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The Tribune

Volume:117 No.53, FEBRUARY 7TH, 2020

Established 1903

Weekend

WEEKEND: YOUTUBE TWINS’ VISIT TO PARADISE

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1 art books film fashion

Weekend

KHANDI Gibson, founder and president of the local advocacy group Families of All Murder Victims (FOAM), wants the government to enforce legislation that would ensure that perpetrators are responsible for supporting the families of victims affected by their acts of violence.

“We will be advocating hard under the theme called ‘A Debt for a Debt’,” she told The Tribune during a recent interview.

“We’re asking the government to look at legislation, change legislation (and) adjust or amend legislation and statutes (to ensure that) persons who would have harmed, attacked or killed anybody, that (their) victims now must be compensated – especially when

there are kids involved.”

Ms Gibson said in instances of “domestic affairs” when a mother or father is killed, it should not be the sole responsibility of the government to take care of the children affected by the crime.

“Once you’re found guilty... from you first start working, your job is to work and take care of (those affected) children because you chose to take away their mother or father from them,” she said. “So that means you have to go into the prison tailor shop and make your children’s uniform every year, that’s your job.

“If Christmas comes and you have to make them a jewellery box or some kind of toy every year, then that’s your job taking care of your child.”

By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas National Trust yesterday criticised Norwegian Cruise Lines for violating the country’s environmental laws after it was revealed the vessel had dumped waste into Bahamian waters.

“The news of another incident of dumping by a cruise line is a matter of great concern to the Bahamas National Trust (BNT),” BNT said in a

press statement.

“The report that Norwegian Cruise Lines has been involved in an incident of dumping is a reminder of the importance of BNT’s mission.”

Declaring that “all environmental offenders should be held accountable”, the non-governmental organisation said it remains committed to preserving the country’s natural marine resources.

SEE PAGE FIVE

BUSY AS A BEE Pages 4 & 5

Twin talents pages 8 & 9

ALL ABOARD THE MARIJUANA EXPRESS

SEE PAGE EIGHT

BAY STREET IT’S WRONG WAY ROUND

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net DOWNTOWN Nassau is failing to exploit its prime asset because many Bay Street buildings “are facing the wrong way”, a Cabinet minister has told Tribune Business.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, Minister of Tourism, said that “the beauty of the city of Nassau” is its view of the ocean overlooking Nassau Harbour - yet numerous properties face into the street rather than across to Paradise Island.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

NEXT STOP’S COURT FOR PLASTIC BAN OFFENDERS

SEE PAGE SEVEN

‘ZERO TOLERANCE MUST BE HAMMERED HOME’

Friday, February 7, 2020

puzzles design

Young YouTubers visit para dise

‘Make killers pay victims’ families’

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

music entertainment food

AND THE HONOURS GO TO...

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN athletes Ken Mullings Jr and Kendrick Thompson were honoured yesterday by the University of The Bahamas after being named in the top three in the world in the heptathlon. Mullings is ranked number two and Thompson number three. The pair are pictured with Olympian Pauline Davis-Thompson at yesterday’s ceremony.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

RETAILERS who fail to comply with the 25 cent per plastic bag charge could be given a notice to appear in court, according to a representative of the Ministry of Environment and Housing.

Dr Rhianna Neely-Murphy, the Department of Environmental Health’s senior environmental officer, told The Tribune while most businesses are SEE PAGE TWO

MARIJUANA MOVE ENDS ‘RASTA PERSECUTION’

By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net

MEMBERS of the Rastafarian community yesterday praised the recommendations made by the Bahamas National Commission on Marijuana to have the drug legalised as a sacrament for Rastafarians, noting the move as a step in the right direction.

Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, head of

RITHMOND MCKINNEY the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress

(EABIC) Bahamas branch, Priest Rithmond McKinney said the move would represent a sort of freedom for the community, which has suffered longstanding oppression due to members’ sacramental use of the plant.

“You know over the years, for the last 20 something years, we was at the table agitating concerning our sacramental rights and SEE PAGE THREE

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

CAN’T GRAND BAHAMA EVER CATCH A BREAK?

SEE PAGE TEN

PAGE 2, Friday, February 7, 2020

POLICE ISSUE SKETCH IN HUNT FOR RAPIST POLICE have issued a sketch of a man wanted for questioning in connection with a burglary and rape investigation.

The man in the sketch has a dark complexion, is 5’7” to 5’8”, of medium build and is wearing a hoodie. Police did not say if he is wanted in connection with a recent incident.

However the sketch was circulated after a woman in New Providence was sexually assaulted on Tuesday night during a home invasion in Coral Harbour.

Police said around 8pm, two men forced their way into a home and held a

female resident at bay before robbing her of cash and personal items. One of the men sexually assaulted the female, before both men left the home and escaped in her grey 2008 Lexus IS-250 vehicle.

This comes after a similar incident in January on Marshall Road, where two robbers forced their way into a home and robbed the residents of cash and personal items. One of the burglarsA7MAIN sexually assaulted a woman in the home before they escaped in one of the victims’ black 2014 Ford F-150 truck. A string of home invasions have

been reported in recent sexually assaulted,” she weeks. added.

Royal Bahamas Police “But we remind people Force (RBPF) Superin- to be cautious also to take tendent Shanta Knowles precautions and not have said although police are valuables especially busialarmed, they do not know ness places to keep large if these types of crime are sums of cash and valuables becoming a trend. While on premises but instead affirming the force’s com- and when making deposmitment to ensuring the its to not have employees safety of communities, she randomly make deposits encouraged the public to be but instead use the services alert and vigilant. of armed vehicles. Make “We have a job to do and random deposits not strucwe’re focused on doing just tured deposits where that – making our presence people may be watching.”

Tuesday, April 24, 2018, PAGE 7 felt in the community.

We Anyone with informawill support all victims of tion is asked to call police crime….of course we will at 502-9991, 502-9971 or the support those who were nearest police station.

NEXT STOP’S COURT FOR PLASTIC BAN OFFENDERS

A PLASTIC bag floating in the ocean

frombagpage one A PLASTIC floating in the water off New Providence in this picture are from in compliance BREEF.

with the plastic ban, there are a few “non-compliant” retailers that environment officials will be “addressing in short order.”

“At this point we are beyond the warning stages,” she said.

“Most of the businesses that are not compliant we would have visited them once already so that would have been the warning. When we go back for the second time, they ACCORDING to plasticfreechallenge. breaking down, it releasesiftoxic chemi-remain non-comorg, single-use plastics, or disposable plas- cals, additives that were usedpliant to shape and they will be given tics, are used only once before they are harden the plastic, which make their way a notice that they are thrown away or recycled. These items are into our food and water supply.” with things like plastic bags, straws, coffee stirIn light of the devastating in effect non-compliance of these rers, soda and water bottles and most food products on the environment and people’s whatever section of the packaging. health, countries around the world have legislation and (given) a “Petroleum-based plastic is not biode- moved to ban them and encourage the use gradable and usually goes into a landfill of alternatives. notice to appear in court.” where it is buried or it gets into the water According to the UK’s The Guardian, Mrs and Neely-Murphy said and finds it’s way into the ocean,” the web- cotton buds, plastic drinking straws site states. other single-use plastics could thebe banned fee merchants are “Although plastic will not biodegrade from sale in England next year in the required to charge – decompose into natural substance like next phase of the campaignlegally to try to halt soil – it will break down into tiny parti- the pollution of the world’s rivers and for plastic bags customers cles after many years. In the process of oceans. is the only component of systems ban that certain Styrofoam containers.” into much smaller micro- pipes and drainage the plastic Adverse health effects pieces which are often for 500-1000 years.” retailers The environment min-are in violation from this chemical leaching mistaken for food by birds, ister cited Haiti, Guyana, she declined to include irritation of the gas- turtles, and fish. of. While Zimbabwe trointestinal system, skin, “Plastic contamination Dominica, a particular business, as countries eyes, and upper respiratory is passed up through the and Kenyaname made similar the ministry has tract, Mr Ferreira said. food chain, accumulat- that have allshe insisted Long-term health issues ing from prey to predator strides in recent years. He made thea effort to ensure also has include minor effects on and ultimately culminating added Jamaica kidney function and men- in humans. Now, we have motion before theParliament public is fully knowlstrual cycles of women. come full cycle and find to ban plastic bags. edgeable of what the plastic Mr Ferreira also added Mr Ferreira also added ourselves eating our own The Bahamas willentails. become that people eventually end plastic waste.” ban up eating their own plastics.

