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VOLUME:114 No.89, MARCH 29TH, 2017

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EASTER COLOURING CONTEST: SEE PAGE 7 IN BUSINESS

US, Caricom to monitor election International observers called in to check vote

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas government has received confirmation from two of four international organisations invited to send electoral observers for the upcoming general election.

Invitations were sent to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organisation of American States (OAS), and the United States of America, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Public Affairs Officer Al Dillette.

Mr Dillette told The Tribune that CARICOM and the US have confirmed

that they will send observers and the government expects responses from the remaining groups “in due course”.

This comes amid concerns about the voting process and after a revelation from Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall that several people have registered twice in the same constituency, an irregularity that was picked up by the department’s computer database.

CARICOM and the Organisation of American States (OAS) were invited by the Ingraham administration to observe the 2012 general election, a first for the country.

POLICE arrested a man from Eleuthera and brought him to the capital last night to be questioned in connection with a “voter fraud” investigation, with Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean warning the public that the Royal Bahamas Police Force will take a “no tolerance” approach to such matters.

ACP Dean said the man will be charged in court as early as today.

SEE PAGE SIX

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

HER nose and mouth covered by a protective face mask, Iyanda Hilton wrapped herself in a warm blanket and rested alongside her mother in the Bone Marrow Centre at the Holtz Children’s Hospital in Miami, Florida.

On March 20, after 12 years of suffering, she was about to have a potentially life-changing bone marrow transplant that was years in the making.

After an acute chest syndrome in 2014 placed her in the Intensive Care Unit at Doctors Hospital for several days, her parents, Ian and Yolanda Hilton, realised she needed urgent attention and they pursued the transplant as the primary remedy for curing her sickle cell anemia.

SEE PAGE FIVE

SEE PAGE SIX

ment by “Bahamians who want a better Bahamas” in The Tribune yesterday and today. The letter asked the Gaming Board to take note of concerns about alleged “documented associations with international crime” and the owners of Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE), Baha Mar’s buyer.

SEE PAGE SEVEN

By TANEKA THOMPSON Tribune News Editor tmthompson@tribunemedia.net

GIRL DENIED INSURANCE AS SHE LAY ON HOSPITAL BED

BAHA MAR REJECTS CLAIM THAT BUYER LINKED TO CRIME BAHA Mar’s president has pushed back at “baseless” and “untrue” allegations contained in an open letter to the Gaming Board, which accused the resort’s buyer of being allegedly associated with “international crime” organisations through its link to a Macau gaming group.

The allegations were put forth in a paid advertise-

ELEUTHERA MAN HELD IN PROBE OF VOTER FRAUD

FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis speaking last night during a party event on Pinewood Park, where he said unlike Prime Minister Perry Christie he would have complete control of his Cabinet. See more on pages two and three.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

BUTLER-TURNER: FNM OFFERED SEAT FOR ELECTION - BUT NOT LONG ISLAND

BY SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

OFFICIAL Opposition Leader Loretta ButlerTurner revealed yesterday that she had an informal “conversation” with someone in the Free National Movement (FNM) but the talks fell apart when she was offered a seat other than Long Island.

In an interview on “The Real Deal” with host Ortland Bodie, Mrs ButlerTurner said she is still a member of the “FNM at heart” and she is only running as an independent in the next general election because she is “not able to run under” the FNM’s banner.

She said the symbol for her independent run is a heart, her hand sign is a

“thumbs up” and her colours are blue and white.

The Long Island MP said she believes she will win her seat again by a comfortable majority.

“I am still an FNM until such time that I nominate and I will nominate,” she told the show’s host. “I am a lioness and you do not leave your den. You do not leave SEE PAGE THREE

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

AIR QUALITY AT COLLEGE 71 TIMES WORSE IN DUMP SMOKE

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

AN initial assessment of air quality around the Aquinas College campus has shown a substantial reduction in air quality on days when smoke is in the area - in some case 71 times worse than on clear days.

Catholic Board of Education officials yesterday made public aspects of their ongoing air quality assessment in response to the massive fire at the New Providence Landfill earlier this month.

SEE PAGE THREE

PAGE 2, Wednesday, March 29, 2017

SMILES on people’s faces at the Free National Movement regional candidates launch at Pinewood Park last night.

FNM candidate for Bamboo Town Renward Wells.

FNM candidate for Marathon Romi Ferreira speaking last night.

FNM candidate for South Beach Jeffrey Lloyd.

THE CROWD at the FNM event at Pinewood Park.

THE TRIBUNE

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

DYSON Knight performing at the FNM event last night.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, Wednesday, Msrch March 29, 29, 2017, 2017, PAGE PAGE 3 3

Minnis: I will be in full charge of my Cabinet

By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net FREE National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr Hubert Minnis last night compared himself to Prime Minister Perry Christie, saying unlike the nation’s leader he will be fully in charge of his Cabinet, bringing direction and competence to government.

Pointing to his own shortfalls in public speaking, Dr Minnis said while he is not a “fancy” speaker, he is genuine and will bring straight talk to Bahamians if his party wins the imminent general election.

Speaking during his party’s candidate’s launch at the Pinewood Gardens Park last night, Dr Minnis said another term under the Progressive Liberal Party the country could expect to see more corruption.

He further alluded to Mr Christie’s infamous “flip of the bird” during a Progressive Liberal Party event last month, telling FNMs that the Prime Minister only expressed regret over the hand gesture because someone “took a photo” of the incident.

“Being Prime Minister requires many traits,” Dr Minnis told the hundreds of supporters gathered. “As Prime Minister, I will bring a strong ethic of hard work.

I may not be a fancy talker, but I’m genuine. I will give you straight talk, not fairytales and make-believe.

My government will boldly and resolutely embark on a new era of reform and modernisation for a 21st century Bahamas.

“Unlike Christie, I will be fully in charge of my cabinet. I will bring direction and focus, qualities Christie sorely lacks. I will bring discipline to government, something Christie is incapable of doing. I will not run a ‘late-again’ gov-

THE FREE National Movement launch event for its regional candidates at on Pinewood Park last night.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff and dealing over the past accepted. ernment. Unlike Christie, When he took the stage, my administration will be five years. We will weed the out the rot of the PLP.” Mr Rahming said the party decisive.

The event was the FNMs intends to address chronic “Unlike Christie, I will be in charge of my govern- official regional launch of flooding in the constitument. The poor and disad- South Beach candidate Jeff ency. He also pledged that vantaged will be front and Lloyd, Reuben Rahming should the FNM become centre in a Hubert Minnis for Pinewood, Romauld the next government, many administration. My gov- Ferreira for Marathon, residents who are living ernment will not waste Renward Wells in Bamboo in “death traps” will have the VAT money and other Town and Halson Moultrie their roofs repaired. He was referring to the concrete revenue on lavish travel, for Nassau Village.

Mr Wells, during his ad- make-up of the majority of Carnival and massive waste by ministers. Car- dress to supporters, drew homes in Pinewood, which nival will be privatised. attention to concerns in the he now claimed were colMy government wouldn’t Parliamentary Registration lapsing on inhabitants.

Mr Lloyd took a similar even dream of giving away Department. He said the 20,000 acres in Andros to PLP seemed to be prepar- tone, pointing to the failing to “steal” the election. ures of the government. He foreigners.

“The FNM will not allow He echoed calls for interna- said the Christie adminisforeigners to do commer- tional observers. The gov- tration has not built any new cial fishing in our waters. ernment announced yester- schools this term and an Unlike the PLP, my gov- day that four international FNM administration would ernment will be account- organisations had been in- not only build schools but able and transparent. I will vited to observe the process give more attention to the FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis during his arrival at the FNM event last night. expose the PLP’s wheeling and that two had already educational system.

BUTLER-TURNER: FNM OFFERED SEAT FOR ELECTION - BUT NOT LONG ISLAND from page one

your base unprotected.

You do not allow the old dinosaurs to play the old dinosaur game of trying to push you out. So I am going to stay there to protect my territory and so that is why I will have to run as an independent. I no longer have the ability to run as a FNM,” Mrs Butler-Turner said. “...I am pleased to say my symbol is the heart. It is going to be the heart because

it shows my love for people, the vulnerable, the disabled, the downtrodden because that is the background I come from. I have to protect these persons that cannot defend themselves.

“I am an FNM at heart, I am still card carrying member of the FNM, it is because of the fact that I can no longer run under that banner that I am running as an independent,” she added.

When asked by Mr Bodie why she didn’t “put her pride to the side” and

attempt to get back into the FNM’s fold, Mrs Butler-Turner said: “To be very honest we did have that conversation and the sad thing is, though it was not a formal conversation, they did not want to give me a seat that I have, the one that I am protecting.”

The Long Island MP did not say who the conversation was with or what seat she was offered. She also said when it comes to retuning to the FNM “there is always hope.”

When contacted yesterday, FNM Chairman Sidney Collie said he did not know what Mrs ButlerTurner was referring to, telling The Tribune this was the first time he was made aware of the claims.

In January, Mrs ButlerTurner confirmed that her bid for re-election in Long Island during the upcoming general election would be as an independent candidate.

Shortly thereafter, Mr Collie said the minute Mrs Butler-Turner nominates

herself as an independent candidate for Long Island she will no longer be a member of the FNM. In an earlier interview with The Tribune, Mr Collie said according to the party’s constitution, any FNM member that runs against a nominated FNM candidate “automatically disqualifies” him or her from being a part of the party.

