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VOLUME:116 No.56, MARCH 14TH, 2019
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State Department’s damning report on The Bahamas
CONDEMNED • Prison so bad conditions are ‘life-threatening’ • No campaign finance laws fuel corruption • Migrants face excessive force and bribery
THE US State Department flagged the cases of Bahamas-born Jean Rony Jean Charles, above, and Taranique Thurston, right, as it renewed concerns over statelessness in The Bahamas.
INSIDE: SPECIAL REPORT AND ANALYSIS BY AVA TURNQUEST AND RASHAD ROLLE - PAGES 3, 4 & 5
MAYNARD FUMES OVER BPL TOILETS By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Electrical Workers Union president Paul Maynard has warned that Bahamas Power and Light employees stationed at Clifton Pier will be “pulled off the job” if “deplorable” bathrooms at the plant are not brought up to an acceptable standard. Some bathroom facilities have not been cleaned
BEWU chief Paul Maynard since December, well before Christmas, Mr Maynard claimed. He told
The Tribune there was a clear difference in standard between the bathroom BPL workers use and those utilised by non-Bahamians who were brought in to do ground work for the company’s new $95m power plant. The BEWU chief said he complained to several executives about the condition of the facilities to no avail. As a result, he said BPL has until Monday
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SEE PAGE NINE
DIANE PHILLIPS HOW MICHAEL CHANGED MY LIFE FOR EVER
SEE PAGE EIGHT
PAGE 2, Thursday, March 14, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
KODAK BLACK, left, and Lil Duval are already booked.
Surprise guests for Buju show lined up to tempt older fans By RIEL MAJOR PARADISE Productions officials said yesterday other artists who have not yet been announced will be added to the Buju Banton Long Walk to Freedom Tour. Officials said promoters are in talks with “surprise guest artists” who may appeal to an older demographic. Some fans of Buju Banton have complained on social media about the line-up - which includes international acts such as Kodak Black and Lil Duval - expressing disappointment that other classic reggae performers were not selected. At a press conference at Breezes resort, Perez Rolle, a Paradise Productions executive, said the intention behind the selection of artists from different genres was to mimic a music festival. He said: “We would select a particular artist from a genre that we think would appeal to the masses more and so reasoning behind selecting the artist we did chose was to reach a wider demographic. I know Buju himself appeals to the older demographic so, for example, Kodak Black will appeal to the younger demographic. the 16 to 24 age bracket and we want this event to be all-encompassing. “We don’t want to
exclude any age bracket, any group. We want there to an environment where people can come and have different experiences at one venue so that was the intention behind it.” He added: “There are other few artists who we are presently in conversations with and other surprise guest artists who we have yet (to announce) who we think people will be more excited to see who those persons are, especially the older demographic. They’ll be excited once we release that this coming week.” When asked about negative feedback regarding the concert’s line up, Mr Rolle said he doesn’t think different artist of different genres detracts from the experience at all. Mr Rolle said: “It is no different from you going to a festival, say for example a Coachella there are different set times so all of this information will be released prior. There are different set times and so (know) you exactly when your artist will be performing and there are different things going on at the venue that perhaps you can engage in that can occupy your time and interest while another artist you may not be favourable of who is performing. “For every negative response, we’ve gotten an equally positive response to match that so again the interest is overwhelming. We have a lot of local artists on the ticket, so we have Willis and the Illest, Jah Hem, and some local rappers. We have definitely considered and incorporated our local Bahamian artist.” Mr Rolle also said ticket sales so far for the March 30 concert have been
overwhelming, with some fans planning to travel from Asia to attend. Mr Rolle said: “Presently we are continuing to run the early bird special just because we want to get that wider demographic and audience. We don’t want the price point to get too (high) for the younger demographic because we know that can be an issue. As far as numbers, tickets are selling pretty well for the most part, we have gotten overwhelming ticket purchases from the US. “We have persons coming from as far as China and Japan. The international crowd is definitely into it, they have definitely bought into the idea. The local crowd is picking up and progressing very well.” Security will be provided by the Falcon Security/ Damas Group in conjunction with the police, with the promoter promising safety and quality production will be a “priority”. Super Club Breezes and Western Air are providing special rates for the concert. Tickets can be purchased at all Cash and Go locations, Rev, Aliv stores excluding the Harbour Bay location, Porky’s Gas Station and Balfour Consumer Meat Mart. Tickets can be purchased in Freeport at Gizmos and Gadgets and in Abaco at Island Girl Boutique. Early bird tickets are still on sale. These prices are currently: general admission - $65; VIP - $125; platinum - $200; and allaccess - $350. Tickets and further information can be found at www.paradiseproductionsinc.com.
FUNERAL DETAILS FOR PRESTON MOSS
THE funeral for Catholic priest Monsignor Preston Moss will be held on Thursday, March 21 at St Francis Xavier Cathedral on West Street at 11am. Interment will be in St Anselm’s Church Cemetery. A vigil for Msgr Moss will be held on March 19 at 7pm at St Anselm’s Church, Bernard Road. Viewing of the body will begin at noon prior to the vigil. The beloved priest died on Monday at the age of 79 after a battle with cancer. Tributes have poured in from government officials and the Catholic community for a man who was seen as a pillar of Catholicism in the country.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, March 14, 2019, PAGE 3
THE US STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT
Concerns over statelessness highlighted by cases of Jean Rony and Taranique Thurston LEFT: Jean Rony Jean-Charles. Right: Taranique Thurston, aged 15, with her mother, Ginette Caty.
By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net THE US State Department flagged the cases of Bahamas-born Jean Rony Jean Charles and Taranique Thurston as it renewed concerns over statelessness in the country. In its annual country report on human rights practices, the State Department concluded the government did not effectively implement laws and policies to provide “habitual residents” an opportunity to gain nationality in a timely manner, and on a nondiscriminatory basis. It further noted there were no reliable estimates on the number of people living in the country without a confirmed nationality. “The government asserted a number of ‘stateless’ individuals had a legitimate claim to Haitian citizenship but refused to pursue it due to fear of deportation or loss of future claim to Bahamian citizenship,” the report read. “Such persons often faced waiting periods of several years for the government to decide on their nationality applications and, as a result, lacked proper documentation to secure employment, housing, and other public services.” People born in The Bahamas to foreign parents must apply for citizenship between the age of 18 and 19. “Sometimes waiting many years for a government response,” the report continued. “The narrow window for application, difficult document requirements, and long waiting times left
multiple generations, primarily Haitians due to their preponderance among the irregular migration population, without a confirmed nationality.” In March, Immigration Minister Brent Symonette announced a new policy that mandates those who missed the deadline to only be considered for permanent residency with a right to work. Mr Jean-Charles was born in The Bahamas to Haitian parents, and deported in 2017 due to lack of documentation concerning his legal status. He was returned to the country by an order of the Supreme Court, and a subsequent ruling ordered he be considered for some form of legal status and awarded damages. The Court of Appeal overturned the judgement, and his counsel has indicated a bid to take the matter before the Privy Council. The report also noted The Tribune’s coverage of sick teen Taranique Thurston, who was unable to leave the country to seek medical treatment due to her legal status. The government ultimately issued a certificate of identity for Taranique, who was also given a special US visa allowing her to enter the country despite not having a valid passport. The US noted Taranique’s certificate of identity listed her nationality as Haitian, “despite being two generations removed from birth in Haiti”. The US report also underscored Bahamian law did not provide protection for asylum seekers, adding there was also no established system to provide that protection.
