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BEYOND WORDS Girl, 8, dragged from her home in dead of night By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD girl is deeply traumatised and her family shattered after she was abducted from her home early yesterday morning. Distraught loved ones are calling for the immediate activation of the MARCO Alert system. The eight-year-old’s mother told The Tribune yesterday the man who took her daughter - who is now at home safe - has changed both her and her child irreparably. “She been crying all night,” the mother, 38, said. “Every time she wake up, she crying. He take my child life, changed her whole life. He change my life because I am a demon now, I’m not human (sic).” The mother said her
daughter described the man as a dark-skinned bald man. Yesterday police said they were searching for a man in connection with the alleged abduction but also had a man in custody assisting with this incident. According to police, the man entered the family’s home shortly after 2am on Sunday and abducted the girl - whom they reported was six. In a report to the media sent at 11.45am, police said the child was discovered walking in the area of Woodlawn Gardens a short time after the abduction by a passerby and taken to the Wulff Road Police Station. The Tribune visited the home in Culmerville and interviewed several close relatives and area residents, but has withheld the names of all family members to protect the young girl’s
NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames has said testing on the Mandatory Action Rescuing Children Operation Alert system (MARCO) is complete and the proposal will be submitted to Cabinet for approval very shortly. Mr Dames told reporters during a recent interview he hopes in the coming months the alert system will become a reality. He also said the Cabinet paper for a proposed sex offender registry is finished and will be
THREE people died in two car accidents over the weekend –– a middle aged man on Tonique Williams Darling Highway and two men in South Andros. During a deadly stretch, five people have been killed in accidents since last week Monday and a number of others have been badly injured. The latest incident happened shortly before 6pm on Saturday. Police said two SEE PAGE FIVE
THE best bids for the Grand Lucayan, and the government’s voluntary separation offer to its managers, will both be discussed tomorrow as efforts to resolve the resort’s future heat up. Michael Scott, chairman of Lucayan Resorts Holding, the government-owned special purpose vehicle that owns the property, confirmed it has narrowed the offers down to the worthy “finalists”.
submitted soon. “We have just concluded our testing of the MARCO Alert System and so the testing was done to ensure that we address all of the issues with the system itself,” he said. “Now that we have completed that phase; we’ve been working with the company to make the necessary corrections and adjustments. We are now at the phase where they are putting together a proposal and so that proposal is just about prepared.”
FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
THE VICTIM and her mother last night. The picture has been altered to protect their identities.
SIX MILLION TOURISTS - 43 CRIMES INSIGHT
ORIGINAL CRISPY CHICKEN STRIPS ALSO AVAILABLE
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
SEE PAGE THREE
SEE PAGE THREE
THREE DIE IN ROAD TRAGEDIES
LUCAYAN ‘SERIOUS OFFERS’ REVIEW
MARCO ALERT SYSTEM STILL MONTHS AWAY BY RIEL MAJOR
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FOR all the gloom portrayed by US travel advisories, the likelihood that an American tourist would be a victim of a crime is infinitesimal. This is highlighted in today’s Insight column by Ed Fields, managing director of the Downtown Nassau Partnership, who shows how statistically uncommon serious crimes are against
DOWNTOWN Nassau tourists. “In total, there were 43 offences against visitors in 2018 or .00000717
percent or .000005 percent of those were against US citizens according to the statistics from the RBPF,” Mr Fields writes. “Not quite what one would call common as it relates to visitors, but the way that the advisory is worded has the phones ringing off the hook and coverage ranging across 50 states.” The most recent advisory was picked up by news organisations last week. See Insight - Page Seven
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5 LOCALS HELD FOR ILLEGAL FISHING By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
FIVE Bahamians and three other men were arrested over the weekend after they were found fishing in a protected marine preserve in the Berry Islands with scores of conch on board their vessels. The arrests come as the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources plans to cut conch exports and dramatically increase enforcement with an additional 26 fisheries officers. SEE PAGE 11
PAGE 2, Monday, March 4, 2019 By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net POLICE Commissioner Anthony Ferguson said on Friday the Royal Bahamas Police Force is doing what it can to make residents and visitors to this country safe in the wake of a recent US State Department crime advisory. Speaking to reporters during a community walkabout, the police chief said despite the positive trends in the crime fight, Bahamians still needed to “clean the place where we live”. “We are very aware of what is being said,” Commissioner Ferguson said when asked about the US’ warning. “We are doing everything that we can in order to make the entire Commonwealth of The Bahamas safe for every single Bahamian (and) every single person who would visit our shores, not just one set of people. I think if we start to do a good job with ourselves then we can do a good job with other people.” He added: “First of all, I learned that you must keep your own doorstep clean before you go elsewhere. So exactly where we are today, we must clean the place where we live. If we are doing a good job at that, then we can go elsewhere and help with that.” When asked by reporters to speak about the argument being led by government officials that lower
THE TRIBUNE
We must clean the place where we live, urges police chief Ferguson crime statistics should equate to a safer outlook for tourists, Commissioner Ferguson remarked: “I am not going to speak to what people think. “As the Commissioner, I have the statistics. We live in The Bahamas, you see what is happening. I think we have to judge it from there.” The State Department’s warning last Monday stated violent crime such as burglaries, armed robberies and sexual assaults were common in tourist areas in New Providence. The alert also warned the vast majority of crimes occurred in the capital and Grand Bahama, but added the Family Islands were not crime free. As in previous crime warnings, the alert also prohibited US government personnel from visiting the Sand Trap area in Nassau due to crime and criticised activities involving
commercial recreational watercraft, including water tours, stating that they were not consistently regulated. Visitors were also urged to exercise caution in the areas of Over-the-Hill and the Fish Fry at Arawak Cay. In response, Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said there would be push-back from local officials, claiming the lowering of crime numbers in 2018 should have positively affected the State Department’s outlook. In a further response Wednesday, National Security Minister Marvin Dames contended the 2018 crime statistics were the best the Bahamas has seen in more than a decade and insisted numbers continue to trend down this year. Mr Dames said: “Every country has the right to issue an advisory. A country issues an advisory based on whatever they feel that
WE are doing everything we can, says Commissioner Ferguson their citizens ought to know. “We would have crunched some numbers during 2018 and from the numbers we would have crunched of matters reported to the police… Any crime against a visitor is one too many but we feel like those numbers can
stack up against any country almost anywhere the world-over. “We will continue to work with countries from around the world to see how we work together to collectively focus on the things we need to focus on to ensure that we meet
a point where we’re all happy.” In a subsequent statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the warnings from the US to its citizens were in line with recommendations The Bahamas also gives to its citizens travelling abroad. The ministry further noted that local law enforcement had made strides in the fight against crime, with a reduction in serious crimes like murders, armed robbery and shopbreaking. “There has been and continues to be collaboration between the Ministries of Tourism and Aviation and Transport and Local Government with the Port Department to address needed changes in regulation and enforcement to ensure safe and responsible operation of commercial recreational water sport and excursion tour companies,” the statement said.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, March 4, 2019, PAGE 3
Family distraught after girl dragged from her home in dead of night from page one anonymity. The eight-yearold is one of seven children, with the eldest a 22-yearold girl, and the youngest child a two-year-old girl. The girl’s mother said the abductor knocked on the door of the home and when the eight-year-old and her five-year-old sister answered it. The man reportedly pushed the five-year-old to the side, and then grabbed the eight-year-old, taking her with him into his car. “The car speed around, it disappear. Now I don’t know if I’m up or down, if I’m here or there,” the mother said. She said when she heard the knock, she thought it was her daughter’s friend, adding she and her children chased after the car down the street. Area residents, said to be present in the yard at the time of the abduction, described the car as a champagne-coloured Jaguar. “This person knock directly on their . . . door,” said a longtime neighbour. “They had to have stakeout this place, this person was round here watching, either lingering around here.” From there, according to her mother, the little girl claimed she was taken to the man’s home and groped her. He then told her to close her eyes, and took her to an area in Woodlawn Gardens of Soldier Road. “He took her to his house,” her mother said, “and touched her... “ The mother continued: “She was crying, she say she want to go home, and he told her close her eyes you going home right now. When she open her eyes, she don’t see nobody but the street, she was walking up and down. “She didn’t know where was, she never been that
• My girl been crying all night. Every time she wake up, she crying. He take my child life, changed her whole life. He change my life because I am a demon now, I’m not human far, she’s only eight-yearsold. An angel!” the mother exclaimed through tears. “And an angel in the streets saw that little girl crying, and he took her to the police station.” She added: “When I give my interview at the police station, and I see my baby walk out, I feel like the heavens just open up.” While The Tribune was told the young girl was found sometime after 4.30am, police said she was found less than an hour after she was reported missing. At the family home yesterday, residents and loved ones were visibly shaken by the ordeal and expressed a range of emotions from disbelief and anger to despair. The 20-year-old sister that the man allegedly asked for, told The Tribune she went out with friends around 11.30pm on Saturday. She received a call that her sister had been taken, and said she was shocked to learn the culprit had asked for her by name. However, she said she does not believe any of her friends are involved,
THE VICTIM and her mother last night. The picture has been altered to protect their identities.
MARCO ALERT SYSTEM STILL MONTHS AWAY from page one
Asked if the completion of the alert system was taking too long, Mr Dames said: “No, it’s a process. Remember we had to run our test. We can’t just go out and acquire something without testing it and ensuring that it meets the needs of what it is we are seeking to do. “When you are spending people’s money you must do that with a high degree of responsibility…so we take that very seriously. “We always go through the proper testing to ensure at the end of the day when we spend the Bahamian people’s money. We’re making wise and prudent decisions. Decisions that will not come back to haunt us tomorrow,” he said at police headquarters on Thursday. Last July, Mr Dames announced the launch of the Minnis administration’s version of the MARCO Alert. He made this announcement during a press conference at the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s headquarters, telling those gathered it was at that point in the pilot phase. At the time Mr Dames said the revamped version of the alert flowed directly from the original 2013
SECURITY Minister Marvin Dames has said testing on MARCO is complete. initiative, adding features which allowed the alert to stand “in line” with the Minnis administration’s effort to fully enact Marco’s Law and establish a sex offender registry. In reference to the planned sex offender registry, Mr Dames said last week: “We at the Ministry of National Security have been working closely with the Office of the Attorney General on this. We should have that Cabinet paper to Cabinet in a few weeks, so we are well ahead on all of
those. “This is something we take very seriously, and we are determined to get it right.” Plans for both initiatives were introduced in 2013 with an amendment to the Sexual Offences Act and Child Protection Act after the murder of 11-year-old Marco Archer by convicted child killer Kofhe Goodman. The Christie administration rolled out the MARCO Alert system in July 2016, and it was relaunched by the Minnis administration
however it has not been fully implemented. Officials have said the Minnis administration’s version of the alert system will operate via a web-based platform which allows for broad dissemination across any phone, pager, email, internet pop ups, fax, loud speakers, RSS feeds and secure encrypted messages through mobile applications and radio. The alert will feature crime, weather and traffic updates and various community notifications.
adding police have already questioned one of her male friends. “I showed my little sister the picture (of her friend),” she said. “(I asked), ‘is this the person who carry you,’ she say no, I told her ‘baby girl I know you traumatised, is this the person who carry you,’ she say no. Where she was so scared I never see her like that, she was shaking. She was crying.” Residents and loved ones said the ordeal evoked the memory of Marco Archer’s abduction and killing in 2011. “Me and Marco Archer was supposed to be the same age right now,” the 20-year-old sister said. “He was in grade six when they take his life. You think I want to watch my sister life get take away just like a little boy who I used to know?” She continued: “That’s all what was in my head, saying, oh God guide and protect her. If they have her bring her back home. This person had to be watching…plenty males is be around here walking but we been around here five, six years and never nothing like this. We have boyfriend and girlfriend drama, but not this.” A neighbour said: “We need to impose this (MARCO Alert system). We need to impose this, we need to enforce, from the two woman incident whether that was prank playing, if they did something like that just to get back at a boyfriend or friend, punish them. We should punish these people. This can’t be like all the other things they sweep under the rug.” The neighbour was referring to an incident in February when a threeyear-old boy was abducted and then left frightened and alone outside a Fox Hill washhouse several hours later, sparking a manhunt for two women believed to be the assailants.
