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VOLUME:115 No.83, MARCH 21ST, 2018
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1
VOL. 5 ISSUE 1
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION CONSUMER PROTEC TION COMMISSION, MINISTRY OF LABOUR
MARCH/APRIL/MAY 2018
CONS UMER VOICE CELEB RATES
FO U RT H YE A R AN NIV ERS AR Y
CONSUMER VOICE: MAKING DIGITAL MARKET PLACES FAIRER
Minnis admits Oban ‘missteps’ By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis admitted yesterday his administration has made mistakes with the $5.5bn Oban Energies project. But following his admission in his much-awaited mid-budget speech critics said key questions about the oil refinery and storage project remain unanswered. Dr Minnis, pictured, said the beneficial owner of Oban Energies LLC is the K Family Irrevocable Trust. However, he gave
50
no details about the people behind this trust and scant details about it could be obtained online yesterday. In addition, although funding concerns were cited as the chief reason the long-mooted project went nowhere under the last Ingraham administration, Dr Minnis provided no proof of funding nor did he mention the issue yesterday. However, he confirmed that Peter Krieger, the company’s infamous non-executive chairman, resigned effective March 1, 2018. SEE PAGE FIVE
HELD IN MASS DRUGS RAID
NOT FOR SALE: NO MORE PRIVATE ISLANDS By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE government will stop selling crown cays for private purposes, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced during his midbudget communication yesterday. As minister responsible for land, the revelation came as he comprehensively addressed his administration’s land policy. Among other things, he said the government “will preserve the seabed for
the crown, approving only leases of it.” He said the government will “retain for the crown a crown reserve between ocean/sea, front/inland lake property, granted for private development, where un-alientated crown land exists at the seashore, to preserve windows to the sea and open green and beach front spaces for the enjoyment of the public.” He said the government will also “regularise longterm occupation of crown SEE PAGE TWO
ARMED police officers swooped on neighbourhoods in Grand Bahama yesterday in an operation that ended with the arrest of 50 suspects, and the discovery of large quantities of drugs, cash, firearms and ammunition. Police put the seized items on show during a press conference yesterday following the raids. See page three for the full story. Photo: Vandyke Hepburn
WORLD CONSUMER RIGHTS DAY 2018 MAKING DIGITAL MARKET PLACES FAIRER
TOURISM TRAFFIC UP 15 PERCENT YEAR-ON-YEAR PRODUCED BY THE TRIBUNE
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
TOURISM bookings from The Bahamas’ key US markets are up 15 percent for the peak Easter period, a Cabinet minister yesterday urging businesses to “work harder” at exploiting this growth. Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism, told Tribune Business that data from ForwardKeys revealed “double digit” growth for the March-May period in Bahamas airlines tickets purchased in New York, Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Mr D’Aguilar said the figures gave a “warm and fuzzy feeling” that tourism was set to contribute significantly to The Bahamas’ projected 2.5 percent GDP growth for 2018. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
MITCHELL RAISES FLAG OVER ‘FULL RESIDENCY’
By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net FORMER Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell yesterday questioned whether the government’s newly announced limitation on citizenship can be done constitutionally, expressing concern the change could grant a general right for permanent residency “to all and sundry”. A new round of public debate regarding the immigration landscape in the country was reignited Monday with Immigration Minister Brent Symonette’s announcement at Parliament that people born to foreign parents in the Bahamas, but fail to apply for citizenship by age 19 as allowed by law will only be granted permanent residency with a right to work. SEE PAGE SIX
A PROUD, PASSIONATE BAHAMIAN By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
HOME INSURANCE
AUTO INSURANCE
LIFE INSURANCE
MARINE INSURANCE
FORMER Cabinet Minister Theresa Moxey-Ingraham died yesterday morning at her home, according to a statement from the Free National Movement. The 67-year-old, who was appointed Chairman of the National Training Agency last July, was reportedly wheelchair bound and
THERESA MOXEY-INGRAHAM gravely ill up to the time of her death.
Mrs Moxey-Ingraham is survived by her daughter, Odia A Richardson. In addition to her most recent post at the National Training Agency, Mrs Moxey-Ingraham had previously served in various positions within government and across many civic organisations, including Minister of Transport and Communications, 1992 to 1994; Minister of Social
Covering The Bahamas for over 40 years. NEW PROVIDENCE | GRAND BAHAMA | ABACO | ELEUTHERA | EXUMA
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SEE PAGE 11
MISSED THE BUS BUT NOT A DAY OF JOY
SEE PAGE EIGHT
PAGE 2, Wednesday, March 21, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
BOAT GOES UP IN FLAMES ON OPEN WATER
A YACHT engulfed in flames was sighted off Salt Cay near Dick’s Point around 5pm on Tuesday. Fire Services did not return calls for details up to press time. Photo: Ron Lightbourne
NOT FOR SALE: NO MORE PRIVATE ISLANDS from page one land developed or cultivated by individual Bahamians and/or families at concessionary rates” and “make crown land available to Bahamian nationals for residential, commercial and touristic development, particularly in the Family Islands”. Dr Minnis said a new Land Reform Unit will be established to “examine, organise and monitor activities”. He also said the government will seek to return
land acquired that has not been used to claimants who the Office of the Attorney General determine has “clear and marketable titles”. He said: “According to the records of the Land Unit at the commencement of the 2017/18 fiscal period, it was estimated that an excess of $6.7m was owed as a result of compulsory land acquisition for the purpose of road improvements for various corridors. The estimated figures were as a result of land acquired
as far back as 2011. However, it should be noted that in an effort to ascertain a better scope of money, owed for land acquisitions nationwide, a further investigation of all records is necessary given the myriad matters pending. “It is proposed that in view of the inordinate amount of time, elapsed from the date of some of the earliest compulsory acquisitions that, unused parcels acquired by the government, are returned to affected individuals.”
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, March 21, 2018, PAGE 3
ACP Clayton Fernander addressing the media as the police show some of the weapons seized in the raids.
Photo: Vandyke Hepburn
50 held in mass drugs raid By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net ARMED police officers in the sky and on the ground swooped in on neighbourhoods throughout Grand Bahama early yesterday morning in a huge operation that resulted in the arrest of 50 suspects. The operation began around 1am on Tuesday, ending just before noon with the discovery and seizure of large quantities of drugs, cash, firearms and ammunition. Forty-one men and nine women were arrested and taken into custody, and charges are expected to be brought against some people by tomorrow. Residents asleep in their beds were awakened by the
sounds of a helicopter overhead with a bright spotlight shining down on homes below, and camouflageclad officers armed with high-powered weapons descending on targeted residences in Freeport, Eight Mile Rock, West Grand Bahama and in an area over the bridge. Video footage of the scenes of the operation was captured by onlookers on their cellular phones and posted on social media, including the helicopter landing in “the Ghetto” area. “It’s just like a scene you would see in the movie,” said a man watching the footage posted on Whatsapp. The joint operation, dubbed Northern Strike, led by ACP Clayton Fernander consisted of teams
from Grand Bahama, New Providence and international law enforcement partners. During a press briefing, Mr Fernander revealed they were able to recover large quantities of drugs and money found hidden in homes in Grand Bahama. “I am not able to give an exact count, but there were large quantities of drugs, and there was a large quantity of money that individuals could not account for that were found hidden in their homes – large amounts of US and Bahamian cash,” he said. The senior police official also displayed the weapons that were recovered, including a .40 firearm; a .90 firearm, and an old westernstyle 45 handgun. “This operation was an intelligence-led operation
to targeted hot spots to disrupt criminal gangs involved in drugs and firearms trafficking,” he said. “I am happy to be here in Grand Bahama to assist officers here.” The operation took residents by surprise, and some watched as several people in one family in the Ghetto were arrested and led off to a police bus. The Ghetto is a known hot spot for drugs and guns, and Mr Fernander stated that police recovered a quantity of marijuana in various pockets there with the help of the K-9 Unit. “We were able to recover drugs in different pockets of that area, and I commend the K-9 Unit – they were stars this morning because they were able to sniff out drugs hidden in some areas the eyes would
not see,” he said. Mr Fernander stressed police would continue to conduct such operations to weed out the criminal element in communities in Grand Bahama. “We will continue to ensure safe communities; we will continue to go after a handful of individuals that continue to wreak havoc in our communities. We will not stand by and allow them to disrupt the peace,” he said. “You will not know the time we will strike – I must apologise to the residents in those areas, I know we woke them up this morning... and that the chopper was over some homes.” Mr Fernander thanked the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, US Drug Enforcement Administration, US Homeland
Security, US Coast Guards, and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). He also thanked the public for its support. “We can’t do it alone. We ask you to continue to pray for us because it is not easy. We showed up to work and came here from New Providence - we left families. We are fighting one goal, and all law enforcement agencies have to continue to partner to win this fight, and we will,” he said. ACP Samuel Butler said: “Today is a demonstration of our act of deliberate intention to weed out persons associated with criminal activities. It is a wonderful thing to be able to free communities like the Ghetto because even though it is depressed, persons want to have a safe community,” he said.
