02062019 NEWS

WEDNESDAY i’m lovin’ it!

HIGH 78ºF LOW 69ºF

The Tribune Established 1903

24/7 BREAKING NEWS ON TRIBUNE242.COM

Biggest And Best!

VOLUME:116 No.30, FEBRUARY 6TH, 2019

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

SPORTS: RATTLERS CLAIM WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE

GAME CHANGER

Cabinet studying ‘mega deal’ for port and Lucayan

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net FREEPORT’S economy “won’t look back” if Royal Caribbean’s partnership with a Mexican group to develop mega cruise berths and buy the Grand Lucayan succeeds, Tribune Business can reveal.

The cruise line’s tie-up with ITM, a developer of adventure-based theme parks and village-style destinations, was among the investment projects said to be under consideration by the Minnis Cabinet during its meeting yesterday.

The deal, which will likely have a greater economic impact than Carnival’s $100m “Grand Port” project if it comes to fruition, would solve Freeport’s tourism woes by developing the

city into a sustainable longterm destination while also taking the Grand Lucayan off the government’s hands.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, declined to comment when contacted about the ITM/Royal Caribbean proposal, but did not deny its existence or that it was discussed yesterday. “We were discussing a number of projects, but nothing I’m at liberty to discuss right now,” he said.

Several sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested that the Cabinet discussions focused on whether to give the proposal an “approval in principle” to allow ITM to firm up its financing and potential project partners such as hotel operators.

SEE PAGE SEVEN

SHONEL IN FIGHT TO OVERTURN EVICTION

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

WHILE the government has received proposals from “quite a number” of investors interested in Grand Bahama, it remains unclear what the future holds for the controversial Oban deal.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday declined to comment on the proposed $5.5 billion oil refinery and storage terminal for Grand Bahama, telling reporters the matter

was not on the radar for his Cabinet briefing on the island.

When asked for an update on the project, Dr Minnis said: “Listen I’m talking about futuristic Oban is not…listen man, you hear me just open a project last night that I know gonna work. You hear I’m going to Cabinet today to discuss another project that I know gonna work. So I ain’t talking nonsense today, and don’t twist my words when you go on Cable 12 now.”

SEE PAGE FIVE

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

FORMER State Minister for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez is calling for a commission of inquiry into police conduct in the investigation that led to the bribery and extortion trial of former PLP Senator Frank Smith.

Mr Gomez, who represented Mr Smith in those proceedings with Jamaican QC Keith Knight, called the government’s speedy appeal a “nonsensical” bid to prevent the public from asking hard questions about alleged police corruption and political interference exposed during the trial.

Mr Gomez told The Tribune he would not rest until the public fully understood

...BUT OBAN JUST WON’T GO AWAY

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

SMITH EYES PROBE INTO HOW POLICE RAN CASE

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

SHAIK RATTLED BY FYRE ROLE

AUSTRALIAN model Shanina Shaik now regrets her involvement in the failed Fyre Festival.

Full story - Page 2 Photo: Shanina Shaik’s Instagram account

FOX Hill MP Shonel Ferguson’s investment company is seeking to have a new hearing over the claims that led to its Supreme Court-ordered eviction from a building it allegedly never paid real property taxes on since assuming responsibility for it some 13 years ago.

Turtle Creek Investments (TCI), in a notice of appeal filed in December, is seeking to have Justice Keith Thompson’s entire November 13, 2018 judgement and eviction order set aside and the matter remitted to the Supreme Court for trial.

SEE PAGE TEN

MASS FUNERAL FOR ABACO VICTIMS

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE bodies of the 27 people who died at sea in the Abaco cays have been turned over to the Haitian Embassy in Nassau and the League of Haitian Pastors for burial on Sunday.

Dr Jean Paul Charles, president of the league, told The Tribune there are plans in the works to hold one funeral service for the

TRAGIC scenes in Abaco. victims, adding officials are intent on giving them dignity in death with a

“decent” funeral. All of the victims have been identified and over the next few days the bodies will be flown to Nassau, he said.

The deaths came after the boat they were on hit a reef on Friday night. While at least 27 died, 18 were rescued, officials said. However, unconfirmed reports of the total number on board the sunken vessel, according to Dr Charles, is now up to 96.

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE THREE

ALICIA WALLACE 27 MIGRANTS ARE DEAD - ONE DAY IT COULD BE US

SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Wednesday, February 6, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

I cried when I watched Fyre documentary, reveals Aussie model

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net BACKLASH from the ill-fated Fyre Festival has moved one supermodel involved in the event to tears.

Australian supermodel Shanina Shaik broke her silence on her role in the failed luxury event stating she was “dragged into it”.

“I cried when I watched it,” she told the Daily Telegraph, referring to the Netflix documentary on the debacle. “It is really horrific what happened.

The girls and I were just kind of dragged into it. We would never want to promote something like that or take someone’s money.”

The 27-year-old supermodel, alongside fellow IMG-represented models Hailey Baldwin, Bella Hadid, Alessandra Ambrosio and Chanel Iman, may be asked to testify in the bankruptcy case of Fyre Media, the entity that staged the doomed festival.

Ms Iman also opened up about the ordeal in a recent interview, telling People Magazine she had “no idea what was going to happen.”

For Ms Iman, the most terrifying part of shooting promotional video for the festival was interacting with Exuma’s famous swimming pigs, and she told the media she was afraid of getting bitten by the animals.

A New York judge granted an ex-parte order last month seeking subpoenas for celebrities who helped to build up the hype around the failed festival.

Convicted fraudster Billy McFarland, organiser of the festival, raised $26 million from investors and officials are trying to determine how that money was spent.

IMG reportedly received US$1.2 million from McFarland to promote the event between November 2016 and February 2017, according to the trustee overseeing the bankruptcy case.

According to Billboard, McFarland paid out $11.3 million in the weeks and months leading up to the doomed festival. Ms Shaik further explained: “When a client comes to my agent and has a vision or a project they want to work with us on, my agency always makes sure we are protected and looked after.”

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe account for Maryann Rolle, an Exuma restaurant owner who was shafted by festival organisers, raised more than $217,000 in donations up to press time.

Mrs Rolle’s story of losing thousands of dollars when the festival collapsed in 2017 resonated with viewers. She was contracted to provide catering support and lodging for the festival.

At the peak of the event, she produced 1,000 meals per day.

AUSTRALIAN supermodel Shanina Shaik broke her silence on her role in the failed event. Photo: Shanina Shaik’s Instagram account

ALL LEADERSHIP POSITIONS OPEN AT DNA CONFERENCE

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

THE Democratic National Alliance will be holding its next convention at the end of the month, where all leadership positions will be open for election, interim leader Christopher Mortimer announced.

Mr Mortimer said he will “not be offering for election as leader” but will remain a party member and supporter. However, he declined to give specifics on other candidates for this position.

“There are a number of persons who will be offering, so I don’t think we want to prejudice at this particular point in time, the process,” he said on Monday.

“The leadership process and the roles are open to all persons who

are members of the party who are financial.”

The convention will be held February 22-23 and will “articulate the DNA’s plans for a 21st century Bahamas and chart the course for a nation where innovation is the norm and economic empowerment is a reality for our people.”

Mr Mortimer made these remarks during a press conference held at the Courtyard Marriott yesterday.

Describing both the Free National Movement and Progressive Liberal Party as “two sides of the same coin”, Mr Mortimer insisted the third party is the “only viable option for real change in our nation”.

He noted the party’s last convention was held in 2016, which was followed by a conclave

CHRISTOPHER MORTIMER in 2018. During this conclave, party leadership and members conducted a “post-mortem” of its poor performance in the 2017 general election. The party’s founding leader, Branville

McCartney, stepped down following that election.

“Our country is at a crossroad,” Mr Mortimer said yesterday. “The Bahamian people voted out the (PLP) with the hopes that the (FNM) will be different. Unfortunately, they have proven us to be right in that they are two sides of the same coin with corruption, cronyism, nepotism, conflicts of interest and fiscal mismanagement being the order of the day during their first 20 months in office.”

Mr Mortimer cited many perceived failures of the Minnis administration, including the increase in value added tax, the Oban Energies deal, the country being blacklisted by international groups, “(giving) a sitting Cabinet minister a contract for the main post office

and more recently (being) chastised by the chief magistrate for the ‘egregious’ actions of two Cabinet ministers.”

He further accused the FNM of being elected “without a plan” while saying the PLP has “no moral authority” to condemn the current administration.

“I think the Bahamian people will choose the DNA in the next election,” Mr Mortimer continued.

He also reiterated the party’s commitment to women and women’s issues, noting in the last election the DNA “had more female candidates than any other party combined.”

Mr Mortimer also highlighted the party’s support of young people and encouraged them to “be the change that (they) want to see.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 6, 2019, PAGE 3

TRAGEDY IN ABACO

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Mass funeral for the 27 victims who died at sea from page one

This incident has again shed light on the clear and present danger that undocumented migrants face as they journey by sea from Haiti to The Bahamas and other areas.

It also led Progressive Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis to question yesterday the functionality of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force’s Sandy Bottom Project, which cost taxpayers $232m. Mr Davis insisted the project was commissioned by the Christie administration to improve border patrol.

“We worked tirelessly with the Haitian government to find a diplomatic solution to this problem,” Mr Davis said yesterday during his monthly press conference at PLP headquarters.

“But vessels that are generally not sea worthy still seem to leave the northern coast of Haiti regularly.

“The Sandy Bottom Project was designed to better control our waters and cause for early interception

in the southern islands, so I was surprised to read that this vessel evaded Bahamian authorities and capsized in Abaco well in the north.

“What is the status of the Sandy Bottom in terms of the number of functional vessels? Where are we with the construction of satellite defence force posts in our southern island? Have diplomatic talks with Haiti failed? Has the Bahamas government actively engaged CARICOM in a regional fight against irregular migration and human trafficking?