In December, 2016, the FNM appointed a three-person tribunal to decide the fate of Mrs Butler-Turner and the six

other members of Parliament who ousted Dr Hubert Minnis as leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Assembly earlier that month.

The party accused the group of MPs of bringing the party into “disrepute, division, rancour and dishonour”.

The FNM’s council also withdrew Mrs Butler-Turner’s candidacy for Long Island and ratified Adrian Gibson, 32, an attorney and former Tribune columnist, for the seat.

AIR QUALITY AT COLLEGE 71 TIMES WORSE IN DUMP SMOKE from page one

At the school’s Gladstone Road campus yesterday morning, officials indicated that the school had been compiling air quality samples since November as it looked to catalogue the data necessary to aid decision-making at the school in the event of a fire in southwest New Providence.

In the wake of this month’s blaze, which forced nearby Jubilee Gardens residents out of their homes for some time, the high school was forced to close its campus for nearly a week.

As a result of reoccurring fires at the city dump, environmentalists associated with the school viewed the campus as a prime location to carry out an extended study on air quality.

In November, officials outfitted the school with a nephelometer to monitor air quality at the campus.

Readings showed a need for officials to add wind gauges and several other weather apparatus to its system, all formatted to measure, assess and document smoke and air trends at the school and its surrounding area day-to-day.

Promoted as the nation’s first extensive air quality

index, the system is being managed by Dr Danny Davis, assistant professor of chemistry, environmental and life sciences and director of institutional strengthening at the University of the Bahamas.

According to Dr Davis, an alumnus of Aquinas College, initial ratings obtained by the school’s nephelometer have shown substantial reduction in air quality on “smoke days” - in some case 71 times worse than on “non smoke” days.

Dr Davis maintained that while these findings were not final, the data compiled has been used to assist the school in many of its decisions.

“We haven’t seen what we can expect, but we have learned quite a lot,” he said. “We have recognised that the wind direction plays a significant role in what’s happening, hence our decision to go and acquire a wind weather station.

“Another thing we have noticed is that, during the course of a day, we can have increases and decreases, so that allows us to (address matters) as long as we see trends.

This is only the first smoke event that we have been

able to document with the and finish at 4.15pm. instrument.

Mrs Rolle said the school “Heaven forbid if there implemented the change to is another smoke event, but regain the course hours lost we would use that to collect due toi temporary closure more data to become wiser as a result of this month’s as to how to make decisions fire. around this.”

The school also anOfficials said the school’s nounced plans to expand its system has compiled more computer-based platforms than 20,000 data points to better aid students - with around the campus since its Google classroom and November, with plans to hangout applications acting document and plot these as the major components. points, draft a report and Officials have also conrefer that document to tacted several external bodhealth practitioners for ies to help students unable their comments. to take part in its InternetIn addition to the Catho- based course applications. lic Education Board’s anYesterday’s press confernouncement of its data ence was chaired by Archcollection system, Director bishop Patrick Pinder and Claudette Rolle yesterday several other Catholic ofindicated that Aquinas Col- ficials. lege has expanded its daily Environment Minister school schedule by roughly Kenred Dorsett has stated March 2017 an hour and 15Wednesday, minutes 29th - that government plans to iswith a daily start at 8.25am sue a structured tender pro-

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cess for proposals to manage and remediate the New Providence landfill.

He told Tribune Business on Monday: “An RFP

(request for proposal) is being structured now, and that will be advanced to deal with the total operation and remediation of the site.”

PAGE 4, Wednesday, March 29, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

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Trump cannot ignore his party’s broken promises DONALD Trump’s path to the American presidency was paved with broken promises by his own party.

Many of those promises were made over decades to disaffected social and religious conservative voters and involved issues like abortion and same-sex marriage. Code words were developed to help give voice to anti-immigrant and racial bias. These ignited partisan rallies but resulted in little change in Washington.

Then a black man was elected president of the United States.

Most notably during the recent eightyear tenure of President Barack Obama but in reality since Richard Nixon’s 1968 post-Civil Rights Act “Southern Strategy” whereby the Republican Party replaced the Democrats as the party of white-first America, the ‘Grand Old Party’ has tantalised social and religious conservatives.

Fringe candidates espousing “traditional” values on issues ranging from women’s rights and their place in society to prayer in public schools began appearing in Republican primary races.

The stunning Republican Congressional gains in the 1994 bi-elections unleashed dynamic new GOP leadership spearheaded by Newt Gingrich, of Georgia, and a group of enthusiastic lieutenants including John Kasich of Ohio. In time, these newcomers would be abetted and challenged by anti-establishment and alienated voters, many of whom found an ideological home in the Tea Party.

Gingrich and Kasich are still around.

Both were among the 17 Republican contestants for the GOP presidential nomination last year. They were joined on the crowded 2016 debate stages by Rick Santorum, of Pennsylvania, Mike Huckabee, of Arkansas, and Ted Cruz, of Texas, each running as a standard bearer for social conservatism.

Social and religious conservatism has become a practical litmus test for Republicans seeking elective office - and suspected ideological impurity can be fatal to political aspirants. Republican incumbents often became far more concerned about primary election challenges from the Tea Party than from the Democrats.

These concerns are valid: in 2014, the House majority leader, Eric Cantor of Virginia, was unseated in a Republican primary by a Tea Party insurgent.

As a result, most Republican candidates in the past 20-plus years have at least paid lip service to social (and reli-

gious-based) conservative views. Abortion has been the most visible rallying issue. ‘Obamacare’ has become another.

The political passion around social and religious issues has provided much of the recent energy for the Republican Party. Zealous believers were among the most reliable party workers. But there was a growing problem.

While Republican candidates jousted with each other on the stump to illuminate their ardor as social conservatives, they changed little. Republicans would be elected, go to Washington and accomplish little or nothing to advance social conservative causes.

Voter discontent with such trends contributed to amazingly low public opinion ratings of the House of Representatives in particular.

Enter a non-traditional candidate like Donald Trump, clearly not beholden to the entrenched Republican Party establishment that had not delivered on social issues.

Trump had broken no promises. While his passion for social conservatism emerged only after his nomination and is not apparently clearly felt, Trump represented a break with an ineffectually social conservative Republican Party establishment.

That break has become a widening fissure, often expressed on issues that do not superficially reside in the social conservative realm. The American Health Care Act (ACHA), touted as the antidote to Obama’s Affordable Care Act, may be doomed.

Trump has already admitted that “repeal” of ‘Obamacare’ may not occur until next year, despite the feverish efforts of the House leadership to push its plans ahead.

House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin, also wants to change and diminish the budgetary impact of the federal Medicaid programme which offers health care to those who cannot otherwise afford it. Trump is forced to admit that he erred in boasting that his administration would guarantee health care to every American, even as non-partisan studies estimate that ACHA would render adequate health care inaccessible to 24 million Americans.

At the same time, Congressional Republicans are forced to admit there is no evidence the Obama administration wiretapped Trump Tower, as the president continues to stubbornly insist.

Trouble is brewing in a Republican Party that controls the White House, both Houses of Congress and, soon, the Supreme Court. It has its roots in decades of promises broken and ignored.

Baha Mar concerns EDITOR, The Tribune THE open letter to the Gaming Board in yesterday’s Tribune raises serious concerns that need to be addressed before the Gaming Board grants Sky Warrior Bahamas Limited a licence to operate the casino at Baha Mar. It is necessary for the Board to address these concerns for the public to see.

The Bahamas has suffered enough from the issues involving Baha Mar. We want tourism to flourish here. We want visitors to feel safe. We want to have confidence in the government and those charged with regulating our commerce.

We want all of us who live and work here to not have to be constantly looking over our shoulders with concern.

That letter was not the first time concerns have been raised about the Cheng family, who ostensibly will be owning Baha Mar, and their connections to international crime. The Tribune and Guardian raised these very concerns a few months ago after the Government announced that Chow Tai Fook, owned by the Chengs, would be buying Baha Mar from China EXIM Bank.

We had been hopeful that the Government, which had made a big deal about conducting due diligence on

the supposed new owner, would also publicly report on the findings of such due diligence. But, alas, months have passed, and the Christie administration has remained silent on its due diligence findings with absolutely no explanation. Why? Did its due diligence reveal concerns about the Chengs and criminal associations? In its haste to announce a deal for Baha Mar at any cost, did the administration cover up its due diligence findings, as it has with the deal itself?

Or was this all just a continuation of the empty political posturing? It is hard to know the answer to these questions because the government has kept us in the dark about the Chengs and their criminal relationships, investments and businesses.

All the government needs to do is to check the extensive public record of numerous court documents, regulatory reports and news articles to see that the history of the Chengs is one which includes numerous associations with criminal elements and infiltration. Let’s not turn a blind eye to the fact that some of the characters mentioned as being associated with the Chengs and/or their enterprises are hardcore criminals linked to transnational crimes, often violent, including drug

smuggling, human trafficking and money laundering.

When questioned about the Cheng family relationships previously, Chow Tai’s response was to say that a number of these nefarious relationships really related to another Chinese family - the family of Stanley Ho - and that the Chengs were merely investors in a number of Hocontrolled enterprises. This is not accurate. If this “investor defence” is accepted, what does this say about the Chengs’ own due diligence?

More interestingly, in a number of these very entities, members of the Cheng family, or their confederates, have held management and board positions, completely invalidating this response.