Furthermore, these prod- a signatory to the Clean have released a which was “Plastic and Styrofoam ucts “remain as litter along Seas Campaign“We the United (don’t) decompose,” he our streets, pollute our launched by press statement to correct said. “They break down waters, clog our sewerage Nations in January 2017. much of the misinformation that has been out International Financial Institution there (and) we’ve made appearances on almost is looking for a Relationship Manager for Private Banking every radio station and every talk show that is Core Responsibilities based in New Providence Expand the client base through the identification and acquisi-

20 vision to ban stics and Styrofoam

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THE TRIBUNE

significant. He also added progress has been made on the selection of a new operator of the landfill, with hopes to make an announcement by June.

“As it stands now, a significant portion of the waste that we get at the landfill is single use plastics— plastic bags, etc,” he said.

“So in terms of its significance, once we get to the point where we could significantly reduce it coming into the country, then we would have significantly reduced the amount of waste we generate for that category.”

In terms of the impact on businesses that rely on the use of plastic bags and Styrofoam, as well as local distributors of these products, the ministry believes this will ultimately be a “win-win” situation.

According to officials, the ministry will conduct two rounds of public consultations with restaurants, hotels and retail outlets.

Feedback gathered will “assist the ministry in developing an alternative list that meets the demand and needs of businesses”.

With grocery stores bringing in an estimated 26 million plastic bags a year, the ban is predicted to help businesses save money while also giving local “creatives” the opportunity to help develop alternatives.

Mr Ferreira added this is why the ban is a “great opportunity for the creation of jobs,” specifically calling out to artists, straw vendors, and creatives.

He invited them to “redesign the traditional croker sack bags and add some

cean in Bimini last year.

Androsia and a dash of our native straw”.

Furthermore, the ministry is working with the Customs Department and Ministry of Finance to “outline the correct protocol to reduce taxes on approved alternatives and to improve incentives for business operations”.

The public is expected to be involved through two rounds of public consultations, which includes town hall meetings and visiting businesses and schools.

Additionally, Mr Ferreira announced a logo competition for students ages 13-18. The goal is to create a logo that represents the plastic bag and Styrofoam initiative.

All entrees are to be submitted via email by 8pm on June 4. The competition’s flyer will be shared on the Ministry of Enviroment’s Facebook page and through the media.

Officials say the upcoming ban will have positive impacts on local health and tourism.

According to Bahamas Plastic Movement, if the rate of plastic pollution on beaches increases, it could cost up to $8.5m annually in tourism losses for the country.

Mr Ferreira pointed out the dangers of these products on human health.

“When used in microwaves, Styrofoam releases fluorocarbons into the air and several other poisonous gases are absorbed into whatever food item it contains.

“Additionally, ordinary heat from the food or drink releases these toxins into the contents of the

WHAT ARE SINGLE-USE PLASTICS?

tion of new clients. Promote the jurisdiction and the institution and its services in developing markets, possess a book of clients and reports to the Head of Private Banking.

The position is open to candidates who match the following profile: • Bachelor’s Degree in Business or Finance • Minimum 7-10 years advanced experience in, and excellent knowledge of private banking • Has established networks with existing portfolios • Willing to travel • Ability to work under pressure • Flexibility in office hours and hands-on approach when required • Goal oriented, self-motivated, positive attitude and outlook • Excellent oral and written communication, public presentation and client relationship management skills • Proficiency in Microsoft Office • Fluent in English and Spanish (French, German and/or Italian would be an advantage)

Interested persons should submit their curriculum vitae along with a cover letter by May 1st 2018.

Private & Confidential Relationship Manager c/o The Tribune Box DA 107040 P.O.Box N-3207 Nassau, The Bahamas Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff

to address some of the misinformation that is out there, so I think most people are clear on what is banned and why we have the 25 cent fee and all of the dates that are important as well.

“After the six-month period, the public can expect to not see any of the four banned items in the country anymore.”

Mrs Neely-Murphy was referring to a statement the ministry issued in January which addressed and clarified the purpose of the single-use plastic ban.

“By reducing the proliferation of plastic in our communities we will create a healthier environment that will serve to prevent massive landfill fires, reduce litter on our streets and beaches, and improve our general health,” the statement read.

“This ban is also a part of the government’s response to climate change, a global phenomenon that is devastating our environment by shifting weather patterns and creating monster storms like Hurricane Dorian…By acting today, we aim to reduce the potential risk, cost and devastation that we could all face tomorrow.”

A ban on single-use plastics and Styrofoam came into effect on January 1 and these items can longer be imported. However, merchants and vendors

can run down their existing supplies without charging consumers — except for plastic bags, which are subject to a fee of 25 cents to $1.

Businesses can charge this fee until the end of June.

“The purpose of the fee is to discourage consumers from buying plastic bags and to encourage them to bring reusable bags to shop so that they do not need to buy a plastic bag,” the ministry said in a recent statement. “This will reduce the number of plastic bags in circulation.”

The Ministry of the Environment and Housing continued: “Businesses can sell compostable bags, which look like plastic bags but are plant-based and therefore less harmful to the environment, from January 1, 2020, until 2022.

Consumers have the option to buy plastic bags from businesses to transport their purchases or to bring their own reusable bags to shop.

“The checkout fee on plastic bags and biodegradable bags will be eliminated nationwide on July 1, 2020, as business owners will be prohibited from selling or using them as of this date.

“Additionally, business owners will be prohibited from selling or permitting the use of any of the ‘4Bidden Four’ items within their establishments after this date.”

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, February 7, 2020, PAGE 3

Marijuana move ends ‘Rasta persecution’ from page one it was being denied over and over and repeatedly,” he told The Tribune.

“We’ve been locked up, marginalised, persecuted and in all negative ways, we’ve been stereotyped so we bear the brunt of this whole issue concerning marijuana and the use of marijuana over the years…. so we feel as though some kind of retribution should be followed to the Rasta man.

“The church giving persons underage alcohol as their sacrament in the church and that’s deemed to be okay in this country so it’s only natural now for the government to show back human rights and respect human rights and respect the Rasta man sacramental rights.”

He said the Rastafarian population in the Bahamas comprises of over 10,000 persons.

To help regulate the drug among the Rastafarian community, the commission has recommended the establishment of a Rastafarian council.

Giving his thoughts on the matter, Priest McKinney said: “Well, of course the Rastafari elders from the church perspective and the wider Rasta community should come together and collaborate and have the best way forward in regulating this cannabis amongst ourselves.”

Meanwhile, expressing her support for marijuana decriminalisation, EABIC member Dionella Thompson said “ the time has come” for country to legalise the drug.

“The time has come. The time is now because we use it,” she said. “I’ve been arrested and charged and gone through all of that, having to pay a fine so for the youth that are coming up, especially for the Rastafarian youth, you don’t want them to go through that. “…We need it to be legalised for that purpose you know what I mean because you don’t want to be moving place to place with

AMBASSADOR Priest Rithmond McKinney. it and you get caught and locked up and all that, if only for us you know what I mean.”

Their comments to this newspaper came a day after Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis tabled the commission’s report in the House of Assembly.

In the report, the commission recommends releasing from prison those convicted for having small amounts of the drug and decriminalising up to one ounce of cannabis for persons 21 and over.

Asked about his thoughts on the matter, Priest McKinney said while

Rastafarians support giving those convicted with marijuana a fresh new start at life, the community feels that government should be clearer on exactly what is considered a small amount.

“So far, so good concerning the decriminalisation and concerning the small amount,” he added.

“But, we ask the question, what is the small amount?

“Who all qualified for their records to be expunged? Persons under one ounce or two ounce, under five pounds (or) under ten pounds? In my eyes, a small amount is ten

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff pounds or less to expunge persons records… (so) from a Rasta standpoint, we need to know what is a small amount and so we have to weigh this out properly and not just say small amounts. So that is one of our concerns.”

Speaking on age limit imposed for marijuana possession, Priest McKinney said he strongly believes persons 18 and over should possess the drug instead of 21, as recommended by the commission.

“The commission recommends 21 and above, but I would go with 18 because when you’re 18 you could

vote,” he said.

Priest McKinney was also firm that he wants cannabis legalised “across the board” in the country.

“Herbs should be free and legalised and taxed.

Where there is a bowl of herb, there is peace and there is love,” he told The Tribune.

“We consider (alcohol) as the most dangerous drug of all. We don’t see cannabis to be a drug, but a healing plant. So, we feel as though that should be totally legalised.”

The commission has not yet taken a view on whether cannabis should

be legalised for recreational use, a matter that divided members.

Meanwhile Bahamas Christian Council President Delton Fernander has said that in light of the report’s release, he will form a committee and will map out the way forward later this month when the council meets.

When contacted yesterday, Attorney General Carl Bethel said his office has not started work on marijuana legislation.