“We need to have some answers to those questions because the loss of lives is something that ought to be viewed as unacceptable in persons trek to seek a better way of life for themselves and their family,” Mr Davis said.

On Monday, Immigration Minister Brent Symonette urged those considering the perilous journey to instead consider applying for work permits before risking their lives on the high seas to enter here illegally, where they would likely be

apprehended and deported.

Dr Charles agreed. “We have to do something,” he told The Tribune yesterday.

“We are planning in the near future to go to Haiti to meet with the Haitian government. Something has to be done and it has to be done right now between both governments to see how best The Bahamas government can assist Haiti.”

Asked what case the group intended to make to the Haitian government, Dr Charles said: “They have to work together. Stop fighting each other and try to create a way for people to stay at home and the only way they would stay is if Haiti gets back on track.”

On Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield also urged wouldbe undocumented migrants to “think twice”, adding that as a former RBDF official he’d seen this unfortunate kind of situation too many times.

The Cabinet ministers spoke as a pathologist and coroner were sent to Abaco on Monday to process the bodies of those who died.

Initial numbers from law

enforcement had the death toll at 28 with 17 survivors, however these numbers were incorrect, officials said Monday.

Mr Henfield also confirmed at the time a request was made Monday by the Haitian Embassy in New Providence for the bodies to be turned over to them for burial.

Some survivors told rescuers they had been at sea for seven days when all hell broke loose near the Abaco cays on Friday, The Tribune reported on Monday.

The survivors were interviewed on Monday as officials tried to understand the circumstances of their travel here, Mr Symonette said.

He said: “I wish they would not contemplate the trip, putting their lives at risk and we’ve seen what has regrettably happened in the last couple of days.

“If they had applied for work permits or that type of thing we’d try and process them, but not to put their lives at risk because once they are apprehended then we’ll send them back to Haiti in any event.”

ONE WOMAN DIES AND THREE TWO ARRESTED AFTER MAN STILL IN SERIOUS CONDITION ROBBED WHILE WALKING ON AFTER 2AM TRAFFIC ACCIDENT PARADISE ISLAND BRIDGE

By RIEL MAJOR

POLICE in New Providence are investigating a traffic accident that left a woman dead.

According to police, shortly after 2am on Saturday, four occupants of a grey Nissan Primera were travelling on Soldier Road, near Spencer Court, when the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a utility pole.

All of the occupants of the car were seriously injured and were later taken to hospital. The following

day, the female passenger died from her injuries while the other three passengers are listed in serious to critical condition.

Officers from the Traffic Department are continuing their investigations into the matter.

Late last month, a retired priest died in Cat Island after the scooter he was riding crashed into a utility pole on Queen’s Highway.

Dr Anthony Dahl, 71, had moved to the island for his retirement just a few days before he died.

A MAN and a woman were arrested on Tuesday after a tourist was robbed while walking over the Paradise Island bridge.

Police said shortly after 4am, a man was walking south on the eastern Paradise Island Bridge when he was approached by three men who forced him into a vehicle and robbed him of cash and an iPhone.

The men drove the victim to an ATM and forced him to withdraw cash, before putting him out of the vehicle and speeding away.

A short time later, acting

on information, Tourism Police Unit officers, searched a home and vehicle on Abundant Life Road and recovered the victim’s cell phone and a small amount of cash.

An man and a woman who were present during the time of the search were taken into custody. The initial police report did not reveal the man was a tourist, however Supt Shanta Knowles revealed this element to ZNS News last night.

Investigations are ongoing.

TEMPLE CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL

ENTRANCE EXAMINATION 2019-2020 Temple Christian High School will hold its Second Entrance Examination on Saturday, February 16, 2019 at the school on Shirley Street from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon for students wishing to enter grades 7, 8, 9 and 10.

Application forms are available at the High School Office. The application fee is twentyfive dollars ($25.00). Application forms should be completed and returned to the school by Friday, February 15, 2019.

For further information, please call telephone number: 394-4481/394-4484.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, February 6, 2019

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,

jamaaltheartist@gmail.com

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,

C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-

Published daily Monday to Friday

Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES

News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax

(242) 322-1986 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348

WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com

@tribune242

tribune news network

So is Oban nonsense, Dr Minnis?

Here we go again with Oban.

It seems that the controversial deal will continue to hang around the neck of Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and his administration – not least because we never seem to get straight answers about exactly what is the current state of the deal.

Yesterday, in Grand Bahama, while Dr Minnis was quite rightly lauding the prospects of a number of investors showing interest in the island, a perfectly reasonable question was raised about the Oban deal.

After all, the $5.5bn deal was once set to revolutionise the Grand Bahama landscape.

Houses for up to 200 residents, 80 percent of jobs for local Bahamians, pledges of investment in university and vocational training… it all sounded too good to be true.

The problem was, some elements of the project did indeed fall short of truth, and the prime minister himself was forced to admit to “missteps” in the project.

He could hardly do otherwise given the doubts raised about the backgrounds of some of Oban’s representatives, the concern about the signature on the documents being made by someone else entirely and the general feeling that we weren’t getting a lot of bang for our buck in the deal.

Even Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce president Mick Holding told The Tribune last March that the whole farrago had raised concerns that other investors might be deterred, while just last month Labour Minister Dion Foulkes said significant changes were needed to the Heads of Agreement that the government itself signed if a revised Oban 2 deal was to go ahead.

So is it really out of line, Dr Minnis, to raise questions in Grand Bahama about

the once-flagship deal you heralded for the island?

Brushing it off by saying you’re talking about a project that you “know gonna work” makes us wonder if Oban is now a deal that you don’t know is going to work.

Saying that you “ain’t talking nonsense today” when asked about Oban makes us wonder if Oban is now indeed just nonsense to you.

And a plea not to twist your words on the subject is not confidence inspiring, especially when your words are so unclear.

Time and again on the campaign trail, Dr Minnis talked about the importance of transparency, but that too often seems to be a broken, hollow pledge.

In December, Save The Bays chairman Joseph Darville showed as much, declaring the failure to release the environmental impact assessment for Oban’s scheme as “fishy”.

Labour Minister Foulkes went on to say that the impact assessment wouldn’t be released to the public before a new deal is signed.

Does this seem like transparency?

We are delighted that the Oban fiasco seems to have not deterred other investors, we truly are. Grand Bahama has long needed investment to relight the island’s fire, and residents there will be ecstatic if the promised investments come to pass.

But be straight with us. Tell us the truth. If Oban is faltering, tell us that. If Oban is close to a new deal that makes up for the problems of the past, tell us that. Don’t just talk about transparency, be transparent.

In admitting to his missteps, Dr Minnis last March said: “We must, we can and we will do better.”

Please do.

High price to pay for all this gambling EDITOR, The Tribune DR FOX, did you really blow tens of thousand of dollars on parties and gifts? It is your money so you may spend it as you wish. You claim, however, to now be a man of the cloth, are you really?

The annual give-a-ways in the community is a great thing, or so it would appear, but what are you, Dr Fox, really doing to enhance the lives of your fellow Bahamians, especially those of the Household of Faith and to wipe away the tears from every eye; bring sight to the blind; set the captives free and, most importantly, lead Bahamians to Christ? It is good to have a multi-million dollar

home/s; expensive vehicles; exotic boats and cash, but not doing anything of value for the Kingdom of God? No, I do not begrudge you, Sebas or Dirk, but like the rich man in the Bible, with an abundance: ‘Go and sell all that you might have and give it to the poor........’ not likely............

I support responsible gaming et al, but the proliferation and 24x7 hours of operation via the internet will, eventually, lead to the moral and spiritual decline of tens of thousands of Bahamians, merely for a fist full of dollars. If you profess to genuinely be born again, Dr Fox, put your money where your mouth is and deploy it for the

advancement of the Kingdom or will you all be like the rich man who asked the aged old question: ‘Rabbi, what must I do in order to be saved? The Master told him: ‘Go and sell all that thou has; give the proceeds to the poor and follow me...”

“The boys them from Island Luck; Paradise Games; Island Games; Bet Vegas and FML.......are still dodging and playing public relations while justifying the destruction and helldriven decimation of our people. Hey, have a Great Sunday, anyhow.

ORTLAND H BODIE, JR Nassau January 20, 2019

No sign of the US ambassador EDITOR, The Tribune YOU may well ask where is the US Ambassador? He or she certainly is not visible in The Bahamas. Our closest neighbour and “friends” do not have the decency to appoint someone to oversee their affairs and our relationship. In fact we have not had an Ambassador since 2011 according to Wikipedia.

We are in the same category as Cuba, Venezuela, Sudan, Bolivia and a couple of others. Just maybe there are too many

Chinese here and there is no room!! The reason I mention this is that I read there was an American Ambassador in Djibouti in Somaliland, a country that is not recognised as a country by almost anybody although he is not listed in the official list.

But what have we done to deserve this ignominy? Hate to think.

PATRICK H THOMSON Nassau January 21, 2019

Nassau should be a Funky Town EDITOR, The Tribune LET me begin by offering three cheers to the newly appointed Commissioner of Police. In just over a year, he has managed to return the murder rate to double digits for the first time in eight years. Notwithstanding the Commissioner and his team’s accomplishments in regaining the community’s confidence in its police force, the reduction in the fear of crime among the local population and the reclamation of our streets in the name of the crown; I submit to you, that the reduction in crime alone is not the panacea to our woes. Well, at least not all of them. Since the Commissioner and his team seem to now have a hand on crime, is it too much to ask that we discontinue shutting the entire city down at night-time?

It is my belief, that Funky Nassau has certainly lost its funk. After having the opportunity to travel to various cities in the Caribbean and being afforded the opportunity to soak in some of the night life, I’ve concluded that Nassau is the city that shuts off the lights and goes to bed.

