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VOLUME:117 No.31, JANUARY 7TH, 2020

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

HEALTH: PRAYERS ANSWERED BY BIONIC MANHOOD

Sands: Agree bigger total for Dorian victims

By SYANN THOMPSON Tribune Staff Reporter sthompson@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands said a multiministerial decision will have to be made to confirm that over 200 people have died due to Hurricane Dorian.

Giving an update on the unidentified victims from the monster storm, Dr Sands told The Tribune that the relevant authorities will have to make a decision to confirm that more than 200 people lost their lives during Hurricane Dorian.

“At some point, the

government of The Bahamas will have to declare that over 200 people have died in Hurricane Dorian but I cannot officially say that as that is a multi-ministerial decision. We have to do our due diligence and meet to decide. We want to move all of the outstanding matters to an agreed consensus or conclusion.

We want to bring some closure. Again, we have not walked this road before,” said Dr Sands.

The official death toll from the storm stands at 70, with 60 victims from

THE Bahamas needs a $670m capital investment to “bring our healthcare facilities into the 21st century” Minister of Health Duane Sands revealed yesterday.

He disclosed the government had been asked to think big, and lay out a design “as if money was no object”, ahead of next week’s “pledge conference” that aims to raise millions of dollars in private sector donations to finance

FULL STORY SEE BUSINESS

HOW MARVIN AND BASKETBALL IS A WINNING TEAM SEE PAGE EIGHT

‘PAY $1,500 FOR BEATING GIRLFRIEND’

A MAN was yesterday ordered to pay his exgirlfriend over $1,000 for beating her up last year.

Mario Phillip Bethel, 49, was ordered to pay Nadjila Yearwood $1,500 for the injuries she sustained when he punched her in the head, face and arm on December 31, 2019. He faces nine months in prison in default.

Bethel is married to another woman, who is a Jamaican.

SEE PAGE FIVE

SEE PAGE THREE

Hurricane Dorian reconstruction efforts.

Government documents, detail the scale of The Bahamas’ needs wish list in areas including healthcare, housing, the environment, infrastructure and the micro, small and medium-sized enterprise sector.

They peg the costs of replacing Princess Margaret Hospital and the Rand Memorial Hospital at $500m and $120m, respectively, requiring a combined investment for that of $620m.

FACE-TO-FACE

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH MINISTER SETS HIS SIGHTS ON $670M PLEDGE

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Inside: Fashion at the Golden Globes

‘GIVE RASTAS OPEN ACCESS TO CANNABIS’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THIRD MURDER VICTIM OF 2020

A FAMILY is distraught after the shooting of 22-year-old Keashawn Fortune. Report - Page 2

A LAWYER challenging cannabis related convictions of Rastafarians says their cultivation and use of the substance should be unrestricted when the government changes the law on cannabis possession.

The Bahamas National Commission on Marijuana’s leaked draft preliminary report recommends possession of up to one ounce of marijuana be decriminalised.

SEE PAGE SIX

US-IRAN CONFLICT BEING MONITORED

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Darren Henfield said Bahamian officials are monitoring the conflict between the United States and Iran but they do not think that Bahamians travelling around the world need to be on special alert.

On Friday, the United States announced it killed Major General Qassim Suleimani, the leader of the

MINISTER: Darren Henfield Qds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and, experts said,

the second most powerful person in Iran. In recent days, hundreds of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets to mourn his passing. The killing has raised concerns about a wider conflict and Iran’s government has vowed revenge.

Mr Henfield told reporters yesterday: “We’re watching it very closely for any fallout that may come from it, economically or

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE FIVE

PETER YOUNG

HAS TRUMP LIT TORCH TO NEW GLOBAL CONFLICT? SEE PAGE TEN

PAGE 2, Tuesday, January 7, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

STOP THE VIOLENCE, BISHOP URGES YOUNG MEN

By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

BISHOP Simeon Hall made a clarion call to young men to stop the violence after three murders occurred within the first few days of the new year.

The prominent pastor said the spate of murders is “frightening and too much for the national conscious”.

“I appeal to angry black men, if there is any good left in you – put down your guns. If you go to jail, you leave your mother, your wife, and your children,”

BISHOP Simeon Hall Bishop Hall said. “Put down your guns and let us have a degree of safety in our country. I appeal to persons with a criminal mind to let us find a

different way to resolve our conflicts.”

The new decade had a deadly start with a fatherof-four shot dead on Third Street on New Year’s Day followed by two separate shooting incidents claiming the lives of two men on Sunday.

Police reported the first incident on Sunday happened shortly after 6pm. A man had just dropped off a woman at a residence in Hospital Lane, near John Road, when he was approached by a man armed with a firearm who shot him

before running away. The victim drove a short distance away, before crashing into a tree. Paramedics were called to the scene and tried to revive him, but he died at the scene.

The second murder happened, according to police, shortly after 9pm near Prison Lane, Fort Fincastle, where a group of men were standing when a silver coloured Nissan Tiida pulled up. Two men got out of the vehicle and opened fire hitting one of the men in the group before speeding off.

Paramedics were called,

but the victim died at the scene. According to The Tribune’s records, last year’s murder count was pushed to 96 - a 5.5 percent increase compared to 2018’s 91 killings. Despite the increase, the 2019 tally is lower than the 122 murders recorded in 2017.

Yet, Bishop Hall argued: “I don’t know if we should continue to portray or shout out the statistics because it doesn’t help. Somebody said they’re happy that we didn’t make 100 murders, I mean give me a break. We made 90 something - (more

My brother was in the process of turning his life around, says sister

By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net KEASHAWN Fortune was in the process of changing his life before he was shot while standing on Prison Lane on Sunday night, a relative said yesterday. “My brother was changing his life for the better...He got a new job, he stayed more to himself, worked at home and played games...He wasn’t a person who bothered people, you would have to bother him in order to get a reaction out of him,” said the victim’s sister, Danisha Bain. “(He was) a humble person, mannerly, very mannerly, hard-working and striving young man.”

The 22-year-old was fatally shot Sunday night while standing with a group of men at Prison Lane in Fort Fincastle.

Police said occupants of a silver Nissan Tiida opened fire at the group’s direction, hitting a male before speeding away.

Speaking at the scene, a police officer said: “At around 9.40pm, the police received reports of gunshots in this area. Upon arrival, we found a young man on the ground with gunshot injuries to his body.

He was examined and there was no sign of life.”

Confirming the victim’s identity to The Tribune, Mr Fortune’s relatives said his death has left them

completely distraught and in shock.

Chanelle Pinder-Fortune, his aunt, told The Tribune: “His mom and dad isn’t doing well at all. The mother is speechless at this time. Can you imagine losing a child at such a young age? She loved him with all that she had, that was her only son.

“Keashawn wasn’t perfect which no one is but he was a humble, mannerly young man. He changed his lifestyle, stopped hanging out. He found employment at the airport. He’s a good guy that’s why I am lost for words as to how he got on Prison Lane.”

Speaking about her feelings over his death, the

than 90) families have been affected.

“So, we cannot celebrate the numbers whether it’s 90 or 100. If it is one, we must try to socialise these young (men).... I said one time that I think we should learn from the white community.

You don’t see white people killing themselves. This is black on black crime, but because they’re poorly socialised and I think I want to appeal to them that when you kill someone you stagger a family and then you go to jail and you hurt your family.”

22-YEAR-OLD Keashawn Fortune and, top left, the scene of the shooting on Sunday night victim’s grandmother said: “I was shocked when I get the news because I saw him the day before yesterday. He visited me and said ‘Grammy I haven’t forsaken you and I love you’. I told him to be careful. We warned him not to come to the area because there had been a disagreement between some guys.”

Mr Fortune’s death marks the country’s third homicide for the year. It came after another murder that took place some three hours earlier on Sunday.

Police said a man had just dropped a woman at a residence on Hospital Lane around 6pm when he was approached and shot by a

gunman. The injured man was able to drive himself a short distance away before crashing into a tree and died at the scene.

These latest killings came mere hours after National Security Minister Marvin Dames told reporters that, while the country’s murder count has remained below 100 for the second straight year, the government is “still not happy” with a death toll that is “still too high”.

He said the government still has a “very long way to go” to reducing crime in the country to a satisfactory level.

“The good thing is that 2020, now that we’ve signed most of the contracts from

a technology standpoint, they expect to see the implementation of those during the first quarter or half of this year, that will go a long way too in assisting a lot of them in their efforts,” he said.

“We’re still not happy, we’re not content, but we feel confident that we’re moving in the right direction, and you can expect to see additional positive changes come 2020.”