FOUR HAITIANS CHARGED WITH IMMIGRATION BREACHES By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
FOUR Haitians were charged separately with breach of the Immigration Act in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court – three for illegal landing and one for illegal entry. Polina Fradin, 44, appeared in Court One before Deputy Chief Magistrate Debbye Ferguson on the charge of illegal landing. She pleaded guilty and was fined $300. The particulars are that Fradin had landed from a
place outside The Bahamas without leave of the Immigration officer. She was ordered to pay $300 fine or serve one year in prison. Fradin paid the fine and was turned over to Immigration officers for deportation to Haiti. Mariana Pierre Frontaine, 23, appeared in Court Two before Magistrate Charlton Smith, charged with illegal entry. According to the particulars, Frontaine was found in Eight Mile Rock having landed from outside the Bahamas. She
pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay $300 fine, or serve two years imprisonment. She paid the fine and was flown to Nassau where she will be detained at the Detention Center to await repatriation. Fenick Pierre, 44, and Andre Alfred, 30 were both charged with illegal landing. The men were taken into custody by Immigration officers on Friday. Pierre and Alfred had entered the country illegally by boat from Haiti in January and September 2017,
respectively, and remained in the country without legal status. They both pleaded guilty and ordered to pay $300 each or serve two months imprisonment. They paid the fine and were flown to New Providence where they will await deportation.
• A 38-year-old man of Haitian descent was charged with harbouring an illegal immigrant. Nicanson Guerrier appeared in Court Two before Magistrate Charlton Smith where he was charged with harbouring
an illegal immigrant contrary to Section 47A(1) (a) and Punishable under Section 47A(2) of the Immigration Act Chapter 191, Statute Law of The Bahamas. Guerrier, who was born in the Bahamas to Haitian parents, pleaded guilty to the offence. According to the particulars, on March 8, at Eight Mile Rock with deliberate intent to evade apprehension by the Department of Immigration did knowingly harbour Mariana Pierre Frontaine at his residence. Magistrate Smith granted
Guerrier a conditional discharge and ordered him to be of good behaviour until December 2018, and to provide an address of content to the director of immigration and compensate the Public Treasury $300. If he complied with the order, Guerrier would be granted absolute discharge. If he fails, he would be subject to a $5,000 fine or one-year imprisonment. Guerrier complied and paid $300 compensation to the Public Treasury. The case was set down for review on December 14, 2018.
MAN HAS APPEAL OF PLEA DEAL SENTENCE THROWN OUT By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
THE COURT of Appeal has dashed a man’s hopes of contesting his 25-year sentence for raping a pregnant woman after burglarising her home seven years ago, as its judges said he knew what he was getting into when he voluntarily agreed to such a sentence. Former appellate President Dame Anita Allen, Justices Jon Isaacs and Stella Crane-Scott, dismissed Anthony Penn’s intended appeal concerning the April 23, 2011, incident because he “freely and voluntarily” signed a plea agreement in which he agreed to the 25-year sentence and “understood its terms”.
The appellate judges also said in their written ruling that Penn confirmed to the sentencing judge that “he understood the agreement he had signed” and that “he was not coerced, forced or unduly influenced to do so”. And concerning Penn’s submission that the time he spent in custody pending trial ought to have been taken into account, the appellate judges said Penn, upon entering into the plea agreement, should have taken into account “all material considerations”, including his time on remand, and that he agreed to the sentence “with the full knowledge of the time he spent on remand”. “It is against that background that he entered into the agreement,” the ruling said. Otherwise,
the appellate judges said his appeal of his sentence, which he sought an extension of time to launch, had “absolutely no prospects of success”. “Therefore, we are satisfied that the application for an extension of time should be dismissed for the reasons outlined, and the sentence of 25 years for rape is affirmed,” they concludd. In April 23, 2011, Penn raped a woman despite her begging him not to violate her. He also robbed her at gunpoint of an undisclosed amount of money, with both acts coming during a burglary of her home. In March of 2014, and after he plead guilty to the offences, Supreme Court Justice Indra Charles told Penn he would receive seven years for the burglary,
20 years for the armed robbery and 25 years for the rape to run concurrently with whatever sentence he was already serving at the time. Penn was sentenced to 25 years in prison two years prior for a similar offence. However, did not get any additional time imposed on him by Justice Charles due to the terms of a plea agreement that barred her from doing so. In June 2012, Penn was convicted of the sexual assault of a 21-year-old woman on April 25, 2011. Penn burglarized the woman’s home, robbed her at gunpoint and raped her. Penn denied the allegations at the time, but opted to remain silent after the close of the Crown’s case and did not call any
witnesses on his behalf. The woman claimed Penn broke into her home in New Providence, put a gun to her head and forced her to have sex with him while her twins slept in the bed. The woman said she managed to grab the gun after he placed it on a pillow. To
her surprise however, when she pulled the trigger the gun turned out to be a toy. Justice Isaacs, then a Supreme Court judge, subsequently sentenced Penn to 25 years for rape and armed robbery, and 10 years for the burglary. He ordered those sentences to run concurrently.
PAGE 4, Wednesday, March 21, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
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A chance for honest improvement MINISTER of Health Dr Duane Sands has been brutally frank and forthright in assessing the state of public medical care in The Bahamas. He has warned us the system is failing us. In one nearly 4,000-word treatise in January in reply to breaking news stories about a shortage of beds leaving people lying in the halls at what is supposed to be the nation’s flagship healthcare provider, Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), he spelled out just about everything that was wrong from inadequate equipment to roofs that have been leaking for years but he neglected one critical factor – the filthy conditions at that facility. “Our healthcare system is in deep trouble,” the Minister of Health stated. “Across the country, collapsing infrastructure, broken and or obsolete equipment, inadequate provision of staff; particularly, nurses, doctors and allied health personnel, have led to a situation in which access to healthcare services and patient dignity; particularly in Accident and Emergency (A&E) and the Maternity Ward, are compromised daily. “Our community clinics – the frontline in the battle for health – are in the net, rendered functionally ineffective despite the services provided and we are watching the current health profile of DM, obesity, HIV, infant mortality, cardiovascular disease, etc. take a dismal toll. These shortcomings have been widely acknowledged and there have been many instances in which our public healthcare system has been brought under negative public scrutiny.” He pointed to what he called “dreadful conditions” in A&E at PMH, spelled out eight specific categories of neardesperate needs and he detailed the difficulty with a deficit of millions in funding, some $9m in the first quarter ending September 2017. We give Dr Sands kudos for his honesty and for calling attention to what too many people ignore. But we do not know how in that open and frank treatise he overlooked the filthy conditions at PMH. There is no excuse anyone can make for the scum and dirt along baseboards, the grime of fingerprints on doors and scuff marks on walls. The hospital is so dirty that we are surprised the Ministry of Health - which is quick to close down a restaurant if it finds rodents and unsafe conditions - does not order PMH closed for a general cleaning.