When one considers the invigoration of the robust night life of Havana, or the sultry salsa experience in Providenciales, or even the easy skanking in New Kingston City, it is hardly arguable or even possible to deny that Nassau, the jewel in the crown of seven hundred islands, is not quite a jewel at all. Rather, she’s lazy and sluggish and poorly laid out. Her cultural and entertainment

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net sites all shut down at midnight or earlier and to be quite frank, it’ll be easier to lasso a tiger shark than to find affordable, reliable, accessible transportation to any of these spots at night.

This is something that we’ve got to fix. If we are going to compete on the regional market and maintain our rating as the best destination in the region, we’ve got to jolt this city.

What this means is, places like the Arawak Cay and the Potter’s Cay dock and even quite possibly The Gambier Village or the Clifton Heritage Park, have got to become places teeming with entertainment and excitement particularly at night.

There’s got to be “so much to see and so much to do,” just like we promised in the song. It means that police night duties cannot have an anxiety attack when they see 10 or more people at any one location. It might even quite possibly mean that we’ve got to work on public private partnerships that bring to life parking lot spaces and shopping malls, and even park spaces for clean, cultural, after dark entertainment. Further, it may also mean that our government must have the tenacity to return the downtown strip to active Bahamian ownership. The math for me is simple, we have to focus on night time entertainment in a concentrated fashion; larger groups of people, in smaller

spaces, with multiple forms of entertainment.

If we are going to survive the unfortunate goings on of our neighbours to the north, we must capitalise on every opportunity we get to maximise the spend of every single tourist coming to our shores. The potency of our night life has got to become magnetic. It has got to compel people off the ships and out the hotel rooms; while simultaneously, incentivising mid-stream middle income Bahamians to leave their houses, go out and enjoy life.

Lastly, governments must realise that comfort and convenience play large parts in the development of a city’s nightlife. As such, proper lighting, public toilet facilities, and timely cleanups are required in an attempt to give our nightlife the shot in the arm it needs.

I mean, for God’s sake; the Bahamas is only 46. We are old enough to hang out a little later than midnight, but we are not as old as we pretend to be. It’s time for us to come alive and realise that Nassau is not a little old lady. We owe it to ourselves to do away with this practice of being the one city in the Caribbean that simply turns of the lights and goes to bed, while the nights fade away, when they could offer so much more.

I pray we get this right, because our relevance as a destination is depending on it.

Forever in allegiance.

LEYVON A MILLER, JP Nassau January 20, 2019

University parking problems EDITOR, The Tribune I WRITE this letter because I am very disturbed. I am a mature student at University of The Bahamas (UB). The University decided to complete a much needed parking lot renovation, because prior to them closing the Portia Bain parking lot, at the beginning of January, 2019, when it rained it flooded and the lot did not have holes, but craters.

However, because of the closure of the parking lot, there is limited places that students are allowed to park, and before 10:00am the securities decided to close that

area so that students cannot park there.

Therefore, as students we have to circle Poinciana Drive and Oakes Field to find somewhere to park, making us at times late for class; and to add to that the security at Michael Eldon parking lot, does not allow students to park there either; morning, noon, or night and they are not very nice either.

As paying students who are trying to get higher education, what are we supposed to do?

UB STUDENT Nassau January 16, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 6, 2019, PAGE 5

D’AGUILAR ENCOURAGES NEW CREATIVE IDEAS

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar has challenged Grand Bahama residents to come up creative business ideas to draw tourists, a day after plans for Carnival Cruise Line’s mega-port in East Grand Bahama were formally announced.

He spoke to reporters before heading into a Cabinet meeting held on Grand Bahama yesterday.

Mr D’Aguilar expressed excitement about the new $100m port that is estimated to bring over 1,000,000 cruise visitors to Grand Bahama yearly.

“This is a very exciting

time for Grand Bahama. I think it was a very uplifting moment yesterday (Monday evening). Finally, the rubber hits the road and we get to see the vision to 2021, a major investment in the economy of Grand Bahama - a cruise port that I am sure will be take hundreds of million to build, and employing over 1,000 in construction, and also be leading to 1,000 permanent jobs and indirect jobs,” he said.

“So it was amazing, it was uplifting, it was positive, and I think it bodes well for the economy of Grand Bahama.

“What was most interesting was the fact that they (Carnival) presently bring 460,000 passengers and they

MINISTER Dionisio D’Aguilar are now estimated to bring over one million (annually) and that’s amazing,” he added.

The minister noted that the key to capitalising on the project will be for Grand Bahama to develop attractions and interesting excursions to draw the

people out of the ports.

“I saw a nice jetty there where people could go on water tours, and getting the people out onto to buses and in the taxis out in the economy - that is our challenge. Just because they are spending a lot of money it does not mean a lot of money is going to stay here. We have to come up with creative ideas to create businesses that will be able to feed off this one million plus visitor that will come through that port,” he said.

Turning to the Grand Lucayan resort, the tourism minister stated that it is incumbent on the government to make a move on the re-sale of the property.

The government expects

the bidding process to close in mid-February and the property sold early this year.

Meanwhile, Labour Minister Dion Foulkes reported that the government is looking to hopefully settle payouts with 160 line staff at the Grand Lucayan in this week, and settle with management staff in the next couple of weeks.

“We hope to have everything completed by tomorrow for the line staff at the Grand Lucayan. We have engaged in discussions with the management union to settle payout for all them.

When asked about the percentage of foreign labour to domestic provided in the Heads of the

THE CABINET, led by Prime Minister Hubert Minnis (sixth right), at the start of their meeting yesterday. from page one Cabinet ministers travelled to Grand Bahama to participate in a Monday night information meeting for Carnival’s proposed “Grand Port”, which is expected to create 1,000 direct and indirect jobs during development.

Addressing media ahead of yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Dr Minnis reiterated his belief that the project will have a catalytic impact on the island’s flagging economy.

He hinted there were also several other projects on the drawing board for Grand Bahama for Cabinet to review; however, Dr Minnis brushed off reporters when asked for an update on the future of the oil refinery.

Photo: Lisa Davis/BIS

Questions about Oban not on PM’s radar as he focuses on G Bahama “Oban is not on the radar this morning, we’re dealing with other issues this morning.”

He also said: “We have several projects to discuss as it relates to Grand Bahama, to really take Grand Bahama a little further and all the Cabinet ministers were here (Monday) night.

This would be the most appropriate place to have the

Cabinet meeting especially to deal with Grand Bahama issues.”

Dr Minnis said: “Traditionally, the hardest thing in getting an economy started is trying to find that first investor and traditionally speaking, historically, once you find that first investor for some reason everything else just follows, you find lots of other investors subsequently coming.

Agreement with Carnival, Mr Foulkes said it calls for 20 percent non-Bahamian and 80 percent Bahamian.

Asked whether Oban Energies’ proposed $5b oil refinery and storage terminal in East End, and the port development can co-exist in East Grand Bahama, Mr Foulkes said: “That is not really in my portfolio to deal with, I would prefer Minister of Environment Romauld Ferreira to deal with that.

But there is a long distance between Oban which is east of Stat Oil, and this (cruise port) is in the Freeport area so there are many miles between the two developments, so I am not too sure exactly what the issues are.”

This morning we have to deal with quite a number of investors who want to invest in Grand Bahama, excellent projects.

“Some of what would be discussed today at Cabinet would be surprised, so I can’t tell you,” he told reporters asking for more details about prospective investors.

The Oban deal was inked by the government

on February 19 last year and has been dogged by controversy.

Environmental organisations that took issue with the lack of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) given the project’s risk factors. There were also concerns about the background and qualifications of some Oban representatives.

The fallout prompted an

admission from Dr Minnis last March that there were gross missteps in the government process.

Last month, Alexander Grikitis, president and managing director of operations at Oban Energies, confirmed that an EIA had been completed. He added Oban would be meeting with the government on January 7, however that meeting did not happen.

Asked yesterday when renegotiations will take place with Oban, Labour Minister Dion Foulkes said the government is in talks with the company’s new leadership team.

“There is a new president and chairman of the board, and we are in discussion with them to have fixture for a date to begin renegotiation for the HoA, but we have not settled on that date yet,” he said.

GB PORT PROJECT WAS OUR IDEA, SAYS DAVIS

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday touted the proposed Carnival Cruise Line port in Grand Bahama as a “PLP project”, adding the Heads of Agreement was signed before the Christie administration left office in 2017.

Mr Davis also said if the current administration had acted on this development with “more speed”, the project could have been “well advanced” and the island could have already been experiencing its economic impact.

“Last Monday night the Bahamian people were treated to a proverbial ‘dog and pony’ show under the guise of a national address by the prime minister,” Mr Davis said at a press conference.

“Last night in Freeport, there was another dog and pony show,” he continued. “This time he announced a cruise port for Freeport. Some people do not even have the grace to acknowledge other people’s ideas.

“This is a PLP project. The Heads of Agreement was signed with Carnival before we left office.

Now the prime minister took the whole Cabinet up to Freeport and as far as we can tell, this is still all conceptual in their minds. More promises, promises and no action.

“All they needed to do is act on what we left behind. And if they had acted with speed, or if… they had put on more speed, the project would have been well advanced and on its way. And the economic impact being felt today if they had acted when they ought to have acted.

“Meanwhile, as the ministers are grinning from ear to ear, Grand Bahama continues to suffer.”

On Monday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and members of his Cabinet attended a town meeting in Grand Bahama to unveil the development, which he said will be “a significant catalyst for economic growth” on the island.

Dr Minnis said the cruise port has the potential to create more than 1,000 jobs and will become the company’s largest port in the world.

PLP leader Philip Davis says the Heads of Agreement was signed before the Christie administration left office in 2017.

However, Dr Minnis admitted this development has long been in the works.

“The development of the Carnival cruise port has been a long time in the making. It has been discussed by successive governments, and has gone through

various changes to arrive at this impressive model,” Dr Minnis conceded.

