02212019 NEWS

THURSDAY i’m lovin’ it!

HIGH 83ºF LOW 73ºF

The Tribune Established 1903

24/7 BREAKING NEWS ON TRIBUNE242.COM

Biggest And Best!

OBITS

VOLUME:116 No.41, FEBRUARY 21ST, 2019

OFFICIA

CLASSIFIED TRADER: CARS, CARS, CARS & MORE CARS

INSIDE

Finally - fix it or face $10k fines Getting tough on utilities for holes in road

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE government yesterday passed amendments to the Road Act giving it teeth to clamp down on utility companies that have been lax in restoring public roads to an acceptable standard.

Works Minister Desmond Bannister said such companies will now also be held responsible for injuries or damage caused as a result

of their actions. In its original form, the Act allowed a fine of $75 for cutting into the road and similar acts.

However, the new change if passed in the Senate will increase the fine to $10,000, an increase of 13,233 percent.

The fine has also increased to $10,000 from $75 in instances where the minister restricts the use of a particular road or specifies certain maximum SEE PAGE THREE

PUBLIC health officials are investigating a suspected case of measles in a four-year-old tourist.

The Ministry of Health was reportedly notified on Monday that a child had gone to a private health care facility in New Providence with the symptoms of the disease.

According to its statement, the parents gave a

recent history of travel from Europe and a vaccination history for the child which did not include the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) immunisation.

“The child is receiving required care, is doing well and is expected to recover fully,” according to the statement. “Results from tests taken are expected to be available within the next few days, at which time the ministry will provide an update.”

SEE PAGE SEVEN

L SOUR CE

‘MAYDAY’ AIRCRAFT REMAINS MISSING

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

AUTHORITIES were last night searching for a distressed aircraft in the area of Inagua.

Royal Bahamas Police Force press liaison officer, Superintendent Shanta Knowles confirmed US Coast Guard officials had received a “mayday” call from an aircraft near Inagua.

That report, sent shortly after 11.30am, noted the aircraft had lost engine contol and was losing altitude.

In a later interview outside of the House of Assembly, Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said aviation officials were still trying to gather information on the matter.

SEE PAGE THREE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

CHILD TOURIST HAS SUSPECT MEASLES

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

$1

TO SIR SIDNEY, WITH LOVE

SEE PAGE EIGHT

DID SHE TAKE SHAVAR?

POLICE yesterday issued this sketch of a woman believed to be responsible for the abduction of three-year-old Shavar Bain Jr over the weekend.

Full story - Page 2

‘TORTURED ROBBER’ WINS RETRIAL

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE Court of Appeal has ordered a retrial for a former “most wanted” armed robbery suspect because his lawyer went contrary to his instructions to inform the court he was beaten by police to confess to a gun heist.

Appellate Justices Jon Isaacs, Stella Crane-Scott and Sir Michael Barnett

SHEM EDWARD SOLOMON ordered a retrial for Shem Edward Solomon because his lawyer “unilaterally”

SERVICE RESUMES FOR HAITI ILLEGALS

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

changed his instructions that his confession was forced. And, as the alleged confession was the only evidence against him, the appellate judges said it was “incumbent” on his attorney, whose name was not mentioned, to strive to not have them exhibited during trial.

The appellate judges further noted that Solomon’s attorney’s claims that

WITH Haiti’s civil unrest “quieting down”, Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield yesterday confirmed repatriations to the country will resume “as soon possible”, noting the government is concerned about the detention centre’s capacity.

Mr Henfield also said the Bahamian embassy and consulate staff returned to Haiti yesterday morning with the country’s embassy in Haiti to reopen in “short order”.

SEE PAGE SEVEN

SEE PAGE FIVE

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

PAGE 2, Thursday, February 21, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Happy birthday, Sir Sidney

THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force paid special tribute to Sir Sidney Poitier on his 92nd birthday, producing a video collaboration set to the theme song of the British film bearing the same title, To Sir With Love, in which Sir Sidney played the leading role.

Sir Sidney in Grand Bahama - Page 8

POLICE RELEASE SKETCH OF WOMAN IN SHAVAR HUNT

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

POLICE yesterday issued a sketch of a woman believed to be responsible for the abduction of three-year-old Shavar Bain Jr over the weekend.

A statement was circulated around 1:30pm alongside calls for the public’s assistance with any information that could help them identify the suspect.

Shavar Jr was taken from outside his home at South Beach Estates as he rode a bicycle shortly before 6pm Saturday.

A witness to the abduction said he saw the child taken off his bicycle by two women, who put him in their car and sped away from the scene.

The toddler was dropped off outside of the Sunrise Wash house at the intersection of Fox Hill and Joe Farrington Roads shortly after 7am Sunday.

While very little is known

about the woman police are looking for, she is described as heavy built with a light brown complexion.

Reports over the weekend highlighted the use of silver car at both the scene of the abduction and the location where young Shavar Jr was dropped off.

No other details related to the case have been made public.

Police have come under fire from members of child’s family who have alleged that they were violated and, in the case of his father, beaten by officers.

In a interview with The Tribune earlier this week, Shavar Jr’s mother Dwaynira Thurston, accused authorities of beating her boyfriend in the hours their son was missing.

According to Ms Thurston, Shavar Bain Sr believes the beating was more severe because the officer delivering most of the blows were also allegedly drinking alcohol.

TRIPLE SHOOTING

POLICE were at the scene of a triple shooting last night in Yellow Elder at the junction of Lightbourne Avenue and Seymour Street. All three people were taken to hospital but their condition is unknown. For the latest on the story, go to tribune242.com

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, February 21, 2019, PAGE 3

On the right road from page one speeds where there are safety concerns for a particular thoroughfare.

The same hefty fine will apply where there are obstructions to public roads, but an additional $5,000 will be enforced for every day the nuisance continues.

Mr Bannister moved the amendments in the House yesterday, telling members he recently saw infractions in two Family Islands that would warrant the new fine.

He placed much of the blame for the country’s pothole problem on utilities that cut into the roads but do not restore them back to their original state.

“I want the utilities to know of their vicarious liability for the actions of their service from independent contractors,” Mr Bannister told Parliament.

“Mr Speaker, this is a welcomed amendment because, as I have indicated, utilities have by and large been too lax in restoring roads properly. This amendment will bite them in the pocket book if they are lax and will ensure that they pay attention to the safety needs of road users.”

Mr Bannister said no matter the material from which a road is constructed, overtime it will require maintenance and at times requires reconstruction.

But this, he said is exacerbated when roads are cut into or weakened, which Mr Bannister said was the driving force behind the amendments.

“So, for example, utility companies have to cut trenches to affect new installation or repair existing installation and consequently the majority of the potholes, which form in our roads are the result of poor trench reinstatement practices.

“Majority of them are caused by people who cut into the roads for good purposes and don’t restore them properly. As a result of these challenges, my ministry has created a pothole hotline which is monitored by dedicated officers who have been able to respond quickly to hundreds of calls complaining of potholes.

“For the benefit of those who have not recorded the number of the pothole What’sApp line the number is 376-0939. Nobody should be calling the minister about potholes. Send it to our What’sApp line and you will get urgent and immediate response “My ministry has also developed an updated standard specification for the reinstatement of trenches and training courses will shortly be held for all utility companies for the in house work crews and those contractors who are hired by utility companies.

Certificates of completion will be coming at the end of the training and persons who have not obtained such a certificate will not be granted approval to undertake work on public roads.”

Mr Bannister said there will be a lengthy list of changes to the Road Act which will hold road users responsible for their actions, allowing the government to better tend to the roughly 800 miles of road in New Providence and those all over the Family Islands.

“Section Seven of the current act gives the minister authority to make

Utility companies are facing fines of up to $10,000 if they don’t get their act together

WORKS Minister Desmond Bannister in the House yesterday. regulations or to post notices imposing restrictions on the use of roads. So the minister has the power to prohibit the passage of certain categories of vehicle or vehicles in excess of a particular weight or to restrict vehicles on that road to a maximum speed which is less than the maximum speed that is posted in the Road Traffic Act,” Mr Bannister.

“When someone contravenes such regulations, a notice or the notice of fine is currently $75 so you see why people do it with impunity. We all appreciate that where the minister restricts the use of a particular road or provides for certain maximum speeds on that road, there must be safety concerns so a fine of $75 is totally inadequate. This amendment increases that fine to $10,000.

“So where persons wantonly disregard such notices they will now be required to pay a sum to ensure they will not repeat the offence.

“I want to emphasis that where the minister posts a notice and that notice is

disregarded the fine now will be $10,000.

“Section nine of the act is directed at people who make excavations in or under the roads. Most often we find utilities cutting into the roads for any number of reasons and my colleagues at the various utilities companies know how annoyed I get. I go on any number of roads and they get calls from me when I drive around New Providence and see how people have just carelessly cut into the roads no concern for the motoring public and then leave the roads as they are.

That’s a huge concern.”

He continued: “Most often we find the utilities cutting into the roads for any number of reasons.

The law requires them to first obtain the consent of the minister but they don’t do it because the fine for excavating a road without consent is only $75. Mr Speaker, this amendment does several things.”

First it provides an application form in the schedule for anyone who wishes to excavate a road. This form

must be completed and submitted with the prescribed fee for the minister’s approval. The Ministry of Public Works will then issue a permit, which will give permission to excavate the road.

Mr Bannister said technical officers will review the applications and they will begin doing that as soon as this bill becomes law. Once they are satisfied that the proposed work can be carried out safely and in a timely manner that excavation permit will be issued upon payment of the prescribed fee.

There will also be mandatory trench reinstatement training for selected contractors who will be required to have completed a pre-qualification exercise.

Applicants will also be required to have their application certified by Bahamas Power and Light, Water and Sewerage, Cable Bahamas and Aliv confirming the utilities will mark out the existing services in the area of the proposed excavation. They also further required to will have a representative on site while the work is in progress.

Applicants must also have certification that the police are aware of the location and will assist as necessary to minimise any traffic disturbance.

“The second thing that this amendment does is that it creates consequences for anyone who excavates a road without permission or does not restore roads properly. We do that by increasing the fine for those offences from $75 to $10,000 and the person will also be liable to additional penalties that may be imposed by the minister.

“Thirdly, where someone

‘MAYDAY’ AIRCRAFT REMAINS MISSING from page one

“Information is very sketchy right now,” he said in response to questions about the incident.

“If it did happen, it just happened and I just reached out to the Air Accident Investigation Department who has remit for such matters and they are investigating.”