It is the only hospital we have ever visited where we could walk the halls for extended periods of time on the weekends, in particular, and not see a single cleaning cart or a person mopping, wiping, scrubbing. Sophisticated medical equipment is hugely expensive. The Breathe Easy campaign raised $392,063 to buy seven ventilators and three incubators for the neonatal intensive care unit. Private sources also raised $164,000 for eight new dialysis machines. With women in The Bahamas suffering from the highest rate of breast cancer in the world, a disease that will strike nearly one in every four women in this country, PMH was limping along with a ten-year-old obsolete mammogram machine. Again, private sources had to come to the rescue. Equipment is so inadequate that surgeons, including the Minister of Health who is also a world-class heart surgeon, were bringing their own equipment to the job. “23 years ago, I started using my own vascular instruments in the PHA. Every year since I have heard… we are getting some this year… still waiting,” wrote Dr Sands in that now famous January tell-all state of the system speech. Ophthalmologist Dr Jonathan Rodgers, upon his return from Canada, began taking his own equipment to PMH. He left it in the hospital’s care for a while before removing it because there was no care, only abuse. That was more than 20 years ago and it appears conditions have got even worse. Healthcare is expensive, cleaning is not. While more realistic funding must be found for diagnostic and treatment equipment, infrastructure, proper staffing and other needs, the search for rags, mops and safe, non-toxic cleaning goods and a practice of keeping the country’s premier healthcare facility clean must begin in earnest immediately. At the same time, the emphasis on prevention of disease by better diet and lifestyle choices should become a part of every school curriculum and should be supported by a widespread campaign that focuses on facts of the health and life consequences of poor diet choices, including too much processed and fast food. With the current Prime Minister and the Minister of Health both being leading medical professionals the opportunity for improvement has never been better.
Oban doubts EDITOR, The Tribune. I AM becoming more and more reticent to believe anything that comes out of OPM after the Oban issue and comments made after the positive signing of the Resort development for crowded Harbour Island. To cap everything the MP for North Eleuthera or as he would prefer St John’s confirms that Harbour Island is at over 100% employed. Was there a traffic as in vehicular study performed? I ask this because if there is one island that a government decision created a traffic problem it is quaint
Harbour Island when they allowed motor vehicles on the little island. So the MP says the residents were consulted. I never saw any published notice for the public and the numerous NGO groups to comment. No design - no architectural plans in a super sensitive area, ooh a promise for colonial themed design but no design. Where is the development impact study? Editor, how can an investor price his investment if he has no plans drawn and does not know the cost of building? How does the investor know it is a
$45m investment? Bahamas Investment Authority requires all that information before they say your application will be considered let alone get a meeting with the Prime Minister - doesn’t seem so today for certain people…OBAN and now this Harbour Island project. Doesn’t the Prime Minister know the damage or cause over-crowding on this idyllic island which is a treasure of The Bahamas wrapped in decades of heritage and history – hands off Mr Prime Minister.
issues so now we have a duplication? Who is real - who is fake? Thanks Doc we have a solution to our problems… the People will appoint a ‘duplicate Prime Minister’ - we are for better governance - governance in the
open without fake signings. Seeking appropriate candidates to fill the PM position. Two of everything - why not especially if unpaid!
ABRAHAM MOSS Nassau, March 15, 2018.
Double trouble? EDITOR, The Tribune.
THE announcement of the appointment of Mrs Patricia Minnis to her titled appointment begs the question - constitutionally her husband, as Prime Minister appointed a Minister to be responsible for Women’s
CYNTHIA ROBINSON Nassau March 20, 2018.
FNM still the best to govern EDITOR, The Tribune. WHEN we threw the PLP out on May 10, 2017, I was relieved. I had never seen a governing party become so hostile to the people of the Bahamas. It was all about them. They wanted contracts. They wanted wealth. They wanted to control who could become wealthy. They wanted power. The people had sense. They threw out the party that was abusing them. The Minnis government has been in power for 10 months. It has run into problems of late with the Oban oil refinery deal in Grand Bahama. The local media revealed that the man who signed the deal was said to have pleaded guilty to a fraud matter in the United States. Then we saw the close-up of him signing someone else’s name on the agreement.
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net Then we heard there was no environmental report on the proposed refinery. All this is bad. We expect better from the FNM. Those types of errors are how the PLP does business. The government should get spanked by the public for this deal. But some have gone too far in their criticism. I’ve heard the FNM is now just like the PLP. I’ve heard the prime minister should resign. I’ve heard the government has lost the confidence of the people. That’s all rubbish. Governments are elected for up to five years in our system. They make mistakes from time to time. The good ones notice their mistakes, acknowledge them and move on trying not to repeat them.
This government has made a mistake and I think it knows it. Going forward I think the FNM will be more careful in its deal making and work not to cause this type of controversy again. Those who are getting hysterical need to calm down. Assess your government over time. Determine how it manages the country as a whole. See what it does to address the pressing issues of our time. To do this you will have to watch your government over the course of its entire term. You can’t make sensible judgments 10 months into a 60-month term. One thing I still feel pretty confident about is that the FNM right now is better for us than the PLP. Anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional. DARWIN R LUTHER Nassau, March 19, 2018.
Tall tales of old times EDITOR, The Tribune.
RECENTLY, I had the privilege and pleasure of reading a book entitled, “Tales my brothers told me and other myths”, by Dorothea Davis. It tells of her day as a child growing up on “the Fort Hill”, with many tales about her whole life and her brothers’ capers and exploits. The book is short, simply and clearly written, and hilarious. There are many “side-splitting” scenes where her brothers were telling “tall tales” or engaged in various antics.
I commend Mrs Davis for a delightful book and a good read. I recommend it to adults and children. Secondly, I commend her for presenting a “slice” of Bahamian social history. That is what such writers do: they help us to get an insight into what life was like in one time and place or another. Such information is lost regularly simply because fewer and fewer people who lived in a particular era are still alive - and even fewer than that dare to write. Valuable insights and information are lost
daily because a current generation has not recorded it. Thirdly, I commend Dory Davis and other “ordinary” Bahamians and Residents for adding to the national corpus of indigenous literature. It is a part of ongoing national development and maturity. I recommend this book highly and encourage those who are interested in Bahamian social history and Bahamian life to read it. RT REVD LAISH Z BOYD Nassau March 13, 2018.
THE TRIBUNE
from page one He said Mr Krieger has no beneficial interest in the K Family Irrevocable Trust. The Tribune understands, however, Mr Krieger is the husband of the granddaughter of one of the beneficial owners in Oban Energies, and he is said to have owed his role in the project to that connection. One month after questions were first raised over the people fronting Oban, followed by a ceremonial Heads of Agreement signing that plunged the administration into one of the most sustained controversies of its term, Dr Minnis confessed to some mistakes. “The Oban Energies LLC project was intended to bring growth and jobs to Grand Bahama,” he said. “In our haste to boost the economy of Grand Bahama, we made a number of mis-steps in the Oban Energies Project. While our heart was in the right place, these mis-steps should not have happened. We must, we can, and we will do better.” Dr Minnis said “more comprehensive due diligence” should have been done and “wider environmental consultation” should have been engaged. “Mr Satpal Dhunna, President of Oban Energies LLC, arrived in The Bahamas on 6th February with the expectation to sign the Heads of Agreement on the 7th February,” he said. “The document was not ready for signature, so he remained in The Bahamas until 10th February, at which time he signed the agreement and then left the country to attend to other business. The Heads of Agreement was subsequently signed by the
Wednesday, March 21, 2018, PAGE 5
Minnis admits Oban ‘missteps’ Secretary to the Cabinet. In recognition of its promise to keep Bahamians informed, the government arranged for a ceremonial signing on the 19th February, 2018. “We accept that we should have clearly indicated on the 19th February, 2018, that it was a ceremonial signing. It should be noted that it is not unusual for a Heads of Agreement to be signed before a ceremonial signing so as to ensure that there is a firm agreement between the various parties. It is unfortunate that at the ceremonial signing Mr Peter Krieger wrote the name of Satpal Dhunna whose name was printed under the signature line in the space provided for the signature of Mr Dhunna. He should have noted that he was signing on behalf of Mr Dhunna and signed his name as the authorised representative of the K Family Irrevocable Trust on the ceremonial document.” Although Mr Dhunna signed the Heads of Agreement on February 10, Dr Minnis said the administration made the “effective date of the Heads of Agreement the 19th of February to conform with the public ceremonial signing”. The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) has announced its opposition to the project. Critics have knocked a clause in the Heads of Agreement that prohibits the administration from terminating the deal regardless of what an environmental impact assessment (EIA) concludes. Dr Minnis said yesterday: “The Grand Bahama project must go hand in hand with the protection of our environment and the conservation of our natural resources. Accordingly, the government will do a more comprehensive review of this matter. This
BOSTWICK TO LEAD OBSERVERS AT ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA VOTE By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Foreign Minister and Attorney-General of The Bahamas, Janet Bostwick will lead a Commonwealth Observer Group to monitor the Antigua and Barbuda general election today. The group arrived in the country on March 16 and has met with the Prime Minister, the electoral commission, representatives of political parties, civil society representatives, media organisations and domestic and international observer groups. Mrs Bostwick said: “On behalf of the group, I wish the people of Antigua and Barbuda well as they go out to exercise their franchise. We will assess whether the elections have been conducted according to the national laws of Antigua and Barbuda, and to the relevant regional, Commonwealth and other international standards to which Antigua and Barbuda has committed itself.” She continued: “For the remainder of the time
before polling commences we will observe campaigning and continue to meet a range of relevant stakeholders to the election process.” The group will observe at different polling stations and constituencies across Antigua, including the polling for Barbudans. They will observe the opening of the polling stations, the casting of votes, the count and the declaration of results, as well as liaising with observers from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Organization of American States (OAS). Last month, Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced that Antigua and Barbuda would hold a general election on March 21, more than a year before elections were constitutionally due. These elections will contest the 17 seats in the lower chamber of Antigua and Barbuda’s bicameral parliament. At dissolution, a majority of 14 seats was held by Prime Minister Browne’s Antigua Labour Party with the remaining three seats held by the United Progressive Party.