This project has been on the drawing board for more than a decade, covering both Christie administrations and the last Ingraham administration. It was

originally set to be located at Williams Town before the last Christie administration signed an agreement with the cruise line to move it to eastern Grand Bahama.

The latest version moves it into the port area at a site near the University of the Bahamas at Sharp Rock.

Mr Davis also hit out at Grand Bahama’s economic troubles, adding: “The prime minister in his address also showed how out of touch he is with reality by touting a drop in unemployment in Grand Bahama, without acknowledging that every week . . . families are leaving Grand Bahama with their possessions to come to Nassau.”

Mr Davis also criticised the fact the government has not yet sold the Grand Lucayan resort since purchasing the Grand Bahama hotel last year, calling it “one of the worst real estate deals ever witnessed in this country.”

“He failed to come up with a comprehensive and overarching strategy for the resuscitation of the Grand Bahama economy,” Mr Davis said.

PAGE 6, Wednesday, February 6, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune talks to Tennyson Wells, chairman of the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute

FARM skills class takes to the waters off Conch Sound, North Andros

‘It will take time and effort. It will even take some money, but we will get BAMSI back on course’

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE primary purpose of the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute has always been to educate students to become successful farmers and not directly satisfy local food demands, the institute’s chairman Tennyson Wells said yesterday.

Mr Wells also revealed that BAMSI is currently “not on target to turn a profit” this year, with further revenue projections suggesting a four to five year profit lull. He was responding to concerns raised by several vendors invited to tour institution’s North Andros campus, many of whom questioned whether the operation could consistently service local demand.

Those vendors, which included Super Value, Discount Distributors and a food and beverage team from Sandals resorts, all suggested that BAMSI, as presently laid out, offered the capacity for mass local produce production.

The group further suggested that if more of a focus is given to farming, harvesting and handling fresh produce in a “ready for market” operation-chain, BAMSI could develop into a “central nerve” for local produce.

In a interview with The Tribune

at the conclusion of yesterday’s tour, Mr Wells asserted: “Our first interest has always been to educate the students that come through this institution to become successful farmers, secondary to that is to feed the students, selling what we call the surplus has always been tertiary to what we do here.”

He added: “Selling to the local market is not and has never been our primary goal. This institution aims to service the agricultural and marine science areas, not to replace them.”

“That not a part of our mission.

BAMSI, the idea here is to educate students and to get them to appreciate the idea of local agriculture and what is possible here.”

Mr Wells told The Tribune that any shift away from this original premise would, in time, lead to the complete failure of “true food security.”

“We need to encourage the industry and the people operating in it, that be our farmers, fishermen and so on. We aren’t here to out work them in the market.

We are here to illustrate to them in our research, development and production, that so much is possible here in The Bahamas if you follow this, this and this,” Mr Wells contended.

“We in this new administration and board view BAMSI as the

WE’RE turning things around without breaking the bank, says Mr Wells. ultimate training and test ground, and yes, the produce we have at this moment is world class and you have some retailers that will run as down to get as much as possible, but we can’t lose sight of that number one goal - producing as many Bahamian farms and farmers as possible.”

Mr Wells said the new board at BAMSI inherited the project in dire straights, and has put in a considerable effort to “turn things around without breaking the bank.”

He told The Tribune: “When we got here, we had areas of the farm that was inoperable and needed

immediate attention less we risk the loss of thousands of dollars in fruit and vegetable plants.

“We stepped in in April of last year and we went to work on ways to do what we could to rehabilitate this venture with out breaking the bank and bleeding the public purse.

“I am one to say there is value here. We have a team of farmers and scientist of the farm side, and a team of administrators and planners on the school side that are working hand-in-hand to make the vision of BAMSI a reality.

“It will take time. It will take

effort. It will even take some money, but our idea is to use the quality products you have seen all around us today and turn that into workable capital that can finish this compound, get our students into the classrooms and dorms as soon as April of this year,” Mr Wells added.

On display yesterday was the expansion to the livestock herding facility; expanded crop production inclusive of squash, tomato, sweet peppers, pineapple, bananas, plantain, egg plants and zucchini; and a renewed attempt at an aquaponic system. Currently, according to Mr Wells, BAMSI is working on a $7m annual budget.

In January, Mr Wells revealed that a forensic audit of BAMSI showed that former senior administrators received “ridiculously favourable” contracts in the lead up to the 2017 general election.

He also noted at the time of the probe, auditors were obstructed in their work, discovering documents they were seeking had been lost or destroyed.

Mr Wells said the audit had two dimensions, examining both matters strictly under the control of BAMSI administrators and the building of BAMSI’s physical structure in North Andros.

Yesterday Mr Wells said that report was still to be presented to Cabinet.

FR REMY DAVID DIES IN FLORIDA AGED 81

FR Remy David died in a Florida hospital on Sunday, He was 81 years old. Ordained in Nassau in 1968, he celebrated his 50th anniversary as a priest on June 31 last year.

A memorial mass for Fr Remy, pictured above, will be held at Mary Star of the Sea Church in Freeport on Wednesday, February 20, at 7:30pm and the rite of Christian burial will take place at St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Nassau on Friday, February 22, at 11am. Interment will be in the Catholic Cemetery on Infant View Road.

THE TRIBUNE from page one the serious revelations that led Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt to acquit and discharge Mr Smith of all 15 criminal charges against him.

In her ruling last Friday, the chief magistrate pointed to numerous “inconsistencies” and “discrepancies” in the Crown’s case, which she further said was “undermined” by its own witnesses. She also cited the “egregious” behaviour of two Cabinet ministers connected to the matter. Irregularities in the phone logs of Mr Smith and complainant Barbara Hanna that were produced by police and the logs from Mr Smith’s billing company were also raised at trial.

“The real issue is the (conduct) of Dr Duane Sands and Mr Marvin Dames in these proceedings and the alarming falsification of evidence by the police,” he alleged. “That is such a significant issue that the public ought to be screaming for explanations and we ought to have an inquiry into the conduct of the police.”

He continued: “I’m not only calling for one I will be advising my client that we need to go to the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights for a position to be taken with respect to The Bahamas having regard to the politicisation of prosecutions in this country.”

The government filed its appeal on Monday.

In their filing, prosecutors state some material illegality or irregularity – committed in the course of the proceedings – substantially affected the merits of the case.

They also argued the chief magistrate took extraneous matters into consideration; that her decision was unreasonable and could not have been supported by evidence; evidence was wrongly rejected or inadmissible evidence was wrongly admitted by the magistrate, and that in the latter case there was not sufficient evidence to sustain the decision; and that her decision was based on a wrong principle or was such that a magistrate viewing the circumstances reasonably could not properly have so decided.

Yesterday, Mr Gomez said - based on those grounds - the government’s appeal doesn’t “have a hope”.

“They are trying to prevent the public from asking hard questions that have arisen out of this trial,” Mr

Wednesday, February 6, 2019, PAGE 7

Lawyer calls for commission of inquiry into way police conducted Smith inquiry

FORMER PLP Senator Frank Smith with his father-in-law, Sir Franklyn Wilson and wife, Sharlyn Smith after being acquitted of all charges in his bribery and corruption trial last week. Left, QC Damian Gomez Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Gomez continued, “right now we are waiting and watching but in very short order we will be in gear and do what we have to do. My main point of order is making sure the public

understand that we are only taking this step because we are attempting to defend the interests of ordinary people, who don’t have the resources to mount a significant defence against the state.”

He also alleged: “When you have the police falsifying evidence that is a chilling concern for ordinary poor people.”

Inconsistencies between Mr Smith and virtual complainant Barbara Hanna’s phone logs were raised by Mr Gomez during trial.

Despite Mr Smith being in custody between July 19 and 21 of last year, some

31 calls were purportedly made from his cell phone to Barbara Hanna’s cell phone.

A comparison of Mr Smith’s call logs and the BTC phone bill of Mrs Hanna revealed that while the call logs purported to show a number of outgoing calls from Mr Smith’s cell phone to Mrs Hanna, it was the other way around.

Based on Mrs Hanna’s BTC phone bill, a total of 64 calls were made between the two, as opposed to the 106 purported to have been made in a police officer’s report.

In reference to this,

GRAND BAHAMA BUSINESSMAN LOSES SMUGGLED GUNS APPEAL

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net GRAND Bahama businessman Edward Barrett will remain behind bars for smuggling three guns and numerous rounds of ammunition through his import company three years ago, the Court of Appeal ruled yesterday.

Appellate Justices Jon Isaacs, Roy Jones, and acting appellate Justice Milton Evans “unhesitatingly” affirmed Barrett’s four year sentence after finding no merit in any of his grounds of appeal.

According to the appellate ruling, Barrett, the owner of an import company called Sapona Import, called Dennis Walters, a pilot, on February 11, 2016 to transport cargo from Fort Lauderdale to Grand Bahama for him.

Mr Walters subsequently collected a few packages from Tropic Air Cargo for Barrett, one of which was a television box and the other a blue plastic bin containing grocery items. Both items were in the name of Mary Jane Smith.

The third item was a box in the name of Stuart Garner.

Mr Walters flew the packages to Freeport, Grand

Bahama as requested.

After Bahamas customs officials cleared the plane, the freight was taken to the air freight section where Barrett separated his three items from the rest of the freight.

Jay Williams, customs officer stationed at the Grand Bahama airport, subsequently inspected the packages. When he opened the television box, and lifted the Styrofoam casing, the front and back of the television fell apart.

When he looked inside, he saw a firearm and ammunition. He consequently called Chief Customs Officer Brenda Ferguson and Barrett and pointed out what he saw.

He then inspected the blue bin, which contained a Tide detergent box. On lifting the Tide box out of the blue bin, it felt abnormal.

Officer Williams said he saw a clear tape at the bottom of the box. On pouring out the contents of the Tide box, Officer Williams discovered another firearm.

In total, three firearms, one magazine clip, and multiple types of ammunition were found among the packages.

