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PA GE S SPORTS: JUDO STAR ON HER WAY TO THE OLYMPICS Three days after closed-door signing, PM reveals... HELP COPS
Disney’s go-ahead in ‘$400m’ project Lighthouse Point plan allows land for national park By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
THE government and Disney Island Development Ltd have signed a Heads of Agreement for the construction of a $250m to $400m cruise port and entertainment facility at Lighthouse Point, Eleuthera. The deal, announced by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis during a recent town
hall meeting, allows for the conveyance of 190 acres of land along the southernmost point of the property — a $6.29m value — to the government for establishment of a national park. In a subsequent statement on the announcement, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) also noted Disney’s “completed acquisition” of the highly sought after property from a “private seller”. SEE PAGE THREE
By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
THE country’s national debt as of December 2018 stood at $7.5bn, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has revealed, meaning every Bahamian incurred a debt of nearly $7,000 each. As he held town hall meetings over the weekend in Eleuthera and several parts of Andros, Dr Minnis made the admission, echoing the criticism that there
By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
ROYAL Bahamas Police Force investigators have no leads and are challenged with getting people to come forward with information that could lead to the arrest of the person responsible for the abduction of three boys on Thursday. Police confirmed on Friday that three boys were taken in last Thursday’s incident and not two as officers initially reported. In this abduction, all of the boys were relatives. Two were eight-years-old and the third was ten, police said. This means that four boys were taken and released, unharmed, in two separate incidents within a 24-hour SEE PAGE FIVE
INSIGHT
COUNTRY’S DEBT WE ALL OWE $7K
was fiscal irresponsibility by the former Christie administration. The tour is in keeping with his commitment to Family Islanders to keep them informed of government decisions and progress periodically. He also used the tour to tout his government’s progress, while at the same time painting the Progressive Liberal Party as an organisation not concerned with the best interest of Bahamians. SEE PAGE SIX
FIND THE CHILDREN SNATCHER
CRIME STOPPERS REWARD TO HELP IN HUNT SEE PAGE 11
FERRY BOSS HID SECRET DEAL FROM EMPLOYER
FEAST FOR THE EYES
HUNDREDS of people enjoyed music and food at the Greek Fest, held at the Greek Orthodox Church in Nassau, over the weekend. Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO MY SON? By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
THE father of a 30-year-old biker killed in a collision last week has raised issues with the police’s account of the incident, claiming his son was being chased by officers when he was fatally struck by a vehicle that allegedly had run a traffic light. In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, Clarence Dean Sr suggested
KILLED: Clarence Dean Jr the preliminary reports surrounding his son’s crash had failed to “clearly
identify several important things”, insisting that all accounts received from those who had witnessed the crash noted police involvement. “I just want to know what actually happened,” he said. “The reports say my son ran a red light and hit a truck, but everyone that was there, two other riders and three young women, they all say the police saw them, pursued them and things got out of hand for SEE PAGE SEVEN
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
HERNAN Calvo, the former chief executive of Balearia Caribbean, must pay his ex-employer $2.844m in damages for effectively stealing the Resorts World Bimini ferry contract from under them. The Spanish ferry operator was deprived of the chance to bid on the Bimini deal because Mr Calvo concealed the chance from it. Calvo, according to a US court ruling obtained by Tribune Business, first entered into secret talks to steer the Resorts World contract to a rival Argentinian ferry company, Buquebus. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
PAGE 2, Monday, March 11, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
A-ROD & J LO MAKE IT A MATCH JENNIFER Lopez and Alex Rodriguez were engaged as they vacationed in The Bahamas over the weekend. The former major league baseball star popped the question to his twice Grammy nominated girlfriend on Saturday night. The couple is said to be staying at the luxury Baker’s Bay Golf and Ocean Club in Abaco. A-Rod posted on Instagram to his 2.4m followers, “She said yes,” as he shared a photo of a huge diamond ring speculated to cost around $1m on presumably the hand of J Lo,
who also shared the same photo on social media, captioned with eight heart emojis. The baseball legend, 43, and the famous entertainer, 49, have been dating for about two years. This will be J Lo’s fourth marriage. She divorced singer Marc Anthony in 2014. As for A-Rod, this will be his second, having been divorced since 2008. Both have two children from previous relationships. The news comes nearly seven weeks after the couple celebrated their two year anniversary on February 3.
WE ALL NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO CLOSE GENDER GAP, SAYS TURNQUEST DEPUTY Prime Minister and Minister of Finance K Peter Turnquest stressed the need for all sectors of society to closely collaborate on efforts to close the gender gap. “Women’s unemployment has been persistently higher than unemployment amongst men, and this is just one area we need to address so that our country can maximise the potential of all citizens,” Mr Turnquest said in a statement released Friday, marking International Women’s Day. “Research has shown that women’s economic empowerment boosts productivity, increases economic diversification and income equality in addition to other positive development outcomes. On this International Women’s Day, we honour the contributions women have made to the economic development of the nation, and recommit to ensuring women are full participants in the economic life and welfare of the nation,” he added. A new report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), released on March 8, calls for a “quantum leap” forward to gender equality. In “A quantum leap for gender equality: For a better future of work for all,” the organisation underscores the provision of care, particularly linked to motherhood, persists as a critical obstacle to advancing gender equality around the world. The report also makes a series of recommendations for countries to implement “a transformative and measurable agenda for gender equality”. Tracking progress, the report found that the difference in the employment rates for men and women
has shrunk by less than two percentage points in the last 27 years – and in 2018, women were still 26 percentage points less likely to be in employment than men. On Friday, Equality Bahamas director Alicia Wallace commended the report, which she described as a useful tool to evidence gender inequality in the workplace. “Economic equality is not proven by the presence of women in frontline or customer service positions,” Ms Wallace, a Bahamian activist, said. “This visibility and perceived ‘dominance’ of women at work does not translate to the board room. There is a marked difference in the jobs hiring, retaining, and promoting women and men, and it is rooted in a gender ideology used to determine aptitude and financial responsibility.” She continued: “Women are working and have been for a long time, but opportunity, advancement, and compensation – as revealed by the UN’s Human Development Index report of a 30 percent wage gap – are not equal. This is the kind of evidence we need to support agitation for change, and we need to be able to collect, analyse, and share data. “The attention to women’s unpaid care work, penalties of motherhood, and experiences of harassment in the report is particularly important as we work to expose the challenges faced, often silently, sensitise the government administration, political parties, businesses, and individuals, and work to address them with legal reform and policy in the public and private spheres.”
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, March 11, 2019, PAGE 3
THE GOVERNMENT signed a Heads of Agreement with Disney for a proposed development at Lighthouse Point. Pictured at the signing from left: Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Nicole Campbell; Secretary to the Cabinet, Camille Johnson; Prime Minister, Dr. Hubert Minnis; President, Disney Signature Experiences, Disney Cruise Line, Jeff Vahle and Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs, Kim Prunty. Photo: Yontalay Bowe/ BIS
from page one Core elements of the proposed project, according to the OPM’s statement, include low density development and sustainable design, public access and economic opportunities for Bahamians. Under the HOA, Disney has ensured a minimum of 120 Bahamians will be employed directly during the construction of the project. Disney also has committed to aim for an overall ratio of 80 percent Bahamian workers to 20 percent non-Bahamian workers during the life of the construction phase of the project. However, the statement said this element would be “subject to qualified labour being available and the need to ensure the highest level of technical compliance with international standards.” The statement continued: “DCL (Disney Cruise Lines) will also create as many as 150 permanent, sustainable jobs with health benefits in a range of positions for Bahamians once construction is completed. “The development will provide a variety of entrepreneurial opportunities for residents of Eleuthera and Bahamians in general. “DCL will partner with agencies to develop training and professional development programmes, including the LIM Maritime Academy, Access Accelerator (Small Business Development Centre) and the Hospitality Institute of the University of The Bahamas. “Space must be provided for Bahamian vendors on the property for the sale of authentic, high quality Bahamian retail goods, services, souvenirs, arts and crafts, Bahamian T-shirts and other merchandise,” it read. According to OPM, Disney must also give priority to Bahamian owners and operators to provide port adventures for DCL guests while its ships are in port, and will seek to use Bahamian entertainers. The government’s statement said other elements of the project include the integration of Bahamian cultural and artistic expression into the design of
Disney’s go-ahead in ‘$400m’ project
LIGHTHOUSE Point.