Anyone with information on the country’s latest killings or any other crime matters are asked to contact police at the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991/2, Crime Stoppers at 328TIPS or the nearest police station.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, January 7, 2020, PAGE 3

Sands: Time to admit at least 200 died in Dorian from page one Abaco and 10 from Grand Bahama, according to a November 29, 2019 press release from the National Emergency Management Agency. At last report, officials said nearly 300 people were reported as missing.

A multi-agency meeting with the Ministries of Health, Legal Affairs, National Security, the Office of the Attorney General and relevant agencies was scheduled on January 9 but is postponed until next week.

“The outstanding issues would be to ensure that we have done everything that

we could possibly do in terms of identification,” Dr Sands said.

“You would have heard me say that we would invite the International Red Cross to provide a safe space for persons who may not be willing to come forward to identify (loved ones).

And so that invitation and that request has already been made, the logistics of how that happens is very important.

“Then it’s the whole issue of how long we are going to keep remains in refrigerated coolers particularly in Abaco. We need to identify a place for interment. We need to agree on a type of grid that would be set up

and how we would reference remains.”

In mass tragedies, the identification process can be protracted; for instance victims are still being identified some 18 years after the September 11 attacks on New York.

In The Bahamas, the law states it takes seven years to declare a missing person dead, something Dr Sands says would have to be modified in light of the circumstances. “The Attorney General would have said, I would have said, that we are going to consider an abridged or shortened time different than the seven years and there are examples of countries that have

shortened the timeline when people are presumed to be dead from a natural disaster, were declared dead.

“You’ve got to ensure that whatever decision is made, that you have consulted adequately that you did not ignore important considerations and so it is very important. There are legal requirements that have to be met. So, at the multi-ministerial meeting, we want to bring this thing to some kind of closure on many different levels.”

Roughly over 50 people remain unidentified in Abaco and all the remains in Grand Bahama have been identified and turned over to the families,

MINISTER: Duane Sands according to Dr Sands. In reference to unidentified people in Abaco, the minister said a system must be in place if they have to buried before they are identified.

He said: “Bear in mind that we are in uncharted waters locally so if you were to look at the last mass

casualty in Abaco when we had the capsized boat (in early 2019) - all of those victims were buried with the support of the Haitian Embassy.

“This is a different scenario because in that instance we knew that they were Haitian migrants. In this instance we don’t know who all of these people are and so being sure to maximise the dignity afforded these human souls and adhering to the law and not burning any bridges in terms of subsequent opportunities to identify persons at a later date if a DNA match is confirmed.

Editorial View - Page 4

A CONCRETE factory lays shattered, destroyed by Hurricane Dorian in Marsh Harbour at the beginning of September

‘More could be done to help’

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A STORM victim in Abaco says more can be done to help expedite the rebuilding and restoration process on the island.

Edward Hoyte Jr, who lost the second story of his house during Hurricane Dorian, told The Tribune a number of factors have hindered the island’s rate of recovery, including a lack of support from the government.

“They’re not really helping much,” he said. “A lot of the help came more from the private foundations.

What kind of irritated me is that the government spent all that money on those drones when they could have taken some of that money and buy plywood and finished these people houses.”

He was speaking about a $17 million contract the government signed last month for drone technology to aid the crime fight.

Mr Hoyte said while he does believe there is hope for Abaco, he understands it will take a significant amount of time to get the island up and running again.

He added that the restoration process has slowed down due to a “lack of communication and materials.”

“I was on the ground from day one with a few

NGOs,” he explained. “We were doing recovery first in Marsh Harbour helping with pulling bodies from debris, then we worked with first responders and emergency services at the clinic and the food bank. I also helped people bring in fuel from South Abaco to North Abaco to fuel up emergency vehicles and so forth.”

Still, Mr Hoyte said, while some residents have been committed to assisting with recovery efforts, others have hindered progress on the island by refusing to help with rebuilding.

“Some of the guys here in Abaco, they’re very lazy,” he said. “They sit around and they don’t want to help nobody. So it’s like we’re working with the NGOs and even the NGOs are noticing. Those volunteers came to help, but some of the people are sitting down and thinking they are going to do all the work and it’s kind of irritating.”

Mr Hoyte also said assistance from some of the NGOs has dwindled since many have left the island to respond to other global crises.

“Now that Australia and all those guys are having devastation problems right now – Puerto Rico with the earthquake (and) Australia with the fire – they have to skip town. So right now it’s pretty slow because some of

them have left to go tend to fires and the earthquake.”

Despite the setbacks, Mr Hoyte said he remains hopeful the island will get back to where it once was.

“We definitely need help, but we also need more supplies,” he said. “If we could get at least two boat-loads

of supplies I think we will be good.”

In response to complaints from some storm victims, Algernon Cargill, deputy chair of the disaster recovery board, insisted the government is dedicated to supporting reconstruction efforts in Abaco. “We’ve

been having deliveries to Abaco to be able to correct the current situation,” he said. “But in terms of the supplies, we will be addressing this (issue) very quickly because we want to get Abaco back and running very, very quickly.”

Mr Cargill also said

the board is assessing the island’s current needs.

“We’re having a series of meetings to determine what is needed where in order for us to supplement the supplies on the ground in Abaco,” he assured them.

Editorial View - Page 4

PAGE 4, Tuesday, January 7, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

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People deserve a resolution IT IS now more than four months since Hurricane Dorian hit The Bahamas – and still we do not have an accurate count of how many people were killed in the storm.

The official death toll stalled at 70, with no update since November on that – while the number of missing has been a source of confusion.

At one stage, The Tribune was all set to publish a list of names of the missing on behalf of the Ministry of Social Services – a list that ran to 1,208 people, only for the government to pull it, and the National Security Minister to say the number of missing was 282 instead.

There seemed no urgent drive to resolve the confusion – so we salute the efforts of Health Minister Dr Duane Sands to bring some resolution to the lingering uncertainty.

In today’s Tribune, Dr Sands calls for a decision to be made by multiple ministries to confirm that more than 200 people have died due to Hurricane Dorian.

That’s an immensely sad number to report – but we gain nothing by hiding from the truth. Such confirmation can bring closure to families, it can allow them to remember those they have lost and begin to move forward.

Dr Sands is also striving to ensure that those who are wary of coming forward to identify remains – in case they are detained by immigration, for example – can do so in safety, allowing the identification process to be completed rather than left hanging in the air because of a lack of trust.

Such efforts are to be applauded – but why is Dr Sands’ voice a lone one?

He is taking leadership while other

leaders stand idle. Where are the voices of the Minister of Social Services and the National Security Minister who once touted wildly differing numbers of missing? Where is the voice of Iram Lewis, minted by the government in the wake of the storm as the Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction? What was the point of his appointment if we rarely hear from him and even more rarely see the effects of his ministry? Where are the police reports confirming the totals of the dead, or the National Emergency Management Agency updates? Where indeed is the Prime Minister, Dr Hubert Minnis?

There are so many dead from the storm, and so few to speak for them.

The Attorney General, we are told, is considering a shortened time for the declaration of missing people as being dead for victims of the storm – but how long will there be consideration before there is action?

As Dr Sands points out, there are other issues to resolve – where the bodies that have not been identified will be buried, how long remains will be kept in refrigerated coolers before being interred, how remains will be referenced. We cannot help but think that some of those decisions ought to have been made by now – even if they have not been carried out as officials strive to identify the unknown dead.

So we encourage Dr Sands to keep striving to bring some resolution to the painful uncertainty that still hangs over our nation – and we would urge Dr Minnis to demand more of those departments from which we only hear silence.

Too little, too late THE rebuilding process after Hurricane Dorian seems to be another area where things are moving painfully slowly.

A storm victim speaks today in The Tribune about a lack of support from the government in Abaco, saying that a lot of help is coming from private foundations rather than the government.

The survivor, Edward Hoyte Jr, spoke particularly bitterly about the government spending $17m on drones rather than to rebuild people’s homes.

Even Algernon Cargill, the deputy chair of the disaster recovery board, who juggles that role with his post as director of aviation, seemed to recognise a problem with the deliveries of supplies, saying they “will be addressing this

(issue) very quickly because we want to get Abaco back and running very, very quickly”. How quickly? Is four months on not enough to have an idea of what supplies are needed and to have them on hand by now?

Instead, he says they are having a series of meetings to find out exactly what is needed – which is necessary as part of an ongoing process, but feels like it is a couple of months later than it should be.

A great number of people are still struggling through the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian – and feeling very distant from the government that is promising to help them. That has to change – and the time for it to have changed is already overdue.

Dames talk leaves us with lame duck officers AFTER National Security Minister Marvin Dames said Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson should by now have identified a successor, as the police chief is “nearing the end of his reign”, readers posted their responses on tribune242.com.

