase the items to distribute to people in need, Mr Gibson said. SEE PAGE SIX
AS fears within the business community swell over the government’s ability to shoulder the massive losses incurred from Hurricane Matthew, Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation Chairman Gowon Bowe yesterday cautioned officials against sensationalising the damage estimates. Mr Bowe explained that the enormous price tag, an estimated $600 million, attached to hurricane dam-
FORMER Cabinet minister George Smith doesn’t expect Prime Minister Perry Christie to underestimate Alfred Sears’ challenge to his leadership, saying Mr Christie realises “Alfred is no fool.� His statement came after Mr Sears published his lengthy platform for governance in The Tribune yesterday. The 25-page document contained Mr Sears’ agenda for a wide range of issues, from governance, anti-corruption, government transparency, immigration, tourism development and more. Mr Christie, by contrast, has been preoccupied with the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, his response to the storm receiving both praise and criticism. SEE PAGE 11
By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net  PLP CHAIRMAN Bradley Roberts yesterday said Sarkis Izmirlian must “show us the money� if he is serious about purchasing the stalled $3.5 billion Baha Mar resort. In a press statement, Mr Roberts said if Mr Izmirlian has an interest in purchasing the assets of Baha Mar and delivering a world class resort for the Bahamian people as he claims, he should offer a serious proposal and plan instead of “finger-pointing, weeping and wailing�. SEE PAGE THREE
age was a catch-all figure that did not take into account insurance coverage or that the government was not responsible for the total restoration of residences and businesses. He was responding to concerns from second homeowners in Bimini, Andros and Abaco, who fear that the massive undertaking will overwhelm the government and leave the country vulnerable to increased state-funded investment or concessionary lending from China. SEE PAGE SIX
LEGAL ADVICE SOUGHT AMID LOW VOTER REGISTRATION A SHOWCASE event for travel agents was staged on Tuesday night in Baltimore to show them what The Bahamas has to offer for visitors. The event included junkanoo costumes, a performance by Julien Believe and information about the many islands of The Bahamas. See page 13 for more photographs.
FORMER ROAD TRAFFIC CONTROLLER HITS OUT AT CHAOS OF NEW SYSTEM By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Road Traffic Controller Brensil Rolle yesterday slammed the government for the chaos and long lines associated with
the Road Traffic Department’s automated system roll out, blaming it on “poor management� and a “lack of preparation.� Mr Rolle said that “the government didn’t have to reinvent the wheel� to introduce its new $8m system, add-
ing that while he is “not surprised� by the chaos that has come to define the registration exercise, he is “disappointed the government did not have any serious plans to address this problem� from the onset.
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By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
ROBERTS TELLS IZMIRLIAN: SHOW US THE MONEY
BOWE: CALM FEARS OVER DAMAGE COSTS By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
‘PM NO FOOL OVER SEARS LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE’
/BURGERKINGNASSAU
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SEE PAGE 11
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
AMID low voter registration, Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall is seeking legal advice on whether it would be lawful to automatically re-register people for the next election who had registered to vote in the 2012 general election. If done, those people would not be required to reproduce documents like passports or birth certificates in order to be registered for the 2017 election. SEE PAGE 11
PAGE 2, Thursday, October 27, 2016
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MAN DETAINED ON SUSPICION OF POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA
OFFICERS from the Mobile Division took an adult male into custody after finding him in possession of a quantity of dangerous drugs on Tuesday. According to police,
shortly before 6pm, officers from the Mobile Division were on routine patrol on Bahama Avenue and Fourth Street, Coconut Grove, where they saw a male acting suspiciously. The officers conducted
THE TRIBUNE
a search of the male and found 21 small packages of marijuana in his possession. The man was subsequently arrested. Investigations continue.
A SKETCH portrait of the suspect in a rape case.
POLICE ISSUE SKETCH OF RAPE SUSPECT POLICE have released a composite sketch of a man suspected in a rape case and are seeking the public’s help in finding him. The above sketch represents the appearance of the man at the time
of the alleged sexual assault. Anyone with information is asked to call the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers at 328TIPS or 1-242-300-8476 in the Family Islands.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, October 27, 2016, PAGE 3
‘Govt must come clean on details of Baha Mar ownership’
PRIME Minister Perry Christie pictured during a recent tour of the Baha Mar property.
By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net UNTIL the government “comes clean” over the inner workings of Baha Mar’s transfer of ownership, Bahamians will continue to see the ill-fated resort as a product of an “inside job” that shut out the $3.5bn project’s original developer Sarkis Izmirlian, according to Free National Movement Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest yesterday. This comes the day after Mr Izmirlian slammed the resort’s transfer to Perfect Luck, a special purpose vehicle created by the ExportImport Bank of China, as an “intricate fabrication”. The CEO of BMD Holdings Ltd said he also found it “bizarre” that nearly two weeks after making a “bona fide” offer to buy Baha Mar, he received no response to his “superior proposal”. On the heels of this, Mr
boat has sailed for that, but if there is an option he ought to be given a fair shake. It would appear, however, that it is an inside job and we can’t allow for this sort of thing to happen.” In a letter to the bank on Tuesday, Mr Izmirlian spoke out about what has been perceived as shunning from CEXIM. In a letter addressed to Liu Liange, vice-chairman and president of CEXIM, Mr Izmirlian said not only has the bank not acknowledged receipt of the proposal, but “nor has anyone associated with either the bank, the receivers, or Perfect Luck,” made contact with him. Mr Izmirlian urged the bank to “engage” with him to find a solution to the current impasse, “help Baha Mar open quickly and successfully, improve CEXIM’s economic position and maximise value for other stakeholders.”
Turnquest said he doubt- have the whole question as ed the persistent calls for far as the prime minister is transparency would stop. concerned who by his own “I think that the govern- admission is aware of the ment has to come clean as deal because he is handling to what they gave up,” Mr it as if it is his personally. By Turnquest said. his own admission he said “On the one hand there that Cabinet doesn’t know is this question on fairness and that is a telling tale, one given that that we have EXIM trans- ‘By his (the PM’s) to be very ferred all concerned the assets to own admission he about.” another in- said that Cabinet Asked fluenced en- doesn’t know and what he tity and that thought gives the im- that is a telling tale, of Mr pression that one that we have to Izmirlian’s everything persistence, be very concerned may not be the East above board about.’ Grand Babecause it hama MP gives the said the deperception its not an arms veloper should be given a length deal. fair chance. “So the question is to what “It is obvious that extent they knew about this Izmirlian didn’t get this far deal, what concessions were by being less committed made and what is the long to the project. I do think it term and short term cost to speaks a lot for him that he the Bahamian people?” persists. He continued: “Then you “Unfortunately I think the
ROBERTS TELLS IZMIRLIAN: SHOW US THE MONEY from page one
On Tuesday, Mr Izmirlian criticised the transfer of Baha Mar’s assets to Perfect Luck Holdings Ltd, calling the sale to the special purpose vehicle created by the Export-Import Bank of China (CEXIM) an “intricate fabrication”. And nearly two weeks after making a “bona fide” offer to buy Baha Mar, Mr Izmirlian, CEO of BMD Holdings Ltd, said he found it “bizarre” that he has received no response to the “superior proposal”. In fact, in a letter addressed to Liu Liange, vicechairman and president of CEXIM, Mr Izmirlian said not only has the bank not acknowledged receipt of the proposal, but “nor has anyone associated with either the bank, the receivers, or Perfect Luck,” made contact with him. Mr Izmirlian is the original developer of Baha Mar. In a letter dated October 10, Mr Izmirlian made an
offer to purchase the stalled $3.5 billion resort “at a price in excess” of the current undisclosed bid. Mr Roberts said the record clearly shows that the developer was given many opportunities to retain control of his development but “was less than forthright in his dealings with the government of The Bahamas.” “The developer asked the prime minister to intervene when he encountered difficulties only to lead Baha Mar into bankruptcy in Delaware without notice to the government and with the full knowledge that the prime minister was working diligently - day and night – and in good faith to negotiate a deal that was fair and a win-win for all stakeholders involved,” the statement said. “During the bankruptcy hearings in Delaware, the developer was able to guarantee a mere $15 million of the estimated $600m required to finish the project. As much as the developer talked about his love for the
so-called ‘Baha Mar citizens,’ there was no allocation made available to pay the Baha Mar employees or the unsecured creditors. Further, the developer was clear that he intended to reduce the staff complement by 98 per cent to a mere 52-man skeleton crew...The developer was very dishonest with and disrespectful to the prime minister, the government and people of The Bahamas so much so that the immigration minister was forced to caution the developer from a public place against his tone and tenor in addressing the nation’s leader.” For the past 18 months, Mr Roberts said Mr Izmirlian has “blamed everyone but himself” for the fate of Baha Mar. “We again repeat the position of the Bahamas government, if Sarkis Izmirlian has an interest in purchasing the assets of Baha Mar and delivering a world class resort for the Bahamian people as he claims, he should offer a serious pro-
posal and plan to the beneficial owner; in short just show them the money,” Mr Roberts said. “All we have seen to date are sour grapes, finger-pointing, vitriol and much weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Bahamians fully understand if one secures a mortgage and default on payments the property will be repossessed by the mortgage holder, notwithstanding the size of the transaction. How can Sarkis Izmirlian after defaulting and foreclosure demand or presume to tell the mortgage holder whom they should sell to and insult them in the process? These media tirades are unhelpful to the developer and to our beautiful country.” Earlier this month, the Office of the Prime Minister urged Mr Izmirlian to work with Perfect Luck Holdings Limited, if the resort developer is in a position to make a “credible proposal” to buy the property as he has suggested.