the site and experiences offered. “Disney also will provide all citizens and residents of the Bahamas with access to the property for non-commercial purposes and will collaborate with government and local communities to meaningfully contribute to initiatives that meet community needs, with a special focus on children and families,” the statement noted. “This includes assisting with local schools, assisting with identifying and enhancing tourist heritage sites in South Eleuthera and exploring opportunities to improve medical facilities that serve the residents
Photo/Barefoot Marketing
of South and Central Eleuthera.” The OPM statement suggested that DCL also intends to increase the number of ship calls at the Port of Nassau and/or the Port of Freeport by 30 to 40 percent over the number of calls made by its ships in 2018. The statement added that construction of the project will not begin until an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and environmental management plan (EMP) are reviewed and approved. According to the release, Dr Minnis said the government is “satisfied” with the
move, calling it “the best decision in the interest of the Bahamian people, a sustainable future for the people of Central and South Eleuthera and the economic development of the country.” He added: “The implementation of this project supports the government’s plan of expanding the economy of our country and economic opportunities for our people by promoting development in the Family Islands.” To conclude its statement, the OPM said the government notes Disney’s record of environmental stewardship, asserting that
4C’S PAIR TO STAND TRIAL IN 2020 By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
4 C’S ADVENTURES owner Clayton Smith and one of his captains will stand trial in 2020 over allegations of negligence after an engine exploded on a tour boat last year, killing one person. Smith and Roderick Watson, both of Stuart Manor, Exuma, will stand trial before Justice Carolita Bethel on either on February 3 or September 7 of next year, charged with one count each of manslaughter by negligence and nine counts of causing negligent harm concerning the deadly explosion in waters off Barraterre, Exuma, on June 30, last year. February 3 has been set down as a potential date for the trial if the date is vacated by other matters currently logged on Justice Bethel’s case calendar. If not, the trial will
commence on September 7, 2020. A case management hearing has been set for April 15 of this year. Bail arrangements for both men are to continue as previously set. Last month, the pair pleaded not guilty to all charges when formally arraigned. It is alleged the pair’s negligence caused the death of Tennessee native Maleka Jackson, and also negligently caused harm to her husband of 15 years, Tiran Jackson, who had to have one of his legs amputated. Similarly, the pair was accused of negligently causing harm to 22-year-old Vermont-native Stephanie Schaffer, who had to have both of her legs amputated. Smith and Watson are further alleged to have caused negligent harm to Ms Schaffer’s sister, Brooke Schaffer, her mother, Stacey Bender, and Paul Bender, her mother’s husband. Smith and Watson are
also alleged to have negligently caused harm to John Inman, Sheila Jones, Haiden Jones and Kyle Ackerman. Shortly after 9am on June 30 last year, the 40ft chartered tour boat was travelling in waters off Barraterre, Exuma, with ten tourists and two Bahamians
on board, when an engine exploded, causing the boat to catch fire. The ten people on board the vessel were injured and taken to the mini hospital in George Town. One of those injured, Mrs Jackson, died of her injuries, while several others were airlifted for further medical treatment.
it will “ensure that the project is implemented in a manner which safeguards
the environment and is in the interests of the people of The Bahamas.” This announcement comes roughly five months after the National Economic Council’s approved DCL’s proposal for Lighthouse Point. That decision came despite calls from Disney’s lead competitor for the property, Lighthouse Point Partners, to delay the decision for 60 days to give the group an equal opportunity to present its proposal for the property to the public. Lighthouse Point Partners had proposed constructing a sustainable development which would have included a 100-unit eco-lodge and a learning and research centre with space to accommodate a 20-person class on a 100acre site adjacent to the national park. The coalition claims the project should yield permanent economic contributions of 190 jobs, $7.7m in annual earnings, $13.76m in economic output annually, $11.56m in annual GDP increase and $300,000 in annual NIB payments. Environmentalists had argued that Disney would not be good for the environment given its history of managing and operating cruise ports around the globe.
bn
THE TRIBUNE
The Tribune
Monday, March 11, 2019, PAGE 5
Weekend Police urge public to help find the children snatcher i’m lovin’ it!
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Weekend
WEEKEND: BLOGGER ROGAN PULLS NO PUNCHES
from page one
period — and that there have been six children reported abducted in less than three weeks. Yesterday, Inspector Leonardo Burrows told The Tribune there wasn’t much movement in the cases. “We aren’t following any other leads other than trying to appeal to members of the public,” Insp Burrows said. “The challenge with that (the latest case) is it’s a Haitian Bahamian community and a lot of persons in that community are afraid to come forward. “We believe that some of them may not be here legally so that has been a challenge for us. “So we have been trying to check video cameras in the area to see if we can determine a make and model of the vehicle or anything else.” Regarding Thursday’s incident, police initially said two boys, aged eight and ten, were walking on Kool Acres Road in east New Providence when “they were picked up by a female who was the lone occupant” of a dark-coloured vehicle. When it was time to drop the boys off, the woman reportedly allowed two to leave and grabbed the third boy’s hand, keeping him in the vehicle and driving off. “I tell her bring me back home, she say she bringing me back home now, but she did not,” eightyear-old J’Dakito Sejour told Our News on Friday. “She drop off them, then she gone through the corner and she gone, she pass by Baha Mar then she drop me by the dump. She tell me go sit on the tyre. Then she gone. Then I start crying. Two cars saw me, they stop and they bring me to the station and they tell me tell them my mommy number and I tell them it and they called my mom.” His mother Rosine Marcidome told the news station that the incident worried her. Meanwhile, young J’Dakito told Our News he had never seen
Friday, March 8, 2019
food history
GET FIT WITH REGINA Pages 14 & 15
Leading the charge
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to the truth pages 4 & 5
Three taken in 24 hours - Find the...
CHILD SNATCHER Are they all linked?
FEBRUARY 16: SHAVAR BAIN, THREE MARCH 3: EIGHT-YEAR-OLD GIRL MARCH 6: TYVON DEVEAUX, EIGHT MARCH 7: 10 AND EIGHT-YEAR-OLD BOYS By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net
returned to Kool Acres, which is off Fox Hill Road, while the younger boy was dropped off at THREE boys were Tonique Williams Darabducted in two separate ling Highway, near the incidents in less than 24 entrance to the city dump, hours, but were found a which is a considerable short time later, police distance away. When said. A woman police gave is believed to a report have taken the shortly before boys in each 7pm last night, case. Police officers said said they are the eight-yearinvestigating old was with each matter police and had separately no physical but are lookinjuries. ing to see if This latest they are conincident came nected. The less than 24 latest abduc- A SKETCH of the suspect hours after involved in the abduction tion took place an eight-yearbefore 4pm, of eight-year-old Tyvon old boy was Deveaux on March 6. when two abducted from boys, eight a park off Soland 10, were walking on dier Road shortly before Kool Acres Road in east 7pm on Wednesday. This New Providence when means there have been “they were picked up by five incidents of reported a female who was the lone child abductions in less occupant” of a dark col- than three weeks. oured vehicle, police said. On Wednesday evenPolice said “a short time ing, Tyvon Deveaux was later” the 10-year-old was SEE PAGE THREE
HOW The Tribune reported the story last Friday. or spoken to the woman before. “I didn’t know where she was gonna carry me.” J’Dakito and the older of the two boys were shown the police’s composite sketch of the abductor and both agreed it was the same woman who took them. But J’Dakito said, “On there she look dark, in the car she was light.” CSP Cash said on Friday: “What actually happened is that three kids were on their way home from school, a car pulled up alongside them asking them if they wished for a ride. “After they refused the ride, the lady insisted that she would
give them a ride. The three kids, they got in the vehicle, when they got near the Haitian village, the lady allowed two of the boys out and she kept one.” The two eight-year-olds were initially dropped off by a Haitian village in the vicinity of Seabreeze and Joe Farrington Road. The ten-year-old was dropped off later RUSSELL by the city dump. The By KHRISNA Deputy Chief Reporter boys were gone for roughly two krussell@tribunemedia.net hours, CSP Cash said. HIGH-ranking Royal This Police account again deviates Bahamas Force officers Emrick Seymour from initial police report and Stephenthe Dean are perceived to be “casualties” released on Thursday evening, of Clarence Reckley’s early retirement, The aTribune which said “short time” after the was told yesterday. STEPHEN DEAN, left, and abduction, was A senior officerthe with ten-year-old Emrick Seymour intimate details toof Kool the returned Acres, which Seymour situation and on condi- Commissioner
is off Fox Hill Road, while the younger boy was dropped off near the entrance to the dump. When asked if the children GEORGINA Armbrister talking to have provided any details about the media yesterday following the return of her sonthe Tyvon.woman, their encounters with Photo: Shawn Hanna/ CSP Cash said: Tribune “I Staff can say that the matter last (Thursday) night, there were some specific instructions given to the kid, and nothing forced to take vacation to harm him, but for them to go in leave ahead of retirement particular area. toamake Assistant Commissioner“All Reckley’sof exit this from information we the force “look good”. It was compiling also claimed thatand analysing and are many in the senior ranks hopefully we will be in a better have looked on with disapproval at the way in which position to officsay to the media these long serving ers are being treated. is exactly who Itwe are looking for, expected that those with (who) is suspected of committing longstanding careers in the RBPF should be afforded THE CLOCKS go forward this thesecourtesies offences.” certain in the weekend. See our feature on
OFFICERS ‘CASUALTIES’ IN RECKLEY ROW
tion of anonymity has said some officers feel Deputy
FOUR TAKEN TO HOSPITAL WITH GUNSHOT WOUNDS
and Senior Assistant Commissioner Dean were being
Fr
lead up to retirement. SEE PAGE FIVE
Page 9 to find out how you can adjust to losing that hour.