Barrett indicated to the customs officers that the items were for Mary Jane Smith, a first time client of

his. The C18 import form noted the receiver of the items as Sapona Import.

Barrett said he was only the agent in the transaction, however, he did not fill out the C44 form that authorises the importation of items as an agent.

Detective Corporal Devon Gibson said he removed the guns and ammunition and handed them over to Sergeant Duane Ferguson.

The items handed over were one Drago 7.62 rifle; one high-point model 9995 9mm rifle; one Taurus revolver; a magazine clip containing 7.62 rounds of ammunition; a plastic bag containing 40 rounds of 7.62 ammunition; three boxes containing 20 rounds of .223 ammunition; a plastic bag containing 61 rounds of 9mm ammunition; four 410mm rounds of ammunition; 16 rounds of .45 ammunition; two 9mm magazine clip and one extended 9mm clip.

Barrett was consequently charged with and convicted of multiple firearm related offences, including possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to supply; possession and importation of ammunition, and importation of a firearm.

During trial before Magistrate Samuel McKinney,

Barrett testified that on the date in question, he asked Walters to retrieve packages at Tropic Air in Florida in his company’s and Mary Jane Smith’s name with a telephone number on them.

He said he did not know how the items got to Tropic Air nor did he know where they were purchased. He further testified that when the items arrived in the Bahamas, they were never released to him, nor did he have any knowledge of what was contained in them.

Barrett further claimed he did not know Mary Jane Smith and said the police officers told him to make an invoice after the fact of the items being found in the containers.

Nonetheless, he was ultimately sentenced to four years and a fine of $15,000 or an extra year in prison.

Barrett filed some nine grounds of appeal, however, the appellate judges, in a written ruling delivered yesterday, said his grounds of appeal failed because there was no merit in any of them.

Wayne Munroe, QC, Alex Morley and Ryszard Humes represented Barrett. Anishka Missick and Randolph Dames represented the Crown.

Chief Magistrate FergusonPratt said: “The call logs were likely manipulated to create the false impression that the accused was constantly calling Barbara Hanna when, in fact, it was the reverse.”

Continuing yesterday, Mr Gomez alleged: “How else do you describe falsifying phone logs? We put the evidence in and we were painstaking in that production of that evidence before the magistrate, the explanation that has been proffered by the Crown is illogical.

It was clear someone was cherry picking and that it

happened in a police station. That is the most alarming thing in a criminal trial. This is why I’m calling for an inquiry. If this can happen in a case with a prominent Bahamian from a wealthy family, how is it expected that ordinary folk would have the wherewithal to ensure they are not victimised by this level of police abuse.”

PLP leader Philip Davis has called for Mr Dames and Dr Sands to resign over the matter. Yesterday he said Attorney General Carl Bethel should resign as well.

Funeral Service For

Sylvia Janet Roker, 82

of Harold Rd, New Providence, The Bahamas will be held on Friday, February 8, 2019 at 1:00p.m. at Calvary Bible Church, #62 Collins Avenue, Nassau, The Bahamas.

Officiating will be Pastor Rob Elliott and Pastor Emeritus Allan R. Lee. She is survived by two daughters, Janet Major and Angelique McDowall; two sons, Mario and Miguel Roker; one son-in-law, Timothy McDowall; one daughter-in-law, Sheila Roker; two sisters, Cynthia Williams and Lavina Culmer; four brothers, Maurice Sands, Dewitt Sands, Gary Sands and Terry Sands; four sisters-in-law, Betty Sands, Jane Sands, Jewel Sands and Alvene Sands; one brother-in-law, Kirk Culmer; seven grandchildren, Mia Bowe, Michael Roker, Nicholo Cartwright, Romeo Cartwright, Jordan Pinder, Ashton McDowall and Alex Roker; twelve great grandchildren and a host of relatives and friends.

Friends may pay their last respects at Kemp’s Funeral Home, Palmdale Avenue, Nassau on Thursday, February 7th, 2019 from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m.

Arrangements by Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited.

PAGE 8, Wednesday, February 6, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune A1MAIN

MONDAY i’m lovin’ it!

Established 1903

24/7 BREAKING NEWS ON TRIBUNE242.COM

HIGH 78ºF LOW 66ºF

Biggest And Best!

VOLUME:116 No.28, FEBRUARY 4TH, 2019

HOUSE & 16 HOME THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

SPORTS: PATRIOTS GRIND OUT SUPERBOWL VICTORY PAGES

28 DEAD

P

EOPLE leave their homes for many reasons. Some leave to further their education, to find work, or to gain experience through training programmes and internships. Some go to foreign lands to represent the land of their birth as ambassadors, athletes and artists. Some take up residence in other countries for love. More people go in search of medical intervention than we realise. More and more people are fleeing to countries that are safer for them, so they do not have to choose between pretending to be what they are not and living in fear. Some people want to have a different experience, a fresh start, or an adventure. Everyone who leaves does not expect it to be permanent, but most find it necessary, for whatever reason, at that time.

On Monday, I immediately thought of Home by BritishSomali poet Warsan Shire. As people question those who make the decisions to leave Haiti, by whatever means, in search of something better, her words come to me in answer.

“No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark.”

This week, after seven days at sea, a vessel struck a reef and split in two in Bahamian waters.

Survivors said 45 people were on board. Eighteen people were rescued and 27 bodies were found up to Tuesday. Reactions to this tragedy have varied greatly, from sadness and empathy to annoyance and ambivalence.

For those who make the treacherous journey by boat from Haiti to The Bahamas, there is a hope for a future outside the belly of a fearsome creature.

There is great risk in leaving home. There is no telling if or how you will be received. Will you even make it to your destination?

Will you survive the journey?

These risks are known to the people who take them. No one boards a boat thinking nothing could go wrong. Getting on the boat means they have considered the odds and decided it is better to take the risk in the attempt to improve their lives than to settle for the difficult lives they had. It is not a miscalculation. It is not naivety. They do not need, as someone suggested, to see photos of the bodies that did not make it safely. They do not need warnings. They are not unaware of the loss of life, or immune to grief or fear. They may choose differently than we think we would, but we are here, guessing. There is great distance between us and them — physical, cognitive and psychological.

“You only leave home when home won’t let you stay” I have a friend who moved to Canada a few years ago. As a young gay man, he found that Nassau was more than uncomfortable. It felt like the island contorted itself for the sole purpose of expelling him. To save himself, he left.

I recently met a woman whose son lives in the US with his father.

There are schools and teachers equipped to meet his specific learning needs. She may soon

• Horror as Haitian vessel capsizes • Boat splits in two after hitting reef • 17 saved as sharks hamper rescue efforts

Remember: We came from the same place, were deposited on different pieces of rock, enslaved and forced into new ways of seeing, believing and being WORDS: RASHAD ROLLE PICTURES: SHAWN HANNA IN MARSH HARBOUR, ABACO

IN THE worst migrant boating tragedy in Bahamian waters since 2013, officials said 28 Haitians are dead and 17 survived after their boat hit a reef on Friday night and sunk.

Haitian survivors of the shipwreck told rescuers they were at sea for seven days when all hell broke loose near the Abaco cays.

The vessel struck a reef well-known to be dangerous and the boat disintegrated into two halves, volunteer rescuers told this newspaper.

The dead were first spotted by tourists in a 55ft chartered catamaran early on Saturday morning. The tourists saw two floating bodies and sent a mayday signal, according to Troy Albury, 48, SEE PAGE THREE

RESCUERS included officials from the United States Coast Guard, volunteers from Hope Town Fire and Rescue and officers from the RBDF.

BACON RANCH GOVT TO APPEAL MURDER LULL ENDS SMITH ACQUITTAL IN THREE KILLINGS

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames yesterday defended his role in the bribery and extortion trial against former PLP Senator Frank Smith, telling The Tribune he did not play political games.

Mr Dames and Health

Minister Dr Duane Sands are both facing calls from the opposition for their resignations, after the two were criticised by Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt for the “egregious” way in which they interacted with chief prosecution witness in the case, Barbara Hanna.

SEE PAGE SIX

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

THREE murders occurred within less than 24 hours this weekend, marking a bloody start to February and a trend that has left police concerned, Superintendent Joy Bosfield told The Tribune yesterday. There were also

three non-fatal shooting incidents this weekend. All three are in hospital with two listed in serious condition.

When asked if police are concerned about this recent spate of murder, Supt Bosfield said: “Yes, it will be a concern. It’s a concern that we only had three in total SEE PAGE FIVE

ALSO AVAILABLE IN

WWW.BURGERKING.BS

/BURGERKINGNASSAU

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

leave too, to be with her family, in a place where all of their needs can be met.

Another friend of mine is studying abroad. Her plan has always been to come back home. She wanted to get her degree, maybe a year or two of work experience, and return to the place she knows and loves best. After a few years away, she has a life she had never imagined for herself. Now she understands the difference between being alive and living, and she does not know how to forget it. She does not know if this place will want her any more.

“No one would leave home unless home chased you, fire under feet, hot blood in your belly.”

Haitians are leaving Haiti in large numbers every day. We think we know why, but there is still a lack of understanding. It is one thing to know and another to experience. Poverty and corruption are well-known issues.

The effects of natural disasters on Haiti are widely reported when they occur. More than half of the population lives below the poverty line and the country relies heavily on foreign aid. Remittances — largely money sent to Haiti, for example, from someone working in another country to a family member — are over 25 percent of the gross domestic product. The issues the country faces, however, are not limited to political upheaval, economic turmoil and natural disasters.

Amnesty International’s 2017/2018 report stated that 38,000 people are still displaced due to the 2010 earthquake. Yes, still. It also highlighted the issue of statelessness and internal displacement of people denied Dominican nationality in 2013. In July 2017, almost 60,000 Haitians lost their temporary protected status in the U.S. and faced deportation. Violence against women and girls is a major issue in Haiti that disproportionately affects young people. From May 2015 to March 2017, more than half of the survivors of sexual violence and gender-based violence seen at the

Doctors Without Borders clinic were under 18, and 77 percent were under 25.