PAGE 4, Monday, March 4, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
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A word of advice - double check the advisory THERE has been a lot of talk in recent days about the travel advisory issued by the US Department of State to visitors. US citizens were warned to exercise increased caution – and told that violent crime such as burglaries, armed robberies and sexual assault were common in tourist areas in New Providence. Grand Bahama and the Family Islands did not escape the alert, with the US noting caution for those areas too – and there was an outright prohibition for US government staff from visiting the Sand Trap area in New Providence. It all sounds very serious – and Bahamas government officials duly stepped up with words of reassurance. But the question that lingers is – how serious is the problem? Now of course we would be remiss in failing to note that one crime is too many – but what is the extent of the problem facing visitors. Around six million visitors visited The Bahamas in 2017 and 2018 – how many of those were victims of crime? Well, as Ed Fields notes in this article on page 7 today, the numbers are small indeed. According to the crime statistics, US visitors in 2018 were the victims in four armed robberies, five sexual assaults, three of which were in Nassau, one in Eleuthera and one in Grand Bahama. There was a single burglary/robbery and no murders. The figures in 2017 weren’t much different. Again, a single burglary/robbery, three armed robberies and two sexual assaults. Again, no murders. As Mr Fields notes, the total of 30
offences against US visitors from the crime statistics in 2018 represent a tiny 0.000005% of overall crimes. One wonders if they wouldn’t face more risk had they stayed at home. Further than that, some of the offences that visitors fall victim to will likely be perpetrated by their fellow tourists. In fact, there’s more to this advisory – let’s zero in for a moment on that reference to the Sand Trap. As Mr Fields points out, that reference to the Sand Trap came about following an incident at a bar in 2016. The bar is now gone, so what are people being told to avoid there? It almost feels as if the reference has just been carried over from previous alerts without amendment, someone sitting in Washingon regurgitating old stats without checking. We must always be vigilant when it comes to crime, and focus on areas where genuine problems exist to try to ensure they don’t continue in future – such as when concerns were raised about jet-ski operators and the government set about improving the focus on that sector. However, at the same time, we should recognise that for vast majority of visitors, their experience of The Bahamas is a crime-free one. We should not neglect the concerns that other countries have for their citizens – but nor should we overstate them. And just as we pledge to hold our own government to account, we should not take the word of others as gospel truth either. The goal is always to better – and exaggerating matters will not help in reaching that target.
Right choice for our port EDITOR, The Tribune IT HAS long been accepted and preached from the roof tops throughout this wonderful nation that I am a proud New Deal PLP. My leader is the Hon. Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, QC, MP (Cat Island; Rum Cay & San Salvador), whom I consider the Prime Minister-in-waiting. So, my political alliance is not a hidden secret. There are events, however, which transcends the inevitable blur and misconceptions of pure politics. The nation and, indeed, the world, is more than aware of my total loyalty to the Hon. Minister of Tourism & Aviation, Dionisio D’Aguilar, MP (FNM-Free Town) as the most effective and hardest working member of the Minnis cabinet. In my opinion he has no match when it comes down to actually conceptualizing; executing and managing the big issues and projects within his portfolio. The man is simply awesome. May I be allowed to say why? But before I wax eloquently on the Hon. Minister of Tourism & Aviation, please allow me to congratulate Global Port Holdings on being successful in the transparent bidding process to redevelop Prince George Wharf and to manage the
same for a twenty-five year period. This currently international company, based in the UK, is a known player in the industry and has brought on a huge equity participation by Bahamian businesspersons and has also committed to floating a public offering in affordable trenches for ordinary Bahamians, if there are any of those. Mr. Anthony Ferguson, principal at Colina Holdings; The Nassau Guardian, several media and radio companies and, a licensed aircraft pilot, to boot, is also to be congratulated for his vision and ability to bring this massive and evolutionary project to a timely launch. Mr. Ferguson’s grandfather, the late Arnold Farquharson, was a very close business confidant and associate with my late father, Reverend Doctor Ortland H. Bodie Sr. They, back in the 1940’s and 1950’s , when it was next to impossible to see men and women of colour succeed in business or the professions. Brother Arnold Farquharson and my dad were pioneers in the banking; insurance and real estate fields. Together, they organized the first fully black Bahamian owned bank: The Mutual United Bank of The Bahamas. They went on to form: Rich Land Real Estate Company and, eventually The Englerston Subdivision and Wilson
Tract. Today, Mr. Farquharson’s grandson, Anthony, is on the cutting edge of business acumen and vision. More importantly, he and his assorted investment companies will make funding available for small sized Bahamian investors to access funding to buy shares in Global Port Holdings! No other Bahamian entrepreneur or his associates have ever done this before. And so I thank the Most Hon Prime Minister for getting it right when the Holy Spirit inspired him to invite and appoint this fantastic Minister of Tourism & Aviation into cabinet. The man has no cabinet equal, not even the Most Honourable himself. This proposed redevelopment of the wharf and the downtown areas, if managed properly and with common sense will transform the economy of New Providence, in particular, but the whole nation in general. Global Port Holdings is an excellent choice and I look forward, as the number one rated radio talk show host in the country, to work very closely with all stakeholders, for free, to ensure the materialization of this God-sent project. To God then, in all things, be the glory. ORTLAND H. BODIE, JR. Nassau March 1, 2019
Time to return Freeport to the success it once was EDITOR, The Tribune I WAS relieved to hear Prime Minister Minnis say in his recent national address that his government was well on its way to resurrecting Grand Bahama’s economy with the reopening of the hotels, golf course, casino, etc. The closure of the hotels, and for such a long time, totally destroyed Grand Bahamas’ economy and left it, not necessarily a failed state, but certainly a very badly crippled island. Now that Grand Bahama looks as though it’s heading into a brighter future, I hope the union, which, in my opinion helped in its demise, will take note and, having learned a lesson, contribute to its rebuilding. I have a habit of collecting newspaper articles and what has been happening in Freeport sent me searching for a Tribune editorial which I remember reading. It was written in November 2015.
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net It quotes then Prime Minister Perry Christie as saying that the opening of the newly refurbished Royal Oasis hotel in 2002 not only bode well for the hotel’s owners and employees, “but also brought to the adjacent International Bazaar store owners and vendors, as well as nearby Goombay Park vendors, the opportunity to grow their earnings significantly as the resort takes on a new life.” However, the article observes: “The new hotel hadn’t a chance. It had industrial problems from the very beginning.” The hotel and the union were squabbling all through the hotel’s refurbishment and opening, almost up to the closure of the hotel. Then came two deadly hurricanes, within two
weeks of each other and so badly damaged the hotel that it never opened again. The owners had no reason to have compassion on its squabbling employees. But what the employees did not understand was that the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union was the majority shareholder in the nearby Bazaar, and so when the hotel closed, the Bazaar’s customers ceased to exist. When that happened, the Bazaar also closed, leaving today’s derelict wasteland, and many shopkeepers broke. Hopefully employees, having learned their lesson, will now grasp their second chance and cooperate with investors in making Freeport the success that it once was. TIRED OF FOOLISHNESS Freeport Grand Bahama March 1, 2019
Why waste so much on drones? EDITOR, The Tribune
CAN the Commissioner of Police, or anyone else definitively state, as a result of police action serious crime - serious crime, murder, has decreased, or is it the law of averages…300+ murdered over the past three years. Perhaps 300 criminals locked up, so you have basically exhausted who will commit the serious crime? Oh, we are pleased with the decrease. So gun-fire spotting technology…which requires microphones to be strategically located. Seriously this
is unnecessary. Has there been a single murder in the past 40 years, to which the police did not receive a telephone call from the public? Not a single incident... this is redundant and a waste. Drones? We spent $240 million on new patrol craft, some designed for deep water, some for shallow and still the winddriven Haitian sloops slip right past RBDF, and even sail almost into their base at Coral Harbour, and no one sees them. I saw a drawing recently, in one newspaper of the potential use of drones
and patrol craft. All I can say, fanciful, Minister, fanciful. If the RBDF was awake long range - night vision binoculars, military version you see on US-UK Naval vessels will suffice, of course requiring around the clock monitoring. I would guarantee no more sloops would get past Inagua. So why waste millions on drones? Will there be restrictions on their use? Privacy is privacy, sir. W THOMPSON Nassau February 23, 2019
THE TRIBUNE from page one men were travelling south on Queens Highway, South Andros in a Honda Accord when the driver lost control and collided into the Bank of The Bahamas building. The two men died on the scene. Picewell Forbes, MP for South Andros, identified the men as Garth Lundy, 31, and Jermaine Miller. “Garth Lundy helped with his family’s mom and pop shop in Kemp’s Bay and did a little repair work in the community,” he told The Tribune. “Jermaine Miller lived with his cousin Muriel Ash of Smith’s Hill, the oldest surviving resident in my birth settlement. He was employed as a helper and masonry assistant at the Emerald Palm Resort which is being upgraded to the tune of some $5.2 million. What a loss to a depressed community. Due to a lack of opportunity, so many had to relocate. There were some signs of life due to the busy bone fishing season and hotel work, now losing two of our young men.” The Tribune spoke to Lundy’s sister, who speculated speed played a factor in the crash. “He was probably speeding,” said Florina Lundy said. “A few persons who saw him said he was speeding. He was heading for my kids. He was supposed to pick them up at 3pm. The time of the accident was almost 6pm. I guess because of the time range he felt he had to make it in a haste so I guess he decided to speed. The car was mine.” She said her brother was a jolly person. “Whenever he entered the room there was life,” she said. “He was very outspoken so you would know how he felt from straight up. He don’t
Monday, March 4, 2019, PAGE 5
Three dead in two weekend car accidents
bite his words and he can’t be mad for long. We could have an argument right now and a minute later he want talk. We done had so many visit us because he was such a loving person, had so many friends.” According to police, the man killed on Friday in New Providence was a pedestrian believed to be in his 40s. He was in the northern eastbound lane of Tonique Williams Darling Highway around 9pm when he was struck by a 2013 Hyundai Sonata, police said. The driver of the car remained on the scene and is assisting police with their investigation. Last week on Thursday, Bernard Saunders, 17, was in the rear seat of a car when he was killed after a driver lost control around 3am on Frank Watson Boulevard. Three others were taken to hospital and were said to be in serious but stable condition at last report. Earlier, a woman was killed last Monday in a hitand-run accident on Sea Link Drive off East Street South. A man was also injured at the time.