Mr D’Aguilar said the limited information he had obtain suggested a plane had gone missing and authorities were looking into it.

He added: “…In social media it is going around that this plane is

missing. And I alerted the Air Accident Investigation Department and they are looking into the matter. So as more information becomes available; it is very much if something did indeed happen, it is very much in the earlier stages and there is nothing new to report.”

“As you can imagine, Inagua is quite a remote part of The Bahamas, so mobilising resources to find out about such incidents is probably slower than if it was up here in Nassau.”

The US Coast Guard, for its part, when contacted for further information indicated that an

aircraft from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) received a distress message from an unidentified aircraft at some point yesterday morning.

That aircraft then relayed that message to US Coast Guard personnel in the area, who subsequently notified local search and rescue bodies.

Up to 1pm yesterday, the US Coast Guard’s regional media office said it was still working to gather “what we can.”

Meanwhile, calls placed to local aviation officials by The Tribune yesterday yielded no new information.

does in fact excavate the road legally they must immediately and immediately means immediately, they must immediately after the work has been done and must restore the surface to the satisfaction of the minister. Until they have fully restored the road they must take all necessary precautions to prevent injury, damage or loss to any person using the roads.

“This provision is particularly important because people frequently write to the Ministry of Public works to seek compensation for damage to vehicles or injury caused by

improper restoration,” Mr Bannister said.

No one will be allowed to remove or cause or permit the removal of any sand earth or rock from the sea cost or any such place within in 100 feet of the sea at high water mark.

The current law says 20 yards, but the change will be amended to 100ft.

“To the unlawful excavation that I saw recently in Exuma and I was really disappointed in what I saw.

And that cause for several challenges that we saw in Eleuthera will now face a fine of $10,000 instead of $75,” Mr Bannister said.

PAGE 4, Thursday, February 21, 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

On the right road, at last DRIVING to The Tribune last week along Shirley Street, there it was. A crater in the road just near the entrance to the Harbour Bay Shopping Centre.

Cars whose drivers saw it in time swerved around it, jamming up close to traffic in the adjacent lane and causing everyone to slow down. Those who didn’t see in time rattled their bones and their car’s parts as they juddered across the shattered roadway.

It’s nothing new, of course. This isn’t the first hole in the road, it won’t be the last. So often we see a chunk of road cut open and hastily or badly patched that we all hunker down behind our steering wheels, watching for a road surface that looks closer to the landscape of the moon and trying to avoid our own crash landing.

It’s a problem so frustrating because even the companies need someone to tell them what a parent would tell a child. Tidy up after yourself!

Companies that come along and dig holes in the road too often fail to tidy up afterwards, leaving gaping holes ready to crack an axle or burst a tyre – or fill it in with sand that wind and traffic soon scatters far and wide.

So long entrenched is this problem that it’s even immortalised in song eight years ago, Abaco musician Geno D first sang “De roads dem dig up” to frustrated drivers.

Dig up here, dig up there – and barely filled in anywhere. Release that tune

again, Geno D, little has changed except which holes and where.

Though maybe hold off a moment, because at last there might be the start of a remedy for our traffic toils.

With companies having failed to live up to instructions even their parents would give them, the government has stepped up the punishment they face.

The amendments to the Road Act passed yesterday bring a new round of punishments.

Fail to fill in the road now? That’ll be a fine of $10,000.

Dig into a road without a permit?

That’ll be $10,000.

Every day you leave a hole in the road unrepaired? That’ll be an extra $5,000.

Presumably so many contractors or repair crews failed to do a proper job or fix the road afterwards because there wasn’t a financial incentive to do so. Time is money, so why spend time on something with no financial reward? Especially when the previous fine was a paltry $75. Well, now a real financial penalty will prove the incentive.

It’s now up to the Ministry of Public Works to follow through. Utilities can rightly expect quick approval for necessary repairs – and that the penalty for those in breach of the rules is fairly applied to all. If the ministry can ensure that, then we dearly look forward to the day our journeys might rattle our teeth a little less often.

You should be telling the House, Dr Minnis PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis tells he will at last talk about the Cabinet ministers involved in the Frank Smith trial.

After calls from the Opposition for Dr Duane Sands and Marvin Dames to resign or be fired, Dr Minnis says he will address that tomorrow.

He won’t address those matters to

Parliament – with the House not sitting tomorrow. Instead, he’ll be at an event in Grand Bahama again at FNM headquarters.

If Opposition MPs are calling for answers, it would seem the House would be the place to give them. You’ll forgive us if we don’t hold our breath for a substantial reply in front of party faithful.

Wrong place for bank EDITOR, The Tribune SO THE most prime site in downtown Nassau has been transferred for the new Central Bank Building? Surely with any sense the Victoria Hotel site should have been allocated to new buildings for the Senate and House of Assembly, with annexed individual offices for MP’s and support staff and say a Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with appropriate reception facilities for visiting dignitaries? More

than enough room…there would still be room for a public garden.

Central Bank should be on the Post Office site with the Law Courts. There is considerable land available, the footprint of the existing Post Office, plus land to the west and back to Police Headquarters. Again bad thinking or the total lack of consideration.

If the FNM is, or might have been transparent, ask the People. For as they say – This is the People’s Government, this decision

should have been put to the People, to approve, not the 20-odd Cabinet Ministers!

Am I hearing correctly, the Special Town Planning Committee for the City of Nassau, has approved 8-10 story buildings in the redevelopment plan for the Nassau Waterfront? Well it is obvious that this Government has zero sense as to what the tourist wants to see!

P SAWYER Nassau February 17, 2019

I like a good joke, too READERS have been giving their reactions to the stories making the news this week on tribune242.com.

After Bahamas Power and Light chairman Donovan Moxey said there should be no issues in the coming summer months when consumers will use more electricity, Hrysippus posted this comment: “I do so like a person who can tell a good joke with a straight face, but isn’t this joke getting a little bit worn out from being told so often?”

The news that hundreds of Bahamas Power and Light customers in the Family Islands could be disconnected for failure to adequately pay their bills, prompted Sheeprunner12 to say: “BPL needs to let the Out Islands go green . . . no need for them to be on dirty oil. That is the first energy reform that

Bannister can do . . . right now!!!!!!”

Ohdrap4 responded to that with this comment: “Solar energy is far from green, the batteries do not run on algae.”

Which prompted Kairosmatt to say: “Well if the government would make it legal to sell back to the grid you wouldn’t need batteries because the grid itself would be storage. It’s not that it’s dangerous, it’s that they want every single Bahamian shackled to their antiquated, oil generating scam that enriches the government.”

There was this from

VDSheep: “If these centralised, polarised governments (PLP & FNM) can divorce their centralised, colonial mentality away from putting most investments into New Providence and start diversifying the country’s development outside of New Providence, we can and will do better. Make all alternative energy apparatus duty and tax free; create agencies to help with financing; teach various alternative energy disciplines in university; build a national agency for developing and executing a national policy for alternative energy; cut down and stop dependence on corruptive fossil fuel to drive energy – If only we could have good leadership that can see the future – now!”

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

Politicians should stick to cutting ribbons ... and employ experts EDITOR, The Tribune FOR the past several years we have been bombarded in the press, on the radio and on television, about the atrocious state of the General Post Office on East Hill Street.

Perhaps a brief history of this building might be of interest to your readers.

The “new” Post Office was designed by the same Jamaican firm of architects, who designed the first phase of the Central Bank.

There was nothing wrong with the design, except that it did not include any elements of classic Bahamian architecture. The structural design was good.

The completed plans for the building were put out to bid. The company that submitted the lowest bid was Taylor Woodrow, an English-based firm who had undertaken huge civil engineering and building contracts, throughout the western world. In the opinion of many professionals, Taylor Woodrow was one of the finest construction companies in the world at that time.

Taylor Woodrow’s bid was rejected, because some politician reported that they were involved in litigation, with the government of some African country. It is my opinion that their bid was rejected, because their agent in The Bahamas was the Hon. RT Symonette,

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net the first Premier of The Bahamas.

For some unknown reason, Senator the Hon Dame Doris Johnson, who was Minister of Transport, became instrumental in the awarding of the contract to a company called Earlee Construction Company, which had recently been incorporated. Dame Doris Johnson’s very good friend, PA Strachan, was a principal in Earlee and was part of the site management team.

The construction of the Post Office was a start and stop contract, with periods of work followed by long periods of no work.

Earlee was a company not experienced in handling or executing a large contract.

In fact, the contract became a laughing matter among people with a knowledge of construction. The setting out of work was poor, and the quality of the work was even worse. Sand recently dredged from the Bahamian sea was used in some of the concrete and in the stucco throughout the contract. As a result, the rebar eroded and spalled of the concrete.

According to a friend of mine, who was at the opening of the new Post Office, Dame Doris gave

an inspiring speech. She purportedly said that Rome had the Coliseum, Egypt had the Pyramids, Athens had the Parthenon and The Bahamas now had this marvelous building. Unfortunately, Dame Doris did not live long enough to see her magnificent building, virtually abandoned and slated for demolition, less than 50 years after the grand opening.

Other buildings in Nassau, built by experienced contractors many years before the Post Office, are still in pristine condition. Look at Norfolk House on Frederick Street, Claughton House, the Sassoon Building (now occupied by Graham Thomson) on Shirley Street and the Bernard Sunley Building on Bay Street, as good examples of well designed and well constructed buildings.

The lesson to be learned from this story, is that all large and/or complicated buildings, should be designed and executed by experienced professionals. Let the politicians cut the ribbons and make the speeches. If that advice is followed, hopefully there will not be any more buildings like the Post Office in the future.

JOHN A WANKLYN, P.E. Nassau February 18, 2019

Nassau comes first EDITOR, The Tribune WE HAVE to thank Carnival for their staying power, in their new cruise Port proposal for Grand Bahama, as many investors would not have waited two plus years from signing an MOU early in 2017, with a Government to finalise and obtain approvals. Why? This is what is the criticism of the process of obtaining approvals. This is why for two years over 1000 Grand Bahamians lost the potential of employment - were unable to live a life closer to acceptable.

Finally the Carnival Grand Port, has been approved, but I do not give too many kudos to the Minnis government on process and expediency and they should not gloat.

This project could save Grand Bahama. If as what it seems the port will hub cruise ships. In simple terms cruises will start and finish in Grand Bahama.

This means that passengers will fly into Grand Bahama.

More passengers arriving, the cost of operation of Grand Bahama International Airport will drop.

In-land transportation

- perhaps a night pre-cruise and possibly a night post cruise in a hotel. When dealing with mega ships, this could be enormous.