“My staff are bogged down with Ministry of Finance on the budget bills,” Mr Bethel said.

FAMILIES FRUSTRATED OVER LACK OF ANSWERS ON EVACUATION

By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

RELATIVES of Bahamians in China have been left with very little answers about evacuating loved ones from the Asian country amid an outbreak of a new deadly strain of the coronavirus.

The Tribune understands that family members who attended last week’s meeting hosted by the Ministry of Health heard little talk about evacuation and the focus was mainly on health, which was disappointing considering some in attendance were hoping to hear plans of bringing loved ones home.

Health Minister Dr Duane Sands told this newspaper he had to defer questions on the topic of evacuations, as it was a discussion made by other relevant ministries and Cabinet. However, Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield revealed that the Ministry of Health can make the call on removing Bahamian nationals.

“Evacuations (are) being handled by the officials at the Ministry of Health,” Mr Henfield said yesterday. “They deem necessary when it’s time for people to be evacuated or the protocol has been fully implemented that people could return to the Bahamas.”

While Dr Sands indicated that people at last week’s meeting wanted to speak with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Henfield indicated that he is open to

DARREN HENFIELD, Minister of Foreign Affairs. having these discussions.

Mr Henfield added: “These people should be contacted and meet with the ministry officials so that they can hear what we know…well, I’ve given instructions to my ministry since last week that this should happen.”

Several countries — including the United States, United Kingdom and Australia — have evacuated their citizens from China and have put travel restrictions in place. Last week, The Bahamas also mandated that non-residents, regardless of nationality, will be denied entry to this country if they have visited China in the past 20 days. Returning residents who have visited China in that timeframe will be quarantined for 14 days.

In response, Chinese Chargé d’Affaires to The Bahamas Haigang Yin said China does not support such travel restrictions.

Mr Henfield said that “China has its position The Bahamas’ position is on the record.”

Meanwhile, Dr Esther de Gourville, a representative for The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands for the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and World Health Organisation (WHO), explained the headache the travel measures can bring.

“Travel bans (are)

discouraged because it causes unnecessary expense and logistic support that’s needed for the outbreak.

However, within the public health emergency of international concern, the declaration, it was stated that countries should make their risk assessments based on their situation and that they need to make the discussions in the interest of their population.

“We are impressed that

countries are making the necessary preparedness and response plans and measures are being taken to contain the outbreak,” she added.

Last night, it was reported that there were 14-15 Bahamians in local quarantine.

More than 100 Bahamians are living in China, according to officials.

According to the BBC, China is introducing “more restrictive measures to try to control the outbreak”.

Beijing has banned group dining for events such as birthdays and weddings while cities such as Hangzhou and Nanchang are limiting how many family members can leave home

each day, the BBC reported yesterday.

“Hubei province, the worst hit by the virus, has switched off lifts in high-rise buildings to discourage residents from going outside.

Its capital, Wuhan, has a lack of beds and equipment, one senior city official said.

Despite the rapid construction of two hospitals, the volume of patients is causing severe strain. Reports on social media say the Wuhan government is to carry out door-to-door temperature checks on residents,” the BBC added.

The virus outbreak has killed more than 560 people and infected over 28,000 — most of them in China.

PAGE 4, Friday, February 7, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

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Should killers compensate the families of their victims?

THE suggestion that killers should be required to pay compensation to the families of victims is an intriguing one – but a challenging idea to execute.

Let’s start with the merits. Clearly a family that has a member taken away through violence faces ongoing difficulties that go beyond the grief.

Even as they struggle to deal with the loss, they face practical difficulties – especially if the lost family member was bringing a wage in to the family. Suddenly there is less money, while the bills remain the same – more, even, as families have to deal with the costs of any attempted life-saving medical treatment and funeral costs.

So the idea that the person responsible for bringing such financial hardship on top of emotional hardship to a family has obvious appeal. Why shouldn’t they be made to pay? They caused it, after all.

Of course, one of the obvious difficulties is what will they pay with? If they are guilty then they are likely in jail, so where does the money come from while they are in a prison cell?

Khandi Gibson, who suggested the idea that perpetrators should be held responsible for supporting the families of victims, suggested that they should be made to work in the prison to help families. Make the children of victims their school uniform in the prison shop each year, or make a Christmas gift of a toy, and so on. That in itself sounds problematic – we’re not sure how many children would want to wear a shirt made by their parent’s killer or play with a toy made by hands responsible for murdering their relative.

As for financial recompense, well it’s no shock to know that many crimes are driven by poverty to begin with – so whether there’s any money there to help pay bills is another matter. It’s well noted that people coming out of prison struggle to find work, so that’s a situation unlikely to improve.

However, there is a kernel of a good idea in here to try to find ways in which the justice system can better support the victims of crime.

It is worth exploring how it can be done – perhaps through a broader victim surcharge so that it’s not just the person committing one crime supporting a victim but all offenders who contribute a little more in their fines that go toward helping all affected. That would also reduce the direct connection between a killer and the victim’s family, which might be unwanted.

This, though, is the start of that conversation. Khandi Gibson has put forward the proposal – now it’s a question of weighing its merits, refining its points and seeing if there really is something that can be done.

One thing is for certain – the victims of such crimes do need our help.

Well said, Mr Moultrie Upon occasion, this column has found cause to dispute what Speaker Halson Moultrie has had to say. Today we’ll say this: he’s absolutely right.

He wants to make sure ministers answer questions in the House of Assembly. It seems that should hardly be revolutionary to ask, yet here we are, in 2020, saluting Mr Moultrie for playing a part in trying to make that happen.

“I believe deepening of democracy is essential,” he says, and we wholeheartedly concur.

He also addressed issues regarding the Public Accounts Committee, which has been sitting idle. In the ideal world, this should be one of the most powerful committees, examining issues where there is weakness in government and calling problem areas to account.

It has failed to do so not just in this Parliament, but in successive ones.

There is some back and forth – Mr Moultrie points to 30 reports available to the committee – but clearly this is an area that could also use further attention to get it back up and running.

But for seeking to hold ministers to account – his own colleagues in government included – Mr Moultrie has our full agreement, and our thanks.

The high cost of Bahamas life EDITOR, The Tribune.

AN INTERNATIONAL report places The Bahamas as Number six as the most expensive places to live. Is it equitable - fair?

Government is unwilling to increase minimum wage… a year ago they increased VAT to 12% and last quarter say they increased collections by a whopping $130m 33.7%.

If VAT was up we must have imported considerably more than the previous year.

Excise up $20m plus…

Trade Taxes up $30m…

Gaming wow up $10m…

Motor licensing basically same...Business Licence only up $4m (how that can be with VAT up so much and Trade and Excise also?)

Food most today has no duty but hard as hell to leave store without a $110 bill… Electricity, oh yes, the mostly costliest in the Caribbean… Clothing 100% over Miami as most other things… Diesel and Gasoline 100% more than Florida.

Air travel basic flying is probably no more than

$10-$12.00, but Taxes and PSF/service fees and the US Pre-clearance pushes that up… Health costs out of control… insurances so high we really can’t afford them, but the property insurers want to make it compulsory after mortgage cleared that we all have cover – whose got $1,600-3,000.00 a year without Comprehensive…

As they would say the list goes on and no relief! It is a miracle so many survive!

ABRAHAM MOSS Nassau, February 5, 2020.

Ministerial travel EDITOR, The Tribune.

MINISTERIAL travel… not a problem with increase except the $650.00 a head for American Eagle Club which could cause a $40,000.00 pa cost…except PM - DPM. My serious objection is that since May 2017, if you all have forgotten the election the FNM has not reported the costs of a single Ministerial trip, not one.

PM if Ministers do not provide within 30-days of

returning a full accounting and that is tabled their per diem should be cancelled until the Minister makes good…at the outside give a little 60-days after travel… imperative a full report.

There are no excuses.

To the public all travel has to be approved by Cabinet ultimately the Prime Minister so on his shoulders the lack of reporting has to land.

Take for example the jaunt to open the Bahamas Embassy in Brussels…who

was on that trip? Who did the PM or any of the delegation meet? It is known PM met an official of the EU but one related to EU Finance and Money Laundering…Why not?

We don’t have excess funds we must be assured the travel is absolutely essential…If you have not noticed Ministers travel weekly.

W THOMPSON Nassau, January 24, 2020.

Jamaal Rolle is on holiday

The saga of marijuana EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE Bahamas marijuana commission deliberated for more than a year to determine the way forward on marijuana only to present the Prime Minister with an incomplete report.

They said they have been having meaningful dialogues with persons in the communities. Yet this is all that they came up with.

Now they are saying they will have to go back to the people and take a survey.

“Really!”