John said: “What a Happy New Year, Merry Christmas message to give to your most senior staff during the festive holidays in front of a packed church.

Imagine how the top brass of the police force must have enjoyed the remainder of the service then facing their junior officers as they left the service.

Lame duck officers! My God have mercy.”

TigerB had this to say: “Mr Ferguson and Mr Seymour joined in 1980 . . . do that math, 1980 plus 2020 . . . 40 years. While a

commissioner can go to 65, 40 years is usually his max.

We have to be joking if you still want these guys. While they were good, there are people under them who need to be developed to take on the torch. It’s not political. Perhaps only those of us who wore the uniform understand it.”

Minister of Works Desmond Bannister said the government must invest $40m in roadworks throughout The Bahamas “just to get through this year” prompting this response from Joeblow: “It might help not having to dig up the roads every 5 minutes!”

There was this from Bahamianson: “Spend, spend, spend, that’s all governments seem to do, with someone else’s money. Who is going to pay for it? I am damn tired of being taxed!

In America, you can move from California to Florida to escape high taxes. In the Bahamas you can’t go anywhere to escape high taxes. We are screwed!”

And BahamaPundit posted this comment: “The only thing we have going for us is the IMF and financial downgrades to maintain fiscal restraints.

That shows you how little both the FNM and PLP actually care about The Bahamas.”

Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.

It’s wrong to charge us for plastic bags EDITOR, The Tribune THE plastic ban implemented by this government needs to be changed. It seems that thought was not given to what would work best for the people of this land, especially those who are not rich. I voted for this government, but with each passing year I regret my decision. I notice that they are not in touch with the needs of the small man.

So many people are doing their best just to make ends meet but this government does not seem to care about or notice that.

Before the hurricane, I read in the paper that the Minister of Finance had not included anything in the budget in regards to raises for unions. So many government workers have not had raises for years.

Taxes are being increased but the government showed that they did not care by not giving any thought to allocating money for the various unions in the budget. All the finance minister seemed to care about was balancing the budget.

How cold and unfeeling!

Then came the hurricane and his budget was ruined.

He needs to have a heart for people. The minister of education seems to only care about filling our schools with tablets and laptops when the main problem facing students today is the inability to read. He is not addressing the problem but only putting on an impressive show.

The Minister of National security was recently on the news talking about spending lots of money on drones

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net to lower crime. Again, an expensive impressive sounding idea that will not fix the problem.

The ban on plastics was rushed and not properly thought out. I went to a restaurant and purchased grits in the new food containers.

It quickly started to crumple and bend and lose its shape. Those containers are not for hot food and cannot take the weight of a full dinner. Bahamians need to protest that the government makes changes to this ban. Alternatives to those containers must be found.

What about the small business person who cannot afford those containers?

No one in this country should be forced to Pay For A Bag. A customer that patronises a business is entitled to a bag. The government should give businesses the option of using biodegradable bags or cloth bags. Biodegradable plastics should be allowed as plastic bags are always needed. People use plastic bags to dispose of unsanitary items like diapers, etc. Also fish, crab and other items like meat need to be wrapped up properly before being disposed.

The packing boys in our food stores are being adversely affected as well.

Many of them are the men of the house and help to pay bills with their earnings. Many of them buy school supplies and lunch

with the money they earn.

Food stores should insist that they are still allowed to pack the groceries no matter what kind of bag the customer prefers.

You would be surprised how many of those young men may be faced with a choice of stealing food or going to bed hungry if they can no longer earn money honestly packing bags. One decision can have far reaching effects.

I have been told that many people are packing their own bags now.

I purchased books from a bookstore and was told to carry them in my hand because they were not selling any bags except a cloth bag for $7.50. I refused to purchase that.

So many poor people go to the grocery store to buy monthly grocery which is already expensive with Vat added. Now they must pay a quarter for each bag?

What kind of government is this? Give stores the choice of using biodegradable bags or cloth bags.

Stop trying to copy other countries and tweak the laws to help and make life easier for the people who voted for you. The Government should not support any establishment charging customers for bags.

Bahamians, please speak up. Too many people are suffering. Insist that the government make changes to this plastic ban! Allow biodegradable plastics that can be recycled or broken down in land fills!

IRATE BAHAMIAN Nassau, January 5, 2020.

Beware the brain drain EDITOR, The Tribune Re:‘Stop beating up on private sector’. The Tribune, Business, December 31, 2019.

IT seems businesses will be expected to succeed in teaching numeracy and literacy to “Bahamian Understudies” even though our professional government

school teachers may have failed after many years of trying.

Does this mean the private employers will be required to obtain Special Education Teacher certificates, and be paid accordingly?

Furthermore, the downside is that if the business community ever finds a way to miraculously instil a work ethic and improve

workforce quality using the “understudies”, they would then surely qualify for a tempting lifetime professorship at the likes of Oxford or Cambridge --- and thus inadvertently contribute to our “brain drain”.

KEN W KNOWLES, MD Nassau January 4, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, January 7, 2020, PAGE 5

US-IRAN CONFLICT IS BEING MONITORED, CONFIRMS HENFIELD from page one

otherwise. We’re watching it very closely for the security posture that we have to take. We spoke with the American embassy, our commissioner of police, the commander of the defence force, we’re talking to them about any need to beef up security in the interim until this thing cools down.”

He added: “The elimination of General Qasem Soleimani has, of course, resulted in a lot of things happening between the United States and Iran.

If you watched the news you’ve seen what looks like hundreds of thousands of Iranians in the streets as they bury General Soleimani as a martyr.

For us, we are close

strategic partners of the United States of America.

Our proximity to America also dictates that we are paying close attention to what is going on. We’ve seen world markets, we’ve seen stock markets, and we’re hoping that this thing de-escalates before it moves any further.

We’re hoping that both countries can remain calm

and perhaps a third party of good faith can step in and mediate to cool heads a bit.”

Mr Henfield said it is not this country’s place to express support or opposition to the US strike.

“I think we’re always concerned when there’s a possibility of conflict in the world of this magnitude, but as far as it relates

to Bahamians travelling I think (there is no special concern),” he said.

“We’ve been speaking with the American embassy, we’ve spoken to their security concerns and issues, the Bahamas attracts a lot of tourists annually from the United States of America and, of course, we’ll do all we can to keep them safe while they’re here in The

Bahamas. I say to Bahamians all the time, wherever we travel in the world in this era of terrorism and similar type incidents, you should always be alert. If you see something you should say something, but we’re not particularly concerned about Bahamians travelling to the United States of America during this time of unrest between the United States and Iran.”

KLEIN SWORN IN AS JUSTICE

LOREN Klein (left) was sworn in as Justice of the Supreme Court at Government House yesterday by Governor General CA Smith.

Photo: Letisha Henderson/BIS

Man ordered to pay $1,500 for beating up his girlfriend from page one Yesterday, Bethel entered guilty pleas before Magistrate Samuel McKinney on one count each of causing harm, causing damage, and trespassing stemming from what he claimed was supposed to be a meeting requested by Ms Yearwood, his “on-and-off” girlfriend for the past three years, to discuss certain issues.

However, Ms Yearwood suggested through her

claims to police that Bethel showed up at her apartment unannounced, and that she wasn’t interested in talking to him, something he apparently didn’t want to hear.

According to the facts read by the prosecutor, Inspector Phillip Davis, Ms Yearwood was at her residence at Old Trail Road on December 31 when Bethel showed up and told her he wanted to talk to her. When she told Bethel they had nothing to talk about, the

man then forced his way into the house by kicking down the front door. Once inside the house, Bethel proceeded to beat Ms Yearwood about the body, particularly about her head, face and hand.

Ms Yearwood consequently reported the matter to the police, and was later taken to the hospital where she was treated for her injuries. The injuries were described as “serious” and “possibly life-threatening”, Insp Davis said.

Bethel was later arrested and when interviewed by police, admitted to the allegations. He further confirmed that he kicked down two doors in the apartment and subsequently grabbed and struck Ms Yearwood.

When arraigned yesterday, however, Bethel told a different story. He claimed that at the time, he and Ms Yearwood had just got back together after a rough split; he said he had previously caught her with two different

men, so they “broke it off”.

He said sometime after that happened, Ms Yearwood told some mutual friends she wanted to talk to him. Thus, Bethel said that was the only reason he went to her apartment. But he said when he arrived, the man that was “with her” attacked him.

Due to his guilty pleas, however, Magistrate McKinney ordered that Bethel compensate the owner of the apartment

complex, Dorothy Yearwood, $699 for damaging the two doors or otherwise face six months in prison.

Additionally, in addition to having to compensate Ms Yearwood for her injuries, Bethel was ordered to be bound over to keep the peace for one year in the sum of $1,500. If he gets into any problems during that time, he will be fined $1,500 or have to serve six months in jail in default of payment.

