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VOLUME:116 No.70, APRIL 3RD, 2019

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

ALICIA WALLACE: WHEN SCHOOLS JUST CAN’T STAND ASIDE

We’re just trying to make it clearer Bethel defends proposed changes to Immigration law

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net ATTORNEY General Carl Bethel said yesterday the government’s proposed Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill is seeking to establish greater certainty and fairness in its handling of nationality cases.

Addressing the legislation outside of Cabinet, Mr Bethel said the government would provide a legal framework to improve upon its ability to deal with offenders, while still being

able to appropriately deal with asylum seekers and anyone that otherwise qualifies to reside or work in The Bahamas.

The bill, which is currently out for public consultation, will, among other things, subject persons born in The Bahamas post-independence who have not applied to be or have not been registered as a Bahamian citizen by their 19th birthday to deportation within six months of its implementation if some other legal status is not secured.

SEE PAGE SIX

PROPOSED immigration reform that seeks to “maintain this country’s nationhood” has left some activists scratching their heads and migrant children panicked over their ability to remain in the country.

The draft Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill, 2018 seeks to fill the gaps in the constitution concerning the status of people whose acquisition

of citizenship has been deferred under articles 7 and 9, before and after they become eligible to apply.

People in this category are those born in The Bahamas to foreign parents, and those born overseas to married Bahamian women, and the bill provides them a “right to abode”, allowing them to reside and work until they can apply and while their citizenship application is being considered.

It also strips the SEE PAGE SIX

BY RIEL MAJOR A WOMAN who was shot on Monday is a reserve police officer, Inspector Leonardo Burrows confirmed yesterday.

Insp Burrows told The Tribune that police were actively looking into the incident which took place shortly after 7am near Boatswain Hill.

According to police, the 40-year-old - who The Tribune understands to be Adena ShermanYoung - was standing next to the car when she was approached by two armed men. The men opened fire before fleeing in a silver Honda.

The woman was shot and taken to hospital where she was last night said to be in a critical but stable condition.

HOTELS PILE UP 48% RISE IN REVENUE

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

DISMAY AND PANIC FOR WHAT’S AHEAD

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

WOMAN SHOT IN HEAD IS A POLICE RESERVIST

25 YEARS FOR ‘CELLPHONE’ KILLING THEA WILLIAMS, pictured early last year, was yesterday jailed for 25 years for stabbing a teenage mother to death because she broke her friend’s cellphone.

Full story - Page 5 Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

THE hotel industry’s “most robust performance for 12 years”, highlighted

by January’s 48 percent year-on-year room revenue increase, was maintained for the entire 2019 first quarter.

Robert Sands, Baha Mar’s senior vice-president of government and external affairs, said that this eye-catching growth was achieved “to the detriment of no one” as all resort properties benefited from January’s double-digit rises in occupancies and room nights sold.

Mr Sands said the tourism sector was optimistic 2019 first quarter trends will persist provided this nation - and the Caribbean at large - escape “unwelcome visitors” in the shape of major hurricanes.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

SHIPYARD SUFFERED ‘SIGNIFICANT’ DAMAGE TECHNOLOGY

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net OPERATIONS at the Grand Bahama shipyard resumed yesterday despite the “significant” loss of the site’s largest dry dock, according to officials.

The facility was shutdown on Monday following a major industrial accident involving the collapse of a crane.

The incident resulted in injuries to eight employees,

THE SHIPYARD yesterday. extensive damage to the property’s main dry dock and visible damage to the

world’s second largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas.

In separate interviews outside Cabinet yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest, Labour Minister Dion Foulkes and State Minister for Grand Bahama Kwasi Thompson all provided updates on various aspects of the accident.

For their part, Mr Turnquest and Mr Thompson, each of whom toured the

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE TWO

CAN AI SEE THE FUNNY SIDE OF LIFE? SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Wednesday, April 3, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Grand Bahama shipyard suffers ‘significant’ damage from page one property and spoke with officials at the site on Monday, confirmed that operations were scheduled to resume, in part, yesterday.

Additionally, the men also confirmed that three of the eight employees injured in the incident had already been released from hospital, while another was awaiting further evaluation and the remaining workers had been kept overnight Monday for observation.

All of the injuries reported have been classified as non life-threatening.There were no Bahamians among the injured at the shipyard, which has a large foreign workforce.

Mr Turnquest said the ship involved in the accident, the Oasis of the Seas, has been stabilised and was currently floating on its

own. He said: “The cause of the accident is still to be determined and the shipyard would do its assessment over the next couple of days or the next couple of weeks I guess, and determine what the next steps are from there.”

When asked about operations at the facility, the East Grand Bahama MP expressed a degree of concern, insisting property managers had categorised the extent of the loss as “significant”.

He continued: “They have indicated to us that this is a significant loss… this is the primary dock for the cruise ship work that they do.”

To that end, Mr Turnquest said officials had assured him operations at the facility would go on with the two remaining dry docks, with a nearby pier area being made available for use.