One would think that should have been done before their presentation.

Such lackadaisical approach to a matter as serious as this leaves one wondering.

Something smells grassy here.

To rationalise it we are being told that the Bahamas has a serious drug problem.

I believe their assignment was to do some research and see how best we can handle this concern. Not tell us something that even the youngest school child could’ve told us.

Isn’t this what Dr David Allen was saying for many years, isn’t that why young people are before the magistrate every day?

Isn’t that why so many of our youth are in prison or Sandilands.

Isn’t that why so many young people are vagrants and are walking the streets aimlessly dazed and confused?

Isn’t that why so many

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net of our young men are murdered almost every other day, their lifeless bullet riddled bodies lying in the street?

Isn’t that why so many mothers’ pillows are constantly soaked in tears from their crying day and night?

While I can only speak for myself, I believe almost every Christian, and every mother whose heart is being torn apart, whose health is failing slowly because of a child that is caught up in the drug and gang dilemma are constantly on their knees.

Calling out to God, praying for the nation and for their children.

Praying that, that late at night knock on the door or that dreaded call never comes.

We all agree that expunging the records of persons charged with small amounts of grass is something we should address.

But what is a small amount.

Are you saying one ounce is a small amount ?

With eight young persons in the same place and with each having an ounce that is a half of a pound.

Do you know how many people can get high on that much reefer?

Add some stitchie and that is an all day and night euphoria party.

It is being recommended that persons over twentyone should be able to

possess up to an ounce of weed at a time. But because they all think alike and hang out together.

What is to stop them not only from sharing their ounce with an eighteen or seventeen year old? But even purchasing it for them or selling it to them.

Reason being it is a scientific fact that the rational part of a teen’s brain isn’t fully developed and won’t be until he reaches the age of twenty-five or thereabouts.

Commissioners while conducting your surveys I beg that you ask parents the hard questions of how they feel about the safety and mental wellbeing of their sons and daughters versus the great grass bonanza.

You have placed in the hands of the powers that be what they wanted to hear. That grass is big money business and there is the possibility of heaping great tax revenues from this venture. But using decriminalisation as an excuse to legalise marijuana in my opinion and that of many others is not a good one.

Honourable Commissioners as under shepherds are you willing to risk the future, the lives of the faithful, trusting, flock that has been placed in your care by taking them down such a slippery slope?

I’m just the messenger.

God save our Bahamaland.

ANTHONY PRATT Nassau, February 6, 2020.

Dysfunctional relationships EDITOR, The Tribune.

TRUTH be told the vast majority of Bahamian relationships are dysfunctional.

By this I mean that most people entering intimate relationships are not mature enough for the responsibilities and stresses that come with physical and emotional intimacy. It is estimated that approximately 75% of children in this nation are born out of wedlock, so naturally by extension at least 75% of homes are not “normal” by conventional standards. As a consequence, we cannot use “normal standards” to evaluate the situation before us.

Many falsely believe that love is a feeling that culminates in a physical sexual act as the primary means of expression. They do not understand that love is actually deliberate, purposeful, respectful and a tedious commitment to put aside personal feelings and desires for the good of the relationship and those in it. Most want to enjoy the conveniences of marriage without owning up to the responsibilities associated with it.

As a result many are not in marriages or relationships because they love or respect their partner or because they have common

goals, but because mutual needs can be met.

These relationships, not based on mutual respect, trust, are manifestly dysfunctional. So when the dysfunction in those relationships rears its head as abuses of various kinds, including “marital rape” we should not be surprised.

We continue to focus on the symptoms of a problem without addressing the core issues that lead to the problems that have to be solved!

Many men are taking care of children that are not their own. Many women live with the fact that their “husband” has a “sweetheart” or another family.

Many women are still having intimate relations with the fathers of their children while involved in other relationships. Many young men have been hospitalised or killed over arguments about women.

Who knows if a woman is using sex as a way to control aspects of her relationship to the ire of their husbands or boyfriends?

Many women use children to manipulate, undermine or punish men, and many, many women use the perception of being the weaker sex with dangerous effect. These are all issues that have to do with

dysfunctional people in dysfunctional relationships.

In truth, we do not know some of the sick reasons why people get married or are in intimate sexual relationships.

We do not know what they may have secretly or expressly agreed to by being with who they are with.

But one thing is certain, if either person in a relationship feels the need to “take” what they think is theirs through force, it is a sign that something much deeper is going on.

We cannot allow an act that can only be known by the parties involved to be tried in the courts of public opinion without proper scrutiny. There are many scorned women who may use poorly drafted legislation as an opportunity to get back at the men who scorned them.

No matter what side of the argument you might be on, let’s agree on one thing, our society is very, very sick, and our people must be resocialised. This starts with building strong families, in this regard, only a national re-socialisation programme can help!

JB Nassau, February 6, 2020.

The politics of pandering EDITOR, The Tribune.

VERY conscious that the FNM are gearing up for an election? FNM are finally going to hold their long overdue Convention we have to look and understand why Minnis is pushing certain issues.

1) Legalising of marijuana for personal use.

2) Talk about Abortion

3) Expunging of criminal records for possession of marijuana All geared to the young….

Can any adult ask a mother, single or to kill the baby inside of them? Don’t we accept at conception it is a person? It is my opinion that those who accept abortion accepts that murder should be legalised.

Where is the church? We heard Archdeacon Palacious and not a soul made any comments and he is supposed to be a man of the cloth. Have all the Bishops lost their tongues?

Seems power again has corrupted power……sad.

H SAWYER Nassau, February 6, 2020.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, February 7, 2020, PAGE 5

‘Zero tolerance must be hammered home’ from page one “The cruise line industry must get the message that poor practices that damage our environment cannot be tolerated,” said BNT executive director Eric Carey.

“It is unacceptable to carry out dumping in our waters – and that message needs to be hammered home. There is a saying that what you allow is what will continue – if we allow one incident, we can only expect such cases to continue.”

“We must draw a line

and make clear that things must change. At the BNT, we remain committed to our goal of holding those who commit such offences accountable.”

This is not the first time a well-known cruise line was caught polluting in the Bahamian waters.

In fact, just last month, The Tribune reported that Carnival Cruise Line had been caught polluting Bahamian waters yet again in 2019 after being found to have committed infractions in 2017.

Insisting the BNT “has

not been selective in its criticism”, officials said they will continue to publicly speak out against any negative practices that are harmful to the Bahamian environment.

“The only side we are on is that of the Bahamian environment, and we will always be on that side,” Mr Carey added.

“Offenders should be held to account, and the laws will hopefully discourage others from following suit.

“New laws have just been introduced to help to clamp

down on environmental offences – and just as all are equal in the eyes of the court, so too do we regard all equally who might have broken those laws.”

However, officials have previously said that the government will be clamping down on cruise ships operating in Bahamian waters.

Last year, the government passed a compendium of environmental bills, seeking to address environmental issues in the country.

“Let me make one thing clear and in doing so emphatically state that

we will defend our environmental sovereignty,” Transport Minister Renward Wells told the House of Assembly on Wednesday.

“Those who have breached our environmental laws will be made to account. The pristine lands and waters of The Bahamas (are) the inheritance of our people. It belongs to all Bahamians, to all of you and to future generations of our beautiful nation.”

A spokesperson from Bahamas Maritime Authority said by next week, the government will be in a

better position to report on the specifics of Norwegian’s waste dumping.

“It is a part of BNT’s mandate to protect and preserve the environment of The Bahamas,” said BNT president Geoff Andrews.

“This mandate demands that we speak out against environmental offenders when warranted. However, we are not biased in holding companies to task and are happy to work with companies and businesses that respect the environment and are good environmental citizens.”

GIBSON: HURRICANE WORKERS WERE ABUSING OVERTIME

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

WATER and Sewerage Corporation executive chairman Adrian Gibson said officials uncovered an “abuse of overtime” among a handful of workers doing restoration on Abaco following Hurricane Dorian.

His comments came at a press conference responding to what he termed “baseless and erroneous attacks” from Bahamas Utilities Service and Allied Workers Union President Dwayne Woods.

Mr Woods led union members in a protest at WSC on Wednesday where he “threatened a total shut down” after accusing WSC executives of attempting to decrease the union’s influence by rolling back a number of benefits.

Responding to the union’s demonstration at a press conference at WSC headquarters yesterday, Mr Gibson said the corporation was “taken aback” by the union’s position.

“At no time has the corporation’s executives sought to ignore, disregard or disrespect our employees,” he said.

“We were disappointed to hear of yesterday’s actions and again today when the president encouraged our staff to engage in what the corporation views as an illegal sick out. Fortunately, only a small handful participated in that exercise.”

