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VOLUME:114 No.67, FEBRUARY 27th, 2017

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Ex-MP ‘sought to intimidate judge’ Keod Smith travelled to St Lucia to investigate Supreme Court Justice

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net A FORMER public relations agent for billionaire Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard has confirmed reports that the Lyford Cay resident and his attorney, former Mount Moriah MP Keod Smith, were involved in efforts to intimidate Supreme Court Justice Indra Charles and harass her son.

Earlin Williams, who spent seven years on the “Nygard/Keod Smith public relations machine”, endorsed reports that Mr Smith travelled to St Lucia to investigate Justice Charles, and further claimed that Mr Smith authorised the stalking of her son.

Mr Williams’ claims come amid speculation over whether Justice Charles has recused herself from the ‘murder for hire’ case filed against Mr Nygard and Mr Smith by several Save The Bays directors and independent plaintiff, Rev CB Moss.

“There’s some information I have and I think I need to keep,” Mr Williams told The Tribune. “There’s no need for me to reveal it.

I think it’s already out there in the general public but I don’t want to be smeared with the brush that I was involved in anything untoward which seem to circle, cycle or circumference the child of Justice Charles.

SEE PAGE 11

AMNESTY HITS OUT AT LGBTI DISCRIMINATION IN THE BAHAMAS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

IN its 2016-2017 report on human rights in The Bahamas, Amnesty International has criticised The Bahamas for its “discriminatory” posture towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people and for the country’s rejection of last year’s constitutional referendum on gender equality.

600 MURDERS UNDER THE PLP

“Stigma and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people continued,” the organisation said. “In April, activists founded the group Bahamas Transgender Intersex United. After its first press conference, members of the group reported receiving threats from members of the public.

In May, an MP suggested that transgender people be exiled to another island.”

SEE PAGE SIX

OFFICIALS at the scene of yesterday morning’s murder off Soldier Road - which brought the total killed since the PLP were elected in 2012 to 601.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

By SANCHESKA DORSETT une’s records. five-year Ingraham admin- ton Fernander said the vicTribune Staff Reporter tim was at home with his This also means that 601 istration. sdorsett@tribunemedia.net The PLP, then in opposi- girlfriend and their baby, people have been killed

since the Progressive Lib- tion, campaigned that it had when an armed man broke NEW Providence’s kill- eral Party took office in the answer to violent crime in demanding cash. ing spree continued over May 2012, according to The while the Ingraham admin“Shortly after 3am, the the weekend when two men Tribune’s records. istration did not. It prom- victim who appeared to be were murdered in two sepaAhead of the 2012 gen- ised that if elected it would in this 20s was at his resirate shooting incidents less eral election, the PLP get crime under control. dence with his girlfriend than 24 hours apart.

The latest homicide took when a man armed with posted billboards throughThe deaths took the out New Providence - in place shortly after 3am on a handgun entered his country’s murder count to areas heavily trafficked by Sunday off Soldier Road. home,” Chief Supt Fer32 for the year and marked tourists and locals - which Officer-in-charge of the nander said. the 18th homicide in Febru- said there had been more Central Detective Unit, SEE PAGE THREE ary, according to The Trib- than 490 killings under the Chief Superintendent Clay-

MONTAGU PLPS BACKED SMITH PM: WE’RE CUTTING MINNIS OVER RIVAL NOMINEE MUNROE SOME SLACK BEFORE ELECTION

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Progressive Liberal Party’s Montagu branch voted to nominate Senator Frank Smith for the newly renamed Free Town constituency before the Candidates Committee of the PLP decided to give the nomination to attorney Wayne Munroe, according to a press statement yester-

day from the branch.

Mr Munroe, QC, was expected to be ratified by the National General Council of the PLP Friday night, but the nomination for that constituency has been postponed in view of the highprofile fight between factions of Mr Smith and Mr Munroe which played out at a party meeting on Thursday.

SEE PAGE 14

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie warned Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis on Friday night that the PLP is cutting him some “slack” before waging a campaign that highlights the terrible things his party members have said about him.

“The people who are

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

against him are the people who was in his party,” Mr Christie said. “They’re the people who said never, never, never. They’re the people who defined him. And we are going to give him all the slack he needs right now because in his own record, what every one of them said about him, and they really ought to know him better than us and he might as SEE PAGE SIX

PAGE 2, Monday, February 27, 2017

RUM FEST 2017

THE TRIBUNE

FESTIVAL Rum Bahamas - better known as ‘rumfest’ - had its last day on Sunday, with crowds packing out Fort Charlotte for the annual event.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, February 27, 2017, PAGE 3

Nine held after drugs found worth more than $600,000

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

POLICE arrested nine persons over the weekend, including a Bahamian pilot and two men from Suriname, in connection with three major marijuana seizures in New Providence and Abaco.

The latest drug bust took place shortly after 8am on Sunday off Carmichael Road, where officers seized 633lbs of marijuana with a combined estimated street value of $640,000.

Officer-in-Charge of the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), Chief Superintendent Samuel Butler said acting on information, officers from the DEU with a warrant, went to a residence in the area of Boatswain Hill where they discovered a large quantity of drugs on the premises.

Three adult males, one Bahamian and two Surinamese, and a Bahamian woman were taken into custody as a result of the find.

“While we are still early in our investigations, we were able to seize a large amount of drugs concealed on the premises in this western community,” Chief Supt Samuel Butler said.

“The Drug Enforcement Unit remains committed to

the cause of removing illegal drugs from our streets.

We are cognisant of the relationship between drugs and the various serious crimes on our streets. We will continue to be as diligent as we can to remove drugs from the streets and apprehend drug traffickers.

“We are pleased with the progress that we have made so far and we will continue to progress with this investigation and will have several persons before the courts.

This is not something that was random; we were deliberate in our efforts as was mandated to us by the commissioner of police in his police plan. We want to say to drug traffickers, the DEU is even more persistent and we will come after you wherever you are and we will get you.”

The second drug arrest took place on Saturday also in the Carmichael Road area.

According to police reports, shortly after 8.30am, mobile division officers, acting on intelligence carried out an operation at a home off Carmichael Road.

When officers arrived at the premises they discovered 58 marijuana plants.

A man and a woman were arrested in relation to the seizure.

THE DRUG Enforcememt Unit conducted a search of a home in the Boatswain HIll area of Carmichael Road where 20 plus bags including bins and cooler along with a scale were found and confiscated by police.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff The final drug seizure occurred around 4pm on Friday in Marsh Harbour, Abaco.

Chief Supt Butler said DEU officers from New Providence along with their counterparts from the United States went to the Sir Leonard Thompson

International Airport in Marsh Harbour where they searched a twin-engine aircraft with three males on board.

“Officers discovered a large amount of marijuana, three pounds to be exact, cash and two .380 pistols hidden in a microwave. One

600 MURDERS UNDER THE PLP from page one

“The suspect held the victim at bay and demanded cash. There was struggle and as a result the victim was shot in the chest. He died on the scene.”

The girlfriend and the baby were unharmed during the incident, police said.

Chief Supt Fernander said police have no motive at this time but they are not ruling out armed robbery.

Police have not identified the victim, but The Tribune understands he is J’Nario Feaster. Feaster celebrated his 21st birthday last week.

The first murder of the weekend took place shortly after 8am on Saturday off Carmichael Road.

CHIEF Supt Clayton Fernander speaking to the media yesterday.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

According to reports, the victim was sitting on a large rock at Ferguson’s Subdivision when a man pulled up in a silver coloured Nissan Primera and shot him four times before speeding off.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not identified the victim, but The Tribune understands he is 21-year-old Lesley Rolle.

Rolle was out on bail for armed robbery at the time of his death.

Saturday’s homicide came two days after police arrested three men in connection with the shooting death of a 32-year-old man off Scott Street. A oneyear-old girl and two other men were also shoot during that incident, which occurred last Thursday. They are listed in stable condition in hospital.

With two days left in February, the number of killings so far this year has dwarfed the number of murders police recorded in the first two months of 2016.

According to police statistics, there were 18 killings in the first two months of last year - eight in January and 10 in February.

The increase in murders this year prompted Minister of National Security Dr Bernard Nottage to unveil

THE BODY of yesterday’s murder victim is taken from the scene. additional crime fighting that there are connections between many violent incimethods two weeks ago.

Speaking in the House dents on the streets of New of Assembly, Dr Nottage Providence and inmates at said with immediate effect the Bahamas Department “lockdowns” in certain ar- of Correctional Services eas, mobile police vans and and recently released prisan armed forces partner- oners.

Anyone with information ship among other things on any of these incidents would be implemented.

He further admitted that is asked to contact police people connected to “gangs, at 911 or 919, the Central drugs and guns” are linked Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonyto the frequent killings.

Dr Nottage also said in- mously at 328-TIPS. Investigations continue. telligence has suggested

of the men was the pilot of the aircraft.”

Chief Supt Butler said the aircraft had just landed from Fort Lauderdale.

He said the marijuana was “unique, really potent and grown in a lab,” because of this it has a street value of about $2,000 a pound.

The suspects were arrested and flown to the capital.

Chief Supt Butler said based on intelligence police are looking at the “connectivity” of the events and casting a “wider net” for other suspects.

Investigations into all the incidents continue.

PAGE 4, Monday, February 27, 2017

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Bahamians find your voices before it is too late WE have no intention of discussing Canadian Bruno Rufa’s case now before the courts — that’s a matter for the courts.

However, we are concerned about Mr Rufa being denied the inalienable right of every person in a democracy to defend himself when accused. Mr Rufa is being denied that right by the Bahamas Immigration Department.

We are even more concerned by the statement of Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell early last year that the Bahamas government “maintains the position that it has the absolute discretion in law to say who can and cannot land in The Bahamas.” And, of course, Mr Rufa can’t land even though the court has given him a date to appear before it and his lawyer’s letters notifying Immigration of this fact have gone unanswered.

Once again, we have a clash between the executive branch of government and the judicial – the guardian of our constitution, the protector of our democratic rights.

This to-ing and fro-ing in the Rufa case has been going on since 2015 when Mr Rufa, a condo-owner at Coral Beach Condominium for 17 years in Freeport, was accused in Magistrate’s Court of engaging in gainful occupation without an Immigration permit. He denied the allegations and was released on a $2,500 bail bond. On November 20, 2015, Immigration gave Mr Rufa permission to land and remain in The Bahamas for 150 days until April 20, 2016. Mr Rufa’s 150-day stay was quickly cancelled when he was informed by the Assistant Director of Immigration that he had only seven days in which to wrap up his affairs and leave the Bahamas. Naturally, Mr Rufa appealed bringing a case against Immigration Director William Pratt. However, everyone knows that Mr Pratt did not give such orders on his own initiative. It is obvious he was taking instructions from his Minister — Fred Mitchell, who has made it clear that Immigration “has the absolute discretion in law to say who can and cannot land in The Bahamas.” In other words, the courts be damned.