He said while there is

THE SHIPYARD yesterday. anticipation for a slowdown in the amount of work the shipyard can manage, operators have

committed themselves to maintaining as much employment as possible.

For his part, Mr Thompson said the government had also received assurances from operators at the Grand Bahama Shipyard that all the mandated safety procedures were in place and being utilised effectively at the time of the accident — preventing loss of life and serious injuries.

Despite this, however, Mr Thompson did note an investigation would still have to be carried out to identify the exact cause of Monday’s accident.

He implored members of the public to withhold their judgment until that investigation is formally completed.

The Health and Safety Act which ensures that basic international health and safety standards

are adhered to in the Bahamas at all manufacturing and industrial sites is administrated by the Department of Labour.

Addressing the status of his ministry’s involvement in Monday’s accident, Mr Foulkes yesterday confirmed three inspectors from the Department of Labour’s Grand Bahama office had visited the site and were briefed following the incident.

He said following that briefing, he communicated with those inspectors via telephone, but was still awaiting a full report.

When asked if he was satisfied with the safety regulations employed by the Grand Bahama Shipyard at the time of Monday’s accident, Mr Foulkes declined further comment, citing a need to see the report being compiled by inspectors in Grand Bahama.

Rhapsody in blue LIGHT it up Blue World Autism Day was recognised in Parliament Square last night.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/ Tribune Staff

LETTER OF INTENT IS FIRST STEP IN LONG PROCESS, ADMITS THOMPSON

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net STATE Minister for Grand Bahama Kwasi Thompson has conceded the letter of intent signed by the government last week with Royal Caribbean International and the ITM Group for the purchase of the Grand Lucayan resort and redevelopment of the

Freeport Harbour represents only “the first step” in a long process.

Mr Thompson said the LOI allows for the government to move forward with respect to exclusive negotiations with the ITM/Royal Caribbean Group.

Mr Thompson said while the government does anticipate smooth negotiations for the proposed $195m developmental, it did view

the negotiations as “still a ways away”.

He continued: “We understand that. I believe that everybody understands that we are still a ways away.

But the possibility and the opportunity, I think, cannot be understated. It provides us with a great opportunity.

“And so, the government is going to do all that it can to negotiate a very good deal. But also, to

negotiate it in the shortest possible time. It is important for Grand Bahama.

And all of us, I believe all of us, whether you are in the opposition, whether you are with government, whether you have no political affiliation; all of us want Grand Bahama to be better.

And so, that’s what we are intending to do.”

Earlier this week, often disgruntled Pineridge MP

Fredrick McAlpine reportedly said he was not excited by the deal.

He also took issue with the time for proposed completion for the Heads of Agreement for the purchase of the Grand Lucayan Resort.

At the LOI signing held at the Office of the Prime Minister in Grand Bahama last week, Mr Thompson noted the resort

attracted some 62 expressions of interest from local and global firms, and by February 14, 11 offer letters were received and evaluated by the board of Lucayan Renewal Holdings.

He said that on March 22, the board unanimously approved a resolution to recommend to Cabinet the sale of the 217-acre resort to RCI/ITM.

THE TRIBUNE

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas was listed among major international money laundering jurisdictions in 2018, a newly released United States Department of State report said, highlighting sources of laundered proceeds included firearms trafficking, human smuggling and tax fraud.

At the time the report was compiled, the US noted the country did not maintain official records of company beneficial ownership or require resident paying agents to tell domestic tax authorities about payments to non-residents.

The report recommended demonstrating risk-based supervision of non-bank financial institutions and ensuring timely access to adequate beneficial ownership information by addressing the anti-money laundering/ combating the financing of terrorism regime.

It was also suggested that the quality of financial intelligence unit products be increased to better assist law enforcement to investigate and prosecute all types of money laundering.

The findings were detailed in the March 2019 Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs – International Narcotics Control Strategy Report Volume 2 on Money Laundering.

Wednesday, April 3, 2019, PAGE 3

US REPORT NAMES BAHAMAS AS MONEY LAUNDERING JURISDICTION Countries listed alongside The Bahamas included Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica and China among several others.

A separate report focusing on drugs and chemical control contained a memorandum from President Donald Trump to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that listed this country among those considered major illicit drug transit or drug producing countries for the 2019 fiscal year.

“The Bahamas’ proximity to Florida makes the country a transit point for drugs heading to the United States,” the report said.

“Proceeds from facilitating drug transit, particularly bulk cash payments to local individuals and criminal gangs, are a key concern.

Other sources of laundered proceeds include firearms trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and fraudulent commercial transactions, including tax fraud.

“The Bahamas is an international business and financial centre with an open economy. The high

volume of large, crossborder asset transactions enhances the risk of money laundering through private banks, trust services, insurance companies, and corporate service providers.

Other money laundering methodologies may include purchase of real estate and precious metals and stones.