IMMIGRATION Minister Brent Symonette Despite noted improvements over previous years, the State Department maintained there was only informal access to asylum in the country that complicated the work of the United Nation’s refugee agency, UNHCR, to identity and assist asylum seekers and refugees. “Government procedure requires that the ministry forward approved applications to the cabinet for a final decision on granting or denying asylum,” the report read. “Authorities did not systematically involve UNHCR in asylum proceedings, but they sought UNHCR’s advice on specific cases during the year and granted UNHCR
greatly improved access to interview detained asylum seekers awaiting deportation.” The report, released yesterday, renewed concerns over the treatment of people held in detention and raised “life-threatening” prison conditions. As for the country’s respect for civil liberties, particularly freedom of movement, the report noted migrant claims of excessive force and warrantless searches by police and immigration officers. Among migrant claims, the report continued, was “frequent solicitations of bribes by immigration officials” and widespread bias. Yesterday, Rights Bahamas attorney Fred Smith lauded the US report for putting a spotlight on continued abuses and discrimination faced by people born in the Bahamas to foreign nationals, particularly those of Haitian heritage. He renewed the group’s call for immigration reform that allowed people born in The Bahamas direct access to citizenship. “It is a disgrace that government after government has not given citizenship on a timely basis to the
thousands of children born to non-citizen parents in The Bahamas,” Mr Smith said, noting this sustained approach was contributing to an underprivileged “almost outlaw” class in the country. “It is immoral, unethical, and a national disgrace,” he continued. “These unfortunate people have nowhere to go, they consider The Bahamas their home. They
can be productive citizens and should not be kept in limbo land.” Last month, Mr Symonette said amendments to the Immigration Act proposed by Law Reform Commissioner Dame Anita Allen, former Court of Appeal president, were still being considered. Mr Symonette said her recommendations will go back to Cabinet in about 60 days.
PAGE 4, Thursday, March 14, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
THE US STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net A CIVILIAN organisation that is legally mandated to investigate complaints against police officers has not had a meeting since September 2017, according to the United States’ latest human rights report. The Police Act requires five people to be appointed to the Police Complaints Inspectorate to ensure investigations into police complaints are conducted properly. However, lawyers said yesterday National Security Minister Marvin Dames does not appear to have appointed anyone to the office. The government did not respond to The Tribune’s questions concerning this before press time; Mr Dames is out of the country and also did not respond. Attorney Elliot Lockhart, the previous head of the Inspectorate, said his tenure ended around the time the Progressive Liberal Party lost the 2017 general election. The US human rights report said 143 complaints were made against police from January to November last year; the Royal Bahamas Police Force, in its year in review report, said the total number of complaints against police last year was 245. US human rights reports have come to consistently highlight either the Inspectorate’s low output of work or the lack of information concerning its actions. The Inspectorate is not required by law to report on its activities. Since the Police Act 2009 came into force, little has been revealed about its work. In 2018, the US State Department wrote that the Inspectorate had not met as of September 4, 2017. In 2017, the US wrote the Inspectorate did not provide statistics in 2016 and in 2016 it wrote that the Inspectorate did not meet as of October 2015. In 2015 and 2014, the US wrote that “no information was available on the
Inspectorate that looks into complaints about police fails to meet
NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames. outcome of PCIO proceedings” for 2014 and 2013. In 2013, it wrote that “the government declined to provide more recent data” concerning the PCIO for 2012, adding: “The PCIO, which composed of five
citizens met eight times during 2011 to consider 60 complaints against officers, most of which involved assault and unlawful arrest cases. No information was available on the outcome of the PCIO proceedings.”
Critics have long complained about the lack of transparency surrounding investigations into accusations of police misconduct and have advocated for an office like the Inspectorate, ran by civilians who
can provide oversight of the Complaints and Corruption Unit of the police force. Many who make complaints to that branch say they are never told the results of investigations. Police have not revealed the results
of investigations into several high-profile, viral incidents last year. Damian Roberts, a taxi driver, showed The Tribune in December a video of an encounter he had with an officer downtown. He said he made a complaint in July because the officer slapped him the face. Police have yet to update him on the matter as of yesterday, he said, seven months after he made his initial complaint. According to the Police Act, members of the Police Complaints Inspectorate must “review the investigation and determination of a complaint by the Complaints and Corruption Branch…so as to ensure that the investigation is conducted impartially; report to the minister from time to time or at his request and review reports from the Complaints and Corruption Branch.” The law empowers the body to request any information, document or “things” related to a complaint “from the commissioner, the Complaints and Corruption Branch, a person making a complaint, a member of the RBFP or any other person who may be able to assist.” The Inspectorate can also give guidance to the Complaints and Corruption Branch “as may be necessary to ensure thoroughness and impartiality.” Appointees to the Inspectorate must not be police officers or anyone who has held political office within five years of his/her appointment, according to the law.
LACK OF REGULATION FUELS POTENTIAL FOR CORRUPTION By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
UNREGULATED campaign finance and an opaque procurement process continue to expose the country to potential abuses, according to the US State Department. The country’s vulnerability to corruption due to campaign finance was flagged by the department for the eighth consecutive year in its 2018 Human Rights Report. Yesterday, Finance Minister K Peter Turnquest said campaign finance reform is “still on the agenda” for the Minnis administration but could not speak to its prioritisation. “The campaign finance system is largely unregulated, with few safeguards against ‘quid pro quo’ donations, creating a vulnerability to corruption,” the 2018 report read. It continued: “The procurement process was particularly susceptible to corruption, as it is opaque, contains no requirement to engage in open public tenders, and does not allow review of award decisions. “The government nevertheless routinely issued open public tenders,” it added. The report noted the government’s roll out of its E-Tendering and Supplier Registrar System - an online automated system which allows vendors and suppliers to register and submit documents. The department’s concern
over unregulated campaign finance was first noted in its 2011 report, while the country’s procurement process first came under scrutiny in its 2015 report. The Free National Movement promised on the campaign trail to implement campaign finance laws once elected. In December, Attorney General Carl Bethel, pictured below, said a draft bill to regulate the campaign finances of political parties was presented to the Progressive Liberal Party. The draft bill distributed by Mr Bethel is reportedly similar to a bill the PLP drafted in 1980 under Sir Lynden Pindling, one that never made it to Parliament. A week earlier, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis pledged the legislation would be implemented this term, as well as the Freedom of Information Act. In a section on corruption and lack of transparency in government, American officials also acknowledged the Minnis-led administration’s pursuit of allegations of corruption in public office since winning the 2017 election. “As of November,” it read, “cases continued regarding two former ministers and a former senator charged with corruption in 2017.” Former Senator Frank Smith has been acquitted of all charges against him; meanwhile, the trials of former Cabinet ministers Shane Gibson and Kenred Dorsett have not started.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, March 14, 2019, PAGE 5
THE US STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT
ABACO HEADS LIST FOR SEXUAL VIOLENCE By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
ABACO had the highest number of reported cases of sexual violence, according to a US State Department report, which suggested rape and domestic violence cases are often stalled in the courts. The department also pointed to allegations of rape brought against a juvenile watercraft operator in its 2018 Human Rights Report, adding violence against women continued to be a “serious, widespread problem”. It again noted there were no protections against spousal rape.
“In September (2018) a woman alleged a Jet Ski operator raped her in Nassau,” the report noted. “Although she identified the accused (Jet Ski operator) in a line up, he was released on bail because he was a minor. “There were no further developments in her case in the courts, a common occurrence in rape and domestic violence cases.” The department reported on sex crime statistics from January to November 2018, obtained from the Royal Bahamas Police Force which showed that up to that point there had been 45 reported rapes, 12 attempted rapes, and 114 cases of unlawful sexual intercourse.
The year end statistics released by police in January this year showed variations. Police said there were 55 reported rapes in 2018, a six percent hike from 52 cases in 2017. It was also reported there were 11 attempted rapes in 2018, the same as in 2017, and 113 cases of unlawful sexual intercourse compared to 146 in 2017. It is unclear why these two latter categories decreased. “Rape of men or women is illegal,” the US report read, “but the law does not protect against spousal rape unless the couple is separated or in the process of divorce, or there is a restraining order in place. “The maximum penalty for an
initial rape conviction is seven years. The maximum sentence for subsequent rape convictions is life imprisonment; however, the usual maximum was 14 years’ imprisonment.” It added: “The RBPF reported Abaco had the highest number of reported cases of sexual violence.” Abaco has a population of approximately 17,000, according to the 2010 census. When contacted late last year about a rise in reported rapes, before the full 2018 statistics had been released, one local activist expressed concern.
Attorney Marion Bethel, pictured below, who currently serves on the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEDAW), said the statistics were troubling but not surprising. “It’s not just a question of the police force doing its work, it’s an overall government social problem that needs to be addressed in a multi-sectorial level and the government is obligated under the CEDAW convention to prevent rape,” Ms Bethel told The Tribune in December.
Life-threatening
Report lashes prison conditions, including violence carried out by guards against inmates By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE US State Department has described local prison conditions as “lifethreatening” in its latest human rights report, its strongest description of prison conditions in recent times. “Human rights issues included violence by guards against prisoners and harsh and life-threatening prison conditions,” the US report, released yesterday, said. As has become usual, the report said conditions at the Department of Correctional Services “failed to meet international standards in some areas and were harsh due to overcrowding, poor nutrition, and inadequate sanitation and ventilation.” “Overcrowding, poor sanitation, and inadequate access to medical care and drinking water remained problems in the men’s maximum security block.