THE SCENE at the car crash in South Andros.
GIRLS TO FACE CHARGES AFTER DAMAGING DORM
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to commit suicide. According to the officials at the time, she was rushed to Princess Margaret Hospital and later transferred to the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre. In August 2012, then Free National Movement Deputy Leader Loretta Butler-Turner, the former minister of social services, said a “near riot” three months earlier had resulted in six inmates being remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison, now the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Mrs Butler-Turner also said at that time that residents were “constantly breaking the residences up” and pulling toilets “right out of the floor.”
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safeas well as of homicides A DORSETT guarding the residents By SANCHESKReporter in Fox Hill. et Tribune Staff walkabout bunemedia.n During a Acting prepared. live national sdorsett@tri er Fox Hill on Tuesday, ROLLE During a Ferguson Commission his office By RASHAD Reporter ACTING Fergu- Commissioner and address from Dr Minnis Tribune Staff Anti-Gang of Police Anthony emedia.net yesterday said the Inveslast night, Maria is rrolle@tribun Tracing and announced dev- son establishment of two Firearms Unit will operate fore- said: “Hurricane the potentially Bahamas tigation WITH we the DetecMaria another hurricane that separate Royal anti-crime out of the Central the cast for Hurricane Force storm to pass astating monitor.” (CDU) while projecting the Baha- must carefully Though most Police aimed at eliminating tive Unit SEE PAGE 11 units counHe added: near the Southeast was spared gang activity in the morning, Prime of mas Friday Hubert Minnis of the Bahamas the number try, reducing Minister Dr of those SEE PAGE TWO and is urging residents be vigilant to islands
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Dr Hubert MinPRIME Minister Kendera Woodside, nis meeting murdered Eugene the mother of
this Yes I feel for y our countries.than I can say.” more ensure has a responsibilit one mother said he will Each citizen information Dr Minnis provided to and whatever that forward. medical attention is is pregnant. the composure. said he felt the fam- has we must bring among us.” who after feel live Dr Minnis Mrs Woodside, the grieving and days makes me Three These criminals who emphasised country’s he “You can see of those pushed the ily’s pain. “What through,” Mrs Minnis, that her appearis that most during murder that violent crime into ROLLE she’s going someI, even worse By RASHAD Reporter not a pain “I assured her that the family the yard, struggle with spotlight yet again, them was doctor, to will have we see in Tribune Staff ance before called on women said. today (Friday) we to look the national as a medical emedia.net acute. rrolle@tribun come my my years political move,one day this week time her pain remained live a life, medical personnel she’s pregand comforting cried. “He ain’t even to wear blackfor murder victims. Dr THE hugs her because sure that Prime Minister wife God,” Mrs Woodsidegive my upon after in mourning I’m calling words of I have to make infant are and his a baby. I could my really nant. “As a mother, Hubert Minnis couldn’t answer “He’s right now just for because I this,” her and her unborn will also make take all mothers can stop the Patricia Minnis that consumed breath be right here. They well and we to to make sure believe mothers who was tearful both as baby ts body. the questions yesterday out my who arrangemen medical personnel said Mrs Minnis, eight- my heart my only son. They Kendera Woodside have our sons on a too for her son, killed times. “We birth and as they necessary her and see her “This after she grieved of them at my daughter from the safety who was still with look almost shoot (the house) with would’ve delivered most knowing we cradle basis to ensure infant.” year-old Eugene, men we are to me with regular they inside four days ago. people ain’t tell- and What they do to my family? so they are closer patients,” Dr becomeWe have to speakshould of her and her unborn PAGE TWO SEE them. are my former “Why these bringing my son me. they do to us? st by pro- them. I think all women week me? I they we ain’ carry one day this ing me they she cried between What Minnis, a gynaecologi “The message “Why they wear black what’s happening in a baby.” tried to right now?” fession, said. the entire Bahamas 29 years, He’s Dr Minnis and mourn Eugene’s Rose- live screams as must send to this alone. Tonio Woodside, family at theirEugene wife even is the police can’t fight console the consoled his home where on father, struggled to maintain bud Road a stray bullet as he was shot by did his homework. he as Monday
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DAMIAN GOMEZ OBIE $3,413 WILCHCOMBE CLEOLA $4,911 HAMILTON they owed $6,118 list and the amount since that date. disconnect” BPL “do not made or further debt incurred named on the NINE individualsdo not include any payments July. The sums
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not be officials could T to press time. reached up By AVA TURNQUES to sources Reporter of According .net Tribune Chief matter, as tribunemedia close to the Wells has since aturnquest@ Mr Progres- Monday his accounts FOUR former Cabinet paid $9,000 on balParty an outstanding ARNOLD sive Liberal more than with $8,600. FORBES ministers owedat Bahamas ance of some also said as $62,023 The source Forbes was one $20,000 each Mr Light, with Power and in arrears of Monday the company former minister as of July, in talks with balance over settle the Mr for some $60,000 a list obtained to three-month period. a according to PLP Mount former Tribune. by The and Collec- Forbes, MP, was appointed The Credit 2015, listing of Moriah in January the tions Department and board to Cabinet served as MPs, senators the period and previouslythe Bahamas of for members 31, revealed chairman and Industrial ending July State Minister Agricultural . that former of Works Corporation the “do not Others on are: former in the Ministry owed BPL list Forbes Dr disconnect” Arnold of Health Tall $62,023.14. by The Minister former The list obtained delin- Perry Gomez, Leslie Miller, Tribune contains of six Pines MP Youth Minister of former quent accounts Cabinet minis- former Johnson, Dion former PLP PLP MPs, Dr Danny Village MP ters, two former Tourism DR DANIEL entities, and Nassau , two private Cabinet min- Smith, former JOHNSON Obie Wilchcombe one sitting $24,413 Town MP Minister South Beach MP and former ister: Bamboo Hamilton State Renward Wells. who owed Cleola of Mr Wells, $3,703.96 at former Minister Damian Affairs $9,277.07 and locations - for Legal two separatetotal – did not Gomez. SEE PAGE EIGHT $12,981.03 in yesterwant to comment other former day, and the
seats: Encaptured four Island and Cat were spent under to South Aners’ dollars administration. glerston; 1,900 votes and San Salvador; Christie the win with is evidence 2017 the as well as Exuma DORSETT Mr Christie’s 1,875. He said if there”, the new dros VIRGIL ELECTION Islands. By SANCHESKAReporter to the unofBy KHRISNA Reporter seat, Fox According the the Ragged of “criminality et Tribune Staff from the Parwill allow SPEAK An additional being reDeputy Chief bunemedia.n ficial results Registration government course. THE PEOPLE nemedia.net sdorsett@tri PAGE 4 was still its kvirgil@tribu his Hill, law to take to press time. and liamentary , Mr Chipman after ON’ decounted up his parMoments DNA ‘TO GO PAGE 5 IN a surprisingat the Departmentout of 12 pollas the na- This marked the worst in AFTER leadinglandslide defeat party won seven maiden speech MinLOSE humbling leader, Dr Prime Min- ing divisions in the former ty to a stunning feat for a governing Mr tion’s next PLP BIG NAMESPAGE 7 dealing a parapolls, outgoing that under recent history. victory and to the ProgresChristie lost PLP stronghold, while will nis promised victory came MPS ister Perry Bahamians The FNM’s won five. lysing blow Party last night, years the Centreville his watch, YOUR PROJECTED his seat in last night by Christie a rocky five PAGE 9 to fear from Mr Christie sive Liberal In 2012, have nothing , pointing to despite contwo challengPrime Minister constituency representing FAR included SO incoming that the Centrevilleeighth leadership, said the government RESULTS Minnis declared 25 votes aftermore than 40 won the PAGE 14 Dr Minnis’ of a fracn, which he Dr Hubert stituency for time with have abused victimisatio tional” “im- es to the area for to unofthat those who trust “have continued reports ultimately consecutive He defeated is “unconstitu MORE COVERAGE of years, according party and the post “wrong”. PAGES 2-18 positions votes. moral” and to unofficial tured Ella from to fear”. ficial results. held 2,950 candidate removal has Opsomething to thousands of his FNM’s According able at the Mr Christie 1977 and the of the Official FNM was Speaking by 1,349 votes at the Q House today. results, the stunning defeat of leader in the House of won all the Lewis the seat since a pledged that jubilant supporterslast night, ment Mr Christie leader of Dr Minnis on will give to pull off securing a mas- position has been Liberal Party time. polling division in E Sports Centre but one administrati Terrance of the PLP, constituencies. Assembly. a long fought National MoveProgressive 39 “This was victory is not the Free also announced his General it sive 34 of ry Regsince 1997. released a but the Prime 2012. ment leader be sworn in as Auditor the resources former is yours,” Although he the loss, The Parliamenta did battle, The about his seat to that he will fourth prime Bastianto probe how taxpay- istration Department re- mine - the victory thousands Minister lost Movement statement did not speak full election last Dr Minnis told on the carThe Bahamas’ at Govern- needs Christie not release 5pm Free National packed with the and po- Mr minister at SEE PAGE SIX candidate sults last night, in from the of FNMs (FNM) Reece nival grounds. people’s time numbers coming litical newcomer agency around “This is the and I who secured government from the and I am your servant Chipman, 11pm. However it apSEE PAGE THREE only unofficial numbers, the PLP of the conpeared that “The outcome trust according to vention did not inspireBahalast Mark Humes in the results, said coming afor confidence that’s “obvious” mian electorate but think sweeping defeat residents unofficial that it is I ROLLE have stood behind us now and they night ter Fort Charlotte By RASHAD Reporter told him party would winning the the party has a wonderful repeatedly lead- the Tribune Staff stand the any a better chance rebuild and emedia.net could not he been victori- opportunity to rrolle@tribun of the country per- election had itself,” he said. leadership for for- ership despite their ous in the PLP’sadding that reengineer longer, him. AS HE called SEE PAGE SIX RASPBERRY Minister Perry sonal affection for was pro- race in January, made a mistake” mer Prime who ICED TEA “the party resign as leader Mr Sears, Mr Christie. Free NaChristie to Liberal in choosing to lose to the Al- jected Movement’s (FNM) of the Progressive last night, the tional Party (PLP) said he saw fred Sears
he told Parto In June, cost the ROLLE such liament of By RASHAD Bahamians $10,149,738. by the Carib- Tribune Staff Reporter so alarmed Action Task rrolle@tribunemedia.net increases was comes after bean Financial draft The revision more than By NEIL HARTNELL Editor Rolle, minForce’s (CFATF) BRENSIL et Tribune Business services he included that were not The Bahamas ibunemedia.n report on his staff ister of public nhartnell@tr 1,700 workers Gen- that he instructedaddressing and National Insurance, in his original count. December Progressive THE Attorneyslammed to begin work on June. Amid the said between 2017, the criticism May flaws from early eral yesterday by Liberal Party’sadministrablasted the 2016 and in the nation’s the ballooned Mr Bethel deficiencies adminis- public purse laundering of the of the Minnisof its firings anti-money former Christie to tackle $16,532,738 because on’s tion because “entirely unacfailing administrati regime as SEE PAGE SIX they had tration for with the Christie service ceptable”, warning “in great known weaknesses of new public period. hiring during that put The Bahamas necessary urgency. BUSINESS workers danger”. told Trib- FULL STORY - SEE Carl Bethelhe had been une Business