I hope government has insisted and will make it a provision in the Heads of Agreement, that a least e-mega ships originating from Grand Port will use Nassau as its first port of call. Imperative if you want revitaligation of Nassau, downtown, etc. That is a given.

W THOMPSON Nassau February 6, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, February 21, 2019, PAGE 5

ANOTHER 80 MIGRANTS DISCIPLINED BY COURTS

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

MORE than 80 migrants have been convicted for entering the country illegally or overstaying their visa this week.

Seventeen Haitians, 15 men and two women, all pleaded guilty to a single count of illegal entry before Magistrate Kara TurnquestDeveaux yesterday.

Of that number, two men, Ethony Presumé and Dumex Petit Frere, of Gros-Morne and Limonade, respectively, were fined $1,500 and $1,000.

Petit-Frère faces nine months in prison while Presumé faces six months if the fines are not paid. Presumé, according to

immigration officials, was previously deported and placed on the restricted list, and as of his arrest last week, there is no record of him entering the Bahamas since his expulsion.

Three others, Ronal Jacques, Rock Wiskens, and Kenny Octelus, were each fined $1,000 after being caught on Friday as having previously entered the country illegally by boat sometime between 2016 and 2018.

Nine other Haitians - eight men and one woman, were charged with illegal entry after being apprehended during a joint operation in Eleuthera on Friday.

On Tuesday, three Haitian men were remanded to the Department of Correctional Services for six months after being unable

to pay a $1,000.00 fine for illegal entry. Odnel Marion, John Veus, and Gary Philistin appeared before Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux on Tuesday, with 56 other Haitian migrants.

All the defendants pleaded guilty to the offence of illegal entry and were subsequently convicted. In the case of Marion, Veus and Philistin, Magistrate Turnquest-Deveaux handed down her ruling after the three were identified and documented as having been previously deported. Unable to pay their fines, the three were remanded to prison.

The remaining 56 Haitians were turned over to the Department of Immigration for further processing and deportation.

Meanwhile, a Jamaican woman

was fined $1,000 yesterday for turning what was supposed to be a 45-day visit to The Bahamas into a near two-year stay, and then trying to dupe law enforcement officials when they finally caught up with her about it.

Shenae Samantha Hill entered the Bahamas legally on June 13, 2017, and was given 14 days to be in the country. She was subsequently granted a 31-day extension, dated from June 27, 2017 to July 28, 2017.

Last week Friday, a group of immigration, Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) and Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) officers went to Cess Place Restaurant and Bar on Soldier Road, and found the 29-year-old locked in the kitchen area.

Hill pleaded guilty to the one count of overstaying and Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux fined her $1000 for her actions.

Failure to pay the fine would result in nine months imprisonment. Upon payment of the fine or completion of the sentence she is to be surrendered to immigration officials to be deported.

Haitian Duken Charles was also fined $1,000 for overstaying in The Bahamas.

Charles pleaded guilty to the offence and was consequently convicted and fined $1,000. He faces six months imprisonment if the fine is not paid.

Once either the fine is paid or he serves his sentence, he will be turned over to immigration officials for deportation.

Deportations to return ‘as soon as possible’ from page one Last weekend, the government announced the temporary closure of the Bahamian embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and the temporary suspension of deportations to that country.

In separate statements, both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) pointed to the increase in violent protests across the capital city of Port-au-Prince as a major factor in their decisions to suspend diplomatic services indefinitely.

Mr Henfield provided updates on these matters outside the House of Assembly yesterday.

“The ambassador and his team returned to Haiti this morning (Wednesday) on Bahamasair and so we anticipate the Embassy to be open in short order so we can begin repatriations and doing our regular consular and service business,” he said, noting the ambassador’s team consists of four individuals.

When asked if concern about the unrest has died down, Mr Henfield told The Tribune: “From what we’re understanding, things are kind of slowly returning to normal and we want to be in position so that if our embassy staff can operate that they be in a position to operate”.

“From what we’re seeing, things are kind of quieting down. The airports are open, the only flight that wasn’t flying to Haiti was Air Canada, I don’t know when they’re going to resume. We had indications that there were no impediments to the airport.

“We also understand that government offices are opening again, schools are reopening, so things are kind of returning to normal in Haiti and so we’re comfortable that they’ll be okay.”

The Foreign Affairs minister went on to address the capacity of the Detention Centre and repatriations.

DARREN Henfield speaking in the House of Assembly.

“We were concerned and we remain concerned about the capacity at the detention centre,” he said. “And so of course we’re going to resume repatriations as soon as possible, hopefully this week.”

Mr Henfield said for repatriations to continue, “It’s just a matter of the Haitian government being able to receive them for us to able to do what we do.

“We construct a list, we send it to the Haitian government, they approve the list, and a repatriation flight is put on.”

When asked if he could speak to whether a Detention Centre base has been established in Inagua as yet, Mr Henfield replied: “I could not— I know instructions were passed that we put ourselves in a position

POLICE INVESTIGATE APPARENT SUICIDE

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are investigating an apparent suicide that happened on Tuesday.

According to officials, shortly before 10pm an adult man was discovered at his Malcolm Allotment apartment with injuries to his head. Paramedics were called to the scene, but could not revive him.

An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.

Meanwhile in other criminal matters, a firearm was discovered in the Eight Mile Rock area this week, a senior police official reported on Wednesday.

ASP Terecita Pinder reported that Drug Enforcement Unit officers acting on information went to an area in Martin Town, Eight Mile Rock, where they found a 9mm pistol with nine rounds of ammunition.

She said that no arrest made and investigations are continuing into the matter.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

to be able to operate a detention centre in Inagua at very short notice.

“All of the agencies and ministries concerned with the operations of the detention centre were notified: Ministry of Health, Ministry of National Security, Ministry of Social Services, my ministry, and so we were in position to lift and go.

“You understand that we have a Defence Force base at Inagua. In that yard there’s a facility built for NEMA, which is quite a substantial warehouse with accoutrements in it that we could readily use for a detention centre.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also released a statement yesterday addressing the end of the temporary closure of the embassy Port-Au-Prince.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, following up on its release of 15 February 2019, takes this opportunity to advise the general public that, following the required consultations, the diplomatic and consular staff of the Embassy of The Bahamas in Port-au-Prince have returned to the Haitian Capital and have resumed their normal diplomatic functions and consular services,” the statement reads.

“The Ministry will continue to monitor developments on the ground and keep the general public informed of the same, accordingly.”

This recent round of violence in Haiti occurred after months of anti-corruption demonstrations over

the disappearance of almost $4bn. The funds, set aside through the controversial Petrocaribe deal between Haiti and Venezuela over the last two-plus decades, was earmarked for social development before going missing.

The protest was championed under the slogan “Kot kob Petrocaribe a?” or “Where is the Petrocaribe money?”.

The demonstrations virtually shutdown several business and administrative districts in Port-au-Prince; including the neighbourhood Haitian President Jovenel Moise calls home.

Earlier this month, protesters stoned President Moise’s home, resulting in a clash with police that left at least one demonstrator dead.

EIGHT ARMED MEN DETAINED IN HAITI COULD BE SENT TO US PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti Associated Press AN OFFICIAL with Haiti’s communications ministry said yesterday that eight men, including five US citizens, who authorities say were detained over the weekend with automatic weapons and other arms could be transferred soon to the United States.

Yves Paul Leandre issued the brief statement but provided no other details. The men were being held in jail after police arrested them Sunday in Port-au-Prince while allegedly traveling with the weapons in cars without license plates. It is unclear whether they have attorneys.

Police spokesman Michel-Ange Louis-Jeune has said the men told police they were on a “mission,” but they refused to say anything else except that they would call their unidentified bosses. Louis-Jeune said in a phone interview that he had no further information and that the investigation continued.

The US State Department has said it was seeking consular access but declined further comment.

Pierre Esperance, director of the National Human Rights Defense Network, said that a former Haitian government official was demanding that police release the men shortly after their arrest. He added that he does not believe what the government has said about the situation so far and that an in-depth investigation is needed.

“I wish the Haiti justice system and the police would do their work without any pressure, and that they make the right decision to protect the citizens,” he said.

Jean Clarens Renois, a former journalist and presidential candidate, also called for a transparent investigation. “When you have many armed people coming into the country so easily, you should be concerned,” he said in a phone interview, adding that the arrests came as top government officials are fighting among themselves over power.

PAGE 6, Thursday, February 21, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

INVESTOR CONFIDENCE ‘GROWING IN GRAND BAHAMA’

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

building in the country. “The same confidence that CGI is showing in moving ahead with its new headquarters in Freeport, is the same PRIME Minister Dr Hubert confidence that Bahamian and Minnis said the groundbreak- international investors are showing for a new $4-million Colonial ing as a part of the revival of Group International (CGI) Grand Bahama, he told the small Building in Freeport yesterday gathering. indicated a growing investor con“This is the very same confidence in the revival of Grand fidence that we are seeing in Bahama’s economy. the bids to purchase the Grand The 12,000 sq ft struc- Lucayan, the temporary purchase ture will be built on 1.5 acres of which by the Government of of prime commercial prop- The Bahamas, was absolutely erty on the Mall Drive. necessary.”

CGI businesses include AtlanDr Minnis said that after so tic Medical Insurance, Colonial many long decades of downturn Pensions Ltd., and Security & and economic stagnation, the General Insurance & Nassau revival of Grand Bahama has Insurance Brokers Agents. begun.

Dr Minnis noted the $4m invest“We have a very long way to ment represented CGI’s second go,” he said. “In politics, like in

life, you can’t please everyone.

And if you try to please all the people all the time, you’re not doing your job right.”

Dr Minnis recalled critics who said his administration’s hard work to revitalise Grand Bahama would not be fruitful, adding recent announcements and other possibilities on the horizon, some people were now saying that the revival of Freeport and Grand Bahama was bad news for Nassau.

Dr Minnis believes that there is a lot of room for growth in tourism in general, including cruise ship tourism, that both Freeport and Nassau will greatly benefit from new ports.

He indicated that both cities would also benefit from related facilities, amenities and experiences which help to boost revenue

from cruise ship passengers. The cruise lines and international investors, he said, recognise the great potential for both New Providence and Grand Bahama and that is why many companies are willing to invest in The Bahamas in tourism, technology and other sectors.

“New port facilities will mean more jobs and business opportunities for New Providence and Grand Bahama during the construction phases and afterwards,” Dr Minnis added.