Pretrial detainee juveniles were held with adults at the Fox Hill remand centre,” the report said. “The government stated inmates consistently received three meals a day, but some inmates and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) reported inmates received only two meals per day, with a meal sometimes consisting only of bread and tea. Fresh fruit and vegetables were rare to nonexistent. Prisoners also reported infrequent access to drinking water and inability to save potable water due to lack of storage containers for the prisoners. “Many cells also lacked running water, and in those cells, inmates removed human waste by bucket. Sanitation was a general problem, with cells infested with rats, maggots, and insects. Ventilation was also a general problem. Prisoners in maximum security had access to sanitary facilities only one hour a day
and used slop buckets as toilets. Prison inmates complained about the lack of beds and bedding. As a result, inmates developed bedsores from lying on the bare ground. The availability of prescribed pharmaceuticals and access to physician care were sporadic. There was inadequate access to the men’s second floor medical centre for sick inmates or inmates with disabilities. Inmates reportedly used a wheelbarrow to transport inmates unable to walk to the clinic.” The US said foreign male prisoners frequently reported threats and targeting by prison guards. “For example, in September a prisoner reported that BDOC officials touched him in a sexually inappropriate manner on the shoulders and chest. The government moved the individual to a different wing of the prison while awaiting the results of an internal investigation,” the US report said.
Dividend Notice TO ALL SHAREHOLDERS The Board of Directors of Commonwealth Bank Limited has Declared a Quarterly Dividend for Common, “E”, “J”, “K”, “L”, “M” and “N” Preference Shares, to all shareholders of record at March 22, 2019 as follows:Common
2¢ per share
“E” Preference
5¾% per annum payable quarterly
“J” Preference
5¾% per annum payable quarterly
“K” Preference
5¾% per annum payable quarterly
“L” Preference
5¾% per annum payable quarterly
“M” Preference
5¾% per annum payable quarterly
“N” Preference
5¾% per annum payable quarterly
The payment will be made on March 29, 2019 through Bahamas Central Securities Depository, the Registrar & Transfer Agent, in the usual manner. Charlene A. Bosfield Corporate Secretary www.combankltd.com
PAGE 6, Thursday, March 14, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH,
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,
jamaaltheartist@gmail.com
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991
EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,
C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-
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Look in the mirror and say it isn’t so
NOT long ago, questions were raised in this very column after the United States issued a travel advisory for The Bahamas, warning tourists to be on their guard as they visited our shores. The concerns were valid, as it looked as if the dangers were being exaggerated or, indeed, even out of date. In contrast, the concerns raised by the US State Department in its report on human rights in our country is a more substantial matter, not least because they really are telling us things that we already know. Take, for example, the cases of Jean Rony Jean-Charles and Taranique Thurston, who found themselves separately embroiled in worries over statelessness. Mr Jean-Charles was born in The Bahamas to Haitian parents but found himself deported before being brought back from Haiti at the order of the Supreme Court. His case still, two years on, rumbles through the legal system with the Privy Council possibly due to take up the matter. Taranique Thurston is a sick teenager who was stranded here in The Bahamas instead of being able to travel for treatment until finally the government issued her a certificate of identity that listed her as Haitian despite it being two generations since her family was born there. In each of these cases, we surely know without the aid of the tut-tutting of the US that there are problems in how we deal with questions of nationality and residency. The system is not smooth, and leads to people being caught in it who have never seen the country they would be dismissed to. We know this situation should be resolved – though there never seems the political will to do so.
Likewise when it comes to the concerns raised over the conditions at the prison in Fox Hill, who among us is surprised? It’s overcrowded – we know that – it lacks sanitation, and there are problems with access to water and medical care. Juvenile offenders find themselves alongside adults and there are rats and maggots in the cells. We know – but again, where is the will to change it? Then we come to the warning about the risk of corruption because of a lack of rules over campaign finance. This one made it as far as the FNM’s pre-election pledges to tackle, though still no bill has been introduced. This one had the will to promise to change it – if not with any urgency. So if we know all of these problems, does the US report have value? Absolutely – for it holds up a mirror to ourselves and shows us how we can do better. That two of the three items above routinely affect sections of our communities that find themselves too often voiceless – immigrants and their descendants, or those subject to our legal system – means they are often affecting people whose votes aren’t being sought by politicians. The US report gives them a voice, and forces us to listen. These are all areas in which we can – we must – do better. We know that. So what do we do next? Whether some people like it or not migrants have rights, their children have rights, prisoners have rights even when other law abiding citizens are denied them. It’s called a civilised society. Without it we appear Third World.
Time to redevelop Carmichael Road EDITOR, The Tribune OVER the years, Carmichael has grown tremendously to the point where it has earned the nickname, City 2000. We now have one branch of each bank, government offices, plazas, numerous food chains and other businesses that other parts of New Providence may not see for another decade or so. But we have a major problem and that’s Carmichael Road itself. City 2000 still has the same two-lane road that it had from I was born nearly 30 years ago. This has resulted in constant bumper-to-bumper traffic
THE news that the Progressive Liberal Party’s convention may be postponed again prompted a lively reaction from readers on tribune242.com. HonestTruth was sceptical: “This is the lamest excuse ever, because the hotel can’t find three consecutive days for a convention? Why does the convention have to be held at a hotel, there are many other accommodations that can be made to host a convention.” Joeblow said: “If the party leadership does not sever its ties with the old guard once and for all, including removing Davis as party leader, they WILL NOT have a chance
on most days and nights. In the past few weeks, sidewalks are now being constructed. Which in my opinion, is only helpful to the pedestrians who are too lazy to walk across the street to the existing sidewalk. Also, the side road that runs between Faith Avenue and Carmichael Primary have now become corridors for impatient drivers instead of providing access to businesses. I have a suggestion for the government. How about we redevelop Carmichael Road the same way Robinson Road was redeveloped back in 2012. We need to eliminate the side road, and add a centre turning lane to
to win the next election!” There was this post from Sheeprunner12: “Why spend money on pomp and pageantry for a 3-day convention? One day is quite sufficient to meet and deal with party matters. No need for TV airtime, etc. Have to find an effective new team to lead the PLP into the next election - preferably a team not including any of Perry’s former Cabinet members. Other than that, the PLP is not serious.”
the main road. That would immediately improve traffic flow, especially in hot spot areas like Golden Gates where motorists are constantly holding up traffic to turn through those corners. It’s been proven with Robinson Road and it’ll be just as helpful with Carmichael Road. I’ve reached out to representatives and I was told that there are plans underway. So why are we wasting money building sidewalks and not spending a little extra to improve the area one time? Let’s be proactive in City 2000! CARMICHAEL RESIDENT Nassau March 12, 2019
And after Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest responded to the Bahamas’ escape from the European Union’s tax “blacklist” by saying the nation must take the financial services industry to the “next level of growth”, TheMadHatter posted this comment: “Wow. He is totally correct. My apologies for the terrible things I have thought about him the last 12 months. On the right track here. Excellent. Now if he could just find our VAT money, everything would be hunky-dory.” Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.