The Bahamas has emerged from a lengthy period in which international crime - particularly related to the drug trade - was a major definer of our nation’s economic livelihood. Tourism could become that economic driver today. We hope the Gaming Board does its job and truly asks for accountability of the Chengs and their shell company, Sky Warrior Bahamas Limited. Our future as a nation depends on it.

WATCHING AND WAITING Nassau March 28, 2017

Junkanoo Carnival timing EDITOR, The Tribune THE timing of Junkanoo Carnival 2017 is not coincidental.

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) intentionally scheduled it around late April, early May in order to coincide with the election season. It seems to be their way of having a huge pre-election party funded by taxpayers with the aim of helping tens of thousands of struggling Bahamians to forget about the misery they have had to endure over the past five years.

For the 74-year-old Perry Christie and co, it’s worth the try, even though it would be a stretch to attempt offsetting the economic suffering of many by holding a huge party.

I don’t see it working. Far too many former middleclass Bahamians have been literally reduced to paupers despite the promise to create 10,000 jobs in their first year. Far too many Bahamian families have lost their homes, despite mortgage relief being vigorously campaigned on.

There have been 600 murders over the past five years.

Undoubtedly that figure is much higher. Remember the murder billboards? This administration has failed in the two key areas of crime and the economy.

Based on its performance, the PLP is set to suffer a landslide defeat at the polls. I believe the Free National movement (FNM)

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net will sweep Grand Bahama, Abaco and Eleuthera. Exuma will be going FNM and the party is poised to win at least 15 seats in New Providence as well as North Andros and the Berry Islands.

So far that’s 26 seats for the FNM. Add Long Island and that takes us to 27.

For PM Christie, his 40year MP career will come to an end immediately following the election. I predict he will stand down as Farm Road MP and as PLP leader. A by-election will be called by the Minnis government for that area.

Reece Chipman will win.

A special two-day or oneday PLP convention will be held to elect a new leader and new chairman. I believe Bradley Roberts will also stand down. Alfred Sears, Jerome Fitzgerald, Brave Davis and Fred Mitchell will vie for the leadership.

Davis will win, which will be a good thing for the FNM. The newly-minted Senator Fitzgerald will be at a disadvantage due to him having lost his Marathon seat to the FNM’s Romauld Ferreira. Marathon residents will not forgive him concerning his handling of the Rubis gas leak and nolle prosequi matters. They will also remember his “touch one touch all” threat after reading the private emails

of Save the Bays members in the House.

Obie Wilchcombe might vie for the deputy leadership post. He, too, will be a senator, after having lost his West Grand Bahama and Bimini seat to the FNM’s Pakesia Parker-Edgecombe. Wilcombe has been nicknamed the ‘Funeral MP’. He has been virtually invisible in West Grand Bahama.

He will have a hard time explaining to his constituents why he doesn’t have a constituency office opened in that community. He will also have difficulty explaining why he has failed to hold constituency meetings.

Hardly anyone will miss Christie when he retires.

The man has been that bad as PM and as Farm Road MP. If you noticed, the only people who have come to his defence publicly are those who are on the PLP gravy train or those hoping to get on it. For example, Ortland Bodie, PLP MPs, PLP senators, ZNS, Ivoine Ingraham, Algernon Allen, et al.

Christie will go down as the worst PM in the Majority Rule era. When he announces his retirement, literally tens of thousands of Bahamians will burst into songs of celebration. They are eager to see the back of the man who raised his middle finger at them.

THE WHISTLEBLOWER Nassau, March 26, 2017.

Horse fall So unnecessary EDITOR, The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune

Re: Surrey horse seen lying in I READ with great sadness your news (March the street (March 27).

10) about a “15-year-old boy dies after being thrown from pickup truck”.

IT’S highly unlikely that this His death could have been prevented. Many times sad event had anything to do with we in New Providence see adult men, young men, even handlers with grade D- mentalities children, on the back of trucks, sitting, even standing, (who are just trying to make a liv- riding like loose projectiles risking their very lives. ing, of course).

When am driving close enough to them, I speak or Any formal investigation by a signal begging them to sit, sit within the truck basin, Ministry is more likely to show hold on, be careful. To the authorities: This should be that the cause was yet another made a traffic violation. Against the law, and those occurrence of “indigestion” of allowing such rides be it a company or individual(s) sand. be held responsible.

KEN W KNOWLES, MD Nassau March 27, 2017

PP HUDSON Nassau, March 10, 2017.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, March 29, 2017, PAGE 5

POEMS AND PRAYERS FROM YOUNGSTERS FOR TEENAGE BOYS MURDERED IN THE STREET

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

MORE than a dozen compassionate sixth grade students at Centreville Primary School gave handwritten poems and prayers to the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) yesterday for the families of the two teenage boys who were brutally murdered ten days ago.

Senior Pastor of Church of God of Prophecy and Former Assistant Commissioner of Police Hulan Hanna, who is also a member of Fathers Assisting Children and Teachers (FACT), said the idea for the students to write their feelings down came to him after he learned of the deaths of 13-yearold Keishon Williams and 15-year-old Davante Lindsey.

The bodies of the boys, who are cousins, were dis-

covered shot to death on a dirt road off Graham Drive, Yellow Elder Garden on March 19.

“I came to the school as a part of the FACT programme,” Mr Hanna said.

“After the children were murdered, we came to the school and we looked at the children’s faces and we saw they were traumatised because, in this class, we had children who were 12 and 13 and the thought swirled around in my head, ‘what can we do in Centreville to impact something that happened in Yellow Elder?’ And so the idea was born.

“We asked the children to write prayers and we invited the media to see what we were doing because we want everyone in the community to be driven toward wholeness. So today all the children brought two poems, one for the family of the 13-year-old and one for

YOUNGSTERS presenting poems and prayers to the RBPF yesterday. the family of 15-year-old. forts to make the “families that he does his part as a community party to lead Unless and until we see that feel better”.

“This is a wonderful initi- and guide our children in this is a community problem we will never get our ative,” she said. “It encour- the right way.

“We encourage our chilhead wrapped around what ages empathy and sharing is happening in our coun- in other persons sorrows dren to show love. In our and I am proud of the stu- society we see so many try,” Mr Hanna added.

School Principal Jacque- dents and pleased with of our children who don’t line Sands said she is proud Bishop Hanna for partner- what love is. As the princiof the children and their ef- ing with us and ensuring pal of the school it made me

proud to see the children do this; they asked for the Lord to bless the families and to forgive the persons who did it.”

The letters will be delivered to the parents of the victims by RBPF Family Liaison Officer Chrislyn Skippings.

Girl denied insurance as she lay on hospital bed from page one The 12-year-old girl’s team of medical professionals greeted her anxious parents one-by-one on the morning of the planned procedure, offering comfort and words of encouragement.

But it all proved futile.

Iyanda never received the transplant.

On March 20, when Sanus Health Corporation - a third-party administrator that processes claims for Colina Insurance Limited - sent the hospital a sheet preauthorising the $500,000 treatment, it indicated that it would not pay for a preparatory drug called Compath.

According to Ms Hilton, the hospital responded that it would use an alternative drug instead and asked the insurance company if that would be covered.

“Sanus then told them they would send them a letter of some sort,” Ms Hilton claimed in an interview with The Tribune.

For eight hours the Hiltons waited in the Florida hospital for a letter that never arrived.

Rather than let Iyanda spend the day in the hospital at a cost of $4,000, the hospital instructed the family to leave the treatment centre and to return only when an update from the insurance company was received.

“The doctors and medical professionals lined the halls of the hospital as we left,” Ms Hilton told The Tribune yesterday, describing overwhelming feelings of embarrassment. “They told us they’ve never seen anything like this before.”

The frustrated mother returned to New Providence three days later for a meeting she said was arranged

by Colina.

It was then that the parents received information that still leaves them an-

gry and shocked: Iyanda’s treatment would not be covered by their insurance policy.

“Colina told me that there’s a cap of $250,000 for people with congenital diseases,” she claimed.

“My question is, if this is the case, why did they give us all the prior authorisations every step of the way, allowing us to get to this point where we were literally in the treatment centre and my daughter had already been admitted?”

Insurance companies are not obliged to provide coverage outside the terms stipulated in their contracts with clients.

But Ms Hilton said Colina authorised her daughter’s treatment after extensive reviews, only to deny coverage to Iyanda on the very day her procedure was set to begin.

She said: “How could you do your due diligence, tell us all the way through that the treatment has been authorised, and then deny us the coverage minutes before the treatment was to begin?”

Documents obtained

by The Tribune show that the insurance company appeared to provide prior authorisation for the treatment, although the company noted in the fine print that “authorisation is not a guarantee of payment”.

On March 17, a Jackson Memorial Hospital international patient co-ordinator sent an “urgent” email to a representative of Sanus Health seeking confirmation that the insurance company would authorise the procedure.

“Everything is scheduled for the admission (of Iyanda) on Monday,” the co-ordinator wrote.

Noting that Iyanda was advised to be at the hospital at 10am on March 20, the co-ordinator requested that the authorisation process for her be expedited so she would not be “held at (point of service)

A FAMILY photograph on the day before Iyanda Hilton was admitted to commence the procedure.

due to non-financial clearance”.

In a subsequent email sent an hour and a half later, the Sanus Health representative wrote back saying the case had been approved.