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energy. solar, to produce of agreeof Works The heads the governMINISTER said challenges, Desmond Bannister ment requires to “address concerns” pressed certain and BPL delayed today marks which he suggestedof docu- he has “serious Power and ment and consistent WHILE with Bahamas to “keep the reliable of electricity on the for both sitsubmission the deadlineformer parlia- the tell- supply Providence, Light’s ability are chal- lights on this summer,” of island of New ting and to file financial ments. the abiliAmong these the lack will include finans mentarians Public Discloing The Tribuneprevent the whichmeet the requirement with obtaining may ty to disclosures, Chair- lenges from spouses, cial records in situations reliability from fulfilling of the project.” sure Commission the instalLaroda told requireoper- government This involves supporting man Myles yesterday that particularly Mar all the necessary they may have all to lation “of The Tribunestill some that wherebank accounts prior ments in the Baha re necessary ated there were He said there heads of agreement.he is al- infrastructu g”. PAGE FIVE that SEE unwillingare “outstandin yesterday, to marriage. some He added n at new, alIn an interview in his dis- was also ready “looking including and apprehensio said ways,” Mr Laroda some persons ness SEE PAGE THREE ternative cussions with to make who are required they exthe disclosures,
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ROLLE By RASHAD Reporter Tribune Staff emedia.net rrolle@tribun Nottage’s DR Bernard forever be will “footprints the Bahamian etched on tal landscape” developmen work as a forthrough his of the Bahamer president of Athletic mas Association s, the Bahamas Association , the Medical Association and as a afMinDoctors’ Union consumer FORMER Prime reminister for health and to accept the ister Perry Christie a defeat, was as I did when I fairs, education, Opposifor it arrears, into pictured yesterday. W. national security, who was in recent sponsibility said in response to “Brave” tenant Photo: Terrel Philip he airport Staff described tion Leader as resigned,” on the criticism levelled Carey/Tribune on from accusations Mr Christie Davis said Wednesday. in recent questions 71, died administrati e spending, misfea- moves made by the government pandering at his administration Dr Nottage, the Cleveby a party of irresponsibl WELLS at a “misstep” thought By RICARDO Reporter Wednesday He will receive sance and cronyism. that weeks. never any he was “disap- to its base. acceptmaintained Tribune Staff “There was land Clinic. He also said allegations being in arrangenemedia.net that I was degree relating Mr Christie by the rwells@tribu gova state funeral announced, documents s would on my part y for any Per- pointed”around by the new be a review of irrements to ing responsibilit Prime Minister tossed matters that to these two controversie the press secon of any whatsoever of criminality, FORMER according to Office of the term as administrati and the notion yesterday condemned ernment concerning his last much his the spending that Christie absolve for just ry retary and prove as noth- sponsible Minnis administra- transpired during Anthony is bare’ is is wrongdoing efforts by the his government in Prime Minister, that ‘the cupboard prime minister.at accusations from of the FNM’s rhetoric slogans.” tion to portray as he challenged Newbold. “political political slogans.” Hitting back Minnis adminislight, SEE PAGE SIX ing more than challenges I have the SEE PAGE THREE a negative leader to carry out a members of of the the controvergovern“One the the nation’s te examination of the who led $8m to tration concerning of more thanclean up as the person led the government “dispassiona sial pay out and who record”. interview at one vendor for hurricane to an ment off of $1.2m During a lengthy home on Thursand the write his Cable Beach defended his day, Mr Christie
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IS • FORMER PM BY DAVIS TRIBUTE TO LEGACY OF ‘DISAPPOINTED’ FNM ALLEGATIONS COLLEAGUE • SAYS GOVT DID NOTHING WRONGT OVER $8M PAYOU • CALLS FOR REVIEW OF DOCUMENTS
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Prime Minister rings the bellrace for election
G concern ADMITTIN Bernard Notin over what Dr have battled last tage may his isolation during Prime Minisdays, former yesterday for ter Perry Christie admiration the expressed forth by the effort put security to former national the build-up minister in election. the May general from his Breaking away since being public silence office in hisof voted out month, a last toric fashion Mr Chrishis visibly troubled portions of his tie detailed with last conversation and longfriend childhood colleague on time political Thursday. Centreville The former Nottage as Dr MP saw “fought tehis someone who throughout naciously” he loved and life for thosetrait he said he a supported, up to their saw on display . last conversation PAGE SIX SEE
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TERS yesFIREFIGH a large blaze terday battled Providence at the New three weeks Landfill, nearly a massive that after tackling city dump fire at the nearly a month. burned for Charge of Fire Officer in Chief SuperinServices, Evans said tendent Walter is “not confire the the current any way to this nected” in and at previous blazedo not know time officials the fire. Howwhat caused t Minister ever Environmen told rehe Kenred Dorsett that site the porters at “sabotage” in said suspected the fire. He relation to the team he “instructed”to have the of firefighters “before and blaze extinguished day” today nomination Baha Mar’s certainly before Friday. opening on started shortly The blaze and Wednesday after 3am officEvans said Chief Supt battle the fire to but ers expect another day for at least wind is a “huge” he said the factor. SEE PAGE SIX
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SIVE Liberal were obtaineda from a ther’s PROGRES The emails Bradley EMAILS leaked following of China Con- by The Tribune Party Chairmanout at his highdata breach (CCA) Roberts lashed story in December of CCA struction America’s colleague Vinthat from the breach former party night, accusservers show2013, Jerome lighting by a San Francisco cent Peet last North Anto servers China Construction as early as was seeking ing the former Islands MP hacker. Fitzgerald of dollars eventually paid 24 bitcoins dros and Berry enemy” $24,000) secure millions trucking, and (the equivalent of of being a “political an independin brokerage, to their servat Baha who mounted because he to have access it aplimousine contracts showing a resat in Cabinet ers restored; however, ent campaigna nomination forwarded leaked emails Mar while he of Educathat emails ONE of the Education, Sciwas denied party. Minister of as the Minister and Tech- pears relating to personnel quest from or d, Jerome Fitzgerald. from the governing tion, Science Tribune has to, to PLP supcompromise ence and Technology Speaking The at CCA were Baha in in North at nology, The rally a officials porters at night, Mr Robagent for Limolink despite top they were not learned. which his Bahamas. You are encourcontradict the saying at from Andros last is war” as faThe emails this week de- Mar clientele with a reference by the hack if erts said “this writes, “I limousine company was vote aged to get of Viacom Minister, who his office to concerned the crowd toPerry Mr Fitzgerald matime. the president feel free he urged Dr nied ever using to himself the an email dated May 18, am aware that interior arrive miliar. with regard the you wish. Please In for incumbent that a vote “Also Izmirlian terials have began to really we direct contracts me personally adding business from the mul- 2013, sent to Mr the to contact with contact Gomez, hotel. I would or his family resort. is a vote for be limousine meet with or have your agents Mr Fitzgerald, Cur- for the for Mr Peet Movement. it if we couldbro- are ready to he ti-billion dollar - the Pro- by our Managing Porter, Shelly appreciate anytime,” Free National Mr Porter Mr Fitzgerald Party MP QuentinAlarice Fill copied, appointed your official your people PAGE SIX SEE his Director directly.” tis and 1st 2013.” writes. gressive Liberal we really ker for June - appears also Mr Fitzgerald indicates a request TWO & THREE “As indicated cusSEE PAGES for Marathon start brokerage $20,000 He then makesfor limouto highend for readiness to only cater to be requesting official Baha Mar’s and trucking services and of Mr Izmirlian at Baha Mar, tomers and are the project a month from Sarkis services of Mar Baha of re- sinehe touted the level original developer the ex- the as the brokers citing Izmirlian, were necessary remain for the property. penses that cost of his fa- cord to cover the Healthcare hisMarsh Harbour a tortured ROLLE Centre has missed deadBy RASHAD Reporter tory, one of of shoddy Tribune Staff claims and emedia.net lines rrolle@tribun ip, all without ity. of- workmansh ENT clear accountabil GOVERNM ed the anyThe facility’s original bankrupt. ficials commissionHealththe contractor went of Marsh Harbour n in Abaco yesConstructio care Centre centre began it as a longIngraham terday, touting to the island healthcare under the former awaited boost on. adminisin and the Christie Health administrati Christie adhealth centre When the Staff tours the new tration’s National came to power, RASPBERRY Perry Christie the W. Carey/Tribune Insurance plans. and Ado- ministration renovating Photo: Terrel ICED TEA PRIME Minister it spent $1m Like the Child SEE PAGE SIX Abaco yesterday. Robert Smith lescent and that was the (CARS) Complex ed last year, commission
it must Hurriis so devastated the island as Ragged Island remained on home has Minnis warns with those whohomes last week. “Every The Minister Dr Hubert en Rag- discussion battered their has been destroyed. has been health facility on storm-strick Min- cane Irma Prime teachers’ residence no water. destroyed. The and safety conditions to deteriorate, urged the 18 been has been destroyed. The is no light. There is HEALTH he smell the school will only continue destroyed. There about, you can yesterday as The in the afterged Island Minnis said to evacuate “As we walkcarcasses, dead animals. deister Dr Hubert on the island reduced will stench of dead of the individuals remaining residentsIrma, which has them REPORT that we get of rubble and SPECIAL health conditions Russell, math of Hurricane it’s essential there to piles Words: Khrisna W Carey teriorate and Dr Minnis said. only most structures Pictures: Terrel island unlivable. Dr Minnis to leave the for off this island,” rendered the bly reluctant stay here,” saw for the understanda home, expressing concern “They cannot Many were and a delegation and days known as said after he damage left by Irma ripped through place they’ve ever residences, their the hurricane of first time Five monster will have about the safety personal belongings. behind. We Defence by the smell after the Category island. “They are concerned may have left exacerbated here and the the same of all es- whatever materials they the small southern physical condition, dispatch a vessel and at the destruction still The island’s carcasses andto strongly urge those can the Defence Forcecommence the cleanup said. animal Minnis to Dr try of rotting led Dr Minnis Force will that there is security,” small community SEE PAGE THREE sential services, to leave until the time ensure Island has been on Ragged Ragged Island and be restored. to the residents; a walk through spoken following “I’ve said Dr Minnis devastated,”
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TWO men are in custody in connection with what police described as a “brazen” armed robbery in Abaco. Shortly before 10pm on Saturday, two men, one armed with a firearm and the other with a knife, entered a business on Don McKay Boulevard in Marsh Harbour, Abaco where they robbed the cashier and two
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taken the residents into custody and charges are expected to be filed.” Escapes and attempted escapes from juvenile detention centres are nothing new. In October, four boys ran away from the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys in Fox Hill. And in August, police reported that 13 male residents had escaped from the facility. In 2011, it was reported that five boys escaped from the centre and seven boys were said to have run away from the centre in 2012. The Willie Mae Centre has also had problems in the past. In late 2014, a teen resident died in what was suspected to be a suicide and in 2012, a 16-year-old resident of the centre tried