Even without this understanding, we should be able to see the artificiality of borders and what they have been used to do.

Divide, divide, divide.

We can think of key terms and phrases such as slavery, transatlantic slave trade, colonisation, rebellion and revolution. Not much more needs to be said. We came from the same place, were deposited on different pieces of rock, enslaved and forced into new ways of seeing, believing and being. In some ways, we allow old narratives to persist and determine today and tomorrow. We are discriminating. We do not trust easily. We understand ourselves to be in a constant competition.

We have scarcity mindsets. We set ourselves apart from others.

Everyone else is an enemy, wants something from us, and has nothing to offer. To win, others have to lose. These may have been tools for survival before, but what are they now?

We cannot afford to continue in this way. Not only is it morally wrong, but it is also against our selfish aims. We are a sinking nation. We complain every day about stagnation here and decay there, but we are still too good for anyone else and unwilling to share what we have, or to even stand in solidarity with those who have been wronged and deserve recompense. Have you ever asked someone for help and when they could not do it themselves, they found someone who could?

“For now, forget about pride, your survival is more important” Unfortunately, we are not just figuratively sinking. These islands are not expected to be here in the next hundred years. We take pride in our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but what will happen to theirs if they choose to have them? Where will they go?

What will become of Bahamians, all climate refugees as their migrant-free nation disappears?

Our neighbours may tighten their borders and ask one another why we did not do more to save ourselves from that fate. Maybe they will point to a history book and find the “reason” Bahamians must suffer. They may say selfishness and greed will house us, much like we say certain practices and histories brought Haiti to its knees and should raise it up.

What will we do when we no longer recognise this place, these people? Where will we turn and whose mercy will we seek? Every departure is not by choice. We, too, may one day run.

“No one leaves home until home is a damp voice in your ear saying leave, run now, I don’t know what I’ve become.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 6, 2019, PAGE 9

Five reasons why autonomous cars aren’t coming anytime soon PITTSBURGH Associated Press IN THE world of autonomous vehicles, Pittsburgh and Silicon Valley are bustling hubs of development and testing. But ask those involved in self-driving vehicles when we might actually see them carrying passengers in every city, and you’ll get an almost universal answer: Not anytime soon.

An optimistic assessment is ten years. Many others say decades as researchers try to conquer a number of obstacles. The vehicles themselves will debut in limited, well-mapped areas within cities and spread outward.

The fatal crash in Arizona involving an Uber autonomous vehicle in March slowed progress, largely because it hurt the public’s perception of the safety of vehicles. Companies slowed research to be more careful. Google’s Waymo, for instance, decided not to launch a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in the Phoenix area and will rely on human backup drivers to ferry passengers, at least for now.

Here are the problems that researchers must overcome to start giving rides without humans behind the wheel: SNOW AND WEATHER When it’s heavy enough to cover the pavement, snow blocks the view of lane lines that vehicle cameras use to find their way.

Researchers so far haven’t figured out a way around this. That’s why much of the testing is done in warmweather climates such as Arizona and California.

Heavy snow, rain, fog and

A SENSOR and camera array on top of one of the test vehicles from Argo AI, Ford’s autonomous vehicle unit. Photo: Keith Srakocic/AP sandstorms can obstruct the view of cameras. Light beams sent out by laser sensors can bounce off snowflakes and think they are obstacles. Radar can see through the weather, but it doesn’t show the shape of an object needed for computers to figure out what it is.

“It’s like losing part of your vision,” says Raj Rajkumar, an electrical and computer engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

Researchers are working on laser sensors that use a different light beam wavelength to see through snowflakes, said Greg McGuire, director of the MCity autonomous vehicle testing lab at the University of Michigan. Software also is being developed so vehicles can differentiate between real obstacles and snowflakes, rain, fog, and other conditions.

But many companies are still trying to master the difficult task of driving on a clear day with steady traction.

“Once we are able to have a system reliably perform in those, then we’ll start working toward expanding to those more challenging conditions,”

said Noah Zych, Uber’s head of system safety for self-driving cars.

PAVEMENT LINES AND CURBS Across the globe, roadway marking lines are different, or they may not even exist. Lane lines aren’t standardised, so vehicles have to learn how to drive differently in each city.

Sometimes there aren’t any curbs to help vehicles judge lane width.

For instance, in Pittsburgh’s industrial “Strip District”, where many selfdriving vehicles are tested, the city draws lines across the narrow lanes to mark where vehicles should stop for stop signs. Sometimes the lines are so far back and buildings are so close to the street that autonomous cars can’t see traffic on the cross street if they stop at the line. One workaround is to programme vehicles to stop for the line and creep forward.

“Is it better to do a double stop?” asked Pete Rander, president of Argo AI, an autonomous vehicle company in which Ford has invested heavily. “Since intersections vary, it’s not that easy.”

DEALING WITH

HUMAN DRIVERS For many years, autonomous vehicles will have to deal with humans who don’t always play by the rules. They double-park or walk in front of cars.

Recently in Pittsburgh, an Argo backup driver had to take over when his car stopped during a right turn, blocking an intersection when it couldn’t immediately decide whether to go around a double-parked delivery truck.

“Even if the car might eventually figure something out, it’s shared space, and it’s socially unacceptable” to block traffic, Rander said.

Humans also make eye contact with other drivers to make sure they’re looking in the right direction, something still being developed for autonomous vehicles.

Add to that the antagonism that some feel toward robots.

People have reportedly been harassing Waymo’s autonomous test vehicles near Phoenix. The Arizona Republic reported in December that police is suburban Chandler have documented at least 21 cases in the past two years, including a man waiving a

gun at a Waymo van and people who slashed tires and threw rocks. One Jeep forced the vans off the road six times.

LEFT TURNS Deciding when to turn left in front of oncoming traffic without a green arrow is one of the more difficult tasks for human drivers and one that causes many crashes.

Autonomous vehicles have the same trouble.

Waymo CEO John Krafcik said in a recent interview that his company’s vehicles are still encountering occasional problems at intersections.

“I think the things that humans have challenges with, we’re challenged with as well,” he said. “So sometimes unprotected lefts are super challenging for a human, sometimes they’re super challenging for us.”

CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE The fatal Uber crash near Phoenix last year did more than push the pause button on testing. It also rattled consumers who someday will be asked to ride in selfdriving vehicles.

Surveys taken after the Uber crash showed that drivers are reluctant to give up control to a computer.

NEW APP LETS DOG LOVERS SWIPE RIGHT FOR PERFECT PET MATCH VILNIUS, LITHUANIA Associated Press IF THE pooch melts your heart, swipe right.

Animal lovers in Lithuania have created a mobile application inspired by the popular dating app Tinder to match up dogs in local shelters with new owners.

Called GetPet, the app was launched last month and is getting hundreds of new users daily and already has made a few matches. It joins a growing market of apps for people looking to adopt a pet, including PawsLikeMe and BarkBuddy.

“It is like Tinder, but with dogs,” said Vaidas Gecevicius, one of app’s creators. “You can arrange a meeting with the dog — a date.”

GetPet features profiles

A MAN looks at a mobile phone app that helps people find dogs in animal shelters in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Photo: Mindaugas Kulbis/AP of furry four-legged crea- down reveals more infortures looking up with soft, mation about the pup, yearning eyes. Scrolling and those interested can

then swipe right.

But there are limits to the Tinder comparison. It’s a one-sided situation and the dogs don’t get to have a swiping experience. If you swipe left, another dog profile appears.

Gecevicius said the idea came to creators when they saw a stray dog on the street through the window during a computer workshop.

The app only features dogs for now but the plan is to eventually include cats and other animals.

Two friends, Emily and Elena, recently scanned the app and then visited the SOS Gyvunai shelter in Vilnius to meet Piff, a medium black-and-gray mongrel.

They took him for a walk in a snow-covered park and said they would return soon to take him home.

“I think it’s actually a

very great idea because in Lithuania we have a lot of stray dogs and a lot of people who want to adopt,” 24-year-old Elena said as dogs nearby ran around in outdoor cages barking.

Ilona Reklaityte, the shelter’s founder, said she is very happy about the innovative approach to an old problem.

“I really welcome this new app as it gives us more chances to find our pets new owners and a new home, and that means we can then help other dogs still on the streets,” Reklaityte said.

“We have 140 dogs right now. Sometimes we give away one or two of them every day, but now we receive (many) more calls and people are coming more often.”

• FORGET dreaming of electric sheep. Robots first need to figure out how to imagine themselves.

One New York robot has done just that. It’s learned that it’s a robotic arm using a process of self-simulation.

Columbia University engineers have given the robot the ability to model itself without prior knowledge of physics or its own shape.

The robot starts out moving randomly, but over time learns enough about itself to be able to perform tasks and even detect if it’s been damaged.

Columbia mechanical engineering professor Hod Lipson says “self-awareness is the Holy Grail” of autonomy. He says there are ethical risks in gifting robots with self-awareness but also many benefits, including adaptability and resilience.

The research was published last week in Science Robotics.

• APPLE’S top retailing executive is stepping down amid a slowdown in iPhone sales that has raised doubts about the company’s future growth prospects.

The shake-up announced yesterday ends Angela Ahrendts’ five-year stint overseeing Apple’s 506 retail stores and e-commerce operations. She is being replaced by Deirdre O’Brien, a longtime Apple executive who also runs the company’s humanresources department.

Ahrendts will remain with Apple until April.

During her 30 years at Apple, O’Brien also helped gauge product demand.

That issue has become a problem now that customers are holding onto their current iPhones longer instead of buying the latest models. It’s one reason Apple posted disappointing iPhone sales during the past holiday shopping season.

Although Apple sells iPhones and other products such as the iPad and Mac computer through a wide variety of merchants, its own elegantly designed stores have become a pivotal outlet, especially during the first few weeks after a new device hits the market.