Preston Moss: Our humble priest with a unique ability EDITOR, The Tribune. CATHOLICISM has deep roots in the Bahamas and nowhere more so than in the Family Islands. The church was real, it was visible, and it was relevant in the lives of out islanders. As transgenerational Catholics, many of us were raised to respect the clergy, the nuns, deacons and lay people who dedicated their lives to spreading and, more importantly, living the gospel. There was a buzz in the 1960s when parents and grandparents were delighted that some of “our boys” had been called to the priesthood. Bonaventure Dean, Charlie Coakley, Prosper Burrows and Preston Moss were among the freshman class of new priests for whom thousands of prayers were offered up. Many people knew of Preston Moss long before they met him. He was a true folk hero. A gentle man with a quick smile and much charisma. From the late sixties on you could not help but hear good things about Father Moss. While others left the religious order for personal reasons which eventually came to be respected, Father Moss persevered in his simple mission to serve others. He greeted everyone the same salutation: Beloved. In church he would use the more glorious adjective to honour the space he was in. Then
spiritual, emotional and even psychological expectations. Christenings, weddings, letters@tribunemedia.net funerals, hospital visits, hailing shut-ins, admineveryone become: Dearly istering to immigrants, beloved. going to schools and This was long before prisons, the Hardecker Toni Morrison’s book by Clinic, even death row – the same name but was just he was everywhere up as touching. His greeting and down the archipelago conveyed love. It showed and he was always in high respect regardless of age, demand. status or even denomiHis life work was to nation. It was de facto touch our souls but along recognition and validation. the way he awakened our Years later after he was imagination and made us elevated within the church feel good about ourselves. to the rank of Monsignor, It was inconceivable to him he was asked how he would that the Bahamian spirit prefer to be addressed. could ever again be caged. “I am just a priest,” he Of all people he would said. Many respectfully not want a fuss made of his thought of him and even death just as he shunned greeted him as Monsignor the limelight and the trapbut felt him in their heart pings of life. as simply Father Moss. He As he faced his own never changed. mortality those who knew This humble priest had him best believe that he a unique ability to make must have summoned the an entire church full of strength to say to his carers worshippers feel he was in the US: “Thank you. talking only to them. He Bless you. You’ll worry connected. He spoke in about me too much. Please simple, easy to follow nar- take me back home to The ratives, whipping out his Bahamas.” characteristic smile to Even a chance encounter punctuate his homilies. with Fr. Moss in the street He welcomed the muck- ended with him saying: “I a-mucks to his church as a am proud of you, you know. group but the humble serv- Peace be with you.” ants of the parish he called How ironic therefore that out by name. of this gentle giant of a man Yet his Sunday sermons the whole Bahamas could from the pulpit were only not be prouder. Peace be the tip of the iceberg. with him. Below the water line was a man who worked himTHE GRADUATE self to a frazzle meeting Nassau and exceeding everyone’s March 13, 2019
LETTERS
Show some respect to the House EDITOR, The Tribune IS THE refusal of the Minnis government to debate the Interim Budget a slap in our faces whilst they talk the economy is on the upswing? PM rushes off to Andros - Eleuthera and I suspect more islands to speak about the Interim Budget but in the People’s House the sovereign seat of Parliament
he refuses to say a word. Probably hard to explain a whopping loss of VAT revenue when saying the economy is improving. If the Prime Minister can speak to the Family Islands on an obvious FNM political campaign surely respect to the House of Assembly at the least the Leader of the Opposition or the spokesperson on Finance must be able to respond to
a communication…surely the Speaker is not going to deny that right? Oops transparency gone - so much questionable issues of breach of long established practice such as how RFP’s are managed… interference with the police the list is long. J K MURPHY Nassau March 10, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, March 14, 2019, PAGE 7
THE GRAND Lucayan Resort.
$9.2m By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
THE government has to date spent $9.2m on operations and payouts to line staff since it acquired the Grand Lucayan resort in Grand Bahama, The Tribune can reveal. A high-ranking government official on the request of anonymity confirmed $6m in taxpayer dollars was spent on operational costs and $3.2m paid to line staff who opted to receive voluntary separation packages. However there has been no money expended on capital works projects. The figure sharply falls below Progressive Liberal Party deputy leader Chester Cooper’s estimation on Tuesday that $14m in taxpayer funds has been used since the government temporarily took over the hotel. He called the exercise a “frolic” as the PLP doubled down on criticising the government’s handling of Grand Lucayan employees and the execution of the plan to sell the resort. He
further called for greater accountability in the spending of tax dollars. His chiding yesterday sparked a defence from Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar. He said it was inevitable there would be money spent as the resort transitioned to a new buyer, but everyone would agree that it is better to take action than to do nothing at all. He noted that even under the PLP the resort had to be subsidised. The minister said: “I am a little dismayed that the word ‘frolic’ would be used to describe a situation where the government of the Bahamas is trying to create a good circumstance out of a bad one. “Yes, there will be expenditure while we transition from one situation to the next, but I think everyone would agree that doing nothing would have been disastrous for the economy of Grand Bahama.” Mr D’Aguilar added: “Even under the PLP the property had to be heavily subsidised by the government. It would have been extremely irresponsible
for this government to stand aside and let the property meet the same fate as the Royal Oasis. We are very hopeful that a new purchaser will be selected for the Grand Lucayan in the shortest possible time.” Mr Cooper has called on the government to be transparent and accountable in this regard. Both he and Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin insist there has been no public account of the money matters relating to this hotel. He said on Tuesday: “The government’s handling of the Grand Lucayan sale and the myriad of issues involved would be laughable were the stakes not so high. “We are now learning that a settlement for managers who wish to depart the resort is being arbitrated by the Industrial Tribunal in Grand Bahama, and the voluntary separation involved in this tranche of layoffs will cost taxpayers $3m-$5m. “This is in addition to the more than $3m already paid to separated line staff, plus
Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
That’s how much money the government has spent since it acquired the Grand Lucayan a reported $3.5m for renovations. We can add to that amount the $30 million in cash paid to (former owner) Hutchison upfront for the hotel before the sale was completed. “Added to that amount is the reported $35 million mortgage the government has executed with Hutchison, and the associated closing costs of the sale. “On top of that is the
running total of government subsidised operating costs for the hotel, at last an estimation by the government to be just shy of $2 million per month.” His comments came after it was revealed there was an ongoing impasse between officials and Lucayan managers. The managers have demanded $5m for
voluntary separation packages for those who have decided to leave the hotel. However, Michael Scott, chairman of Lucayan Renewal Holdings Ltd, the state-owned vehicle that owns the hotel, said only $3.1m can be offered. Unable to reach an agreement, the union has sought intervention from the Industrial Tribunal in Grand Bahama.
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N everyone’s life, there is someone who changes you. For me it was Michael Wells. Michael was born with cerebral palsy, the result of a breach birth. No one expected him to live past the age of 20. In June, I helped him celebrate his 53rd birthday. Michael is a survivor who has spent his life beating the odds. With a brilliance disguised by his inability to communicate, Michael had no way to express the thoughts that jammed his brain. To the casual onlooker, he appeared disabled rather than physically dysfunctional. In plain words, he appeared to be less than the rest of us. In fact, he was more. I first met Michael nearly 30 years ago. He could not speak. He had no control over any motor movements below his neck. He had never put a spoon to his mouth nor pulled a shirt over his head. He was totally dependent upon others, primarily his father, for his daily care. He dangled by his arms in a hanging chair type device. But when his therapist, the gentle, kind-hearted and patient language specialist Fruzan Langdon from the Ministry of Education introduced us and I reached out my arm to touch Michael’s shoulder, a grin as wide as Montana broke across his face and a twinkle lit up his eyes. I confess. At first, I felt pity for Michael. Dangling, unable to feed, clothe or bathe himself, unable to experience something so simple as a walk across the room. I wrote about Michael the next day because I couldn’t get his smile and his condition off my mind. And I decided to raise funds to get him a wheelchair and a computer with software for the physically challenged. The late Jim Cockwell, then president
THE TRIBUNE
He is not a dummy the life and lessons of Michael Wells of Commonwealth Bank, read the story in The Tribune, called me and said it brought tears to his eyes. Whatever worries he had paled instantly, he confessed, and it made him appreciate how easy his life was by comparison. What can we do to help, he asked? Commonwealth Bank to this day is Michael’s friend. We opened an account and in a matter of a few months, raised enough money to buy him a wheelchair and a computer. Experts came from the University of Miami to deliver the new chair. Sir Durward Knowles, always a friend of the disabled, and my husband offloaded and assembled it and set Michael up in his new digs. Try as he might, though, he did not have the lung capacity to mobilize the chair with his breath. Even that was too much for him though he loved the fuss that was being made of him, the photos I took, the attention. Years later, with advances in technology, using the computer became easier. No longer did he have to poke at one letter at a time with a unicorn stick protruding from a metal band
HAPPENED to come across an editorial in the Cayman Compass this week when, while editorialising in favour of a proposal to consider a high rise building on world famous seven-mile beach, editorial writers lamented that Cayman’s development plan had not been updated since 1997. Twenty-two years without an update, what a shame. In The Bahamas, we managed to go more than 300 years without a plan at all.