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A GROUP of girl residents of the Willie Mae Pratt Centre for Girls are expected to face charges after they damaged a dorm in an attempt to escape the facility, according to the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development. “The public is advised that around 1am on Thursday, February 28, 2019, a group of residents at the Willie Mae Pratt Centre for Girls managed to get out of the dorm in which they were housed, but were contained in the quadrangle as a result of the security protocols implemented at the facility,” a statement sent by the ministry on Friday noted. “Others damaged a second dorm in an attempt to escape. The police have
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PAGE SEVEN
PAGE 6, Monday, March 4, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
Moultrie set to bring in new rules for parliament By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net HOUSE Speaker Halson Moultrie, hoping to make parliament independent of the executive branch, expects to give the attorney general a draft bill next week that would create a parliamentary service commission that would control the budget and administration of the Senate and House of Assembly. He will also table a list of recommendations to strengthen the legislature, including that no more than 47 percent of parliamentarians be Cabinet ministers or serve as parliamentary secretaries. In September, Speaker Moultrie announced he had sought legal advice and guidance from former Chief Justice Dame Joan Sawyer, Fred Smith, QC, Maurice Glinton, QC, Bahamas Trade Union Congress President Obie Ferguson, Bahamas Industrial Tribunal Vice President Kelphene Cunningham and Bahamas Bar Association President Kahill Parker on how to strengthen the legislature. He said yesterday: “We will pass the legislation to the executive branch and attorney general and have it passed to the public so there can be a public debate as we try to get the best system moving forward. In the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, The Bahamas is really the fourth oldest democracy but we are one of the few parliaments that do not have autonomy and separation. “The main feature is to establish an independent parliamentary service and commission that will have a board of directors to govern the affairs of Parliament. The board will consist of
12 to 15 members, including the speaker and deputy speaker, the president of the Senate, representatives from the governing side and the opposition. We are considering whether to appoint people outside Parliament or the Senate. The board would set policy and review the administrative structure and development of the Parliament with respect to technology, research, administration and finance. Parliament would submit budget estimates and negotiate the financial position with the executive. Once a budget has been approved, the commission and service will determine expenditures. The commission will look at avenues to raise funds, developing and expanding the parliamentary channel to have 24-hour programmes, looking to receive grants, to move into various Family Islands on an educational exercise. We’re also hoping to get a new parliamentary building because right now Parliament Square, we’ve outgrown that.” Speaker Moultrie said his
team is looking at Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Barbados as benchmarks for its proposals, creating legislation that is a hybrid of the parliamentary services in those countries. Compared to Speaker Moultrie’s recommendation, the Minnis administration’s Cabinet with 19 members is too large. There are also four parliamentary secretaries in this administration. “We are seeking to have Cabinet that represents a maximum of 17 or no more than 47 percent of the members of Parliament so the backbench and opposition combined can actually check the executive,” the Speaker said. “The United Kingdom for example has 650 members in the House of Commons and a Cabinet of 23. Here we have basically 39 members with a Cabinet of (19 members and four parliamentary secretaries), which defeats the very essence of the separation of powers as envisioned in the Constitution.”
SPEAKER of the House Halson Moultrie.
Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
PLP HAS FILED ALL ITS PUBLIC DISCLOSURES By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party chairman Fred Mitchell confirmed on Friday that all Official Opposition parliamentarians have filed their public disclosures. The senator and former Fox Hill MP said all of his colleagues had “complied with the provisions of the Public Disclosure Act 1967 by filing the executed form A.” When contacted on Friday, Free National Movement chairman Carl Culmer said he could not confirm the status of every members’ filings, claiming he was “busy with other party
business.” He also could not provide answers when contacted yesterday. On Wednesday, House Speaker Halson Moultrie urged all parliamentarians to meet their obligation and file ahead of the March 1 deadline. Speaking from his chair on Wednesday, Speaker Moultrie said: “I am reminded of the statement that comes over the broadcast when you’re travelling… if you’re beginning to have difficulty breathing, oxygen masks will be lowered and you are advised to put that oxygen mask on and breathe normally. “If you have intention to assist anyone put your mask on first.
And so I have put my mask on and made my declaration before giving you notice now. “We are also at another critical stage at this time… when hurricanes approach you have an alert, then you have hurricane watch, and a hurricane warning. We are at the warning stage now, so you have approximately 48 hours to complete the declaration. “Honourable members be guided accordingly,” he added. The Public Disclosure Act empowers only two people to act on delinquent filings: the prime minister and the leader of the opposition. Either of them can publish the information through a communication in the House
of Assembly or cause for it to be laid in the Senate. Either can authorise that the information be presented to the attorney general or commissioner of police so those who failed to disclose could face a penalty. The penalty for not disclosing is a $10,000 fine and/or up to two years in prison. Last year, the deadline was extended to the end of March but three people, two senators and a parliamentarian, still failed to make their disclosures in time. However, those outstanding filings were submitted by the time the Public Disclosure Commission met, so they were ruled to have been in on time.
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MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2019
THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS
THE ADVISORY refers to an incident at The Sand Trap in 2016 and warns folks not to go to the area. THERE IS NO SUCH AREA. As these pictures show, the bar where the incident took place has been out of commission since 2016 and only remnants of the structure exists.
A QUICK Google search, above, reveals the amount of interest the US Advisory has generated.
0.00000717% That’s the chance of E a tourist being a victim of crime here
by Ed Fields Managing Director Downtown Nassau Partnership
VERY year we have a circular discussion about the Travel Advisory issued by the US. State Department. It usually comes out in January, but because of the shutdown, it was just released. It is time we get off this hamster wheel once and for all. It is important to state that as far as victims of crime are concerned one crime is too many and we should continue to be sensitive to that and to bring the numbers as close to zero as is possible. Let’s dissect the most disturbing part of the opening paragraph contained in the Advisory. “Violent crime, such as burglaries, armed robberies and sexual assault, is common, even during the day and in tourist areas. Although the Family Islands are not crime-free, the vast majority of crime occurs on New Providence and Grand Bahama islands. US government personnel are not permitted to visit the Sand Trap area in Nassau due to crime.” According to the crime statistics with respect to serious offences against US visitors, here are the numbers: * In 2018, there was one burglary/robbery. There were four armed robberies, five sexual assaults, three in Nassau, one in Eleuthera and one in Grand Bahama. ZERO MURDERS. * In 2017, there was one burglary/robbery. There were three armed robberies, two sexual assaults. ZERO MURDERS. * In 2017 and 2018 we had approximately 6,000,000 visitors to these shores. While it would be accurate to say these categories of crimes have an unacceptable degree of frequency as they relate to Bahamians, it would be entirely inaccurate to use the word common as it relates to visitors. In fact UNCOMMON as it relates to visitors would be extremely accurate and in fact, I would go so far as to say that with respect
to violent crimes, our visitors are extremely safe and, if normal precautions are taken, petty crimes can be avoided. In total, there were 43 offences against visitors in 2018 or .00000717 percent. Thirty or .000005 percent of those were against US citizens according to the statistics from the RBPF. Not quite what one would call common as it relates to visitors, but the way the Advisory is worded has the phones ringing off the hook and coverage ranging across 50 states. It is not the obligation of the US State Department to provide this breakdown. Its job is to provide information to its citizens but in doing so, there must be some accountability for accuracy. For instance, an incident occurred at The Sand Trap in 2016. The advisory warns folks not to go to the area. THERE IS NO SUCH AREA. The bar where the incident took place has been out of commission since 2016 and only remnants of the structure exists. They can verify this by just looking over the wall of the US marine complex located next door. State Department - PLEASE DELETE THE REFERENCE TO THE SAND TRAP. However, while it is not the responsibility of the State Department to provide context, it is the duty and obligation of our leadership and our media to do so. What is not expected is for the Bahamian media to simply regurgitate the Advisory without providing the proper context. Why did the local reports not allude to The Sand Trap faux pas or to the fact the alert for
the Fish Fry and Over-theHill areas was reduced from “avoid” to “exercise caution”? In other words, we IMPROVED. However, readers and TV viewers here and aboard saw no context. Even more questionable is why so much press is given to the report in the first place? Most countries never publish this. Does the US publish our warning to our citizens in their media?
The US Embassy does not issue a press release on the Advisory. Our own media searches out this information but fails to take the time to analyse the content and offer appropriate background. Like The Bahamas, the Netherlands, France and Britain are also under a Level Two Advisory on the US State Department list. I do not see their newspapers splashing it across the
front page. This reporting is picked up by the international media and makes it seem as if you visit The Bahamas you are destined to be a victim of crime. THAT IS NOT THE CASE, unless you consider .00000717 percent high risk. So please, Mr and Mrs Reporter, when a travel advisory speaks to how the country’s murder rate is very high per capita, please
make sure the Advisory’s targeted audience knows that over the past five years The Bahamas has had approximately 30 million visitors, and not one of them was murdered. They may be interested to know that sort of detail. So many people could do such a better job to get the true message out – just like anywhere a bit of commonsense and you’ll be as safe as anywhere.
PAGE 8 MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2017
INSIGHT
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
LEFT, Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, is sworn in to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee last Wednesday; right: President Donald Trump arrives to speak at Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland at the weekend.
Why the Trump-Cohen drama can serve as a cautionary tale for us all T by Malcolm Strachan
ESTIMONY given by Michael Cohen - former attorney of US President Donald Trump – took over American media last. With impeachment becoming a possibility, yet still a rarity in American politics, many are on the edge of their seat.