He also said: “It appears that as if they’re looking at a particular age grouping of these kids, most of our victims are between eight and 10…male persons. Because these kids are left abandoned, unharmed physically, they’re traumatised a bit. “We don’t really understand the intent of the person based on that behaviour and also we don’t know the motive behind them taking these kids from the streets and just abandoning them.” The day before, March 6, eight-year-old Tyvon Deveaux was abducted by a lone female driver in a silver-coloured Japanese-model vehicle. He was later dropped off by the entrance of the dump on Tonique Williams Darling Highway. On February 16, three-yearold Shavar Bain was abducted from outside his home and then left frightened and alone outside a Fox Hill washhouse several hours later, sparking a manhunt for two women believed to be the abductors. On March 3, an eight-year-old girl was abducted from her home by an alleged male perpetrator. She was discovered walking in the area of Woodlawn Gardens a short time after the abduction by a passer-by and taken to the Wulff Road Police Station. CSP Cash noted these children were taken from different zones in New Providence, so while not one particular community is being singled out, he noted the perpetrators are “targeting a certain age.” When asked if he has any concerns that this disturbing trend will continue, CSP Cash told The Tribune: “Every matter is a concern to us, especially when you’re dealing with kids. It is a very, very deep concern to us, kids being removed from their place of comfort and left abandoned in areas deserted. So that is a concern to us. We again, like I said, we have all resources on the ground trying to canvass all these areas and hopefully we’ll be able to capture this person.”
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THE SCENE on near Cowpen Road after the shootings. By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net A MAN shot his girlfriend and three other people at a home on Cowpen Road yesterday leaving them in hospital, police said. The incident occurred shortly after 4am yesterday. “A male had an altercation with his girlfriend on Cowpen Road which resulted in him shooting her and three other persons who were present in the house,” police noted in a crime report. “All four victims were transported to hospital where they are in serious, but stable condition.” Police said they are following significant leads in this case and the investigation is continuing, however they did not provide further details. In other crime news, police arrested a Bahamian man and Venezuelan woman after
Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
the discovery of a small quantity of drugs and a large amount of cash on Friday. Shortly before noon, officers from the Drug Enforcement Unit, acting on intelligence, executed a search warrant on a home located at Boil Fish Road in the Carmichael Road area. During the search officers discovered a quantity of marijuana and $16,200 in cash. The man and woman were taken into custody for questioning. Police also said two men were arrested after officers found marijuana at a home located at Claridge Road off Wulff Road. Shortly after 6am on Saturday, Mobile Division officers, acting on intelligence, executed a search warrant at a house and discovered a quantity of marijuana wrapped in clear plastic. Both males are expected to appear in court soon to be formally charged. Police are also looking
for the suspects behind two separate weekend armed robberies. The first incident happened on Friday shortly before 10pm. Police said a man pulled into the driveway of his Christie Avenue home and was held up by a gunman, who robbed him of his black 2013 Honda Accord, licence plate #AM5607, before speeding away. Hours later, shortly before 2am on Saturday, a woman pulled into the driveway of her home located on Zion Boulevard and was approached by a man armed with a firearm. He robbed her of a Samsung S-6 cell phone and her Silver Nissan Teana, licence plate #AK5560, and sped off. Investigations are continuing. Anyone with information on these or any other incidents is asked to call the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or the Crime Stoppers hotline at 328-TIPS.
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PAGE 6, Monday, March 11, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
With national debt at $7.5bn, we all owe $7k
from page one
PRIME Minister Hubert Minnis addresses a town hall meeting in Eleuthera on Saturday. agency has moved us from negative credit outlook to stability. So we are moving in the right direction. We are not negative anymore we are considered stable.” He continued: “But let’s look again at our economic indicators so you know how the economy is going. In 2013, our economy shrunk. There was a negative growth of .6 percent. In 2014 there was a negative growth of 1.2 percent. Then in 2015 there was a negative growth again. We were still heading in the wrong
direction. There was a negative growth of 3.1 percent. Then in 2016 there was a growth of 0.2 percent. “But 2017 our economy grew by about 1.4 percent. Then the IMF predicted that in 2018 our economy would have grown by 2.8 percent, then in 2019 2.1 percent, so now you see we are moving in the right direction. “But that is still not sufficient. We still have a long way to go.” The prime minister also addressed his government’s decision to secure a $100m
credit facility from the Inter-American Development Bank. The House of Assembly approved this resolution in late January. It was this decision that showed the opposition did not care about Bahamians, Dr Minnis suggested. “It’s always best to prepare for hurricane. When hurricane season comes you are told to prepare your homes, your roofs, your windows etc, that’s all prevention and precaution. The government must likewise do the same in the event
that we’re stripped so we can recuperate as quickly as possible so that our quality of life does not diminish, so that our economy recuperates as quickly as possible, so that our guests can come in and we would all have our jobs (and) our schools can function, our hospitals can function. That’s the job and responsibility of the government. “We went to Parliament to debate an IDB credit of $100m that we had to put aside. That credit facility was not to be used, only in the event of a hurricane.
LABOUR ON THE BLOCKS JOB FAIR
THE DEPARTMENT of Labour held its first ‘Labour on the Blocks’ job fair for the year on Saturday, at CR Walker Senior High School on Baillou Hill Road. The recurring job fair is part of the Minnis administration’s commitment to creating jobs and opportunities for Bahamians. Staff of the Department of Labour and a number of local businesses were on hand to meet, interview and hire interested job seekers.
Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staf
“The total direct national debt ending in December 2018 was about $7.5bn,” Dr Minnis told those gathered at the National Arts and Culture Centre in Tarpum Bay, Eleuthera on Saturday. “And so as you would understand how we got there: in 2012/2013 alone $539m was borrowed by the then government. “In 2013/2014 $488m was borrowed, then ‘14/15 $381m was borrowed and then ‘15/16 $310m was borrowed, then ‘16/17 an additional $666m,” he said. The Free National Movement was elected in May 2017. “All during that five-year span they had borrowed about $2.38bn in spite of the additional $1bn that was obtained from VAT, our national debt still rose and individuals were still not paid,” Dr Minnis continued. “What happened in that five-year span alone is every Bahamian and infant born at that time and those in their mommy’s womb would have incurred a debt before they even entered our shores. They would have incurred a debt of $6,800. That’s just within that five-year span, every Bahamian. “Then they experienced a series of other events. We were downgraded at least four times and placed in the category of junk bonds making it extremely difficult to borrow — bad credit. Then when you borrow, you borrow at high interest rates, that’s the situation we were placed in. “But now, the credit
What it meant that if our airports were destroyed we have money immediately to fix it so that our guests could come in and our economy can function. “If the docks are damaged we can repair it immediately so that our food can come in, our medicine, our ships etc. If the roads are damaged you can repair it. “But we wanted to be proactive and have it set aside.” He also said: “I am still trying to figure out the day when we went into Parliament to debate that to put that money aside to protect Eleuthera, to protect the airport, to protect your docks, to protect your schools, to protect your infrastructure, your telephone systems, the communication system, I don’t understand when we went to Parliament, the opposition ‘Brave’ Davis voted no, he did not want us to put a credit aside for you. That’s not a loan. You only use it if necessary. “Chester who is young and they say he is up and coming, but is obviously down going voted no also. He don’t see why Eleuthera needs protection? He don’t see why Nassau needs protection? Let us all just suffer and we scrap with everyone else looking for money in the event there is a disaster and if it takes three years, no big deal we suffer. Every one of them voted no. “So maybe they are hearing me tonight. They will explain to why we were not prepared in the event there is a disaster. So fortunately, we had the majority and we voted to protect our country.”
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, March 11, 2019, PAGE 7
Father wants to find out truth about his son’s crash from page one
whatever reason.” According to initial reports from police, the victim was with a female passenger on his motorcycle in the area of Soldier Road and East Street when he ran a red light after 3am on Tuesday, March 5. Police said he collided with a GMC Silverado truck and both victims were rushed to hospital where Dean Jr later died. Mr Dean Sr, a commander with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, said: “My son and two of his friends were at a party where they met three girls. The girls asked if they would take them on a ride on their bikes. It was three of them, each had a girl on the back when something happened and the police showed up. “Everyone has given me that story. The police showed up and some sort of chase happened. The police throughout this chase bumped a couple of the bikes at different points,” he claimed. “According to my son’s friends and the girl who was riding with him, my son didn’t run the light, he had a green light; the truck ran the light and made contact with my son. I have been in contact with the police, the girl in the hospital and everyone else besides the truck driver,” he added. “We
want a proper investigation and we want this to be reported right. If the police was involved, then we want to know what was the case. It is not about pointing the finger, it’s about getting to the truth,” Mr Dean Sr told The Tribune. When asked how his family was dealing with the tragedy, the distraught father said arrangements still hadn’t been made to lay his son to rest, as the family was still awaiting the completion of an autopsy. “They told us one should be completed either tomorrow or Tuesday. We’re waiting. Until then, I just want the truth,” he added. “Since this happened, we’ve been hearing all sorts of things. They all fall in line with a chase and crash, only what the police said is different. “The girl he was with, she’s still in hospital fighting. She has a broken leg, broken ankle, rib damage and trauma to the head. When she started to come around she reached out to us and told us what had happened.” Mr Dean Sr said the family is seeking a proper investigation and detailed report on the circumstances surrounding the crash, telling The Tribune: “It’s only right.” Dean Jr’s death marked the 12th traffic fatality of the year, according to police.