PAGE 6, Tuesday, January 7, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

GIVE RASTAS OPEN ACCESS TO CANNABIS, SAYS TOP LAWYER from page one But Wayne Munroe, QC, said yesterday: “Certainly you can’t dictate to a Rastafarian how much marijuana he must consume in a day. You cannot force him to get it from anywhere and the most the government should be concerned about is that sacramental marijuana doesn’t make it outside of that use and so that’s a matter of control in terms of assessing its production and making sure that all that’s produced is used for religious purposes.”

In Jamaica, where it is

a criminal offence to have more than two ounces of cannabis, possession of the substance for religious purposes is unrestricted.

The BNCM’s draft report falls short of recommending the same but says: “The Bahamas government may wish to consider granting Rastafarians the right to use cannabis for religious use, in privacy.”

The group recommends Rastafarian children under 18 not be allowed to use cannabis. It calls for a Rastafarian Council to be established to advise the government of people who have been identified as Rastafarians in order to expose

those who falsely claim to be Rastafarian just to use the substance.

The commission recommends that sacramental use of marijuana take place in established zones where Rastafarians could have free rein to cultivate the substance.

In June 2019, Mr Munroe filed a writ in the Supreme Court seeking to have all criminal convictions related to Rastafarian possession, cultivation and supply of Indian Hemp since 1963 wiped out.

He cited significant persecution for which Rastas demand redress, from unconstitutional search of

people and their homes on suspicion of hemp possession to unconstitutional cutting of Rastas’ locks in prison.

The plaintiffs want compensatory and vindicatory damages for breaches of their rights under Articles 15, 21, 22 and 26 of the Constitution.

Attorney General Carl Bethel has said the lawsuit has poor prospects of success.

“Within a week or two we should have our statement of claim finished, filed and served and then the government’s side would have to file their defence,” Mr Munroe said yesterday.

“After that point we go to case management before a judge and then a judge would set a timeline and directions for a trial.

“The case is not affected by the government’s report.

From the point of our first Constitution in 1963, Rastafarians had a right to practice their religion including the consumption of cannabis.

“Because their rights were oppressed, they have historic claims, they have claims to say their rights were abused for all of this period and we want compensation for that period. If we have corrected that, the next step is going forward

if the court finds we were oppressed you have to stop oppressing us and we’ll ask the court for orders in that regard.

“I haven’t read the draft report so I don’t know what the government proposes in regard to sacramental marijuana.

I’ve seen some of it and it seems not to apprehend what the law is. For instance, there is this context of legalisation of medical marijuana. It’s always been legal, just like medicinal cocaine has always been legal. I don’t know how they intended to approach the sacramental use of marijuana.”

Hanna Martin: Dames too slow to react to viral videos

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

ENGLERSTON MP Glenys Hanna Martin criticised the amount of time it took for National Security Minister Marvin Dames to respond to the viral police beating videos.

In a statement yesterday, Mrs Hanna Martin called the “lapse in response” unacceptable.

“It has taken the minister of national security just about a week to comment, and it seems only through media prompting, on the shocking images which have gone viral of violent encounters between members of the RBPF and private citizens at the

recent New Year’s Day Junkanoo Parade,” a statement from the MP read.

“This lapse in response is telling and certainly not acceptable in light of the serious questions being raised nationally and the widespread controversy which has erupted as to the propriety and legality of police actions.”

Mrs Hanna Martin said Mr Dames should be mindful of the fact that the Bahamian people hold him accountable and expect him to be “aggressive and transparent” while ensuring that the public’s “civil liberties” are not violated by officers.

“Despite the proclamations by the minister as to what will and will not be

tolerated the Bahamian people will be watching and waiting for the outcome of the investigation announced by the commissioner of police,” the statement noted.

“We will also expect to hear articulation of a clear policy on the strategies and tactics that were deployed as shown in those videos.”

Last week, a series of videos showing members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force beating civilians with night sticks at the 2020 New Year’s Junkanoo Parade went viral on social media.

On Sunday, Mr Dames cautioned police officers to never mistreat or abuse civilians, as officers who “violate their oath of office” will “continue to be

ENGLERSTON MP Glenys Hanna Martin Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff relentlessly pursued” by the government will not “con- enforcement agencies have powers that be. The Mount done” any law enforcement “no room” for rogue officMoriah MP, speaking officer “acting outside his ers who not only “betray the during the Royal Baha- or her authority”. public trust”, but put their mas Police Force’s annual He further charged lives and the lives of their church service, said the that the country’s law colleagues in “grave risk”.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

Funeral Service For Mr. Richard Alexander Hall, 71 of Finlayson Street, Bain Town, will be held on Thursday, January 9th, 2020, 11:00 a.m., at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, Boyd Road. Officiating will be Monsignor Alfred C. Culmer. Cremation will follow.

He is survived by his daughters: Adreanna Thompson and Sophia Hal; Son: Richard Hall III; Son-in-law: Pastor Nikita Thompson; Grandchildren: Cadesha, Nikita Jr., David Thompson; Ave’ and Llia Bethell; Great granddaughter: Daii-Amor’ Thompson; Goddaughters: Cheryl Douglas and Monique McQuay; Aunt: Leona Dean; Cousins: Sgt.202 Orlando Dean, Alicia Dean, Lucretia DeanRolle, Owen Dean, Collena Dean, Anya Dean, Julia Dean-Sands and Zovia Dean-Scantlebury; Adopted Grandchildren (affectionately know him as Papa): Ricardo Kemp, Sirano Davis, Brianell Rolle, Ragine Kemp, Achante’ Farrington, Javier Sears, Eric Kemp, and many others too many to mention; Special Family Friends: Sheila an Ralph Hepburn, Donovan, Dwayne and Denise Dorsette, Deandrea Bethel, Dion Kemp, Tishina Russell and Keranique Kemp, Samantha Dean, Yale Rutherford, Maria Willie, Martha Johnson, Richard Horton, Rickey Rolle (Rambo) and Dr. Rickey Davis, and many more relatives and friends too numerous to mention.

Relatives and friends may pay their respects at Cedar Crest Funeral Home and Crematorium Ltd, Robinson and Baillou Hill Roads, on Wednesday from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m., and at the church on Thursday from 10:00 a.m. until service time.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, January 7, 2020, PAGE 7

A MIGHTY FEAST

THE RBPF held its traditional New Year’s Boil yesterday.

Photos: Eric Rose/BIS

100 small GB firms to get grants to restart business

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net ABOUT 100 small and medium-sized businesses on Grand Bahama will receive grants to help restart their businesses through the RISE Grant Initiative – a joint programme

established by the Grand Bahama Port Authority and Mercy Corps.

A workshop was launched yesterday at the Pelican Bay Resort to inform business owners about the process and the criteria for qualifying for grant funding up to $10,000.

Many businesses in

Freeport, particularly in the Queen’s Highway and downtown Freeport area, sustained severe flood damage as a result of storm surge in early September. Last October, GBPA executives met with business licensees to hear their concerns regarding the recovery and restoration of

their businesses in the aftermath of Dorian.

There are some 3,000 licensees of the GBPA. Derek Newbold, senior manager of business development and Invest Grand Bahama at the GBPA, said the RISE initiative was established to provide relief to small businesses that were affected by Hurricane Dorian.

Post-Hurricane Dorian we conducted an extensive assessment of the small business community and what we found is that they sustained significant damage, and we wanted to come up with a programme to provide relief to the small business community, specifically businesses operating within Freeport.

“So, we came up with an initiative called the RISE Grant Initiative (Restoring Industries Sustaining Employment.) We wanted to streamline the process to make it as simple as possible to access the grant and to get money in the hands of small business owners as quickly as possible.”

Mr Newbold said the workshop assisted people with understanding the process and obtaining the

information they need to be successful in obtaining the grant.

There were three twohour sessions held today between 9am to 6pm.

Mr Newbold said that Mercy Corp has been an incredible partner, first helping with water distribution, and now with the grant initiative.

“They came in and wanted to find a way to jumpstart the economy and support small businesses. They heard about what we were doing, and we decided to collaborate our efforts and they brought some expertise and resources,” Mr Newbold said.

During this first phase of the initiative, Mr Grant said they are going to award up to 100 grants of up $10,000.

Kelsey Lundgren, programme advisor for Mercy Corp, said getting small businesses in and outside of Freeport back up and running is vital to rebuilding the economy.

We are looking at businesses that are netting under $150,000 per year and have less than 20 employees,” she said.

Ms Lundgren said

businesses must have a business licence with the government or the Port Authority and must have sustained damage due to the hurricane.

“We want to know what they are going to be using the grant for, we want to make sure it is basically going to get the business up and running again,” she added.