READERS RESPOND TO IZMIRLIAN COMMENTS THE Baha Mar saga continues to roll on, with Sarkis Izmirlian this week calling the sale of the resort’s assets to Perfect Luck Holidings an “intricate fabrication”. Readers on tribune242.com gave their response. BahamaPundit was unhappy with the government’s silence on the matter: “Another day, another 24 hours of silence. Wow. I guess the PLP have found their secret weapon – say nothing at all. Meanwhile, the country sinks lower and lower in the mire of international opinion. Ease of doing business — gone. Moody’s – gone. Financial services – gone. Tourism – on the way out . . . Honestman asked: “What major foreign investor will ever show an interest in The Bahamas again? The Government’s treatment of Izmirlian is beyond disgusting. Frankly, words are inadequate to describe
the contempt many Bahamians feel towards the PLP over this and the complete ruination of our economy.” Jus2cents said: “Selling out to China will ‘disrupt the sovereignty of the country’ way more than a bankruptcy ever could . . . Christie has a lot to answer for yet he stays mute.” And there was this from Marrcus: “DNA gonna make headway this time, maybe 5-6 seats. That’s 5-6 seats less for FNM. PLP got this thing locked for a long time. Why you think they are so brazen? PLP forever, get used to it.” After Tribune Business reported that Bahamian trade unions are pushing for
controversial labour law reforms, themessenger had this to say: “The myopic and ignorant views of the few who employ few should not be allowed to be visited on the many who employ many!” The_Oracle said: “Wonder if the private sector will ever wake up, stop hiding in the shadows and counter these fools, or just passively accept this garbage? Or will they just allow themselves to fade away, taking all commerce with them? Has
a union in this country ever published balance sheets? Management salaries and perks? Accounted for dues contributed?” • Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.
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THE TRIBUNE
The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH,
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,
jrolle@tribunemedia.net
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991
EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,
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Trying to understand Trump’s popularity IN 1962, the movie, The Manchurian Candidate, spurred fears that far outlasted its popularity and gave rise to a remake in 2004 starring Denzel Washington. The title character in the original version was played by Laurence Harvey, and through hypnosis and other means his mother (Angela Lansbury) and other sinister characters manipulate him to favour the interests of an unfriendly foreign power. Laurence Harvey was running for President of the United States. Watching and listening to Donald Trump reminded me of The Manchurian Candidate. At least the movie’s premise provides a plausible explanation for the Republican standard-bearer’s otherwise inexplicable admiration of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the autocratic means he is using in an attempt to return his sprawling but economically faltering nation to the superpower relevance it enjoyed for decades until the last decade of the 20th century. Most Americans who pay attention to foreign policy cannot otherwise fathom how Trump could view Putin so favourably. Similarly, Trump’s outrageous behaviour in the three debates with Democrat Hillary Clinton has reportedly turned off white women voters in big city American suburbs who might well otherwise be inclined to vote for the GOP. Persistent reports of his adolescent talk and behaviour toward women during his sexual heyday 20 years ago, and since, haven’t helped with females, either. Nor has his patent disrespect for his opponent. The list goes on. Immigrants, minorities, union workers, gun-control advocates and others have found Trump’s outrageousness to be offensive. At last count, a grand total of three insignificant American newspapers has endorsed Trump. Republican leaders and office holders are hastening to distance themselves from their candidate whose flailing campaign threatens to dismantle solid GOP majorities in both houses of Congress. All of the above notwithstanding, the 2016 Presidential election was ripe for the Republicans to win. And the core support for Trump, which is estimated at about 35 per cent of the US electorate, has perfectly good reasons for supporting its maverick candidate. Whether you believe the Great Recession of 2008-9 was hastened by a too-cozy relationship between Bill Clinton’s White House and Wall Street in the 1990s or the willfully lazy regulatory disinterest of George W Bush’s administration in the 2000s, that scary recession’s effects have lingered distressingly for millions of Americans. Many of these Americans are un- or undereducated white males, and females
too. While it is easy to label these voters “Deplorables,” as Hillary Clinton carelessly did, the fact is that they have largely been left behind as better-educated Americans fattened their stock portfolios and otherwise feasted. Trade deals such as Bill Clinton’s NAFTA may well have benefitted the US overall, but there seems little dispute that they have cost American jobs in certain sectors. The irony here is that free trade has been a consistent Republican pillar for so long as anyone can remember. Trump has scored points arguing against it nevertheless. The Democrats – President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in particular – have faced a barrage of criticism of their stewardship of the country and its economy during the past eight years. So too would the Republicans if they had held the White House. That’s why smart money would have favoured a GOP candidate in 2016, until the Republicans nominated someone who cannot get out of his own political way. Trump’s 35 per cent believe, with reason, that the government in Washington has let them down. As the American ship of state sails resolutely away, they are left adrift in unemployment, poverty and despair. It is reasonable to assume that any Republican candidate would enjoy the support of this 35 per cent. Racism and other prejudice aside, the Democrats can be blamed for the economic hardships of the past eight years simply because they have held the White House. Add to the 35 per cent the significant numbers of US voters for whom religious and social issues such as abortion are politically paramount. These voters are justifiably disenchanted with the Republican party establishment, which has for decades offered them rhetorical support and delivered to them virtually nothing. For conservative religious voters, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts’ positions on abortion rights and samesex marriage are tantamount to political treason. Ted Cruz made sense to these voters. Trump cannot disguise his lack of interest in their perspective. So the Republicans are heading rapidly toward political disaster. The demographic tides in an increasingly diverse America all oppose their particular brand of nativist conservativsm, and they richly deserve their abandonment by religious conservatives whose passionate support has been unrewarded. Remember Barry Goldwater, back 52 years ago when the Manchurian Candidate was released in theatres? Trump may well be buried under an electoral avalanche of comparable proportions. – By John S. Ford, diplomat, retired, former Deputy Chief of Mission (19931994), American Embassy, Nassau.
Unseal the documents EDITOR, The Tribune. WHO is... Perfect Luck Holdings Limited? Registered in Hong Kong - November 19th, 2015 Registration Number: CR#2072340 Agent one…Jam Consulting Ltd formed March 29th, 2014. Named shareholders: Hardus
Joosie and Ingram, Mina Priscilla Seeing the Prime Minister seems to have breached the Court established “sealsecrecy” by confirming the transfer of Assets from EXIM Bank possibly it is time to come clean and lay the Court documents on the Table of Parliament for all to see?
Friends in deed EDITOR, The Tribune Re: Volunteers In Florida Send Supplies To Help. The Tribune, October 19, 2016
plies temporarily because we are still inundated by so many relief supplies generously do nated by our Chinese comrades.
LET us hope enough space will be found to store the Florida sup -
KEN W KNOWLES MD Nassau, October 20, 2016.
Were we not told...the court documents were sealed? Slip of tongue or was this done on purpose? A little advice to Sarkis Izmirlian - come with a substantiated guaranteed deal with named financing source which can immediately be verified and that you will have enough to complete and operate or stop fooling everyone, please. It would seem the tide has gone out, sir, accept reality and move on. The FNM are seriously hanging their hat where the future is very unknown yet again they seem not to be politically savvy. W THOMPSON Nassau, October 21, 2016.
Eleuthera dump has to move EDITOR, The Tribune. Please publish this open letter to: Mr Kendred Dorsett, Minister of Environmental Health, The Department of Environmental Health, Nassau, Bahamas 23rd September, 2016 Dear Sirs: I am writing to express my concern and frustration regarding the dump on Russell Island, Eleuthera. Much like the issues that are being faced in Nassau, residents of this area are also gravely concerned about the health and environmental implications from unregulated and irresponsible waste management. I have written several letters to the local town council, to The Department of Environmental Health in
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net Nassau and Eleuthera, in addition to countless conversations filled with empty promises of rectifying the situation. Many of the letters were written while my home was engulfed in smoke and fumes coming from the indiscriminate burning. It is truly unbearable at times. Currently it is considered to be proper management when the dump is lit according to wind direction that takes the smoke out to sea, but this approach is not working. Even if the burning occurred when the wind direction was suitable, it is not a sustainable solution to long term waste management. The community of Spanish Wells has grown considerably over the past
several years and is quickly becoming a top destination for both domestic and international tourists. There is no way the current dump can sustain this kind of growth. I am pleading, once again, to relocate the dump on Russell Island to North Eleuthera where residents will not be affected by the burning and there is sufficient room for expansion. DIANE CARTWRIGHT Spanish Wells, Nassau, October 20, 2016. CC: Spanish Wells Town Council/Mr Andrew Thompson Dept. of Environmental Health Services/ Ms Melanie McKenzie, Environmental Health/ Delores Stubbs, Environmental Health, Governor’s Harbour/The Tribune/ Mr Thea Neilly, Current Eleuthera
Evidence for the police? EDITOR, The Tribune ACCORDING to The Tribune report “Police are also investigating an armed robbery and shooting that took place early Friday morning. According to reports, the victim was standing in front of his home at Moncur Alley off Kemp Road, when a man armed with a handgun approached and shot him before fleeing in a silver coloured Honda Fit, vehicle license number 320478.” The silver Honda Fit was burned on West Cemetery Lane “south” on Friday morning just before 8:00am when the Fire department came and put it out. At that time the license plate was still on the vehicle front bumper but has now been removed. A very strong smell of kerosene was coming from the car all day Friday, and even on Saturday. I would have thought that the Fire Department might have mentioned it to the Police Department, but as it remains there still I suppose not. One would think that as evidence in a murder,and/or an arson, that it would have been taken by the police for evidence. MONKEEDO Nassau, October 25, 2016.