around his head, he had software that allowed him to make contact with a laser beam on his forehead to the letter he wanted to type. The stories that were buried in his heart began to pour out. His love for his father who cared for him daily, lifting into the tub to bathe and clothe him after a long day at work as a plumber at Atlantis, his memories of his mother who had moved away from her native Bahamas to Canada, the imagination of love stories, even triangles, flowed. With his volunteer editor, the generous of heart Lesley Spencer, he churned out tale after tale. This month, Michael will publish his eighth book of short stories. His sister, Cheryl, will position him in his newest wheelchair next to her at the parking lot she oversees for the Anglican Diocese across from PMH A&E where friends he has made along the way will pay $10 for a copy. I’ve looked after the funds he has raised. Others have looked after his well-being including his mother who, though distant most of the time geographically, contributes generously to his care. As for me, I’ve received far more from knowing Michael than I ever gave. Despite constant attention to paying every bill and sometimes handling matters for him on an everyday basis or taking food over to his house on many Sundays or being interviewed for
MAIN picture: Michael Wells with his father Roderick and the late Sir Durward Knowles. Below: Michael with Diane and his new book the documentary about his life, “I am not a dummy” by Karem Mortimer, I have grown as a person because of Michael. He taught me that it is not only what you give that matters, but that what you see in the person you are giving to that makes you stronger. Once I felt pity. Now I feel only admiration. Michael was not born with the ability to speak or control his movements. He cannot feed himself or scratch a mosquito bite that itches. He has never
knelt down in prayer. But what he has accomplished is something all of us should heed. Barred from attending a government school, he taught himself to read
and write watching Sesame Street. Unable to play sports or have a love affair of his own, he taught all of his “angels” as he calls us, a lesson we should never forget. To take what God gave you and make the most of it. Michael, you did it. You were given a brain and you used it. You were given determination and no one has ever tried so hard to make it amount to something. You are a wonder and you will always be my inspiration.
When being two-faced could be just the thing EVER notice that the typical living room has a TV as its centrepiece and all the furniture is arranged so
that everyone can see whatever is on it? Given that a TV has a single screen, that means that for the most
part even if a living room has three or four walls, seating is on one to two with the remainder given over for book shelves or other less body-friendly pieces. I was thinking about this partially because our daughter, Brooke, has a furniture and home décor store in Sandyport called Oasis (so
furniture and décor are rarely far from front of mind) and partially because I couldn’t sleep (also frequently front of mind) and it occurred to me that you could invent a dual-sided TV with screens on front and back so you could have wraparound view as well as surround-sound. I realise
TVs emit heat and the back of most televisions consists of vents. But what if you separated the screens just enough for a chip to direct the heat upwards since heat rises anyway and you installed a mini-fan near the top? I am not an inventor (obviously) but one day someone will do something like that
and all those giant screen TVs that face only one direction will be as popular as mono was after the discovery of stereo. Just you wait and see. Hopefully, by then I will have learned how to get a good night’s rest and leave the inventions to others who know what they are doing. Still, it was a thought.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, March 14, 2019, PAGE 9
from page one
Fix the bathrooms or we won’t work, threatens Maynard
to fix the issues or else workers will be told not to report to work at the Clifton plant. The issue was put to BPL chairman Donovan Moxey yesterday. He said while BPL does want the best possible facilities for employees, there were a lot of things on the executive board’s plate. In response to Mr Maynard’s assertion that the standard was different for Bahamians compared with foreign workers, Mr Moxey said: “Station A hasn’t been used in about four years. There are no new bathrooms there. “From my perspective, obviously we want to have the best possible facilities for BPL employees to work in and that is something that we are striving to do on a daily basis and those things take time.” Meanwhile, the union says having to use bathrooms in such a condition is demoralising for the 100 BPL workers at the plant. They work 24-hour shifts at Clifton Pier. Asked if the workers were told not to use the better bathrooms in Station A, Mr Maynard said this was not the case, but said it boils down to proximity. “Both bathrooms are a considerable distance from each other. It’s a long walk to them,” he said. “They get dirty and stuff and have to go in the showers and change and wash clothes and stuff before they go home.” He added: “The bathrooms are in poor condition, it’s deplorable, just ridiculous. They don’t even clean them. We told them to have them cleaned. Last Monday I went up there and I discovered this. We said this is just ridiculous. “Then I went to another part of the plant where the white man working dealing with the new engines. That one is fixed up, nice and clean. It’s ridiculous. “I said ‘man, y’all have two different stations going on down here – one for the white man and one for the Negroes.’”
THE STATE OF SOME OF THE BATHROOMS...
...AND THE NICER ONES A LONG WALK AWAY
WHO CAN YOU TRUST? KNOW YOUR CONSUMER RIGHTS
By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net
OFFICIALS will focus on the theme “Trusted Smart Products” during World Consumer Rights Week. An event series by the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) began on Monday and includes a three-day exhibition at the Mall at Marathon. “March 15th is celebrated as World Consumer Rights Day, a chance to deliver real impact for consumers and remind the world about the importance of observing and enforcing Consumer Rights,” CPC director Ricardo Deveaux said at Monday’s press conference. “This year’s international theme is ‘Trusted Smart Products’. From smart phones and metres to wearable fitness trackers, voice-activated assistants, smart TVs and smart security systems, apps usage and privacy, many of the products we use are increasingly becoming connected by default. “This year, World Consumer Rights Day will highlight what consumers want and need from a connected world, and how important it is to put them at the heart of the development of these digital products and services.” Mr Deveaux, who also serves as chairman of World Consumer Rights Week, added: “We will continue to emphasise the importance of consumers having access to digital products and services that they can trust.” CPC research officer Lavade Darling also discussed the importance of security at the press conference. “The major concern as it relates to smart products is that they are connected by default – and that is their fault,” Mr Darling said. “The concern is really about data security…The
threat begins when a hacker hacks into your smart watch, because it doesn’t have the security mechanism of your smart phone.” Mr Darling added because that watch is
connected to over smart devices in the home, “it presents a possible security breach or security threat”. “And that’s what the international movement is actually concerned about,” he said.
PAGE 10, Thursday, March 14, 2019
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Diets can do more than help you lose weight they could save the planet By ADRIENNE ROSE BITAR Postdoctoral Associate, Cornell University FAD diets have long been brushed off as selfish, superficial quests to lose weight. But if you study the actual content of popular diet books, you will discover that most tell a different story. Many inspire dieters to improve the health of their bodies, society and the planet. It’s a topic I explore in my research, as well as my 2018 book, “Diet and the Disease of Civilization.” More than merely guides for getting thin, diet books tell rich stories that urge people to change their lives to save the world. Diets inspire change not because one is more
effective than another, but because they tell stories worth believing in. Peel away the nutrition advice and you’ll find that, while most popular diets ennoble seemingly selfish goals, they also insist that individual health is inextricably linked to the larger environment. A quick review of diet books reveals their grand aspirations. Think of the Paleo diet. Hundreds of Paleo diets describe peaceful prehistoric communities rich with singing, dancing and storytelling. Today, leaders promise that “eating Paleo can save the world.” Promoters of detox diets make similar claims. Detoxers believe that environmental pollution and toxins cause stress, obesity and other modern ills.
A detox book from 1984 argued that humans cannot “dissociate our fate from the fate of the earth” and insisted that “what we have learned about freeing our bodies from harmful substances must also apply to cleaning up the world.” Today’s diets go a step further, intimating that if you’re not “eating clean” you could be eating “dirty” foods full of pesticides, toxins and carcinogens. One diet book explains that clean foods are “not only good for one’s health, but equally important for the environment.” “The Kind Diet,” a popular vegan book written by actor and animal rights activist Alicia Silverstone and Victoria Pearson, is subtitled “A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight and Saving the Planet.”