Supreme Court Justice Petra Hanna Weekes, in her ruling on Immigration’s treatment of Mr Rufa, found that considering his long residence in The Bahamas, “his investment as a property owner, his duties and responsibilities as the president and a director of the Condominium management company and the fact that seven days given him to leave, a day and a half before the Christmas holiday, was unreasonable.” She thought that 14 days would have been a more reasonable period. She ruled that the Immigration’s orders for Mr Rufa to wind up his affairs in seven days and leave The Bahamas be set aside and that the Immigration Department reconsider what would be a reasonable time for him to conclude his business and leave.

Mr Rufa filed a second judicial review against government. In October 2015 the Supreme Court’s judgment declared that Mr Rufa’s expulsion from The Bahamas

in February that year was unlawful. It ruled that Immigration and its officers be restrained from “deporting, expelling, escorting, seeing out, or causing the applicant, to be removed from The Bahamas until the court’s judgment on April 4, 2016 or until further order of the court.”

Here we are now into 2017 and Mr Rufa’s lawyers are still fighting Immigration to force them to obey a court order.

“This is disgraceful behaviour (of the Immigration Department) and it brings the reputation of The Bahamas into international disrepute,” said Fred Smith, QC. “A person is entitled to attend court for his trial and hearings, and Mr Rufa is being denied his constitutional right to a fair hearing because the government is refusing to allow him into the country.”

On Friday, Mr Carey Leonard of Callenders & Co law firm, which represents Mr Rufa, informed Deputy Chief Magistrate Debbye Ferguson in the court in Freeport that Mr Rufa was not in her court because he had not received permission from the Immigration Department to enter The Bahamas. He, therefore, requested that the case against Mr. Rufa be dismissed, because — despite the court orders — government had refused his entry into The Bahamas. He pointed out that Mr Rufa had attended all court dates since his trial started in 2015 until he was denied further entry.

Mr Rufa’s lawyers have filed a motion for a constitutional hearing in the Supreme Court for disclosure from the Immigration Department on their refusal to provide his lawyers with the contents of the immigration file relating to the criminal charge against him. The hearing is set for June 14 and 15.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Ferguson said that as a date has been set for a constitutional hearing, she would not dismiss Mr Rufa’s magistrate’s court case, but would extend his bail. She again advised the Attorney General’s office that “if they can find out if there is a difficulty, what the difficulty is, or give proper advice to the Department of Immigration in terms of their conduct, if it is suspicious about your client, to exercise caution”.

Bahamians might not be interested in Mr Rufa or his case, but they certainly should be very concerned about the principles underlying the case – the fight between Immigration and the courts for supremacy while your constitutional rights to be heard as citizens, including non-Bahamian residents, are being snuffed out.

Never forget Pastor Martin Niemoller’s last words in a Nazi concentration camp: First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out ­— because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Bahamians, it is time to speak out, before it is your turn and there is no one left to speak for you.

Losing hope for our country EDITOR, The Tribune.

AFTER reading your editorial of Monday, February 20, headed: “What is happening in our courts?”

I am saddened by what our country has become.

More and more every day I lose hope for this country.

The problems are too widespread for there to be any meaningful change in our lifetime. We have issues with: • An education system that produces “D” students, which means that their job prognosis is bleak.

• Children no longer safe going to school or once they are in school no longer secure from violence on the playground.

• Having lost generations

of young men to gangs and crime.

• A community with no sense of family or connection to community or humanity.

• A population that is mostly ignorant, entitled, racist and self righteous.

• Lawlessness: from an old lady who has no problem throwing a paper cup into a planter in front of the hospital, to drivers who do not observe speed limits, who do not know how to operate a four-way stops, that have no regard for pedestrians on a crossing, men who have no problem cursing and peeing in public . . . I could go on, but you know the examples.

• An economy in decline and a dollar that will be devalued.

• An international reputation as a country that it is hard to do business with.

• People with money that could make a difference, but are banking their money or getting it out of the country in preparation for the inevitable collapse of the economy.

• Bright young minds that graduate from higher learning institutions and choose not to return to The Bahamas for all of the reasons listed above.

Where do you begin?

A DEPRESSED BAHAMIAN Nassau, February 26, 2017.

Alternative facts from URCA? EDITOR, The Tribune LAST week, at the business launch for the new mobile company Aliv, it was stated by the company’s CEO Damian Blackburn that Aliv had managed to capture 25 per cent of the market share in 12 weeks.

While I have been following the company’s aggressive tactics, I was quite alarmed by the statistics presented, mainly because I recently researched telecommunications in the country and the numbers seemed off.

According to URCA’s Annual Report for 2015, mobile voice penetration was 311,175 or in simple terms, there were 311,175 mobile customers in the country. At the time, BTC was the only mobile provider. It is now February 2017, and the surely the number of customers would not have declined to 180,000 unnoticed. Had BTC lost over 130,000 customers, someone would

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net have known. The numbers would have had to decline to 180,000, because the new mobile entrant, Aliv is now indicating that they have 25% of the mobile market share – or that one quarter of BTC’s customers have left them and are now Aliv customers. That would be the only way that 45,000 would equal 25% of the mobile market share in The Bahamas.

So whose report should we believe? Aliv or URCA? I cannot fathom that URCA would be presenting false information to the public, but I humbly stand to be corrected if such is the case.

It is so important for the media to provide clear and “accurate facts”, not “alternative facts” to the public, when presenting information. Information that is placed by the media in the

public domain is considered as “gospel” for many. I implore the Bahamian press not join the international dog and pony show about “alternative facts”. I challenge the media to do their own research and examine details, knowing that they ought to always act as responsible members of the community.

If the new mobile entrant is purporting 25% market share, it would mean that their subscriber base is at a minimum of 75,000, as 25% of 300,000 is 75,000, and according to the regulator’s annual report, for 2015, there were 311,175 mobile customers. From what I read in the articles in the papers, the CEO is indicating that they have 45,000 customers and not 75,000.

Let’s report the facts, not alternative facts and fiction please!

THEODORE ROLLE Nassau, February 26, 2017.

NHI has a surprise for male patients EDITOR, The Tribune.

I’VE just downloaded and reviewed the draft of the NHI Bahamas Primary Care Benefits Package (Physician Services), which I am sure has been extensively (and expensively) reviewed by the finest medical and legal minds in the government and the civil service, as well as in medical, legal and insurance professions.

Countless hours of deliberation and discussion must have been consumed in drawing up the schedule of benefits.

I am a little overwhelmed at the coverage that this package will afford us in the coming months and years, and truly grateful to know that the continued welfare of the Common Herd is at the forefront of the minds of The Powers That Be. In particular, I am delighted to learn that, according to page 14 of this

magnificent document, as a male over 50 years old, I will be entitled to one free PAP smear per year.

I would write more, but I have to start looking for a Men’s Gynaecologist…..

Sittin’ in the Waitin’ Room and Shakin’ BARRY PACKINGTON Nassau, February 23, 2017.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, February 27, 2017, PAGE 5

Using defence force to back up police is part of ‘shared vision’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

COLLABORATION between the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force to combat crime is part of the shared vision of Prime Minister Perry Christie, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage and Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade.

During a commissioning ceremony for HMBS Kamalamee, the latest in a fleet of vessels the government has acquired, Mr Christie said the collaboration is necessary as he recounted the recent death of a sibling of a family friend.

“Just before I came here my wife made a tearful call to me to tell me that one of our family friends had her young brother go into Augusta Street last night to give condolences to a family who had lost a son through the same violence,” Mr Christie said on Friday afternoon.

“For no other reason, that’s all he went there for and he was an unfortunate victim of someone or some group shooting bullets at random; he was killed.

“Our country cannot watch the level of wanton

disregard for human life continue to take place at random. It has an obligation to ensure that the maximum efforts are made for the protection and security of the people of our country.”

The involvement of the RBDF in policing has been called a “touchy” subject

by Police Staff Association (PSA) Chairman Dwight Smith, who told The Tribune on Thursday that it sends the message that police are failing.

He was sceptical that the training RBDF officers receive equips them to also do police work.

Official Opposition Leader Loretta ButlerTurner, who attended the commissioning ceremony, said that she is awaiting additional information from government officials about how the collaboration between the two law enforcement organisations will manifest itself.

Nonetheless, Mr Christie was adamant that the collaboration is needed to send a message to the country that the government and law enforcement officials will not tolerate violence.

“There may well be significant sociological explanations to explain what is taking place (in terms of

violent crime in the country) but it must be stopped,” he said. “And pending all of the advice and rationalisations on long-term important interventions, the minister of national security and the commissioner of police had a meeting with me and we have a shared vision that we wanted to present to the commodore of the defence force that, when it comes to the safety of the citizenry of our country, there are no neat demarcation lines to be drawn.

“And subject to whatever those rules are that govern the operations of the defence force and the police force, it is our complete view that the collective might of the forces of our country must be deployed so as to demonstrate to anyone who may have some doubts that we are not prepared to compromise on protecting the future of our country.”

He said: “To all of the young Bahamians who continue to demonstrate a complete disregard for their own lives as well as the lives of others, I use this opportunity to call on you to stop.

I use this opportunity to call on your mothers and your fathers to persuade you to stop. I use this opportunity to convince your friends to stop.”

PRIME Minister Perry Christie pictured this weekend.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

DAMES TELLS NOTTAGE TO CALL HIM FOR SOLUTIONS TO CRIME

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Deputy Police Commissioner Marvin Dames yesterday urged National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage to “call him” if he wants “real solutions” to the country’s escalating crime problem.

In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Dames, who has been ratified as the Free National Movement’s Mount Moriah election candidate, questioned what Dr Nottage has been doing for the past five years if he is “just rolling out” new anti-crime initiatives a few months before the general election.

Mr Dames said he was unimpressed by the recently announced initiatives. He said the government should take a more holistic approach involving all stakeholders, instead of a more aggressive “flood the streets with police approach.”

On Sunday, FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis also criticised Dr Nottage for comments he made to the media last week about the “perceived increase” in crime.

Dr Minnis said it is evident the government hopes the crime problem will just go away while ignoring the problem.

The comments came after a weekend that saw two people shot dead.

“There is nothing wrong with admitting that you are wrong. There is nothing wrong with telling us you need to regroup and start over and take another approach. That is certainly better than pretending you know the answer when people are dying everyday,” Mr Dames told The Tribune.