Addressing specific issues raised in Wednesday’s demonstration, Mr Gibson said WSC’s accounting department had to “raise a red flag” after discovering an “abuse of overtime” in Abaco following Hurricane Dorian.

“It was discovered that a handful of persons assigned to the Abaco restoration exercise had accrued astounding amounts of overtime, with claims of 200 and 300 hours of overtime for the month of October — in addition to their regular hours of work,” Mr Gibson said.

According to Mr Gibson, the average monthly salary for each of the people who made the claims ranged from $2,200 to $3,500 per month.

He said that those amounts, in addition to regular payments, exceeded the monthly salaries of all of WSC’s executive managers, which forced the corporation to launch an “extensive review and investigation” to get a comprehensive understanding of the claims.

“Notably, during the period in question, BPL’s power was down and

BAHAMAS Utilities Service and Allied Workers Union president Dwayne Woods. therefore there was no light. satisfy all the requirements corporation reserves the WSC did not have mobile to receive acting allowance right to promote deserving work lights on the island but is called upon to per- and meritorious employand the water was still form a significant part of the ees and insisted that no duties in an established or employee has been disenreceding in certain areas.

“All of the overtime newly created position…” franchised by the WSC. He added: “In several was signed off upon by a Stating that the WSC is member of staff who has instances, we discovered unaware of the 28 items that this allowance was Mr Woods accused the corfaced disciplinary action.”

As it relates to grievances being used to supplement poration of breaching, Mr the BAWUSU president the salaries of persons Gibson said WSC is workraised over responsibil- whilst those persons essen- ing on a counter-proposal ity allowance, Mr Gibson tially carried out their usual to Mr Woods’ proposal for said the payment is not an roles.” a new industrial agreement.

Mr Gibson added that “automatic entitlement to “The corporation conafter the matter came to tinues to hold quarterly staff”.

Quoting Article 29.02 their attention, the corpora- meetings with the union to of the union’s industrial tion’s board and executive discuss matters of mutual agreement, he said that this management “brought an interest. Any assertion benefit is only granted to end to that approach.” to the contrary is simply “an employee who does not He also said the untrue,” he insisted.

CHILDREN’S HOME GETTING CLOSER TO REOPENING

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama Children’s Village is undergoing hurricane repairs and expects to reopen soon so that resident children can return home to Freeport from New Providence.

The children and teens - who are considered wards of the state - were evacuated to Nassau in early September after the entire Village was severely flooded and damaged during Dorian.

The Village at Tripp Lane comprises the GB Children’s Home, Columbus House for Boys and Girls, the PACE Centre (Providing Access to Continuing Education) and Genesis Academy. Though built by the Grand Bahama Port Authority, it is independently operated by the government through the Department of Social Services.

While in Grand Bahama recently, Minister of Social Services Frankie Campbell responded to unconfirmed reports over the continuing partnership at Columbus House for Teens with Lady Henrietta St George, wife of the late Edward St George, former chairman of the GB Port Authority.

Mr Campbell said: “The government of Bahamas through the Ministry of Social Services continue to be responsible for all children that become a ward of the State. We are pleased to partner with whosoever is willing to partner with us.

But, with or without partners, we will continue to assume our responsibility as best we can for the children.”

In a statement issued yesterday, The Grand Bahama Port Authority has indicated a decision was made to discontinue its “strategic partnership” with the Columbus House programme.

“Over the years we have supported the agencies that manage the Village to the best of our abilities without interference as well as supporting the children with their own needs. In the past 15 years, we have tried to make the Columbus House model a sustainable one. However, we had concerns regarding the adolescent oversight, and we had to make the very difficult decision to discontinue our strategic partnership for that particular teenage programme.”

According to Glendia

Sweeting, manager of Group Corporate Affairs at GBPA, before Hurricane Dorian, some 12 teenagers were housed at the Columbus House.

“The entire Village was severely damaged during the storm with up to four feet of flooding. The children and teenagers had to be evacuated to Nassau and repairs are ongoing.”

The Tribune attempted to contact a senior representative at the Department Social Services in Freeport about concerns regarding “adolescent oversight” at Columbus House, however, none of our calls to a cellular phone number supplied to us by were answered up to press time.

The Grand Bahama Children’s Village was built by the Grand Bahama

Port Authority under the patronage of Edward St George and Lady Henrietta in 2000.

The Children’s Home is for newborns and children up to 13-year-olds. The PACE Centre for pregnant teens has a school, a clinic, and a nursery. The Genesis Academy School is a ‘second chance programme’ for students. Columbus House is for young men & women in their teens.

Ms Sweeting indicated most of the entities are operated independently of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA). She noted GBPA owns and maintains the buildings to keep the children safe, healthy and comfortable.

“We’ve ensured the Village facilities are upgraded

and safe so the children will soon return to the Grand Bahama Children’s Home.

Work is also ongoing at the Genesis Academy and PACE school, clinic and nursery.

“We are committed to our community and will continue to make sure all the other facilities that we provide for our children in Freeport are up and

running soon, including the refurbishing of the Sir Jack Hayward Library, Grand Bahama Sailing Club, and the Susan J Wallace Community Centre, all of which have suffered severe flood damage and are getting a major refurbishment and Handicap access upgrade and will look better than ever before,” Ms Sweeting said.

PAGE 6, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

‘Make killers pay victims’ families’

Moultrie: Ministers should give answers

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net HOUSE Speaker Halson Moultrie wants to make ministers answer questions in the House of Assembly and hopes the Rules Committee of the lower chamber ensures this happens.

The ability of the official opposition to question Cabinet ministers is a popular feature of the United Kingdom’s parliamentary practice, and although local rules allow for it to happen here, they also allow for the provision to be easily bypassed.

“I believe all governments should be accountable to the people and there should be absolutely no reason why any member of the government, including the prime minister, should not be open to answering questions in a parliamentary democracy,” Mr Moultrie told The Tribune.

The Rules of Procedure of the House of Assembly, which govern the functions of Parliament, note question time “shall be held on the second Wednesday of each month provided the House is sitting during that month”.

Mr Moultrie said: “We are seeking to have that

rule strengthened because it currently gives Parliament the option to determine otherwise that another type of business can supersede the questioning on that day. We want the rules to be written so that if it’s not the second Wednesday when question time takes place, then the very next sitting it happens. The rules need to be written in a way where there is no option to avoid answering questions.

“The Rules Committee indicated to me that they would’ve met last Friday. I don’t know if that happened but I suspect I should be getting a report from the Rules Committee fairly soon. I submitted a number of recommendations that I believe would strengthen the rules. They don’t have to adopt my recommendations but I don’t believe that the rules right now as they exist are in the best interest of independence and minority parties. I believe deepening of democracy is essential.

That is actually our theme in this 290th year anniversary, the strengthening and deepening of our democracy.”

One of the most controversial parts of this parliamentary session has been

the Minnis administration’s refusal to produce documents demanded by the opposition-led Public Accounts Committee. In justifying its decision, the administration has cited the ruling of former House Speaker Dr Kendal Major who ruled that only audited public accounts tabled in Parliament are reviewable by the PAC. Although Mr Moultrie expressed disagreement with that ruling in the past, this week he said he has delayed making a ruling because he does not believe the PAC is doing all it can within its current framework.

“It is misleading to suggest that the hands of the PAC is tied,” he said. “The existing ruling calls for matters to be audited, for the auditor general’s report to be tabled and referred to the committee. I’ve referred 30 reports to the Public Accounts Committee so the committee has lots of work that it can do and there is a position in law that causes one to not benefit from its own wrongdoing. I have prepared my decision but I have not released it because I am concerned the PAC is not functioning when it can under the existing ruling.”

from page one

“...You have to not only think that you’re just convicted, but you have to be now held accountable and responsible for your actions.”

As it relates to other initiatives FOAM is facilitating,

Ms Gibson revealed that the organisation recently held a candlelight vigil in honour of three women who were killed.

She also said the advocacy group has started issuing client cards that give users discounts for a variety of services. “If you would have been shot, you’re in (a)

wheelchair because of violence, or you’re on crutches because of violence...it’s an automatic 10 percent off at a few of our sponsored pharmacies.

“Also, once kids (are) involved, you qualify for 10 percent off uniform assistance and clothing,” she said.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2020 PAGE 7

KHANDI GIBSON

READERS REACT TO COOPER ON THREAT TO WAY OF LIFE

HOUSE SPEAKER HALSON MOULTRIE

AFTER the opposition’s shadow finance minister, Chester Cooper, warned the “way of life for many Bahamians is under threat” to the continual loss of institutions and jobs in the financial services industry, readers reacted on tribune242.com.