“It was clear that Apple needed new strategies and a potential change on this front to catalyse demand in and outside the all-important retail stores,” Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives.

Apple didn’t give a reason for Ahrendts’ departure, saying only that she is leaving “for new personal and professional opportunities”.

Ahrendts, 58, joined Apple amid great fanfare in 2014 after CEO Tim Cook persuaded her to leave a glamorous job running the fashion brand Burberry. To lure her away, Apple gave Ahrendts company stock valued at $70m in 2014. In her last full year at Apple, she received a compensation package valued at $26.5 million, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, February 6, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Fox Hill MP Ferguson in fight to overturn eviction

fro m page o ne

TCI claims Justice Thompson erred in finding that it had breached the hire purchase agreement it entered into with Daybreak Holdings on December 31, 2005, because the evidence on that issue was contained in “competing affidavits not tested by cross examination”.

Last year, Justice Thompson ordered TCI, its agents, servants, assigns or subtenants to move out of the building in Centreville no later than close of business on December 15.

Additionally, Justice Thompson ordered TCI to pay all outstanding sums it owes Donna Davis’ Daybreak Holdings, the plaintiff, pursuant to a hire purchase agreement it entered into for the building. The judge also ordered both parties to engage an accountant to determine what TCI owes Daybreak pursuant to the agreement.

TCI was also ordered to pay all of Daybreak Holdings’ costs associated with “the bringing of and prosecution” of the court matter, to be taxed if not agreed.

TCI subsequently tried to persuade the Court of Appeal to halt its eviction from the building in question ahead of its appeal, asserting that it would suffer “irreparable harm and prejudice” unless Justice Thompson’s order was stayed.

“Irreparable harm is likely to be occasioned to the defendants [Turtle Creek] if the said order is allowed to be executed whilst the appeal is pending, as I am advised and verily believe that the prospect of success is

SHONEL Ferguson’s investment company is seeking to have a new hearing over the claims that led to its eviction. high,” Ms Ferguson said in her December 11, 2018, affidavit.

The MP and her attorney, Randol Dorsett, argued that the “harm” would be caused if Daybreak Holdings followed through with plans to sell the building, while also claiming that Justice Thompson’s ruling was “flawed”.

However, appellate Justice Roy Jones, in a December 18 ruling, found that TCI fell “far short of what is required to provide the grounds to enable me to exercise my discretion in this matter”. He further ruled that Ms Ferguson had given “contradictory reasons” to support her argument that TCI would suffer “irreparable harm” as she claimed.

And despite claiming that TCI’s appeal would be rendered pointless if the property’s alleged owner, Daybreak Holdings, was able to sell it prior to the appeal, Justice Jones said Ms Ferguson’s Supreme Court filings spoke “to a desire” for such a sale so that her company’s equity interest could be recovered.

Justice Jones also added that there was also no suggestion by Ms Ferguson/ TCI that Daybreak Holdings, if it repossessed and sold the property, would “dissipate” the proceeds such that they would be unable to recover any monies to which they are entitled.

TCI’s appeal is the latest in a legal dispute over a near 13-year-old hire purchase

agreement between the two sides for the building in question, which houses the Crab House and Seafood Emporium in Centreville.

According to a sworn affidavit by Ms Davis, president of Daybreak Holdings, it was agreed that TCI would pay Daybreak a $150,000 deposit and thereafter the sum of $1,350,000 in monthly instalments of $10,833 per month over a period of 264 months.

In exchange, Ms Ferguson’s company was permitted to assume responsibility and operation of the building in question.

TCI was also responsible for all maintenance, taxes, fees, and insurance over the building.

TCI was also given the option to purchase the

building for an amount to be agreed. And in the event that happened, TCI would receive full credit for the $150,000.

According to the documents, TCI paid the $10,333 monthly sum for the most part until around December 2009, at which time there were some missed payments. TCI allegedly started making “reduced payments” in 2015, and by the end of September 2016, made no payments whatsoever.

Daybreak Holdings claimed in the meantime, it served “many letters” on TCI, all of which contained “numerous requests and demands” for all outstanding sums pursuant to the hire purchase agreement, but to no avail.

On July 31, 2018, Daybreak Holdings initiated legal proceedings, claiming that Ms Ferguson and TCI were in breach of the deal.

Daybreak Holdings had alleged that TCI owed $70,000 in real property taxes having never paid them since it assumed responsibility for the building.

Additionally, Daybreak Holdings claimed TCI owed the Water and Sewerage Corporation $22,173.15 as of July 2018 when it was disconnected, having not paid “any utilities and insurance” on the building for at least two years. The last time TCI paid its water bill was in July of 2014, it was alleged.

Concerning the building’s insurance, TCI allegedly did not pay any insurance premiums for the past three to four years, something that caused the building’s owner to recently pay $15,963.75 to J S Johnson Insurance Agents & Brokers in a bid to bring the insurance policy current.

It was also alleged that TCI had not paid its light bill for “some time now,” and was consequently utilising a generator for electricity.

Additionally, TCI allegedly did not pay any of the $10,833 monthly payments it agreed to pay for the building in question since September of 2016, resulting in the owner receiving no revenue from the agreement, despite the company currently subleasing a portion of the building for $12,000 per month.

Daybreak Holdings further claimed that notwithstanding the various breaches, TCI “failed and/ or refused” to bring the hire purchase agreement current or to vacate the building.

TWO LANDLORDS ARE FINED FOR RENTING UNHYGIENIC PROPERTIES

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net TWO landlords were each fined upwards of $2,000 yesterday for the “unhygienic” practice of renting their dwelling spaces without a proper water supply, which ultimately led to the tenants defecating in buckets, discarding the waste on the property and then burning the fecal matter because they couldn’t flush it away.

Hugh Cox and Jody Farrington were both charged $2,345 and $3,380 respectively for renting their Montell Heights buildings without the city’s water supply installed, causing their various tenants to improvise and resort to ‘slopping’ with buckets, and incinerating their excrement to alleviate their daily sanitation woes.

Farrington was further ordered by Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt to inform her tenants to vacate her building immediately and to subsequently install a proper water supply on her premises. If not, the chief magistrate asserted that she needed to “close it down” as she cannot rent out “substandard” living facilities.

Cox paid $1,800 towards his fine yesterday, leaving a balance of $545. Farrington, meanwhile, paid $2,600 towards her fine, which left a balance of $780. Both Cox and Farrington both have until March 5 to satisfy their balances, or face three months and four months in prison respectively.

The sentences came after the two, who own buildings very close in proximity to one another, pleaded guilty to on one count each of unsanitary conditions, inadequate water supply, and unsanitary premises.

Cox and Farrington, the owners/operators of #27 and #29 Bowes Avenue

respectively, were both accused of failing to comply with public health orders in allowing the emission of liquid waste to exist on their premises; in keeping their premises in unsanitary conditions by allowing waste to accumulate, which in turn is “conducive” to the breeding or harbouring of rodents, insects, pests, termites, or other vermin that are likely to endanger the public health.

They were both also accused of failing to make for the provision of an adequate water supply for flushing purposes at all times.

According to the evidence, both of their rented spaces featured outside toilets, and Farrington, who said she lives elsewhere in Pinewood, admitted that her tenants have to walk to a nearby pump with buckets to retrieve water for their basic hygienic needs.

However, defecating and urinating in the outside toilets without any plumbing meant that the waste would accumulate and create quite a stink, and so the tenants opted to ‘slopping’ in buckets, discarding it in the open on the property, and burning it to get rid of it.

And that fecal matter and the burning thereof was visible to Health Inspector Dahl Bethel when he visited the area in question in October 2018, according to the prosecution. At the time, Mr Bethel also observed the outside toilets, garbage accumulation, debris, and no sanitary facilities available for proper use.

In Farrington’s case, a public health order was served on her property on October 18, which expired on November 8 last year.

But when the health inspector returned to the property on November 10, he noted that the accumulated trash was still there, and that the other infractions were still

taking place. And according to the prosecutor, Maria Zancolla-Willie, the infractions were still taking place as recently as January 17, making for some 91 days Farrington would have been in breach of the public health order.

Conversely, public health officials said Cox had started to remediate the various infractions on his property by removing the garbage and cleaning the yard when Mr Bethel returned on November 10, 2018. Thus, Cox was only in breach of the public health orders for some 22 days.

Farrington was fined $1,000 each for the offences of owning and/ or operating an unsanitary premises and unsanitary conditions. She was further fined $1,380 for having an inadequate water supply— she was fined $30 for the day of the initial infraction, and $15 for each day afterwards.

Cox was similarly fined $1,000 for the offences of owning and/or operating an unsanitary premises and unsanitary conditions, and $345 for having an inadequate water supply using the same formula.

Cox and Farrington were two of some 10 people arraigned over various environmental/public health infractions, which came during the “environmental court’s” first sitting in several years.

Another man, Claude Monstitat, the owner of residence at #49 Fritz Lane, was charged with owning unsanitary premises, in that he allowed derelict vehicles and overgrown vegetation to dominate the property in question.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and the matter was adjourned to April 1 for trial.

Another nine matters are expected to heard today, according to officials.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 6, 2019, PAGE 11

ANOTHER SCHOOL HIT BY MOULD PROBLEMS - BUT UNAWARE OF SINKHOLE

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

OPPOSITION leader Philip Davis has raised alarm regarding a reported mould infestation and rumoured sinkhole at CW Sawyer Primary School, and calling for Education Minister Jeff Lloyd to resolve the matter.

Mr Davis also claimed teachers have fallen ill and are threatening demonstrations if the situation is not urgently addressed.

Education Director Marcellus Taylor yesterday confirmed the school does have a mould issue which is currently being dealt with, however he said he was unaware of a sinkhole.