“I am a Bahamian, I want to see the government succeed because that means we all succeed. This goes beyond politics, it goes beyond party. So pick up the phone and call me. I will help wherever I can. All of the new initiatives are so aggressive, what I am saying, what the FNM is saying is that we will take a multiagency, multi-disciplinary approach involving all the stakeholders and the community. We have to be grown enough, we have to be professional enough to say when something is not working and we need to turn into a new direction. It takes a mature government to admit they need help and admit they are wrong.”

Up to press time, 32 killings have been recorded so far this year, with 18 recorded so far this month, according to The Tribune’s records.

This is a sharp rise compared to the number of homicides police recorded

this time last year. According to police statistics, there were 18 killings combined in the first two months of 2016 - eight in January and 10 in February.

Last Wednesday, after a high ranking Baha Mar official said that crime in this country could hurt the tourism product, Dr Nottage told reporters: “We are doing everything to counteract the perceived increase in crime.”

He also said: “I think that law enforcement agencies have adopted the recommendations which we have put in place, so I expect that we will see a significant downward trend of crime.

I understand the concern, but I think we are putting in place measures which will alleviate the situation.”

Yesterday, Dr Minnis took issue with this reaction.

“The PLP government and Minister Nottage show once again they just don’t get it,” Dr Minnis said in a statement. “For nearly five years their leadership has been to ignore a problem and hope that it goes away. Unfortunately Bahamians are suffering the tragic results of their failed

leadership. Thirty murders already this year. Beyond that attempted murders, attempted robberies, and sexual assaults are on the rise.

This is not perception for Bahamians, this is reality.

“Countries like Canada and the United States have issued travel advisories warning their citizens of our troubles. Even the government’s allies at Baha Mar have spoken out about their concerns on the growing crime epidemic, and yet the PLP government continues to downplay the severity of the situation impacting our communities.

“What will it take for Minister Nottage and this PLP government to acknowledge the crime epidemic? Bahamians are scared to leave their homes at night; scared to go to the grocery store or the bank, and parents are scared to send their children to school. Bahamians deserve a government that does not dismiss their fears and concerns and instead acts on their behalf to address them.

“As we have stated many times before, the FNM has developed a comprehensive, constructive anticrime plan that will put

a priority on making our communities and neighbourhoods safe and secure.

It’s a holistic approach that seeks to rip out crime at its roots. Where action is required we will act, and we will do it with the sense of urgency it deserves because after nearly five years of empty rhetoric and broken promises Bahamians deserve nothing less from their government,” Dr Minnis said.

Two weeks ago, while making a contribution in the House of Assembly, in response to a recent spate of murders, Dr Nottage announced nearly a dozen measures to combat crime. Among these were increased foot patrols in the inner city and crime hot spots; the activation and placement of specially designed mobile police vans to serve as manned police stations in communities

where crime is a challenge for police; aggressive stop and search of suspicious persons and suspicious vehicles throughout all policing divisions; periodic road checks at various intersections; purposeful lock downs of communities and crime hot spots where large teams of law enforcement officers execute search warrants, arrest warrants and search for illegal drugs, firearms and stolen vehicles.

PAGE 6, Monday, February 27, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Amnesty hits out at LGBTI discrimination in The Bahamas from page one

Amnesty International was referring to Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller who, last May, denounced the transgender community, urging people to provide financing that would allow the community to be exiled to their own private island to ensure “they stay out of the way” of Bahamians.

“If you want to like man, that’s your damn business but don’t try to impose your will on other people,” Mr Miller said in an interview with The Tribune at the time.

“God should hurry up and come and get this over and done so we don’t have to worry about them,” he added.

With respect to last year’s constitutional referendum in which Bahamians rejected changes that would have allowed for greater equality

between the sexes, Amnesty International said: “The proposed amendments – backed by the government – would have strengthened antidiscrimination protections based on sex. The result maintained inequality in Bahamian laws so that women and men pass on citizenship to their children and spouses in different ways. The result put at risk the citizenship rights of families, in particular the risk of separation of families with diverse nationalities or children born outside of The Bahamas to Bahamian parents.”

Amnesty International also highlighted concerns raised by organisations like Save the Bays (STB) with respect to privacy rights.

“Local human rights groups expressed fear regarding government surveillance online,” Amnesty said. “In August, the Supreme Court ruled that

the Minister of Education (Jerome Fitzgerald) had breached the constitutional rights to privacy and to freedom of expression of members of an environmental group when he obtained and read their private email correspondence in Parliament.

Ministers had alleged that the group was seeking to destabilise the government, and argued that parliamentary privilege allowed them to read out the confidential emails. The court held that parliamentary privilege was subject to the supremacy of the Constitution, and ordered the destruction of the correspondence. At the end of the year, it remained unclear how the government had obtained the emails.”

However, in an affidavit filed on January 24, Mr Fitzgerald claimed that the Save the Bays emails he read and tabled in Parliament were printed out

and delivered to him in a “sealed envelope,” adding that he did not know how the documents were accessed. Mr Fitzgerald is appealing the ruling.

“In November, the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights granted precautionary measures to members of the environmental group who allegedly received threats against their lives and personal integrity because of their work as human rights defenders. The government, in response, said the allegations were misrepresented,” Amnesty International added.

Government officials have traditionally been dismissive of Amnesty’s annual report.

Last year, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell criticised the organisation for “uncritically” accepting allegations made by local organisations.

LESLIE MILLER, whose comments on the transgender community have led to international criticism.

PM: WE’RE CUTTING MINNIS SOME SLACK BEFORE ELECTION from page one

Time is a factor of life that controls the Universe.

Nevertheless, you can control your time by being efficient in all that you do.

~Betty Taylor ~

Original Author

well know now we are going to publish what they said about him. So start working my brother and try to find the explanations for why they said so many things about you and no matter how much the newspapers try to shine you up and brush you off, they said some things about you too.

“But take comfort from the fact that they also say things about me because they believe that if you could put me down, they’re putting the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) down.”

Mr Christie’s comments came during an event at the PLP’s headquarters where the party ratified five candidates for the next general election: Senator Julian Russell for Central Grand Bahama, former Senator Cheryl Bazard for St Barnabas, Glendon Rolle

for Long Island, Dr Charles Clarke for St Anne’s and Clifford “Butch” Scavella for South and Central Eleuthera.

A candidate was expected to be ratified for the Freetown constituency, but that ratification has been postponed, as the battle has been a hotly contested one between Senator Frank Smith and attorney Wayne Munroe.

“We have just one more (ratification) and we will undertake to engage in the pathway to resolving that particular challenge and contrary to what everyone has said, it will be resolved without conflict,” Mr Christie said about the controversy.

“We are a democratic functioning party. We do things the right way and we always try to bring a resolution to our challenges where in the final analysis what the party does is accepted and deemed to be

well done. There should be no difference in our approach with respect to Freetown. We are going to win Freetown and the candidate who is given the privilege to represent the PLP will have the burden of winning that seat for us.”

During the event, which saw hundreds turn out in a celebratory mood, Mr Christie warned PLP supporters that the party is being attacked from all sides.

“The forces against us are being lined up,” he said. “There are even feelings of desperation, at all costs let’s stop the PLP. Let us tell them that they cannot stop the Progressive Liberal Party. Our party is connected to the spirit of the nation. Our party is connected to the aspiration of the young people in this country. Look this evening at the quality of the candidates who have been ratified by the National Gen-

eral Council. Look at what they bring and compare them to those who run for other parties in this country.”

Mr Christie also extolled the virtues of the candidates his party has ratified.

“I am so pleased that I have a large number of colleagues, all of whom are qualified for leadership,” he said. “This notion that Christie makes decisions by himself, is a foolish notion.”

Last year, Mr Christie, 73, said he seeks to remain leader of the PLP because he provides stable leadership.

“My leadership provides stability to my side,” he said. “You see what instability means when you look at the opposition, and I daresay that this could happen when I demit office as well.”

He has given no indication of when he might retire.

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the stories behind the news

insight@tribunemedia.net

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2017

Murder most

foul

I

n the past five years we have seen the murder rate in the country escalate to horrendous levels, with an all-time high of 146 being set in 2015.

Although the number of murders declined last year to 111, there were still many murder attempts and shootings that did not result in a homicide.

This indicates that perhaps our crime fighting tools may have not have been as effective as we think they were in 2016 and, in actuality, the difference between life and death may have come down to sheer luck, or the accuracy of the assailant.

If we are only looking at the difference in actual murders, we are not getting a full and accurate picture of the effect violent crime is having on our country. Most Bahamians still live in fear and feel as if they are sitting ducks. People pray daily not to be slaughtered on their way to and from work when they traverse the streets of

The PLP’s infamous preelection billboards in 2012 highlighted the inability of the FNM government to curb the murder rate. Nearly five years later and with an escalating death toll passing 600 under the Christie administration Malcolm J Strachan says it’s time to revise the deterrents for violent criminals New Providence.

The flashing sirens of police cars zooming in and out of traffic on a daily basis is a constant reminder that all is not well, and despite the empty rhetoric of our elected officials, we are not winning this war on crime.

Up to last night, there

have been 32 murders already in 2017, and people are now looking to the government and opposing parties to provide real solutions for crime. The Progressive Liberal Party, who campaigned on the platform that the Free National Movement was out of its

“Murder has touched us all. We all have some kind of connection to at least one of the 600 murder victims,” says Jamaal Rolle, who was commissioned by The Tribune to provide this illustration as the toll under the current Progressive Liberal Party administration passed another tragic milestone at the weekend. depth when it came to this issue, paraded throughout the country giant billboards showcasing the number of homicides recorded under the then Ingraham administration’s 2007-2012 term.

That figure at the time, stood at 490 + murders.

Today, under this Christie term of office, the number of lives lost to violence on our streets stands at 601.

Now, at the eleventh hour, the Minister of National Security, Dr Bernard Nottage, has come with “new ideas” to fight crime that really only serve as a Band-Aid to the terror that Bahamians are experiencing every day.

If the average citizen does not give much credence to the good minister’s plan, why would a would-be coldblooded killer, who already has no respect for authority?

The truth is we are at a place in our nation’s development where the government, present and future, has to ask itself ‘what are the criminals afraid of?’ This question may not be an easy one to answer, so perhaps we may ask it another way. What aren’t they afraid of?

It certainly seems they are not afraid of taking someone’s life - and based on the police force’s ability to catch these murderers - they also are not afraid of going to jail.

To many of these criminals, jail is a calculated risk, baked into their reasoning.