She included in the email an authorisation number for the case and said admission of Iyanda would be covered at 100 per cent, requiring just a $500 co-pay.

Why Iyanda was later denied coverage is unclear.

In a statement to The Tribune yesterday, Colina did not respond directly to questions about the issue.

“Colina Insurance Limited advises the media and the public that it is the company’s policy, and out of the utmost respect for its clients, to maintain the privacy of its insured,” the company said in a statement. “As such Colina will not disclose any personal information regarding the insured, his or her medical history, or medical coverage to the media.

“In all cases, the insured and the insurer are not bound by a policy agreement. Colina will continue to work with its clients to provide the best care and coverage within the confines of each policy agreement.”

The Hiltons have not given up hope that their daughter will be given treatment, and Iyanda remains in Miami while the family hopes to reverse the insurance company’s decision.

In the meantime, they have started a GoFundMe page for Iyanda’s treatment: www.gofundme.com/IyandaHilton.

Asked if they will seek legal remedies, Ms Hilton said she is uncertain.

“I don’t want to spend $1 on an attorney,” she said.

“All the money I have or that persons could support us with in this effort needs to go towards my child. I don’t wish to fight with anybody. All I want is for my child is to receive the procedures she needs.”

IYANDA Hilton on the morning of the operation in hospital.

PAGE 6, Wednesday, March 29, 2017

US, Caricom to monitor election from page one

Both agencies’ reports pointed to lack of campaign financing legislation as an issue affecting the pre-electoral period.

Yesterday, Lemarque Campbell, chairman of advocacy group Citizens for a Better Bahamas, called the government’s inaction on campaign finance reform this term a “lost opportunity”, remarking that it was now too late to act on recommendations before this election cycle.

“With campaign finance reforms,” he said, “there is

the talk of either there is a threshold on the amount of contributions from certain sectors, companies or there’s also the question of whether should we ban contributions from foreign individuals as well.

“It’s a bit too late for that.

It’s on the top of our agenda and I think going forward even after election this is something we’ll be pressing because I think a lot of things will be discovered after elections. It’s been the status quo that it’s a freefor-all.”

The 2012 CARICOM report also called for the establishment of an inde-

pendent boundaries commission, a code of conduct and the use of smaller voting booths, while the OAS report also cited gaps in the participation of women, the voter registry and media access.

The OAS noted that the issue of campaign finance seemed less important to Bahamian politicians than it did to other stakeholders in the country.

Months after being elected to office in May, 2012, Prime Minister Perry Christie committed his government to campaign finance legislation talks, going so far as to state that the

practice of politicians using money to persuade voters had deteriorated to “repugnant” and sometimes “criminal” levels over the previous 15 years.

Speaking at a parliamentary conclave in July, 2012, Mr Christie said he would not impose reform on the country despite his personal convictions, but would instead agitate for legislative change. He added that parliamentarians must dedicate themselves to promulgating a “new culture” for Bahamian politics.

Four years later, however, Mr Christie acknowledged that passing a law to ad-

dress the issue has not been one of his administration’s highest priorities.

His comments came during an appearance on the “Ed Fields Live” show on Kiss FM radio in July.

Last week, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis said he remained hopeful that the country could one day develop to a degree where campaign finance laws could be enacted, as he responded to claims from the Free National Movement that the government was using the Public Treasury to finance the Progressive Liberal Party’s electoral campaign.

THE TRIBUNE

Mr Davis said: “Those calls have been (made) and I think it is something that we ought to be addressing, but unfortunately no one has gotten around to it.

“This is something that has been talked about from time immemorial and we always seem to put it on the side and it is always heightened at this time of the year depending on who is in government.

“When we were in opposition we called for it. It is always the cry for the opposition,” Mr Davis said.

“It is a debate that will continue until we deal with it.”

ELEUTHERA MAN HELD IN PROBE OF VOTER FRAUD from page one

The arrest came a day after Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall revealed that some people have registered twice at different registration sites for the same constituency, an irregularity that was picked up by the Parliamentary Registration Department’s computer database.

On Monday, Mr Hall said the department noticed cases like these from voters in New Providence, Grand Bahama and some Family Islands, adding that at least one case had been turned over to police.

Police moved swiftly in the matter, arresting an adult male yesterday.

“As a result of the complaint (from the Parliamentary Registration Department), the Commissioner of Police ordered an immediate investigation into this matter,” ACP Dean told the media at a press conference at Odyssey Airport shortly after the suspect arrived in New Providence. “Because of the swift justice, we flew some detectives into Eleuthera and I can tell you as a result of their investigation, they were able to arrest an adult male from Eleuthera in connection with this matter.

“That male will be processed, be charged and we expect him to be in court tomorrow (Wednesday) to be formally charged.

“The message that we are sending out here today is that we take a no tolerance approach to these matters.

We can tell you that there are strict laws on the books ... through the election laws, in registering of voters and discipline of voters, and I’m going to tell you that anyone who contemplates breaching those laws, what is happening today is an absolute example of what will happen to those persons.

“We must show that we as a country, that we can obey laws and there are laws that must be followed.”

ACP Dean would not give specifics about the incident that led to the man’s arrest, stressing that more would be revealed in court.

“We know that there was an alleged fraud with a particular voter, that was reported to the police, so the police are actively investigating this matter, but we have sufficient information to arrest the suspect and we should be bringing formal charges tomorrow,” ACP Dean said last night.

“We only want to continue to put the warning out to our Bahamian people that we must have respect for the laws, particularly these election laws - it gets very contentious.

“We have run elections over and over, we have professional organisations, the Parliamentary Commissioner and his team (are) a professional group of persons, and we ask the public to give them the respect that is due to them. We can tell you that we have a group of intelligent officers in the Royal Bahamas Police Force who will be leading all such investigations and wherever we found

ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean speaking to the media yesterday.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff someone is wanting, who go to one station and register breached the law, they will one day and go to another be arrested. We want to put station and mislead the rethe appeal to the public, if vising officer and attempt to anyone knows of someone register again. So a few perwho has breached the elec- sons, several persons have tion rules, or voter rules, attempted to register twice, who has voted somewhere (and) to us that is dishonest.

“Every voter is entitled twice, if you have that information, you need to bring to one voter’s card only, so that information to the at- when we find that, we delete tention of the Parliamenta- those cards. No citizen ought ry Commissioner who will to register more than once.”

In the midst of these conin turn bring it to the attention of the police, who will cerns, the government announced yesterday that it actively investigate.”

Meanwhile, speaking has received confirmation to voter fraud concerns from two of four internaon Monday, Mr Hall said: tional organisations invited “What we have discovered is to send electoral observers POLICE arrested an adult male from Eleuthera for alleged voter that people were attempting for the upcoming general registration fraud. The suspect arrived in Nassau shortly after 6pm yesterday. to register twice. They would election.

DEPUTY PM ‘NOT CONCERNED’ OVER REPORTS ABOUT DOUBLE REGISTRATION

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday said he is “not concerned” about reports that several people have attempted to gain two voter’s cards by registering twice at different locations, suggesting this could be the result of uncertainty about the process.

However, Mr Davis said the matter is something the Parliamentary Registration Department “will investi-

gate and deal with”.

On Monday, Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall said several people have attempted to gain two voter’s cards by registering twice at different locations, and that police have been called about at least one case.

Mr Hall said that the irregularities were picked up by the Parliamentary Registration Department’s computer database. He said a few people in New Providence, Grand Bahama and even some Family Islands have “misled” revising officers.

“They would go to one station and register one day and go to another station and mislead the revising officer and attempt to register again,” Mr Hall said. “So a few persons, several persons have attempted to register twice, (and) to us that is dishonest.

“Every voter is entitled to one voter’s card only, so when we find that, we delete those cards. No citizen ought to register more than once,” Mr Hall said.

When asked if he was concerned about the attempts by those people to

cheat the process, Mr Davis said: “I’m not concerned about it.”

“I don’t know what informed those, what they call double registration,” he continued. “There are a lot of misconceptions that’s out there in the minds of the Bahamian public. For example, whether they had to re-register after the close of the register, because I know of persons who were querying having registered and not gotten their cards.

“When they heard that the register had in fact died or was put to an end, they

questioned whether they had to register again. So I can’t speak to it whether it was deliberate or whether there was a complete misunderstanding on the part of the electorate themselves. And I think that’s something the Parliamentary Registration Office will investigate and deal with.”

On Monday, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage said he was “very surprised” at the recurring accusations levelled at the Parliamentary Registration Department, adding that attempts to discredit

those tasked with handling the electoral process was “shameful”.

Responding to claims made by Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis that the department’s computer system crashed and erased the names of registered voters, and that the government was thus trying to “steal” the 2017 general election, Dr Nottage, who is responsible for elections, insisted that the repeated suggestion that the electoral process is flawed questioned the integrity of the system.

DAVIS: MINNIS ATTACKS JUSTIFIED AS VOTERS HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THEY WILL GET

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday defended the Progressive Liberal Party’s (PLP) continued attacks against Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr Hubert Minnis, charging that the Christie administration has a “moral obligation” to let voters know “what they will get” if they vote for the Killarney MP. Speaking outside Cabinet yesterday morning, Mr Davis said the PLP, in its various criticisms of Dr Minnis’ leadership, is merely “reminding the Bahamian

as to what he is, what he’s about and speaking to his leadership to date”.