“The Bahamas, and the ports of Nassau and Freeport in particular, are prime locations to visit for many millions of cruise passengers, who can sail to the Bahamas quickly because of our location to Florida and the United States,” he said.

I’ll discuss Dames & Sands on Friday, says PM

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net DR HUBERT Minnis said he will address public calls for the removal of two Cabinet ministers involvedin the Frank Smith bribery and extortion trialtommorow.

His comments came as Health Minister Dr Duane Sands broke his silence over the matter, calling for his resignation and called the Opposition’s parliamentary boycott a desperate political ruse yesterday.

The Progressive Liberal Party has called for the resignation and/or firing of Dr Sands and National Security Minister Marvin Dames for their involvement in the case, now set for appeal.

“The PLP finds itself with a serious issue of credibility,” Dr Sands told The Tribune. “They are seeking to revive history by pretending to be who they are not. And as much as the leader of the PLP would

like to disassociate himself from their dismal record, he can’t, because he was the Deputy Prime Minister.

Dr Sands said: “And so the Christie-Davis administration, unless they re-imagine themselves, re-define themselves, will remain and unpalatable option whether they wrap it up in pretty colors or pretend to have the interest of Bahamians at heart.

He continued: “They are operating under that pseudonym but they are neither progressive nor liberal, and they wouldn’t understand those principals if they tripped over them.

Opposition members in both the upper and lower houses have boycotted parliament indefinitely over the matter.

Meanwhile, two backbench Free National Movement MPs have suggested there ought to be repercussions for Health Minister Dr Duane Sands and National Security Minister Marvin Dames’

The Prime Minister added: “People keep telling me that I seem to be in Freeport and Grand Bahama all the time.

Well, let me tell you: I’m here because I believe in Freeport.

I’m here because I believe in Grand Bahama. I’m here all the time to make sure that economic revival of Grand Bahama goes from strength to strength.

“Many people promised plenty times to do plenty things for this island. It was all talk that came to nothing.”

Dr Minnis said he will be back to Freeport on Friday for a groundbreaking ceremony for Grand Bahama Power Company’s Solar Sunrise plant.

For more, see Business

MAIN picture: PM Hubert Minnis; top right: Marvin Dames; below: Duane Sands

involvement in the matter.

When asked by reporters in Grand Bahama about his response to the repeated calls for their removal by the PLP, Dr Minnis said: “The PLP can ask for anything, that is their job. They are the opposition; they have to oppose everything with sense... somethings they say do not have sense.

So for those who listen to us on Friday they will hear.”

The prime minister is expected to address a special meeting in Grand Bahama at the party’s headquarters on West Atlantic Drive on Friday.

The prime minister was also asked about claims made that the government

was going after the PLP, particularly regarding the arrest of former deputy director of Urban Renewal Michelle Reckley of Grand Bahama.

Dr Minnis responded saying: “You are trying to commit to say things today that I am going to say on Friday.”

Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt acquitted and discharged Mr Smith of all 15 criminal charges after finding fault with numerous “inconsistencies” and “discrepancies” in the Crown’s case, which she further said was “undermined” by its own witnesses.

In particular, the chief magistrate said there were

“inherent inconsistencies” throughout the evidence of the virtual complainant in the matter, Barbara Hanna, and that her claims were “manifestly unreliable” and ran contrary to “reason and all common sense”.

Chief Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt also criticised both Dr Duane Sands and Mr Dames for the “egregious” way in which they interacted with Mrs Hanna prior to a police investigation into her claims, charging that their conduct gave the appearance of a “political favour to a curious bystander”.

In response to questions over his involvement in the trial yesterday, Dr Sands

said: “I’m not going to comment on that, there would be absolutely no point in me commenting on it. As long as it’s sub judice I’m not going to comment on it.”

Last week, Centerville MP Reece Chipman and Golden Isles MP Vaughn Miller suggested Dr Sands and Mr Dames should face consequences for their involvement in events leading up to Frank Smith’s bribery and extortion trial.

Mr Chipman told reporters outside the House of Assembly if the Westminster system is what the country follows then “what is good for one should be good for the other”.

For his part, Mr Miller urged the government to treat the ministers the same as he and two others were treated according to the Westminster system, when they were fired for their stance against the government’s decision to increase value added tax last year.

‘LUCAYAN PURCHASE WAS ESSENTIAL FOR ECONOMY’

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday insisted that government’s purchase of the Grand Lucayan Resort was essential to save the Grand Bahama economy, and that he would do it again.

Notwithstanding his own views, and public criticism, on the government’s involvement in the hotel business, Dr Minnis said purchasing the hotel was necessary.

While in Grand Bahama, the prime minister was questioned by reporters about the interests expressed by potential hotel buyers. “I know they are entertaining quite a number of groups, however, I am not intimately involved in the negotiations so I could not give any additional information,” he said.

During his address at the groundbreaking of Colonial Group International building in Freeport, he mentioned that they are seeing confidence in the bids to purchase the Grand Lucayan. He also noted that the temporary purchase by the Government of The Bahamas, was absolutely necessary.

When asked how soon he expects the property to be sold, Dr Minnis did not give a timeframe.

He said: “It has always been my view that government should not be in the

hotel business, however, that was essential to save the economy of GB and whatever is necessary to save the economy of GB as the government that is our responsibility.

“Many people may have criticised us, but if we have to do it again we will do it again because we thought it was essential for GB to continue afloat, and it is time for the vessel to take off,” he said.

The government purchased the Grand Lucaya for $65 million from Hutchison Whampoa last August.

Lucayan Renewal Holdings, the Governmentowned special purpose vehicle (SPV), now owns the Freeport resort as the government seeks a buyer.

The resort property features three brands: Memories, the 500-room Breaker’s Cay, and Lighthouse Pointe.

The hotel closed in October 2016 for repairs after it suffered damage from Hurricane Matthew leading almost 1,000 people to lose their jobs. In November 2016, only the 196-room Lighthouse Pointe reopened.

In February, 164 line staff workers at the hotel who applied for separation deals received their severance pay outs, gratuity and backpay.

Grand Lucayan’s revival, according to Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar is largely dependent on increased airlift to the island.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, February 21, 2019, PAGE 7

RETRIAL FOR ROBBER WHO CLAIMS POLICE BEAT HIM from page one

the reason why he did not challenge the confession-because he did not know the names of the officers who beat his client, “defied all logic”.

According to the ruling, Solomon was convicted of armed robbery on November 20, 2014 and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. It

was alleged he was involved in a gun heist in which a portion of a cash register was taken away.

During the preliminary inquiry and the course of the trial, Solomon maintained he was beaten by the police while he was initially interviewed. And when he gave his evidence at trial, he spoke to the abuse he endured at the hands of police officers.

His attorney at the time was advised of the claims of police brutality, but according to the appellate judges, “unilaterally changed those instructions”, this depriving Solomon of “an opportunity to challenge the confessions in the absence of the jury” and perhaps convince the trial judge that the confessions ought to have been excluded.

The appellate judges further stated that the course of action the lawyer took was not “consonant with reason” as he purported to claim that not knowing the names of the officers who beat his client was the reason he did not proceed into a voir dire.

“The purpose of the voir dire is to ensure that the alleged confession was not

obtained by oppression of any sort,” the appellate judges said.

“It is the duty of the Crown to convince the judge beyond a reasonable doubt that the confession was voluntarily obtained.

They then would produce the witnesses they say were involved with the production of the statement.”

The judges added: “We are satisfied that the

Appellant did not receive the level of representation he ought to and, in the circumstances, that the trial of the Appellant was rendered unfair.

“In the circumstances, we quash the conviction and set aside the sentence.

It is in the interest of justice that there be a re-trial of the Appellant for the offences charged, and we so order.”

Measles scare as child tourist taken to hospital from page one The Bahamas, has not had a case of measles since 1997, according to the ministry, which said the country has been certified as measles free.

In response, the Ministry is currently conducting a campaign targeting all children ten years and younger as well as front line workers such as police, customs and immigration officers, health care workers and hospitality industry workers.

The aim is to increase the national MMR coverage in children and persons at highest risk for exposure.

“Like many countries in the region of the Americas, however, due to increasing numbers of refusals of vaccines and declining national coverage in vaccines, including the MMR vaccine, the risk of transmission of this preventable illness is increasing,” the ministry statement continued.

The penalty for failing to have a child vaccinated

is $4, according to the 159-year-old Vaccination Act of 1860.

As of 2016, only 89 percent of children received the MMR1 vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella – the lowest rate since 2012.

Measles is a preventable vaccine for acute viral illness transmitted by respiratory droplets. The illness is characterized by the onset of fever (as high as 105°F) and malaise, cough, coryza, and conjunctivitis, followed by a distinctive rash referred to as a “maculopapular rash”.

The rash spreads from head to chest and body then to lower extremities. Measles is usually a mild or moderately severe illness.

However, measles can result in complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, and death. A rare longterm sequelae of measles virus infection is subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a fatal disease of the central nervous system that generally develops from 7 to 10 years after infection.

EASTERN AREA HIT

BY LOAD In Loving Memory of SHEDDING, Alexander Scott Rademaker, 48 ADMITS BPL

By RIEL MAJOR

BAHAMAS Power and Light (BPL) carried out another load shedding exercise yesterday that left customers in the eastern area of New Providence without power for almost six hours.

Quincy Parker, BPL’s Director of Public Relations, confirmed load shedding has persisted due to an issue with one of their sub-stations.

Mr Parker said: “We started load shedding at 10.53 am (on Tuesday) and all supplies were back on by 4.42pm and yesterday we had a substation go offline at about 2.19pm and that was in the Palmdale, Wulff Road, Kemp Road, Village Road and Marathon area and power was restored by 3.08pm.

“We are diligently working to ensure that the maintenance of our generation capacity is on schedule in order to reduce the number of load shedding occasions.”

Power to homes on Eastern Road was cut off just after 2pm for the second day running.

Mr Parker said load shedding is not something the company can plan for and usually happens when something interferes with their transmission and distribution system.

He said: “The most transparent path we can take is to inform people when we begin load shedding and say how long it’s going to be because it is not a planned thing.

“It is an inconvenience to everybody so we try to address it as quickly as possible on each occasion.”

of Columbus Cove, West Bay Street, Nassau, The Bahamas, who died at Doctors Hospital, Collins Avenue, Nassau, on Saturday, 16th February, 2019.

He was predeceased by his mother, Janet Rademaker.