So if jail is not the deterrent, then what is? If a criminal’s confidence is hardened by the idea that the maximum punishment is minimal in their eyes, then we are preparing to witness much

more blood being spilled on our streets. We are preparing ourselves to witness more innocent bystanders shot in front of their homes.

We are preparing to submit our liberties to the criminal elements who already feel untouchable.

In a video uploaded to YouTube entitled, “Bahamas Gang One Order Threaten Man Over Woman”, there is a young man who is obviously afraid for his life being accosted and threatened by gang members. As the video plays out you are able to see the contemplation by one man to stab another for calling his girlfriend, all playing out on a video that has over 15,000 views since July, 2015. These individuals are not afraid of any of the deterrents put in See pg9

PAGE 8 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2016

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

Is the horse-drawn Surrey above the law?

Kim Aranha asks why rules are blatantly being flouted in front of authorities and no action taken AHHH, the plight of the Bahamian Surrey Horse, these road-weary beasts of burden who tirelessly pull carriages to and fro the cruise ship docks in Nassau in the hot sun.

I am told frequently that Surrey horses are part of Bahamian culture, a statement that in itself baffles me.

Surely horse-drawn carriages are part of everybody’s culture? If we wish to go back far enough in time and say our greatgrandparents had horsedrawn carriages ... of course they did. In a time before the automobile, everybody had their horse drawn cart or carriage, their personal “Surrey”.

In fact, if I remember, as a kid, many people had donkeys too, in Nassau, pulling carts.

Has everything that happened before modern mechanics become part of “our culture”? Then, perhaps, we should give up electricity and TV, forgo the electric light and return to candles (though there were times last year and with the many power cuts that we were almost there).

The Ministry of Tourism appears to feel that the Surrey horse is a very important part of our tourism product. They pull out photographs of a Surrey on an empty road, trotting along and looking cool and unpressured. Perhaps the Surrey horse would look that way if we were to change his route and not persist in putting him in the fetid traffic

of the city centre, breathing in the fumes spewing out of the frequently black and smoky exhausts of trucks and other vehicles.

Whilst thinking about the horses, it would do not harm to pause and question the health problems those carriage drivers will possibly endure after years of breathing filthy air through their lungs. But the drivers have a choice, the horse does not.

On frequent occasions alternative routes have been suggested. My favourite would go from Junkanoo Beach (Long Wharf for the old timers) and take the tourists to the Fish Fry. Food could be offered, hair braided, the ride could continue across the street to the Botanical Gardens. There is much for the tourist to see, practically no traffic, no fumes … a nice quiet outing. Other routes have been suggested, but we never get past square one.

There are not many Surreys on the road; however, they operate under an astonishing amount of different ministries, departments and boards, ranging from the Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Tourism, Cabs Board, Royal Bahamas Police Force, Festival Place Administration and others.

There are a few rules they have to abide by. Perhaps the easiest is that they may carry, as passengers, two adults and two children aged 14 and under.

Not three adults ... not four adults. This appears pretty

AN OVERLOADED Surrey in downtown Nassau last week. Drivers are only permitted to take two adults (or two adults and two children under 14) on a ride. simple, yet day after day after day, we see these Surreys drive past dozens of policemen and women who do nothing about the overloading. My exasperation that the law is not enforced has reached a point of no return.

If it is the law, and I am told by authority it is and I have seen it written, then why do the police not enforce it? Sometime I count as many as 20 members of the RBPF on Bay Street and not one of them stops the Surrey driver. Why? I would love to know.

Another very simple rule

is the hours a Surrey must be on rest time. In the winter it is from 1pm to 2pm and in the s ummer 1pm to 3pm. Yet I see them out there during rest period.

Does any body stop them?

No. It is law: why does nobody enforce this law … because they are “only animals” I suppose?

I take you one step further. There is an emergency gate adjacent to where the horses stand for tourists to get on for a ride. That emergency gate is not only firmly closed and locked, but blocked by cars or taxis. I shudder to think what

would happen if there was an emergency in Festival Place, a fire or gunshots or an explosion; the horses would have no way to get out. They would spook, as horses do, take off galloping dragging the carriages behind them. Countless tourists and locals would be badly injured or killed.

It is a dreadful accident just waiting to happen.

The Bahamas Humane Society has repeatedly warned all the powers that be of the danger, seemingly to deaf ears.

Is the Surrey horse, as we know it today, part of Baha-

mian culture?

This is actually a very interesting question. I am sure there will be some emotional and blustering letters in response putting me good and straight on this matter but, please, before you write that letter, I would love facts to show me how the Surrey horses fit into our culture, other than how they fit in to everybody else’s culture.

• Kim Aranha is the president of the Bahamas Humane Society. Comments and responses to insight@ tribunemedia.net

“I was actually looking forward to going into the Hospital.

I described it to my husband as a Ritz Carlton experience.”

INDIRA

MY DOCTORS HOSPITAL AMBASSADOR For More My Doctors Hospital Stories, visit www.mydhstory.com

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2016 PAGE 9

Email: insight@tribunemedia.net

Davis’ spinning over Baha Mar hoodwinks no one

By MALCOLM J STRACHAN

G

raeme Davis, who will oversee the operations of Baha Mar, if and when his employer, the Chinese conglomerate, Chow Tai Fook, closes on its ownership on the property, has been in many Bahamian media outlets recently, promoting his vision of what he hopes Baha Mar will look like on April 21 and afterwards.

His media effort only further highlights the refusal of the real players who control Baha Mar’s fate - the Export-Import Bank of China (EXIM) that owns Baha Mar, China Construction America (CCA), the controversial Chinese construction building Baha Mar and The Pointe, and the government of the Bahamas - to speak to Bahamians forthrightly and most often, not at all about Baha Mar. Even so, Mr Davis’ comments have caused quite a stir with many - and not in a positive way.

In the recent radio interview of Mr Davis by Juan McCartney on ‘The Revolution’ last week, Mr

McCartney’s questioning and Mr Davis’ “dance around” responses hit on some points that only unfortunately stimulate further concern for Bahamians. Case in point: 1 Mr Davis’ vagary about the number of rooms that will be open in April is highly troubling. In response to a few questions from Mr McCartney about whether 200 or 800 rooms will be open in April, Davis essentially shrugged his shoulders and said “I don’t know”. What a strange answer from someone leading the project! If he doesn’t know how many rooms will be open, does anyone know? And when exactly will he know? After all, April is around the corner.

The answer lies, of course, with CCA. As anyone involved in massive construction projects like Baha Mar knows, these projects are guided by the schedules provided by the general contractors.

Compiling and maintaining these schedules is a massive undertaking, everything down to the smallest detail is contemplated and recorded in these schedules.

So, if you have accurate

schedules, then you should know exactly how many rooms you will have ready to open and when. But, it seems, Mr Davis doesn’t know this. Could it be because CCA is unable to provide accurate schedules and Mr Davis and his team do not trust CCA’s schedules? After all, public documents have shown this to be CCA’s modus operandi with respect to Baha Mar in the past.

Looking at CCA’s recent

flow issues. What makes anyone think CCA has turned over a new leaf and can provide proper schedules, reliability and quality work this time around?

2 Mr Davis was asked point blank by Mr McCartney about his relationship with CCA, which he described as “not exactly kumbaya”. Besides the interesting undertones of using the word “kumbaya”, is that how you want to describe your relationship

“If you have accurate schedules, then you should know exactly how many rooms you will have ready to open and when” history, this is likely the case. As everyone knows, CCA’s shoddy scheduling and broken promises, including to Prime Minister Christie, have played a major role in where the project stands today. They were unable to provide proper schedules during the original construction of the project, causing the resort to prepare to open too early and eventually causing cash

with a major party chosen to be critical to the success of this project? Especially when CCA appears to have been forced upon Davis and Chow Tai Fook by the EXIM bank?

What other experiences has Mr Davis had with CCA? Based on the interview, there seemed to have been some with Chow Tai and Davis’ comments on these are less than a

Muder most foul From pg7 place.

Yes, these young men have been failed by our education and judicial system.

Yes, these young men have fallen through the cracks.

They deserve the right to be lifted up and given a helping hand. But, they do not hold the right to terrorise this country. They do not hold the right to jeopardise our tourism product, and the entire nation’s livelihood for that matter. They do not deserve the right to engage in all-out gang warfare, fighting and murdering one another over turf and access to drugs.

This is why, after deliberate consideration, we are recommending that the government revisit the implementation of capital punishment.

We would be the first to acknowledge that modern studies done in the United States show that there is not much evidence that presents a case for the effectiveness of instituting the death penalty. However, we are not in an “apples to apples” scenario here.

The majority of murders in this country are taking place on one island, seven by 21 miles, smaller than

towns in South Florida.

It is unacceptable that we have allowed this scourge of crime to continue for so long without trying every means open to the state to correct it.

As our final court of appeal, the Privy Council has, and remains the last block to capital punishment being carried out in this country.

It has been seen by the public as the useful excuse that politicians blame for why they are unable to move forward with capital punishment. To the grieving mothers and fathers the last thing they want to hear is that some judge in another country is stopping their elected officials from carrying out the laws on our books. It makes no sense to them. After all, we are the ones living in this “Wild Wild West”, as our Prime Minister so eloquent described it recently. How can it be seen as fair and just that judges so far removed from the threat itself get to determine the safety and survival of a people?

Now, there are some people that are concerned about the potential negative effect on our economy if capital punishment were to be carried out. How would we be

“Today, under this Christie term of office, the number of lives lost to violence on our streets stands at 601” viewed in the international community? This would and should be something that is discussed by the country at large - better yet, why not put it to a referendum (we know the government loves to do these) and see what the public has to say.

The pros and cons of the issue should be aired for the public to digest with a reasonable timeframe to allow for public education on both sides.

The government has seen 10 years where the violence in the Bahamas, mainly in Nassau, has terrorised the country and stained us in the international commu-

nity. We have already been equated in international publications with being an

full throated endorsement of CCA. Furthermore, will CCA be distracted by its own development at The Pointe? It is obvious that the Chinese general contractor cares about The Pointe more than Baha Mar, as it has already removed equipment from Baha Mar’s site to complete The Pointe and, at the groundbreaking, said that it would ensure The Pointe would be completed because “it has equity in the project”. CCA obviously does not have the same stake in Baha Mar. 3 Mr Davis’ comments about the debts owed by Baha Mar to governmentowned utilities and other Bahamian vendors are particularly troubling. Mr Davis admitted that, while Baha Mar owed money to a number of government corporations, including BEC and the National Insurance Board among others, the only amount paid down is with BEC. How can the government, mired in its sovereign debt disaster, tout Chow Tai Fook as a saviour of Baha Mar and compliment EXIM’s partnership with the Bahamas, when in reality Baha Mar and its present owner still owes the

Bahamian people millions of dollars?