WE want a proper investigation and we want this to be reported right, says Clarence Dean Jr’s father.
GIBSON FACES ‘VERY SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION’ AND SO MUST STAND TRIAL By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
SUPREME Court Justice Indra Charles has dismissed a constitutional motion by former Cabinet minister Shane Gibson and stayed the criminal proceedings against him. Justice Charles ruled on Friday that Gibson “should be tried”, adding the criminal justice system would more likely be shaken if he does not stand trial. A new trial date for the bribery charges against him has been fixed for September 23, with a status hearing set for May 7 to allow either side to make further submissions or appeals. Justice Charles struck out the constitutional motion as an abuse of the process of the court, ruling that the findings of the court show adequate means of redress exists. Gibson’s attorneys, by way of a motion of constitutional relief, were seeking to have all charges against him tossed on the grounds that, among other things, he would not be able to get a fair trial. For her part on Friday, Justice Charles said it was her considered opinion that Gibson faces “very serious allegations of corruption in
public office,” and as such, needed to stand trial. “Public confidence in the criminal justice is more likely to be shaken if the applicant is not tried,” she said. On August 3, 2017, Gibson was arraigned in a Magistrate’s Court on 36 bribery and extortion related charges: one count of misconduct in public office, 16 counts of bribery, two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery, two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion and 15 counts of extortion – all of these concerned with Jonathan Ash. The number of bribery and extortion related charges were later decreased to 31, though the amount he is alleged to have solicited from Mr Ash remained the same.
SHANE GIBSON
The Crown later dropped all the extortion charges against the former Golden Gates MP, with the DPP stating at the time that the decision was for the Crown to devote a “singular and simplified focus” on Gibson’s bribery charges. In a surprise move last September, Justice Charles summoned case prosecutors, Gibson’s attorneys and representatives from several media outlets to her court, informing all groups that an order was being drafted to block all public discussions of the case through to its completion. Justice Charles, speaking specifically to the members of the media present, called the public actions and reports concerning the case “a matter of grave importance.” She went on to note that her concern with articles she had read which had reported on elements of the case, either directly or indirectly. “If you see it as a gag order, then so be it,” she said. Addressing the status of the gag order Friday, Justice Charles gave leeway to reporters to provide partial coverage of her ruling, but suggested that the order could stand for the substantive trial.
PAGE 8, Monday, March 11, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
TRIBUTE DINNER FOR FORMER GOVERNOR GENERAL By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net FORMER Governor General Arthur Dion Hanna was lauded as a staunch nationalist and one of the founding fathers of an independent Bahamas at a special dinner to mark his 91st birthday. The revered statesman received tributes from former Prime Ministers Hubert Ingraham and Perry Christie, both of whom credited his mentorship, and sitting Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling. He was lauded for his contributions, particularly as the architect of Bahamianisation for which he held strong conviction. Mr Ingraham said: “I am especially grateful for the support you gave me Hanna. When I was with you, when I was not with you, and to say on this ocassion not only are you a patriot and a nationalist but you are also a founding father of this nation. The first minister of education, part of a majority rule government.” He continued: “And one of the things not many acknowledge or know but
FROM left: Opposition leader Philip Davis, Governor General Dame Margueritte Pindling, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, former Governor General Arthur Dion Hanna, Bernadette Christie, former Prime Minister Perry Christie. Below: Mr Hanna with his daughter Englerston MP Glenys Hanna-Martin and extended family. you opened the floodgates for scholarships for students to go to university. In fact, every Bahamian who got accepted to (University of the West Indies), everyone had their fees paid for by the government of the Bahamas, whether they got a scholarship or not.” During his tribute, Mr Ingraham recounted his earliest political experiences with Mr Hanna - first in 1972 on the campaign trail in Abaco, and again in 1977. He noted Mr Hanna always treated him fairly regardless of his political moves, but stressed he left an immeasurable impact on his political career due to his mentorship.
Mr Ingraham continued: “He was extremely fair to me and my constituency, in fact he did for me something that endured to my benefit throughout my public life. He decided that he would take me as a part of his delegation to every meeting of the IMF and world bank in Washington, Toronto, South America. For seven consecutive years I attended all those meetings, sat with him. He ensured that I had the opportunity to participate and he did his utmost to ensure he drilled into my head the ethics of government and whats good, fair and what is honest.” Both men were close with Mr Hanna, and
recalled eating lunch together on Cabinet days. For his part, Mr Christie also paid tribute to Mr Hanna’s late wife Beryl Hanna, whom he described as integral to the political movement of the country, and the “wind beneath his wings”. Mr Christie said: “He was the prime mover of
(Bahamianisation) and as a minister he vigorously implemented, even to a point where others would be concerned of how forceful he was in putting Bahamians first, in as many circumstances as he could. “(Mr Hanna) belongs to that school of public contributors who evidence the high principles of public
life, all that is necessary as an example to young people today. The principle of incorruptibility, the principle of believing in what you’re doing, the principle of being able to relate not to those who have, but to a greater extent those who are without.” Mr Christie added: “He was one of those men in public life who took principle conduct to the point where he was even prepared to pay the price that goes along with that. Hubert and I are here today because we share something every enriching in common with A D Hanna because however we want to view history, he stood with us. “
RCI CHIEF: ‘BAHAMAS NOT A WORRYING DESTINATION’ By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
ROYAL Caribbean International’s top executive says New Providence is not a “worrying destination” when it comes to the safety of its passengers. Michael Bayley, president and chief executive officer, said the assertion was based on RCI’s statistics coming out of all 300 of the cruise line’s destinations. He was asked whether crime and criminal activity
was a concern for RCI given a US crime warning issued last month. “It’s always a concern,” he said in response to a question from The Tribune on Friday before a presentation to the Rotary Club at the Nassau Yacht Club. “I think we travel to literally over 300 destinations around the world. “We’re the largest single cruise line, Royal Caribbean International, in the world and so we operate everywhere and it’s always a concern if there are any
MICHAEL BAYLEY
advisories from any country towards any particular destination in which we are quite frequent. So it’s always a concern.” He continued: “I think we’ve found when we looked at our statistics in terms of any incidents that occur with our guests, and we are a pretty major cruise line in terms of how many people we bring to The Bahamas…The Bahamas doesn’t come out as a particularly worrying destination, and so it’s
not something that we are concerned about.” The US State Department issued a “Level Two: Exercise Increased Caution” alert in late February which warned US citizens that violent crime such as burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assault were common in tourist areas in New Providence. The alert noted the vast majority of crimes occurred in the capital and Grand Bahama, but added the Family Islands were not crime-free. National Security Minister Marvin Dames highlighted the decline of crime in The Bahamas in the aftermath of the damaging travel advisory. He said last month that the 2018 crime statistics were the best this country has seen in more than a decade and insisted numbers continue to trend down this year. “Every country has the right to issue an advisory. A country issues an advisory based on whatever they feel that their citizens ought to know,” he said at the time. “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.” He continued: “‘Are we at a place where we’re happy?’ No we are never happy because there is a lot more that we can do and we are doing it, but it is a process. As I said before we did not get here overnight. “…These things have manifested itself over decades so it’ll take some time for us to address them in a very effective manner so Bahamians and visitors alike can feel safe to move about this country whenever and wherever they choose. I am pleased to say this we are headed in the right direction.” The Ministry of Tourism also pushed back on the alert, releasing a statement last week which noted that of the 43 reported incidents of crime involving tourists in 2018, 30 were United States citizens and the crimes were minor.
THREE ARRESTED AFTER MAN OPENS FIRE ON POLICE THREE men were arrested after a man opened fire on police with a high-powered weapon on Thursday afternoon. Police said the incident occurred during a patrol of Maple Street by Mobile Division officers shortly after 4pm. According to reports, the officers noticed a group of men “outside a home acting suspicious”. “As police approached the men,” the police report read, “one of them opened fire on the police with a high powered (weapon). Police entered the home conducted a search and retrieved a 7.62 calibre Darco rifle. “Three men were taken into custody in connection
with this matter,” it continued. “None of the officers was injured during the incident.” Meanwhile, police are also searching for an armed man who robbed a woman as she stood in her driveway. According to police, the woman was approached by a man armed with a handgun at her home on Marshall Road around 9pm Thursday. The gunman robbed her of a Black Honda CRV licence plate #AA3144, cash and other personal items before speeding off in her vehicle. Investigations into both matters are continuing.
MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2019
THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS
LeBron and losing
NEARLY everyone who follows the NBA is buzzing about the Los Angeles Lakers. One of America’s glamorous pro sports franchises, the team has in its history featured George Mikan, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Pat Riley, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant. And it now is home for LeBron James. It is also likely to miss the playoffs. James has played in the NBA finals for the past eight years, but may be watching on TV as the postseason begins in April. The reason is that beyond James, the team has insufficient depth or experience to survive its injuries this year. It’s all about 2020 in LA, with numerous high-profile additions possible in free agency over the summer. SINCE Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was accused of murder in 2000, the NFL has stumbled in response to violent misbehaviour by some of its star players. Lewis made a plea deal and is in the Hall of Fame. This offseason, the Washington Redskins signed star 49er linebacker Reuben Foster just days after San Francisco cut him in the wake of charges he slapped his ex-girlfriend. The Redskins were scorched by fans and the media. Later, the Cleveland Browns signed Pro Bowl runner Kareem Hunt after Kansas City cut him when hotel security videotape showed him kicking a woman. The response was more muted. Foster and Hunt will face NFL suspensions, but afterwards, their new teams may have gotten all stars for rookie wages.
Forgiveness now - but what happens when the polls open? VIRGINIA was the heart of the southern Confederacy during the American Civil War. Its capital Richmond was the capital of the South. And for most of the 155 years since the end of slavery in the US, Richmond and Virginia have been reliably conservative. But in recent years Virginia has turned blue as liberals flooded into the suburbs around Washington DC. It was, therefore, a real stunner when last month, the state’s three top elected officials, all Democrats, were each caught in unrelated racial scandals. There were calls for the resignation of all three, but each still stubbornly clings to office. Their salvation has so far come from unexpected sources. At the beginning of February, Virginia governor Ralph Northam was revealed to have worn blackface during a medical school skit. He fumbled his initial response, obfuscating, denying and finally confessing. State Attorney General Dan Herring followed by admitting that he too had essentially done the same thing while in college. Northam and Herring are white. Then, to top it all off, lieutenant governor Justin Fairfax, who is black, was accused by two credible, professional women of raping them. One incident occurred while he was a student at Duke and the other at the 2004 Democratic national convention. The Republicans called for everyone’s immediate
VIRGINIA governor Ralph Northam
STATESIDE With Charlie Harper resignation. Several legislators and US senator Tim Kaine, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate in 2016, joined the chorus. Five weeks later, none of the three has left office. Some are comparing Fairfax’s situation with the dilemma faced by Al Franken, the Saturday Night Live comic turned Democratic senator from Minnesota who resigned in December 2017 after three weeks of cascading accusations of sexual misconduct by several women. Herring is probably the most likely to hang on to his office. But governor
Northam and lieutenant governor Fairfax have been thrown a life line from an initially unexpected source. The Virginia legislative Black Caucus at first joined in calling for everyone to resign. But then something happened. When they listened to their mostly black constituents, the legislators found that a strong majority of the voters favoured forgiveness. “It’s a real problem for me,” one of the black delegates said. “Every day, I get the sense people are moving beyond the divisions that have been displayed” by the unseemly scandals, she said.
National civil rights leader William Barber, a preacher from North Carolina, wrote that “scapegoating politicians who are caught in the act of interpersonal racism will not address the fundamental issue of systemic racism” in America. “We have to talk about policy,” he said. And the black voters resisting calls for Northam and Herring’s resignations were doubtless aware that the two Democrats have already advocated housing, health care and other measures that will improve their lives. Next in line for the governorship after the three embattled Democrats is a Republican speaker of the House of Delegates. Meanwhile, Republicans hold slim majorities in both the state senate and house. Elections for all seats in the legislature will be held in eight months.
Watch out for Nikki IN THE airport the other day, waiting for a flight to Fort Lauderdale, a woman sat down. In conversation, she said President Trump, whom she dislikes, would be impossible to beat next year if he dumped stodgy Mike Pence and installed the electric Nikki Haley as his running mate. “I heard Haley packed the house in Boca Raton at $400 apiece for a speech. I haven’t seen that in forever,” the woman said. “Haley would ease women’s concerns about Trump, because we know she would tell him when he’s wrong, which is often. He’d listen.” The former South Carolina governor resigned in December as the American ambassador to the United Nations. In the airport the other day, waiting for a flight to Fort Lauderdale, a woman sat down. In conversation, she said President Trump, whom she dislikes, would be impossible to beat next year if he dumped stodgy Mike Pence and installed the electric Nikki Haley, pictured below, as his running mate. “I heard Haley packed the house in Boca Raton at $400 apiece for a speech. I haven’t seen that in forever,” the woman said. “Haley would ease women’s concerns about Trump, because we know she would tell him when he’s wrong, which is often. He’d listen.” The former South Carolina governor resigned in December as the American ambassador to the United Nations.
PAGE 10 MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2019
By MALCOLM STRACHAN
I
N September 2011, 11-year-old Marco Archer left his home to go to the store, never to return to the loving arms of his mother. We all know how tragically this story ended for this family. Five days after Marco left to go to the store to buy some candy, he was found dead. In a nation, as small as ours, certain crimes have such resonance they reverberate throughout the entire country. The murder and abduction of young Marco served as the catalyst for a sexual offender registry and an alert system similar to the AMBER alert system used in the United States and Canada. Yet, despite it now being eight years and three administrations since Marco’s death, we have yet to firmly implement mechanisms to protect our children. The late former Minister of National Security, Dr Bernard Nottage, first tabled the amended Child Protection Act, also known as Marco’s Law, in Parliament in December 2013. Its contents held that once a child reported missing is presumed to be at risk of death or injury, the Commissioner of Police is given the authority to dispatch an alert via commercial radio stations, television broadcasts, teletexts, electronic networks systems and billboards. Although, at the time, this was thought to be a huge step towards modernising child protection laws in the country, in hindsight, it didn’t seem like anything more than the government kicking the tyres with no real movement in child protection. Despite the former national security minister proclaiming the alert system was activated in 2016, three years later, under a new administration, we’re still waiting to see evidence of this claim. What’s worse is that since mid-February, we’ve seen a number of close calls where children have been abducted and, thankfully, found alive. While we’re
INSIGHT
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
We need a greater sense of urgency in ensuring protection of our children
MAIN picture: Georgina Armbrister, whose son Tyvon was abducted last week. Inset: Chief Superintendent Solomon Cash. grateful that the innocence of these young children has been left intact, the peculiarity and danger of these occurrences should not go unnoticed. With no suspects and only a composite sketch to go off, the police do not seem to be making any headway. While it is not common for us to experience crimes
of this sort and especially at this frequency, we must allow ourselves to consider the what-if factor. What if these instances had gone another way? We have been reminded two-fold of the sheer horror that one family experienced almost eight years ago, as well as successive governments’ failure to prevent history from repeating itself. When interviewed by the media, Marco’s mother, Tryphemia Meadows, said: “I don’t know why they [haven’t done anything] but they need to work on
that and work on that fast because children [are] getting hurt and it’s so sad. You know, these are just innocent children.” She added: “All I can say to [Minister of National Security Marvin Dames] is to please hurry and deal with it because I know [there are] a lot of children out there who are at risk.” In listening to her speak, you can still feel the raw emotion stirred with every report of a child being abducted, as it will always serve as a reminder of her little boy who never made it back home.
Notable members of society have also called on the government to hasten the full implementation of Marco’s Law. Bishop Simeon Hall chastised both former and current administrations for dragging their feet in this regard. “Indeed, to better equip the Bahamian public to assist the police in the protection of children should rank high on our national priorities. Persons convicted of harming children do not belong in civilised society,” Bishop Hall said. “Bahamians most times are too passive and we sometimes allow the problems of crime to make us indifferent to crime.” He is right. Our passivity perhaps is the only explanation as to why we are still having discussions about “when” it will be fully implemented after eight years of promises, instead of celebrating its results. In its place, we are continually given reassurances by National Security Minister Marvin Dames that the MARCO Alert’s implementation is a priority of the government. Meanwhile, five children have been kidnapped in four different instances – three in a 24-hour period. While it is often tempting to point fingers and blame parents, we have to wonder if the police force is willing to admit that our streets are not safe enough for our children to play outside. After all, that is how many of us grew up. Despite this, Chief Superintendent of the Central Detective Unit (CDU) Solomon Cash admonished parents to “provide better supervision” to their children. “We don’t expect them to have their young kids walking about the streets as if they are adults,” he said. “If you are going to send them out to public areas, you should have them supervised by an adult.” Certainly, parents have a role to play in ensuring the safety of their children. However, we can’t shout from the mountaintops
that the only danger in The Bahamas exists in the drug and gang culture if you’re the police force, and then on the other hand, imply that it is not safe for children to be outside playing with their friends. Rather, it is incumbent on the entire community parents, neighbours and law enforcement - to provide a safety net for our kids to engage in outside play without the threat of a child predator abducting them. Jurisdictions that have acknowledged this, along with incorporating alert systems and sexual offender registers, have also implemented counter-intelligence surveillance systems – essentially watching who is doing the watching to stay a step ahead of these offenders. In an interview with CSO Magazine, a publication that features insights and trends in the security industry, former Secret Service special agent Chris Falkenberg discussed measures to prevent a kidnapping in the wake of the Great Recession. He noted that key to any successful arsenal was the installation of a CCTV programme, as it gives law enforcement an advantage in preventing a kidnapping. Typically, most kidnappings are preceded by a certain degree of planning, according to Falkenberg. Therefore, with an effective counter-surveillance infrastructure in place, law enforcement will have a good chance at intervening, detecting, or deterring a threat. Unfortunately, CCTV is another programme that has had little movement under the direction of multiple administrations. Although its implementation can broadly reduce crime, this has also been an area where questions as to why it is taking so long to come fully online continue to float around. Nonetheless, Minister of National Security Marvin Dames is hopeful the government’s $3.3m expansion of the programme will be completed before the end of June – just three months away. In the meantime, parents must continue to be vigilant. Neighbours have to work together in being responsible for each other’s children. And the government must firmly implement all the systems required by law enforcement and the courts to remove these menaces out of civilised society. The indifference among us which allows us to accept this “new normal” amid the erosion of our social fabric must be consistently checked within ourselves. Certainly, to go from the nation today to the one we desire tomorrow, me must put in the hard work necessary to become a better society.