A BURNED out car on West Cemetery Lane on Friday morning.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, October 27, 2016, PAGE 5
FNM TO RATIFY SEVEN MORE ELECTION CANDIDATES TONIGHT By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE Free National Movement will ratify “up to seven” more candidates for the 2017 general election tonight, according to FNM Chairman Sidney Collie. However, Mr Collie remained tightlipped on who the candidates will be and what constituencies they will be running in. In an interview with The
Tribune, Mr Collie said the party’s Candidates Committee has been working around the clock to investigate and vet almost 140 potential candidates. The Tribune understands that businessman Dionisio D’Aguilar has been eyed for the Montagu constituency, the seat currently held by Richard Lightbourn. Mr Lightbourn’s political career took a catastrophic hit on the second night of the FNM’s July convention.
While attempting to offer a solution for the country’s rising crime trends, he proposed state-sponsored sterilisation of unwed women with more than two children. The FNM quickly distanced itself from the controversial comments and said it was not the party’s official position. Mr Lightbourn has apologised for his remarks. Last week, Mr Lightbourn said he has no plans
at this time to mount an independent run in the next election and is still a member of the FNM. Well-placed FNM sources have also said that talk show host Jeffrey Lloyd will be ratified for the St Anne’s constituency. Earlier this month, St Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman announced that he has withdrawn his name from consideration for renomination in his constituency, saying it is clear FNM
Leader Dr Hubert Minnis no longer wants his contribution. The Tribune understands that accountant Reece Chipman is being considered for Bain and Grants Town. Leonard Sands was previously announced as the candidate for the area, but withdrew citing “personal reasons”. Last month, the FNM ratified Long Island MP Loretta Butler Turner, slamming the door on spec-
ulation that the party might look to replace her prior to the election. In addition to Mrs ButlerTurner, the party ratified former Deputy Commissioner of Police Marvin Dames for the Mount Moriah constituency, former Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Chairman Mark Humes for the Fort Charlotte constituency and local entrepreneur Walt Saunders for the MICAL constituency.
Minnis calls for information act to be enacted immediately By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net FREE National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday called for the “immediate” enactment of a Freedom of Information Act, saying the government’s failure to enact the legislation is to cover up all of the “sweetheart deals” it has made with its “Chinese allies” and others. Chief among those “sweetheart deals,” Dr Minnis said in a statement, would be the details of the recent sale of Baha Mar and its assets to Perfect Luck Holdings Ltd, a special purpose vehicle created by the Export-Import Bank of China (CEXIM), the resort’s $2.45b secured creditor. Dr Minnis said the FNM is both “concerned and troubled by the lack of transparency and details of the PLP’s secret dealings with the Chinese.” The Killarney MP also questioned if Prime Minister Perry Christie has shared the details of his “secret deal” with his Cabinet colleagues or if he is “still withholding” that information from them. If the latter is true, Dr Minnis submitted that Mr Christie may be reluctant to do so because he may be “afraid of an embarrassing leak from his PLP leadership like the debacle he encountered with his hurricane tax proposal.” Similarly, DNA Leader Branville McCartney criticised the governing PLP for continuing to “drag its feet” on the matter, charging that without the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Bahamians are “left to live with and through the negative effects of the back
room deals struck with various special interests.” Mr McCartney also called it “utterly disingenuous” for the government to assert that the reason for the delay in bringing forth the anticipated legislation is due to “unforeseen setbacks” caused by Hurricane Matthew. He said rather than “create excuses,” the government should “work quickly” to ensure that any deficiencies in the current legislation were addressed “in a timely manner”. However, Mr McCartney surmised that the government would likely table the legislation in the weeks before the general election, “once again stopping the clock on full scale implementation”. Last week, the Office of the Prime Minister confirmed a Tribune Business report published earlier this month, which said that Deloitte and Touche receivers sold the resort to a special purpose vehicle (SPV) owned by CEXIM. Once Baha Mar has been completed under the ownership of the bank’s SPV, the “second” or final sale will occur, it was previously reported. However, this revelation, coupled with Mr Christie’s confirmation that he has not spoken to his Cabinet about the sale to Perfect Luck, and that the matter would only be dealt with by Attorney General Allyson MaynardGibson and himself, reignited questions over the particulars of the deal, and what concessions were granted to make it possible. “The continued lack of transparency from (Mr Christie) on the secret Baha Mar deal he struck with his Chinese allies, shows the need for immediate Free-
dom of Information Act (FOIA) legislation to be enacted in the Bahamas,” Dr Minnis said in his statement. “The PLP government has been promising to enact FOIA legislation for the past four and a half years but just like every other promise this government has made, it was just empty rhetoric. “The PLP does not want a FOIA enacted because then all the sweetheart deals they have made would be unveiled. It’s clear that the prime minister and the PLP have shown a complete disregard for the Bahamian people and their wishes.” Earlier this week, Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald, who has responsibility for the legislation, said although it was initially intended to have the bill tabled in the House of Assembly by “late October 2016,” the bill will likely be tabled before the end of the year “due to the unforeseen setbacks caused by Hurricane Matthew.” For his part, Mr McCartney said the DNA is “by no means surprised” by the delays in implementing the FOIA, charging that the government “could care less” about the importance of “such mechanisms in the execution of good governance and the overall development of our country.” However, he slammed the Christie administration for using the hurricane as a “new excuse to hide behind.” “More than 90 countries
around the world have already enacted some form of Freedom of Information resulting in enhanced democracies,” he added. “Elected officials must be made to account for every action they take in the name of our developing democracy. “It is clear, however, that this administration is taking a page from the former government and will likely table the bill in the weeks before the general election once again stopping the clock on full scale implementation. These are the actions of an incompetent and irresponsible government. “A responsible government would not create excuses about why the legislation cannot be implemented; rather they would work quickly to ensure that any deficiencies in the current legislation were addressed in a timely manner.”
LEADER of the FNM Dr Hubert Minnis.
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PAGE 6, Thursday, October 27, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
Minnis accused of false rumours from page one
On Tuesday, Dr Minnis said residents in Andros claimed that NEMA is only buying food and supplies from stores where the owners support the government. He also said that there are no construction supplies in Andros and residents are “anxious” to begin repairs to their homes. “You can’t just issue a blanket statement because you feel like it will gain you political points or because it sounds good saying it,” Mr Gibson, who is also the minister of labour and national insurance, said. “The only thing that was purchased is when we were doing the walk about. There was a lady who had her stuff out. I couldn’t tell you if she was PLP, DNA or FNM. “So I don’t know what he is talking about. I wrote him a letter asking him to identify the PLP stores where we purchased these things from and identify the FNM stores that we are not purchasing from. “He can’t do it because what I am saying is we didn’t purchase anything like that,” Mr Gibson said. North Andros was one of the islands hardest hit by Hurricane Matthew earlier
DR HUBERT MINNIS, right, during his tour of Andros in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew. this month. The island suf- Andros on Tuesday. “You complained that there is fered severe flooding, dam- know we have a huge con- a food shortage on the isage to nearly 100 homes cern with transparency and land and NEMA has been while 35 others were de- honesty with this govern- purchasing food from local ment. stores but only from PLPs. stroyed. “There are still no con- We will not tolerate this and “My team and I came down to Andros to see the struction supplies and that we in the (Official) Opposiprogress and to ensure that is causing concern because tion will push for fair play there is fairness in terms the residents want to begin and accountability. I will of distribution,” Dr Min- repair work but NEMA be speaking with NEMA nis said after completing a has not provided them with when I return.” Days after the storm, Dr walk about in Lowe Sound, any supplies. Residents also
Minnis said the government’s Hurricane Matthew recovery and restoration efforts would involve cronyism and victimisation, an assertion that was strongly denied by members of the Christie administration. Demand In a letter dated October 26, Mr Gibson reassured Dr
BOWE: CALM FEARS OVER DAMAGE COSTS from page one
“I think that dollar amount is what drives it [fears],” Mr Bowe said, when contacted for comment. “I think the government should be clear on what its commitment is in respect to the restoration. It always sounds sexy to say a billion dollar loss, but it’s just like it is in our private lives, you have to be very careful about what looks too good to be true. “Whilst that sounds so
elaborate and so demanding, what they should be saying is let’s break this down to what is necessary for the government to spend and over what period of time. The other side of it is actually when this has to happen, it’s all being acted as if everything has to happen tomorrow. And in reality it is really the survival mode first, which is relief to make sure people have food, water, and basic covering over their heads and clothing. The second stage is a steady progress to restore the essential services
and what I would call essential government infrastructure, the passageways and roads.” He added that the third phase could likely go on for an extended period of time, and entails restoring infrastructure in the rest of the business community and social standards. “There should not be a phobia about who takes over because of a need to restore devastation,” Mr Bowe continued, “not if the government is prudent and takes its stewardship seriously.” “If you said I have to find
$800m today and the only person available to do so were a state-run organisation, then there is a significant threat because that may seem enamored or infatuated. However if I say a significant amount is going to be picked up by insurers, a portion picked up by donors, then I can borrow as and when I need funds to restore things, starting with essential services and then moving on to auxiliary elements.” Giving a conservative estimate based on information gathered from businesses in Andros, Mr Bowe said he expects the value of damage to cap at $5 million from the private sector. He pointed to Rebuild Bahamas, a Chamber initiative that spent $573,926 helping to reconstruct or restock businesses in five islands and refloat fishing vessels in the southern Bahamas devastated by Hurricane Joaquin. The fund has now turned its focus to assist with the devastation wrought by Hurricane Matthew. “The business community has to take responsibility for saying that when I’m in business, there’s a cost of doing business,” he said. “When I’m making profits I don’t expect the government to dip its hand into my
pockets to take taxes out, so there has to be a balance when I run into hardship that I can’t dip my hand into the government’s pockets when I haven’t made many deposits.” One such business is Knolls Landing, a bonefishing lodge owned by Diane Knoll in Pleasant Harbour, Andros. Some 90 per cent of the lodge’s structures have been damaged but the business was not insured. A Gofundme page, set up on October 20 to solicit donations, had raised $3,270 of its $100,000 goal up to press time last night. One homeowner on the island said: “(Diane) doesn’t have the money to rebuild. She’s stuck; she’s going out of business. The government is overwhelmed; they have not invested or saved for a rainy day. Lowe’s Sound is gone; those people have to be relocated. Nicholls Town, it’s wiped out, it’s gone, it’s history.” “I don’t see how government will pull out of this.” He continued: “I think you’re going to see China step in and say look we’ll bail you out, but we want this, this, and this. I don’t think that’s a good idea. Mark my words we’re going to see a Chinese aircraft carrier.”