President Donald Trump’s presidency has been highlighted by divisiveness and oppression of people of colour – having a striking resemblance to the hate and violence displayed towards people of colour during the civil rights era. The US, in some ways, looks as if it jumped in a time machine and turned the dial back half a century. House Oversight Committee chair Elijah
Cummings made a chilling statement to those present at the Cohen testimony during his closing commentary. “We are better than this,” he said. In many ways, Cummings, the son of sharecroppers from Virginia, could have been asking a question to those in the room: “We are better than this?” With the walls potentially falling down around the American president, one must wonder how did they
get here to begin with and what can the lessons be? Certainly, The Bahamas is no stranger to secrecy in politics that often betters the best and worst politicians alike. Perhaps most timely, with former Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald’s retirement from frontline politics, we are all reminded of his contributions to Bahamian society. Despite any good things he would have accomplished during his tenure, they are overshadowed by his cover-up of the Rubis oil spill and the shameful solicitation of Baha Mar contracts from then-developer Sarkis Izmirlian, all while Fitzgerald was a Cabinet minister in the Christie administration. Fitzgerald’s legacy was torpedoed in the latter instance, with people broadly only recalling these damning revelations as his contributions to Bahamian politics. This undoubtedly speaks to the importance of integrity in politics - when politicians lack integrity, they can bring shame upon a nation. Former Trump fixer Michael Cohen, a man having lost all dignity in the decade-plus he worked for the US president, is now trying to reclaim some of it back. It is integrity Cohen seems to be seeking to regain after having the responsibility of cleaning up his former boss’ “dirty deeds”. Cohen’s jaw-dropping testimony dropped bombshell after bombshell, as he gave listeners around the world insight into the shadowy character of the President of The United States. Facing a three-year prison sentence for lies he told to Congress, campaign finance violations and tax
evasion – all to provide cover for a man he claimed he once admired – Cohen’s testimony most certainly is a cautionary tale for all aspiring to become involved in politics. It also shows us the importance of having legislation enacting the Freedom of Information, protection of whistleblowers and a system in place to enforce campaign finance laws. Although the whistleblower provision of the Freedom of Information Act came into effect a year ago, the government still has much work to do in this regard. Nonetheless, we now join a group of countries that have sought to protect those courageous enough to voice wrongdoings in the public service. The provision states: “No person may be subject to any legal, administrative or employment related sanction, regardless of any breach of a legal or employment-related obligation, for releasing information on wrongdoing, or that which would disclose a serious threat to health, safety or the environment, as long as he acted in good faith and in the reasonable belief that the information was substantially true and disclosed evidence of wrongdoing or a serious threat to health, safety or the environment.” Prime Minister Minnis also promised campaign finance laws will be enacted during this term, but noted it is an “ongoing process” that will not take place overnight obviously acknowledging all of the moving parts that will be required for it to be successfully implemented. Attorney General Carl Bethel, echoing the prime minister’s sentiments, also
indicated that “full implementation is not a one-day experience”. He said: “There has to be training at every level in the public service and civil society. Every single government administrator’s office, in every Family Island no matter how remote, will have to have an Information Officer who has to be trained.” We must submit both men are right in this instance. However, making this a priority during this administrative term seems more farfetched when considering the amount of resources that are needed from a limited pool. Realistically, we should not be all that surprised if campaign finance continues to become a moving goal post with the government’s plate being as full as it is – despite how timely and necessary its enactment may be. Looking no further than our neighbours to the north and juxtaposing it with the claims of corruption being bandied about today in our country, it is evident we don’t have anywhere near what is needed to implement such a system. But we must start somewhere - and the sooner the better. As opposed to premature campaigning and trading petty jibes with the Opposition leader, a more meaningful use of time would be prioritising these efforts and implementing a system that would allow us to clean up our democracy and avoid the current climate that exists carrying on into the future. Hopefully, the Prime Minister and Attorney General are working earnestly in making these muchneeded pillars of a modern democracy realities in The Bahamas.
THERE has to be training at every level in the public service and civil society, says Attorney General Carl Bethel
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
T
HE United States of America, Canada and the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean together share the deeply-held values of democracy and human rights more than the majority of other countries in the Western hemisphere. The long history of slavery and indentured bondage in the English-speaking Caribbean, linked to the courageous act of Abraham Lincoln to end slavery in the United States and the immortal recognition in the US Constitution that “all men are created equal”, bind the peoples of the US and the English-speaking Caribbean in jealously safeguarding democracy and human rights. The kinship, born of that experience, has been unbroken since the US declaration of independence in 1776 even amid occasional differences of opinion on foreign policy, among them the difference that now exists between the US government and some governments of the Caribbean over how to treat the situation in Venezuela. The similarity between the US, Canada and the English-speaking Caribbean countries, in relation to adherence to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, is manifest in the publication on February 28 of the 2019 Report of The World Justice Project, headquartered in the US Capital, Washington, in relation to upholding the Rule of Law. In a survey of 126 countries, Canada, the United States and several countries of the English-speaking Caribbean ranked highly. Taken as a region, in the Western Hemisphere, Canada, the US, Barbados, St Kitts-Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines and St Lucia are among the top 10 nations. Uruguay, Costa Rica and Chile were the other three. The World Justice Project stated its assessment of adherence to the Rule of Law was based on eight factors. These are identified as: constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice. Given this latest evidence of shared values for democracy, human rights and the rule of law between the US, Canada and some Caribbean English-speaking
INSIGHT
MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2019, PAGE 9
If Venezuela needs aid then why not deliver it through the UN? countries, what explains the difference of approach to dealing with the situation in Venezuela? To begin with, the answer is not any hostility toward the US and Canada by these countries. It is rather deep concern about maintaining the machinery that upholds international law and the rules of international order. To explain. Throughout the 20th Century more than half the world’s sovereign states were victims of a coup d’etat - the overthrow of a government. Sometimes, the government’s overthrow was plotted and
executed by elements within the country; but more often than not, the coup was designed and supported by vested-interest forces external to the country. Of course, these coups occurred only in developing countries which quickly learned the validity of the observation of Tacitus in relation to the Roman Empire: “Evolgato Imperii Arcano -The secret of empire was out – an Emperor could be made elsewhere than in Rome.” The world has also seen governments removed from office through the influence or direct
A VENEZUELAN National Guard walks by containers blocking the Venezuelan side of the Simon Bolivar Bridge near Cucuta, Colombia yesterday.
action of external forces in the first two decades of the 21st Century. Those toppled governments were replaced by “Emperors” made elsewhere than by the popular will of the people they governed. As it happens, in the absence of settled local consensus, those “selected” governments have either themselves been toppled or their reign has been characterised by political turmoil, stagnating their economies and retarding the development of their societies. The external intervention in the affairs of these states assaults the fundamental principle that states are “sovereign”, i.e., what happens within a state is the prerogative of the people of that state and their institutions, including their government. This principle has been the bedrock of international order ever since the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia which ingrained the concept of co-existing sovereign states and established the norm against interference in another state’s domestic affairs. These concepts are central to international law and to the prevailing world order. They have been implanted deeply into the Charters of the United Nations, and the Organisation of American States. The fear of small states, such as those in the English-speaking Caribbean that differ with the US and Canada on the way to resolve the situation in Venezuela, is that if these fundamental concepts are abandoned, world order will quickly weaken and territorial takeover or conquest would resume, triggering confrontations and conflicts between powerful nations as they seek superiority among themselves. The nations that know this best
are the most powerful. That’s why there has been no outright attempt to overthrow the current international system that places the sovereignty of states, however small or large, at the centre of world order. It is also why powerful governments with a vested interest in other countries have sought to intervene in those countries by other means, such as humanitarian assistance. If the intervening governments manage to mobilise popular opinion among their own people, and to garner support from other governments, they could fulfil their own interests without seemingly disregarding obligations to the principles of international law and treaties that underpin a peaceful world order. It is in defence of international law, the international system and of themselves that English-speaking Caribbean governments have expressed their deep concern that humanitarian aid to Venezuela should not be politicised and that “United Nations mechanisms that have been used for years” should be deployed for “impartial and effective delivery of aid”. If the rule of law is to mean anything within countries, it must be seen to mean something internationally. Values honoured domestically are devalued when they are set aside internationally. The writer is Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States and the Organisation of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and at Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own. Response and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com
INSIGHT
PAGE 10 MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2019
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
Lynette’s making her mark in among the men
GAIN AN EDGE
GAIN AN EDGE A NATIONAL DIALOGUE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
B
A NATIONAL DIALOGUE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
EING a woman in a technical class traditionally dominated by men is not easy. Lynette Albury knows that all too well. However, she is adamant there is room for everyone not only in such classes, but also in the construction and mechanical trades. The 2013 graduate of Seminole State College in Florida has an Associate’s degree in Draughting and Design. Today, she is back in the classroom; this time, at The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI), studying towards an Associate of Applied Science degree in Construction Technology. Lynette is a wife, a mother of a 24-year-old son and currently a Draughtsperson at the Ministry of Public Works, who is transitioning to becoming an Inspector. “I like getting dirty, in the sense of my hands and my husband, Eric Albury - who is very supportive - is my helper during DIY projects at home. “Also, I have a great section head, Timothy Johnson, who inspires his staff to empower ourselves through higher learning. I am shadowing an Inspector and it calls for wearing hard hats, boots, going on sites, monitoring sites, quality control, ensuring the scope of works is carried out and more,” said Lynette who has worked at the Ministry for three-and-ahalf years. According to Lynette, not everyone – particularly males – are accepting of her knowledge and skills. However, she continues to hold her own. “You must have thick skin. Some of my male classmates wonder why I am at BTVI and whether I am capable or serious about the construction field,” she stated.
YOU must have thick skin, says Lynette Albury who works in a technical class traditionally dominated by men.
According to Grace Ellis in a 2018 Construction Productivity blog post, only 9.1 percent of women compose the construction workforce in the United States. In the United Kingdom, women only comprise approximately 12.4 percent of the country’s construction workforce. In Canada, it is reported fewer women are even beginning their careers in construction, with just 11 percent of them registered in the recognized Red Seal programme, which sets common standards to assess the skills of tradespeople across Canada. Lynette has long wanted to be an architect and began her studies in Draughting at the then-College
of The Bahamas before transferring to Seminole State College of Florida. Funding was an issue for Lynette and at this point she is still only at the draughtsman level; however now that she is working at the Ministry of Public Works and is gaining practical experience working on projects, she wants to eventually study towards a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Project Management once she graduates from BTVI. Additionally, Lynette, who completed her first internship at Cavalier Construction, is benefitting from the education at BTVI. Questioned about her most challenging class, she described
Instrument Levelling as taxing, but rewarding. “It is very hands on at BTVI. Under my instructor, Peter Briggs, the class has opened the doors to a new world. I can now ask a foreman to look into the builder’s level transit and have a discussion about what he is trying to achieve,” said Lynette. She also spoke highly of how BTVI instructors go above and beyond to assist. “The instructors are not selfish in imparting their knowledge. Also, they show they are human. I get that there is a community here. For example, my Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning instructor, Ashley Culmer, once he
found out I had an emergency, he went to my other instructor and informed her that because of the emergency, I was unable to attend her class,” recalled Lynette. “Also, my math teacher, Stanley Gordon, he goes beyond the call of duty, holding free classes on Saturdays and Sundays. Even on the day of finals, he was still tutoring. He is so passionate about wanting his students to be successful. And Shane Gibson, I can go to him for help regarding construction questions and he is always willing to assist me and others. In the interim,” she added. Meanwhile, Lynette is a proponent of operating in the spirit of excellence. She upholds that standard on the job and at home. “I pay a lot of attention to detail… people consider me a perfectionist, but I believe in just doing it right the first time,” she stated. “Gain An Edge” is a biweekly collaboration of 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
Don’t be afraid - education about drugs must start in the home Peer pressure to experiment with drugs starts as early as the fourth grade. Our children’s interest is generated by curiosity, boredom, rebellion, parental permissiveness, insecurity, lack of social, academic or athletic success, the need for escape from family problems, or the absence of clear standards or models. However the most important determinant for drug use by our children is simple
availability. So how do you prevent your kids from getting into drugs? There is no simple answer but the best
thing you can do is - talk to them. Drugs and alcohol are everywhere. Sooner or
later our children will be confronted with one drug or another. For this reason it is necessary to use prevention tools that include the participation of the whole community. Schools, churches, community groups, police, etc. However, none of these groups can take the place of parents. Education about drugs must start at home. Many parents hesitate to talk about drugs and alcohol with their kids. They
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Listen carefully to what your child has to say; make sure they feel comfortable about asking you questions or talking about their problems. If what you hear does not please you, do not become angry; pause before proceeding. Also, pay attention to what they do not say, and if they do not say anything, take the initiative and ask them about something that interests them. Their day at school, for example.