Ms Lundgren said it is a two-phase selection process and grants will depend on a person’s needs.

“Right now, the target is between 75 to 100 businesses.

Some people might receive $5,000, some $8,000, and $10,000.

The idea behind the cash grant is that it will cover 75 percent of their needs and the other 25 percent we want them to show some sort of investment, whether they are doing their own labour, applied for a loan or getting money from family and friends, or from their savings to put into restarting the business.”

Interested persons can access information on criteria to qualify for the grants on the Grand Bahama Port Authority’s website.

NOTICE ROAD CLOSURE The public is hereby notified that all entrances to and exits from the Palmdale Shopping Plaza property which is situated on the southern side of Madeira Street on the Island of New Providence shall be closed to the public from 6:30 a.m. on Friday, January 10th, 2020 to 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 11th, 2020 in order to preserve the Private Properties Rights and to prevent the Acquisition by the Public of any Right of Way Home Furniture Holdings Limited

PAGE 8, Tuesday, January 7, 2020

I

DECIDED to start off the year with someone who inspired me when we first met face to face. We were in the office of optometrist Dr Charlene Wallace. He was quiet and unassuming, waiting for his appointment.

Something told me that he had a great story to share. My instinct didn’t let me down.

I ended up getting to know someone who has done so much for thousands of young Bahamians. He believes we all have a purpose, and he wasn’t about to let his go unfulfilled.

Marvin Henfield loves basketball so much that it has become a definitive part of his life. He found his passion in high school, continued it in college and today, basketball is still one of the most important aspects of his life. He was attending high school at Nassau Christian Academy when he transitioned to Masters Christian Academy in Atlanta, Georgia at the age of 16. When he was 17 and in his junior year, Marvin led the county in scoring with 34.8 points per game and was ranked a super senior. By his senior year, he went on to lead the school to its first and only state championship. He made the all state, all tournament, all district, and all region teams. After graduating high school, Marvin attended Reinhardt University and continued playing the sport he loved. Tragically, he suffered an injury towards the end of his freshman year that would leave him in recovery for the rest of his collegiate career.

He continued to focus on his education, and eventually graduated with an associate’s degree in business administration. After Reinhardt, it was on to Jacksonville State University in Alabama where he graduated with a Bachelor’s in business management.

Marvin came home and started the climb up the corporate ladder. He was on a successful career path, but he felt there was something

THE TRIBUNE

Slam dunk!

How Marvin is using basketball to help youngsters find their place in the world greater for him to achieve.

He found his calling – teaching kids about the

game of basketball, as well as the game of life.

“I was 12-years-old on a

path to nowhere when the light bulb went off in my head and I knew what I had to do,” Marvin shared.

“I was born on Charles Vincent Street; I was raised in the Grove. I was attending RM Bailey, then my mom made a sacrifice for me to attend Nassau Christian Academy. I remember I got a pink slip. I felt good because no one else in the class had a pink slip… that was until I read it. I got it because I was failing history. Why was I failing?

Because I didn’t have the book. Why didn’t I have the book? I realised it was because my mom was busy trying to pay the school fee and she didn’t have the money. That’s when I had a revelation. I made a decision right there and then that I would never waste my mother’s money again.”

Marvin made good on his mother’s investment and graduated with a 3.99. Even in college, his grades stayed near a 4.0 as he continued to push himself in both academics and sports. After gaining experience in the corporate world, Marvin decided that his beginnings and life experiences were ones that many Bahamian kids could relate to. If he could share his story and get the light bulb to go off in their heads, then they, too, could become the best versions of themselves and give back to the world.

It wasn’t easy at first.

He was giving up a great job and salary to pursue his passion. However, it’s 11 years later and his Caribbean Sports Academy (CSA) has seen just over 5,000 kids pass through its programme, and just over 450 of them have received scholarship opportunities because of it. CSA is also a faith-based mentoring programme that focuses on life skills as well.

What started out as

MARVIN with some of his girl basketball superstars; with his wife Desmona; and with his daughters Maleah, May and Desariah.

a boys’ basketball programme has blossomed into one in which girls can flourish as well. Marvin has three children with his wife, Desmona. Each time, he thought he would have a boy to teach his beloved basketball skills to. Each time, the couple was blessed with a girl. The girls – Maleah, Mya and Desariah are now 16, 14 and 10 years old. When Mya approached her father and told him that she, too, had an interest in basketball, he had another light bulb moment.

“I was having a talk with God when he showed me that here I was, trying to solve issues of crime and getting the youth on track in our country, not realising that every man comes from the womb of a woman,” Marvin explained.

He realised that if he could get through to the girls, he would get through to the boys. That is how Girl Empowerment Hoops was born. This past Thanksgiving, the third annual event brought together five women’s collegiate basketball teams for a tournament held at the Baha Mar Resort.

Next month, his 11-week training programme will begin. There will be specific girl sessions two days a week after school, and boys’ sessions on two alternate days. On Saturdays, there are sessions for girls and boys that will be held on Tom “The Bird” Grant Park behind AF Adderley school. By June, the 11-week programme will be over and the summer camps will begin.

By the end of the week, Marvin will proudly launch the non-profit “International Youth Education and Sports Foundation”.

His friend from NCA, Dr Simeon Hinsey, has become his partner and will serve as president of the US arm

of the foundation, based in Arkansas. Dr Hinsey spent over 10 years working in college athletics as an administrator and coach.

During the 2014-15 season, he served as an assistant women’s basketball coach at the University of Arkansas. That year, the Razorbacks received an atlarge bid to compete in the NCAA Tournament.

For years, they have been working together to host successful basketball clinics in inner-city areas as well as on Andros Island, where they both have roots.

“We are just a couple of guys born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas that have joined forces to bring you the Bahamas Hoopfest,” Marvin said of their latest venture.

“For us, this classic is bigger than the game of basketball. It’s also an opportunity to impact the lives of young girls in The Bahamas and show them that there are opportunities to pursue their dreams of playing college sports and get a free college education.”

The event consultant is Tom Collen, retired NCAA Division 1 head coach and former National Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year (1999).

Marvin is an FIBA Certified Basketball Instructor with more than 21 years of basketball fundamentals training experience. He served as the Director of the Bahamas National Mini Basketball Program (20102011), National Basketball Training Instructor (20112014) and Skills Trainer for the Bahamas National Teams (2009-2016), Marvin has committed his life to nation building and serving the youth through sports.

If you wish for your child to be a part of a successful sports, faith-based life skills programme, contact Marvin at (242) 424-2353.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, January 7, 2020, PAGE 9

29-YEAR-OLD REMANDED OVER CHINESE RESTAURANT ROBBERY CHARGES

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A 29-YEAR-OLD man was remanded to prison yesterday over allegations he robbed a local Chinese restaurant at gunpoint of almost $1,000 last week.

Davidson Charles, of Thompson Lane, stood before Magistrate Samuel McKinney on armed robbery and receiving charges stemming from the January 2 incident.

It is alleged that on that date, Charles robbed the take-away restaurant of $853, and dishonestly received $700 of these funds. He was not required to enter a plea to the charges and the matter was adjourned to March 20 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI). Bail was denied and he was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in the interim.

He has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

During yesterday’s arraignment however, Charles claimed he has suffered two fractured ribs as a result of being beaten by police officers.

Charles also claimed he never had a weapon on him when the alleged incident occurred. However, Magistrate McKinney warned him against giving evidence ahead of his trial, and remanded him into custody.

Meanwhile, 23-yearold Alando Williams was sentenced to two years in prison for stealing an Australian woman’s purse and her iPhone collectively worth $1,400 on New Year’s Day. According to the facts read by the prosecutor Inspector Phillip Davis, Jacqueline Edwards, a tourist, was walking in the Cable Beach area around 7.25am on January 1 when Williams exited a black vehicle

parked in a nearby parking lot and approached her. When Williams made it to where she was, he pushed her to the ground and robbed her of her items before running back to the black vehicle and speeding off.

As a result of that incident, an investigation was launched. Ms Edwards’ iPhone was tracked to where Williams was, and he was arrested by police in the Milton Street area the

following day. When interviewed by police, he said he was drunk and on the drug “Molly”, also known as ecstasy, when he committed the crime.

Additionally, Williams was wearing an ankle bracelet at the time he robbed Ms Edwards, and Migrafill Electronic Security, the company that monitors the system, placed Williams at the Cable Beach plaza at the exact time of the incident.