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EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net by STEPHEN HUNT shunt@tribunemedia.net THE recent spate of abductions of children in New Providence has led to public outcry for improvements in alerting the public to safety threats – but one group has already taken steps to do just that, and are offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information in the latest incidents. Crime Stoppers is a well-known organisation across The Bahamas, asking people to supply tips to help police track down suspects and to solve crimes, but the group has also created an app for your phone or other device that can broadcast an alert whenever police issue a warning. In the wake of the latest aduction of children last Thursday – when three boys were taken by a woman in a car before being released unharmed, the second such incident within 24 hours – the need for an alert system has already been highlighted. Marisa Ahwai, chairman of Crime Stoppers, said the app, Crack Crime Bahamas, was launched in part to help the organisation’s goal of improving safety across The Bahamas – and restoring a way of life where fear of crime is not as prevalent as it is today. “Crime restricts our freedom,” said Ms Ahwai, “Last year we went to an international conference in the Netherlands – you could see teenagers walking around at night, and no problems of crime. Here in The Bahamas, we rush around to get home and stay in our houses. “It’s restricting all our freedoms when we hide away in our homes like that. We don’t want kids to be afraid to go out on the streets to play. We want to return to that level of normalcy.” The app – which is free - combines a number of aspects. It includes emergency numbers and contact numbers for a range of locations, such as police stations, BASRA,
INSIGHT
MONDAY, MARCH 11, PAGE 11
Crime Stoppers’ app helping to keep our youngsters safe
CRIME Stoppers Bahamas is partnering with the Neighbourhood Crime Watch groups. Pictured here are, from the left, VP Bowe of Palm Breeze, President of Palm Breeze Craig Lowe, Insp Kendrick Brown SW Coordinator for Neighbourhood Watch Group, Marisa Ahwai Chairman of Crime Stoppers Bahamas, Zone Captain Strachan of Palm Breeze, Frances McKenzie-Oliver Director of Crime Stoppers Bahamas
the Crisis Centre and more, and alerts sent out via the app are checked to make sure the information comes from official sources, to ensure it does not spread fake rumours as can sometimes happen in social media networks such as Facebook and WhatsApp. Alerts include
messages about missing people and wanted suspects. In addition, people with information that can be helpful in solving crimes can pass on their tips via the app – and Ms Ahwai was quick to reassure people that their tips are provided in confidentiality. “We took the position that in a small community like ours a voice might be recognised by someone taking a call – so we used an outside party. Our tips are handled by the Miami Dade Crimestoppers.” Outsourcing the handling of tips means that anyone
contacting Crimestoppers can be sure their information is received without bias. Tips are also eligible for a reward – and the group anticipates that any information in the recent abduction cases would be eligible for a reward toward the top end of the amount it can provide, $1,000. Already, 8,000 users have downloaded the app, which Ms Ahwai was closely involved in developing at no cost to Crime Stoppers, and the organisation is hopeful it will boost its work – which has already since 2001 been involved in
tips that led to the recovery of stolen property worth $460,000, the seizure of narcotics worth $670,000 and the arrest of suspects
in major crimes including murder. She said the success of the app – and of Crime Stoppers – is down to the support of the community, and emphasised that for people using it, notifying the authorities of a crime was a matter of self-protection, urging people to: “Stop the crime before it’s your time.” The Crack Crime Bahamas app is available on both the iPhone and Android stores as a free download. Crime Stoppers can also be contacted at 328-TIPS (8477) with information regarding possible crimes.
PAGE 12 MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2019
INSIGHT
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
It’s time for a new A language of equality
By ELLA TENNANT Teaching Fellow, Language Centre and Liberal Arts, Keele University
S WE mark International Women’s Day after a year of renewed media attention to issues of gender inequality, it could be that there are more important threats facing women and the survival of our planet, than mere words. But after the #MeToo campaigns, exposure of the gender pay gap, and recent publication of yet more research that challenges the idea of a gendered brain, it is mindboggling to see how “gendered blindness” – described as “the one-sizefits-men approach” in design and tech culture – lives on. Meanwhile women’s equal contribution to society and culture is ignored. Visible women – those in the public eye or who call out unfair treatment – are subject to scrutiny and treated suspiciously in a way that men are not. Gender scholars have argued that English is a language made by men for men with the sole purpose of representing and perpetuating their point of view. The way we see the world is therefore shaped by patriarchal traditions and this is evident in most areas of arts, culture and society. It is no surprise then, to see that women are marked as deviant and deficient, or worse, made invisible. In Women and Power, Mary Beard discusses “countless examples of attempts to write women entirely out of public discourse”. The words we use play a role in this because language has the power to perpetuate gender determinism and, in doing so, to marginalise women. But our words can also be used in inclusive ways to promote equality and social justice. So it can’t be fair that there are more derogatory terms for girls and women than
WORDS of wisdom: Women’s march, Atlanta Georgia, January 2016. for boys and men (whore, hussy, spinster, hag, are some examples) and that the continued use of generic words or forms – man, mankind – are supposed to be all-inclusive and designate
human beings in general. Meanwhile when “woman” is used as a label, it is a category with limiting criteria. Nevertheless, any discussion about the link between language and gender
discrimination often results in predictable comments about the trivial nature of the issue. It is this attitude that contributes to perpetuating male power and authority at the expense of women. Language defines women’s position as inferior in relation to men. Unlike some other languages, English is not a gendered language – but gender is still often arbitrarily used for some things. Cognitive research suggests that language and the way people use it has a profound influence on the way we see the world. The way we communicate with others can be influenced by a number of things, including the relationship of the speakers, their age, social status and gender. If we view language as a form of social practice, then the way in which words – whether spoken or written – are received and interpreted by the listener reveal a great deal about
how power relations are established and reinforced. Even the allocation of names and titles can be seen as an act of power. A name or a label denotes a person’s social place and women are still often singled out by marital status, or “nubility titles” – Mrs or Miss – despite the fact that other options exist. Although Ms, the preferred form of address for many women, is provided as a choice on a number of forms and drop-down menus, it is not used as a default. Another alternative, Mx, is gaining in popularity among transgender and non-binary communities and can be used by everyone as a way to go beyond gender labelling. An interviewee on a radio podcast explained: What’s nice about Mx as a title is that it tells you nothing about a person. It doesn’t tell you their gender; it doesn’t tell you their marital status; it
doesn’t tell you their qualifications or not. In the widest possible sense, it is for everyone. Nevertheless, this does not yet appear to have yet caught on in mainstream communication, and women tend to be addressed based on their apparent gender and the speaker’s own assumptions and cultural conditioning. These assumptions can also be challenged by the use of gender-neutral or preferred pronouns. The most popular alternatives – along with “they” – are “ze”, or “hir”, from Marge Piercy’s 1976 feminist sci-fi utopia Woman on the Edge of Time. Hundreds of other possibilities are available and some institutions allow people to self-identify with whatever pronoun they feel comfortable. However, adoption of the gender-neutral pronoun, such as “ze” has been described by linguists as an “epic fail”. It is hard to pronounce naturally and there are few signs of it becoming widely used. Women are also more likely to be addressed by their first names than men, which is an indicator of perhaps unconscious, but no less patronising, gender politics. It could be argued that this might be a way of avoiding offence, for those who might not know the person’s marital status, but this just supports the point that men are not subject to the same categorisation. For hundreds of years only women suffered discrimination on the grounds of their sex (as opposed to sexual orientation). This is emphasised in early feminist writing, such as that of Germaine Greer and Florynce Kennedy to illustrate this, and that it happens in situations that demand the sharing of power – when a more powerful group is asked to make concessions to a less powerful group, resistance is the likely outcome. It is not easy to change culturally conditioned ways of behaving and thinking, but the continued perpetuation and reinforcement of cultural and social stereotypes through language cannot be dismissed as something trivial. The need for a conscious change or awareness of how words are used has become ever more urgent – for inclusivity in communication and to support gender equality. theconversation.com
EMMELINE Pethick-Lawrence and Emmeline Pankhurst at a suffragette meeting at Caxton Hall, Manchester, England in 1908.