Kids need to know they can rely on adults to give them the right information on issues of interest to them. If you are not available when the child asks, explain why and arrange for another moment when you will be able to give your complete attention.
Gua r ante
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d ay s Tr us 0 3
Be a good listener
Be available
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think they are too young, that it does not concern them. Many times we do not know what to say, or we fear what we say will prompt them to experiment with drugs. In fact, however, it is imperative we do not wait for him/her to have a problem, it is essential to start discussing these issues early. It is also essential we always be ready to communicate. However, to have a good communication is usually easier said than done. Adults and kids have different communication styles and ways or initiating and participating in a conversation. Here are ways to improve communication between parents and their children.
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Send clear messages When you talk about drugs and alcohol, be sure to give your children a clear message so they know exactly what you expect
from them. For example “we do not use illegal drugs, and children are not allowed to drink alcohol.” Be a good role model Children learn from the examples received from their parents. Make sure your words match your actions and reflect the integrity and the sincerity you expect from your children. Be positive Congratulate your children when they do something good instead of criticizing the wrong things they do. When they get more complements than criticisms, and when you show them they can make the right decision, the child builds self-esteem and confidence that will enable them to rely on their own judgment. To be more precise we must consider the specificity and the age of each child, their capacity to assimilate information, their capacity to project into their future and their ability to understand the consequences of their actions. The work of prevention in other words, must adapt to the age of the child and his level of development. Be a positive influence by encouraging your children to be part of activities, in which they will be able to develop their critical evaluation of, and behaviour towards, drugs. Let us create communities
safer
Please visit the Royal Bahamas Police Force Website at www.royalbahamaspolice.org or Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ rbpforce for Latest News, Daily Crime Reports and additional Crime Prevention Tips
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THE TRIBUNE
Monday, March 4, 2019, PAGE 11
EIGHT men in total were arrested after they were found fishing in a protected marine preserve in the Berry Islands with scores of conch on board
from page one “The ministry has made a determination to marginally reduce the quotas for export this year,” said Agriculture Minister Michael Pintard, who added officials were holding consultations on appropriate preservation measures. “We will more dramatically reduce these exports in 2020 and 2021,” he continued. “I’m advised that exports of conch constitute one-fifth of all conch harvested.” The Royal Bahamas Defence Force apprehended the men on two separate vessels around 10.30am Friday in the area of Whale Cay in the Berry Islands. They were responding to reports of illegal fishing activity. Marines discovered a 19-foot skiff with three men onboard, and approximately 50 conch and other fishery products. The second vessel was found in the same area, a 46-foot fishing vessel named “Lady Yvonna,” with five Bahamians and approximately 500 conch onboard. The nationalities of three of the men are unknown at this time, according to the RBDF
Five Bahamians arrested after fishing in protected waters statement, which identified the other men as Bahamians. Last June, six Americans were charged and fined for illegally fishing in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park onboard a 63-foot American-registered pleasure craft. Yesterday, Mr Pintard noted while poachers – and to a lesser extent some American sports fishers and leisure cruisers – have wreaked havoc on marine resources, Bahamian fishermen have also contributed to threatening stocks by capturing undersized conch and cracking conch on the sea bed. He continued: “We are reviewing all the scientific studies recently conducted, but are convinced, based on earlier findings, that there is a significant problem which, if left unchecked, would result in the depletion of these resources.
“The conch stock in proximity to densely populated islands – and some sites that are historically very popular – has been under tremendous pressure for years and it shows. “Fishers are generally travelling further and in deeper waters
to harvest the quantities they are accustomed to. We are also actively engaged in stakeholder discussions about the possibility of requiring fishers to make preparation in future to land conch in the shell. This appears to be the only way of measuring
lip thickness which is an indicator of the maturity of the conch. “There is no substitute for education and therefore we are continuing dialogue with all stakeholders so that we are all informed by careful research,” Mr Pintard added. In January, it was reported that researchers believe the local conch supply could be wiped out in 10 to 15 years. The Chicago-based Shedd Aquarium group found from its research on more than 3,000 conchs at 42 survey sites throughout the Bahamas between 2009 and 2017, that not only are the numbers of adult conch decreasing, but the densities of legal-to-harvest queen conch are now far below the established minimum threshold for reproductive success, except in the most remote areas.
PAGE 12, Monday, March 4, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
Police Month kicks off in Nassau ...
Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net THE senior command of the Royal Bahamas Police Force visited several communities in the capital on Friday, marking the official start of “Police Month” and the 179th anniversary of the force. Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson led walkabouts in New Providence with the Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) and several noted church leaders, as part of ongoing efforts to connect residents throughout the country with the community arm of the force. Speaking to reporters at the intersection of Peter Street and Hospital Lane, the first stop on Friday, Commissioner Ferguson called the initiative “powerful,” insisting that bridging the gaps between law enforcement and communities can go a long way in addressing crime. “Coming here, we see a number of persons assembled in those yards; those are some of the people we want to make sure that we are able to reach. That is the whole purpose of (being) out here today,” he said. “... (We want to) reach those persons to let them know that there is a better way… as you would know, when you look at these areas, these are the areas that we have most crime. And so, we want to be able to get in there and talk to people and make sure that the people know their officers in their various communities.” Commissioner Ferguson insisted relationships between residents and police could yield results in community based violence and crime, if properly executed. RBPF officers walking the streets Friday included several community based branches and Urban Renewal units.
... and in Freeport, Grand Bahama ...
Photos: Vandyke Hepburn
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net POLICE on Grand Bahama kicked off Police Month on Friday with a community walkabout led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Samuel Butler, who with his officers, interacted with persons on the streets and at various establishments in the Freeport area. The walkabout started at 11am in the downtown area, following a prayer session with pastors at Police Headquarters and various police stations. The Royal Bahamas Police are observing 179 years of existence in the country and a number of community activities and events have been planned. ACP Butler noted that it is important that the police continue to foster a strong partnership with the public through interacting with individuals through such walkabouts, community activities and events. “We are excited about Police Month,” he said. “We are very grateful the public has been supporting us throughout the years and we want to reassure them we are here for them.” Visits and stops were made at businesses, schools, and in some residential communities. ACP Butler said: “The community is our greatest stakeholder and partner, without their support there is very little we can do ourselves; they are our eyes and ears, and when we get their support we know crime will go in a downward trend.” He noted that while there appears to be some spike in crime in the Western District, the police are making progress in cases. He urged residents to assist the police.
... and don’t forget the RBPF fun run
ACTION from the RBPF fun run.The winner was O’Niel Williams, above. Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, March 4, 2019, PAGE 13
Suspect purchased gasoline before fire started at mini mall By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A WOMAN suspected of starting a fire that destroyed a shopping complex in Grand Bahama had purchased gasoline and other items from one of the stores just before the incident, according to the daughter of the complex owner. Police in Grand Bahama have said arson is the cause of last week’s fire at Britannia Mini Mall and a woman is helping them with their investigation. “We have someone in custody; we are still working with that individual and at the end of the day we should have some conclusion,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Samuel Butler said on Friday. “We are satisfied with the interview and we are now waiting on response from forensics before we make a final conclusion in the matter.” The mini mall in Caravel Beach, Freeport, was destroyed by fire on Wednesday, displacing some 13 tenants who operated businesses at the location. The blaze started shortly before 3pm and ripped
through the structure. Firefighters battled the flames for nearly two hours. The owner of the mini mall and his daughter plan to rebuild. They are also trying to raise money to assist tenants who lost everything and did not have insurance coverage. A Go Fund Me campaign was started after the incident with a goal to raise $100,000. They are planning to hold fundraising events on March 15, by having a car wash and cook-out from noon to 5pm. Raykell Haywood – whose father, Raymond Meadows, owns the mini mall – said that although the building was insured, some of the tenants did not have insurance coverage for their individual businesses and lost their entire investment. According to Ms Haywood, the fire is believed to have started in the bakery. She said that a woman walked into the store and asked for gasoline and various other items. Before stopping at the bakery, she said the woman tried to enter several of the other stores there but could not get inside because the doors are equipped with security buzzers.