ESSAY COMPETITION TO FOCUS ON THE IMPACT OF DORIAN Funeral Services For Leslie Thompson, 67 a resident of James Street, Dundas Town, Abaco, will be held at Grants Town Seventh Day Adventist Church, Wellington Street, on Wednesday, January 8, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. Officiating will be Pastor Leonardo Rahming, assisted

by Pastor Eric D. Clarke, Pastor Dr. Paul A. Scavella, Pastor Wilson Isnord, Elder Hamfreth Rahming & Elder Peter Watson. Interment follows in Lakeview Memorial Gardens, John F. Kennedy Drive.

Left to cherish his memories are his Wife: Lueann; Children: Lavardo (Nicole), Leslie Louis, Leslie Jr., Zoya; Grandchildren: Nicolas, Keiden, Tyler; Stepmother: Myrtle Rolle-Thompson; Grand Parent: Thelma Cordella Scavella-Thompson; Mother-in-law: Virgie Russell; Brothers: Bruce Eugene; Michael Andrew; Dwight Decosta Thompson; Sisters: Henrietta Major, Christa Elaine, Della Marie, Judith Laverne; Uncles/ Aunts: The late Edwin Thompson & family; the late Kenneth Thompson & family; Christine & Brazil McDonald & family; the late Cedric & Jeanette Thompson & family; the late Wallace & Nellie Thompson & family; Ruth Lightbourne & family; Lorraine Joseph; Catherine & Adam Mackey & family; John & Brenda Thompson & family; Howard & Esther Thompson & family; Eldridge & Mavis Thompson & family; Ricardo & Hazel Thompson & Family; Avis Thompson & family; Sharon Thompson; Ashton Miller & family: William Miller & family; Lawrence Miller & family; Areona Owens; Gertrude Lightbourn; Grand aunts: Myrtle Vernon Thompson; the late Rosemary Forbes & family; and the late Harold Tinker & Family; Idel & Mae; In-laws: Cecilia Horton (Cecil); Lillian Williams, Agusta Jolly, Audrey Newbold (Hugh), Norma Delancey (Roger), Beauthlyn Curry (Emory); special friends: Owen & Sharon Sweeting, Edward & Anne Lightbourn, Evnell McKenzie, Rocklyn Bootle, Earl Moss, Anistacia Dawkins, Ronnie Archer, Duane Johnson, Allen Butler, Montgomery, Tikoya Wiget, Richard &Joann Knight; his beloved Hope Town Students and godchildren; Members of Progressive Liberal Party (Abaco), Taxi driver union (Abaco), staff of Starfish Human Resources, Bakers Bay Human Resources, BPL Abaco and a host of other relatives, family, and friends... too many to mention.

Friends may pay their last respects at Demeritte’s Funeral Home, Market Street, from 1-5:00 p.m. on Tuesday & on Wednesday at the church from 11:00 a.m. until service time.

Semi Military Service for Retired Police Cpl #224

Lindbergh Wilberforce Williams, 84

a resident of Bougainvilla Avenue, South Beach Estates & formerly of Port Howe, Cat Island, will be held at Abundant Life Bible Church, Abundant Life Road on Thursday, January 9, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Officiating will be Pastor Cranston Knowles, assisted by Pastor David Cartwright & Other Ministers. Interment follows in Woodlawn Gardens, Soldier Road.

Left to cherish all his memories are his Wife: Mrs. Beulah Williams; Children: Deborah Anderson, Bunny Ingraham, Sabrina Williams Smith, Lyngale S. Williams, Linda and Santana DaGama, Teresa Singleton, Andy and Andrea Williams, Wilberforce and BobbyJean S. Williams, Gayland, Lindbergh Wilberforce Jr. Lindbergh S. Williams and Sean Brown of Cat Island; Step children: Bernice Deleveaux, Rose Johnson, Judymae Williams; Brother: Mr. Roxbergh Williams; Sisters: Evangelist Bronell Albury Hinsey Williams, Orien M. Williams and Trudy Kelly; Grandchildren: Nakia Smith [Thomas], Giovania Taylor [Feron], Chea Bethel, Tramaine Ingraham, Dennis Jr., Denesia, Dennis III, Ricko, Crystal, Wilberforce Jr., Gayland Jr. Valantio, Bronell Angrlica DaGama, Taylor Ashley, Singleton, Jaiden Hott, Shonique [3879 Brandon] Cooper, Reynold and Shelisa Johnson; Great grandchildren: Nathan and Noah Smith, Jacobi Archer, Feron Jr. and Gabriel, Nicholas Stuart, Dennis III, Deniyah, Demarri, Taliaha and Denasio, Lovie, Mel and Necka Johnson; Sister-inlaw: Mrs. Denise Williams; Aunts: Roselia Williams Brown; Nieces and nephews: Roxbergh and RoxAnn Williams, Desiree and Kevin Clarke and family, Elizabeth Hanna and family, Rev. Norris and Therese Williams and family, Angela Rolle, Cleatus J. Williams and family, Minister Donald R. Williams [Atlanta, Georgia] Lindy, Roxbergh and Micah Williams, Susan Armbrister, Madlyn Williams, Sarah and Marylu Seymour, Virgil Wilson, Elvis Cartwright, Arlene, Sedanio, Sedania and Serron Cartwright, Portia Williams and family, Alexander Williams and family; Cousins: Mavis Butler, Sheila Seymour and Family, Elsaida Porter and Family, Minister Bernice Major and family, Shirley Williams, Bishop Joseph Zonicle and family, Tanya Strachan, Cheryl Thompson Cooper and family, Frelon Deveaux, Jestina and Beryl Rolle, Leann and Vernencia Gordon, Elthyln Williams-Adderley and family, Ruth Williams and family, Coral Kemp and family, Nursing Officer Denise Smith and family, Dorothy Gilbert and family; and a host of other relatives and friends including: Frederica Butler and family, Henry Manson, Vivienne Haynes, Shirley Lightbourne and family, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Knowles and Family, Mrs. Corrine Braynen and Family, Duke Errol and Dorothea Strachan and Family, Retried Justice Rhonda Bain and Family, Richard Fountain, the Albury Family, Mr. and Mrs. Sherwin Stuart and Family, Joseph Jackson (Chicargo),Marion Brown, Eloise Mackey, Lulu Sherman, Reynold, Charlton, Raysha Woodside, Smithie for Smith’s Bar, Ellzy Davis, Marion Wright, Jeffery Smith, South Beach FNM Association, Rex of Turks Island, The Abundant Life Church Family and Pastor Cranston Knowles, Royal Bahamas Police Force, Royal Bahamas Defence Force, St. Luke’s Baptist Church {Ft. Launderdale} Pastor Gaskins, Shirley Bridgewater Weech, Staff of PMH, Dr. Jagadeesh and Dr. Orlando remaining relatives and friends of the communities of Cat Island, South Beach Community, and many more too numerous to mention.

Friends may pay their last respects at Demeritte’s Funeral Home, Market Street, from 12-5:00 p.m. on Wednesday & on Thursday at the church from 12:00 p.m. until service time.

TEMPLETON World Charity Foundation (TWCF) launched this year’s Bahamas Laws of Life Essay Competition with a focus on the impact of Hurricane Dorian, along with a new logo and website.

At www.bahamaslawsoflife.org, students, teachers and parents can easily find resources related to the 2020 essay competition with submission due January 25.

This competition is one of the largest in the Bahamas and offers national recognition and financial prizes, in addition to the opportunity to build creative writing skills. The much anticipated award ceremony is slated for June 11.

Open to students across the country in grades five to 12 and for college students age 25 and under, there are five divisions: primary, junior, senior, college and a video

division. This year’s competition topics are centred around students’ experiences with Hurricane Dorian - the Category Five storm that made landfall in the northern Bahamas on September 1, 2019, leaving widespread destruction and loss of life on the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama.

“Misfortunes can be blessings” is the overarching law for this year’s competition and students are encouraged to draw on their knowledge and experiences related to Hurricane Dorian as they reflect on this law and write their essays. In doing so, the competition is seeking to promote empathy, thoughtfulness, tolerance, and charity in our students and promote the reinforcement of these ideals.

Now in its 13th year, the competition is a public-private collaboration between

the TWCF and the Ministry of Education. Wenley Fowley, assistant director of education, Ministry of Education said that the competition has exceeded all expectations. “It is a known truth that in the Bahamas, creative writing or student writing has been always been a sustained challenge. And so, this partnership in respect to Laws Of Life and the essay writing competition is indeed a God-send.”

President of the Templeton World Charity Foundation Dr Andrew Serazin asked the teachers and principals to encourage students to apply, and to write essays that reflect on what is important to them. He said the Bahamas Laws of Life Essay Competition is one of his favourite events among the more than 250 projects the foundation supports around the world.

UB PRESENTS LECTURE ON THE END OF EXCHANGE CONTROLS

THE Nassau Institute and Templeton Religion Trust In Collaboration with the Banking Economics & Finance Department & The Economics Society of The University of The Bahamas will present Dr. John Rodgers, speaking on “The End of Exchange Controls.”