Is this fair? Is this one of the many concessions Prime Minister Christie, in his secret deal with his friends in China, had to give away in order to get Baha Mar partially open before the elections? If Chow Tai Fook, since Mr Davis asserts the latter will own Baha Mar, cares so much about the Bahamas, why doesn’t it commit to just pay these outstanding debts once it assumes ownership?

These points alone raise many critical questions to which we deserve to know the answers. Mr Davis, if you and your employer truly expect to own Baha Mar, then we truly expect you to be transparent and open with Bahamians. If you are to have success here, begin by being straightforward with us about what is going on at Baha Mar. Spin, and generalities are not enough.

We already have enough of that from this present government.

“armed conflict zone”.

The United States and Canada have issued crime warnings to their citizens over and over again. The response from our government to these warnings has been outrage. Instead of addressing the issue itself they push back at the US for daring to highlight the problem that is literally destroying this nation.

Where would the Bahamas be in 10 years if we continue to do nothing? Where would we be in 20, 30 years?

Would we recognise this place? What kind of way of life are we passing on to our future generations?

If the status quo were to remain, how would this issue evolve? There are already inconsistencies between the Prime Minister

and the Commissioner of Police on how this time of crisis should be characterised. Serious considerations ought to be taken by all Bahamians that truly want to live in a better, safer Bahamas. We’re living in a time now where we must make some tough decisions regarding the course of our future. As we all know, in any big decision, not everyone is left happy, but whatever is done, must be done for the greater good of our country and our people.

For our part, we believe the time is now to bring back the death penalty in the Bahamas. What say you?

• Comments and responses to insight@tribunemedia.net

• Comments and responses to insight@tribunemedia.net

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2016 PAGE 9

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

DAVIS’ SPINNING OVER BAHA MAR HOODWINKS NO ONE

By MALCOLM J STRACHAN

G

RAEME Davis, who will oversee the operations of Baha Mar, if and when his employer, the Chinese conglomerate, Chow Tai Fook, closes on its ownership on the property, has been in many Bahamian media outlets recently, promoting his vision of what he hopes Baha Mar will look like on April 21 and afterwards.

His media effort only further highlights the refusal of the real players who control Baha Mar’s fate - the Export-Import Bank of China (EXIM) that owns Baha Mar, China Construction America (CCA), the controversial Chinese construction building Baha Mar and The Pointe, and the government of the Bahamas - to speak to Bahamians forthrightly and most often, not at all about Baha Mar. Even so, Mr Davis’ comments have caused quite a stir with many - and not in a positive way.

In the recent radio interview of Mr Davis by Juan McCartney on ‘The Revolution’ last week, Mr

McCartney’s questioning and Mr Davis’ “dance around” responses hit on some points that only unfortunately stimulate further concern for Bahamians. Case in point: 1 Mr Davis’ vagary about the number of rooms that will be open in April is highly troubling. In response to a few questions from Mr McCartney about whether 200 or 800 rooms will be open in April, Davis essentially shrugged his shoulders and said “I don’t know”. What a strange answer from someone leading the project! If he doesn’t know how many rooms will be open, does anyone know? And when exactly will he know? After all, April is around the corner.

The answer lies, of course, with CCA. As anyone involved in massive construction projects like Baha Mar knows, these projects are guided by the schedules provided by the general contractors.

Compiling and maintaining these schedules is a massive undertaking, everything down to the smallest detail is contemplated and recorded in these schedules.

So, if you have accurate

schedules, then you should know exactly how many rooms you will have ready to open and when. But, it seems, Mr Davis doesn’t know this. Could it be because CCA is unable to provide accurate schedules and Mr Davis and his team do not trust CCA’s schedules? After all, public documents have shown this to be CCA’s modus operandi with respect to Baha Mar in the past.

Looking at CCA’s recent

flow issues. What makes anyone think CCA has turned over a new leaf and can provide proper schedules, reliability and quality work this time around?

2 Mr Davis was asked point blank by Mr McCartney about his relationship with CCA, which he described as “not exactly kumbaya”. Besides the interesting undertones of using the word “kumbaya”, is that how you want to describe your relationship

“If you have accurate schedules, then you should know exactly how many rooms you will have ready to open and when” history, this is likely the case. As everyone knows, CCA’s shoddy scheduling and broken promises, including to Prime Minister Christie, have played a major role in where the project stands today. They were unable to provide proper schedules during the original construction of the project, causing the resort to prepare to open too early and eventually causing cash

with a major party chosen to be critical to the success of this project? Especially when CCA appears to have been forced upon Davis and Chow Tai Fook by the EXIM bank?

What other experiences has Mr Davis had with CCA? Based on the interview, there seemed to have been some with Chow Tai and Davis’ comments on these are less than a

Murder most foul From pg7 place.

Yes, these young men have been failed by our education and judicial system.

Yes, these young men have fallen through the cracks.

They deserve the right to be lifted up and given a helping hand. But, they do not hold the right to terrorise this country. They do not hold the right to jeopardise our tourism product, and the entire nation’s livelihood for that matter. They do not deserve the right to engage in all-out gang warfare, fighting and murdering one another over turf and access to drugs.

This is why, after deliberate consideration, we are recommending that the government revisit the implementation of capital punishment.

We would be the first to acknowledge that modern studies done in the United States show that there is not much evidence that presents a case for the effectiveness of instituting the death penalty. However, we are not in an “apples to apples” scenario here.

The majority of murders in this country are taking place on one island, seven by 21 miles, smaller than

towns in South Florida.

It is unacceptable that we have allowed this scourge of crime to continue for so long without trying every means open to the state to correct it.

As our final court of appeal, the Privy Council has, and remains the last block to capital punishment being carried out in this country.

It has been seen by the public as the useful excuse that politicians blame for why they are unable to move forward with capital punishment. To the grieving mothers and fathers the last thing they want to hear is that some judge in another country is stopping their elected officials from carrying out the laws on our books. It makes no sense to them. After all, we are the ones living in this “Wild Wild West”, as our Prime Minister so eloquent described it recently. How can it be seen as fair and just that judges so far removed from the threat itself get to determine the safety and survival of a people?

Now, there are some people that are concerned about the potential negative effect on our economy if capital punishment were to be carried out. How would we be

“Today, under this Christie term of office, the number of lives lost to violence on our streets stands at 601” viewed in the international community? This would and should be something that is discussed by the country at large - better yet, why not put it to a referendum (we know the government loves to do these) and see what the public has to say.

The pros and cons of the issue should be aired for the public to digest with a reasonable timeframe to allow for public education on both sides.

The government has seen 10 years where the violence in the Bahamas, mainly in Nassau, has terrorised the country and stained us in the international commu-

nity. We have already been equated in international publications with being an

full throated endorsement of CCA. Furthermore, will CCA be distracted by its own development at The Pointe? It is obvious that the Chinese general contractor cares about The Pointe more than Baha Mar, as it has already removed equipment from Baha Mar’s site to complete The Pointe and, at the groundbreaking, said that it would ensure The Pointe would be completed because “it has equity in the project”. CCA obviously does not have the same stake in Baha Mar. 3 Mr Davis’ comments about the debts owed by Baha Mar to governmentowned utilities and other Bahamian vendors are particularly troubling. Mr Davis admitted that, while Baha Mar owed money to a number of government corporations, including BEC and the National Insurance Board among others, the only amount paid down is with BEC. How can the government, mired in its sovereign debt disaster, tout Chow Tai Fook as a saviour of Baha Mar and compliment EXIM’s partnership with the Bahamas, when in reality Baha Mar and its present owner still owes the

Bahamian people millions of dollars?

Is this fair? Is this one of the many concessions Prime Minister Christie, in his secret deal with his friends in China, had to give away in order to get Baha Mar partially open before the elections? If Chow Tai Fook, since Mr Davis asserts the latter will own Baha Mar, cares so much about the Bahamas, why doesn’t it commit to just pay these outstanding debts once it assumes ownership?

These points alone raise many critical questions to which we deserve to know the answers. Mr Davis, if you and your employer truly expect to own Baha Mar, then we truly expect you to be transparent and open with Bahamians. If you are to have success here, begin by being straightforward with us about what is going on at Baha Mar. Spin, and generalities are not enough.

We already have enough of that from this present government.

“armed conflict zone”.

The United States and Canada have issued crime warnings to their citizens over and over again. The response from our government to these warnings has been outrage. Instead of addressing the issue itself they push back at the US for daring to highlight the problem that is literally destroying this nation.

Where would the Bahamas be in 10 years if we continue to do nothing? Where would we be in 20, 30 years?

Would we recognise this place? What kind of way of life are we passing on to our future generations?

If the status quo were to remain, how would this issue evolve? There are already inconsistencies between the Prime Minister

and the Commissioner of Police on how this time of crisis should be characterised. Serious considerations ought to be taken by all Bahamians that truly want to live in a better, safer Bahamas. We’re living in a time now where we must make some tough decisions regarding the course of our future. As we all know, in any big decision, not everyone is left happy, but whatever is done, must be done for the greater good of our country and our people.

For our part, we believe the time is now to bring back the death penalty in the Bahamas. What say you?

• Comments and responses to insight@tribunemedia.net

• Comments and responses to insight@tribunemedia.net

PAGE 10 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2016

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

GAIN AN EDGE

GAIN AN EDGE A NATIONAL DIALOGUE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

A NATIONAL DIALOGUE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

THE SIGNATURE UB Blue Blizzard created by Dairy Queen in celebration of the new university’s Charter Week proved popular.

Why I give:

Scholarships and philanthropy MY mother was always a giver. Growing up, she would give her last dollar or the shirt off her back if someone needed it.

As a child, I would often criticise her for doing this but now, as an adult, I fully understand.

In my early years of secondary school, I discovered that I had a knack for Accounting; it came naturally to me. Because of this, I decided that I would aim for the highest level possible in Accounting.

To do so would mean pursuing tertiary education and, at that time, my mother could not afford to pay for my studies. Having graduated as Head Girl from St John’s College in 1984, I was ready to embark on the journey to becoming an Accountant. Going to college would be a major milestone in the family because I would be the first.

I paid for my first semester at the then College of The Bahamas (COB). I was

Each month, Gain An Edge features a guest writer who will share their views, insights and perspectives on higher education. Darnell Osborne, an alumna of University of The Bahamas, on the transformative power of scholarships and philanthropy. blessed with a full scholarship, thereafter, through the generosity of an International Women’s Club whose members included Beverly Wallace Whitfield, Carolyn Bartlett and others.