Arguably, today’s food world could use some saving. The health consequences of how Americans eat have long been cataloged. For example, two in three Americans are overweight or obese, costing the U.S. economy an estimated $190 billion a year. But the environmental consequences of these food choices are just as stark. Agriculture is responsible for about one-tenth of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Farming consumes more than two-thirds of the planet’s fresh water. And it’s specific dietary choices that are driving these environmental pressures. Animal products, for example, provide just 18 percent of the typical American’s calories yet take up 83 percent of all farmland. Just cutting down on beef would be more effective at reducing your carbon footprint than giving up your car. This is where the government could learn from
popular diet plans and promote sustainable diets for public health and the environment. In its dietary guidelines, the US Department of Agriculture encourages Americans to consume a healthy diet that focuses on foods high in nutrients and low in sugars and saturated fats. But despite the recommendation of an advisory committee, it does not include language about food system sustainability or how such diets have a well-established link to human health. The government is also discouraging other steps toward an environmentally friendly diet. Consider the new technologies of culturing meat from living animal cells – a technology that could cut out 14.5 percent of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the government is bending to industry concerns and enforcing needlessly strict definitions of meat, preventing soy- and lab-based
products using the label. History shows that today’s Department of Agriculture is missing a valuable opportunity. During World War I, the American government used diets to do more than improve individuals’ health. As the head of the Food Administration, Herbert Hoover urged Americans to stop wasting food so the U.S. could use it to prevent starvation in Europe. His efforts are now credited with saving the lives of about 7 million Belgians and 2 million French people. Popular diets also picked up the humanitarian cause. One 1918 diet included a programme dubbed “Watch Your Weight Anti-Kaiser.” Today’s food authorities could do the same: urge Americans to eat better because the food system is actually a web. Our food choices have a profound impact on our health and the planet. theconversation.com
THE TRIBUNE By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A JURY’S request to visit the place in Bain Town where a 19-year-old was gunned down by police almost 10 years ago was put off by two weeks yesterday due to the unavailability of a key witness. The visit to the exact spot on Hospital Lane where Bradley Newbold was killed in November 2010 was adjourned to March 29 after revelations that former police sergeant Trevor Green was out of the country. Aside from the officer that killed Newbold - Corporal Ricardo Rolle - Mr Green was one of two eyewitnesses to the fatal shooting, the other being Newbold’s lifelong friend Ryan Fernander. As a result, Coroner Jeanine Weech-Gomez said Cpl Rolle’s attorney Bjorn Ferguson insisted that Mr Green be present for the visit to the ‘locus in quo’, or scene of the event, as opposed to proceeding in his absence. On November 20, 2010, Newbold was shot and killed by Cpl Rolle moments after he and Mr Green approached him, Mr Fernander, and Mr Fernander’s cousin as they sat on a wall at Hospital Lane. According to Forensic Pathologist Dr Caryn Sands, Newbold died of two gunshot wounds to the torso. His death sparked utter chaos and anarchy in the Bain Town community, events that would eventually come to be known as the “Bain Town riot”. Police officers and their vehicles were said to have been stoned by members of an angry mob and at least one car was set ablaze. Even news reporters covering the riot were said to be harassed by the angry mob. Mr Green, now a teacher employed by the Ministry of Education, previously testified how on the date in question, he and Cpl Rolle, while on foot patrol on the area, approached three young men sitting on a wall, identified themselves and proceeded to search them in reference to firearms or drugs.
Thursday, March 14, 2019, PAGE 11
JURY VISIT TO SITE WHERE COP WAS SHOT DELAYED BY TWO WEEKS AS KEY WITNESS UNAVAILABLE However, the former officer said after one of the men, who turned out to be Newbold, noticed the police badge pinned on his left chest, he jumped the wall and ran. Mr Green said Cpl Rolle, gave chase, and he followed suit. During the foot chase, which Mr Green said lasted no more than a minute, Newbold clutched his waist and withdrew a black, KelTec 9mm Luger pistol and aimed it at Cpl Rolle and himself. Mr Green said Cpl Rolle told the man to drop the weapon twice, commands that were not obeyed. Then, he said he heard two gun shots, and later saw when Cpl Rolle fell on top of Newbold on top of a cesspit. By the time he caught up to them both, Mr Green said Newbold’s breathing was “laboured”. Mr Fernander’s narrative of events differed, however. He claimed that Mr Green and Cpl Rolle did not identify themselves as officers when they approached him, his cousin and Newbold as they sat on the wall. Instead, he said the two officers, who came “out of
nowhere” from the direction of King Street and who were wearing plain clothes, only issued the order “don’t move” to him and his companions. Mr Fernander said he did as was told, as well as his cousin. Newbold though, opted to flee by jumping over the wall and running off, something Mr Fernander said he found to be “somewhat strange at the time. Mr Fernander said the officers gave chase, prompting him and his cousin to move to a position where they could better see what was happening. He said at no time did he hear the officers giving any commands to Newbold. Mr Fernander said when Newbold got shot, that prompted both him and his cousin to go to him. However, he said as they approached, one of the officers spun around, pointed his gun at them both and told them to turn back or he would shoot them both. Mr Fernander said despite there being rumours at the time that Newbold had a gun, he did not see one.
By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A 29-year-old Pinewood resident was charged in Magistrate’s Court yesterday with attempting to murder two police officers with a high powered semi-automatic weapon last week. Rashad Laroda was charged before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt with trying to take the lives of Police Constables Dwayne Miller and Deangelo Rolle on March 7. Laroda and another Pinewood resident, 31-year-old Theophillus Lloyd, were further charged with being caught with a black, 7.62 Draco rifle, which police claim they used to endanger the lives of the two officers.
MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTING TO KILL TWO POLICE OFFICERS According to initial reports, shortly after 4pm on the date in question, officers from the Mobile Division, while on routine patrol on Maple Street, saw a group of males outside a residence acting suspiciously. As police approached them, one of the men allegedly opened fire on them with a high-powered weapon. Police subsequently entered the home, conducted a search and
retrieved a 7.62 calibre Draco rifle. Neither man was required to enter a plea to the charges and the matter was adjourned to April 29 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI). Bail was denied and they were remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) in the interim. They both have a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.
PAGE 12, Thursday, March 14, 2019
NUBIAN STUART, of Freeport, outside court yesterday.
THE TRIBUNE
Photo: Vandyke Hepburn
19-YEAR-OLD CHARGED WITH HAVING SEX WITH GIRL, 13 By DENISE MAYCOCK Stuart to be tried in the Tribune Freeport Reporter Supreme Court. dmaycock@tribunemedia.net The prosecutor explained that because A 19-YEAR-OLD the offence falls under man accused of having Section 43A Part B of the sex with a minor was Sexual Offences Act, bail arraigned in the Freeport could not be granted in Magistrate’s Court on Magistrate’s Court, and Wednesday. that the accused would Nubian Stuart, of Free- have to apply to the port, appeared before Supreme Court for bail. Deputy Chief Magistrate The matter was Debbye Ferguson. adjourned to June 12. He was charged with In another criminal one count of unlawful matter, Erold Tate, 58, sexual intercourse with a of Hudson Estates, was minor. It is alleged that charged with vagrancy. on March 5, at Freeport, He pleaded guilty to Stuart had sex with a the charge after the 13-year-old girl. magistrate continually He was not represented explained that he could by counsel and was not not plead guilty with an required to enter a plea explanation. to the charge. A prelimiAccording to the parnary inquiry will be held ticulars, on March 12, to determine if there is Tate was found in the sufficient evidence for upscale residential area
of Royal Palm Way, Freeport, without a satisfactory explanation of why he was there around 12.10pm and was told he was being arrested for loitering. Tate told the magistrate that he was walking to the beach to go see his cousin to ask him if he wanted some conch. He saw a police car coming so he moved to the side. He said that officers stopped. “They searched me and found no drugs on me. They took me to the station and started searching me again, and charged with me with vagrancy,” he explained. Deputy Chief Magistrate Ferguson ordered Tate to pay a fine of $50 before 2pm or in default serve four months in prison.
NORMAN FERGUSON, of Hudson Estates, yesterday.