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis showing photographs of members of the then PLP government meeting representatives as he spoke in the House of Assembly yesterday. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff review will include our due diligence process at BIA and all environmental and land use issues, including laws relating to environmental impact assessments and consultation processes, including with residents of Grand Bahama, in particular East Grand Bahama.” Dr Minnis noted the Heads of Agreement empowers the minister responsible for the environment to penalise the developer for environmental infractions and to force any equipment that causes an infraction to be discontinued. He did not address critics’ concern that with the absence of an Environmental Protection Act in the country, the government lacks the statutory power to enforce such provisions in the agreement. Dr Minnis portrayed the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) as a hypocritical
critic of the Oban Energies project. He noted Mr Krieger was the chairman and CEO of the company when it came before the National Economic Council (NEC) under the Christie administration. An approval in principle was subsequently signed on November 15, 2016. “Most cabinet ministers were present at that NEC meeting,” Dr Minnis said, “including members who are now the opposition in both houses of Parliament, here and in the Senate.” He said on March 30, 2017, a second proposed Heads of Agreement was forwarded to the Christie administration for review, but was not executed. “It should be noted that in this Heads of Agreement, Mr Peter Krieger was to sign on behalf of Oban Energies LLC,” he said.
“Note that the PLP agreed to the development, despite the hypocrisy they are now displaying.” Yesterday, the Bahamas Information Services (BIS) and the Free National Movement (FNM) circulated videos of Mr Krieger and former Grand Bahama Minister Dr Michael Darville surveying “the original site” for the proposed development in 2016. “And yet the Member of Parliament for Engerston referred to the principals of Oban Energies LLC as a cornucopia of crooks,” Dr Minnis said in parliament. The PLP, however, emphasised the Christie administration never signed a Heads of Agreement with the company, unlike the present administration. Opposition members said it was clear future approval of the project would be subject to due diligence by
various government departments under its watch. Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday called Dr Minnis’ Oban Energies address “insipid”, “thin” and “weak”. “Though he was admitting errors and missteps, he has yet to come to grips with the mistakes he has made in connection with this matter,” he said. “I wanted to intervene to seek some clarification on the beneficial owner. He said it is owned by the K (Family Irrevocable) Trust. Who are the trustees of the K (Family Irrevocable) Trust? Who are the beneficiaries of the K (Family Irrevocable) Trust and (do) they still have the financial capacity to carry it forward?” Mr Davis said he could not recall working with that trust in 2016. He called Dr Minnis’ discussion of the PLP’s role in the project “irrelevant”. The work of the BIA has come under scrutiny amid the controversy. Dr Minnis said a consultant has since been selected to advise the government on the BIA’s work. Among other things, he said there will be a review of the investment policy framework of the country, a streamlining of the BIA’s operational methods and a redesigning of the current organisational structure of the agency. The consultancy will be financed through the InterAmerican Development Bank’s Public Financial Management/Performance Monitoring Reform project and will endure for six months beginning on April 4.
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Mitchell raises flag over ‘full residency’ from page one
It is one aspect of proposed changes to immigration laws that are excepted in coming weeks. Noting statute law cannot give right to citizenship that the Constitution does not grant, Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Senator Mitchell further questioned why the government would bring an amendment to law for something it already has the power to do. He said this would not be a useful way to spend parliamentary time. “Right now, the minister and the immigration board (the Cabinet) can grant citizenship or permanent residence to those people who are in that position without any need for an amendment to the law,” Mr Mitchell said in a press statement yesterday. “We hope they are not proposing to create a new right which becomes or can become a vested one, because that would be difficult for the PLP to support. We are not sure they can do that constitutionally in any event. “The statute law cannot give a right to citizenship which the constitution does not grant. “In cases where people were born in The Bahamas and lived here all their lives and missed the deadline of their 18th birthday and applied for citizenship, the PLP would rely on the general law to grant citizenship to those
individuals as a matter of policy. “In addition, in cases where part of their lives was lived here and part in their home countries, permanent residence was often granted in the first instance until they proved that they had the necessary attachment to the country in order to get citizenship.” He continued: “We hope that the FNM is not proposing to give a general right to get permanent residence to all and sundry who are born here, leave the country and come back years later claiming permanent residence or a right to citizenship. That would be wrong and therefore difficult to support. “What the minister ought to do is to ensure that the children of single Bahamian men get the same rights as single Bahamian women. That would be a useful amendment to the citizenship laws and not what they now appear to propose.” Currently the article seven of the Constitution says: “A person born in The Bahamas after 9th July 1973 neither of whose parents is a citizen of The Bahamas shall be entitled, upon making application on his attaining the age of eighteen years or within twelve months thereafter in such manner as may be prescribed, to be registered as a citizen of The Bahamas.” The addition of a specific designation like permanent residency for persons who do not apply within that period, would be a new
Funeral Service Nick Mike Pikramenos, 88
PLP CHAIRMAN FRED MITCHELL addition to law. Mr Symonette said issues relating to children born outside of the country to Bahamian women married to foreign men, and children born to single Bahamian men will also
need to be addressed. In the House of Assembly on Monday, Mr Symonette insisted the impending amendments to the Immigration Act have nothing to do with any ongoing case in the court, adding the
THE ATTORNEY for one of three Water
and Sewerage Corporation employees accused of stealing a fire hydrant from their employer yesterday called for the case against them to be
FUNERAL SERVICE Kevin V. Wilkinson Sr., 57
Father Irenaeus Cox will officiate and interment will follow in Lakeview Memorial Gardens and Mausoleums, John F. Kennedy Drive and Gladstone Road, Nassau.. He was predeceased by his wife Calliope Pikramenos and his brother, Archie Pikramenos. He is survived by his sons, Mike Pikramenos, Harry Pikramenos and Theo Pikramenos; grandson, Nick Pikramenos; granddaughters, Mia Hughes and Callie Pikramenos; daughters-in-law, Denise Pikramenos and Tina Pikramenos; grandson-in-law, Anthony Hughes and many other relatives and close friends including Calliope Papageorge, Alexandra Papageorge, James and Bianca Galantis, Calliope Galantis, George Galantis, Helen Papageorge and Theologos Tsavoussis all of Nassau,Russell and Patti-Sue Pye and Sarah Beth Pye of Columbia, S.C., Dr. Theodoros Gialernos, Dorothy and Savvas Spinos, Panagiotis Soulemanasi and Tasso and Voula Picos all of Anthens, Greece. The family would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to Dr. Dionne Dames, Dr. Theodore Ferguson, Dr. Kevin Moss, Dr. Dean Tseretopoulos, Dr. Bimal Francis and Dr. Michael N’Tari Darville as well as the nurses and staff of Doctors Hospital and Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited. The family would also like to recognize Fr. Irenaeus Cox for all his prayers and support. In lieu of flowers the family request that donations be sent to Ranfurly Home for Children, P.O. Box N. 1413, Nassau or Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, P.O. Box N. 823, Nassau in memory of Mr. Nick Pikramenos. Relatives and friends may pay their respects at Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited, 19 Palmdale Avenue, Palmdale, on Thursday, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Arrangements by Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited.
now before the Court of Appeal. However, Mr JeanCharles’ situation falls into the minister’s description of persons who will not be granted citizenship once the immigration laws are amended.