That first scholarship paved the way for me to continue pursuing my dream. I graduated from COB in 1986, then received two additional academic scholarships from the government and RoyWest, a former offshore Trust company, to complete all my studies abroad, culminating in my becoming a Certified

Public Accountant.

As I reflect, I am forever grateful for the philanthropic actions of others. Their sacrifices truly changed the trajectory of my life. As a strong proponent of education, when I found myself in a position to be able to direct and control the finances of a company, creating scholarship opportunities for students was of paramount importance to me.

I firmly believe that providing scholarships and donations to worthy causes should be embraced by cor-

porations big and small as this should be a part of corporate social responsibility.

I strongly believe in the transformative power of higher education, not only for the individual, but also for our nation. Giving back by way of scholarships reaps dividends for generations to come. If more young adults are able to graduate with a university degree, or a certification in their field of interest, there is a greater likelihood that they will create positive ripple effects in our society. University graduates often have better standards of living and are able to contribute more to national development.

Philanthropy to me is a must. I consider the saying ‘when you give, you always receive’ to be true, I have seen this in my own life and strive to be an example in this regard.

Darnell Osborne is a Certified Public Accountant and a proud graduate of University of The Bahamas (for-

DARNELL OSBORNE, a Dairy Queen director. merly College of The Bahamas). She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Chartered Accountancy Studies from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. She is the Financial Controller at Insurance Company of The Bahamas (ICB), a member and licensed Chartered Accountant of The Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA) serving as President from 2014 to date. Under her direction, ICB consistently provides entrance scholarships to UB students entering full-time

baccalaureate degree programmes in financial services.

NEXT WEEK: a career forecast for the Bahamas • “Gain An Edge” is a weekly collaboration of the Lyford Cay Foundations, Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute and University of The Bahamas aimed at promoting a national dialogue on higher education. To share your thoughts, email gainanedge@tribunemedia.net.

THIS WEEK IN THE TRIBUNE Tuesday Woman and Health weekly advice on taking care of your mind and body and women making waves in The Bahamas Plus comment from Nicole Burrows and sporting mischief and mayhem with Inigo “Naughty” Zenicazelaya Wednesday Tribune Tech - a weekly look at what’s new in the world of technology Plus Larry Smith’s forthright Tough Call column

Thursday Obituaries and Religion, a weekly review ‘On da Hook’, a weekly look at fishing in The Bahamas Friday Weekend - a 28-page section devoted to the best in arts, music, fashion, food, books, entertainment, gardening, animal matters, fitness, history and interviews Sports - The Finish Line, a look at the local sports scene, by Brent Stubbs Plus A Comic’s View -

Naughty’s unique take on the week in The Bahamas Saturday The Tribune’s Top 5: a special video review of the week’s top stories by Khrisna Virgil on www. tribune242.com Every day in The Tribune, news, business, sports, weather and Classifieds Trader - the best guide to cars for sale, real estate, help wanted and more.

Plus breaking news and updates on your mobilefriendly tribune242.com

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, February 27, 2017, PAGE 11

Ex-MP ‘sought to intimidate judge’ from page one “I would never be involved in something as nefarious as that,” he said. “I would never be involved in something that threatened children, where children who are innocent become cannon fodder for another machine. I thought that was going a little bit too far.

That was beyond the pale and I couldn’t understand why Nygard and those had decided to take this tack.

“I didn’t pass an opinion on it because it wasn’t my business, but I don’t want to be associated with it because I have my own grandchildren and my own children and I wouldn’t want anybody to do it to them.”

Private information The Tribune’s investigation concerning Justice Charles follows a 2016 report published in a St Lucia newspaper, that claimed a Bahamian lawyer, accompanied by a Bahamian police officer, were conducting investigations into the background of a Supreme Court judge. They were reported

by St Lucia Today to have been observed conducting “a series of interviews and interrogations at government offices” and that St Lucia authorities had identified the two Bahamians who “paid various officials to supply them with information of a private nature on Mrs Charles”.

Justice Charles, a Guyanese national, spent 12 years in St Lucia as a magistrate and High Court registrar in the late 1980s and 1990s.

Since then, The Tribune has seen copies of St Lucia immigration entry documentation for Mr Smith on September 9, 2016, and Royal Bahamas Police Officer Camala McCoy, who entered the country a day earlier.

In October, Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade denied reports that a senior police officer

KEOD SMITH, pictured outside court on an earlier occasion. had been sent to St Lucia to assist in the purported probe. He said he had ordered an investigation into the matter.

Emails seen by The Tribune purport to show correspondence between Mr Smith, Mr Williams and Tyrone Olander Jr, of A Culture Shock Media Group.

The emails were not confirmed by Mr Williams.

According to its website, A Culture Shock is a Chicago-based marketing and promotion company with extensive experience in the Bahamian market.

The company designs and produces the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s Bahamas Ambassador Magazine “BAAM”.

In BAAM issue 4, tabled in Parliament last week, Mr Williams is listed as BAAM’s editor, with Teejay Olander as creative director.

In an email dated October 10, 2016, Mr Smith requests for a pdf to be created of a Nassau Guardian article that covered Senator Allyson Maynard-Gibson’s commencement address at Lyford Cay International School in 2015.

Mrs Maynard-Gibson poses for a photo with the LCIS graduates which illustrates the article.

The request is also sent in a WhatsApp correspondence, also purported to be from Mr Smith, in which he asks the recipient to capture the photo accompanying the article and identifies Justice Charles’ son.

Sinister situation Mr Williams confirmed to The Tribune that he also received the photo with certain instructions, but was adamant that he was not involved in any way.

“I understand that telephone calls were made to certain persons who were asked very close to the child, bam bam bam,” he said, “and I know there was an issue as to the Attorney General herself speaking at the commencement exercise at the Lyford Cay School where the child attended. I thought that was really a low, low, low blow and very unfortunate.

Referring to the photo, he said: “Yeah, that was being passed around. I saw that, that was passed around, this was an exercise that people on that Nygard side were promoting, and I think in today’s social media world where nothing is basically isolated once you begin to go on a trek that you’re following someone’s child.

“You’ve been down to St Lucia following the parent, now you’re in Nassau following the child, it does speak to a sinister macabre situation which doesn’t bode well for where we ought to be as a people.

Mr Williams continued: “To criticise the judge or to legally criticise a legal position is all well and fair, but when we start bothering with the wives and the children and the husbands of the judiciary then we get ourselves into a very, very, very shitty end of the stick and this is where it comes in as to how far is one allowed to go, and what’s the penance for going too far?

“That’s the question that has to be asked, but I don’t want to be in any way considered that I was involved in that felonious episode where Keod and those went to St Lucia and then they began this.”

Mr Williams’ exclusive account focuses on the alleged interference with Justice Charles that he claims

took place after he severed ties with Mr Nygard and Mr Smith in November, 2015.

He began working with Mr Nygard in 2009, but declined to answer questions about his role prior to their split.

“I probably think I was put out to pasture in the Nygard/Keod Smith public relations machine shortly after November of 2015 when I got the lawyer letter,” Mr Williams said.

“It was emailed to me from Mr Nygard’s attorney’s and also forwarded to me from Keod telling me that Mr Nygard was brokering a ... whatever it is ... a peace or settlement or withdrawal from his engagement and he wanted persons like myself who were involved in his part of the machine to deal with whatever we had coming at us and to, in other words, own up to what we were doing or what we had done.”

Mr Williams said he was also notified by Mr Smith that he would no longer be able to represent him in his libel case, in which he is being sued by Mr Nygard’s Lyford Cay billionaire neighbour Louis Bacon.

“What is happening here is that I’m being asked about my detail and my involvement in some things,” Mr Williams said, “which if I do not deny or clarify, makes it appear as if I was involved and I don’t need that. I don’t need no blight on my record. I run a very popular talk show, I try to keep my nose clean, I’m involved in any number of things.”

Mr Williams said: “I don’t want to be fingered as someone who goes on a campus to bother with somebody’s child. People’s kids and stuff ought not be cannon fodder in an exercise.”

Mr Williams was contacted as part of this newspaper’s investigation into requests for recusal of Supreme Court Justices Rhonda Bain and Indra Charles in matters relating

to Mr Nygard, Mr Smith and Save the Bays - formerly the Coalition to Protect Clifton Bay. Children’s safety His claims come amid speculation over whether Justice Charles has recused herself from the “murder for hire” case filed against Mr Nygard and Mr Smith by several Save the Bays directors and independent plaintiff, Rev CB Moss.

Justice Charles did not preside over the case on February 16, a date she set to hear motions for an injunction, a strike out action and the addition of an affidavit. Instead, Supreme Court Justice Donna Newton took her place and the matter was adjourned without an explanation.

The Tribune understands Justice Charles asked the Chief Justice to reassign the case.

“You can almost understand why, if it was me,” Mr Williams said, “and I was concerned about the safety of my children, and I saw that was happening. I would have to take another direction, I would have to get out of the way because I can’t expose my children to that.

He continued: “I’m not afraid. I mean I’ve had threats from that other side, real threats about what can happen to you if you do this and that but that is how it is, iron will cut iron, at the end of the day, Nygard has said officially, through his attorneys, admit to what you’re involved in come clean, that’s all I want.

“I received no instructions from him that changes that, and he can’t send me no new instructions, I don’t work for him any more.”

Mr Williams said: “And whatever I’ve done, I’ve done in the pale of the instructions he’s given me, and I felt as if I had a loyalty to him to do such.

“I now wait to go into court on my libel matter and to see how I’m able to defend myself and deal with that.”

EMAILS THAT BACK PROPAGANDA CLAIM EMAIL correspondence seen by The Tribune appears to corroborate Earlin Williams’ claim that he and others were employed to produce propaganda material.

In an email dated August 25, 2015, entitled “Drop Obie”, Keod Smith asks for an update on the status of a graphic “showing Bacon with shadow of black wings like Satan embracing Obie and Sarkis Izmirlian”.

The purported email further outlines that Mr Williams will provide words for the project and itemises a 30-second advertisement, for Facebook and social media, to end with “renegotiate symbol”.

In the email, Mr Smith also makes the point that the “Westminster parliamentary democracy requires Cabinet Minister to resign when he is at odds with Cabinet”. It is likely that the email is referring to Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe and former Baha Mar owner Sarkis Izmirlian.

In August, 2015, during the government’s winding up petition against Baha Mar, Mr Wilchcombe called for the government to suspend its winding up petition and focus on its role as a mediator in the stalled negotiations. In an exclusive interview with The Tribune, Mr Wilchcombe said he felt that it was not too late to achieve a resolution that would avoid a protracted legal battle.