He is survived by his father, Chris Rademaker; daughter, Anneliese Lucy Rademaker; brothers, Nicolas Rademaker and Ian Rademaker; sistersin-law, Aisling Rademaker and Lana Rademaker; nieces, Cassy and Emily Rademaker and many other relatives and close friends including Alexandra Klonaris-Ossude, Sasha and Amelia Klonaris, Edward and Jennifer Colson and family, Jeff and Maria Woods, Billy Clarke, Craig Wells, Amos Sanvil, the staff of Harbourside Marine, Paul Mayer, Jimmy and Kim Campbell, Douglas Lorey and Edward Albury.

In lieu of flowers please donate to The Ranfurly Home For Children, P.O. Box N. 1413, Nassau or to Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association (BASRA), P.O. Box S.S. 6247, Nassau in memory of Alexander Scott Rademaker.

THE MINISTRY of Health is currently conducting a vaccination campaign targeting all children ten years and younger as well as front line workers such as police, customs and immigration officers, health care workers and hospitality industry workers.

PAGE 8, Thursday, February 21, 2019 TRIBUTES continue to pour in for beloved Bahamian actor and former ambassador Sir Sidney Poitier, who celebrated his 92nd birthday yesterday. Tribune reporter Denise Maycock recalls his visit to Grand Bahama in the late 1990’s, and canvasses Bahamians from all walks of life on his impact.

B

AHAMIANS far and wide are indebted to Sir Sidney, and the legacy of his immense contribution to the country as a fighter for civil rights, and a proud son of the soil who never forgot his Bahamian roots amid critical acclaim as a world renowned actor.

An international icon and Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Sir Sidney’s voice is unmistakable. It is a voice of strength, hope, and grace. So stirring was his influence that a former Prime Minister credited him for helping the first majority rule government win office in 1967.

Born in Miami, Florida, Sir Sidney grew up in Cat Island as a boy and later moved to Nassau at age 10 with his parents before being sent off to the US at age 15.

He overcame many struggles on his journey to being an actor, but in 1963 he became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field.

“As a little boy who overheard elders speaking respectfully of him,” said Grand Bahamian Harold Alcigair, pictured below, “and in my later mature years, I gained a better appreciation after seeing his late work and then comparing those to his early material.

“I can’t by any measure declare the special admiration of his generation, but I always thought he could have done much more. Nevertheless, what he achieved in that era as a black man, under very restrictive and racist conditions, is noteworthy. We all today have even greater freedom of choice to excel and fewer excuses to fail,” he said.

A massive welcome home motorcade was held through the streets of Nassau for Sir Sidney, who was also honored at a gala dinner at the British Colonial Hotel.

Sir Sidney’s visit to Grand Bahama in the late 1990s, when he was appointed Ambassador to The Bahamas for Japan, was truly memorable for me as a young reporter.

He toured industrial developments, including Freeport’s mega container port and other major projects on the island.

Many people came to see him, to talk to him, shake his hand, get his autograph,

THE TRIBUNE

To Sir Sidney,

SIR Sidney pictured during a visit to Grand Bahama in the 1990s. Tribune reporter Denise Maycock stands next to him, on his left. and take pictures with the iconic Bahamian actor. It was a surreal moment for me to be standing next to Sir Sidney, who was this towering, graceful man that did not flaunt his celebrity status.

The Tribune spoke with Bahamians from all walks of life about their views of Sir Sidney and what he’s meant to them and The Bahamas.

“Sir Sidney is a giant of a man and we wish him Happy Birthday,” said Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest, MP for East Grand Bahama, who said the actor was an inspiration to many Bahamians who

grew up watching him in films from the 70s, 80s and 90s.

“All of us would recall the extreme pride we felt watching Sir Sidney on the big screen recognising that one of our own was acclaimed for his professional accomplishments and stature internationally,” Mr Turnquest continued. “His films were not just art but served as inspiration to us locally that we could achieve worldwide renown despite our small island stature.

He was also an inspiration to many black Americans and took an active role in civil rights struggle,” he said.

Eleuthera resident Gustavis Merrick Roker said Sir Sidney represents what one can attain with hard work and preserverence. “As a Bahamian, I am proud of the accomplishments of Sidney Poitier,” Mr Roker said.

“He came from humble beginnings in Cat Island and became the first black actor to win an Oscar at a time when racism was more openly prevalent in American society.

He showed what hard work, consistency, endurance, and perseverance can do.

Mr Roker said: “He has represented The Bahamas as an ambassador by never forgetting his roots even before he had the official title. He is one of the first Bahamians to show we can accomplish great things on the world stage and not be confined by the islands of The Bahamas.”

Former veteran broadcast journalist Pakesia Parker Edgecombe, the MP for West Grand Bahama and Bimini, and parliamentary secretary for Communications and Information in the Office of the Prime Minister also shared her sentiments.

“Sir Sidney Poitier has taken the name of The Bahamas to heights that are immeasurable,” she said.

“The fact that he was the first black actor to win an Oscar, and one who remains revered by many, says a lot about him as a human being. He has always made it known of his heritage and upbringing and never forgot where he came from. We should all be so proud of a man, whom I believe is the epitome of a dream and purpose being fulfilled through the exhibition of pure talent, hard work and love for people and country.”

Sir Sidney has close ties to The Bahamas.

In 2012, as part of the 40th anniversary of The Bahamas’ Independence Celebrations, the northbound Paradise Island Bridge was named in his honor.

During his 89th birthday in February 2016, he was awarded the British Academy Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Fellowship Award. Sir Sidney was moved to tears when Bahamian singer Angelique Sabrina sang the theme song from his movie, ‘To Sir with Love’, during a celebration dinner held in Beverly Hills.

The BAFTA Fellowship Award is the highest honour given by the academy and is awarded to individuals in recognition of outstanding and exceptional contributions to film and television.

Inagua descendant Etienne Farquharson,

82, stated that the Bahamian actor represented a “beacon of hope” for black Bahamians in the 50’s.

“Though I have no personal experience with Sir Sidney, however he represented a beacon of hope for black Bahamians in the 1950s as black political struggle was intensifying,” he said.

Mr Farquharson, who was a young teen at the time, recalled the movie Sir Sidney starred in called No Way Out. He said the showing of the film was disallowed in movie theatres in Nassau which were owned by the White Bay Street Boys. “It was feared the pride and energy the film engendered would inflame the black struggle. After much civil and legal protests the film was allowed at the old cinema theatre on the corner of East and Lewis Streets in Nassau,” Mr Farquharson said.

“This event was a watershed moment and contributed to the political narrative in a singularly way for the emerging drive to Majority Rule some 14 years on. Sir Sidney co-star was white actor, Tony Curtis, and to put this event in an historical context, I was 17 years old.

“My next birthday will be my 83rd,” Mr Farquharson added, “we have come a long way.”

Grand Bahama resident Dave Mackey, pictured below, a former band member of the famous T-Connection, said Sir Sidney was able to broke through the colour barrier at a time when black actors were only cast in menial roles.

“In the history of Hollywood and the roles blacks played, Sir Sidney stands the tallest of them all in a global way. At a time when black actors only got stereotypical roles of servitude, Sir Sidney broke through the colour barrier and not only garnered respectable roles but also attained Hollywood’s highest honor of the Academy Award. For The Bahamas to be linked in such a way this giant of a man is beyond words,” Mr Mackey said.

Sir Sidney left a phenomenal impression on me during his visit to Grand Bahama, and Bahamians will undoubtedly remember his many contributions throughout his acting career, philanthropic works, and service to the country.

Happy 92nd birthday, Sir Sidney.

With love, Denise

To advertise in The Tribune contact 502-2394

THE TRIBUNE

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net AGRICULTURE and Marine Resources Minister Michael Pintard said yesterday his ministry is actively engaging with stakeholders throughout The Bahamas on the matter of “conchservation”, saying his ministry is “absolutely convinced” that conch is under threat.

During his address in Parliament Mr Pintard said his ministry has already made “some adjustments” regarding the preservation of conch. He also said he recently held “extensive discussions” in Long Island on the matter, adding consultations in Nassau are ongoing and his ministry will be moving throughout the Family Islands next month.

In a press release last month, the Chicago-based Shedd Aquarium group revealed its research that Bahamas’ conch population could be wiped out in ten to 15 years.

In the aftermath of these findings, Mr Pintard vowed he would “aggressively

Thursday, February 21, 2019, PAGE 9

‘Conchservation’ now the watchword for us engage” stakeholders regarding conch conservation, including starting dialogue on a possible conch season.

“Mr Speaker, I had the good fortune of travelling to Long Island on the invitation of the Member of Parliament,” Mr Pintard said. “While there, we had extensive discussions with various stakeholders, both those in the fishing community as well as agriculture, (from about) 5:30 in the evening to shortly after 10.

“This also enabled the Ministry to continue its consultation on a number of important fisheries matters, especially the issue of conch-servation as well as preserving the Nassau grouper.

“And so I’m grateful

to the residents of Long Island who have been one of the leading communities in terms of sustaining Family Island life through the fisheries resources, thank them for the valuable recommendations that they made. We have had consultations in Nassau which will continue and we will be moving throughout the Family Islands in the month of March.

“We have already began making some adjustments, Mr Speaker, with respect to preserving conch, and I want to make it absolutely crystal clear: the Ministry having reviewed a number of scientific studies, including those conducted by Bahamian scientists, we are absolutely convinced that much like the Nassau Grouper, though

$10,000 DONATION TO HELP BNT PROTECT CONCH POPULATION

By RIEL MAJOR THE Bahamas National Trust (BNT) received a $10,000 donation yesterday from the real estate company Engels and Volkers.

The donation will go far to support the updating and strengthening the fisheries regulations in the country, according to Colin Lightbourn, Engels and Volkers, who said the company made the generous donation due to their concern over the sustainability of the country’s conch population.

Mr Lightbourn said: “I support what the scientist says…I’ve always been a supporter of the National Trust and the work that the trust does for the environment. I know the ‘conchservation’ is a pretty big topic right now and the grouper and the lobster both have seasons were there breathing periods are protected and there is a lot of discussion around the conch.

“I wanted to put the business sector the NGO sector and the fishermen together and do something and bring support for marine conversation and we are in the real estate business and the real thing now is amenities.

“You look at all the properties and the projects and it’s all about swimming pools, gyms and restaurants but the biggest amenity that we have is the natural environment the marine environment and so I’m hoping to bring attention.”

Gregory Brown, Fishing Association, said at this time the BNT is trying to preserve the conch and to educate fishermen about the importance of conch conservation.

Mr Brown said: “We trying to preserve the (conch) for Bahamians to come. Every tourist that comes to the Bahamas to enjoy conch salad. You have to preserve (the conch) for years to come.”