POLICE in Grand Bahama have said arson is the cause of last week’s fire at Britannia Mini Mall. Ms Haywood said the woman asked an employee in the bakery for several items, including gasoline and lighter fluid. “He said it did not seem strange at first, but then she kept asking for gasoline. And then...he knew something was wrong because she asked him, ‘have you ever been hurt before? I am feeling hurt right now.’ Another customer proceeded to walk in the store, and the employee was mouthing the words ‘call the police,’ and she poured the gasoline on the floor and ignited it.” Ms Haywood said the tenants said they had never seen the woman there before. “It was the first time they’d seen her there. She just came in there; why she decided to come there that day, I don’t know. She kept telling the employee she is sad and feeling depressed, and she kept asking the
employee if he has ever been hurt before,” she said. Ms Haywood said: “While it appears that the woman was not in the right frame of mind, her intention was to burn it down because she kept asking for the gasoline and lighters.” When asked if the woman came there with the gasoline, she said that gasoline is sold in the bakery. “I am not sure why they would sell it,” she said. “The fire started with the bakery and spread rapidly to the other stores.” Ms Haywood said that the woman tried to escape but was subdued by employees until police arrived. After learning of the fire, Ms Haywood, who lives in the US, decided to start the Go Fund Me campaign to help the 13 store tenants. There was as a bakery, variety store, meat shop, three churches, a clothing store, computer store, barbershop, hair salon/beauty
supply store, and a liquor store at the mini mall. “The tenants are personally responsible for insuring their own businesses. Some of them had insurance, but some did not. And some did not have any savings or emergency funds, so they are without a lot of things that were in their inventory. “A lot of them lost their whole livelihood because of this and there is no help. So, I am trying to reach out to whomever I can to donate funds,” she said. In addition to the Go Fund Me page, Ms Haywood is also contacting businesses to assist in the cause. She also plans to travel back home to Freeport to help raise funds by having a car wash and cook-out on March 15 at the plaza. The funds for that event, she said, would be covered by her father. According to Ms Haywood, her father is devastated by what has happened, but is
determined to rebuild. “He is very distraught. When I told him I was going to start the Go Fund Me, he told me that he does not want any of the money; that it goes to the tenants. He wants to help the tenants and feels really sad for those who were not insured. When the insurance come through, we are going to look at rebuilding and see what we can do to get these people back in business and get some of their lives back (to normalcy),” she said. Ms Haywood said her father has met with engineers about rebuilding the mini mall. “So far, they think it can be rebuilt, but he has a final meeting with them about the rebuilding process and whether it should be torn down,” she said. If you would like to donate, visit https://www. gofundme.com/9afczw-rising-from-the-ashes
PAGE 14, Monday, March 4, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
‘ABSOLUTE MIRACLE:’ RESCUERS FIND MISSING CALIFORNIA SISTERS LOS ANGELES Associated Press
ARMED with some outdoor survival training, granola bars and pink rubber boots, 5- and 8-yearold sisters survived 44 hours in rugged Northern California wilderness before they were found dehydrated and cold but in good spirits yesterday. A fire chief and firefighter from a local volunteer department found Leia and Caroline Carrico in a wooded area about 1½ miles from their home in the small community of Benbow, where they had last been seen on Friday afternoon, Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal said. The girls were “safe and sound” and uninjured, thanks in part to
survival training they got with their local 4-H club, Honsal said. “This is an absolute miracle,” he said. “This is rugged territory, this is an extreme environment. How they were out there for 44 hours is pretty amazing.” A photo of one of the girls posted by the sheriff’s office and already being widely shared on social media shows her wearing pink rubber boots, dirty jeans, a long pink shirt and a woolen cap. She is standing while a firefighter kneels down and talks to her. One person commented that “she looks like a seasoned outdoor gal” while another said, “those little adventurers will sure have a story to tell!” Honsal said the girls were given fresh warm clothes, water and
LEIA CARRICO, 8, left, and her sister Caroline Carrico, 5.
food and were being assessed but were in good spirits and doing well. “A lot of us didn’t get any sleep the last 48 hours or so,” Honsal said. “To have a positive outcome like this is just absolutely amazing ... These girls definitely have a survival story to tell.” He said the firefighters who found the girls had followed their boot prints. The firefighters were part of a massive search of a vast and rugged rural area that included a dozen agencies, including the National Guard, helicopters and tracking dogs. Fridley said he was the one who got to call the girls’ mother and tell them her daughters were alive. “She melted on the phone,” he said.
Trump ‘gave nothing away’ in Kim talks WASHINGTON Associated Press THE White House national security adviser yesterday described President Donald Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a success despite the lack of an agreement providing for the verifiable dismantling of the North’s nuclear sites. John Bolton, in television interviews, tried to make that case that Trump advanced America’s national security interests by rejecting a bad agreement while working to persuade Kim to take “the big deal that really could make a difference for North Korea”. The US and North Korea have offered contradictory accounts of why last week’s summit in Vietnam broke down, though both pointed to American sanctions as a sticking point. Bolton said the leaders left on good terms and that Trump made an important point to North Korea and other countries that negotiate with him. “He’s not desperate for a deal, not with North Korea, not with anybody if it’s contrary to American national interests,” Bolton said. Bolton also sought to explain Trump’s comments about taking Kim’s word about Otto Warmbier, the American college student who was held prisoner in North Korea, then sent home in a vegetative state. Trump said he didn’t believe Kim knew about or would have allowed what happened to Warmbier. “He tells me that he didn’t know about it, and I will take him at his word,” Trump said at a news conference last week. Bolton said Trump’s “got a difficult line to walk to” in negotiating with North Korea. “It doesn’t mean that he accepts it as reality. It means that he accepts that’s what Kim Jong Un said,” Bolton said. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a close Trump ally, broke with the president. “I think Kim knew what happened, which was wrong,” McCarthy said. Some have been critical for Trump letting Kim stand with him on the world stage given North Korea’s poor human rights record. Kim will be able to portray himself
PRESIDENT Donald Trump shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi last week. to his people and supporters as the charismatic head of a nucleararmed power, not an international pariah that starves its citizens so it can build weapons. But Bolton said that Trump’s view is that he “gave nothing away.” Asked whether that was his view, too, Bolton replied: “The president’s view is he gave nothing away. That’s what matters, not my view.” Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, summarised the summit as a “spectacular failure” made all the worse by Trump’s comments on “murder of an American citizen, Otto Warmbier.” “This is, I think, the result of a president who is not prepared for these kind of negotiations, a staff that is not well-prepared and that is essentially flying by the seat of its pants, and it has real-world consequences,” Schiff said. “Those reactors continue to spin on, producing more material that can threaten us and our allies.”
SENATE SEEMS TO HAVE VOTES TO REJECT TRUMP’S WALL MOVE WASHINGTON Associated Press
OPPONENTS of President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the US-Mexico border appear to have enough Senate votes to reject his move, now that Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky has said he can’t go along with the White House. The House has voted to derail the action, and if the Senate follows later this month, the measure would go to Trump for his promised veto. Three other Republican senators have announced they’ll vote “no” — Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Paul makes it four, and assuming that all 47 Democrats and their independent allies go against Trump, that would
give opponents 51 votes — just past the majority needed. Congress is unlikely to have the votes to override. “I can’t vote to give the president the power to spend money that hasn’t been appropriated by Congress,” Paul said at a GOP dinner Saturday night at Western Kentucky University. “We may want more money for border security, but Congress didn’t authorize it. If we take away those checks and balances, it’s a dangerous thing.” Many lawmakers opposed to the emergency declaration say it tramples Congress’ constitutional power to control spending and would set a precedent for future Democratic presidents to make such a declaration for their own purposes. They also are concerned Trump would siphon money from home-state projects to barrier construction.
VENEZUELA’S GUAIDO URGES SUPPORTERS TO PROTEST CARACAS Associated Press
OPPOSITION leader Juan Guaido is calling for nationwide demonstrations today to coincide with his planned return to Venezuela, in a challenge expected to escalate his power struggle with President Nicolas Maduro. Guaido yesterday tweeted that Venezuelans should monitor his official announcements and that he would provide details about meeting points for supporters. He said they should gather across the country at 11 am. The leader of the National Assembly who has declared himself president also tweeted a photo of himself walking across an airfield ahead of his departure from the naval base in Salinas, Ecuador, where he met with Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno on Saturday. Guaido said he was “taking off,” but did not say where the plane was heading. In Venezuela, anticipation grew ahead of Guaido’s expected arrival. Opposition activists circulated a call on social media for people to gather today at a shopping area in Caracas. The government, meanwhile, has urged Venezuelans to celebrate the Carnival season slated for Monday and Tuesday by traveling to beaches and other holiday spots. Many people don’t have the resources for leisure trips and opposition supporters say the country should not celebrate in times of crisis. Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, did not directly address a question about whether Guaido faces arrest during a TV interview but left open the possibility, saying Guaido had broken the law and is “a Venezuelan who conspires with foreign governments to overthrow a constitutional government.”
INDIA AND PAKISTAN DE-ESCALATE BUT TRIGGERS REMAIN ISLAMABAD Associated Press
INDIA and Pakistan have pulled back from the brink of an all-out military confrontation over the contested Kashmir region. But Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan failed to address the underlying
threats to stability, raising the likelihood of renewed escalation. Modi, who seeks re-election this spring, played to his Hindu nationalist base with India’s tough response to a suicide attack in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir that killed dozens of Indian troops. India bombed inside Pakistan, saying it targeted training camps of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a
militant group that claimed responsibility for the attack. The strikes drove up Modi’s popularity, reinforcing the message that an uncompromising stance toward Muslimmajority Pakistan pays off politically. Khan sought to de-escalate, promising talks and an investigation. The premier has made peace talks with India a recurring theme, as he focuses on his country’s
struggling economy. Yet Pakistan’s deadly militant groups are becoming increasingly difficult to control. Their continued presence is bound to trigger renewed tensions, said Moeed Yusuf of the United States Institute of Peace. “The bottom line is that Pakistan’s international image and standing cannot be fixed (as long as) these groups remain alive on Pakistani soil,” he said.
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THE TRIBUNE
Monday, March 4, 2019, PAGE 15
THINGS turned out pretty good, said Dr Duane Sands.
BABY RESCUED FROM LOCKED CAR BY HEALTH WORKERS By RIEL MAJOR
MINISTRY of Health employees had to forcibly open the window of a car on Friday to rescue an infant who had been left unattended in the government agency’s parking lot, according to Health Minister Dr Duane Sands. A video went viral on social media on Friday showing the infant locked in a car alone with the windows rolled up. Over the course of the 39-second video, the infant is seen in the back seat of the vehicle strapped in a car seat. The video was posted in a local Facebook group. At the beginning of the clip, the reflection of a man is seen using his cellphone to record the incident. The man recording the video can be heard saying: “There is a baby inside of this car hollering. This is a baby locked in this car hollering. “The car screw right up. It’s a baby look...this is a baby inside this car crying...
the car frigging hot...in Ministry of Health parking lot a frigging young baby. A young flicking baby in the car (sic).” When contacted about the incident, Dr Sands said on Friday that someone came up to the administrative office about the situation and officials gave instructions and permission to break into the car to get the baby out. He said: “Subsequently the father of the child showed up and was detained by the police. I’m amazed this story has gone this viral because things turned out pretty good. Luckily, but I guess it’s a good thing but by the time as this video came around the problem was already resolved.” He said two Ministry of Health employees “forcibly opened” the car’s window to rescue the baby. The Tribune made numerous attempts to contact the Royal Bahamas Police Force for a comment, but efforts were unsuccessful up to press time.
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PAGE 16, Monday, March 4, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
SEVEN HAITIANS ARRESTED AFTER JOINT OPERATION
SEVEN Haitians were arrested by law enforcement during a joint operation by the Royal Bahamas Defence and Police Forces. They have been taken to the Carmichael Road Detention Centre for further processing. According to a statement from the Department of Immigration, Chief Immigration Officer Harold Thurston and others joined the operation which covered areas inclusive of Carmichael Road, Faith Avenue, Cowpen Road, Baillou Hill Road South, East Street North, Collins Avenue and Wulff Road. Three women and four men were
arrested as a result. “We wish to remind the general public that we are committed to carrying out the mandates of all law enforcement agencies in combating illegal migration, immigration offences and criminal offences,” a statement from the department noted. “This results in a number of persons being arrested for various criminal offences by RBPF. The department will continue these strategic planning efforts, operationalise our resources to establish effective border control management and to ensure compliance with our immigration laws.”