CALL TO THROW OUT WSC THEFT CHARGES AFTER WITNESS NO-SHOW By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
of Love Beach, Nassau, The Bahamas, died peacefully at Doctors Hospital, Collins Avenue. Nassau, on Monday, 12th March, 2018, will be held at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, West Street, Nassau, on Friday, 23rd March, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.
changes are needed largely because the laws have not changed much since 1973, The Bahamas’ year of independence. He did not mention the ongoing Jean Rony JeanCharles matter, which is
of South Daytona, Florida, will be held on Saturday March 24th, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. at Lohman’s Funeral Home Daytona, 1423 Bellevue Ave., Daytona Beach, Florida 32114, USA. Officiating will be Chaplin Sheila Turner. Interment will follow at Daytona Memorial Park. Left to cherish his memories are his loving wife: Mrs. Roseline L. Wilkinson; Son: Kevin V. Wilkinson, Jr.; Daughter: Patricia Culmer; Step-sons: George Delva and Patrick Ferguson, Jr.; Son-inLaw: Charlton Culmer; Grandchildren: Kayla and Jacob Culmer, Delano and Jada Ferguson and Giovannio Delva; Daughter-in-law: Uchenna Delva; Sisters: Jemma and (Gary) Smith, Wendy Pinder, Verna Lisa and (Ray) Munroe and Erika and (Wade) Colebrooke; Brother: Jeffrey Wilkinson; Aunts: Jacqueline and (Alex) Thompson, Sandra Bullard, Jennifer Marshall, Irma Davis, Gloria Thompson, Maxine Mitchel; Uncle: Philip Simon, Nephews: Charles and (Ruth) Fisher, Tory Wilkinson, Gary Pinder Jr, Kylan Colebrooke; Nieces: Gia Ramsey, Akadia and (Kareem) St Jermaine, Asia Colebrooke and Justice Munroe.; Brothers-in-Law: Luke, Vincent, Kisner, Donald, John, Francis and Hector Delva.; Sisters-in-Law: Betty-Jean Delva, Yolene and Barbara Milford. Other relatives: Tracey, Ricco, Sean, Clyde, Neil, Shea, Ron, Andrea, Michelle, Ricky, Deborah, Bridgette, Allison, Chantal, Philip Jr., and grandnieces and nephews; Special Family Friends; (including but not limited to): The Culmer Family, The Delva Family, Edward & Dorothy Propser and Family, The Harding Family, The Cartwright Family, The Ferguson Family, Keshia Brown, Hector Cruz and Senobia Sabala. A special thank you to all for your kindness, outreach, and assistance and especially those that have continually kept and will continue to keep his memory in prayer. May his soul rest in peace. Friends may pay their last respects at Lohman’s Funeral Home Daytona, 1423 Bellevue Ave., Daytona Beach, Florida 32114, USA. at 11:00am and Services will begin at 12:00pm.
dismissed after two key Crown witnesses failed to appear in court. Murrio Ducille submitted to Magistrate Samuel McKinney that the case against his client, Kerven Pierre, as well as Pierre’s co-accused Latario Bowe and LeJaith Paul should be dismissed for want of prosecution after Police Prosecutor Philip Davis requested another adjournment due to the absence of the witnesses. Mr Davis said the justification for the adjournment request was that the evidence of other persons in the matter will rely on the evidence of the two absent witnesses. However, Mr Ducille objected to the adjournment, as he said there is “no plausible reason” why the witnesses should not be present,
particularly as the matter was previously adjourned for six weeks on February 9. Magistrate Samuel McKinney ultimately adjourned the matter to April 17, which he said is the final adjournment in the matter. In January, Paul, Pierre and Bowe appeared before Magistrate McKinney charged with one count of stealing by reason of employment. It is alleged they stole a fire hydrant valued at $1,024.92 from the WSC property on John F Kennedy Drive, which they had access to by reason of their employment. The men pleaded not guilty to the charge. Alex Dorsett is the other attorney on record for the matter, representing Bowe and Paul.
TWO JAILED FOR STABBING MAN TO DEATH By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
A MAN and 17-year-old were yesterday sentenced to 45 years in prison in connection with the stabbing death of another man in Nassau Village two years ago. Justice Bernard Turner sentenced Shawn McPhee to 30 years in prison minus two years he spent on remand, after being found guilty of the February 13, 2016, murder of Cyril Cartwright. The Tribune understands the 17-year-old, who was
found guilty of manslaughter, was sentenced to 15 years in prison minus one year he served on remand. McPhee and the teenager were initially arraigned on May 12, 2016, concerning Cartwright’s death. According to reports, police received information that Cartwright was stabbed in the area of Sumner Street after being embroiled in an argument with another man. When officers arrived on the scene, they found his body covered in multiple stab wounds in his body. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, March 21, 2018, PAGE 7
NO DATE YET FOR INTELLIGENCE AGENCY CREATION By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net
DESTRUCTION on Ragged Island after Hurricane Irma.
Plan for Ragged solar grid complete By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net WHILE still not giving a proposed timeline of when hurricane-ravaged Ragged Island is expected to be fully restored, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said techno-economic modelling for the island’s electrical grid has been completed. This modelling completed by US based company Rocky Mountain Institute will give way to a solar array and battery storage system, which is expected to provide 95 percent of Ragged Island’s electrical needs, he said. The system will cost $2m. However, Dr Minnis did not say whether the funds would come from the public purse, or be raised through public private partnership as he previously suggested. “The well known Rocky
Mountain Institute has completed techno-economic modelling for the Ragged Island electrical grid,” the Killarney MP said during his update on the progress of restoration on Ragged Island six months after Hurricane Irma decimated the small island. “This modelling is known as the HOMER (Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources) Model. HOMER Models are widely accepted as one of the most trusted and advanced methods for modelling the addition of renewable energy resources into existing micro grids. “The proposed solar array and battery storage system will provide 95 percent of Ragged Islands electrical needs with the existing diesel generators remaining functional for back up power when solar production falls short due
to bad weather. The budget for the proposed system is $2m US.” He continued: “Savings incurred from reduced fuel consumption and operating costs will be roughly $270,000 per year achieving system payback in less than six years. I will advise later on how this matter proceeds. “We are determined to make Ragged Island a model for renewable energy as we rebuild that island.” Days after the island was destroyed, Dr Minnis told Parliament his administration intended to “transform” it into the first fully “green” island in the region. The prime minister explained renewable energy and smart technology from solar energy and sustainable water purification systems will be utilised for this effort with the help
READERS REACT ON IMMIGRATION AFTER Immigration Minister Brent Symonette announced people born to foreign parents but who fail to apply for citizenship by age 19 will only be granted permanent residency with a right to work, readers gave their reaction on tribune242.com. OldFort2012 was critical of the announcement: “This is the craziest thing I ever heard. To obtain permanent residency without the right to work, an outsider needs to invest $1m minimum and pay $10,000. But if your parents were criminals and came here illegally, if you schooled yourself at the expense of the Bahamian taxpayer and generally sponged off this state all your life, you get it for free and we throw in the right to work.” Screwedbahamian asked: “Should it not be ‘People who are born in the Bahamas to LEGAL foreign parents in the Bahamas’ are entitled to apply? If ANY parent entered the Bahamas ILLEGALLY the child
is not ELIGIBLE to apply. The law should be clear and concise and free of any AMBIGUITY.” Joeblow said: “Bahamians must demand a referendum to address this immigration issue once and for all!! We simply can’t trust the politicians (especially Symonette) to do what is in this country’s best interest!” Ohdrap4 had this to say: “This just creates another problem because, if one cannot apply at 18 for lack of proper documents, one cannot apply at 20 because of the same documents. As for raising the penalty for harbouring, how about charging an employer for the first time, if only to make history? And referendum? Do not waste your money, people will continue
to vote no.” My2centz offered this comment: “Why would he propose a ‘solution’ that rewards missing the deadline with something even better? Permanent residency implies they will retain or still have to acquire foreign passports meanwhile benefitting from Bahamas’ resources in every way (except voting). What’s the incentive for applying for citizenship? His brazen attempt at creating a bi-national country should be rejected. At most they should be given temporary status and mandated to fulfil certain requirements such as having a trade or degree, no criminal record and show stability before they are allowed to apply for citizenship. And deported if not. Immigration policies should not be developed with a charitable mindset, it should benefit the country as well.” • Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.