MICHAEL PINTARD not as severe as the Nassau Grouper, conch is under threat.

Mr Pintard added there are many areas “where the conch reserves are plentiful and not at risk”.

“However,” he continued, “there are some traditional areas where densely populated

communities where the areas where conch would reproduce, those areas have been savaged.

“In some cases by poachers, by sports fishermen (and fishers) from the north but also in some cases by Bahamians. And so we have to come up with a sustainable programme to protect.

Any decision that we make will be based on empirical evidence, it will not be based not on emotionalism or lobbies by any special interest group. We’re going to hear the science, share the science, get feedback from all stakeholders, then make a final determination.

“However, what is clear and has already been done for this season, we have marginally reduced the export of conch and for

those that have been putting too much emphasis on the export, though we believe it is important to focus on, conch export would represent somewhere in the vicinity of one-fifth of all of the conch that’s harvested in the Bahamas.”

Last month, conch conservation measures Mr Pintard said his ministry will be “strongly recommending” will include implementing a minimum lip thickness for conch to be harvested, considering ending conch exports, increasing equipment and personnel available to “ensure compliance” with fisheries laws, and encouraging more participation in the fight against “illegal, unreported and unregulated” fishing practices.

FROM the left: Eric Carey, Executive Director, Bahamas National Trust (BNT), Janet Johnson, president of BNT, Gregory Brown, Mortagu Association, Colin Lightbourne, Engel & Volkers and Lynn Gate, Deputy Executive Director.

Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

PAGE 10, Thursday, February 21, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Lewis lays down the law

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net BULLYING in school is a growing concern and students attending a Student Leadership Symposium in Grand Bahama were encouraged to be heroes and to respect and appreciate others for their differences.

The symposium was held on Tuesday at the Bishop Michael Eldon High School auditorium under the theme, ‘Being a Hero.’

Among the speakers was Iram Lewis, MP for Central Grand Bahama, who shared his own experience of growing up “poor” on a small island cay where he was bullied as a young boy, and how he used it to propel him to the world stage as a two-time Olympic athlete.

“Too many people feel they have to get their way by bullying and humiliating others,” he said. “They are the ones who are weak, and in most cases, they are crying out for help; they use their size and demeanour to portray someone or something they are not.”

Mr Lewis said that in this technology era people use their computer and cell phones now to bully others through texting and posting pictures to hurt others.

“I still chose to believe that behind those tough exteriors they are young men and women that are really afraid. Maybe they are not living up to their parents’ or siblings’ standards; maybe their grades are not what is expected of them; perhaps they aren’t experiencing the level of love in their homes they desire,” he explained.

The MP said that people who feel they are bigger or continuously feel the need to impress others tend to bully by spreading rumours, and physically or verbally attacking others.

“This is not the way to be… I want to encourage you to focus on your

Too many people feel they have to get their way by bullying and humiliating other people achievement. Every one of you can be amazing, and none of you should feel less or intimidated because of someone’s drive, determination, or achievement.

All of you are unique. We spend too much time trying to compare ourselves with others,” he told seminar participants.

He said that while he may not have been the fastest athlete on the track in Atlanta or Sydney at the Olympics, he is the fastest Iram Lewis that the world will ever see.

“Buddy Hield (Bahamian NBA player) will never be Michael Jordan or LeBron James, but there will never be another Buddy Hield no matter how many Bahamians make it to the NBA,” Mr Lewis said.

Mr Lewis said that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was also bullied in school, but he is now a billionaire that everyone admires.

“He was a class nerd whom nobody wanted to

be associated with. Now he is a billionaire that everyone wants to be. They laughed at him and called him a nerd, but a couple of friends in Mark’s class saw the genius in him, they did not tease him.

They saw his ability and embraced him and became his friends, and those same people who embraced him are now billionaires today because they helped form Facebook.”

Mr Lewis told students that there are so many opportunities that are available to them, and said if they learn to accept each other then they too could maybe collaborate and create the next big invention.

“I expect to see outstanding achievements from each of you because God has already given you the gift you need to be incredible and achieve anything you put your minds to,” he said.

“All of you have the ability to be known as someone

IRAM Lewis speaking in the House.

Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff that is noble and of good character. All of you have the ability to stand out as a leader through compassion and concern for others.”

Mr Lewis said that as a young boy growing up in Water Cay they did not have all the modern conveniences in Grand Bahama such as electricity and hot running water.

There was only one generator on the entire island which ran for just a few hours a day.

“This meant I had to organize myself and plan my activities knowing that I only had a tiny window of opportunity to use the light.

It taught me organisational skills and how to plan.

When I wanted to take warm baths, we put the tub in the sun to heat the water, and I am not ashamed to say it. However, this taught me how to appreciate the gifts that God made available for me and you,” the MP said.

Mr Lewis said they had to get in a little dinghy boat

to Grand Bahama to purchase groceries, and trek back through a dirt road, and take the dinghy back to Water Cay some times in adverse weather conditions.

“People may call it a hardship, I call it building character. Nothing in life comes easy, and if we really want something in life it requires hard work and determination,” he told students.

Mr Lewis said that he was also teased as a youngster. “I was very skinny and they called me knockknee boy…big nose. The same knock-knee boy they called I was able to use that because on two occasions in 1996 and 2000 I had the privilege of participating in the Summer Olympic games. I used what they said to propel me on the world stage.

“This little boy from Water Cay who started from humble beginnings went on the world stage to represent my country and competed against

almost every country in the world.”

Although he did not win a gold medal, Mr Lewis said that being able to step foot in the arena and standing on the track at the Olympics Games in Atlanta and Australia were experiences he will never forget.

Mr Lewis, who is a certified architect, said that of all his achievements, the greatest honour and responsibility had been the opportunity to serve his country and fellow Bahamians.

“I have an awesome privilege of serving my country and serving you as an MP. Many do not understand how much of a privilege it is to serve each other. It takes courage to serve; courage to put your own will aside and to look after the needs of others. Serving is not a sign of weakness; it is an amazing ability of strength.

He told students to look deeper into themselves and recognise that they all have the ability to be a hero.

26 ½” X 26”

$126.79

37” X 38 3/8”

$155.36

37” X 50 5/8”

$178.57

38 3/8” MULLION

$10.00

50 5/8” MULLION

$16.00

12% Vat will be added

1-year limited warranty ~ Same day collection or delivery Available at these fine stores

677-2100

326-4121

393-8165

To advertise in The Tribune contact 502-2394

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, February 21, 2019, PAGE 11

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net CARMICHAEL MP Desmond Bannister expressed “profound disappointment” yesterday over the Official Opposition’s boycott of Parliament.

Branding it a voluntary dereliction of duty, Mr Bannister said Bahamians would also disappoint the Progressive Liberal Party when the time comes.

Yesterday marked the second sitting of the House of Assembly in which the four-member Official Opposition was absent.

“Whenever I speak in this place I look forward to hearing from the considered views of members of the Opposition, that’s what democracy is all about, sir,” Mr Bannister said ahead of a one-sided debate on an amendment to the Roads Act, which passed in the lower chamber yesterday.

“Speaker, they have a high constitutional duty to be here and to debate issues that come before this Parliament. They’ve irresponsibly and voluntarily absented themselves, sir, and there is no excuse for that dereliction of duty.

“Members of the opposite side they’re short on memory. Their comments when they were in governance when the now prime minister was suspended from this place and members of this side took certain actions as a result of what they thought was an unfair suspension, led them to make certain comments that they ought now to look back at very seriously and consider.

“Their duty, Mr Speaker, is to be here and I am disappointed and the Bahamian people as a result will disappoint them when the time comes.”

On behalf of the absent opposition, House Speaker Halson Moultrie said he would renew all matters for the minority group. In a brief statement PLP chairman Fred Mitchell said the boycott will continue until the opposition’s point has been sufficiently made.

DESMOND Bannister yesterday.

“The PLP MPs will continue to boycott Parliament today,” Mr Mitchell said ahead of Parliament yesterday. “The FNM continues to allow the administration of justice to be made a mockery. The party will return when the point has been sufficiently made and it is judged to be in the better interests of the Bahamian people.”

“Until then we will continue to meet the people in the streets and in the people’s parliaments around the nation,” he said.

Tall Pines MP Don Saunders further castigated the opposition. He said it was a “crying shame” each of them missed another sitting.

“This honourable place is the House of Assembly and I would be remiss if I don’t

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

start off in the same way that the good member for Carmichael started off to say that it is a disgrace, Mr Speaker.

“It is a disgrace when we come to this place to discuss the people’s business and also to discuss very important business of the people.”

He also said: “I think it’s important work being done in this country that each and everyone of us we were elected to be in this House to speak on their behalf to represent the people.

“It’s a crying shame when the members that I always see in front of me every week they’re not here.

“I want the people of Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador to know that their member of Parliament (Philip ‘Brave’

Absence of PLP is a voluntary dereliction of duty, says MP Bannister

Davis) is absent. I want the people of Exuma and the cays to know that their member (Chester Cooper) is absent today. I want the people of South Andros Mangrove Cay (Picewell Forbes) to know that their member of Parliament is absent again today. The member of Parliament for Englerston (Glenys Hanna Martin) who always stands in this House and says that she is here to represent the people of Englerston and the people of Englerston’s voice needs to be heard.

Where is her voice today?

“It’s a crying shame. If they want you to come to their town hall meetings then tell them to come to work every Wednesday.

Don’t come to their meetings if they did not come to

this honourable House to represent you.”

On February 13, Mr Davis announced the opposition decided to boycott the House in protest of “tyrannical attitudes” in government determined to use prosecutorial powers of the Crown to target PLPs. Mr Davis said the party would not rest until these practises are forever vanquished from society, adding actions at play were not politics, but its criminalisation.

Mr Davis at the time also hit out at the manner in which the case against former Public Hospitals Authority Chairman Frank Smith, who has since been acquitted, was handled. He did not say how long this boycott was expected to last.

“I announce with no pleasure that the PLP parliamentary caucus will boycott the House of Assembly for a period in protest to mark the seriousness of where we find ourselves as a nation.

We will not rest until the tyrannical attitudes and practises are forever vanquished from this society,” Mr Davis said two weeks ago during a press conference.

The press conference at PLP headquarters came shortly after all members of the opposition exited a morning session of the House.

This followed a heated row that erupted when the Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP attempted to raise the matter in Parliament.

PAGE 12, Thursday, February 21, 2019

By THURKA SANGARAMOORTHY Associate Professor of Anthropology University of Maryland

T

HE face of HIV in the United States has long been white gay men, even though the epidemic has had a devastating and disproportionate impact on African-American communities.