Minnis that the government remained committed to helping everyone affected by Matthew. “I am writing in reference to comments attributed to you in an article that appears in the October 25, 2016 edition of The Tribune titled ‘Minnis Says Preference Given by NEMA to PLP’s,’” the letter read. “In light of your assertion that the National Emergency Management Agency is giving ‘preferential treatment’ to Progressive Liberal Party supporters, I humbly ask that you kindly provide me with proof of this, including a list of those PLP businesses that were patronised and the FNM businesses that were not supported by NEMA in the wake of Hurricane Matthew. “If this is found to be the case, immediate steps will be taken to rectify the situation and hold those responsible accountable for their actions. “I also wish to reassure you that the government of the Bahamas is committed to providing assistance to every citizen impacted by Hurricane Matthew.” It is unclear whether Dr Minnis has responded to Mr Gibson’s letter, as he could not be reached up to press time.
The second homeowner pointed out that the stateowned China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) is the contractor for the $39 million Abaco port. And privately-owned, Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa, is the major investor in Freeport through the Freeport Container Port, Grand Bahama Development Company (DEVCO) and Freeport Harbour Company. Speaking of Grand Bahama, the expat said: “I think that you will see an exodus of people leaving Freeport. What’s left for them? These people don’t have the money to rebuild, when they did after the last time [Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne] they didn’t do it properly because they didn’t have the money.” According to Bahamas Power and Light, full restoration was reached in Andros on Monday. BPL’s Corporate Communications Manager Arnette Ingraham yesterday explained that some areas - similar to New Providence - require approval from the Ministry of Works before power can be restored. She noted that while there were still customers in Andros with individual service issues, the company’s network has been rebuilt.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, October 27, 2016, PAGE 7
Judge defers his decision on prosecution over 2006 murder By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net A JUDGE has reserved his decision on whether he will stay the prosecution of a man awaiting trial for murder since 2006. Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs heard a constitutional motion yesterday brought by 50-year-old Leo Roderick Johnson who believes he should not have to stand trial at this stage concerning the August 19, 2006 slaying of Ericka Fowler. On Monday, Basil Cumberbatch and Lukella Lindor noted that the prosecution was ready to proceed with trial but indicated that they had received Johnson’s submissions only the weekend before the hearing. A 48-hour adjournment was given to the Crown to allow them sufficient time to respond. In yesterday’s hearing, Johnson’s lawyer Crystal Rolle said the motion was grounded on Article 20 (1) of the Constitution of the Bahamas “which allows him the right to a fair trial within a reasonable time by an independent tribunal.” “The facts are that an incident happened on August 19, 2006. The applicant turned himself into the authorities and on August 23, 2006 he was arraigned in Magistrate’s Court on a charge of murder. On July
27, 2007, he was formally arraigned in the Supreme Court before then Senior Justice Jon Isaacs,” she said. “Since that time, there was a significant gap between then and June 2, 2014 when counsel appeared and a trial date was set for October 24, 2016 by then Senior Justice Jon Isaacs.” “So there’s a seven year gap?” the judge asked. Ms Rolle said yes, before noting that since that hearing, the Crown had presented five “notice of additional evidence” applications. “It’s important that we look at the lapse of time and establish what is reasonable time,” Ms Rolle said. Johnson is accused of intentionally and unlawfully causing the death of 33-year-old Ms Fowler, a mother of five, who was fatally stabbed in the heart by a man with whom she had been in an on/off relationship. Ms Fowler, who was employed at The Tribune as assistant librarian and archivist, was killed in front of her home on Comet Terrace in the Golden Gates area. Johnson’s lawyer said they were relying on the Court of Appeal decision of Kencino Lightbourne vs the Attorney General (2010), which outlines a number of factors for consideration of future applications for stay of a trial.
The judgment, Ms Rolle noted, considered the length of the delay and the complexity of the case. “A delay can be tolerated for a lesser crime but the charge here is for murder. This is not a fraud case or a conspiracy case. It cannot be denied that the lapse of time since the arraignment is presumptively prejudicial to the application,” Ms Rolle said. The second factor in the referred to judgment concerns reasons for the delay. “The Crown has offered no reasonable explanation for why the trial had not proceeded up until 2014 and even moving forward this year. Even their affidavit filed in response to this motion offered no explanation,” the lawyer said. The third factor of the cited case was the asserted rights of the applicant. “It is a fact that the applicant did not seek recourse provided for in the Constitution at that time. However, I do not believe there is a cap on his right to seek recourse from the court now,” Ms Rolle stressed. “Is there any real prejudice? What if there’s a loss of a witness?” the judge asked. “They’re relying on statements of witnesses near the area where the alleged incident occurred. It’s been 10 years since so it would be prejudicial for them to give
WOMAN BACK IN COURT NEXT WEEK FOR HEARING OVER MURDER OF FRIEND By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A WOMAN will return to the Supreme Court next week for another status hearing concerning her trial in the death of a female friend. Katriona Gilbert appeared before Justice Bernard Turner yesterday for a status hearing in her case concerning murder and arson charges stemming from the February 23 discovery of the body of Ariel Lowe of Miller’s Heights. An initial hearing had been fixed for October 6. However, the matter was not heard because of Hurricane Matthew. When the matter was recalled yesterday, prosecutor Darrell Taylor told the judge: “There remains certain aspects of this matter the Crown needs to deal with administratively.” “We’re humbly request-
KATRIONA GILBERT, pictured at an earlier court appearance. ing a short adjournment to She was scheduled to stand deal with those,” the pros- trial in June 2016, however ecutor added. Gilbert’s law- the case did not commence yer, Tonique Lewis, did not and was further adjourned object to the request. for a status hearing. The judge adjourned the Gilbert remains in cusmatter to November 3. tody at the Department of Gilbert, who was not al- Correctional Services until lowed to enter a plea to the then. indictable offences when arraigned in Magistrate’s Court in March, was formally arraigned before Justice Turner two months later when she pleaded not guilty to the crimes.
TEEN JAILED FOR SIX YEARS FOR SHOOTING AT HOUSE OCCUPIED BY MURDER TRIAL WITNESSES By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A TEEN was sentenced to six years in prison as part of a plea deal after he admitted responsibility for shooting at a house occupied by two witnesses in a murder case. Jonathan Davis, 18, appeared before Justice Bernard Turner days after he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life with his victims being Kendeno Knowles and Shanko Smith. He initially faced conspiracy to murder and attempted murder charges relating to the shooting that occurred in June. However, after an early plea of guilt and his claim that he had only intended to scare the pair, the prosecution reduced the charges to possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Justice Turner yesterday noted that the teen was already serving a sentence for assault with a deadly weapon that had been imposed on him in July and was due to be completed in January 2017. The judge denounced
Davis’ actions and said he was fortunate that the Crown agreed to reduce the charges. Taking into account his age and all of the circumstances, Davis was sentenced to six years at the Department of Correctional Services. The victims of his crime were witnesses in the murder trial of Lynden Prosper, Denard Davis and Deangelo Adderley, which was heard by Justice Turner last month. The three were on trial for the November 3, 2010 murder of Sheria Curry and the attempted murder of her son, Shanko Smith. They had denied the allegations. Witnesses said they saw Prosper and Adderley shooting from a sports utility vehicle (SUV) that passed the Step Street, Fox Hill home of Curry and her son on November 3, 2010. Curry was fatally shot in the head and her son was hit in the leg. No witness identified Davis, but he admitted to driving the SUV during his interview with police. Prosper, Adderley and Davis return to Supreme Court on November 23 for sentencing.