THE TRIBUNE By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE family of a South African woman who died in this county is said to be distraught and desperate to have her body repatriated home. However, their efforts have so far proven fruitless. The problem is 29-yearold Nobuhle Bhengu, pictured right, a MSC crew member, died in February from the highly infectious tuberculosis disease, a source intimately involved in the matter told The Tribune yesterday. This was confirmed following an autopsy and health officials deemed it not prudent to embalm or transport the deceased woman without creating a public health risk. Under such circumstances, a recommendation was made that cremation be carried out. Health Minister Dr Duane Sands would not confirm any of these details yesterday, but said: “Health and foreign affairs (officials) have been engaged, transparent and sympathetic with the family.” She had battled what appeared to be a misdiagnosed illness while on board the MSC Seaside and was advised to seek medical attention here at a local facility while the vessel was docked. Bhengu was consequently admitted to hospital for several days and died. There is now a battle
Monday, March 11, 2019, PAGE 13
Family desperate for body of woman, 29, to be returned to SA against the clock. Her sister Mbali told South African media outlet News24 the death has affected her family, and that their grandmother had been admitted to hospital, seemingly failing to deal with the fact that she may never see her granddaughter again. She said: “We are told that they want to cremate her, and that is really painful to hear knowing that you may never have a chance to say our last goodbyes.” Mbali said when her sister left for her cruise assignment in July last year, she was healthy and was given a medical fitness certificate by a doctor. “She told me that she fell sick in January, but said they only took her to the hospital in the Bahamas on February 8, where she died four days later.” She said The Bahamas government told her family that it cannot repatriate
her body because she was infected with TB, and it feared that the virus might spread to other people during the repatriation process. “There has been no death certificate given to us, and now we ask ourselves questions as to whether there could be some foul play by the hospital, and would like to destroy some evidence by burning her body,” said Mbali. “Please bring our sister back, we loved her, and we just want her to be buried here at home,” she further told News24. She said that one of her brothers has since come to The Bahamas, but has not been allowed to view the body, nor has he been told when he can view it. “We don’t know if indeed it is her who died because they won’t even allow our family members to view her,” Mbali added. MSC Cruises said they
MEDICAL EXPERTS GATHER FOR THREE-DAY CONFERENCE
MEDICAL Association of Bahamas president Dr Marcus Cooper MEDICAL professionals will commune over best practices and industry challenges like client management and nursing shortages at their 47th annual science conference this week. Medical Association of Bahamas (MAB) president Dr Marcus Cooper told The Tribune he hoped the general public will take advantage of this year’s line-up, which showcases a concerted effort to keep the conference both relevant and accessible. A conference highlight, he said, will be a closing debate on whether physicians or executives were better equipped to manage a health care facility. “We have topics for physicians, nurses, allied healthcare professionals, and also the general public,” he said. “We have topics from sex and menopause for the layperson, to medical marijuana vs opioids or narcotics for chronic pain. There is also a session on improving the patient experience through communication.
“We are ending the conference with a debate on whether physicians vs executives should manage a healthcare facility. Who’s better suited to manage a health care facility, who’s better equipped, which is very important particularly in the public hospital system we have, which is being managed by the Public Hospitals Authority which is a business and administrator trying to manage physicians. “Some may feel executives sometimes may not be sensitive to needs,” he said, “and then there are physicians who should be in management but don’t because they feel management is not sensitive to the needs of the patient. That is going to be a very important debate and a very timely topic.” For the first time, there will also be a dental track among the scores of research presentations and panels by more than 30 local, regional and international speakers. There will be more than 40 local and international vendors, Dr Cooper said.
Dr Cooper said: “Traditionally, lectures have been geared to healthcare professionals but as president I wanted to make sure we were relevant, but also inclusive so there can be something for everybody. “Lots of topics for physicians, heart disease management of diabetes, and complications of kidney disease to breast cancer updates. We have Dr John Black who will be giving (a presentation) on the Aidan Roger Carron Foundation lectures about research in cardiac arrest, and how to improve survival. Dr Patrick Brown of Johns Hopkins will deliver another Foundation lecture on paediatric oncology. “There will also be a world renowned speaker who is a nurse, talking about nurse retention. We are losing so many nurses, so it will be a great session focused on nurse satisfaction, upward mobility, retention.” The three-day event begins on Wednesday evening at Baha Mar’s Convention Centre.
THE THREE-day event begins on Wednesday evening at Baha Mar’s Convention Centre.
were “deeply saddened” by her death and expressed deepest condolences to her family and friends, the SA new station said. “As soon as we became aware she had passed, we worked closely with the competent authorities in the Bahamas to facilitate any applicable procedures, and provided support to her family throughout the process. “We have arranged flights for some close family members to grieve her loss and pay their respects,” the company said in a statement. MSC said out of respect for the deceased and her family, and to honour her medical privacy, the company was unable to disclose any further details. A woman claiming to
have been Bhengu’s roommate on the ship has said on social media she went to onboard doctors for a month with no consistent treatment before she was too weak to walk for longer than five minutes. The woman further claimed Bhengu did not have TB, but was diagnosed with hemolytic anemia instead by ship doctors. The SA high commissioner in Kingston, Jamaica, Lumka Yengeni, has requested the intervention of the Bahamian government through its foreign ministry, to put the cremation on hold. A letter circulating on Facebook from Mr Yengeni to the funeral home allegedly holding Bhengu
remains on March 5 has asked that nothing be done until there is a formal response from the Bahamas government. “This letter serves to inform you that the South African High Commission in Kingston, Jamaica, with non-resident accreditation to the Bahamas has requested the intervention of the government of the Bahamas through its foreign ministry to put on hold the cremation of the mortal remains of Ms Nobuhle Ntombenhle Bhengu, which was a decision taken without the consent of the next of kin,” the letter read. “The High Commission further wishes to convey that until a response has been received from the government of the Bahamas, you may not proceed with the cremation of the mortal remains of Ms Nobuhle Ntombenhle Bhengu.”
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THE TRIBUNE
CANADA’S NO-SEX, NO-MONEY SCANDAL COULD TOPPLE TRUDEAU TORONTO Associated Press THERE’S no money, no sex and nothing illegal happened. This is what passes for a scandal in Canada. US President Donald Trump has been engulfed in allegations involving possible collusion with Russia and secret payments to buy the silence of a porn star. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing a controversy that seems trivial by comparison, but it could topple him in elections later this year. Two high-profile women ministers in Trudeau’s Cabinet, including Canada’s first indigenous justice minister, resigned in protest, and his top aide and
best friend quit too. The former justice minister and attorney general, Jody Wilson-Raybould, says Trudeau and senior members of his government pressured her in a case involving a major Canadian engineering company accused of corruption related to its business dealings in Libya. Trudeau reportedly leaned on the attorney general to instruct prosecutors to reach the equivalent of plea deal, which would avoid a criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, because he felt that jobs were at stake. “People south of the border would be astonished to think that this is the type of scandal that they have in Canada,” said Eddie Goldenberg, a former adviser to former Prime Minister Jean Chretien.
Many countries would be jealous of a scandal that went no further than a prime minster asking another minister to do something she is legally entitled to do, Goldenberg said. “I just don’t really see it as a scandal,” he said. “There is a political correctness here. Nobody wants to go after an indigenous woman minister. It’s become politically incorrect to question the former minister.” Trudeau has said he asked Wilson-Raybould to revisit her decision not to instruct prosecutors and said she agreed to consider that. He denied applying any inappropriate pressure, saying he and his officials were only pointing out that prosecution could endanger thousands of jobs.
JUSTIN TRUDEAU
SNC-Lavalin has pleaded not guilty to fraud and corruption charges related to allegations it paid about $35 million in bribes to public officials in Libya between 2001 and 2011. “It’s a pseudo-scandal. It’s crap. What the hell? You are doing business in Libya and you are not bribing?” said Robert Bothwell, a professor of Canadian history and international relations at the University of Toronto. “It does suggest to me that the director of public prosecutions ... is also nuts. And so is Wilson-Raybould. These people are delusional.” Wilson-Raybould was demoted from her role as attorney general and justice minister in January as part of a Cabinet shuffle by Trudeau.