“Current information on the extent of offshore activities is not available. At year end 2014, total assets of the banking industry were US $279.2b, approximately 44 times the country’s GDP, with 96 percent of assets in the offshore sector. There are 67 investment fund administrators holding US $134.6b under administration and 849 investment funds. Additionally, there were 105 private trust companies, 310 financial corporate service providers, 694 registered foundations and 173,907 registered International Business Companies. IBCs can be formed in one to two days.

“The Bahamas does not maintain official records of company beneficial ownership, or require resident paying agents to tell

the domestic tax authorities about payments to non-residents.”

However, note was made in the report of The Bahamas passing an enhanced Financial Transactions Reporting Act strengthening know your customer rules, suspicious transaction report procedures, risk assessment obligations for financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions and customer due diligence regarding beneficial owners and politically exposed persons.

In addition, the report said an enhanced Proceeds of Crime Act introduced unexplained wealth orders and non-conviction-based forfeiture, while a comprehensive anti-terrorism act addresses terrorist financing and proliferation.

The separate report on drugs said the country remained a significant transshipment point for illicit drugs bound for the US and other countries.

“Traffickers blend in among numerous pleasure craft moving between Florida and The Bahamas.

Trafficking also occurs through commercial freighters and commercial and private planes,” the second report said.

“Trafficking enables and strengthens transnational criminal organisations and gang activity.”

It also said: “In 2018, these operations resulted in numerous arrests and the seizure of cocaine and marijuana.

“Demand for cocaine within the country remains low, though a small domestic market does exist. Use of marijuana, including among adolescents, remains a concern.”

It mentioned that the government was reviewing a 2018 CARICOM Regional Commission on Marijuana report that recommended the declassification of marijuana as a dangerous drug and its reclassification as a controlled substance; however, the government has not proposed any associated policy changes.

The report further highlighted that efforts between The Bahamas and US law enforcement during the first 10 months of 2018 led to

203 arrests and the seizure of approximately 176kg of cocaine, 5.66 metric tonnes of marijuana, $1,693,809 in currency and $43,400 in assets.

Joint operations also eradicated 2,520 cannabis plants – an amount similar to 2017 and an indication that cannabis cultivation remains steady.

US and local law enforcement investigations indicate that illicit trafficking through The Bahamas remained high. The total number of major operations increased significantly from the previous year due to increased levels of cooperation.

It said that throughout 2018, traffickers continued to split up larger loads into smaller loads before entering the southern Bahamas.

“Traffickers move cocaine through the Bahamas via ‘go-fast’ boats, small commercial freighters, maritime shipping containers, and small aircraft. Traffickers move cocaine from The Bahamas to Florida by blending in with legitimate traffic that transits these areas,” the second report noted.

TRADE UNIONS HOLD DEMONSTRATION AT WSC HEADQUARTERS

WATER and Sewerage Corporation employees held a demonstration yesterday outside WSC headquarters.

Dwayne Woods is pictured speaking to the media.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

No enthusiasm here...

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net THE five-day suspension without pay of a trade union member, allegedly due to an “unwritten and unknown” policy, was one of the reasons members of the two Water and Sewerage Corporation trade unions held a “withdrawal of enthusiasm” demonstration yesterday at WSC headquarters on University Drive.

Dwayne Woods, the Bahamas Utilities Service and Allied Workers Union (BUSAWU) president, yesterday also accused WSC executives of attempting to “bust the union” by rolling back four major benefits — saying this breached the Industrial Agreement between WSC and BUSAWU, the Industrial Relations Act, and the Employment Act. Water & Sewerage Management Union (WSMU) president Ednol Rolle added his union was standing in solidarity with BUSAWU. He also reiterated his calls for the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) to “sweep” the corporation’s offices for “illegal listening devices”.

WSC executives have called allegations of bugging devices baseless.

Mr Rolle also accused the WSC chairman of refusing to sign the union’s industrial agreement due

to a dispute over benefits — despite a court ruling that the union is entitled to this benefit.

Labour Minister Dion Foulkes addressed the matter yesterday outside Cabinet, encouraging stakeholders to resolve the issues — none of which “seem to be insurmountable,” he said.

Speaking to reporters yesterday during the demonstration, Mr Woods said the union is “upset at appalled” at the behaviour of WSC executives, namely the executive chairman and general manager.

“You take a day to say and to bring acknowledgement to the prime minister and to the minister to realise that enough is enough and the people can’t take no more here at (WSC),” Mr Woods added. “Please remove this chairman, post haste.”

He said the union hopes to hold a strike vote at some point over lingering issues.

“We have matters at the Labour Board being adjudicated at present, and we hope that when that is adjudicated we move towards a strike vote. But at this time, all we doing is withdrawing our enthusiasm. You see we to work… but we just withdraw our enthusiasm. We not happy to work.”