an account for what transpired after all of this time. In the case of the applicant, he himself is unable to track down a particular witness for his own defence,” Ms Rolle said. “What was the result of Kencino Lighbourne?” Senior Justice Isaacs asked. “The Court of Appeal found that the appellant had not been afforded trial within a reasonable time,” Ms Rolle answered. “What was the charge?” the judge further probed. Ms Rolle said the case concerned armed robbery. “This is not a situation where the applicant (Johnson) has been hiding or attempting to evade justice,” his lawyer stressed. In response, prosecutor Basil Cumberbatch first questioned why Johnson was seeking to call a witness for his defence when he, in
2007, failed to provide the same to the Office of the Attorney General as he said he would at the time. “The Crown admits nothing transpired between 2007 and 2014. However, back in 2007, there were only so many criminal courts operating and so many prosecutors to prosecute,” the prosecutor said. “But since then, the attorney general has instituted 10 sitting criminal courts. We had a backlog of cases which we’re trying to resolve. In 2014, my learned friend’s colleague agreed to the date for the trial. There was a breach, there was a delay but they accepted that delay at the time and did nothing.” Mr Cumberbatch said there was precedence of similar instances, referring to the Court of Appeal decision of Stephen Ron-
ald Stubbs 2013 where the appellate court ruled that there had been a breach of Stubbs’ rights after a 10year delay of trial but said the trial should still proceed. “This is the same case as Stephen ‘Die’ Stubbs?” Senior Justice Isaacs asked. “Yes m’lord,” the prosecutor said. Mr Cumberbatch further argued that at no point within the past 10 years that Johnson said he “wanted his trial to proceed.” “This matter does not fall within exception circumstances,” the prosecutor concluded. Senior Justice Isaacs said he might need a week to deliver a decision given the magnitude of the application. However, he would inform respective counsel of which date he would give the decision.
PAGE 8, Thursday, October 27, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
Too many questions and not enough answers over Baha Mar T
A Young Man’s View
HE Chinese Government, the China Export-Import Bank (CEXIM) and their co-conspirators, the Bahamian Government, all appeared to have “gooseyed” Baha Mar developer Sarkis By ADRIAN GIBSON Izmirlian, ripping his brainchild from his hands and ing the Chinese Export Imignoring him like the rude port Bank, particularly as it child in the room. relates to government conMr Izmirlian was walked cessions. With Mr Chrisdown the investment aisle tie’s recent announcement by his onetime friend Prime that Baha Mar has been Minister Perry Christie sold, and the fact that the only to find that no bride court sealed the agreement, awaited him. I am curious about the deI always thought that tails, what of our national Baha Mar was a white el- patrimony was given away ephant. I viewed it as a and how we were betrayed grandiose concept that too by an overzealous governlarge and farfetched. The ment desperate to trade resort should have been de- off the resort for a second veloped in phases, but that consecutive term in office. seemingly did not fit the de- This is, yet again, one of veloper’s plans. the reasons why a Freedom The fact is that of Information the Baha Mar ‘How could Act is so vital in development is a modern Bahathe largest off- Mr Christie mas. shore real es- oversee the In August, tate investment Prime Minister sale of the of the Chinese. Perry Christie As it stands, it assets of Baha announced that is clear that the Mar without the government Chinese have and CEXIM consulting the got a hold of entered into an Baha Mar. The Cabinet?’ agreement to governing Prohave Baha Mar gressive Liberal completed and sold to a Party has overseen the loss “world-class hotel and caof a major part of our econ- sino operator.” omy to a foreign power. The Last month, Mr Christie Chinese government will and a government deleganever sell Baha Mar to local tion that travelled to Loninvestors, Americans or an- don, England, to meet with yone who is not a Chinese investors were informed tycoon who is a government about the identity of the anpuppet. Barring selling ticipated buyer for the beBaha Mar to another Chi- leaguered Baha Mar resort. nese investor, the Chinese However, he said he could government will retain that not name the group beinvestment via various legal cause of the delicate stage structures and special pur- of negotiations. pose vehicles. In a letter dated OctoI have always wanted see ber 10, Mr Izmirlian made the Heads of Agreement an offer to purchase the signed between our govern- stalled $3.5 billion resort ment and Baha Mar and “at a price in excess” of the also the agreement involv- current undisclosed bid.
Mr Izmirlian said that his BMD Holdings is prepared to pay 100 per cent of all “substantiated” Bahamian claims and all money owed to Bahamians and foreign employees. Previously, he pledged that BMD Holdings would drop “all of our appeals and legal actions in effect within the Bahamian courts” upon acceptance of the offer. One week after the proposal, Prime Minister Perry Christie urged Mr Izmirlian to work with Perfect Luck Holdings Limited, if the resort developer is in a position to make a “credible proposal” to buy the property as he has suggested. In a press release, the Office of the Prime Minister said that the sale of Baha Mar to Perfect Luck “followed a lengthy marketing process by the receivers, and that process and the resulting sale of the assets to Perfect Luck were overseen and approved by the Bahamas Supreme Court”. While promising to provide information on Perfect Luck and the sale of Baha Mar—both of which has been shrouded in secrecy— Prime Minister Christie told The Nassau Guardian that he has “to have a meeting. Not even the Cabinet has been spoken to about this.” How could Mr Christie oversee the sale of the assets of Baha Mar without consulting the Cabinet? What about collective ministerial responsibility? Article 72 (1) of the Constitution states:
PRIME Minister Perry Christie, who said he had not even spoken to the Cabinet with regard to the sale of Baha Mar and the passing on of information about Perfect Luck. “There shall be a Cabinet for The Bahamas which shall have the general direction and control of the government of The Bahamas and shall be collectively responsible thereof to Parliament.” So, did the Prime Minister—who is merely first among equals—make a decision without consulting his Cabinet? The Manual of Cabinet and Ministry Procedure, under the heading ‘collective responsibility’, states: “2. All major decisions of policy must be made by Cabinet. 3. A fundamental principle of “Cabinet Government” is unity. It is important to present a united front to the public; if any Minister feels conscientiously unable to support a decision taken by Cabinet, he has one course open to him and that is to resign his office 4. This principle is not affected by the assignment of responsibility to indi-
vidual Ministers. Decisions made by a Minister about any matter in his portfolio, when it is not within policy already decided by Cabinet, must always be such as could, without doubt, be defended and supported by Cabinet. 5. All major matters of policy, and matters on which there may be doubt regarding the attitude of other members of Cabinet, and all subjects on which there is unresolved difference of opinion between Ministries, should be put before Cabinet. Moreover, should any Minister not agree with an action taken by a fellow Minister without prior consultation with Cabinet, Cabinet will decide whether or not the action should be upheld.”
S
o, given the above, how did Mr Christie engage the Chinese government whilst admittedly not consulting with the Cabinet? Mr Christie,
by his utterances, has demonstrably breached Cabinet procedure. If I were representing Sarkis Izmirlian, I would explore this in more detail. His attorneys should. Frankly, I commiserate with Mr Izmirlian. Notwithstanding that, I view his open letters and sudden unearthing of funding as a pie-in-the-sky attempt to hold on to his development, I cannot fault him for seeking to retain Baha Mar, but I am uncertain about whether he is “selling dreams” and merely mounting a public relations gimmick for sympathy. Surely, Mr Izmirlian ought to know that ever since he “embarrassed” Mr Christie by filing for bankruptcy in June 2015, he was in the governing party’s black book. Yes, I am reliably informed that his legal manoeuvres were taken, by the Prime Minister and others in the Cabinet, as humiliating. Mr. Izmirlian,
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, October 27, 2016, PAGE 9
BAHA Mar pictured this week during a tour by Prime Minister Perry Christie. the onetime golden boy of the PLP has now been cast aside and their once bigbrother-little-brother relationship is in tatters. To use the PLP’s slogan, there is no turning back. According to one Peter Amsel, a reporter for CalvinAyre.com (a gambling and casino news website): “Perfect Luck turns out to be a special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up by Baha Mar’s primary creditor, the Export-Import Bank of China (EXIM). The bank reportedly opted to sell Baha Mar to Perfect Luck after none of the bidders came close to ensuring EXIM would recoup the full $2.45b it has contributed toward the project. The sale may also allow EXIM to temporarily offload its Baha Mar losses onto another company’s balance sheet until the ultimate sale concludes.” This is incestuous! It appears that CEXIM is selling Baha Mar to its subsidiaries which means that the Chinese government is the owner of Baha Mar and now owns a prime piece of Bahamian real estate and has a controlling interest in our economy. What a disgrace! Indeed, Perfect Luck is nothing short of an “intricate fabrication.” It is clear that neither the
Bahamas’ government nor the Chinese want anything to do with Sarkis Izmirlian. He could continue to fight in the courts or he “could give up the ghost.” If I were him, I would fight tooth and nail, until the fat lady sings….and even after the song is over. That said, the public has lost faith in Sarkis Izmirlian.