This is especially true among women; 60 percent of newly diagnosed cases of HIV in women in 2017 were African-American.

Yet, African-American women’s voices are notoriously absent from the national discourse on HIV. Largely invisible to a fractured health care system, these women are often breadwinners and matriarchs whose families count on them for support and care.

Treatments to help people who are HIV-positive manage their illness and survive into older age have improved greatly, yet the unique health needs of African-American women living and aging with HIV – estimated at about 140,000 – are often ignored.

While many are actively taking medication and receiving care, some do not know their HIV status.

After diagnosis, many have difficulties managing their HIV, which can contribute to their other health challenges.

I have been working on collecting oral histories from many older HIV-positive women in the Washington DC area, where I live and research.

It is my hope that by focusing on the voices of African-American women themselves, we as a country

THE TRIBUNE

African-American women with HIV often overlooked, under-supported are able to better understand the profound impact that HIV has had on black life.

Many believe the HIV epidemic in the United States is nearing an end, in part because increased funding, targeted prevention efforts, and better treatment have resulted in drastic reductions in new HIV-positive cases. Even President Trump, in his recent State of the Union address, discussed his goal of ending HIV by 2030.

I am an HIV researcher, and I can say this is totally unrealistic, especially for African-Americans.

Despite comprising only 12 percent of the overall US population, African-Americans represent 43 percent of all persons with newly diagnosed HIV and 42 percent of all people living with HIV. African-Americans living with HIV are nearly 10 times more likely to be diagnosed with AIDS and over six times more likely to die of complications of AIDS than their white counterparts.

CAVES VILLAGE Premium Office Space for Lease 850 sq.ft. 3 offices, reception, conference room, kitchenette and bathroom, IT closet

$2,975.00 pm.

Inc. CAM + VAT

Contact Mr. Simon Chappell on 327 1575 or 477-7610 Email: simon@cavesvillage.com

African-Americans are also at a higher risk for other health conditions, which can make managing HIV infection more difficult. For instance, African-Americans are twice as likely to die from heart disease and 50 percent more likely to have high blood pressure than whites.

In Washington DC, a place filled with public health experts and policymakers, the HIV prevalence rate is the highest in the nation, exceeding the World Health Organization definition of a generalized epidemic. African-Americans represent a staggering 75 percent of all HIV cases in DC. HIV in Washington DC is a regional epidemic, and crosses the jurisdictional border into Prince George’s County, Maryland. The sprawling suburbs of Prince George’s County are well known for their ranking as one of the wealthiest African-American-majority counties in the nation, but with HIV rates that are four to 10 times higher than those of white adults.

The high rates of HIV in Washington DC and Prince George’s County

SHAWNTE’ SPRIGGS, top, considers herself fortunate to be alive while Toya Tolson of Prince George’s County suffered trauma and abuse as a child only to battle addiction as an adult. reflect a growing public health crisis in the United States, where the disproportionate burden of HIV is increasingly concentrated in the US South. Southern states, where 55 percent of African-Americans live, have the highest rates of new HIV-positive diagnoses, the highest percentage of people living with HIV, and the lowest rates of survival for those who are HIV-positive.

Government investment in the domestic response to HIV tops more than US$26 billion per year, yet these health inequities in HIV

for African-Americans continue to persist. These inequities are due in part to abstinence-only funding to schools with large minority populations and HIV-specific criminal laws, which undermine the health and well-being of AfricanAmericans and perpetuate systems of inequity. Systemic racism in resource distribution, such as concentrated poverty and health care and funding disparities is also a significant driver of the epidemic within African-American communities.

Since the beginning of the

epidemic in the 1980s, African-American women have carried a large burden of HIV, and more than 60,000 lost their lives. But not everyone died. My project of personal narratives of these women suggest that they live with multiple uncertainties brought on by HIV. Many worry about how their health, disability, and eventual death will impact their roles as mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters and wives.

Shawnte’ Spriggs’ story is typical of many AfricanAmerican women living with HIV whom I spoke to.

Many suffered trauma and abuse as children. Like everyone, however, she has her own unique story.

“My family stories are not pretty,” said Spriggs, 45, who grew up in northeast Washington DC, in a neighbourhood with openair drug markets, crime and gang violence. “My mother had a very bad temper. If she had a bad day, or someone teed her off, or one of her boyfriends did something to her, I was abused pretty bad.”

Her father was around only intermittently. She later learned the reason for his disappearances: He was often in prison.

Looking for love and craving protection from her mother, she turned to her godbrother, a caring guardian whom she later married.

Three months into their marriage, beatings began.

The first was in the middle of the night. She woke suddenly. Her ex-husband was still asleep but sat up as if he were awake and punched her in the face.

They both laughed about it in the morning, as if it had been an accident.

The abuse continued.

Eventually Spriggs escaped the marriage. She moved to another state and created a rewarding life.

She even found love again, and remarried. She changed careers. She also became an evangelist, travelling for religious conferences frequently.

In 2010, Spriggs accepted an invitation to speak at a women’s conference in Lynchburg, Virginia. The conference offered health screenings. Some of the women invited her to take an HIV test with them. “Sure, why not?” she thought, wanting to set an example for the young women attending.

The last thing she expected was to test positive.

Her initial reaction was that she was going to die.

She researched to learn more about HIV and began to realize that many people in her life probably died of it even though it was being labeled as something else in the community. She was terrified, especially because she feared returning to the pain and trauma from her past.

“I was so afraid of going to a dark place, from my childhood. I know my triggers,” Spriggs said.

She took action, signing herself up for both inpatient and outpatient mental health care, which helped her with her healing process. She attended HIV support groups, where she was the only woman among gay men.

Spriggs counts herself fortunate. She knows that many others have fewer resources, more responsibilities, and a lack of accessible and culturally appropriate care.

THE TRIBUNE

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A LOCAL advocacy group’s appeal of an order that it pay the government and a US developer $250,000 in security costs before a judicial review of the proposed construction of a marina was postponed yesterday.

The matter was delayed because the judge had just recently provided her reasons for the order.

Responsible Development for Abaco (RDA) is appealing Justice Petra Hanna-Weekes’ November 2017 order for it to pay The Abaco Club $150,000, and government respondents $100,000 ahead of its legal action against the proposed 44-slip private dock at Little Harbour.

And one of RDA’s grounds of appeal is that the judge failed to give any or sufficient reasons for her decision on whether the security costs should be payable in principle so that RDA and the Court of Appeal could determine the basis on which the decision was made.

Additionally, RDA asserts that the issue of whether it should be required to pay security costs at all was not addressed in Justice HannaWeekes’ ruling - only the quantum, or the amount of the security costs was addressed.

To that end, RDA also asserts that the judge also failed to give sufficient reasons for her decision on the quantum. RDA said while a certain portion of her ruling recited “various matters” she had taken into account, it was done with “so little particularity” that the “proper basis for her decision cannot be identified”.

However, on Monday, the day before the substantive appeal was due to be heard, Justice Hanna-Weekes delivered her reasons for making the November 22, 2017 decision, although apologising “profusely” for not providing her reasons in the specified timeline.

Firstly, she maintained that the current case is a

Thursday, February 21, 2019, PAGE 13

Decision delay on whether group must pay for security “proper one” for granting the 12 respondents security for costs, based on the applicability of Order 23 r 1(1)(b), section 285 of the Companies Act (CA), the “relevant principles” laid down by the case law she reviewed, the evidence led and the submissions from both parties.

Concerning the issue of the amount to be paid as security costs, Justice Hanna-Weekes said having considered the nature of RDA’s case and the conduct of the case thus far, and given her 30 years plus experience in preparing, defending and opposing “numerous” bills of costs and hearing and determining “similar applications”, the appropriate award is a “global quantum” of $250,000.

Of that sum, the judge said $100,000 is for the government respondents and $150,000 is to go to the developer’s costs. Justice Hanna-Weekes further stated back in November 2017 that the security costs are to be paid by cash, bond, or letter of credit from a commercially licensed bank within the Bahamas within 30 days of her ruling.

According to court documents, RDA is opposing The Abaco Club’s plans to construct the 44-slip dock, along with a supplies shop, private restaurant, 6,000 square foot covered car park, generator, desalination plant and waste treatment facility.

The proposed development will measure 320 feet across the outside piers, 210 feet between the two parallel main piers, and will extend 270 feet into Little Harbour, with the intent for it to accommodate boats up to 60 feet.

However, RDA fears if the project goes ahead

THE ABACO Club at Winding Bay it will completely change the environment and character of Little Harbour, a 50-home community that runs entirely off solar power.

Besides its environmental concerns, RDA further claims that the government respondents decided not to carry out any, or any proper consultation before making decisions concerning the grants, permits and approvals required before the development can be constructed.

The group further claims that the government respondents have withheld information so as to deprive the group of its statutory rights and/or legitimate expectations to contribute to any consultation process.

RDA’s Vice-President David Pitcairn, in a sworn

affidavit, alleged that RDA sent letters to all of the respondents on December 21, 2015 concerning the issue, and that a response to those letters was requested

by January 2, 2016.

However, Mr Pitcairn claims not a “single reply has ever been received to any of those letters, not even the courtesy of an acknowledgement.”

The group also raised fears that the necessary permits for the proposed development would be granted in secret, thus allowing for work on the proposed development to begin and it in turn becoming a fait accompli, or something that has been decided before those affected hear about it, giving them no choice but to accept it.

The nine government respondents later sought an order pursuant to Section 85 of the Companies Act,

Chapter 308, that RDA pay it security costs totaling $150,000, arguing that because RDA is a “limited liability company,” it would be unable to pay the government respondents if it loses the court case.

The 10th through 12th respondents, namely Abaco Club Investments LLC, Abaco Sporting Club Limited, and Winding Bay Development Ltd subsequently sought an order for RDA to pay security costs in the amount of $350,000, making similar assertions as the government respondents.

According to Justice Hanna-Weekes, Mr Smith’s main contention is that the timing of the application for security for costs has deprived RDA of the time needed to raise funds by gathering donations and selling merchandise to fund the court action, but not that it lacked the ability to raise funds at all. “(RDA) must demonstrate that an order for security for costs will stifle its claim,” she said. “I am of the view that (RDA) has not demonstrated this to be the case”.

PAGE 14, Thursday, February 21, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

TORTOISE FEARED EXTINCT FOUND ON REMOTE GALAPAGOS ISLAND LIMA, Peru Associated Press

A LIVING member of species of tortoise not seen in more than 110 years and feared to be extinct has been found in a remote part of the Galapagos island of Fernandina.