Mr Woods also accused the executives of “attempting to minimise the influence” of the union by “blatantly disrespecting,

CHAIRMAN ADRIAN GIBSON HITS BACK WATER and Sewerage Corporation chairman Adrian Gibson last night said that union members were responsible for illegally shutting down the water supply in parts of New Providence – and warned that anyone involved would be fired and police would be called.

Several areas across the island were affected by low pressure last night.

He said in a post on Facebook late last night: “After an illegal strike action today, members of the non-management union at the Water and Sewerage Corporation are engaging in an illegal shutdown of the water supply in various sections of New Providence.

“As it stands, pressure regulating valve (PRV) alarms are going off across New Providence. This indicates that intimidating, victimising and discriminating against our membership.”

Mr Woods said the WSC is attempting to union bust by rolling back four major benefits: union/administrative leave; meeting place; rental space, and accrued vacation.

He added while these matters are being adjudicated at the Department of Labour and the Supreme Court, executives have “already suspended” a union member for 15 days with pay pending investigation.

Regarding the other suspended union member, Mr Woods said this occurred on Monday, when the general manager suspended the member for five days

pressure regulating valves are being shut off throughout New Providence in a concerted and intentional effort to disrupt the water supply.”

He said areas affected included Wulff Road South, Prince Charles, Soldier Road, Fox Hill, Elizabeth Estates, Bain Town , Palmdale, Constitution Drive, Fort Fincastle , Princess Margaret Hospital, Camperdown, and areas in southern and central New Providence.

He said that emergency teams were being sent to the affected sites with police escort, adding: “Any employee found to have tampered with the water supply will be summarily dismissed and referred to the police. This type of behavior will not be tolerated.”

without pay “using an incorrect breach of discipline and an unwritten and unknown policy.”

According to Mr Woods, the issue is that the member purchased a vehicle from abroad, “cleared the vehicle from customs during his lunch hour on Thursday and Friday, then came to work in the vehicle and parked in the staff parking”.

Mr Woods said when the union member returned to the car after working “beyond the normal working hours,” he realised the car’s battery was dead.

He left the car at WSC’s compound over the weekend — which “resulted in a five-day suspension without pay”.

Mr Woods said a meeting

was held with the general manager and his management team in the absence of a human resources professional. He said the union asked to see the policy that the corporation said was breached, “but it could not be produced”.

“The union corrected the interpretation of the breach of discipline being used, as the union was the sole professional present, at the meeting, to explain the intent of the article during negotiations,” Mr Woods said.

“The union takes exception to the unfair and inconsistent promotional exercises where friends, family and lovers are being promoted over hard working individuals,” Mr Woods also said, adding some employees are being promoted under questionable practices.

He also alleged there are “inconsistent levying of penalties of discipline to our members from the office of the executive chairman and the general manager, without the experience and expertise of Human Resources.”

He also accused WSC executive chairman Adrian Gibson of micromanaging and creating chaos.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, April 3, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

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Citizenship changes must clarify for both sides PROPOSALS to make changes to citizenship and immigration laws in The Bahamas have already caused some concern – not least among those who are directly affected by the changes to come.

The situation with regard to applications has long been a mess – but one of the problems that leaps out from the proposals to begin with is that the onus seems to be placed all on the applicant without any guarantees of what can be expected from government agencies in response.

One of the proposals surrounds the right of people born in The Bahamas – whose parents are not Bahamian – to apply to be registered as a citizen when they turn 18 or within 12 months after that.

The law didn’t speak too clearly about what happened before 18 or after 19 – and into those loopholes, people’s lives fall.

Those cases have appeared frequently in this newspaper – such as Wilken Garson, a 28-year-old man who we reported earlier this year claimed he was deported to Haiti. He was born and schooled in The Bahamas – but he says he was detained and sent to a country he’d never known. Haiti turned him right around and sent him back and he spent months in limbo in detention.

It’s not an isolated case – there was also the instance we reported last November of Bahamas-born Louisbin Foreste, aged 24, who was deported to Haiti in violation of a Supreme Court order. On the plane as he was deported, he told another man on the flight that he had no one, had nowhere to go. That stranger offered him mercy – inviting him to come and stay with him – that the country Mr Foreste was born in had failed to offer.

Then there’s the case of Jean Rony Jean-Charles, who is seeking $1m damages from the Bahamas government after being deported to Haiti in 2017 – only to return after a judge ordered the government to issue him documentation and bring him back. His case continues to rumble through the courts.

These cases – among others such as teenager Taranique Thurston, who struggled to travel to the United States for urgent medical care because of a lack of documentation – are both damning of the current Immigration structure, and evidence of the need for change.

Those changes must be balanced, however, helping those who are caught CAREY Leonard, a former Grand Bahama Port Authority in-house counsel, said the government is “absolutely correct to modernise a 70-year-old economic model” by seeking full WTO membership.

Readers gave their reaction on tribune242.com.

The_Oracle posted this comment: “The 18-year long problem is Government has been negotiating, not the private sector.