P
erhaps, Baha Mar should be sold off — one hotel at a time — to different owners. In Las Vegas, different hotels owned by different people are in close proximity just like the hotels that comprise Baha Mar. These hotels could all have relationships with the other; just look at Comfort Suites and Atlantis. When Mr Izmirlian was at the helm of Baha Mar, they were given significant concessions by the government. According to documents filed with the Delaware Bankruptcy Court, though its debt to government is pegged at $20m, Baha Mar would have enjoyed at least $11.5m in tax write-offs if the development was ever completed. At that time, they asserted that: 1. The government would’ve written off $7.5m
Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
worth of real property taxes and $4m in gaming “win” taxes owed by the former Crystal Palace casino, once Baha Mar opens its doors; 2. Baha Mar enjoyed “a six-month deferral” on its “input” Value-Added Tax (VAT) obligations and intends to request a further deferral from the Ministry of Finance if any net sum remains outstanding; 3. Baha Mar owed the government $2.73m in unpaid Stamp Duty on real estate transactions. Some $1.2m of this sum relates to land transfers to SuperClubs Breezes; 4. There was $16.35m in gaming “win” taxes that were due to be paid when the Baha Mar Hotel and Casino opens. In return, once this payment had been made, the Gaming Board would have forgiven the $4m in tax owed by the Crystal Palace Casino; 5. The government was owed $2m via a combination of unpaid casino, hotel and Business Licence fees; 6. Apart from writing off $7.5m in real property tax, some $5.9m of which was past due, the government was giving Baha Mar a “20year moratorium” on real property taxes from February 2011; 7. Baha Mar owed
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$920,000 in hotel licence fees for both the Melia Nassau Beach Resort and the now-closed Wyndham; 8. Baha Mar owed some $650,000 in Business Licence fees; and 9. Baha Mar owed a $250,000 annual casino licence fee. If these concessions were given to Mr Izmirlian, what did the Chinese ask for? What did you give the Chinese, Mr Christie? I cannot ask your Cabinet because you admitted that they are in the dark. So, Mr Christie….what did you do, sir?
Did the Chinese pay the millions owed by Baha Mar—in its original and current incarnations—that were/are owed to BEC, the Water & Sewerage Corporation, Cable Bahamas and the Bahamas Telecommunications Company? On a slightly different note, I have a final set of questions for Prime Minister Christie: Given all that has happened at Baha Mar and the fact that Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commodore Tellis Bethel is still “acting” in the post, is former Com-
modore Roderick Bowe considering a return to the frontlines of the RBDF? Is he still on the government’s payroll or has he retired altogether? Is he still on preretirement leave? The government needs to address the issue of Roderick Bowe, who was/ is the Director of Security at Baha Mar and, at that time, remained the de facto Commodore of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF). Comments and responses to ajbahama@hotmail.com
PAGE 10, Thursday, October 27, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
Back to school in Grand Bahama By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
THOUSANDS of public school students in Grand Bahama returned to the classroom on Tuesday for the first time in nearly three weeks following the passage of Hurricane Matthew. All of the government institutions on the island had some damage during the storm. All schools reopened Tuesday, except the Walter Parker Primary School, which reopened Wednesday. The Bartlett Hill Primary School in Eight Mile Rock was so severely damaged that the school was relocated to the Bethel’s Deliverance Centre. Jean Walker, principal at Bartlett Hill Primary, commended Rev Lloyd Rolle for having agreed to accommodate the relocation of the school and its 291 students.
She said that Bartlett Primary sustained severe damage. “There was a lot of caving in (of the roof) and a lot of water damage, and so we could no longer use the facility as a school,” she said. “We are pleased that the administration from Bethel Deliverance Centre had opened their centre to us so that we would be able to move the entire school there.” She said students will continue to attend school at the centre for the school year. The hall has been transformed into 13 classrooms, library, staff room and office area. “It was the right thing to open our doors to the school,” said Rev Rolle. “It is a community effort and it takes a village to raise a child because we know how important education is.” In the Freeport area, The Tribune visited the Freeport Primary School
where Principal T F Ritchie reported that the students were happy to be back in school. “The first day back went well (Tuesday), despite some of the challenges that the students would have experienced,” he said. “We had an assembly where we spoke to them about being able to overcome the challenges they met through the hurricane.” “And we offered the assistance of teachers and guidance counselors for them to speak to if they needed that opportunity.” The school has an enrolment of 542 students. Mr Ritchie said most of them returned in good spirits. “I was very impressed with the children and how they came to school all jubilant; they missed their friends and so a lot are happy to be back and a lot of parents are happy to send them to school,” he said. Mr Ritchie said that the
school had minor damage. “We did not suffer any major damage in the classrooms and it is just a matter of repairing of some of the shingles on the roof. All in all, it was a great start and everyone seems to be happy to be back, and the teachers were on point and had prepared themselves for the return of students,” he said. St George’s High School Principal Keith Barr reported that more than half of the 800 students turned out for the reopening of school post Matthew. “The first day of school was fine. We expected students would come in but we did not expect the numbers would be high,” he said. He said that many of his students come from some of areas that were hardest hit by the storm. “A lot of our kids come from the Mac Town, Hunters, Lewis Yard, and Pinder’s Point areas. They received a lot of damage and
so we know those areas are still without power, but also that there was substantial damage to their homes and that there were some relocation going on with families - we did not expect the numbers, but it was good.” Principal Barr said officials decided to provide hot breakfast for the students on their first day back and will continue to do so for the rest of the week. He reported that there is no power yet at the school, but there is running water. He also noted that six of the classrooms sustained significant damage and cannot be used. “Those rooms we won’t use right now because there is substantial water damage as well as physical damage. We had some windows totally blown out - the whole frame came out, and we had some rooms where there was substantial water that came through the ceiling,” said Mr Barr.
He said they have a rotation system for the rooms and will utilise the science labs for regular classrooms to accommodate students. “I had a briefing with teachers letting them know we don’t have any light or any power, but the water pressure is good and we will run for the rest of the day until 3pm. The weather is also cool now and so they could open the windows,” he added. “We have just around 800 kids and I think about 500 or 600 are here today, and the number of kids with uniform is impressive, but there are some who were affected and not wearing uniform.” Mr Barr urged students to remain focused despite what they have gone through. He said he wishes he could get an idea on the timeframe for when power would be restored to the school.
pointed to oversee Hurricane Matthew recovery efforts, accepted the cheques while in Grand Bahama on Wednesday. He commended the companies for their generous donations. “The government and people of The Bahamas are thankful for your stepping up the plate,” he said. “We had a very productive day in Grand Bahama, and corporate Bahamas in general has responded very well to our needs. In Grand Bahama alone, we collected almost half a million dollars in donations.” During presentation at the Ministry for Grand
Bahama, Godfrey Smith, CEO of Freeport Container Port, the airport and harbour companies, said that Hutchison’s managing director empathises with the people of Grand Bahama. “He sends his regards to the people of Grand Bahama and he empathises with us and the troubles we been through with Hurricane Matthew. It was a (powerful) storm and we know that government’s purse is limited and we have a need to help,” Mr Smith said. He noted that in addition to helping its staff directly, company officials saw the need to help the Martin
Town Primary and the Eight Mile Rock (EMR) High Schools, which are pillars of the EMR community. “We have taken the decision to present Martin Town Primary with a cheque for $100,000 toward their restoration and similarly $100,000 to the EMR High School towards its restoration. We see this as being good corporate citizens, and many of our staff and employees went to these schools and have children that go to those schools. And really we see this as a small token to help get the kids back to school in the best environment.” Minister for Grand Bahama Dr Michael Darville thanked Hutchison Group of Companies for its donation, which he described as a “gift of love.” Meanwhile, Mr Gibson visited the temporary accommodations that were created to accommodate students at the Martin Town Primary and EMR High School. “It was an interesting experience for me today to visit the makeshift schools here on Grand Bahama,” he said. “My heart went out to the teachers and the kids because despite the conditions they find themselves in, they are still working through it as if it is another day at the office - it was very commendable. It was shocking to see there was no electricity. I have asked the director of NEMA to immediately provide a gen-
THE PRESENTATION by Focol, of $100,000, featuring, from left, Nixon Lindor, asst general manager, Debbie Archer, director of Focol, Minister for Grand Bahama Dr Michael Darville, Russell Miller, Focol director, Minister Shane Gibson and Stephen Adderley, general manager of Focol. erator to each of the loca- it only right and fitting to tions to bring them some make this donation to help sort of relief.” support the efforts in the He promised Hutchison restoration of Grand Bathat the monies would be hama,” he said. spent for what it was donatMr Miller noted that his ed for in Grand Bahama. father, Sir Albert Miller, Mr Gibson, along with former chairman of FOCaptain Stephen Russell of COL, had laid the groundNEMA, and Dr Darville work for this over the years. later went to the Freeport “It was after (HurriOil Company Ltd head- canes) Frances and Jeanne quarters to accept another that he, and President Andonation. thony Robinson did a simiRussell Miller, a member lar event where they donatof the board of directors of ed $100,000 to the cause for FOCOL, said the company restoration and rebuilding has a long history of sup- of the island. This is just in porting national natural keeping with the tradition disasters over many years. he established at the com“Today is another step pany and for all of us,” he in that direction as we said. make this presentation to Mr Gibson said he is very NEMA… of $100,000 in pleased with the response keeping with our tradition received in Grand Bahama in the past. The island was and said more presentations severely affected, and FO- are forthcoming. He noted COL being a Grand Ba- that some $1m has been colhama company, we thought lected in New Providence.