Photo: Vandyke Hepburn
70-YEAR-OLD ACCUSED OF RAPING EIGHT-YEAR-OLD GIRL was not represented by By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter counsel. It is alleged that on dmaycock@tribunemedia.net March 10, at Freeport, A 70-year-old Freeport the accused raped the man accused of sexually eight-year-old. Deputy Chief Magisassaulting an eight-yearold girl was arraigned in trate Ferguson indicated the Freeport Magistrate’s that she was not related Court yesterday, however to Ferguson despite them he maintained that he did sharing the same surname and asked him whether not commit the crime. Norman Ferguson, of he wanted the matter Hudson Estates, walked heard in the Magistrate’s with his head held down or Supreme Court. Ferguson said that he as he was escorted by officers shortly after wanted the matter to pro9.30am to the Garnet ceed in the Magistrate’s Court, and pleaded not Levarity Justice Centre. As he made his way guilty to the charge. However, the court by a small group of onlookers, some per- prosecutor informed the sons shouted out to court that legal officials him to hold his head are awaiting instructions up. No one was allowed from the Office of the inside the courtroom, Attorney General as to except a woman who whether the matter will was an immediate family proceed by way of a volmember of the victim untary bill of indictment. On the matter of bail, and members of the the prosecutor said that press. Ferguson appeared Ferguson had no right to before Deputy Chief bail as the offence falls Magistrate Debbye Fer- under Section 438A, Part guson. He was charged B of the Sexual Offences with having unlawful Act. He said the accused sexual intercourse. He would have to apply to
the Supreme Court for bail. Deputy Chief Magistrate Ferguson explained to Ferguson that the law prohibits her from granting him bail, and remanded him in custody. When asked if wanted to say something, Ferguson said that the matter came about as a result of a fight he and and a woman had over a DVD. “It is not about fooling with no girl,” he said. “She moved the DVD and I tell her bring it back and I pulled out the plug; this ain’t come from fooling with no girl.... I ain’t gone fool with no little girl,” he said. Before being leaving the courtroom, Ferguson, who was handcuffed and shackled, asked the magistrate if officers could “take off cuffs of my foot; it is hurting.” The magistrate said that they could not, but asked officers to ensure the cuffs were adjusted so that he was comfortable. The matter was adjourned to June 12 for a preliminary inquiry.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, March 14, 2019, PAGE 13
NATHAN DUNDAS, president of the Antigua and Barbuda Cruise Tourism Association.
ANTIGUAN GOVERNMENT QUICK TO DISMISS LINKS BETWEEN GPH AND CRUISE CANCELLATIONS THE government of Antigua and Barbuda has sought to dispel “misleading and scaremongering” reports that suggested a link between the cancellation of Carnival Cruise Lines’ service to its country, and its recent engagement of Global Port Holdings. The Eastern Caribbean country last month entered into a multi–million-dollar agreement with the London-based GPH for the development of its capital’s cruise port in the capital. GPH also recently beat out CCL’s bid for management of Nassau’s cruise port, and a report on comments by president of the Antigua and Barbuda Cruise Tourism Association (ABCTA) Nathan Dundas sparked local concerns The Bahamas would also face similar
cancellations. Yesterday, the country’s Ministry of Tourism released a statement which accused Mr Dundas of acting on special interest. “The deceptive statement has been quoted by sections of the traditional and social media and distributed widely on WhatsApp,” Antigua’s Ministry of Tourism statement read. “In his statement, Mr Dundas says that Carnival Cruise lines has cancelled its four upcoming calls for the winter 2019-20 season and that more cancellations are to follow. However, what he does not reveal is that normally Carnival Cruise Lines make only three or four calls to Antigua and Barbuda annually. “The one exception to this pattern was the 2017-18 winter season when hurricanes decimated other
destinations, causing Carnival to take advantage of Antigua’s fully functioning port.” The statement added the total number of passengers that could be affected by the cancellations stood at approximately 12,200, and not 250,000 as previously reported. “This is a relatively small number of the total cruise passengers that visit our country annually,” Antigua’s statement continued, adding Mr Dundas did not contact officials prior to his statement and caused unnecessary fear among cruise stakeholders and the general public. “While we regret any loss of business, however, small in percentage terms, we do not anticipate any significant adverse impact on the stakeholders in our economy.”
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PAGE 14, Thursday, March 14, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
SEVEN YEARS FOR MANAFORT WHO NOW FACES FRESH NEW YORK CHARGES WASHINGTON Associated Press FORMER Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was sentenced to a total of seven and a half years in prison yesterday after a federal judge rejected his appeal for no additional time and rebuked him for his crimes and years of lies. Within minutes of the sentencing, prosecutors in New York brought state charges against Manafort — a move that appeared at least partly designed to guard against the possibility that President Donald Trump could pardon him. The president can pardon federal crimes, but not state offenses. US District Judge Amy Berman
Jackson sentenced Manafort to nearly three-and-a-half years in prison on charges that he misled the US government about his foreign lobbying work and encouraged witnesses to lie on his behalf. That punishment is on top of a roughly four-year sentence he received last week in a separate case in Virginia. He is expected to get credit for the nine months of jail time he’s done already. The sentencing hearing was a milestone moment in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election campaign. Manafort was among the first people charged in the investigation, and though the allegations did not relate to his work for
Trump, his foreign entanglements and business relationship with a man the US says has ties to Russian intelligence have made him a pivotal figure in the probe. Though the judge made clear that the case against Manafort had nothing to do with Russian election interference, she also scolded Manafort’s lawyers for asserting that their client was only charged because prosecutors couldn’t get him on crimes related to potential collusion with the Trump campaign. “The no-collusion mantra is simply a non sequitur,” she said, suggesting that those arguments were meant for an audience outside the courtroom — presumably a reference to the president, who has expressed sympathy for
PAUL Manafort pictured in 2017
Manafort and not ruled out a pardon. Jackson also harshly criticised Manafort for years of deception that extended even into her own courtroom and the grand jury. She said much of the information he provided to prosecutors after pleading guilty couldn’t be used because of his history of deceit. “It is hard to overstate the number of lies and the amount of fraud and the extraordinary amount of money involved” in the federal conspiracy charges related to his foreign lobbying work and witness tampering. Reading from a three-page statement, Manafort asked for mercy and said the criminal charges against him have “taken everything from me already.”
US, Canada ground Boeing 737 Max 8s WASHINGTON Associated Press
THE Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order yesterday grounding all Boeing 737 Max aircraft in the wake of a crash of an Ethiopian airliner that killed 157 people, a reversal for the US after federal aviation regulators had maintained it had no data to show the jets are unsafe. President Donald Trump, who announced the grounding and had received assurances on Monday from Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg that the Max aircraft was sound, said the safety of the American people is of “paramount concern”. Trump said any plane currently in the air will go to its destination and then be grounded, adding that pilots and airlines have been notified. The decision came hours after Canada joined some 40 other countries in barring the Max 8 from its airspace, saying satellite tracking data showed possible but unproven similarities between the Ethiopian Airlines crash and a previous crash involving the model five months ago. The US, one of the last holdouts, also grounded a larger version of the plane, the Max 9. Daniel Elwell, acting head of the FAA, said enhanced satellite images and new evidence gathered at the crash site led his agency to ground the jets. The data, he said, linked the behavior and flight path of Ethiopian Airline’s Max 8 to data from the crash of a Lion Air jet that plunged into the Java Sea and killed 187 people in October. “Evidence we found on the ground made it even more likely that the flight path was very close to Lion Air’s,” Elwell told reporters on a conference call. The Ethiopian plane’s flight data and voice recorders will be sent to France for analysis, Elwell said. Some aviation experts have warned that finding answers in the crash could take months. Boeing issued a statement saying it supported the FAA’s decision even though it “continues to have full confidence in the safety of the 737
A WORKER stands near a Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane being at Boeing’s Renton assembly plant in Washington yesterday. MAX.” The company also said it had itself recommended the suspension of the Max fleet after consultations with the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board. “We are supporting this proactive step out of an abundance of caution,” Boeing said. The groundings will have a far-reaching financial impact on Boeing, at least in the short term, said John Cox, a veteran pilot and CEO of Safety Operating Systems. In addition to those that have already been grounded, there are more than 4,600 Boeing 737 Max 8 planes on backlog that are not yet delivered to airlines. “There are delivery dates that aren’t being met, there’s usage of the aircraft that’s not being met, and all the supply chain things that Boeing so carefully crafted,” Cox said. “If they can’t deliver the airplanes, where do they put the extra engines and the extra fuselage and the extra electrical components?”
MY WIFE MELANIA HAS NO BODY DOUBLE, SAYS PRESIDENT TRUMP WASHINGTON Associated Press
PRESIDENT Donald Trump is not amused by the #FakeMelania conspiracy theories circulating on social media. He spun off a new theory yesterday to debunk the idea that there’s a body double of his wife who steps in for her at times. The “fake news” did it, he claimed without evidence. Trump alleged on Wednesday in a tweet that photos of his wife had been altered to make them appear as though a look-alike accompanied him to Alabama last week to survey tornado damage. His favorite morning TV program, “Fox & Friends,” reported on the bodydouble theory as the show’s hosts
weighed in on a discussion whether an impostor had travelled with Trump. “The Fake News photoshopped pictures of Melania, then propelled conspiracy theories that it’s actually not her by my side in Alabama and other places,” the president tweeted. “They are only getting more deranged with time!” TV hosts had commented on how the woman at Trump’s side in photos appeared shorter than usual and had a different facial structure than the first lady’s. One host allowed that the first lady might have been wearing flat shoes. In fact, the 5-foot-11 first lady had ditched her customary stilettos for sneakers to walk around the rough terrain with her husband.