The lecture will be held on Wednesday, January 22, in the Harry C. Moore Library Conference Hall at the University of The Bahamas In the aftermath of World War II, there was a tremendous amount of global economic instability.

Exchange controls were introduced in 1945 as one of a number of initiatives that would help to

restore economic stability.

In 1979, the UK abandoned exchange controls, but Bahamian policy makers determined that The Bahamas should continue to maintain an exchange control regime.

Dr. Rodgers will make the case that this was a mistake because of the negative impact that exchange controls have had on the Bahamian economy.

Dr. Rodgers studied medicine at London University in England and specialised in ophthalmology at the University of Toronto. Dr. Rodgers became American board certified in 1982, a Fellow of The Royal College of Surgeons [Canada] and a Fellow of The Royal

College of Surgeons [UK] in 1988. On returning to The Bahamas in 1984, Dr. Rodgers was appointed to the post of Chief of Ophthalmology at The Princess Margaret Hospital and entered private practice the same year.

He has studied Economics extensively and has published two books focusing on the Bahamian economy.

Dr Rodgers was the founder of Omni Financial Services which offers a cadre of financial services, including money transfers, micro lending, bill payment services, debit cards, cash management and a soon to be launched mobile money platform.

PAGE 10, Tuesday, January 7, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

AUSSIES MUST TAKE THREAT OF GLOBAL WARMING MORE SERIOUSLY UNTIL recently on the ‘One America News’ channel, there has been relatively little US television coverage of the unprecedented bush fire crisis now happening in Australia. In a country accustomed to dealing with bush fires that are a regular feature at this time of year, many have been raging out of control for the last three or four months. We are told this is mainly because of hotter and drier weather conditions and an extended drought. The south eastern states of New South Wales and Victoria have suffered the worst, but it has become clear the whole nation is being affected indirectly.

This is now being termed a national disaster, and it is heart-rending to watch the television coverage as the conditions worsen. The figures are horrifying.

Since September, 24 people have lost their lives as a result of the

fires, more than 1,200 homes have been destroyed, millions of hectares of land have been scorched and there has been a huge loss of animals and other wildlife, including kangaroos and koalas that are famously indigenous to Australia.

The situation has become so bad people have been forced to take refuge on beaches to escape the flames and are being picked up by boat. It has been described as hell on earth, but the experts are saying the worst is yet to come with a new heatwave expected and little chance of sufficient rain to make much difference so that the crisis could last for months.

Temperatures have surpassed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and high winds have fanned the flames. These have turned the sky red and, and a thick wall of smoke has partly drifted across the Tasman Sea as far as New Zealand, more than a

The

Peter Young column IT IS surely no exaggeration to say the sudden horror of last week’s killing by a US drone strike of Major General Qasem Soleimani, Iran’s top military commander and one of its most influential political figures, has shaken the world. It has escalated the simmering dispute between the two countries - going back at least to the 1979 US embassy hostage crisis in Teheran - to a point of extreme peril, with people now openly talking about the possibility of a new global conflict.

Revenge by Iran is inevitable, but what is even more concerning is President Trump’s new threat to hit back hard with military action against any retaliation by the Iranians. This sort of tit for tat action could lead to a major war in the unstable Middle East which many predict could all too easily spread around the world.

Most observers are not close enough to the subject to be able to take an informed view on the crisis apart from a likely knee jerk reaction that the Americans’ action amounts to irresponsible madness and is perilous beyond belief. They may also ask how such action can be justified and wonder about its legitimacy in international law, in particular whether it was proportionate in the face of any Iranian threat or provocation.

On the other hand, President Trump has claimed it was an act of self-defence following earlier Iranian attacks on American and other assets - including being a state sponsor of terrorism and, recently, shooting down an unmanned drone, an attack on Saudi oil installations and seizing commercial shipping - culminating in an assault last week on the US embassy in Baghdad. The

thousand miles away. Meteorologists say that an unusual climate system originating in the Indian Ocean called ‘‘a dipole” has produced these historically high temperatures.

Amid all this horror, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been heavily criticised for his government’s handling of a crisis which has turned into a major catastrophe. Not only has he been chided personally for taking a family holiday in Hawaii early on in the crisis, but he has been accused of being openly disdainful and not sufficiently caring in dealing with those in distress.

What seems to have angered people even more is his government’s attitude to climate change and to Australia’s commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Critics say these are not being taken seriously as Australia’s carbon emissions remain far too

FIREFIGHTERS at work high, with the country continuing to rely heavily on its domestic coal industry and its standing as a major coal exporter.

In the eyes of most, there is a clear and indisputable link between the current bush fires that are the worst in living memory and the exceptional heat and dry conditions that have increased the fire danger and that

this has been partly brought about by global warming. Reportedly, this linkage has been acknowledged by the nation’s Bureau of Meteorology.

Many claim the situation will not improve unless, as an essential first step, the politicians formally accept the connection exists and start to address more vigorously the issue of climate change and global warming.

As the nightmare of devastation and despair continues, other countries are offering practical assistance. Some commentators in Australia are already expressing concern about the long term survival of the nation itself. But, given the well-known resilience of Australians, that sounds extreme and most people are hoping and praying for some improvement of conditions despite the predictions of little respite in the weeks and months ahead.

Has Trump lit torch to a new global conflict?

US has also maintained its action was justified in order to prevent an imminent Iranian attack as a part of their plotting against US interests.

This incident is dominating the international news, so the facts do not bear repetition. But what has not been explained properly so far is the disagreement between the US and European countries, as well as other signatories like China and Russia, in connection with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

For some time, the Americans have been pursuing what has been described as an aggressive containment and isolation of Iran. Since Mr Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 (characteristically calling it the worst deal ever), the US has been applying maximum pressure including harsh economic sanctions.

The deal had imposed strict limits on Iran’s development of a nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief, and European countries blamed what they described as US efforts to strangle Iran economically for rising tensions in the Persian Gulf.

It seems European nations wanted to safeguard the nuclear deal and use a similar model of multilateral diplomacy with Iran in other areas. However, Iran has been gradually distancing itself from the deal - partly because of alleged European failure to meet trade commitments and it is now almost certain the JCPOA will fall apart.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s claim during the last few days to have spoken to his European counterparts in a spirit of cooperation is slightly bogus because, reportedly, there was no prior consultation with anyone or even advance warning.

It is also interesting that he has praised the reaction of Gulf States like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates while expressing disappointment about the so-called apprehensive European response calling for de-escalation of the crisis.

Perhaps, after all, the US’s tough approach since

TRUMP’s strike has shaken the world withdrawing from the JCPOA will ultimately be effective. But it is clear its latest action will unleash a serious reaction, put allied interests in the region at severe risk - as well as the fear of Iranian reprisals in European capitals - and place a strain on transAtlantic relations. It could also lead to the ejection of US troops from Iraq, leaving that country more vulnerable to terrorism.

Meanwhile, the assassination has gone down well in parts of the US. So, Mr Trump will have already gained politically in comparison, for example, with Hillary Clinton’s supposed

failure as Secretary of State to protect American lives and property at the time of the Benghazi attacks in 2012.

Nevertheless, with the US on the brink of stumbling into a war, the rest of us can only hope that wiser heads will prevail from now on so that this crisis does not become worse through misjudgement or miscalculation resulting in potentially catastrophic military confrontation. It is now clear the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 was an utter disaster. Surely, nothing comparable will be seriously contemplated involving Iran.

KELLY HONOUR WELL DESERVED AND OVERDUE THE honours system is one of Britain’s proudest traditions. All concerned are confident it is conducted with the utmost honesty and integrity and this is widely accepted both at the official and personal level, as it surely is here in The Bahamas as well.

However, there will always be unhappy people who, because of envy or jealousy, will claim that one or other honoree is more or less deserving than someone else. But that is invariably limited to disgruntled individuals.

Against this background, it was surprising to read of official critical remarks attributed to the Opposition about the award of a knighthood to Godfrey Kelly, pictured; and, at the same time, in relation to the United Bahamian Party which was in power in The Bahamas, under a colonial Governor, from 1956 to 1967.

Since I am interested in

Bahamian history, I have read all I can find about the UBP. An informative and reliable source I have come across is a book entitled “A Modern Perspective of the UBP” by Fred Sturrup and published in 2008.

This is reputed to be an objective and authoritative work and chronicles the achievements of the UBP which had been demonised by some since its defeat in 1967. In the prologue, the author states “Until its defeat…… the UBP engineered great prosperity in the land. It ushered in a powerful tourist thrust that became a landmark industry in the country, the region and indeed the wider world”.