BUSINESSES DONATE $300,000 TO HURRICANE RELIEF EFFORT By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
TWO major businesses in Grand Bahama donated $300,000 to the government for hurricane relief efforts here on the island. Hutchison Whampoa contributed $200,000 towards restoration of two schools severely damaged in West Grand Bahama, and the Freeport Oil Company Limited (FOCOL) contributed $100,000 to relief efforts. Minister of Labour and National Insurance Shane Gibson, who has been ap-
THE TRIBUNE
FORMER ROAD TRAFFIC CONTROLLER HITS OUT AT CHAOS OF NEW SYSTEM from page one Mr Rolle, who left his post as Road Traffic controller in 2004, also criticised Transport and Aviation Minister Glenys Hanna Martin’s recent claims that the department did not anticipate such a dismal roll out of the system. He said if the department had sought to conduct pre-registration exercises as well as provide the public with constant updates, it “would have reduced the possibility of potential for delays” and “persons would not have been on the lines this long.” “They (the government) can’t say they didn’t anticipate the crowd,” Mr Rolle said. “If you know 20,000 persons would register in the month of October, and you take two weeks off without registering anyone for the month of October, surely you would know that in the month of October, if you try to do that work in two weeks you’re going to
have more problems. “So I’m not surprised that the registration is taking eight hours, 10 hours and persons are told ‘come back because we’re just doing a preliminary walkthrough.’ I’m not surprised at that. I’m disappointed though, that that has become acceptable to the government. I’m disappointed the government did not have any serious plans to address this problem.” He added: “So I don’t see any justification why this could be acceptable. And I see the minister trying to deflect saying that registration is because the Carmichael station is down, and all manner of things. But that has nothing to do with it. The fact is the personnel operating the computerization system are not familiar with the operations of the (RTD) generally speaking. Secondly, there was no preparation for the potential long lines.” Mr Rolle said any number of options would have
been present to the department prior to the implementation of its new system that would have mitigated against most, if not all of the ensuing chaos, which he said includes conducting pre-registration exercises, supplying a constant stream of information and updates, as well as staggering the days and/or times various stages of the process would occur. “The government knew since August the system was going to take place, so they could have done preregistration,” he said. “And pre-registration could have meant you could come in and drop your information off, these are the requirements, bring them into us and we will have this information in the system in advance. They could have also uploaded the information they had on the existing system that was used in road traffic, although it was incomplete. Certainly they could have uploaded most of that information.
LEGAL ADVICE SOUGHT AMID LOW VOTER REGISTRATION from page one
This comes as members of the Constituencies Commission have started their work in preparation for the next election. House Speaker Dr Kendal Major confirmed to The Tribune yesterday that the commission had its first meeting and that it will meet again on November 2. Dr Major said he hopes the commission will complete its work and be ready to submit its report by the final week of November. The Free National Movement’s representative on the committee, Peter Turnquest, confirmed that the group had its first meeting, saying yesterday: “We haven’t discussed boundary cuts or addition or the subtraction of seats. We simply discussed the registration process and how to get the numbers up.” Only about 57,000 people have registered to vote so far, both Mr Turnquest and Mr Hall told The Tribune yesterday. That’s less than the 100,000 or so people who had registered to vote by this point in 2011. Mr Turnquest blamed the low numbers on the registration process itself, describing it as too burdensome. Mr Hall, however, disa-
greed. “We’re following the same law that has been applied this way since 1992,” he said. Nonetheless, after discussing the issue with politicians, Mr Hall is awaiting advice from the director of legal affairs in the Office of the Attorney General as to whether the 2012 voter card files can be used to reregister people for the next election, potentially adding thousands to the voters’ list. Although he is awaiting the written report about the matter, he seems to have taken the view that this would not be lawful. “If they registered in 2012, what politicians want me to do, is accept the 2012 card for 2017. My position is, some of those people didn’t get their cards by producing a birth certificate or passport. Suppose some of those voters got their cards by deception?” Some in the government insist Mr Hall has the power to extend the use of the 2012 voter cards and, where concerned about the legitimacy of some people’s citizenship, he can investigate those people by requiring them to go through the usual process of producing certain documents. One government source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said: “First time voters are a different thing, obviously, as they
‘PM NO FOOL OVER SEARS LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE’ from page one
It’s unclear if Mr Christie will follow Mr Sears’ lead and offer specifics about his plans for the future ahead of the PLP’s convention. A failure to do so could be interpreted as a sign of how assured he is of victory. Already some close to the prime minister believe Mr Sears poses a minor threat to Mr Christie’s attempts to be selected again as leader. They favourably contrast Mr Sears’ campaign to that of Free National Movement MP Loretta Butler-Turner, whose more caustic approach to become leader of the Official Opposition, some of them believe, showed “disrespect” to Dr Minnis. Mr Sears, by contrast, has avoided sharp criticism of the man he will challenge at the party’s convention, prompting some to doubt the seriousness of his challenge. “He’s positioning himself to succeed the prime minister sometime in the future, not so much to defeat him this round,” one insider said. Mr Smith, however, said Mr Christie is experienced enough to take Mr Sear’s challenge seriously. “Perry Christie is a very intelligent, wise man,” he
said. “He’s demonstrated he’s a shrewd politician, that he has survived difficult periods in his political life, very many of them, so obviously he is knowledgeable. I think that Christie knows Alfred Sears is an extremely intelligent, committed, devoted member of the PLP, committed to the party’s philosophy and Christie knows Alfred is not to be ignored. “Alfred is no fool. He’s obviously given this matter great thought as evidenced by the level of preparation he’s given to his platform and vision for the people. Anyone who thinks Alfred is just doing this as an exercise obviously doesn’t know the man. He’s a serious and noble patriarch of the Bahamas. I believe we are going to have a convention. “I believe we will have an interesting convention and I believe the ideas being put forward by Mr Sears will attract a lot of attention and a lot of publicity and it is healthy for the PLP. I believe what will come out of it will only serve the party well,” Mr Smith said. The PLP’s National General Council is expected to discuss the party’s convention when it meets tonight. Some have called for the PLP to postpone the event because of Hurricane Matthew.
have to go through the entire process of producing necessary documents as it’s their first time registering. But for those already registered, the law entitles them to be registered again without having to go through the burdens. And if the parliamentary commissioner is sceptical about their status, he can investigate or other parties sceptical can follow the process and have those people investigated further. The law allows for that.” Mr Hall, however, said the law puts the onus on residents to prove that they are who they claim to be. “We can’t investigate every case and we can’t know who to be suspicious of so the voter must present ‘xyz’ so we can confirm who they are,” he said.
Thursday, October 27, 2016, PAGE 11
LONG lines at the Road and Traffic Department. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff “They should have The department’s regis- rary national stadium loknown at least half of the tration exercise for its new cation, beginning with expeople coming in October, electronic system is now in tending operating hours. so some preparation could its fifth day of operation at Apart from new operathave been made for that. the Thomas A Robinson ing hours of 8am to 8pm And some strategic plan National Stadium, but has Monday to Friday and on could have been made to been marred with prob- Saturdays from 10am to say to individuals ‘come in lems, largely due to a faulty 3pm, the Carmichael Road advance, these things are registration process and office, which was previously going to happen, these are various glitches and confu- closed down, will reopen the requirements, if you sion at roughly each stage of during the first week in Nogive us your vehicle infor- the exercise. vember, she said. mation in advance,’ and if On Tuesday, Mrs Hanna Officials also plan to place they started from August, Martin admitted the de- tents around the stadium to or September, or one month partment did not anticipate shelter motorists from the in advance, persons would the chaos and “glitches” sun as they wait for infornot have been on the line with the new system, which mation to be processed and this long.” she acknowledged was “un- plan to erect more signs to “But there was no clear acceptable.” better assist with processand definitive announcement She said the department ing. Additionally, the Minto the public to tell them what would roll out several meas- istry of Finance has sent to expect, other than to say ures aimed at combatting additional data entry workthe government was intro- the chaos and long lines at ers and added staff to assist ducing a new system.” the department’s tempo- with vehicle inspections.
PAGE 12, Thursday, October 27, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
Fort Fincastle to be at heart of new heritage park FORT Fincastle, the Water Tower, the Queen’s Staircase and the environs are set for major upgrades over the next several months, after recent Cabinet approvals to revitalise the country’s most visited historic attractions. Plans include restoration of the Water Tower, clean up of the surrounding areas, acquisition and lease of neighbouring properties, a commercialised restaurant, proposals to terrace the area, as well as improved parking and exhibition opportunities. On completion, the area will be known as the Fort Fincastle Heritage Park. It is estimated that one million visitors explore the
site annually, with 150,000 plus persons taking part in paid tours organised by the Antiquities, Monuments & Museums Corporation (AMMC) personnel. The Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) continues to rank the area as one of the most iconic heritage sites on the island. Built on Bennett’s Hill in the 1790s by Lord Dunmore, the fort is named after the governor’s second title, Viscount Fincastle. Its unique paddle-wheel steamer shape is cut from pure limestone. The fort overlooks Nassau and Paradise Island. It once protected the eastern entrances to the island with two 24-pounder, two 32-pound-
er, two 12-pounder cannons and one howitzer. Due to its high elevation, the site served as a lighthouse for Nassau until September 1817, when the lighthouse on Paradise Island replaced it. According to Courtney Strachan, chairman of AMMC, the overall economic impact of the project will create new employment opportunities and benefit persons in the tourism sector. “We’re excited to revitalise this particular section of Nassau’s historic district. The area has the potential to generate a huge revenue stream for AMMC and once completed, will enhance the historic offer-
ings for visitors seeking an authentic look at our city’s past,” he explained. Mr Strachan believes that the revitalisation will make Fort Fincastle an even greater attraction in years to come. The full restoration of the Water Tower, inclusive of a new elevator, is highly anticipated after closure of the facilities more than a decade ago, and will be fully accessible. The tower was a part of New Providence’s initial municipal water system, supplying 375,000 gallons per day to the northeast end of the island. As the highest point in Nassau, the structure was built in 1928 and is 126 feet high and approxi-
A VIEW of Fort Fincastle and the water tower in the 1960s. mately 216 feet above sea becomes a financially suslevel. tainable entity,” Mr StraAnother major compo- chan added. nent of the redevelopment Special emphasis will be is the refurbishment of the placed on improved secuQueen’s Staircase. The “66 rity with the establishment steps”, as they are common- of a police station. ly referred, were carved out Additional project goals of solid limestone between will involve improved site 1893-1894. signage and the AMMC “Upon completion of will conduct a series of the Fort Fincastle Heritage town hall meetings to enPark, our team will focus on gage stakeholders, particuthe mission of ensuring that larly residents of the area, the site grows its traffic and on this project.