Those comments were characterised by some as a break from Cabinet protocol that undermined the government’s efforts.

In a Nassau Guardian National Review article on August 31, Managing Editor Candia Dames concluded that Mr Wilchcombe should tender his resignation as minister if he felt that the government’s action was not the best route, or be dismissed by Prime Minister Perry Christie.

According to a Nassau Guardian article on September 8, 2015, Mr Smith called for Mr Wilchcombe to resign for publicly opposing Cabinet’s decision on Baha Mar in a radio advertisement on behalf of “Renegotiate Bahamas”.

PAGE 12, Monday, February 27, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Christie: Investing in RBDF ships helping to crack down on poaching

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE wisdom of the government’s decision to acquire nine Royal Bahamas Defence Force vessels at a cost of $232m can be seen in the results that are being reaped, Prime Minister Perry Christie said on Friday.

He spoke during a commissioning ceremony for the latest addition to the fleet, HMBS Kamalamee.

“As God would have it, the decision to expand our capacity to protect the waters of The Bahamas has enabled the Defence Force to now be seen to be doing great works in furtherance of protecting our country,” he said on Friday.

The Ingraham administration began negotiations with Dutch ship builders to procure a new fleet for the RBDF before it was voted out of office in May

PRIME Minister Perry Christie aboard the HMBS Arthur Dion Hanna with dignitaries including the man it is named after, pictured right. Mr Christie said the country is reaping the results of investing in nine new RBDF vessels.

2012.

In early 2014, the Chris-

tie administration brought a resolution to Parliament

Company results reflect a year of sustained growth and feverish activity.

NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS — The year 2016 was full of milestones for Cable Bahamas Ltd. (CBL). The fourth quarter and year end consolidated results show the Company’s greatest ever revenues, topping $180M with an EBITDA of over $43M - and producing a healthy balance sheet. These results were achieved in a tumultuous year for the Company. CBL continued to grow its REV business in The Bahamas, cemented its foothold in Florida with Summit Broadband and, most significantly, won The Bahamas’ second mobile licence and successfully launched ALIV mobile service a mere five months later.

All this done in a year hampered by the severe impact Hurricane Matthew, which devastated many parts of CBL’s home base, The Bahamas.

to borrow $232m from the Deutsche Bank to order nine vessels and carry out ancillary civil work for the RBDF. “The evidence of that can be gleaned from fishermen who are now indicating openly that this is the best season they’ve had in 30 years and that, just recently, a colleague of mine told me that his father, who is a Spanish Wells fisherman, went out and in three hours secured 300lbs of crawfish and they’re saying that was normally a full day and a half worth of work,” Mr Christie added.

“The evidence is before us to now be able to see the wisdom and benefit of expanding the capacity of the Defence Force

- and not just the capacity to do so. But clearly there is an apprehension by way of a deterrence taking place by people who have made a living of poaching in our waters,” he added.

Mr Christie also spoke of a recent incident in which RBDF officers apprehended two Dominican boats full of people who were poaching in the area of the Great Bahama Bank.

The RBDF vessel involved was HMBS Madeira, whose hull was damaged when a Dominican vessel with poachers, attempting to escape, rammed her.

Efforts are underway to renovate HMBS Madeira.

When complete, all nine ships the government acquired will be in the possession of the RBDF, completing a key stage of the Sandy Bottom Project, which is an effort to modernise the Defence Force’s capacity and capabilities.

“Madeira was successful in apprehending two Dominican vessels last year November,” Mr Christie said. “In a failed attempt to escape, one of the poaching vessels rammed the Madeira, damaging her hull. Arrangements for her repairs are now in their final stage.

“Traditionally we have had this great challenge to our country of poaching and we have attempted through diplomacy to minimise and even prevent the level of poaching from government to government interactions - the government of The Bahamas and the government of the Dominican Republic.”

“The poachers were ar-

rested, the official resources were confiscated. They are still in custody at the Department of Corrections where they are awaiting the completion of their cases and I’m led to understand that the court resumes as early as Monday next (today).”

Mr Christie’s praise for the RBDF’s efforts to clamp down on poaching echoes that of Acting Commodore Captain Tellis Bethel, who told The Tribune last year the force’s customers think the law enforcement agency is doing a better job.

“The Bahamian clientele, the local fishermen, they have been reporting huge catches on the Bahama Bank such as they have never seen over the last 10, some say 20 years,” he said.

“There is some evidence that as a result of the Defence Force conducting its patrols with the recent acquisition of its patrol crafts, we are beginning to roll back the Dominican poachers.

“Years ago they were able to fish at will but now, because of the presence of the Defence Force, they really have to exercise caution when they do what they do.

We are in a position where we are able to respond quickly, whether during a regular patrol or responding to a report by fishermen.

“Our success owes to greater resources. The acquisition programme under the government’s approved Sandy Bottom Project entails acquisition of nine patrol craft. All nine have been constructed and delivered. The latest capture involved the most recent delivery of patrol craft, Her Majesty’s Bahamian Ship Madeira,” Mr Christie said.

COPPER THIEVES HIT BTC LINES THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company has been a victim of “copper theft,” which has caused some disruption in telephone service in Grand Bahama.

“Please be advised that local authorities in Grand Bahama have been alerted to copper theft and persons cutting and/or stealing BTC telephone cables and wires, around the island, which is resulting in the disruption of telephone services,” the company said yesterday.

“This is an extreme inconvenience to BTC customers. If you witness

anyone in your community cutting and/or stealing telephone wires or cables, please contact your local police department and/ or 242-CALL-BTC (2255282) to file a report. A reward will be made available to persons providing information.”

Government agencies and some businesses in the private sector have been victims of copper theft for some time.

In 2013, Leslie Miller, then executive chairman of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation, and Rupert Roberts, Super Value CEO, called on the government to

place a permanent ban on the export of copper.

At the time, Mr Miller said copper thieves have caused businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.

In July 2011, the Ingraham administration placed a temporary ban on the scrap metal trade and a permanent ban on copper export after an increase in copper theft.

However, the former government later lifted the copper ban and amended the Customs Management Act to allow for copper exports under stringent conditions.

PLUMBER AIMS TO BECOME INDEPENDENT MP

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net DONALD Mortimer, a well-known plumbing contractor, says he intends to campaign and run as an independent candidate for Central Grand Bahama in the upcoming 2017 general election.

Mr Mortimer believes that he can better represent constituents and make a difference in the area where he has lived for the past 30 years.

“With God’s help I know I will do well,” he said. “I am running because I live in the constituency and I think I can do a better job; I know I can make a difference in Central (Grand Bahama).”

Some of his priorities are the high unemployment among the youth and the

DONALD MORTIMER wellbeing of the elderly.

“I am concerned about lack of employment for our young people … and I strongly think that more needs to be done to assist our senior citizens who are most vulnerable in society,” he said.

Mr Mortimer said it is important to invest in the

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youth because they are the future generation of the country. He believes that too many young people are unemployed.

“We need to ensure that our young people have the opportunity for a better way of life,” said the contractor, who plans to unveil his platform in the coming weeks.

While Mr Mortimer is not affiliated with any party, he thinks that an independent candidate is no different from any other candidate in the Free National Movement (FNM), Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) or Democratic National Alliance (DNA).

“Either you are going to be a good working member of Parliament, or not. I am prepared to do what I can to help Bahamians, and do what God allows me to do for my constituency,” he said. “I have been a plumbing contractor for many years in the Grand Bahama community and I chose to run in Central because … I know the area and I know a lot of the people who I want to support me.”

The PLP has ratified Senator Julian Russell and the FNM has ratified architect and businessman Iram Lewis as respective candidates for Central Grand Bahama.

Neko Grant, of the FNM, has represented the constituency for the past 24 years.

Last August, Mr Grant announced his planned retirement from frontline politics.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, February 27, 2017, PAGE 13

Attorney General unsure when FOI Act will be implemented

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY General Allyson Maynard-Gibson said that while the Freedom of Information Bill will be debated in the Senate today and passed by Thursday, she is unsure what will happen to the legislation should there be a change of government after the upcoming general election.

In an interview with The Tribune on Friday, Mrs Maynard-Gibson said the Progressive Liberal Party is determined to see the Bill through to the end but admitted that “it will take time to implement” even after it is passed in the Senate.

The House of Assembly passed the revamped FOIA earlier this month.

“The first reading in the Senate will be on Monday and is likely to finish on Thursday,” Mrs MaynardGibson said. “I cannot speak for what will happen in the unlikely event that another government is elected.

“I can say with complete confidence that the Progressive Liberal Party does not believe in alternative facts. You have already heard it said in the House of Assembly in consultation and I was a part of the early consultative exercise with Minister (Jerome) Fitzgerald and the entire team since we took over.

ATTORNEY General Allyson Maynard-Gibson.

Everyone, civil society, the media and all stakeholders have been involved in this and so it is a very reasonable bill.

“The fact is, it will move ahead after it is passed in the Senate and it will take time to implement because it’s heavily resource intensive. There’s no question about this, none.”

Mrs Maynard-Gibson also said she is unsure how long it will take for the legislation to be enacted after it is passed in the Senate.

“What happens is that once a bill is passed by the Senate, there’s a recommendation that a deed of assent can be signed and the relevant minister makes the recommendation to the

governor general to sign it.

The bill is then gazetted and that is when it becomes enacted.”

An FOIA was passed by the Ingraham administration shortly before the 2012 general election, but did not have an enforcement date.

When the PLP assumed office, the government said the legislation would need

significant changes.

In December 2016, Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald tabled another version of FOI legislation.

However, the bill that was passed earlier this month presented several “big changes” when compared to its predecessors, according to Mr Fitzgerald, the minister with responsibility

for FOIA. The Marathon MP asserted that this incarnation of FOI is vastly better than the “woefully short” aspirations of the legislation passed in 2012 - a piece of legislation he said the former administration “rushed” through Parliament to gain political points.

BANKER MURDER TRIAL DELAYED FOLLOWING LEGAL DISCUSSIONS

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

A JUDGE on Friday adjourned the trial of a man accused of killing a banker to this week, informing members of the jury that while legal discussions held in connection with the case had been concluded, the court was not yet ready to proceed with the

presentation of evidence to them.

Senior Justice Vera Watkins is presiding over the trial of Lamar Albury, who is accused of causing the death of Devince Smith in December 2015.

With the 12-member jury back in court after legal discussions prompted delays in the case on Thursday, the judge explained that her decision to adjourn the mat-

ter until those discussions had concluded were due to her belief that those levels of discussions could leave their minds confused.

She added those discussions were now complete and the case would resume today.