157 dead as aircraft crashes in Ethiopia ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia Associated Press AN ETHIOPIAN Airlines jet faltered and crashed yesterday shortly after takeoff from the country’s capital, carving a gash in the earth and spreading global grief to 35 countries that had someone among the 157 people who were killed. There was no immediate indication why the plane went down in clear weather while on a flight to Nairobi, the capital of neighboring Kenya. The crash was strikingly similar to that of a Lion Air jet that plunged into the sea off Indonesia minutes after takeoff last year, killing 189 people. Both accidents involved the Boeing 737 Max 8. The crash shattered more than two years of relative calm in African skies, where travel had long been chaotic. It also was a serious blow to state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, which has expanded to become the continent’s largest and best-managed carrier and turned Addis Ababa into the gateway to Africa. “Ethiopian Airlines is one of the safest airlines in the world. At this stage we cannot rule out anything,” CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told reporters. He visited the crash site, standing in the gaping crater flecked with debris. Black body bags were spread out nearby while Red Cross and other workers looked for remains. As the sun set, the airline’s chief operating officer said the plane’s flight data recorder had not yet been found. Around the world, families were gripped by grief. At the Addis Ababa airport, a woman called a mobile number in vain. “Where are you, my son?” she said, in tears. Others cried as they approached the terminal. Henom Esayas, whose sister’s Nigerian husband was killed, said they were startled when a stranger picked up their frantic calls to his mobile phone, told them he had found it in the debris and promptly switched it off. Shocked leaders of the United Nations, the UN refugee agency and the World Food Program announced that colleagues had been on the plane. The UN migration agency estimated some 19 UN-affiliated employees were killed. Both Addis Ababa and
RESCUERS search at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff, some 50kms south of Addis Ababa.
Nairobi are major hubs for humanitarian workers, and many people were on their way to a large U.N. environmental conference set to begin Monday in Nairobi. The Addis Ababa-Nairobi route links East Africa’s two largest economic powers. Sunburned travelers and tour groups crowd the Addis Ababa airport’s waiting areas, along with businessmen from China, Gulf nations and elsewhere. A list of the dead released by Ethiopian Airlines included passengers from China, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Israel, India and Somalia. Kenya lost 32
citizens. Canada, 18. Several countries including the United States lost four or more people. Ethiopian officials declared Monday a day of mourning. At the Nairobi airport, hopes quickly dimmed for loved ones. “I just pray that he is safe or he was not on it,” said Agnes Muilu, who had come to pick up her brother. The crash is likely to renew questions about the 737 Max , the newest version of Boeing’s popular single-aisle airliner, which was first introduced in 1967 and has become the world’s most common passenger jet.
Indonesian investigators have not determined a cause for the October crash, but days after the accident Boeing sent a notice to airlines that faulty information from a sensor could cause the plane to automatically point the nose down. The Lion Air cockpit data recorder showed that the jet’s airspeed indicator had malfunctioned on its last four flights, though the airline initially said problems had been fixed. Safety experts cautioned against drawing too many comparisons between the two crashes until more is known about Sunday’s disaster. The Ethiopian Airlines CEO “stated there were no defects prior to the flight, so it is hard to see any parallels with the Lion Air crash yet,” said Harro Ranter, founder of the Aviation Safety Network, which compiles information about accidents worldwide. The Ethiopian plane was new, delivered to the airline in November. The Boeing 737 Max 8 was one of 30 meant for the airline, Boeing said in July. The jet’s last maintenance was on Feb. 4, and it had flown just 1,200 hours.
MISERY GROWS AS VENEZUELA NOW HIT BY POWER CUTS CARACAS Associated Press
VENEZUELANS reached new levels of desperation yesterday as the country’s worst blackouts took their toll, gathering in larger numbers than usual at springs in the mountains of Caracas to collect water and scrounging for scarce cash to pay for food in the few shops that were open. Engineers restored power in some places after electricity and communications shut down nationwide on Thursday evening, but outages persisted in many areas where people are already beset by hyperinflation as well as shortages of food and medicine. Witnesses reported overnight protests and confrontations with police in a few Caracas neighborhoods and the remains of makeshift barricades and burned debris were seen at some intersections. “If I could, I would take the little that I have and leave the country,” said Renee Martinez, a 31-year-old Caracas resident. “This is unbearable. Here, everything is scarce and now power is as well.” The blackout has intensified the toxic political climate, with opposition leader Juan Guaido blaming alleged government corruption and mismanagement and President Nicolas Maduro accusing his US-backed adversary of sabotaging the national grid. Maduro tweeted that he had taken steps to ensure the distribution of basic necessities, including food and water, to hospitals and other places. Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez said schools and public offices and industries would be closed Monday as the government works to revive the grid, but did not provide an update on progress. Guaido, leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, said the government was covering up the impact of power cuts on the sick, making it hard to get accurate information.
TAPE APPEARS TO SHOW R. ‘CAPTAIN MARVEL’ ROCKETS KELLY SEXUALLY ABUSING GIRLS TO HISTORIC $153M DEBUT NEW YORK Associated Press
A MAN who said he was cleaning out an old videotape collection found what he thought was a recording of R&B singer R. Kelly in concert, but instead turned out to show a man who appeared to be Kelly sexually abusing girls, he and his attorney said yesterday. The man then turned the tape over to law enforcement, according to attorney Gloria Allred. She and her client, Gary Dennis, would not discuss the specifics of the tape during a news conference in New York. But Allred said it appears to show a separate incident from the 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse that Kelly faces in Chicago, though she acknowledged she could not be “100 percent certain” that the man in the tape is Kelly.
SINGER R. KELLY Steve Greenberg, an attorney for Kelly, noted that lack of certainty. “It is not him,” Greenberg said. He also said that Kelly “denies that he is on any tape with underaged girls.” Dennis, an assistant at a nursing home, said he was cleaning out a box of old VHS tapes in his Pennsylvania home recently when he found the footage, on a tape that was labeled with Kelly’s
name. Dennis said he has never met Kelly and doesn’t know how the tape came to be in his possession. He said that because the tape also has a sports game on it, he believes it may have come from a friend. “To my shock and surprise, R. Kelly appeared to be on the tape, but not in concert,” Dennis said. “Instead he was sexually abusing underaged AfricanAmerican girls.” “I was disgusted and horrified when I saw that,” Dennis said. Allred said they assume the girls in the video were underage because they didn’t appear to have developed. The charges Kelly faces in Chicago are in connection to three girls and one woman. Prosecutors have said they have video of Kelly sexually abusing one of the girls.
NEW YORK Associated Press
“CAPTAIN Marvel,” Marvel Studios’ first female-fronted superhero movie, launched with $153m domestically and $455m globally, according to studio estimates Sunday, making it one of the biggest blockbusters ever led by a woman. Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers, a character who first debuted in Marvel Comics in 1968, had never before made it into the movies and was previously lesser known than many Marvel heroes. But “Captain Marvel,” which came in at the high end of the Walt Disney Co.’s expectations, ranks as one of Marvel’s most successful character debuts. Only “The Avengers” movies, “Black Panther,” ‘’Captain America: Civil
BRIE Larson in a scene from Captain Marvel. War” and “Iron Man 3” team of Anna Boden and have opened better in the Ryan Fleck, who previously made the indies “Half Marvel cinematic universe. “She definitely pushed us Nelson” and “Mississippi higher, further, faster,” said Grind.” It’s the sixth largest Disney distribution chief worldwide debut ever. Cathleen Taff. “Captain Marvel” rock- The only movie with a eted up other record books, female lead that’s opened too. It sets a new worldwide better globally was “Star mark for a film directed or Wars: The Force Awakco-directed by a woman. ens,” which grossed $529 “Captain Marvel” was million when it debuted in helmed by the filmmaking 2015.
THE TRIBUNE
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
GRAND Bahamians gathered on Friday to remember Freeport businessman Donald “Don” Roberts, the owner of Dolly Madison Home Centre. Roberts died on February 3 at a Florida hospital after a long battle with cancer. He was 85. Famous for his “Come on down” catch phrase for the store’s ads, Roberts was a well-known fixture in the Grand Bahama business community. Despite his illness, Roberts could be seen in his wheelchair
Monday, March 11, 2019, PAGE 15
FRIENDS SAY GOODBYE TO A ’GREAT BOSS’ greeting his customers as they poured into the store for its popular “Midnight Madness” sale. He was described as a generous man and “great boss” by his employees. A memorial service was held at the Church of the Ascension at 11am on Friday. General Manager James Rolle described Roberts as his mentor from whom he learned a lot. “It’s nothing like when you can pass on good tips, good business practices and philosophy to the persons who are under
you. That is how businesses continue to grow and stay in operation. The essence and continuity of business is being able to pass on your experience to those persons under you,” he told the Freeport News. Roberts had purchased a furniture business and expanded the store into what it is today – a large home centre offering home goods, hardware, a plant nursery, home accessories, appliances, electronics, and furniture. He then got a franchise with Ace
DONALD “Don” Roberts, owner of Dolly Madison Home Centre.
Hardware, and was able to buy into Radio Shack. “He was a no-nonsense, shrewd businessman and he actually was and still is an icon in the business community,” Mr Rolle said. “I think anyone who had any dealings with Mr Roberts will tell you he was a true professional, real businessman and very open. He has a philosophy that in business, you always pay attention to what customers want and I think he built his business from that perspective,” he said.