ROTARY CLUBS DELIVER 43 SHELTER TENTS TO ANDROS AS RELIEF By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE Rotary Clubs of The Bahamas, in partnership with Disaster Aid USA, yesterday delivered 43 “long term, high quality, shelter tents” to Andros for persons who lost their
homes during the passage of Hurricane Matthew. Rotarian Peter Goudie told The Tribune the tents, which are separated into several rooms including a kitchen, can house a family of 10 and will be professionally erected by Disaster Aid USA. North Andros was one
of the islands hardest hit by Hurricane Matthew earlier this month. The island suffered severe flooding, damage to nearly 100 homes while 35 others were destroyed. On Tuesday, Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis said residents in Andros were still without construction supplies and were living in homes in desperate need of repair. “We saw a need and decided to help,” Mr Goudie said. “We are working with Disaster Aid International, which is a part of Rotary, and they deliver whatever a disaster area needs, just not tents or shingles but what-
MEMBERS of the Rotary team with supplies for relief. ever the need is, they fill it. “So we are delivering these tents to Andros but these are not regular tents. They have walls inside
and separate rooms. So we have two guys going over on a boat with a wonderful captain, who doesn’t want any publicity. The guys are
experts at putting these things together. So we will work with the Department of Social Services and the Organisation of American States (OAS) to determine who needs the tents. This is just an amazing thing being able to give people a roof over their head and a place to sleep. “This is the kind of thing that makes you proud to be a Rotarian.” Mr Goudie said Rotary has already shipped supplies to Grand Bahama and Andros, but this latest shipment is the “biggest yet”. He also said more tents are on the way but the new tents will also include kitchen utensils and waterbeds.
Friday October 28 - Saturday December 24, 2016
MEMBERS of the butler team at Sandals ready to welcome guests following its reopening.
SANDALS REOPENS FOR BUSINESS AFTER REFIT SANDALS Royal Bahamian re-opened its doors on Tuesday with a complement of nearly 500 staff members and guests in 75 rooms following a multimillion dollar makeover that began in mid-August, the resort said. Hundreds of staffers un-
derwent training preparing for the soft opening originally scheduled for mid-October but delayed by about 10 days due to Hurricane Matthew. According to Sandals Royal Bahamian General Manager Gary Wil-
liams, the re-opening went smoothly. “We’re very pleased to announce the reopening of the hotel with a refreshed property and staff,” Mr Williams said. “This morning (Tuesday) we welcomed our first guests at 7am, Mr
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and Mrs Blodgett hailing from Nevada. The Blodgetts have visited our various Sandals properties 28 times, with 20 being here at Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort, so it was only fitting that they were our first guests today. By November 1, the hotel will be full and we are looking forward to giving our new and returning guests a renewed Sandals experience.” During the renovations, more than a dozen Bahamian companies were engaged to work on repairs that were so extensive the hotel had no option but to close, according to an engineer’s report, the resort said. According to a press release from Sandals, hotel sources were taken by surprise – the closure came in August as the Cable Beach luxury-included all-inclusive was enjoying nearly 100 per cent occupancy and was facing a nearly fully-booked property for the next several months. Many guests were invited to stay at Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma with extended stay packages and airline change fares picked up by the company, the press release noted. Some 60 Sandals team members were transferred to the Exuma property and offered complementary housing to accommodate the increased number of guests. Throughout the process, spokespersons for the award-winning resort chain, the largest in the Caribbean, said morale remained high. “Everyone is showing tremendous enthusiasm,” said Jamaica-based Director of Corporate Services Jeremy Jones. “There is a real spirit of rejuvenation, a pride in being part of something historic and something new all at once.”
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, October 27, 2016, PAGE 13
NewCo backs Red Dress Soiree THE Red Dress Soiree announced NewCo 2015 as the title and digital sponsor of the 2016 Red Dress Soiree at a press conference on Wednesday. “NewCo 2015 is proud to support The Red Dress Soiree as the title and digital sponsor,” said Bianca Bethel Sawyer, events, sponsorship and community manager of NewCo 2015. “We are committed to positively impacting the communities in which we operate, especially through youth based initiatives. We embrace this opportunity to assist The Bahamas AIDS Foundation to ensure that adolescents affected by HIV/AIDS are given every opportunity to flourish.”
Now in its third year, the event, dubbed the ‘Glamorous Giveback’ is a highenergy event that honours exceptional Bahamian ‘Leading Ladies’ and celebrates Bahamian designers, all while supporting the work of The Bahamas AIDS Foundation. “We are also excited to recognise and celebrate the success, sacrifice, hard work and talent of the 12 Leading Ladies as well as the creative Bahamian designers who create the red gowns for the Leading Ladies to showcase at the event,” said Diana Sands, NewCo 2015 public relations manager. Twenty-four women have been honoured since the event’s inception in 2012.
This year, dozens of ‘Leading Lady’ nominations were received during the public call for nominees from August 8 to August 31. A selection committee of former women honoured pored over the nominees and selected 12 ‘Leading Ladies’ to be honoured at this year’s gala event to be held Saturday, December 10 at Atlantis, Paradise Island. Tickets are available for a donation of $225. The 12 Leading Ladies will take the runway and showcase haute couture red gowns created by twelve Bahamian designers. The 2016 Leading Ladies include: Kim Aranha, designer Apryl Burrows; Andrea Archer, designer Gillian Curry-Williams;
Marion Bethel-Sears, designer Theodore Elyett; Kayleaser DeveauxIsaacs, designer Anthea Bullard; Kim Gibson, designer Patrice Lockhart; Felicity Humblestone, designer Javotte Bethell; Dr Kim Johnson-Scriven, designer Brynda Knowles; Janet Kemp, designer Rudolph Brown; Christine King, designer Myrlande Julien; Charlene McPhee, designer Ria Georgina; Alana Major, designer Phylicia Ellis; and Neulessa Major, designer Kathy Pinder. Event sponsors include NewCo 2015, The Island Game, Tyreflex Star Motors/Mercedes-Benz, Zamar Productions and Fusion IMC.
In addition to the runway show, this event includes world-class entertainment, a three-course gourmet meal, and an expertly curated silent auction. One hundred per cent of the proceeds from the silent auction will benefit The Bahamas AIDS Foundation’s work with adolescents infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS. The Red Dress Soiree has raised more than $40,000 for the Bahamas AIDS Foundation over the last two events. “All proceeds from the silent auction go towards the work that we do with adolescents infected and affected by HIV/AIDS,” said Lady Barnett, president of The Bahamas AIDS Foun-
SOME of the travel agents who attended the event in Maryland.
THE BAHAMAS SHOWS OFF ITS BRAND AT TOURISM SHOWCASE THE large number of travel agents that came out Tuesday night to a Ministry of Tourism showcase at the Western BWI Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland, was a good indication that The Bahamas is a strong brand in the market. According to government officials, the event’s
popularity showed that travel agents are truly interested in learning more about what the country has to offer them and their clients. The Baltimore and Philadelphia missions are a part of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism’s ongoing efforts to reconnect and re-engage
with the travel agent community. Winter is fast approaching so the ministry wants The Bahamas to be on the minds of travel agents as they look for destinations for their clients. The event also featured a performance by Bahamian artist Julian Believe.
JULIEN Believe performing at the tourism showcase.
dation. “We’ve created a safe place for those young people in our society affected by this disease because there is still a stigma and discrimination among those dealing with HIV/ AIDS.” Five days a week, The Bahamas AIDS Foundation provides adolescents with educational tutoring, psychosocial intervention, peer support, job training and placement, a snack and a hot meal, referral services, and individual and group counseling, all of which are directed to enable the adolescents to lead long, productive, healthy lives. The Red Dress Soirée directly supports these efforts. For more information visit reddressbahamas.com.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, October 27, 2016, PAGE 15
BRONSON Russell with a wahoo in Abaco.
VICTORIA Higgs with some monster lobster speared near Spanish Wells, Eleuthera.
ERROL Thurston with a brilliant wahoo caught off Grand Bahama.
CHARLES Albury with a beautiful mahi mahi caught in Abaco.
DAVID Rees with a big wahoo in Abaco.
THE fishing is still a bit slow as The Bahamas still recovers from the recent Hurricane Matthew. The ocean is still muddy in appearance with low visibility, which is not a good formula for fishing. However, a few diehards have been heading out to try their luck.