Government has kept the private sector in the dark, where they have been quite happy quite frankly. Private sector input has been dismal at best, creating a very steep learning curve

up in loopholes rather than cutting them off completely.

For example, the changes suggest a period of six months be given for those who didn’t apply when they were 18 to sort out their documentation.

A few years ago, we knew a brother and sister who applied at the age of 18. They came from a well-off family, were well-educated, and complied with every request in a timely manner. It took until each was 23 for their application to finally be sorted out. Five years, for those in the position of being able to deal with every financial cost and every document request quickly.

Do we really think the government will be able to deal with a flood of requests in six months? What duties will the government have to live up to in order to deal with applications in a timely manner?

Those quoted in our story today highlight the current problem – some got Haitian passports as required in the 2014/15 policy change, but find it of little use in dealing with Immigration, and securing appropriate documents, such as birth certificates for parents born in other countries, can be a challenge both in time and money. Then Immigration itself loses documents from time to time, forcing applicants to try to find them again.

This feels like the government is trying to draw a line with regard to applications in later life – but for those who fail to apply in time, what will happen next?

These people are still born in The Bahamas, they may still have never set foot in another country – where do they go when the nation of their birth tells them to leave?

Can we find a solution that helps those who are struggling to meet the requirements demanded – or are we intent on merely telling those affected to go away?

And let us paint one scenario, based on the experience of Mr Foreste. Haiti, one of the poorest countries on the planet, is in no position to accept into its borders thousands of people who have never lived there. The only reason The Bahamas is sending them there is because their parents or grandparents or some other relative once boarded a boat north in hope of a better life.

Why should we expect a country - which would appear to have no responsibility for the people “pure” Bahamians don’t want - to accept them?

on top of the ever increasing domestic economy stagnating government bureaucracy. A snail moves faster and more efficiently.”

That prompted this response from Ohdrap4: “The private sector sees no need for WTO because we can only manufacture things with protection.

Look at the chicken situation, 20 years ago there were many local chicken producers, now there is

maybe one or two and the TWO members are already telling them to lower the chicken tariff.”

BahamaPundit said: “The bottom line is this folks: If we join WTO, income tax is a done deal.

If you don’t want income tax, don’t celebrate and encourage WTO!” And there was this from Revolutionary: “Modernising the economy shouldn’t mean allowing the WTO to remove regulations that benefit local companies over much larger foreign entities (duty, FDI taxes, local preference, etc).

Join the debate on tribune242.com.

Quick action needed EDITOR, The Tribune

MINISTERS - MPs Revs. Can spin as much as they like the reality is we have and have had a serious social problem in the schools and outside of the schools when it comes to social safety of our young people.

This most unfortunate incident significantly shows that a student from another school, junior to the close by school, can be a victim of seemingly known bullying and

violence. The admittance of the mother that her son had been attacked before totally confirms that so Ministers - MPs - revs.

Stop the talk and open your eyes.

Quick action is needed and has been needed for years, but for political reasons successive governments have avoided doing anything.

Social example - back in the 80s we had the then Ministry of Youth bring in Bob Marley - today infact this weekend now the

Banton concert - now narrow-minded but not stupid both should never have been permitted and elevated to the level they will be as both persons were not positive examples to our young people.

The named Security Company for this concert this weekend is close to the Minister - The Dames Group - You see where the problem is?

J RAHMING Nassau March 28, 2019

POLAR bear cub Hertha plays with a ball of soccer club Hertha BSC, after the announcing of her name, at the Tierpark zoo in Berlin yesterday. The Berlin soccer club is the sponsor of the bear and decides the name of the animal, who was born late last year.

Support real men of God EDITOR, The Tribune A FEW weeks ago while tuned into a radio talk show that was discussing the role of the church. It was not surprising to hear the many calls that came in lambasting pastors who they believe are fleecing their parishioners. What was surprising though is the few callers who came to the defence of their leaders. It is no secret that there are charlatans in the church.

But they are the minority and should not be counted with the real men of God. The Bible says by their fruits you shall know them. “Matthew 24:24. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”Many of the callers complained about the way a lot of pastors were living large while their flocks were finding it

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net hard to make ends meet.

How they were living in mansions while their members lived in hovels.

How these members are neglecting the needs of their family by contributing to their bishop’s extravagant lifestyle. We know that there are socalled men of the cloth who take advantage of the gullible and vulnerable, but as mentioned earlier they are the minority. Do not be distracted by them.

Do not let them stop you from doing good. They will be dealt with accordingly in due time. Very few calls came in that were defending their pastors and it is sad because many pastors are more than just pastors to their people. They are

mother and father. They are the sole benefactor to many of their members.

You don’t see them making big ado’s about what they are doing because they are commanded by God to provide for the widows and orphans, the underprivileged and neglected.

They are to love in action and not words.

So just because you do not see them on TV or read about them in the newspaper means they are not doing God’s work. “Matthew 6:4. So that your giving may be in secret.

Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. “The next time you decide to beat up on pastors just take a look around, look closely and you will see the great work that the church is doing.