Mr Davis also expressed confidence that he will be re-elected as the member of Parliament for the Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador constituency, saying the voters will “reward him” with re-election due to the PLP providing “opportunities for magnificent growth” in the area.

Mr Davis has been particularly critical of Dr Minnis of late, with descriptions such as “politically inept” being used by him to describe the Killarney MP over the past three months.

For example, last week

Mr Davis said the reason why former Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette has returned to frontline politics is because he sensed “a weak leader” in Dr Minnis and that Mr Symonette consequently “thinks it’s his time to get in”.

At the time, Mr Davis also criticised Dr Minnis for his tumultuous tenure as leader of the FNM, calling the Killarney MP a “fellow who don’t know what to say unless someone tells him what to say”.

Prior to that, Mr Davis had criticised Dr Minnis for the latter’s critique of the government’s handling of the Baha Mar debacle. Mr Davis hit out at Dr Minnis’

pledge that he would execute a real sale of the mega resort should the FNM win the next election, ultimately charging that Dr Minnis is “not fit for leadership”.

Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller also weighed in at the time, saying while Dr Minnis is his friend, he is “not the smartest man on two legs”.

In January, Prime Minister Perry Christie called Dr Minnis a “minor player” in the House of Assembly after having his job as leader of the Official Opposition “taken” from him

by Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner. At the time, Mr Christie suggested the FNM leader has no right to

speak ill of the PLP while experiencing “real difficulty” in coping with being stripped of his post as well as having lost the support of most of his members in the House.

“I think there is a moral obligation on those of us who are in this political process to let the political directorate know what they will get if they were to elect any particular person,” Mr Davis said when questioned on the matter. “If you were to elect Hubert Minnis, we are reminding the Bahamian as to what he is, what he’s about, and speaking to his leadership to date. And I think that’s a moral obligation on our part to convey

that to the Bahamian people.”

When asked if he felt he will be re-elected, Mr Davis said: “I’m confident that the people of Rum Cay, Cat Island and San Salvador will elect me. I think this last five years has been a banner year for the constituents; they see what we have done for the community. We have provided the infrastructure and have provided the opportunities for magnificent growth. There’s still much more work to do in each of the islands, which we intend to build on and continue.

And I think they see that and I think they’ll reward me for what I’ve done by reelecting me.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, March 29, 2017, PAGE 7

‘Christie administration failing to provide quality education for the next generation’

FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis speaking at the party’s regional candidates launch event at Pinewood Park last night.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

FREE National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday accused the Christie administration of “failing” to provide quality education.

“These last five years we’ve watched our educational system erode - potentially robbing an entire generation of the opportunity to rise up,” Dr Minnis said in a statement.

“In the last election, the PLP made one promise after another to double investment in education, provide skills training and provide paths for career development. Yet Bahamians were left with a failing education system that hasn’t produced even a single new high school. Not only has the government failed in building new schools, they’ve neglected improvements for our existing schools and we continue to graduate our seniors with a ‘D’ average grade.”

He also said: “The FNM believes education is the great equalizer and we must set about with a renewed commitment to reforming our educational system. We must ensure that all Bahamians, irrespective of their social, economic, ethnic or learning capacities, are given the opportunity to realise their maximum potential in a broad, expansive and accommodating educational system. Upon taking office, the FNM will act immediately to find solutions to

expand our educational infrastructure. We will work to emphasise early childhood education.

“We will amend the Education Act to mandate early childhood education beginning at age two plus years and strengthen relevant linkages between the Child Protection Act and the Education Act to encourage parental involvement in the education of their children up to age 16 years. It is imperative we do this.”

He said his party, if elected, would “enhance” a mandatory work experience programme for 11th and 12th grade students “so they get the practical, hands on experience they will need in life”.

“I won’t forget the early lessons I learned; the FNM government understands that a strong education is the underpinning for success,” Dr Minnis said.

“We will work tirelessly to ensure these reforms are not simply words on paper but ideas enacted to give our students the tools they need to create their own successful careers.

Bahamians can’t risk another five years of empty rhetoric and broken promises from their government. And leaving our children’s future in the hands of the PLP for another five years is a risk our children can’t afford.”

BAHA MAR REJECTS CLAIM THAT BUYER LINKED TO CRIME from page one

The Gaming Board is set to hold a hearing regarding a casino licence application

by Sky Warrior Bahamas Ltd, a company created by CTFE. The open letter also questioned if any member of the Progressive Liberal Party has direct or indirect interest in Sky Warrior Bahamas.

In response, Graeme Davis has refuted the allegations. “The accusations presented in The Tribune on March 28, 2017 against Sky

Warrior Bahamas Limited, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE) and the Cheng family, being the owners of CTFE, are completely baseless and untrue,” Mr Davis says in a statement published today in The Tribune.

“As president of Baha Mar, on behalf of CTFE, I would like to confirm CTFE’s unwavering commitment to good governance in CTFE’s global business operations. CTFE is widely recognised by our employees, customers, partners and other stakeholders for

the integrity in how we do business and who we do business with.

“It is critical to understand the truth in the business relationship between the Cheng Family and CTFE with respect to the unfounded and false business accusations presented (Tuesday).”

Mr Davis’ statement says CTFE does not operate casinos in Macau.

However, he says an entity related to the group “is a minor and passive shareholder” in a company called STDM, which he

JURY SHOWN VIDEO DURING ROBBERY AND MURDER TRIAL

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net A JURY yesterday was shown an alleged videorecorded inquiry of a man walking police through his involvement in a robbery that turned fatal three years ago.

After four days of being excused from court due to legal discussions between Crown and counsel for the accused, the 12-member panel returned to Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs’ courtroom for continuation of 29-year-old Henley Claridge’s trial.

Claridge faces two counts of armed robbery and a charge of murder, alleged to have been committed on March 4, 2014.

It is claimed that he robbed Tonika Laroda and Darius Adderley of two Samsung cellular phones together valued at $600. He is further accused of intentionally killing Adderley by means of unlawful harm.

When the trial resumed yesterday morning, Cpl Ernest Pratt testified that on

March 8, 2014, he filmed Claridge’s inquiry with police, which began at the Nassau Street Police Station at 10.44am.

The jury was shown the footage in which Claridge and police detectives left the station and arrived at an apartment complex behind which was a graveyard separated by a stone wall.

The police and Claridge proceeded to the scene of the robbery where Claridge said that someone nicknamed “K-Dog” had instructed him to be a lookout behind a tree while he executed the robbery on the unsuspecting occupants of a vehicle.

When cross-examined by the accused’s lawyer, Jiaram Mangra, Cpl Pratt admitted that the video inquiry was not the first time he had encountered Claridge, as he had seen him at the Central Detective Unit (CDU).

Mr Mangra asked if there was any reason why the inquiry did not begin at the CDU and Cpl Pratt said he only followed the instructions of the investigator.

The accused’s lawyer asked for the time that they

left CDU with Claridge; however the officer said he could not recall it. Cpl Pratt denied the subsequent suggestion that the video recorded inquiry began at 10.38am and not 10.44am.

Last week, the jury heard that shortly before 9pm, Adderley was sitting in his 2003 Dodge Town and Country van on Roseland Street with his girlfriend when a masked man with a handgun robbed them.

Before fleeing in the direction of the graveyard, the suspect shot at the vehicle, hitting Adderley in the back. The woman was unharmed during the robbery. Adderley was taken to hospital by ambulance, but died of his injuries shortly after his arrival.

Claridge, when formally arraigned in the Supreme Court on July 4, 2014, pleaded not guilty to all three charges. He maintained that plea at the start of trial last week.

He has retained Mr Mangra to represent him while Desiree Ferguson and Cassie Bethel are prosecuting for the Crown.

COURT REJECTS BAIL BID BY SEX ASSAULT SUSPECT

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN seeking bail before his trial on a sexual assault charge had his application rejected in the Supreme Court yesterday.

David McKenzie, 54, appeared before Senior Justice Vera Watkins, in front of whom his application was

argued by public defender Stanley Rolle.

McKenzie is accused of unnatural sexual intercourse alleged to have occurred on April 14, 2015, with a 15-year-old boy who he is accused of luring into his house before sexually assaulting him.

McKenzie, who has denied the allegation, is scheduled to stand trial in

September. Senior Justice Watkins denied bail and said she would give her written reasons for doing so at a later date. McKenzie, who remains in custody at the Department of Correctional Services, can contest the decision to the Court of Appeal if he desires.

Joel Seymour appeared for the Crown in the bail application.

BRAZILIAN IN CORRUPTION PROBE HAD BAHAMAS BANK ACCOUNT SAO PAULO (AP) - Police have arrested a former executive engineering manager of Brazil’s state-run oil company Petrobras for his alleged role in a mammoth corruption-kickback scheme.

Prosecutor Roberson

Pozzobon said that Roberto Goncalves was arrested yesterday. He said that Goncalves is suspected of using bank accounts in China, the Bahamas and Switzerland to receive billions of dollars worth of bribes paid by big

construction companies to Petrobras executives to get lucrative contracts.

Petrobras has been at the centre of a corruption scandal that has ensnared powerful lawmakers and business executives.

said “operates casinos in Macau under legal gaming licenses”.