Economist had this response: “First you need to open up the economy. In order to do that you need to liberalise immigration for investors and entrepreneurs. Based on your party’s track record, you won’t agree to that, so give us details, yes details, on what you would do.”

BahamaPundit said: “First thing I would do is open the Bahamas banking and corporate legal sector

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

to a few big UK offshore law firms that operate in Cayman (Walkers, Appleby, etc). Cayman is eating our lunch!!! We have to return currency and relevance to the Bahamian offshore jurisdiction product.

The easiest way to do this is to entice the main global offshore law firms to incorporate The Bahamas’ jurisdiction into tax structuring and financial products.”

Those comments prompted this response from Dawes: “As the above two

DEPUTY leader of the opposition, Chester Cooper.

An Auditor General’s posted have said the only way to reverse the change is report into the Magistrate’s opening the economy. This Court exposed instances is never going to happen so of cashiers allegedly alterexpect the continued de- ing payment receipts and nearly two dozen missing cline.”

cheques.

Bahamianson posted this reaction: “Laughable! every sector of this country is corrupt. If we dig into every fiber of this country, it seems that we will find corruption. this is very disappointing. When will we take all of the hands out of the cookie jar?”

And Geostorm said: “What a disgrace! We are such a dishonest society.

I’m embarrassed that people would stoop to such low levels for a quick buck!”

After Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest said The Bahamas will not be taking up the International Monetary Fund’s offer of up to $200m in concessionary funding for Hurricane Dorian recov-

ery, Well_mudda_take_sic posted this comment: “The less we borrow in foreign currencies from international and regional lending agencies like the IMF, World Bank, IDB, CDB, etc, the better. It seems our government is finally beginning to realise that such borrowings one way or another are conditioned on giving the lenders much too much say over our national policies, thereby impairing the ability of our elected officials to act in the best interests of the Bahamian people. But what we really need are austerity measures combined with social and economic policies aimed at significantly reducing the size of both our unsustainable grossly over-bloated civil workforce and our national debt.”

The Bahamas has been ranked as the world’s sixth most expensive nation to live, prompting BahamaPundit to say: “The Bahamas is ranked 6th most expensive country in the world but ranked ‘least’ corrupt country in the Caribbean. One of these reports must be wrong. Let’s see: the Bahamas has completely derelict roads, schools, electricity, crime, transportation, transparency, medical, housing etc. while the other countries on the list of most expensive have near perfect infrastructure, safety etc. I think it’s safe to say that the main reason the Bahamas is so expensive is CORRUPTION and the list saying it is least corrupt is completely wrong and or just another fruit of corruption.”

Birdiestrachan said: “When the FNM Government increased VAT it hurt the poor. add the extra charges on power bills. now the poor have to provide their own bags when they go to the stores. The burdens add up. The FNM Government does not care about the poor. Now they are pretending to care about those in prison. Fact are facts and no lies can change the facts.”

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

PAGE 8, Friday, February 7, 2020

SEEING how the legalisation and decriminalisation, of marijuana seems to be the hot topic throughout all the land, with opinions from various sections of the voting populous abounding everywhere.

As we continue to craft policy on, legalising and decriminalising marijuana in The Bahamas, the state of Minnesota offers yet another viable model, which should be studied before our final submission as a nation on marijuana reform are complete.

SNAILS PACE It might take a while for Minnesota to pass its cannabis legalisation proposal, but when it does

THE TRIBUNE

ALL ABOARD THE MARIJUANA EXPRESS

A Comic’s View

By Inigo Zenicazelaya

it should be a good one.

House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (no relation to Henry Winkler aka ‘Fonzi’) has bragged: “I’m bringing forward the best legalisation bill in the country to date.”

Also stating that its creators are learning from the successes and missteps of the 11 states that have legalised marijuana thus far.

(We should also as a

nation.)

The state’s politicians have once again announced their intent to pass cannabis regulation, and are forecasting the introduction of the bill among the first days of the legislative session, which opens next week.

However, they can’t say that they expect their plan to come to fruition this year.

There’s the matter of the cannabis adverse,

Republican-controlled State Senate.

Any plan for marijuana legalisation may also have to pass up to 23 committees to even make it to a floor vote, added Winkler.

(We have several more hurdles to leap as a nation in this regard also).

THE SILVER LINING Where’s the silver lining?

Similar to The Bahamas, Minnesota has taken its time to affect legislative change, the state’s cannabis advocates have had an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of the 11 states that have so far legalised the drug.

(We can also learn from the US states that have

‘As we continue to craft policy on, legalising and decriminalising marijuana in The Bahamas, the state of Minnesota offers yet another viable model.’ done so already, and from our neighbours in the Caribbean region).

Primary on their list of things to improve are ensuring that local producers take top priority in any fledgling cannabis industry.

Winkler also commented passionately in this regard.

“People want this to be a Minnesota-based, crafttype industry as far as possible.

Republican leadership

is not at all convinced that this would be a good thing. Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka told a reporter “There was nothing good that would come out of [cannabis legalisation].”

Gazelka has expressed concerns over driving under the influence, and even cannabis’ effects on mental health and homelessness rates.

However, Democrats say Gazelka and his peers may find themselves on the wrong side of history.

“The people of Minnesota will roll over them eventually on issues like this,” said Winkler.

“So they can decide to be speed bumps, or they can decide to be active participants in crafting policy.”

More food for thought ‘Doc’.

Part 2 next week

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, February 7, 2020, PAGE 9

Investigator denies claim about falsifying evidence

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A SENIOR crime scene investigator yesterday denied a defence attorney’s assertions that he “deliberately falsified” evidence that would ultimately be used in the trial of three men accused of the 2013 Fox Hill mass shooting.

Inspector Lavardo Sherman refuted Geoffrey Farquharson’s assertions that he assigned identities to three of four unidentified bodies to make it seem like they were the people who were killed in the December 27, 2013 drive-by shooting.

Insp Sherman further denied assertions that he was “well aware” that the crime scene was “extensively interfered with” before his arrival, and that not only was it allegedly “trampled through” by police, other unknown persons had access to the crime scene.

Conversely, Insp Sherman claimed that the scene was likely accessed by officials required to execute “special functions” at the scene, such as Emergency Medical Services personnel and other investigators.

Mr Farquharson further asserted that Insp Sherman’s actions were a “larger part of a comprehensive effort” by police to tamper with the evidence in the case to point the evidence “away from the persons who they knew had committed these murders”.

The assertions were made during Mr Farquharson’s cross-examination during the second week of trial before Justice Deborah Fraser.

Justin Williams, Peter

Rolle, and Jermaine Curry are the accused. It is alleged that the trio murdered four people - Claudezino Davis, Shaquille Demeritte, Eric Morrison and Shenique Sands. They are also charged with the attempted murder of Chino Davis, Janet Davis, John Davis, Samuel Ferguson, Jermaine Pratt and Leroy Taylor.

According to initial reports, around 6pm on December 27, 2013 occupants of a small, dark vehicle opened fire “with a variety of weapons” in the area just behind the basketball court where several people were gathered awaiting Junkanoo results.

Davis was pronounced dead at the scene while ten others were taken to hospital in private vehicles and an ambulance. Demeritte, Morrison and Sands later died in hospital of their injuries.

Insp Sherman had testified earlier how he observed what appeared to be the lifeless body of one of the three men killed during the shooting when he arrived at the scene sometime around 6.20pm.

Insp Sherman said the man was lying face up on the ground in a pool of blood, and with various abrasions to his face. He was lying on the outside of the basketball park’s perimeter wall near to Reeves Street. He said he had the opportunity to see that same man’s body in the morgue days later on January 6, 2014, as well as those of the other two male victims and a female victim, all of whom had noticeable injuries.

According to the evidence, although Insp Sherman didn’t assign any post-mortem numbers to

THE THREE accused, from left: Jermaine Curry and, behind him, Justin Williams. Right: Peter Rolle.

Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune staff the deceased, he placed to “fool the jury” notwith- he is “well aware” of to the senior officer said he pieces of paper with post- standing that he knew he tamper with the evidence did not, “any way, shape, mortem numbers next “didn’t know these people to mislead the jury and the form or fashion” do as the to the bodies and subse- from Adam”. presiding judge during the attorney had suggested. quently took photographs “So what you put them trial.