He also quotes - tellingly perhaps - recent positive remarks about the UBP by former Governor General Arthur Hanna who he describes as having been “a thorn in its side”.

In the body of the book, the author devotes an entire chapter to Godfrey Kelly’s work as a former Minister of Education and he calls him the architect of education in the modern Bahamas. There is no space to elaborate on that today, but the detail is impressive - and it leaves me genuinely puzzled about the Opposition’s remarks which seem to be at variance with the facts.

If one adds to Godfrey Kelly’s immense influence in the field of education - which is well documented - his achievements and impressive contribution to his country over many years as a longstanding member of the House of Assembly representing Cat Island and in the fields of sailing and the law among others, there can be no doubt his knighthood is not only thoroughly deserved but is also long overdue.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, January 7, 2020, PAGE 11

US braces itself for Iranian attack THE 52 F-35A aircraft taking off in Utah yesterday WASHINGTON Associated Press US officials yesterday prepared for Iran to respond to the killing of its most powerful general, noting heightened military readiness in the country and preparing for a possible “tit-for-tat” attempt on the life of an American military commander.

While officials say American intelligence isn’t clear on whether Iran’s latest military moves are designed to bolster Tehran’s defences or prepare for an offensive strike, the US is continuing to reinforce its own positions in the region, including repositioning some forces. One official said the US anticipated a “major” attack of some type within the next day or two.

Yesterday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said no decision had been made about withdrawing troops from Iraq. Pro-Iranian factions in the Iraqi Parliament have pushed to oust American troops following Soleimani’s killing on Iraqi soil. Esper spoke to reporters after a letter from a US Marine general circulated that seemed to suggest a withdrawal had been ordered in response to a vote by the Iraqi Parliament over the weekend.

“There’s been no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq,” Esper said.

Soleimani’s death has raised the prospect of a wide and unpredictable conflict in the Middle East and escalated tensions between Iran and the US. Two US officials said targeting Soleimani was not representative of a wholesale shift in American policy toward Iran, despite Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s comments on Sunday that the US was

targeting Iran’s “actual decision-makers” rather than its network of proxy allies. President Trump has repeatedly contended that he is not seeking “regime change” in Iran, as has been pushed by some of his more hawkish advisers.

Still, Trump’s strike against Soleimani, a revered figure in Iran whose death sparked large displays of anger and grief, was a risky decision his Republican and Democratic predecessors opted not to take out of concern it would draw the U.S. and Iran closer to conflict.

US officials are also aware that Iran could try to strike a high-level American leader in a “tit-for-tat” move, potentially a military commander.

One official said some Iranian ships have spread out, and while the intent isn’t immediately clear, they could move rapidly to attack.

The US military has increased protection of its forces, particularly in Iraq.

Officials said a number of the recently deployed soldiers from the 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division had moved into Iraq from Kuwait in order to increase security for Americans there. The US military has stopped all training of Iraqi forces to focus on force protection, officials said.

The main hub for American military air operations throughout the Middle East is located at al-Udeid air base in Qatar – within easy range of Iranian missiles. American forces also are stationed in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

The Navy’s 5th Fleet, which operates throughout the region, is based at Bahrain.

• Peter Young - Page 10

MOURNERS surround a truck carrying the flag-draped coffin of Qassem Soleimani in the city of Qom south of Tehran yesterday

MILLIONS FLOOD INTO STREETS AND DEMAND RETALIATION AGAINST US TEHRAN Associated Press

IRAN’S supreme leader wept yester over the casket of a top general killed in a US airstrike, his prayers joining the wails of mourners who flooded the streets of Tehran demanding retaliation against America for a slaying that’s drastically raised tensions across the Middle East.

The funeral for Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani drew a crowd said by police to be in the millions in the Iranian capital, filling thoroughfares and side streets as far as the eye could see. Although there was no independent estimate, aerial footage and Associated Press journalists suggested a turnout of

at least 1m, and the throngs were visible on satellite images of Tehran.

Authorities later brought his remains and those of the others to Iran’s holy city of Qom, turning out another massive crowd.

The outpouring of grief was an unprecedented honour for a man viewed

by Iranians as a national hero for his work leading the Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force. The US blames him for the killing of American troops in Iraq and accused him of plotting new attacks just before his death on Friday in a drone strike at Baghdad’s airport.

Soleimani also led forces in Syria backing President Bashar Assad in a long war.

His slaying already has pushed Tehran to abandon

the remaining limits of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers as his successor and others vow to take revenge. In Baghdad, the parliament has called for the expulsion of all American troops from Iraqi soil, something analysts fear could allow Islamic State militants to mount a comeback.

Soleimani’s daughter, Zeinab, directly threatened the US military in the Middle East while also warning President Donald Trump, whom she called “crazy”.

“The families of the American soldiers ... will spend their days waiting for the death of their children,” she said to cheers.

Her language mirrored warnings by other Iranian

officials who say an attack on US military interests in the Middle East looms.

Iranian state TV and others online shared a video that showed Trump’s American flag tweet following Soleimani’s killing turn into a coffin, the “likes” of the tweet replaced by over 143,000 “killed”.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei prayed over the caskets of Soleimani and others at Tehran University after a brief mourning period at the capital’s famed Musalla mosque, The mosque was where prayers were said over the body of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, after his death in 1989.

WEINSTEIN CHARGED WITH SEX BOLTON WILLING TO TESTIFY IN CRIMES IN LA ON EVE OF NY TRIAL IMPEACHMENT IF SUBPOENAED LOS ANGELES Associated Press

WASHINGTON Associated Press

LOS Angeles prosecutors yesterday charged Harvey Weinstein with sexually assaulting two women on successive nights during Oscars week in 2013, bringing the new case against the disgraced Hollywood mogul on the eve of jury selection for his New York trial.

The case, brought by a task force set up by the Los Angeles County district attorney to handle sexcrime allegations against major entertainment figures, now puts Weinstein in deep legal peril on both coasts, where he built his career as the one of the most powerful — and feared — figures in show business before a barrage of allegations from more than 75 women led to his downfall and ignited the #MeToo movement.

Weinstein, 67, was charged with raping a woman at a Los Angeles hotel on Feb. 18, 2013, after pushing his way inside her room, then sexually

FORMER White House national security adviser John Bolton yesterday said he is “prepared to testify” if he is subpoenaed by the Senate in its impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, a surprise statement that bolstered Democrats in their push for new witnesses.

Bolton, who left the White House in September, said that he has weighed the issues of executive privilege and that after “careful consideration and study” decided that he would comply with any Senate subpoena. “If the Senate issues a subpoena for my testimony, I am prepared to testify,” he said in a statement.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has publicly expressed resistance to calling new witnesses in the upcoming trial, though Democrats are pressing to hear from Bolton and others who did not appear before the House

HARVEY Weinstein leaves court in New York yesterday. assaulting a woman in a has gotten away with Beverly Hills hotel suite too much for too long,” the next night. He could while Beverly Hills Chief get up to 28 years in prison Sandra Spagnoli called the on charges of forcible rape, cases “horrendous crimes forcible oral copulation, perpetrated by a sexual sexual penetration by use of predator.” force and sexual battery.

Jury selection is set to “We see you, we hear begin today in the New you and we believe you”’ York case, in which WeinDistrict Attorney Jackie stein is charged with raping Lacey said in announcing a woman in a New York the charges, addressing her- City hotel room in 2013 self to the movie producer’s and forcibly performaccusers. ing a sex act on another Los Angeles Police woman, Mimi Haleyi, in Chief Michel Moore said 2006. He has always said the charges open the “next that any sexual activity was chapter” for a man “who consensual.

JOHN BOLTON in its impeachment inquiry.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has stalled the transmission of House-passed articles of impeachment against Trump in a bid for that witness testimony.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has proposed calling several witnesses, including Bolton and Mulvaney, but McConnell has so far rejected Schumer’s terms.

It is uncertain when Pelosi will eventually send the articles to the Senate. If she decides to do so in the coming days, a trial could start as soon as this week.

In a tweet Monday, Pelosi did not address the timing.

But she said Trump and McConnell have “run out of excuses” for not calling witnesses or producing documents Trump has blocked.

It’s unclear whether Bolton’s testimony would hurt or help the president. The two clashed while he was in the White House and offered differing versions of whether he resigned or was fired when he left office in September.

He’d almost certainly be asked, for instance, about a comment he was reported to have made to another White House adviser that he did not want to be “part of whatever drug deal” European Union ambassador Gordon Sondland and White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney were “cooking up” as Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate Democrats.

That pressure, as Trump was withholding security aid to Ukraine, was at the heart of the inquiry in the House, which voted to impeach Trump on Dec. 18.