Regarding the larger phenomena of reports of mould in schools, which has been a source of contention at CH Reeves Junior High School in recent months, Mr Taylor called for anyone who works in these areas on a daily basis such as janitorial staff, teachers, and administrators to be “a little more vigilant” when it comes to monitoring leaks, which contribute to the growth of mould. He noted leaks should be reported as soon as they are spotted to prevent a widespread issue from occurring.

“We have received some disturbing reports on safety issues in respect to mould infestation once again, and this time at the CW Sawyer Primary School. We also understand that there’s a suspicion of some sinkhole at this primary school as well,” Mr Davis said yesterday.

“Teachers have fallen ill and are threatening demonstrations and sit outs if the situation is not urgently addressed. The school’s principal and district education officer have been advised in writing but to date we understand that no

corrective action has been taken. “I wish to sound the alarm yet again to Minister Jeff Lloyd to move with dispatch and have this situation looked after and resolved.”

When contacted about the matter, Mr Taylor told The Tribune: “I don’t know about the sinkhole, but we have some mould problem at the CW Sawyer school.

Our person with responsibility for the physical plant, Mr (Donovan) Turnquest… has been dealing with this matter, trying to address it.

Not just today but he’s been working (on) it for a couple of weeks.

“I’m not aware of any classrooms (being affected),” he continued.

“I’m only aware of administrative offices at the school that has mould. There may be some instances in the classrooms but I’m not aware of it.”

When asked about reports that teachers are threatening to demonstrate, Mr Taylor replied: “I heard that some teachers (are) threatening to sit out, but I can’t speak to it.”

He said he has not received any reports of teachers or students falling ill due to the presence of mould at the school.

Regarding larger concerns about mould in schools, Mr Taylor noted he is not an environmentalist, but said mould is everywhere, but becomes an issue when it reaches levels that are “unhealthy to humans.”

“We have a school. We’re not there every day and seeing what’s going on.

But day-to-day cleaning, day-to-day monitoring of your environment, when you see a leak or when you see some mould growth in small quantities, if you address it then you could really eliminate it becoming to a problematic level.”

Gwendolyn’s happy 105th

FAMILY and friends gathered last weekend to celebrate Fox Hill resident Gwendolyn Clarke’s 105th birthday. Guests included former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, above.

Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

PAGE 12, Wednesday, February 6, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

POPE PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGES CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE OF NUNS Associated Press POPE Francis yesterday publicly acknowledged the scandal of priests and bishops sexually abusing nuns and vowed to do more to fight the problem, the latest sign that there is no end in sight to the Catholic Church’s abuse crisis — and that it now has a reckoning from the #MeToo movement.

Francis admitted to the problem for the first time in public during a news conference while returning to Rome from the United Arab

Emirates. The acknowledgment comes just two weeks before he hosts an unprecedented gathering of bishops to craft a global response to the scandal of priestly predators who target children and the superiors who covered up the crimes.

Francis was asked about priests who target adult women — the religious sisters who are the backbone of the Catholic Church’s education, health care and social service ministries around the globe — and whether the Holy

See might consider a similar universal approach to combat that issue.

“It’s not that everyone does this, but there have been priests and bishops who have,” Francis told reporters. “And I think that it’s continuing because it’s not like once you realise it that it stops.

It continues. And for some time we’ve been working on it.”

“Should we do something more? Yes. Is there the will?

Yes. But it’s a path that we have already begun,” Francis said.

The issue has come to the fore amid the Catholic Church’s overall reckoning with the sexual abuse of minors and the #MeTooinspired acknowledgement that adults can be victims of abuse whenever there is an imbalance of power in a relationship. In the past year, The Associated Press and other media have reported on cases of abused nuns in India, Africa, Europe and South America — evidence that the problem is by no means limited to a certain geographic area.

In November, the organisation representing all the world’s female Catholic religious orders, the International Union of Superiors General, publicly denounced the “culture of silence and secrecy” that prevented nuns from speaking out and urged sisters to report abuse to their superiors and police. And just last week, the women’s magazine of the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano identified the clerical culture of the all-powerful clergy as the culprit.

Trump calls for end of resistance politics WASHINGTON Associated Press FACE to face with emboldened Democrats, President Donald Trump last night called on Washington to cast aside “revenge, resistance and retribution” and end “ridiculous partisan investigations” in a State of the Union address delivered at a vulnerable moment for his presidency.

Trump appealed for bipartisanship but refused to yield on the hard-line immigration policies that have infuriated Democrats and forced the recent government shutdown. He renewed his call for a border wall and cast illegal immigration as a threat to Americans’ safety and economic security.

Trump accepted no blame for his role in cultivating the rancorous atmosphere in the nation’s capital, and he didn’t outline a clear path for collaborating with Democrats who are eager to block his agenda.

Their opposition was on vivid display as Democratic congresswomen in the audience formed a sea of white in a nod to early 20th-century suffragettes.

Trump is staring down a twoyear stretch that will determine whether he is re-elected or leaves office in defeat. His speech sought

PRESIDENT Donald Trump turns to House speaker Nancy Pelosi as he delivers his State of the Union address as Vice President Mike Pence looks on. to shore up Republican support that had eroded slightly during the recent government shutdown and previewed a fresh defence against Democrats as they ready a round of investigations into every aspect of his administration.

“If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and

investigation,” he declared. Lawmakers in the cavernous House chamber sat largely silent.

Looming over the president’s address was a fast-approaching February 15 deadline to fund the government and avoid another shutdown. Democrats have refused to acquiesce to his demands for a

PUBLIC NOTICE The Department of Inland Revenue (DIR) is reorganizing its customer service operations to better serve the public.

To assist in this effort, The Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) will now provide guided, online tutorials on the business licence registration process at their office: Gladstone Freight Terminal (GFT), Gladstone Road.

While this form of online support will no longer be available at the DIR Carmichael Road Location, our doors are still open to serve the public to address all of your business needs.

For more information, contact the DIR Call Centre 225-7280 or 461-8050.

border wall, and Republicans are increasingly unwilling to shut down the government to help him fulfill his signature campaign pledge. Nor does the GOP support the president’s plan to declare a national emergency if Congress won’t fund the wall.

Wary of publicly highlighting those intraparty divisions, Trump made no mention of an emergency declaration in his remarks. He did offer a lengthy defence of his call for a border wall, declaring: “I will build it.” But he delivered no ultimatums about what it would take for him to sign legislation to keep the government open.

“I am asking you to defend our very dangerous southern border out of love and devotion to our fellow citizens and to our country,” he said, painting a dark and foreboding picture of the risks posed to Americans by illegal immigration.

The 72-year-old Trump harkened back to moments of American greatness, celebrating the Moon landing as astronaut Buzz Aldrin looked on from the audience and heralding the liberation of Europe from the Nazis. He then went on to lead the House chamber in singing happy birthday to a Holocaust survivor sitting with first lady Melania Trump.

RUSSIA TO DEVELOP NEW MISSILE SYSTEMS MOSCOW Associated Press

RUSSIA will develop land-based intermediate range missiles within two years, the nation’s defence minister said yesterday a statement that comes in response to the US decision to abandon a key nuclear arms pact.

The US has notified Russia of its decision to suspend its obligations under the 1987 treaty over alleged Russian violations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by saying that Moscow would also abandon the pact.

Russia has rejected the US claim that it has built and deployed a cruise missile that violated the treaty’s ban on land-based cruise and ballistic missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kms. But Shoigu said Tsuch weapons need to be designed now, charging that the US has already started developing such weapons.

He said at a meeting with senior officers that a landbased version of the navy’s Kalibr cruise missile and a new land-based hypersonic missile must be built in 2019-2020.

TEN DEAD IN PARIS APARTMENT INFERNO PARIS Associated Press

THE deadliest fire in Paris in over a decade killed at least 10 people yesterday as flames engulfed a ninestory apartment building, sending residents to the roof and clambering across balconies to escape.

A 40-year-old woman who lived in the building, said to have a history of psychiatric problems, was arrested nearby and held on suspicion of having set the fire not long before. French police opened a criminal investigation for voluntary arson resulting in death.

Multiple neighbours said they heard the suspect and her neighbour, an off-duty firefighter, arguing over the woman’s music before the fire broke out.

Police responding to the dispute stopped by the woman’s apartment. The firefighter and his girlfriend told officers they were leaving to sleep elsewhere in peace and thought the neighbour had lost her mind and one day there would be an accident because of her.

In an interview with Le Parisien newspaper, the 22-year-old firefighter said he returned to the building a few minutes later, shortly after midnight, hoping the woman had gone.

Instead, he ran into her in

FIREMEN battle the apartment fire in Paris. the stairwell, which was already beginning to smell of smoke. “She wished me good luck, telling me that I loved flames,” he recalled in the interview.

Another resident later told him the woman put paper and wood in front of his apartment door, the firefighter told Le Parisien, which did not give his name.

Survivors described a chaos of smoke and flames, and the young firefighter said he ran upstairs to try

and evacuate the building.

One neighbour recalled clambering out of her eighth-floor apartment and over balconies to reach safety.

“I climbed across several balconies, with nothing beneath, and then was backed into a corner. There were people climbing handover-hand to get to where I was and escape the flames,” said a resident identified only as Claire, her eyes wide with shock soon after her rescue.

NEESON PREMIERE CANCELLED AFTER RACE COMMENTS NEW YORK Associated Press

THE premiere of Liam Neeson’s newest film was abruptly cancelled yesterdayamid fallout from the actor’s comments about decades-old thoughts he had about killing a black person.

Organisers of the New York premiere of Cold Pursuit informed reporters of the cancellation yesterday afternoon, a couple hours before it was supposed to start.

The cancellation comes hours after Neeson, pictured below, appeared on “Good Morning America” to address his comments, telling interviewer Robin Roberts that he is not a racist. He was quoted in an interview by the Independent on Monday describing his violent thoughts about killing a black person nearly 40 years ago after learning that someone close to him had been raped.

The actor told Roberts discussion talk about these things is needed because bigotry and racism exist.