MASKED MEN KILL EIGHT IN SCHOOL RAMPAGE SUZANO, Brazil Associated Press
TWO masked men armed with guns, knives, axes and crossbows descended on a school in southern Brazil yesterday, killing five students and two adults before taking their own lives, authorities said. The men, identified as former students at the school in a suburb of Sao Paulo, also shot and killed the owner of a used car business nearby before launching the attack on the school, authorities said. Besides the five students, the dead included a teacher and a school administrator, said Joao Camilo Pires de Campos, the state’s public secretary. Nine others were wounded in the school attack and hospitalised, he said. “This is the saddest day of my life,” de Campos said, speaking to reporters outside the school in the Sao Paulo suburb of Suzano. Authorities identified the attackers as 17-year-old Guilherme Taucci Monteiro and 25-year-old Henrique de Castro. “The big question is: what was the motivation of these former students?” de Castro said. Minutes before the attack, Monteiro had posted 26 photos on his Facebook page, included several with guns and one that showed him giving the middle finger as he looked into the camera. In some of the photos, he wore a black scarf with a white imprint of a skull and cross bones. No text accompanied the posts. By yesterday afternoon, Facebook had taken down Monteiro’s page. During the attack, Monteiro opened fire with a .38 caliber handgun and de Castro used a crossbow, de Campos said, adding that forensics would determine how each of the victims died.
EIGHT DEAD AS LAGOS SCHOOL COLLAPSES LAGOS, Nigeria Associated Press
A NIGERIAN emergency official says eight people are dead in a collapsed school building and 37 people have been rescued alive. The three-story building collapsed in Nigeria yesterday with scores of school children thought to be inside, setting off frantic rescue efforts in the country’s crowded commercial capital. Video coverage showed rescuers carrying several dust-covered, stunned-looking children from the rubble, to cheers from hundreds of people who rushed to the scene. But the crowd quieted as others were pulled out and slung over people’s shoulders, unmoving. The children were hurried through the crowd to ambulances. One man pressed his hands to a passing survivor’s head in blessing. Several rescue efforts
unfolded in the densely populated neighborhood in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital and a city of some 20 million people. More equipment was brought in as nightfall approached. As many as 100 children had been in the primary school on the building’s top floor, some witnesses said. More than 40 people had been found “but for now I am not in a position to give the number of dead,” Shina Tiamiyu, general manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, said. It was not immediately clear why the building collapsed. Such disasters are common in Nigeria where new construction often goes up without regulatory oversight and floors are added to already unstable buildings. Lagos state Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode said buildings in the neighborhood, Ita Faji, should have undergone integrity tests but landlords resisted.
THE TRIBUNE By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net THE Water and Sewerage Corporation opened a new location at the Mall at Marathon yesterday, with WSC executive chairman Adrian Gibson saying this should help the water provider increase bill collection. He said WSC will also move to a new location in Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera in the next two weeks. Mr Gibson said the decision to reopen a WSC mall location was “both wise and prudent”. He also addressed the timeline for the completion of several wastewater treatment plants and pumping stations in New Providence, noting these are still on schedule to be completed by month’s end. “Historically, WSC has had a presence at the mall,” Mr Gibson said yesterday. “At that time, we shared a space in BTC’s offices, where we had a kiosk. “Customers had to navigate oftentimes through a crowded area to the cashier’s window. Nonetheless, it proved convenient for many persons wanting to do business with the corporation. And I know first-hand what it meant to come to the mall in a bill-paying mood, and then, without WSC being present, you say ‘ah...I’ll get them later’. “Today, we’re changing
Thursday, March 14, 2019, PAGE 15
WSC opens new shop in Mall at Marathon
CARL OLIVER, Nicola Russell-Pedican, Bennett Minnis, Desmond Bannister, Minister of Public Works, WSC chairman Adrian Gibson, Carmen Kemp and general manager Elwood Donaldson at the opening. Inset: Adrian Gibson gives his views. Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff “And when people come Mr Gibson also underthat. Upon my appointment, I set out a return to to the mall, customers come scored the mall location will the mall as a target,” Mr to the mall with money in be providing “full services”. In his remarks at yesterGibson continued, adding hand. And so, I urge custhis location is “heav- tomers, when you come day’s opening ceremony, ily trafficked” and thus to the mall to shop, don’t Minister of Works Desmond commended allowed the corporation to forget to stop, right here, Bannister make “quite a bit of money at our offices, and pay your WSC “for bringing this locawater bill.” tion back to the people”. in terms of its collections.”
He also celebrated WSC for the “tremendous progress” it has made recently but admonished officials to consider this progress as a “stepping stone” as opposed to a “final destination”. “The corporation still has a long way to go,” Mr Bannister added. “And I’m confident that with the leadership you have that you will continue to make positive inroads.” Mr Gibson also noted the office in Governor’s Harbour will be open every Monday-Saturday, 8.30am to 6pm. Regarding this location,
he told The Tribune: “Well, Eleuthera is open now. We’re just going to be moving our staff from an office that is run down, that’s derelict and has been causing some hazardous conditions, to a new location. And we expect that to be open in the next two weeks or so.” Mr Gibson added a new WSC location in southwest New Providence will be forthcoming in the next few months. “I’ve already given them the directive to locate the place,” he told The Tribune. He also addressed the $18.7m construction of several wastewater treatment plants and pumping stations in New Providence, reiterating that it is still scheduled to be completed by month’s end. “They are a part of the IDB package and as you know there was Fox Hill and Malcolm Park and the airport and so on,” Mr Gibson said. “They’re still on schedule. We expect them to be completed at the end of the month.”
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THE TRIBUNE
BEACON School students celebrate their achievements.
Students heading to Special Olympics REIGNING champion of the Dog Days Half Marathon School Challenge, The Beacon School, is eyeing another victory with a line-up that includes Special Olympic athletes. Four of their athletes will represent the country in Abu Dhabi at the 2019 Special Olympics World Games this month. “Our athletes may have special needs but they are still athletes,” said Beacon School Principal Titi McKenzie-Moss, who stressed the importance of events like Dog Days. She continued: “They require exercise and training just like other athletes. Events like Dog Days give special needs athletes great exposure and the opportunity to train, and makes the community aware of our special needs population.” The students won the challenge last year, with sponsorship
support from Freeport Ship Services and MSC Freeport (Bahamas). The school entered 20 students last year and also won a cash prize of $500 for earning the most points during the marathon, each mile accrued by the athletes earned the school one point. There are presently 108 students enrolled at the Beacon School, which is Grand Bahama’s special needs education centre. Fifty students, ranging from ages 8 to 18, 10 teachers and aides, have all been sponsored by MSC Freeport (Bahamas). “We get asked to give a lot in our business,” said an MSC representative. “Watching these kids run and challenge each other and seeing the pure joy they had in joining in this race – was a huge staff morale booster. Our boss was
adamant to make sure we sponsored them all this year.” Event directors of the 2019 Grand Bahama Dog Days Half Marathon are making an appeal to businesses to sponsor school teams that are interested in competing in the marathon’s “School
Challenge” on March 23 in Freeport. The entry fee for students in the one mile fun/run walk is $10 for children 10 years and under, $20 for the 5K and 10K, and $35 for the half marathon. The fee includes the time chipped bib,
race day medal and commemorative race day UPF sun t-shirt, celebrating the Grand Bahama Dog Days Half Marathon’s 5th Anniversary. Organisers have added a new incentive for student registrants this year with all schools eligible to win prizes in all race categories, including cash prizes of $250, $500, and $1,000 in the half marathon. To qualify, schools need to speak directly to organisers Nikki Waugh or Siobhan Antoni-Bates via their Facebook or website, www.grandbahamadogdayshalfmarathon.com. “Seeing the smiles and joy on the children’s faces last year was priceless,” said Siobhan Antoni-Bates, Dog Day Marathon co-director. “Sometimes we underestimate the power of charity and what it can mean to others who have never participated in events like ours.”