ANTHONY PRATT Nassau April 1, 2019

Look after paradise EDITOR, The Tribune MY WIFE and I have enjoyed three trips to your beautiful islands, two to Eleuthera and one to Andros. We just returned from Eleuthera, having been there last eight years ago. At that time we were overwhelmed with the beauty of the beaches and reefs. We spent most of our time exploring the southern half of the island. These places were worthy of designations as world heritage sites for the quality of the reefs and beaches.

On our recent trip, we were a dismayed by the obvious damage to some of the reefs from coral bleaching and diseases, and by the amount of plastic trash inundating the beaches and roadsides. It has strengthened our resolve to work on climate change and plastic pollution.

We were also alarmed at how development is proceeding with apparent disregard for maintaining public access and

the health of the ecosystem. The land and reefs around Lighthouse Point, Cotton Bay and Jack’s Bay are natural wonders.

Sadly, Cotton Bay is now off limits, Jack’s Bay is in the process of becoming a gated resort, and Lighthouse Point is soon to follow. We understand large scale development is also planned for the area north of Savannah Sound and on Windermere Island, a large tract of land around Islandia Beach is for sale, and that the western cape is now largely private. Talking to local Bahamians, we found most were dismayed by what is happening. They are watching their island slipping away. Living in poverty in paradise is preferable to living in poverty just outside the gates that separate the ‘working class’ from paradise. Nearly all the residents I met were extremely generous and friendly, but it is foreseeable that their patience and charm will erode

and resentment build as the discrepancy between haves and have-nots grows more apparent, and what they used to regard as a birthright - access to the unspoiled reefs and beaches - is taken away by design or neglect.

I understand the desire to stimulate the local economy and raise the standard of living for residents in places like Tarpum Bay, Bannerman Town and John Millars, but I hope and pray some balance can be reached between developers anxious to sell $3m beach front lots and the locals and the outsiders interested in preserving world-class natural treasures and access to them.

I would close with a few lines from a song by the band The Eagles called ‘Last Resort’: “...They called it paradise, I don’t know why You call some place paradise, kiss it goodbye.”

JOHN VARNER March 23, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, April 3, 2019, PAGE 5

DRIVER FINED $10,000 FOR DEATH CRASH

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A 25-YEAR-OLD man was fined over $10,000 for causing the death of a female passenger when the car he was driving smashed into a utility pole two months ago.

Magistrate Kara TurnquestDeveaux fined Hartman Rolle $10,500 in total for causing the death of Latura Penn on February 2.

Of that sum, $10,000 is for killing in the course of dangerous driving, while $250 apiece is for driving without a valid driver’s licence and while not being covered against third party risk insurance.

Rolle was ordered to be pay half of the total sum yesterday.

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net THEA Williams was sentenced to 25 years in prison by a Supreme Court judge yesterday for stabbing teenage mother Breanna Mackey to death last year because she broke her friend’s cellphone.

Justice Cheryl GrantThompson sentenced the 22-year-old to 25 years minus the time she has spent on remand, a year and some four months, in pursuance of a plea agreement her attorney reached with the Crown.

She is further ordered to undergo one year of counselling, inclusive of anger management lessons, and another year of probation upon completion of her sentence.

She will be 46-years-old by the time that comes around.

Meanwhile, an 18-yearold woman whose name has been withheld because she was charged as a minor, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in connection with Mackey’s death. She is also ordered to serve one year’s probation after completing her sentence.

Prior to receiving her sentence, and as part of a plea deal, she pleaded not guilty to murdering Mackey, but guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Her sentence is non-inclusive of any further time deductions.

Justice Grant-Thompson further noted that she will direct the commissioner of the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) not to house the pair with two other girls allegedly involved in the killing for their own safety until they stand trial over Mackey’s death.

The judge further noted she would ask the commissioner to ensure both women have access to educational opportunities so as to allow them both to be in a position to make a positive contribution to society once they are finished serving their sentences.

Failure to pay would result in one year in prison.

According to the facts read off by the prosecutor, Inspector Claudette McKenzie, sometime around 1.30am on the date in question, police control room received reports of a traffic accident at the junction of Soldier Road and Spencer Court.

Officers from the Traffic Division went to the scene and confirmed a collision had occurred involving a grey Nissan Primera registered to Hartman Rolle Sr. Investigations confirmed at the time of the accident, Rolle was travelling south on Soldier Road when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a utility pole and wall on the eastern side of the street at the junction of Spencer Court.

HARTMAN Rolle yesterday.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

Rolle was the driver and Penn his front seat passenger.

Rear seat passengers Avery Francis and Derek Taylor received serious injuries and had to be extracted from the vehicle using the Jaws of Life apparatus.

EMS personnel were requested and upon arrival immediately rendered medical assistance to all of the vehicle’s occupants before transporting them to hospital for further medical care.

However, Penn died of her injuries in hospital the following day.