“CTFE does not have any oversight, control, direct or indirect influence in SJM (a subsidiary of STDM) casinos,” Mr Davis also says. “The additional accusations are false, without merit, and significant investigation into each allegation has been made by multiple worldwide gaming authorities. “ ... The CTFE company, Sky Warrior Bahamas Limited has applied for a gam-

ing license and has undergone a rigorous application process. We have submitted all the required documents and disclosures requested by the Gaming Board, being fully cooperative in the process. Holding a gaming license is a privilege which requires complete transparency and integrity of our world class management team, our leadership at CTFE and the Cheng family.”

Mr Davis adds that Baha Mar is committed to the country’s development and has had more than 14,000

job applications to date.

He says the resort’s initial phase will generate more than 1,500 jobs for Bahamians and subsequent phases will bring that total to over 5,000 direct jobs.

This is not the first time concerns have been raised about an alleged link to organised crime and CTFE. After similar allegations were made last year by former Baha Mar director Dionisio D’Aguilar, now the Free National Movement’s candidate for Free Town, CTFE rejected claims of impropriety.

PAGE 8, Wednesday, March 29, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Dead pigs and suffering horses a result of poor governance A

RECENT Photos and video of pigs spate of ani- swimming up to boaters mal stories has in the crystal clear Bahaunexpectedly mian sea framed by a white highlighted the bad govern- sand beach turn up on soance issues that are harm- cial media frequently, and ing our country. have been featured on news First we had the demise shows and in newspapers of a certain number of the across Europe and North celebrated ‘swimming pigs’ America. of Big Major Cay in the It’s good publicity - someExumas. thing The Bahamas rarely Despite the various fanci- gets these days. So when ful origin theories offered tales surfaced in late Februon Wikipedia, ary that seven these pigs were of the 22 swimactually put ‘There was no ming pigs had on the cay by attempt either to been found a Staniel Cay recall toxic feed dead, there family followwas an immeing hurricanes or to advise the diate uproar. in the 1990s. public about the In fact, And there risk of consuming the mysteriis a constant ous “wave of ‘turnover’ that diseased meat. No death” was no-one talks official reports reported in about. the Washingor conclusions Since there ton Post, the is very little were ever made Daily Mail forage or fresh public on any of and National water on the these concerns. It Geographic, cay for a pasamong other sel of hogs (as was just a matter international such a group- of V Alfred Gray media. Most of ing is known), the early stomoving his lips.’ the animals ries suggested began to hang the pigs had out on the beach begging been poisoned by tourists food from passing boaters. giving them alcohol. But as And in recent years, the one observer put it: “You stranded pigs have become would run out of booze long a huge tourist attraction, before you could kill seven with excursion boats from 500-pound hogs with alcoNassau and the Exumas hol on the same day.” charging as much as $400 Soon afterwards Agriper head for a day trip. Tour culture Minister Alfred operators have even taken Gray reported that an ofto re-stocking the island ficial autopsy had found with piglets from time-to- “sand” in the dead pigs time. stomachs. “The report is

SOME of the swimming pigs in Exuma. Concerns have been raised after several of the pigs were found dead. in place. I have not had the chance to digest the total contents of it, but I am satisfied that the pigs died from ingestion of sand material,” Gray said. He also suggested that visitors to the island should be regulated. And he promised to release the government’s veterinary investigation in due course. That was on March 7 by the way.

At about the same time that Gray was pledging

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transparency, the local press began reporting that livestock producers on New Providence had lost hundreds of hogs due to tainted feed supplied by the government. “The Gladstone Road Agricultural Centre had a bad batch of feed,” one farmer told The Tribune. “They left the feed on the dock too long and the corn spoiled. That stuff has a shelf life.”

And it was confirmed that boaters often brought commercial feed from Nassau for the pigs. Although Gray was quick to discount this, he said the governmentsubsidised feed would be tested and the results made public.

Naturally, nothing more was heard about that, but not long after the tainted feed accusation, Gray added more confusion by speculating that the New Providence pigs may have died from “an airborne disease”.

There was no attempt, however, either to recall toxic feed or to advise the public about the risk of consuming diseased meat. No official reports or conclusions were ever made public on any of these concerns. It was just a matter of Gray moving his lips.

As one observer told me: “Government officials refuse to answer or say anything about this issue, but it appears that Exuma was just the tip of the iceberg.

Hundreds of pigs have died on New Providence and who knows where else.

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have said they died after eating government-supplied feed.”

Corned beef In early March, Brazilian police accused some of the country’s biggest meat producers of bribing health inspectors to turn a blind eye to selling rotten beef and overusing potentially harmful additives in their products.

Brazil is one of the world’s biggest meat producers, with some 5,000 plants exporting $13 billion worth of corned beef and other processed meats.

In fact, the cattle sector in Brazil is the largest single driver of deforestation in the world.

The investigation led The Bahamas and other countries to suspend imports of Brazilian meat products.

But the practice of selling rotten meat has been ongoing for years, reports say, and there has been no official clarification of what brands are involved.

In The Bahamas, there have been no official recalls of existing product (such as took place in some regional countries like Jamaica). All we know for sure is that all of the corned beef sold here comes from Brazil - and Bahamians eat a lot of corned beef.

Gray’s ministry was responsible for the ban. And he asked importers and consumers to dispose of any product that had already entered the food distribution system here, without offering any clarification.

As an aside, the government legislated a Bureau of Standards and Quality years ago, ostensibly to deal with issues like this. But it was never properly funded, and it is unclear today whether it functions at all.

The bureau’s chief - Dr Renae Ferguson-Bufford - did not reply to my inquiries.

Surrey horses Another surrey horse collapsed on Bay Street recently and there were the usual outcries from those concerned about animal abuse, regulatory failure and the harm such incidents can do to our tourist industry.

As Bahamas Humane Society President Kim Aranha put it: “Nothing to do with animals or nature appears to be held sacred.

We rape and destroy the resources we have (and) the pleas of those who care are met with silence.”

There are reportedly 28 surrey horses on the road managed by five operators, but they are regulated by many different government departments and boards,

ranging from the Ministries of Transportation, and Tourism, the Cabs Board, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Festival Place administration and others.

A few simple rules are supposed to apply to the handful of carriage drivers who continue to force a living hauling overweight tourists through Nassau’s hot and congested downtown streets.

One is that no more than two adults (and two children) can be carried. Another is that horses must have two or three hours rest time during the hottest part of the day. And the horses must be properly fed and watered. The poor condition of the carriages themselves (which also collapse from time to time) is another perennial issue.

In 2014, Transport Minister Glenys Hanna Martin said reforming the horse and carriage service was long overdue. She pointed to the high volume of negative commentary the service has attracted both nationally and internationally.

Plans and strategies to address the most vexing issues of animal husbandry, routing, and carriage maintenance were mentioned, but - as with most things - little has changed. Emaciated horses continue to pull overloaded carriages in the unrelenting heat and traffic.

Aranha told me that more procedures are in place such as regular vet checks - and there has been some improvement in the condition of the horses. “But we had to fight for months to get water troughs at the port, which people use as urinals and to wash cars.

The horses are certainly not fed during the day and they should be,” she said.

Efforts have been made to restrict carriage rides to the Western Esplanade, Arawak Cay and Fort Charlotte area without success.

Few observers understand the attraction of riding in a dilapidated carriage through Nassau’s congested streets and traffic fumes.

The fact that the handful of operators are allowed to devalue our tourism industry and obstruct our roads on a regular basis is a significant regulatory failure that has been ongoing for years.

Each of these issues is a direct result of poor governance - lack of transparency, incompetence, indifference to regulatory enforcement and a complete disregard for the truth and the public interest.

What do you think? Send comments to lsmith@ tribunemedia.net or visit www.bahamapundit.com.

THETRIBUNE TRIBUNE THE

Wednesday, March 29th, Wednesday, March 29,2017, 2017,PAGE PAGEA9 9

TECHTALK

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Donkey Kong, Street Fighter II, Myst, Final Fantasy VII and Portal.

Mario Bros.,” whose title character got his start in this year’s “Donkey Kong” entry.

THE World Video Game Hall of Fame’s 2017 finalists span decades and electronic platforms, from the 1981 arcade classic “Donkey Kong” that launched Mario’s plumbing career to the 2006 living room hit “Wii Sports,” that made gamers out of grandparents.

The hall of fame at The Strong museum in Rochester said Tuesday that 12 video games are under consideration for induction in May. They also include: “Final Fantasy VII,” ‘’Halo: Combat Evolved,” ‘’Microsoft Windows Solitaire,” ‘’Mortal Kombat,” ‘’Myst,” ‘’Pokemon Red and Green,” ‘’Portal,” ‘’Resident Evil,” ‘’Street Fighter II” and “Tomb Raider.”

The finalists were chosen from thousands of nominations from more than 100 countries, said museum officials, who will rely on an

international committee of video game scholars and journalists to select the 2017 class.

The winners will be inducted May 4.

“What they all have in common is their undeniable impact on the world of gaming and popular culture,” said Jon-Paul Dyson, director of The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games.”

The hall of fame recognizes electronic games that have achieved icon status and geographical reach, and that have influenced game design or popular culture.

The class of 2017 will be the third group to go into the young hall, joining “DOOM,” ‘’Grand Theft Auto III,” ‘’The Legend of Zelda,” ‘’The Oregon Trail,” ‘’Pac-Man,” ‘’Pong,” ‘’The Sims,” ‘’Sonic the Hedgehog,” ‘’Space Invaders,” Tetris, “World of Wardcraft,” and “Super

RETURNED boxes of Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Note 7 smartphones from last year. (AP)

SAMSUNG’S FIRE-PRONE NOTE 7 PHONE MAY RETURN AFTER RECALLS SAMSUNG’S fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 phone might come back as refurbished or rental phones.