DEATH ANNOUNCEMENT Peter Charles Longman of Cable Beach, N. P., Bahamas and formerly of Chelmsford, Essex, England died on Saturday, 3rd March, 2018 while at his sister’s residence in Woodford Green, Essex, England. Funeral Service will be held on
Friday, 13th April, 2018
at Traditional Chapel, The City of London Crematorium, Aldersbrook Road, Manor Park, London at 12:00 noon. Sadly missed by family and friends.
of residents and descendants of the island. To further support these efforts, Dr Minnis said the government would seek not only the assistance of Bahamians, but look to international counterparts. However, at the time he did not reveal a cost to be associated with this undertaking, adding Minister of Finance K Peter Turnquest would offer details at a later date on the price tag of Hurricane Irma’s related costs. This has yet to be done. Works Minister Desmond Bannister has said full restoration will cost tens of millions of dollars. The slow progress on the island has caused many to voice frustration among them, Exuma and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper. Back in January, the MP railed against the government saying the situation in his constituency remained
THERE is still no timeline for the creation of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), but National Security Minister Marvin Dames yesterday said there will be some developments in the “next few months or so”. He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the creation of an independent forensic laboratory, telling media outside Cabinet the long-promised facility will be introduced before the end of this term. Mr Dames said his ministry was working to establish an internal committee to aid this endeavour. Ahead of the May 2017 general election, the Free National Movement flagged the lab as one of the 20 ways it plans to decrease crime and improve the effectiveness of the police force. The party also listed “enact legislation to establish the National Intelligence Agency”. Yesterday Mr Dames confirmed to reporters the government was making headway on its NIA promise. “Oh it’s coming!” he said, “I hope that you can expect to see that…shortly, hopefully within maybe the next few months or so. “We have been doing a lot of work behind the scenes, looking at structure, what sort of structure would we like to see, how should it function.” “Because we understand that this is a very, very important component to the success of our crime fighting measures. And we’re very committed to it. “And once it’s established you will see exactly what we’re seeking achieve.
We’re very excited about it.” In 2013, then Police Staff Association president Sergeant Dwayne Rolle criticised “successive governments” for continuously promising to build a new forensic laboratory without the project ever coming to fruition. While Sgt Rolle recognised the 2013/2014 budget allotted $110,000 to purchase equipment for the existing lab, he reiterated, “a proper lab that meets international standards is more than needed”. Regarding the forensic lab, Mr Dames said: “We’re in the process now of establishing a committee within the ministry itself, who will begin the process of looking at this from an holistic standpoint.” “We did mention as a government that we intend to establish an independent forensic laboratory and we have started certainly the groundwork in the process of doing that.” “Once we’re done with that, we will certainly present our findings to Cabinet, as to the way to proceed moving forward.” “But it is certainly an intention of our government to ensure that certainly before the end of our term that you can expect to see an independent laboratory, separate from the Royal Bahamas Police Force with its own leadership structure and certainly a state of the art facility.” Mr Dames also acknowledged the importance of forensics in court cases, particularly in criminal matters. However, he declined to estimate how much the government spends to send forensic samples abroad.
PAGE 8, Wednesday, March 21, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
Missed the bus but not a day of joy and wonder TRANSFORMING Spaces — an annual art bus tour in Nassau, Bahamas — was last weekend, and I took too long to purchase a ticket. It sold out quickly and so I was left to either sulk, or make my own way from gallery to gallery to see the work of Bahamian artists. I buddied up with Charlotte Henay — storyteller and researcher who writes about cultural memory — and we moved from one gallery to the next, starting with The Current at Baha Mar and ending at Doongalik on Village Road. Though we had both seen photos and social media commentary on the tour, we wondered what themes we would find as we explored the work on our own. We had been talking about the politics of storytelling, necessity of historical understanding, and what it means to be here now. As you would expect, this conversation informed and coloured my experience of the selfguided Transforming Spaces tour. Baha Mar presented Instinct II: From Darkness to Light — “an investigation of dichotomies of concepts” that heavily references the Old Testament of The Bible with particular emphasis on Genesis 1. It was interesting to be surrounded by the work of women artists. I was particularly interested in Sue Katz Lightbourn’s two pieces on plaster, shaped like bustiers. Installed next to each other, they immediately brought to mind the idea of leather versus lace. One is black, adorned with industrial material including screws and dark words like “scary,” “horror,” “arrgh,” and “eek”. The white, more bridal piece is covered by
Highlights of event at Hillside House as seen on UB’s Visual Arts Facebook Page.
flowers, garter-like material, and soft words like “love,” “art,” and “I’m the happiest girl alive”. There is no artist statement paired with the work to give context, making it even more interesting to consider. At a glance, it appears to be a commentary on womanhood, the balance of hard and soft, and challenging the idea of dichotomy as opposed to layered, complicated lives. Occupying space at Baha
Mar, however, it led me to wonder about what the space represents and how we show ourselves, as a country, to the outsider looking in from afar or dropping by for a brief, controlled visit. How do we define the hard and the soft? Which do we hide behind, and why? How can we complicate the narrative of The Bahamas and the deceptively narrow space between paradise and plantation? Jessica Colebrooke’s
work, one two sides of one wall, hints at answers to these questions. On one side, there are ocean-inspired framed pieces, perfect for the island home with wicker furniture, or the office desk as a memento from vacation days spent with toes dug into golden sand. They are normal for island life. They are simplicity. On the reverse, Entangled I and Entangled II stand out. They are both like a ball of yarn spun with care, but confusing to the unknowing eye. We, as people and as a nation, can be complicated. We can recognise the surface beauty while acknowledging the complications of our existence and how we came to be. Investigating origin and history may not lead to a simple timeline, and the way we discover truth may not be linear, but there are ways to work from one end to another. Recognising the difficult and the troubling is not a slap in the face to the beauty we deserve to enjoy. We have the skill to do them both, and the outcome depends almost completely on our interest. Hillside House, in its collaboration with the University of The Bahamas Visual Arts, deliberately looked back while creating a cultural experience through interactive programing that including the visual
art exhibition, workshops in printmaking and bookbinding, a music panel, and poetry night among other activities. The exhibition in the gallery space runs the gamut, from the copper sculptures by Q Kimetria Pratt placing women on stage as superior, intentional beings to the poetry of Suhayla Hepburn remembering and reminding us of the grandmother we pay may not mind, even after she minded us on the porch we all know so well. Nowé Harris-Smith’s Colonial Subjection is a reminder of the chain around the necks of Bahamian men and women as we navigate or pretend not to notice the persisting, lingering ramifications of a history we cannot undo or escape, but also cannot transcend without conversation and restoration that must include reparations. The work in this space, from artists of varied backgrounds taking on a wide range of subthemes, calls out the tendency to refrain, ignore, and accept, and call us to occupy, face, and reclaim by standing in our own power. Doongalik is a place of pure, child-like joy and wonder. Few things bring the energy and excitement or highlight the skill and boundlessness of the Bahamian. It is always a pleasure
ARTWORK by Kimetra Pratt, UB Alumni.