An autopsy report said she died as a result of multiple blunt force injuries to the head, neck and chest.

Around 9.45pm on April 1, Rolle was cautioned, arrested and subsequently charged with the traffic related offences.

‘Cellphone’ killer jailed for 25 years Another accused, who is currently on bail awaiting trial, returns to court next week Monday.

Mackey, a mother of one, was stabbed to death on January 25, 2018, the day after celebrating her 19th birthday.

According to the facts read off by prosecutor Cephia Pinder-Moss, sometime around 5.48pm on the date in question, police control room was contacted about reports that a female was stabbed about the body in the Key West Street area off Cordeaux Avenue. A crew of police officers was consequently dispatched to investigate.

Upon their arrival, a female who was identified as the victim’s sister, Latisha Woodside, directed officers to a brown and white two-storey apartment complex situated on the eastern side of Key West Street. On the porch, just in front of door number 9, officers discovered a semi-conscious female lying face down suffering from four stab wounds to the upper back and two stab wounds to the right arm.

The woman, later revealed to be Mackey, was subsequently transported to the Princess Margaret Hospital where she died around 8.28pm.

Further investigations led officers to arrest Williams who, when interviewed on the matter, admitted to killing Mackey.

The 18-year-old, meanwhile, admitted her involvement in the offence in that she knew of the weapon used to kill Mackey,

LEFT: the victim, Breanna Mackey, and, above, Thea Williams pictured in February 2018. and that she also kicked the deceased during the fatal altercation.

Prior to sentencing the pair yesterday, Justice Grant-Thompson called Mackey’s death a “senseless” and “inexplicable” killing motivated by some of the “most trivial and spurious” set of circumstances.

She further noted that society is “saddened” by such sentencing exercises, and suggested they represented a lose-lose situation in that Mackey, a young person, lost her life, and two other young persons were sentenced in relation to her death.

However, the judge encouraged the pair to use the experience to change their lives so that “all is not lost”, particularly Williams, whom she noted initially tried to “take responsibility” for killing Mackey by

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pleading guilty to murdering her when formally arraigned before her last year.

Williams, as well as the 18-year-old, both sobbed audibly as the judge commented on the matter, though Williams’ cries were noticeably more demonstrative. Both of them declined to comment when asked if they would like to say something before their respective sentences were passed.

They were subsequently led out of the courtroom one by one to begin serving their prison sentences.

Joseph D’Arceuil represented Williams, while Sonia Timothy represented the 18-year-old.

PAGE 6, Wednesday, April 3, 2019 from page one The NIAB 2018, as proposed by the Law Reform Commission, further seeks to address areas of the constitution relating to what happens to persons born post-independence to two non-Bahamian parents before their 18th birthday and after their 19th birthday; and those persons born outside of The Bahamas to a Bahamian mother before their 18th birthday and after their 21st birthday.

These issues are derived primarily from articles 7 and 9 of the constitution; but aren’t addressed therein or by later amendments.

The NIAB 2018 will grant persons in both these categories — born outside of The Bahamas to a Bahamian mother and born inside The Bahamas to two non-Bahamian parents — the “right of abode” or the right to live in The Bahamas while a minor, up to the age of 18.

In the case of those children born to two nonBahamian parents, they will be given an opportunity to apply for a resident belonger’s permit if they are in the custody and care of a parent or guardian who has the right to live in the Bahamas.

Additionally, this classification of person will now have a right to legally live and work in The Bahamas up to the time they apply to be registered as a Bahamian citizen and while that application is being processed and/or appealed.

The new bill will also

THE TRIBUNE

AG Bethel defends proposed changes to Immigration law establish that these persons lose their constitutional right to be registered as Bahamians after their 21st birthday.

Those persons whose time to apply to be registered has already expired, would be given six months from the date on the bill’s passage to apply for some form of status — naturalisation, permanent residency, etcetera — or face jail time or deportation.

When asked about the implications of the bill once passed, Mr Bethel said the bill is merely seeking to provide “clarity” and give the government the legal flexibility to determine, based on consideration, whether or not a person should be deported or whether or not some other arrangement should be made.

“But right now, the law is silent,” he contended.

“It seeks, merely, to give greater clarity. I am sure

from page one entitlement of those people to apply for citizenship if they miss the deadline, and provides a sixmonth window for them to apply for a resident belonger’s permit or face deportation upon passage of the bill.

According to the bill, a resident belonger’s permit will be granted for a period of ten years, and is renewable. However, a permanent residence certificate remains in force for the holder’s lifetime, unless or until it is revoked.

The same goes for the holder of an “economic permanent residence certificate”, under which a holder can apply for and endorse the certificate for a spouse or dependent child. Any endorsement of a dependent child will be valid until he ceases to be a dependent, the bill states.

Yesterday, The Tribune spoke with several people who were born in The Bahamas to Haitian parents - the largest migrant grouping in the country, but had not yet applied for citizenship.