Samsung says it’s considering bringing the recalled units back to market. The company says it will first consult regulatory authorities and carriers and assess local demand. It’s not yet known when and which countries such phones would be sold.

Samsung killed the Note 7 phone after dozens overheated and caught on fire. Samsung recalled one set, but found problems with the replacements as well. The spontaneous fires, many chronicled in videos circulated on YouTube, prompted Samsung to recall millions of phones and take a $5.3 billion hit on its earnings.

Samsung conducted extensive tests since then and has blamed multiple design and manufacturing defects in batteries made by two different companies. That means Samsung could replace phones with safer batteries.

For phones that aren’t returning to the market, Samsung says it will reuse components and recycle what’s left.

Samsung revealed its plans late Monday, just two days before it is schedule to announce a new flagship phone, the Galaxy S8, at an event in New York.

More about this year’s finalists, according The Strong: n ”Donkey Kong” (1981): Helped to launch the career of game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and sold an estimated 132,000 arcade cabinets. n ”Final Fantasy VII” (1997): The Sony Playstation’s second-most popular game introduced 3-D computer graphics and full motion video, selling more than 10 million units n ”Halo: Combat Evolved” (2001): A launch game for Microsoft’s Xbox system, the science-fiction game sold more than 6 million copies and inspired sequels, spinoffs, novels, comic books and action figures. n ”Microsoft Windows Solitaire” (1991): Based on a centuries-old card game, it has been installed on more than 1 billion home comput-

ers and other machines since debuting on Windows 3.0. n ”Mortal Kombat” (1992): The game’s realistic violence was debated internationally and in Congress and was a factor in the 1994 creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board. n ”Myst” (1993): The slowpaced, contemplative game harnessed early CD-ROM technology and became the best-selling computer game in the 1990s, selling 6 million copies. n ”Pokemon Red and Green” (1996): Since appearing on the Nintendo Game Boy, the Pokemon phenomenon has produced more than 260 million copies of its games, 21.5 billion trading cards, more than 800 television episodes and 17 movies. n ”Portal” (2007): The Game Developers Conference’s 2008 Game of the Year was the breakout hit out of the four first-person shooter games it was packaged with, recognized for game mechan-

ics that relied on portal physics. n ”Resident Evil” (1996): Among spin-offs of the survival horror game are movies that have grossed more than $1.2 billion worldwide, as well as themed restaurants and novels. n ”Street Fighter II” (1991): One of the top-selling arcade games ever helped spark an arcade renaissance in the 1990s and inspired numerous sequels. n ”Tomb Raider” (1996): Its female protagonist, Lara Croft, is the face of a franchise that has sold more than 58 million units worldwide, helped in part by actress Angelina Jolie’s movie portrayal. n ”Wii Sports” (2006): Launched with the Nintendo Wii home video game system, its motion-control technology let gamers of any age serve a tennis ball or throw a left hook and helped push Wii console sales to more than 100 million.

Associated Press

• THE benefit of using video referees during soccer games was highlighted Tuesday when Spain rightly profited from two decisions made away from the field of play to beat France 2-0 in an international friendly in Paris.

FIFA, the game’s governing body, has been using video assistant referees on a trial basis since last year and this was the first time that the extra official was used in a soccer match in France. It proved a success. A 48th-minute goal

by France forward Antoine Griezmann was disallowed — with the score at 0-0 — because of an offside earlier in the move. The decision followed consultation between the referee and the video assistant.

Video help was needed again in the 77th minute to overturn an incorrect offside call against substitute Gerard Deulofeu after the winger applied a closerange finish to make it 2-0.

Deulofeu was made to wait to celebrate the goal, but at least the correct decision was reached.

• A PARALYSED man was able to feed himself for the first time in eight years, after doctors implanted sensors in his brain that sent signals to his arm.

Bill Kochevar was paralysed from the shoulders down after a cycling accident in Cleveland in 2006.

To help him move again, in 2014, doctors surgically placed two tiny implants into his brain to pick up signals from neurons from the area that controls hand movement. The signals are relayed through external cables to a computer, which sends commands to electrodes in his arm and hand muscles. After first practicing with virtual reality, Kochevar was then able to drink coffee through a straw and eat forkfuls of mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese on his own.

“It was amazing,” the 56-year-old Kochevar said.

“I couldn’t believe I could do it just by thinking about it.”

• THE TOP PAID iPHONE APPS:

AN overview of the features of Facebook’s new app update on an iPhone. (AP)

FACEBOOK ADDS MORE SNAPCHAT-LIKE FEATURES FACEBOOK is adding more Snapchat-like features to its app. The company says it wants to let your camera “do the talking” as more people are posting photos and videos instead of blocks of text.

Facebook is rolling out an app update starting Tuesday.

With it, you can tap a new camera icon on the top left corner.

That opens up the phone’s camera to do a photo or video post.

You could have posted photos from the app before, but it took an extra tap.

Once you open the camera, you’ll find Facebook’s other new Snapchatlike features, including filters that can be added to images.

Other effects, such as animations and other interactive filters, are a new

twist to dressed-up photos.

Also new is a “stories” tool that lets you post photos and videos that stay live for 24 hours. This feature is already available on Messenger and Instagram, which is owned by Facebook.

Snapchat pioneered camera-first sharing and is wildly popular with younger users.

Years ago, Facebook tried to buy the company but was rebuffed. Since then, it has been trying, with varying degrees of success, to clone Snapchat’s most popular features.

It might be working: Snapchat’s growth rate has slowed down since Instagram introduced its own “stories” feature.

Associated Press

1. MINECRAFT: Pocket Edition, Mojang 2. Heads Up!, Warner Bros.

3. NBA 2K17, 2K 4. Bloons TD 5, Ninja Kiwi 5. Plague Inc., Ndemic Creations 6. The Escapists, Team17 Software Ltd 7. Facetune, Lightricks Ltd. 8. Geometry Dash, RobTop Games AB 9. iSchedule, HotSchedules 10. Moji Maker, AppMoji, Inc.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, March 29, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, March 29, 2017, PAGE 11

‘Kinks’ being worked out despite stop order on new post office

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net THE Ministry of Works and Urban Development is “working out the kinks” over the controversial construction of a new Post Office building in New Providence after a request for a stop order by residents of the Blue Hill Heights community, according to Minister of Works Philip Davis.

According to previous media reports, area residents, who are represented

by Garden Hills MP Dr Kendal Major, have expressed concerns over the construction of the new

complex on Blue Hill Road and Tonique Williams-Darling Highway, with the primary issue being that it prevents them from accessing Blue Hill Road from their community.

The residents, according to Dr Major, have also expressed concerns over the societal and environmental impact the construction could have on the area.

He said in an interview with ZNS News earlier this month that pursuant to conversations with all stakeholders, including Mr Davis, a decision was “made to have the project halted until the necessary assessments can be made” on the

construction, which would include traffic, social, environmental, weight and height studies.

At the time, however, Dr Major said construction work continued on the site as he and residents were waiting for the Ministry of Works to issue the stop order.

When questioned yesterday, Mr Davis said: “It’s not a question of whether they called for the stop order.

The residents had concerns about access in and out of their community, which we are addressing.

“The issue of the stop is a result of whether or not the developers were complying

with the building code, and that is what we have looked at. And I’m informed that the technical team, the engineers of the developer, with our engineers are working out the kinks, that has informed the decision to issue the stop order.”

As to whether works have stopped at the old City Market site yesterday, Mr Davis said “I don’t know,” adding that if not, some sort of understanding might have been struck between the technical parties involved.

“The issuance of a stop order is for works to stop,” he said. “If it did not stop it would mean to me that perhaps the technical persons

who are involved in the process may have worked out an arrangement between themselves and the developers.”

Earlier this month, Dr Major said it would be “in the best interests of the community” that a stop order be issued, and that the construction be halted until such time as the necessary assessments, as requested by the residents, are completed.

“This is quite appropriate in this case, I support the community in their efforts, and this is why local government is so critical because I believe if we follow that model of what local

A SPECIAL assembly was held at Eva Hilton Primary School in honor of Anjalee Thompson, a grade one student who was diagnosed with leukaemia.

PUPILS RALLY TO SUPPORT GIRL WITH LEUKAEMIA STUDENTS and staff of Eva Hilton Primary School have made a special donation to Anjalee Thompson, a first grade pupil who is suffering from leukaemia.

From a number of fundraising events, they raised $1,500 for six-year-old Anjalee and presented her with the cheque at a special assembly yesterday morning.

Parents and outside donors also contributed while the K Kids Club co-ordinator at the school helped share Anjalee’s story in an effort to raise awareness among her fellow pupils of leukaemia, its symptoms and effects.

Anjalee’s mother, Ancella Thompson, said that

her daughter was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2014 after she had contracted a fever. She missed the last school year because she was being treated at the Princess Margaret Hospital and suffered the physical and emotional effects associated with dealing with the cancer. She graduated successfully from pre-school last September.

Mrs Thompson was grateful to Eva Hilton Primary, renamed two years ago from Oakes Field Primary. “Nobody expected what we saw,” she said of yesterday’s presentation, adding she was delighted by the “outpouring of warmth” for her daughter.

government could be then I think it’ll go a long way in keeping a free flowing of information from the community and also possible investors,” he said.