ARTWORK by Edrin Symonette, UB Alumni.
to be in conversation with Pam Burnside whose love for Bahamian culture and dedication to its preservation is incomparable. She walked us through the space and we talked, at length, about Junkanoo, its “evolution,” and our role in ensuring it outlives us. Having never visited a Junkanoo shack, the mini-shack by Junkanoo Commandos is a fun place to be. JuJukanoo Arts bring fun and nostalgia to Doongalik’s Junkanoo exhibition with its Junkanoo figures, pasted and fringed, free of feathers. The burst of colour and up cycling of Bahamian soda cans made us feel energised at the end of a long day. We marvelled at the fine work and imagined, together, what is would be like for Junkanoo to take its rightful place in The Bahamas. Art and art galleries can feel like closed, exclusive places. We do not all feel welcome in these spaces, or even deserving. It can feel like a mysterious world, open only to those who have studied, collected and created works of art. Transforming Spaces has been a vehicle to transport the supposed outsider — the person who cannot afford a gallery entrance fee, much less an original painting, or the person who does not instantly understand a piece and is afraid of feeling lost or confused. It is an entry point, and one we should scale and replicate, not only in the art world, but in every industry. Things do not exist for themselves, but for the people who can enjoy and benefit from them, whether through experience, direct engagement, or conversation. The Bahamas is no different. It is not here for its own good, nor is it here for the people who pass through once in a lifetime or spend a few months here per year. Our conversations about who gets to visit, own, and claim The Bahamas are taking place in many different spaces among people of various backgrounds. If you are interested in having it, whether with or without other people, Transforming Spaces may be a good place to start. We could certainly benefit from more people talking about change-making as a practice, and seeing art as one of many ways to reflect on the past as we create our own future.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, March 21, 2018, PAGE 9
Robots break new ground in construction industry SAN FRANCISCO Associated Press AS a teenager working for his dad’s construction business, Noah ReadyCampbell dreamed that robots could take over the dirty, tedious parts of his job, such as digging and leveling soil for building projects. Now the former Google engineer is turning that dream into a reality with Built Robotics, a start-up that’s developing technology to allow bulldozers, excavators and other construction vehicles to operate themselves. “The idea behind Built Robotics is to use automation technology make construction safer, faster and cheaper,” said ReadyCampbell, standing in a dirt lot where a small bulldozer moved mounds of earth without a human operator. The San Francisco startup is part of a wave of automation that’s transforming the construction industry, which has lagged behind other sectors in technological innovation. Backed by venture capital, tech start-ups are developing robots, drones, software and other technologies to help the construction industry to boost speed, safety and productivity. Autonomous machines are changing the nature of construction work in an industry that’s struggling to find enough skilled workers while facing a backlog of building projects. “We need all of the robots we can get, plus all of the workers working, in order to have economic growth,” said Michael Chui, a partner at McKinsey Global Institute in San Francisco. “As machines do some of the work that people used to do, the people have to migrate and transition to other forms of work, which means lots of retraining.” Workers at Berich Masonry in Englewood, Colorado, recently spent
SAM, a semi-automated mason, is shown at work on the facade of a school in the south Denver suburb of Englewood, Colorado. Faced with a shortage of skilled labour, the construction industry hopes that robots and other technologies will help boost productivity, safety and speed to build more housing and deal with infrastructure needs in the decades ahead. Photo: David Zalubowski/AP several weeks learning how to operate a bricklaying robot known as SAM. That’s short for Semi-Automated Mason, a $400,000 machine which is made by Victor, New York-based Construction Robotics. The machine can lay about 3,000 bricks in an eight-hour shift - several times more than a mason working by hand. SAM’s mechanical arm picked up bricks, covered them with mortar and carefully placed them to form the outside wall of a new elementary school. Working on a scaffold, workers loaded the machine with bricks and scraped off excess mortar left behind by the robot. The goal, said company president Todd Berich, is to use technology to take on more work and keep his existing customers happy.
“Right now I have to tell them ‘no’ because we’re at capacity,” he said. Bricklayer Michael Walsh says the robot lessens the load on his body, but he doesn’t think it will take his job. “It ain’t going to replace people,” Walsh said. The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers isn’t too concerned that robots will displace its members anytime soon, according to policy director Brian Kennedy. “There are lots of things that SAM isn’t capable of doing that you need skilled bricklayers to do,” Kennedy said. “We support anything that supports the masonry industry. We don’t stand in the way of technology.” The rise of construction robots comes as the
building industry faces a severe labour shortage. A recent survey by the Associated General Contractors of America found that 70 percent of construction firms are having trouble finding skilled workers. “To get qualified people to handle a loader or a haul truck or even run a plant, they’re hard to find right now,” said Mike Moy, a mining plant manager at Lehigh Hanson. “Nobody wants to get their hands dirty anymore. They want a nice, clean job in an office.” At his company’s mining plant in Sunol, California, Moy is saving time and money by using a drone to measure the giant piles of rock and sand his company sells for construction. The autonomous quadcopter can survey the entire
90-acre site in 25 minutes. Previously, the company hired a contractor who would take a whole day to measure the piles with a truck-mounted laser. The drone is made by Silicon Valley-based Kespry, which converts the survey data into detailed 3-D maps and charges an annual subscription fee for its services. The start-up also provides drones and mapping services to insurance companies surveying homes damaged by natural disasters. “Not only is it safer and faster, but you get more data, as much as ten to a hundred times more data,” said Kespry CEO George Mathew. “This becomes a complete game changer for a lot of the industrial work that’s being accomplished today.”
NEW NICKNAME FOR PLUTO-EXPLORER’S NEXT TARGET: ULTIMA THULE CAPE CANAVERAL Associated Press
THERE’S a new nickname for the icy world next up for the spacecraft that explored Pluto: Ultima Thule. NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft is headed toward a New Year’s Day encounter with this mysterious object or two, 1 billion miles beyond Pluto on the fringes of our solar system. Its official name is 2014 MU69. The mission team wanted a less technical and more inspiring name and, late last year, sought public input. Announced
THIS illustration provided by NASA shows the New Horizons spacecraft. last week, the nickname Ultima Thule (THOOlee) comes from medieval literature and refers to a
distant, unknown world. “MU69 is humanity’s next Ultima Thule,” New Horizons’ lead scientist,
Alan Stern of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, said in a statement. “Our spacecraft is heading beyond the limits of the known worlds.” New Horizons will fly past Ultima Thule on Jan 1, making it humanity’s most distant encounter with another world. Discovered in 2014 and more than 4 billion miles from Earth, Ultima Thule is considerably smaller than Pluto, explored by New Horizons in 2015. Scientists estimate it’s no more than 20 miles across if a single object. If it is two objects orbiting one
another, each one might be nine miles to 12 miles long. There might also be a small moon. No one will know for certain until New Horizons draws closer. The team will choose a more formal name following the flyby. For the nickname, more than 34,000 suggestions were whittled down to a list of 37 for public online voting. The top vote-getter actually was the name of Thor’s hammer — Mjolnir — of Norse mythology, followed by Z’ha’dum, a planet in the 1990s TV series Babylon 5. Ultima Thule ranked seventh.