He said all he did was of the corpses. The pic- in (the album) for, to make During a previous hear- “simply take photographs” tures of those corpses were it look like they (the other ing, Mr Farquharson had of what he found at the ultimately included in an three victims) had some- suggested the Freedom Fox Hill scene upon his album that also contained thing to do with this case?” Park scene was tampered arrival. photographs of the scene Mr Farquharson asked. with before investigators “…I did nothing else,” he the senior officer found in In response, Insp Sher- could process it. said. “I held the camera to Fox Hill. man maintained that the During yesterday’s pro- my eyes, took a couple of Mr Farquharson said that “stickers” in question ceedings, however, Insp pictures, and I developed had the effect of improp- changed nothing about Sherman maintained the pictures, and brought erly connecting the bodies the photographs, and were that even if Mr Farquhar- the pictures to court.”

Insp Sherman photo- merely placed near the son’s claims were true, he Insp Sherman further graphed at the morgue with bodies so he could identify had “no knowledge of it”, suggested that he wasn’t the Freedom Park crime the photographs as those and that he “could only of the mindset to do somescene, which he implied that he took in future use, speak to what I saw when I thing as unethical as tamper was particularly egregious as the “stickers” also bore arrived”. with the evidence in any because Insp Sherman his signature.

“That answer will not event, as the day of the only found one of the four Mr Farquharson asserted change,” Insp Sherman shooting was supposed to bodies from the morgue at that Insp Sherman “deliber- insisted. have been a “pretty enjoythe scene. ately falsified” the evidence And in response to Mr able day” for him and that Thus, Mr Farquharson in the case, and that his Farquharson’s claims that he could have been “doing asserted, Insp Sherman actions were part of a larger he intentionally falsified different things”. made the “identification” conspiracy by police that the evidence in the case, The case continues.

SCOTT HEADS LIST OF NEWLY APPOINTED QCS

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

GOVERNMENT has announced the appointment of five new Queen’s Counsel, including lawyer Michael Scott, Grand Lucayan’s chairman.

The remaining appointees include lawyers Cedric Parker, Jean Ferron Bethell, Krystal Rolle and John Wilson.

They can now use the initials “QC” behind their surnames and enjoy all the other rights and privileges reserved for members of the Inner Bar. The announcement was made in a press statement from Cabinet Office yesterday, which said Governor General Cornelius A Smith acted on the advice of Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.

An attorney for 44 years, Mr Scott said he was looking forward to many more years in the pursuit of justice.

MICHAEL SCOTT “I am pleased and grateful to be honoured with this singular honour from Prime Minister Minnis and the government of The Bahamas,” he told The Tribune yesterday. “I look forward to many more years of public service to the country I love and the pursuit of justice.”

In the past, Queen’s Counsel appointments have been criticised because of perceived political influence.

In 2015, former Prime Minister Perry Christie appointed 11 lawyers, including three of his Cabinet ministers, as Queen’s Counsel.

Those appointees included former Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, former Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson and former State Legal Affairs Minister Damian Gomez.

Wayne Munroe, QC, who was also named to the rank and later ran on the Progressive Liberal Party’s ticket, said at the time the decision should be free of the prime minister’s influence.

Others given the distinction at the time were lawyers Neville Smith, Anthony McKinney, Elliot Lockhart, Lester Mortimer, Maurice Glinton, then FNM Senator Carl Bethel and former Progressive Liberal Party Attorney General Alfred Sears.

PAGE 10, Friday, February 7, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Can’t Grand Bahama ever catch a break?

WHAT happens in and to Grand Bahama transcends partisan politics and for nearly two decades has challenged every administration in office. What was once proudly deemed The Bahamas’ Second City, was founded in mid-last century as a planned resort, a glamorous casino a magnet.

I was back and forth from Florida sailing out of the marina in those days and saw it take shape. There was nothing remarkable about its architecture for the most part but there was something very special about what this flat land was supposed to mean and to be.

The city boasted championship golf courses when courses in tropical climes were still something to take note of. The concept of Freeport as a free port added more clatter to the chatter. The International Bazaar boasted shops with exotic names and luxury goods and a casino that drew players from around the world with its Taj Mahal-like dome. Roads

By Diane Phillips were wide and clean, the economy was strong, people walked with a bounce in their step.

And then… and then... and then again.

To put it gently, Grand Bahama hit a rough patch.

Mind you, no matter how high the unemployment or powerful the storms, Grand Bahamians love Grand Bahama. They eschew Nassau – too much traffic, fear of crime, crowds everywhere you go and if they have to come to the capital, they can’t wait to get home to Freeport or Eight Mile Rock or West End wherever home is. They’re probably a far more loyal lot than Nassauvians are to Nassau.

But understanding

the decline in the Grand Bahama economy and what it will take to put that bounce back in residents’ steps is like trying to do the Rubik’s Cube with eyes closed and hands tied. As for cause, some observers blame a Grand Bahama Port Authority that started out as a brilliant managerial experiment until it aged and became a stranglehold on growth. Others blame a series of back-to-back hurricanes that slammed into the island, competing for unwanted attention and hardly giving the island a chance to recover in between.

Almost everyone looks at who owns the largest hotel, the Grand Lucayan, now mostly closed, the airport,

still not rebuilt after the latest pummeling from Dorian, and who controls the port and harbour. But it would be unfair to blame any single company for everything that has gone awry. That company did not cause the closure of the Royal Oasis or the International Bazaar, holdings of Harcourt Development.

I recently came across a Tribune letter to the editor from Saturday, February 26, 2005, (yes, there was a Saturday Tribune then) almost 15 years ago, calling the Royal Oasis to task with the headline ‘Royal Oasis must live up to it responsibility’.

The pattern of hope and disappointment in Grand Bahama has deep footings.

I was back in Grand Bahama several times after the storm, most recently last Friday. Flooded cars still line long portions of designated roads that are now parking for abandoned vehicles. Many businesses are still closed or trying to recover. But there is no question of an almost palpable feeling that things are about to change. If

Royal Caribbean proceeds with the purchase of the Grand Lucayan, hope, like employment, will certainly rise.

While we pray for better days ahead we all should wonder and admire those resilient souls in Grand Bahama

who continue to love their island no matter what.

Any time we think Grand Bahama is in trouble - and they’ve got a lot to learn from us in the big bustling city of Nassau - we should turn around and ask what we can learn about loyalty to a place from them.

WHOSE FOOLISH IDEA WAS THIS? YOU know when you see something that you don’t believe you are seeing so you look at it again but you are still seeing it? Then you get the ‘I don’t believe I am seeing this’ feeling. That’s the feeling I got when I pulled up to a light at the intersection of Elizabeth Avenue and Shirley Street.

My car was in the left lane, facing south when I noticed that there were two

traffic lights for the intersection, both facing me, one in the left lane, the other in the right. It is a two-way street so maybe the light in the right lane was meant for cars that planned to reverse.

Whose foolish idea was it to put up a light you’d have to reverse to use?

Speaking of traffic lights, did you notice how much more smoothly traffic flowed east to west when

there was no light at Parliament and Shirley Streets?

Can we not consider making that a blinking light or four-way stop?

And why not convert the light at Shirley and Village Roads to a blinking light between 7pm and 6.30am?

Then there are the lights on Kemp Road that need a good review… and it would be interesting to hear your thoughts.

MINISTER OFFERS WELCOME TO ARCHBISHOP FOREIGN Affairs Minister Darren Henfield welcomed the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, Titular Archbishop of Acquavaiva, Italy, during a courtesy call at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. On February 27, 2018, Pope Francis added The Bahamas, St Lucia and Grenada to the Archbishop’s already long list of country assignments as apostolic nuncio.

Photo: Patrick Hanna/BIS

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, February 7, 2020, PAGE 11

Doctor dies of virus he warned world about BEIJING Associated Press A CHINESE doctor who got in trouble with authorities in the communist country for sounding an early warning about the coronavirus outbreak died after coming down with the illness.

The Wuhan Central Hospital said on its social media account that Dr Li Wenliang, a 34-yearold ophthalmologist, was “unfortunately infected during the fight against the pneumonia epidemic of the new coronavirus infection”.

“We deeply regret and mourn this,” it added.

Li was reprimanded by local police for “spreading rumors” about the illness in late December, according to news reports. The outbreak, centered in Wuhan, has now infected over 28,200 people globally and killed more than 560, triggering travel restrictions and quarantines around the world and a crisis inside the country of 1.4 billion.

The World Health Organization tweeted: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Li Wenliang.

We all need to celebrate work that he did” on the virus.

Within a half-hour of announcing earlier that Li was in critical condition, the hospital received nearly 500,000 comments on its social media post, many of them from people hoping Li would pull through. One wrote: “We are not going to bed. We are here waiting for a miracle.”

Li was among a number of medical professionals in Wuhan who tried to warn colleagues and others when the government did not, The New York Times reported earlier this week.

It said that after the mystery illness had stricken seven patients at a hospital, Li said of them in an online chat group December 30: “Quarantined in the emergency department.”