It is alleged that Albury murdered Smith sometime between December 19 and 21, 2015. Smith’s partially decomposed body was

found shortly after 2.30pm on December 21, 2015 at his St Alban’s Drive apartment.

Police were alerted to the apartment after relatives, who had not heard from the victim, went to his home and found him dead in the living room.

Smith was a sports coach and was employed at Pictet Bank & Trust Ltd. He was also a former president of

the New Providence Volleyball Association.

Albury maintained his not guilty plea to the murder charge he faces when the trial began.

Last Monday, the jury heard that Albury had confessed to his relatives that he fatally stabbed the banker, who had hired him to do maintenance work at his apartment for an upcoming holiday gathering, when

the victim allegedly made a sexual advance to him.

On Tuesday, Smith’s housekeeper testified that in the three months she had known Albury, the accused had been to Smith’s apartment on three occasions and on two other occasions, the accused and Smith were seen in the victim’s Jeep drinking.

Cordell Frazier is prosecuting the case for the Crown.

FAMILY AMONG THOSE ACCUSED OF DRUGS POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO SUPPLY

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net A FAMILY of four was among seven people arraigned in the Magistrate’s court Friday in two separate cases of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

Carl Knowles, 61, Gloria Knowles, 57, Kevan Knowles, 26, and Kerry Knowles, 30, were all

arraigned before Magistrate Janine GomezWeech on two charges of possession of dangerous drugs.

The charges were in relation to the discovery of 12 grams of suspected marijuana and another one concerning the discovery of three grams of cocaine. In addition, Kevan Knowles was also charged with the possession of six grams of marijuana.

All entered pleas of not guilty and were remanded until Tuesday.

In a second case, also heard by Magistrate Gomez-Weech, three people, including a mother and son, were arraigned in connection with the discovery of 35lbs of suspected marijuana.

It was alleged by a police prosecutor that 61-year-old Shirley-Mae Turnquest and her 37-year-old son, Ivo-

ine Turnquest, along with 33-year-old Stanley Taylor, were discovered in possession of the large quantity of drugs.

All pleaded not guilty to the allegation. They were remanded until Tuesday, when they are expected back in court.

A conviction for possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply carries a possible fine and/or up to seven years in prison.

TWO ACCUSED OVER THREE ATTEMPTED MURDERS

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

TWO men were remanded to prison on Friday after being arraigned in Magistrate’s Court on three counts of attempted murder.

Anthony Henfield and Anthony Major, both 20, appeared before Magistrate Janine Gomez-Weech accused of attempting to intentionally cause the deaths of Iman Scott, Mervin Johnson and Cordelle Wells Munroe at East Street and Windsor Lane on February 17.

It was alleged that the men, while concerned together on

the date in question, opened fire on three men during an argument. The charges come under Section 292 of the Penal Code, Chapter 84. They were not required to enter a plea.

The two men are scheduled to return to Magistrate’s Court on April 18 for the presentation of a voluntary bill of indictment, which would transfer the case from the lower court to the Supreme Court.

The men were denied bail and remanded to the Department of Correctional Services to await trial.

However, they were advised of their right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

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PAGE 14, Monday, February 27, 2017

MEMBERS of the Progressive Liberal Party during a meeting at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Kemp Road.

THE TRIBUNE

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Montagu PLPs backed Smith over rival nominee Munroe from page one On Friday, Prime Minister Perry Christie said whatever the party decides to do with respect to the Freetown constituency, everyone will be pleased and united.

The PLP’s constitution says all prospective candidates must either be recommended by the constituency branch or a member in good standing.

In the event that the National General Council chooses a candidate that is different from one who is recommended by the branch, the PLP’s constitution says there “shall be a joint meeting comprised of the branch and/or affiliate member and ten members of the National General Council appointed by the national chairman in con-

sultation with the leader and that joint committee shall amicably resolve the matter and report to the leader its findings.”

A press statement from the branch yesterday featured a letter signed by ten elected officials of the Montagu constituency branch in which they indicate that Mr Smith was chosen on the “strong recommendation of the branch.”

“Frank Smith has our unequivocal support and we are convinced that the party would win if he ran as the candidate,” the letter, sent to PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts on February 21, said.

“We are informed that the Candidates Committee of the Progressive Liberal Party plans to suggest to the National General Council of our party that a candidate other than Frank

Smith be nominated for the constituency of Freetown which encompasses much of the constituency of Montagu. We have met this news with profound disappointment.”

With respect to a subsequent meeting members of the branch had with Mr Roberts last week, the statement said: “…This meeting...was very well attended by branch members.

The party chairman opened the floor to comments from all present and everyone who wished to speak were able to do so without a time limit or any control on their commentary. It is very true that the overwhelming number of those making statements of support did so in favour of Frank Smith.

These statements were later reinforced by letters of support to the Candidates Committee for Frank Smith

from community leaders who were not present at the meeting.

“Against the honourable history that the Progressive Liberal Party has always demonstrated great regard for the clear indication of support from its branches, which was on very obvious display during the nomination process in other constituencies during the 2017 nomination cycle, we call on all aspirants to respect the strong wish of the branch and party supporters in Free Town,” the statement added.

When contacted by The Tribune yesterday, Mr Munroe said he and his supporters will have their own meeting with the leadership structure of the PLP this week, opening the possibility that tensions in the party will be exposed again even while the PLP seeks to

contrast itself with the Free National Movement, which has been fractured in recent times.

“The party has a democratic structure,” Mr Munroe said. “Just as the branch votes, and the branch might not be representative of the constituency, the Candidates Committee has its own function and then you have the NGC. “That the branch voted for him (Mr Smith) would have been known to the Candidates Committee.

They do the investigations.

They would investigate things like level of activity of the branch. There are a number of persons that they would speak to, I have no doubt stalwarts from the area and they would do their own due diligence.”

Mr Smith is a long-time PLP member, having run for the party in the Blue

Hills constituency in 1997, which he lost, and having represented the now defunct St Thomas More area in Parliament from 2002 to 2012.

He lost to Richard Lightbourn in the Montagu constituency in 2012. Mr Smith was appointed as a PLP senator this term and is chairman of the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA).

Mr Munroe joined the PLP in 2015. In 2012, he ran unsuccessfully on the Democratic National Alliance’s ticket.

Although he was not ratified Friday night, Mr Munroe was cheered by numerous residents of the Freetown area.

When Mr Christie explained why there was a delay in the ratification of a candidate for Freetown, shouts of “Munroe” rang from the crowd.

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME LAUNCHES FIFTH ANNUAL EVENT

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE Youth Empowerment Programme on Friday officially launched its fifth annual YEP month, with executive officers touting continued success as the prime reason corporate Bahamas should get on board and aid the campaign as it continues

to “exceed limits”.

The series of events which is built around a church service, radio commentaries, a fun run/walk health fair, a beach volleyball tournament, speech finals, debate finals, a basketball tournament, government courtesy calls, a talent and step show, luncheon, a pride and t-shirt day, a community day and a family fun day - commences

on Sunday.

Programme President and CEO Delano Munroe said through the help of its sponsors, YEP has been able to engage students from both private and public schools using a diverse curriculum for much of the past five years.

YEP, a non-profit, volunteer mentorship initiative consists of a 30-week after-school schedule that

A leading vacation ownership resort is seeking an applicant for the position of:

Engineering Assistant Operations Manager The incumbent will be responsible for assisting with the management of the Engineering Department and Asst. Shift Engineers. Responsibilities also include the management of property and resort maintenance, to ensure the property is maintained to the required standard, while keeping safety standard guidelines enforced. In addition, be responsible for supporting the Engineering Operations Manager and Director in the supervision of the projects that impact the general upkeep of the resort property.

Other • • • • •

responsibilities include: Conducting morning Coach, develop, trains, recognizes, disciplines and rewards subordinates. to renovations, maintenance Monitors/supervises special projects weeks, electrical, plumbing, painting, golf carts, gates, signage, leaks, alarms, furniture, refrigeration, air conditioning, heaters, boilers, etc.

Participate in the Hurricane Preparedness Task Force as one of the property’s safety coordinators.

Have a thorough knowledge of documented Emergency & Safety Procedures.

includes several supplementary activities that expose students to needed social and career skills.

“Our curriculum remains diverse to cater to the ever-changing times we now live in,” said Mr Munroe, a one-time political hopeful, at a press conference at the British Colonial Hilton. “We keep our students actively engaged and involved with

• •

Must be in computers and electrical systems or three disciplines equivalent in the Engineering AT least BTVI trade Degree in relevant Must have a good command of the English language At least 3-5 years in a supervisory position in an engineering environment.

Interested person can apply to the position on: Atlantislocalbahamas.com Deadline for submissions is March 3rd, 2017

lege and university or the job market immediately after graduating from high school.”

According to programme representatives, YEP operates in 25 schools in New Providence and aims to expand throughout the Family Islands.

Several corporate partners and the Ministry of Education currently sponsor the programme.

A leading vacation ownership resort is seeking an applicant for the position of: ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF HOUSEKEEPING The incumbent will be responsible for the daily management of the resort’s housekeeping department, while giving focus to the management of the Tower Managers. Provides leadership, standards enforcement, and results for Housekeeping team.

Responsibilities include: • Conducting daily staff • Conduct reviews on the quality of room inspections done by Tower Managers.

• Inspect and evaluate guest rooms and and ensure rooms are cleaned to the required standards.

• Supervise, conduct performance appraisals, coach, discipline, hire, terminate, reward, recognize, celebrate and direct all of the activities of the Housekeeping staff while building a strong team.

• Train staff while ensuring that they are in compliance with company policy and procedures.

• Complete weekly payroll • Prepares and monitors weekly work schedule, based on projected occupancy. Plans, organizes, coordinates and assigns work load.

• Focus on the accomplishment of divisional goals.

• •

• •

internal and external activities throughout the entire programme.

“YEP remains committed to helping students realise their dream of a college/ university education. We are the only youth organisation to host a college road trip in the United States and Canada giving our students more exposure.”

“YEP students are statistically heading to col-

• • • •

College degree preferred but not essential years in a Housekeeping or Public Areas Minimum job experience of position.

Computer literacy in MS Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint Demonstrated knowledge of housekeeping operations in a high volume environment.

Proven knowledge of and operational management.

Strong communication skills.

Interested person can apply to the position on: Atlantislocalbahamas.com Deadline for submissions is March 3rd, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, February 27, 2017, PAGE 15

PAGE 16, Monday, February 27, 2017

The COOLEST place to be

THE TRIBUNE

MENCHIE’s Frozen Yogurt grand opening at the weekend brought smiles to its first customers.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/ Tribune Staff