“Proper studies need to be done, traffic studies, social studies, environmental studies, weight and height studies. And this is what we have requested. Town Planning is also involved now, the BEST commission is now involved. So we need to do the research, to do the research and to go through the entire process to make this a properly done exercise … it’s going to take some time,” Dr Major said.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

ANJALEE Thompson with students, her parents, staff, Kiwanis members and the district superintendent.

PINTARD CAMPAIGN CREDITED WITH START OF TRENCHING FOR WATER

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

TRENCHING for water has finally started in areas of Marco City which have been without access to city water for over a decade thanks to Michael Pintard, the Free National Movement’s candidate for the area, and his team, according to the party’s constitu-

ency branch.

This comes after months of planning, consulting and meetings spearheaded by Mr Pintard and his team, with the Grand Bahama Utility Company, other private organisations and some residents in the affected Yeoman’s Woods and Grasmere Subdivisions, a spokesperson said.

Residents along the Fiddler’s Green area will soon

HURRICANE RELIEF DONATED TO WILLIE MAE PRATT SCHOOL RESIDENTS of the Willie Mae Pratt School for Girls have been presented with an assortment of hurricane relief items, including a heavy-duty washing machine and dryer, computer and educational materials.

The donations to the school were arranged by the Chevening Alumni of the Bahamas, with the assistance of the British High Commission in Kingston, Jamaica, as a result of contact with Captain Stephen Russell, director of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to identify an institution in

need following devastation

by Hurricane Matthew in October.

Melanie Griffin, Minister of Social Services and Community Development, was presented with the items on Thursday at the school by the British Deputy High Commissioner Nick Astbury watched by Darrol Hall, Superintendent of the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys (left) and Michelle Nottage, Acting Superintendent of the Willie Mae Pratt Centre for Girls (right).

Photo: Shawn Hanna/ Tribune Staff

finally have full access to city water as other subdivisions in Freeport.

Mr Pintard and his team have been in close partnership and dialogue with the utility company and have held town meetings with residents concerning the lack of city water and unpaved roads in some areas of Marco City. For the last few months, his team has been busy in an attempt to

secure city water and paved roads in the areas of Yeoman Woods and Grasmere in Grand Bahama.

Mr Pintard’s team also extended appreciation to the utility company and its general manager, Geron Turnquest, private donors and residents for their efforts in getting the project started.

The work to provide city water is the first phase of the plan to provide the nec-

essary infrastructure that has been missing for more than a decade in areas of Marco City, a spokesperson for Mr Pintard’s team said. The next phase is the paving of the streets along Fiddler’s Green and adjourning areas. Mr Pintard and his team also hope to look into the installation of streetlights on the many streets that are pitch black at night.

According to Mr Pintard, many single mothers and elderly women have expressed concern about their safety due to the absence of street lighting in the area.

“The venture that Mr Pintard dared to take on continues to highlight his passion and commitment to bettering the lives and infrastructure of those he is offering himself to serve,” a spokesperson said.

PAGE 12, Wednesday, March 29, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

The accusations presented in The Tribune on March 28, 2017 against Sky Warrior Bahamas Limited, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Tribune on family, March SkyandWarrior Bahamas Limit (CTFE) and the Cheng being the28, owners2017 of CTFE, areagainst completely baseless untrue.

g Asthe owners of CTFE, are completely baseless and untrue.

President of Baha Mar, on behalf of CTFE, I would like to confirm CTFE’s unwavering commitment to good governance in CTFE’s global business operations. CTFE is widely recognized by our employees, customers, partners and other stakeholders for the integrity in how we do business and who we do business with.

alf of CTFE, I would like to confirm CTFE’s unwavering commitm It is critical is to understand the truth in the business relationship betweenemployees, the Cheng Family and CTFE with respect to the partn . CTFE widely recognized by our customers, unfounded and false business accusations presented yesterday. ss and who we do business with.

CTFE does not operate casinos in Macau. A related entity is a minor and passive shareholder in STDM, that operates casinos in Macau under legal gaming licenses. CTFE does not have any oversight, control, direct or indirect influence in SJM casinos. The hadditional in the business relationship between the Cheng Family and accusations are false, without merit, and significant investigation into each allegation has been made by multiple worldwide gaming authorities. usations presented yesterday.

C

CTFE has a diversified, international business portfolio across the commercial real estate, hospitality, retail and transportation industries that includes property holding and development; hotel investment and passive management; jewelry retailing and Macau.

A related entity is a minor and shareholder in department store interests; transportation and infrastructure investment. Our decision to expand into The Bahamas is based es.onCTFE does not have any oversight, control, direct or indirect our foresight for growth and establish Baha Mar as a world-class destination.

without merit, and significant investigation into each allegation The CTFE company, Sky Warrior Bahamas Limited has applied for a gaming license and has undergone a rigorous application process. We have submitted all the required documents and disclosures requested by the gaming board, being fully cooperative in the process. Holding a gaming license is a privilege which requires complete transparency and integrity of our world class management team, our leadership at CTFE and the Cheng family.

nal business portfolio across the commercial real estate, hospit Baha Mar is committed to the Bahamian economy andhotel wellbeing ofinvestment its residents, with a projected contribution of 12% holding and development; andGDPmanagement; once fully operating. Baha Mar will create thousands of jobs for Bahamians and is set to be one of the largest employers in the portation and infrastructure investment.

Our decision to expan country. With more than 14,000 job applications to date, the initial phase will generate more than 1,500 jobs for Bahamians and subsequentBaha phases willMar bring thatas totalato world-class over 5000 direct jobs. destination. stablish

We are dedicated to the successful and timely opening and operation of Baha Mar and are confident that Baha Mar will be an integrated resort destination thathas Bahamians can be proudfor of. a gaming license and has unde ahamas Limited applied

heGraeme required documents and disclosures requested by the gamin Davis ngPresident a gaming license is a privilege which requires complete tran Baha Mar ur leadership at CTFE and the Cheng family.

hamian economy and wellbeing of its residents, with a projecte

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, March 29, 2017, PAGE 13

POLICE CAR DAMAGED AS VEHICLES IN COLLISION ON EAST ST A POLICE car was severely damaged after being in collision with two other vehicles on East Street, Nassau, yesterday afternoon.

The battered cars, including a BMW and a Nissan, blocked the road by the junction with Cordeaux Avenue. An ambulance was called to the scene.

FNM says govt has failed Grand Bahama

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net THE government has been criticised for its inability to create a comprehensive relief plan for Grand Bahama where many Bahamians are struggling.

The Free National Movement’s (FNM) “change team” for Grand Bahama said that unemployment and the cost of living remains too high, and people are losing their homes, struggling to feed their families and pay their bills.

“While things were bad on Grand Bahama long before Hurricane Matthew in October of last year, this government’s inability to arrive at a caring and comprehensive relief plan has worsen the burden,” the party said in a recent press statement.

The FNM has put forth its change team of candidates in Grand Bahama to contest the 2017 general election, including FNM Deputy Leader and East Grand Bahama incumbent Peter Turnquest and fellow candidates Pakeisha Parker-Edgecombe (West End and Bimini); Fredrick McAlpine (Pineridge); Michael Pintard (Marco City) and Iram Lewis (Central Grand Bahama).

The FNM’s team said that Grand Bahamians are becoming more vexed and frustrated with Prime Min-

ister Perry Christie and his band of “do nothing” ministers who dance around and suggest things are so great on Grand Bahama.

“The few startup and last-minute capital projects have been designed to get votes and seemingly bump the pockets of known PLP supporters. This lousy PLP government rose to power back in 2012 on pie in the sky promises,” the team said.

They highlighted the dismal unemployment situation on Grand Bahama, and the uncertainties concerning the Grand Lucayan Resort and Memories properties.

The FNM’s team said the PLP government is incompetent and lacks energetic, prudent and creative leadership.

“The PLP is strapped with a worn and tired leader who is asleep at the wheel.

Prime Minister Christie is out of touch and far removed from the pain and suffering being experienced by residents here on Grand Bahama,” they said. “People are literally losing their homes daily and for many, keeping the power on or timely grocery, prove challenging.”

The FNM team also noted that are far too many complaints of foreign workers holding jobs where qualified Bahamians are being denied opportunities to provide for their families.

They stressed that the

Queen’s Highway, the International Bazaar and other sectors on Grand Bahama still look like war zones, despite the PLP’s 2012 election promise to revitalise those areas.

“The PLP highlighted photos and the state of these places during the 2012 election campaign and promised to revive our island. More than four years later, they have been big on talk and very little has been done.”

The FNM promises to bring about real change to revive Grand Bahama’s economy if elected to office.

The party intends to revisit critical aspects of the Investment Incentives Bill to reignite investor confidence and to ensure more Bahamians become employers.

“The time has come for the so-called small man and woman to get a fair shake to own and run successful businesses on Grand Bahama. It is a crying shame to see the many college and university graduates who have returned home to Grand Bahama and their qualifications are being dismissed by a disconnected government. We will embrace and engage our talented and qualified scholars,” the team said.

“This PLP government is truly not for the needy. A greedy few have flourished over the past four-plus years under this uncaring administration.”

PAGE 14, Wednesday, March 29, 2017

THE TRIBUNE