An adult female Chelonoidis phantasticus, also known as the Fernandina Giant Tortoise, was spotted Sunday by a joint expedition of the Galapagos National Park and the US-based Galapagos Conservancy, Ecuador’s

Environment Ministry said in a statement. It said the female is more than 100 years old.

Investigators think there may be more members of the species on the island because of tracks and scat they found. The team took the tortoise to a breeding center for giant tortoises on Santa Cruz Island where it will stay in a specially designed pen.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has the Fernandina Giant Tortoise listed as critically endangered and possibly extinct.

The only other living member of the species was found in 1906, the group said. Since then, expeditions have encountered tortoise scat and bite marks on cacti, and there was a possible unconfirmed sighting in 2009. But Sunday’s discovery was the first confirmed sighting and together with the possibility of finding more members of the species has raised the possibility of breeding.

“They will need more than one, but females may store sperm for a long time,” said Stuart Pimm, a professor of conservation ecology

A CHELONOIDIS phantasticus tortoise on the Galapagos Islands.

at Duke University. “There may be hope.”

Fernandina is the third largest Galapagos island and features the La Cumbre volcano, one of the most active in the world. The archipelago lies in the Pacific Ocean about 1,000 kilometers off Ecuador’s mainland.

In listing the Fernandina tortoise as possibly extinct, the conservation group said on its website that the species may have succumbed to “the frequent volcanic lava flows that nearly cover the island.”

Aid wars: It’s US v Russia in battle to help Venezuela

NOW SMOLLETT CHARGED WITH MAKING FALSE POLICE REPORT

MOSCOW Associated Press

CHICAGO Associated Press

THE Trump administration is accusing President Nicolas Maduro of starving Venezuelans by blocking tons of American-supplied humanitarian aid stored next door in Colombia.

In Russia, the Kremlin sees the opposition’s plan to ram the aid across the border as a reckless pretext for ordering a US military intervention.

As tensions in Venezuela mount ahead of a Saturday showdown over humanitarian aid, both sides are digging in, highlighting how the South American nation’s crisis has become the latest fault line in a battle for global influence by the former Cold War adversaries.

At stake is the future of Venezuela, a once oil-rich country gripped by hyperinflation and widespread shortages of food and medicine. Opposition leader Juan Guaido last month declared himself the country’s rightful president, a claim backed by the U.S. and dozens of other nations that argue Maduro’s re-election last year was fraudulent because several opposition candidates were barred from running.

Russia, long a staunch Maduro ally, has remained firmly behind the socialist leader.

Russian state news agencies said Wednesday that a Russian

HUMANITARIAN aid for Venezuela arrives at the Colombian border. shipment of medicine and medical equipment had arrived in Venezuela. The reports did not give the size of the shipment or say what it contained, though they cited a diplomatic source as saying the delivery was made under the aegis of the World Health Organization.

Hours earlier Maduro had said 300 tons of medicine and other aid was on its way from Russia.

Carlos Romero, an international affairs professor at the Central University of Venezuela, said that Russia’s support for Maduro is

more symbolic than consequential when compared to the intense pressure against the government being exerted by the US in what he called “Washington’s backyard.”

Still, he said the two global powers were on a collision course in Venezuela, making it harder to negotiate a de-escalation of tensions. “The fate of Venezuela is in the hands of outsiders,” said Romero, who has advised Venezuela’s opposition in the past.

“It’s like two trains heading toward one another on the same track

and every day that passes they gain speed.” Guaido has called for “caravans” of tens of thousands of Venezuelans to join forces Saturday to carry the US aid from Colombia into Venezuela, despite Maduro’s objections and the barricading of a key bridge linking Venezuela and the Colombian border city of Cucuta, where the aid is stored.

On Wednesday, Puerto Rico also announced it had dispatched a boat carrying 250 tons of aid earmarked for Venezuela, while Brazil’s farright government said it would send supplies to the jungled northern state of Roraima on Saturday as well. Neither said how it expected to deliver the aid into Venezuela.

The Kremlin has compared the move to the deadly unrest movement in the Ukraine in 2013 that pushed out a pro-Russian president.

“If the organisers really want to just deliver some kind of humanitarian aid to the needy, why not use the specialised UN agencies that have extensive and invaluable experience in carrying out such operations?” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed strong criticism of Washington’s policy on Venezuela, saying that calls this week by President Trump on the Venezuelan military to drop support for Maduro represent a flagrant violation of international law.

ACTOR Jussie Smollett was last night charged with making a false police report when he said he was attacked in downtown Chicago by two men who hurled racist and anti-gay slurs and looped a rope around his neck, police said.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said prosecutors charged Smollett with felony disorderly conduct, an offense that could bring one to three years in prison and force the actor to pay for the cost of the investigation into his report of a Jan. 29 beating.

Authorities were trying to get in touch with Smollett’s attorneys to “negotiate a reasonable surrender,” Guglielmi said. That could involve the actor, who is black and gay, turning himself in to a Chicago police station.

Police did not have a time frame for how long the actor would be given.

“We are trying to be diplomatic and reasonable, and we’re hoping he does the same,” Guglielmi said.

US RULES ALABAMA WOMAN WHO JOINED IS CAN’T RETURN WASHINGTON Associated Press

AN ALABAMA woman who left home to join the Islamic State group in Syria is not a US citizen and will not be allowed to return to the United States, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said yesterday.

In a brief statement that gave no details as to how the determination was reached, Pompeo said Hoda Muthana, who says she made a mistake in joining the group and now wants to return with her 18-month-old son, has no “legal basis” to claim American citizenship.

“Ms. Hoda Muthana is not a US citizen and will not be admitted into the United States,” Pompeo said. “She does not have any legal basis, no valid US passport, no right to a passport nor any visa to travel to the United States.”

Muthana’s status had been considered by lawyers from the departments of State and Justice since her case arose, according to one US official who was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The official would not elaborate but said Pompeo’s statement was based on the lawyers’ conclusions.

An attorney for the woman’s family, Hassan Shibly,

HODA MUTHANA said the administration’s position is based on a “complicated” interpretation of the law involving her father.

“They’re claiming her dad was a diplomat when she was born, which, in fact, he wasn’t,” Shibly said.

Muthana was born in 1994 in Hackensack, New Jersey, the lawyer said.

Most people born in the United States are accorded so-called birthright citizenship but there are exceptions.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a person born in the US to a foreign diplomatic officer is not subject to US law and is not automatically considered a US citizen at birth.

The 24-year-old, who joined the Islamic State after becoming radicalised, says she regrets aligning herself with the terrorist organisation and wants to return to the United States, Shibly said. He said Muthana is putting herself at

risk by speaking out against ISIS from a refugee camp where she has lived since fleeing the group a few weeks ago.

Muthana, who dodged sniper fire and roadside bombs to escape, is ready to pay the penalty for her actions but wants freedom and safety for the son she had with one of two IS fighters she wed, he said.

Both men were killed in combat.

In a handwritten letter released by Shibly, Muthana wrote that she made “a big mistake” by rejecting her family and friends in the United States to join the Islamic State.

“During my years in Syria I would see and experience a way of life and the terrible effects of war which changed me,” she wrote.

After fleeing her home in suburban Birmingham in late 2014 and resurfacing in Syria, Muthana used social media to advocate violence against the United States.

In the letter, Muthana wrote that she didn’t understand the importance of freedoms provided by the United States at the time.

“To say that I regret my past words, any pain that I caused my family and any concerns I would cause my country would be hard for me to really express properly,” said the letter.

BANGLADESH SAYS NO TO BEGUM SHAMIMA Begum is not a Bangladeshi citizen and there is “no question” of her being allowed into the country, Bangladesh’s ministry of foreign affairs has said.

The UK has stripped the 19-year-old - who fled London to join Islamic State - of her British citizenship.

Such a move is only possible if an individual is eligible for citizenship elsewhere. It was thought Ms Begum, pictured right, had Bangladeshi citizenship through her mother. But, in a report by the BBC, the ministry of foreign affairs said the government was “deeply concerned” she had been “erroneously identified” as a Bangladeshi national. In a statement, it

said Ms Begum had never applied for dual nationality with Bangladesh and had never visited the country. It added that the country had a “zero tolerance” approach to terrorism and violent extremism. Ms Begum was a schoolgirl when she left Bethnal Green in 2015, and was found in a Syrian refugee camp last week after reportedly leaving Baghuz - IS’s last stronghold. She gave birth to a son at the weekend and now wants to return home. Ms Begum’s mother is believed to be a Bangladeshi national, and lawyers have told the BBC that under Bangladesh law this means Ms Begum is automatically a citizen of the country as well.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, February 21, 2019, PAGE 15

MOTHER APPEALS FOR FUNDS AFTER CAR ACCIDENT

By RIEL MAJOR

LAKEISHA Curry, a young mother-of-two, is seeking the public’s help to raise funds to help pay for her physical therapy due to a bad car accident.

Ms Curry is in critical need of therapy due to paralysis in her right arm and leg, according to her mother Kenva Whyte, who said her daughter also suffered head trauma resulting in seizures and a stroke. Her GoFundMe page, https://www.gofundme. com/lakeisha-curry-recovery, has raised $200 so far.

Ms Whyte said: “Every time I talk about this it makes me cry.

It’s really hurtful it is very painful. Her face is still twisted from the stroke and for a couple days she couldn’t really say nothing, but she’s trying to say words and you’ll have to try make out what she is saying.

“She has no feelings on her right side at all in the foot and in the hand but every day I massage it and she now has feeling in the foot but not in the hand as yet.”

Ms Whyte said her daughter came out of the hospital last week and is now at home.

LAKEISHA Curry is seeking to raise funds to help pay for her physical therapy

ENERGY ICED COFFEE Iced Coffee + Espresso Shot

POWER BREAKFAST SANDWICH Spinach, Onion & Pepper Egg White, Cheese & Turkey Sausage on a Multigrain Round

www.dunkinbahamas.com @dunkinbahamas

She said: “The Lord told me she would be ok, but it is just hurtful to know what she went through.

Her treatment is supposed to start next week… exercise therapy...she really needs money in that area.”

Unfortunately, Ms Curry doesn’t have any medical insurance and needs assistance for treatments. She will need $20,000 to cover her medical expenses.

Ms Whyte said they would be grateful if anyone can come forward with funds to help with her daughter’s therapy so she can get better. “We would appreciate it,” Ms Whyte said.