Another participant in the chat responded by wondering, “Is SARS coming again?” — a reference to the 2002-03 viral outbreak that killed hundreds, the newspaper said.

Wuhan health officials summoned Li in the middle of the night to explain why he shared the information, and police later forced him to sign a statement admitting to “illegal behavior,” the Times said.

“If the officials had disclosed information about the epidemic earlier,” Li said in an interview in the Times via text messages, “I think it would have been a lot better. There should be more openness and transparency.”

RISING TOLL AND YOUNGEST VICTIM While the overwhelming majority of deaths and infections haven been in China, more than 200 people with the illness have been reported in over two dozen other countries, including Japan, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea and the United States.

China’s National Health Commission said the number of infected patients who were “discharged and cured” stood at 1,153. No details were given, but milder cases have been seen in younger, healthier people.

The youngest patient is a baby born on Saturday in Wuhan and confirmed positive just 36 hours after birth, authorities said.

“The baby was immediately separated from the mother after the birth and

MEDICAL workers in protective suits help patients diagnosed with the coronavirus at a temporary hospital transformed from an exhibition centre in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province. has been under artificial to the official Xinhua News Princess at the port of feeding. There was no close Agency.

Yokohama near Tokyo, Authorities are racing after 10 others were taken contact with the parents, yet it was diagnosed with the to increase the number of off the previous day. Those disease,” Zeng Lingkong, beds in Wuhan and the rest taken to hospitals Thursday director of neonatal dis- of hard-hit Hubei province, were mostly in their 60s and eases at Wuhan Children’s where the health care system 70s, four of them Japanese, has been so overwhelmed two Americans, two CanaHospital, told Chinese TV. Zeng said other infected that some sick people have dians, one New Zealander mothers have given birth to been turned away from hos- and one Taiwanese. babies who tested negative, pitals and sent home, raising Tests were still pending so it is not yet known if the the risk of their spreading on others on board who had virus can be transmitted in the virus to others. symptoms or contact with All together, more than the womb. That “needs furinfected people.

50 million people are under ther study,” he said.

“It’s going to be like a virtual quarantine in Hubei MORE HOSPITAL in an unprecedented — and floating prison,” passenger BEDS unproven — bid to bring David Abel lamented on A 1,500-bed hospital the outbreak under control. Facebook. He had set out specially built to deal with on a 50th wedding anniverQUARANTINED the outbreak was comsary luxury cruise but found CRUISE SHIPS pleted in Wuhan, days Two docked cruise ships himself in his cabin, eating after a 1,000-bed hospital with thousands of passen- a “lettuce sandwich with with prefabricated wards gers and crew members some chicken inside”. and isolation rooms began remained under 14-day More than 3,600 people taking patients. quarantines in Hong Kong on the other quarantined Wuhan is also oper- and Japan. ship, the World Dream, ating an additional 132 Ten passengers confirmed underwent screening after quarantine sites with more to have the virus were eight passengers were diagthan 12,500 beds, according escorted off the Diamond nosed with the virus.

WORLDWIDE SCRAMBLE TO MAKE VACCINE WASHINGTON Associated Press THE flu-like virus that exploded from China has researchers worldwide once again scrambling to find a vaccine against a surprise health threat, with no guarantee one will arrive in time.

Just days after Chinese scientists shared the genetic map of the culprit coronavirus, researchers at the US National Institutes of Health had engineered a possible key ingredient for a vaccine they hope to begin testing by April.

Scientists from Australia to France, along with a list of biotech and vaccine companies, jumped in the race.

And Texas researchers froze an experimental vaccine developed too late to fight an earlier coronavirus — SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome — but are pushing US and Chinese authorities to give it a try this time around.

Because the new virus is a close cousin of SARS, it just might protect, said Dr Peter Hotez of Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital.

All that work is coming at lightning speed compared to past outbreaks. Yet many experts agree it still may take a year — if every step along the way goes well — for any vaccine to be ready for widespread use. That’s if it’s even needed by then.

“Ours is already manufactured and could take off pretty quickly,” said Hotez, who created the earlier SARS vaccine with Texas Children’s colleague Maria Elena Bottazzi. But “there’s still no road map for what you do to make a vaccine in the midst of a devastating public health outbreak.”

NIH specialists say rather than chasing outbreaks, it’s time to pursue prototype vaccine designs that could work for entire virus families.

PAGE 12, Friday, February 7, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Trump unleashes fury in rant about impeachment WASHINGTON Associated Press EXULTING in his impeachment acquittal, a defiant President Donald Trump took a scorchedearth victory lap yesterday, unleashing his fury against those who tried to remove him from office and pointing ahead to his reelection campaign.

Trump, triumphantly waving a newspaper front page — “ACQUITTED” — declared the impeachment proceedings a “disgrace” and portrayed himself as a victim of political foes he labeled “scum,” “sleaze bags” and “horrible” people. Hours earlier, he unleashed broadsides that stunned the crowd at an annual prayer breakfast.

“It was evil, it was corrupt,” Trump declared at the White House. “This should never ever happen to another president, ever.”

He conceded nothing in regard to charges that he improperly withheld US military aid in an effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democratic foe Joe Biden and other political matters.

“We went through hell, unfairly,” he insisted. “We did nothing wrong.”

Venting for more than an hour, Trump railed against against the impeachment process and ticked off names of the “vicious and mean” people he felt

had wronged him: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and former FBI Director James Comey. But then he reveled in the 52-48 verdict on the abuse of power article of impeachment delivered by the GOP-controlled Senate the day before.

“Now we have that gorgeous word. I never thought it would sound so good,” Trump said. Ït’s called ‘total acquittal’.”

As Trump spoke, the White House East Room was packed with hundreds of supporters.

Among them: Republican senators who voted to acquit him, Cabinet members and staunch House allies.

Trump’s at-times angry speech pushed beyond his State of the Union address two nights earlier, during which he stuck to the script and made no mention of impeachment. Not using a teleprompter this time, Trump delivered rambling remarks saluting “a great group of warriors”, namechecking GOP lawmakers who had backed him both in the Capitol and on television.

He declared that the Republican Party had never been more unified and predicted momentum from the acquittal would carry him to reelection this November. But he also predicted that he may have to fend off another impeachment challenge, perhaps

PRESIDENT Donald Trump holds up a newspaper with a headline that reads “Trump acquitted” as he speaks in the East Room of the White House yesterday.

Photo: Evan Vucci/AP for something as trivial as jaywalking.

“We’ll probably have to do it again because these people have gone stonecold crazy,” the president said.

Earlier, speaking from a stage where he was joined by congressional leaders, including Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who led

the impeachment charge against him, Trump shattered the usual veneer of bipartisanship at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington.

“As everybody knows, my family, our great country and your president have been put through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people,” Trump said at the annual event.

“They have done everything possible to destroy us and by so doing very badly hurt our nation,” said Trump, again holding up newspapers with banner “ACQUITTED” headlines.

His remarks were especially jarring and whiplash-inducing coming after a series of scripture-quoting speeches, including a keynote address by Arthur

Brooks, a Harvard professor and president of a conservative think tank, who had bemoaned a “crisis of contempt and polarisation” in the nation and urged those gathered to “love your enemies”.

“I don’t know if I agree with you,” Trump said as he took the microphone, and then he proceeded to demonstrate it.

NEW YORK CUT OFF FROM TRUSTED TRAVEL PROGRAMME WASHINGTON Associated Press NEW York residents will be cut off from “trusted traveler” programmes that enable people to quickly return from outside the country because of a new state law that prevents immigration officials from accessing motor vehicle records, a senior Homeland Security official said yesterday.

Tens of thousands of New Yorkers whose applications for the programmes are pending or will have to renew their enrollment by the end of the year will have to undergo customs and passport checks as they enter the country as a result of the action, said Ken Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

DHS informed New York officials of the action in a letter a day earlier in response to the state’s “Green Light” law, reflecting a Trump administration push back against states that have sought to protect people who are in the country without legal authorisation amid a federal crackdown.

“These are all unfortunate consequences of New York’s ‘Green Light’ law,” Cuccinelli said in a conference call with reporters.

“Obviously we would urge New York to undo that law and restore some sanity to its own attempts to help preserve public safety.”

He said DHS is considering additional penalties against New York and evaluating the progress of a similar proposal in Washington state.

Other states have allowed people in the country without legal authorisation to obtain a driver’s license, but New York is the only state that has banned the Department of Motor Vehicles from sharing records with DHS, said Heather Swift, a spokeswoman for the agency.

There are about 150,000 New York residents who are now enrolled in programs such as Global Entry and will be forced out as they come up for their annual renewals by the end of the year. Another 80,000 people have applications pending or have been conditionally approved.