• PUSHING back against her critics, Melania Trump said Tuesday she’s committed to fighting cyberbullying despite the knocks she’s gotten for taking on the issue when her husband regularly uses Twitter to berate his foes and call them names. “I am well aware that people are sceptical of me discussing this topic,” the first lady said. “I have been criticised for my commitment to tackling this issue, and I know that will continue. But it will not stop me from doing what I know is right. I am here with one goal: helping children and our next generation.” Mrs Trump made her comments as she convened executives from major online and social media companies at the White House to discuss cyberbullying and internet safety. The meeting came more than a year after she announced that cyberbullying would be her cause if Trump were elected president. The choice was immediately assailed, but Mrs Trump said she won’t back down. She said she gets many letters from children who have been bullied or feel threatened on social media. She acknowledged that the issue has been studied for years, and told the executives she wants to hear “what you have learned, what has been accomplished, and what progress still needs to be made”. “I believe together we can make a real difference in encouraging positive behaviours on social media,” she added. Amazon, Snap, Facebook, Google, Twitter and Microsoft sent representatives, as did the Internet Association and the Family Online Safety Institute. • ORBITZ says one of its older websites may have been hacked, potentially exposing the personal information of people who made purchases online between Jan 1, 2016, and Dec 22, 2017. The current Orbitz.com website was not involved in the incident. Orbitz is now owned by Expedia Inc of Belleview, Washington. Orbitz said Tuesday about 880,000 payment cards were impacted. Data that was likely exposed includes name, address, payment card information, date of birth, phone number, email address and gender. Social security information was not hacked, however. The company said evidence suggests that an attacker may have accessed information stored on the platform — which was for both consumers and business partners — between Oct 1, 2017, and Dec 22, 2017. It said it discovered the data breach on March 1. Orbitz is offering those impacted a year of free credit monitoring and identity protection service in countries where available.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, March 21, 2018, PAGE 11
A proud, passionate Bahamian from page one Development and National Insurance, 1994-1995; Minister Of Health And Environment, 1995-1997; Minister of Labour, Immigration and Training, 1997, and Minister Agriculture, Commerce and Industry. Many of her prominent appointments came during successive Hubert Ingraham administrations, from 1992 to 2002. In a statement yesterday, the former Prime Minister said he was “shocked and saddened” to learn of her passing. He said he was aware Mrs Moxey-Ingraham had been ailing for “some time”, but said he held out hope she would recover. Reflecting on her life and legacy yesterday, Mr Ingraham said the former educator was among the “pioneers” of women in front line politics, saying he was pleased to name her to his first Cabinet. Referring to her legacy, Mr Ingraham said: “She was one of three women named to the Cabinet that year, a first for our country and the first time that a woman had been appointed to Cabinet in more than 20 years.” He added that she, like her fellow female ministerial colleagues, was given
THERESA Moxey-Ingraham at the time of being appointed as an FNM Senator in 1987 and, right, cutting the ribbon for a new air terminal when Minister of Social Development and National Insurance. Cabinet responsibility by her FNM family and by In a statement of his own Moxey-Ingraham, with “She played a pivotal role for “weighty matters”; of the many people who ben- yesterday, FNM Chairman whom he shared many par- on the education committee, which, he said, she did not efitted from her years in Carl Culmer described the liamentary debates. travelling the entire archidisappoint. public life. former high school teacher Mr Davis said: “I have pelago educating Bahamians “Following an unsucPrime Minister Dr as a “courageous woman”, fond memories of our ani- on the proposed constitucessful bid for election to Hubert Minnis said he was adding that her love and mated and lively debates in tional changes to bring about the House of Assembly in “deeply saddened” to learn passion led her to aid in the the House of Assembly as gender equality. Part of her 1987 she was appointed to of her passing. life development of scores we legislated laws and for- legacy in building a better the Senate,” Mr Ingraham “A dynamic personality, of young Bahamians. mulated policies in our quest Bahamas was her advocacy recalled. “In Government, Theresa displayed a great His statement noted: to build a better Bahamas.” for equality for all.” she was a strong advocate love and zest for life, and “There was never a doubt The Cat Island MP Mr Davis said Mrs for the rights of women; passion for her country,” about how much she loved added: “We did not always Moxey-Ingraham will be a vigorous and unyield- said Dr Minnis. her country and this same agree on policy issues but sorely missed, but her work ing supporter of the rights “... On behalf of a grate- love led her to serve as Vice it was clear that we desired will live on in perpetuity. of children, a promoter ful nation, and on my own President of the Women’s a better Bahamas and Mrs Moxey-Ingraham’s of education and training behalf and that of my wife, Association of The Baha- worked tirelessly toward passing was also recognised and markedly a proponent Patricia, I offer condolences mas, a Senator in 1987; that common goal. during parliamentary proof the education loan pro- to her husband, Kirk, her Opposition Leader in the “In a move of bipartisan- ceedings yesterday. gramme first introduced mother Ms Sally Hutch- Senate, 1988-1992 and a ship and statesmanship, House Speaker Halston under the FNM.” erson, her daughter Odia, member of parliament for Mrs Moxey-Ingraham Moultrie called her one Mr Ingraham said the siblings, other relatives and Golden Gates in 1992.” accepted the invitation of the greatest parliamenformer Cabinet Minister her many friends. Meanwhile, Oppo- from the PLP government tarians, adding her life would also be remembered “May God bless her eter- sition Leader Philip and served with distinction and legacy cast a “huge as an ally of labour, adding nal soul and may she rest in “Brave” Davis praised on the McWeeney Constitu- shadow” for aspiring lawthat she will be sadly missed perpetual peace.” the life and work of Mrs tional Reform Commission. makers to follow.
HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEEDS MORE MEMBERS TO SURVIVE By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
AFTER half a century in operation, the Bahamas Historical Society (BHS) is fighting for its survival amid inadequate cash flow and insufficient volunteers. BHS secretary Jim Lawlor, 78, fears the organisation which was established in 1959 might have to close its doors. In a message posted on
Facebook, he said: “After the poor turnout at the recent meet and greet event last Saturday, I wonder if our members or the general public care or (are) interested in having a historical society to preserve and disseminate our history. Mr Lawlor continued: “Our membership is falling as more and more people neglect or forget to renew membership. The museum is run by a declining number of ageing
volunteers and the building constantly needs expensive repair and maintenance. If the spill-down continues we may be forced to close! WE NEED YOUR HELP!” BHS’ building has been on Shirley Street for decades. The building’s roof has a leaking problem, Mr Lawlor said. “I’ve got a feeling the roof needs to be replaced. The last five or six years we’ve been having problems with the kitchen roof.
With the last storm, the museum sustained roof damage and one of the tiles dropped off the roof.” Mr Lawlor said the leaking issue has caused slight damage to some of the organisation’s artefacts. The building is in “bad need of a paint job” and new doors, he added. The BHS has artefacts from a number of eras. “We have a good amount of Victoria material that go from the Lucayans to
government politics and independence in 1973,” he said. “Then we have pictures of (a) president and prime ministers and Governor Generals in The Bahamas.” We have things like old type writers, kitchenware, toiletware and we have a Junkanoo section as well. We have artefacts from the loyalists’ era and the slavery era as well.” Mr Lawlor said the BHS has 285 members, but it is difficult getting most people
to keep up with dues. “People would join but you won’t ever see them again or their cash,” he said. “We cannot attract young people even though we do things in the schools. Usually people are in their 40s and 50s when they start to get interested in history.” Membership packages range from a low of $10 for students to a high of $1,000 for lifetime members. The BHS also offers corporate membership packages.
PAGE 12, Wednesday, March 21, 2018
TEAM BAHAMAS BRINGS HOME THE GOLD
THE TRIBUNE
HAPPY champions, happy parents, happy officials - The Bahamas Water Polo Team won gold medals in all three age categories of under 14, under 16 and under 19 after competition at CARIFTA in Jamaica. They returned home yesterday evening to be met and congratulated by Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Michael Pintard. Photos: Terrel W Carey/ Tribune Staff
P R O C L A M AT I O N THE BAHAMAS Water Polo Team, pictured, with Dr Hubert Minnis, Prime Minister; Philip Davis, opposition leader; Peter Turnquest, deputy Prime Minister; Michael Pintard, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture; Halson Moultrie, house speaker and Donald Saunders, house deputy speaker. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
Ex-French president Sarkozy held on Gadhafi claims PARIS, FRANCE Associated Press FORMER French President Nicolas Sarkozy was taken into custody on Tuesday in connection with allegations that he received millions of euros in illegal campaign financing from the regime of the late Libyan leader, Moammar Gadhafi. A judicial source with direct knowledge of the case told the Associated Press that Sarkozy was being held at the Nanterre police station, north-west of Paris. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly. Sarkozy arrived at the police station early in the morning and remained there well into the night. It was unclear if he would be kept in custody overnight. Sarkozy, 63, has vehemently and repeatedly denied wrongdoing in the case, which involves funding for his winning 2007 presidential campaign. A lawyer for the former president did not respond to a message from the AP
seeking comment. While an investigation has been underway since 2013, it gained traction when French-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine told the online investigative site Mediapart in 2016 that he delivered suitcases from Libya containing 5m euros ($6.2m) in cash to Sarkozy and his former chief of staff, Claude Gueant. Investigators are examining claims that Gadhafi’s regime secretly gave Sarkozy 50m euros overall for the 2007 French campaign. The sum would be more than double the legal campaign funding limit at the time, 21m euros. In addition, the alleged payments would violate French rules against foreign financing and declaring the source of campaign funds. A former top aide of Sarkozy’s, former minister Brice Hortefeux, was reportedly questioned Tuesday but not detained. Sarkozy, who was president from 2007-12, had a complex relationship with Gadhafi. Soon after winning the French presidency,
Sarkozy invited the Libyan leader for a state visit and welcomed him to France with high honors. But Sarkozy then put France in the forefront of NATO-led airstrikes against Gadhafi’s troops that helped rebel fighters topple Gadhafi’s regime in 2011. In the Mediapart interview, Takieddine said he was given 5m euros in Tripoli by Gadhafi’s intelligence chief in late 2006 and 2007 and that he gave the money to Sarkozy and Gueant in suitcases on three occasions. He said the cash transfers took place in the French Interior Ministry, while Sarkozy was interior minister. Takieddine has for years been embroiled in his own problems with French justice. They centre mainly on allegations he provided illegal funds to the campaign of conservative politician Edouard Balladur for his 1995 presidential election campaign — via commissions from the sale of French submarines to Pakistan.