Most people canvassed pointed to financial challenges and lack of access to documents like their parents’ birth records as the main obstacle to submitting an application for citizenship.

Allie, a 21-year-old graduate of CI Gibson who did not want her surname used, said: “I’ve actually been saving since 2016. You have to pay for a birth certificate to come in from Haiti and then get it translated and certified and I have to do both parents so that’s a lot of money.”

Allie does not have a work permit, and braids hair for a living. She said she got a Haitian passport as required by the 2014/2015 policy change, but noted it had little meaning in the country despite being asked by The Bahamas to register for it.

She expressed concern over the government’s agenda concerning the push for Haitian registration, which was echoed by others interviewed by The Tribune yesterday.

“I don’t think that makes much sense,” Allie said, “we were born here, raised here, all you know is here, so you deporting me to somewhere I don’t know about… you sending me to die.”

Notwithstanding disappointment they would no longer be eligible for citizenship because they had missed the deadline, Allie and others said they would still seek other legal status to remain in the country. “I still consider myself Bahamian,” Allie said, “because I was born here, raised among Bahamians. I don’t see myself not being a Bahamian just because of Haitian descent.”

The new bill mandates the minister give reasons for refusal of citizenship applications and allows for decisions to be appealed at the Supreme Court.

Critics say the bill is silent on accountability for the government as it relates to the processing of applications - a longstanding issue.

The bill also strengthens the powers of immigration officers, as previously foreshadowed by the government, and proposes to make it legal to arrest or conduct a search without a warrant on reasonable suspicion.

Activist Louby Georges, who

that human rights groups or vested interest, for example one of the groups being consulted in the Haitian Pastors Association, may have something to say about that period of six months. They may want it longer. But it stands to reason that if someone had 18 years to make up their mind at the age of 18 to apply for Bahamian status, which the constitution would have given them, and failed to do so, it may raise a question.”

He added: “I don’t want to say exactly what question it is, because that would be a question for the appropriate minister, in this case the minister of immigration, to make the first judgment on.”

However, in furthering his observation of the proposed bill, Mr Bethel insisted that passing any new law does not summarily stop the “ceaseless assaults

AG CARL BETHEL upon our sovereignty” by “economic migrants”.

He said, based on the language of the proposed bill, economic migrants will not qualify for asylum, and once it is determined a person entered The Bahamas unlawfully, the bill will provide a more “modernised framework” and “greater parity” as to those circumstances in which those persons can be returned to their home country by lawful process or summarily.

“…The bill seeks to do is to clarify the law. There has been, since the last Immigration Act was passed many years ago, there have been many developments in common law, in the decisions made by the courts which this bill, hopefully, will capture at the end of the day. Of course, it was out for consultation and there may be further changes,” Mr Bethel said.

He added: “…As a result of our obligations to these international communities that we have undertaken, so for example, our commitment to the United Nations’ Commission on Human Rights, we have brought in a number of protective measures really without the benefit of a legal framework in which to do so.

“So for example, unaccompanied minors are subjected to special consideration to make sure that they are not victims of

‘I’m not sure what the true agenda can be driving this initiative’

heads stakeholder group Flipside Association, said: “This is head scratching for us. There are issues with persons obtaining certain documents - how do you prove certain things to get these documents? It is not impossible but it is out of reach for many people.

“With those changes in 2014 a lot of people became unemployed, and haven’t completed their naturalisation or citizenship processes because they simply don’t have the funds.”

Mr Georges continued: “Honestly I’m not sure what the true agenda or motives can be that is driving this initiative. On paper it looks good, it makes for good conversation on the radio, in the news but a lot of us been discussing it and we think that this is an avenue for the government to simply legalise a lot of the illegal activities that they were conducting - particularly the searches.

“This doesn’t necessarily fix some of the problems that we think exist today,” he said.

“For example, no one is speaking to the turnover time in applying, the length of time it takes to apply, the widespread loss of documents, the efficiency of the department.

“Where is the law or the policy that speaks to the way that the Department of Immigration should conduct their duties? How do we hold you accountable?”

The bill was prepared by the Law Reform and Revision Commission, chaired by Dame Anita Allen, and was released for public consultation last month.

In an internal presentation, Dame Anita applauded the government for initiating the law reform process, which she characterised as “an effort to better protect our borders, to be tougher on violators, and to maintain this country’s nationhood.”

“It cannot be gainsaid that with the incoming tide of illegal immigrants, there are fewer jobs for Bahamians,” Dame Anita said, “communities where they settle

ACTIVIST Louby Georges. are overcrowded and dilapidated; and social and other services are in danger of being overwhelmed.

“Moreover, it is often posited, and not unreasonably so, that we may be in danger of losing our national identity.”

Dame Anita’s presentation was included alongside the bill, and an explanatory memorandum, in a package for stakeholder associations to hold consultations with their members. In it, she suggests the proposals should not be made public until they have been agreed.

Dame Anita specifically highlighted matters related to the statutory authority of a Supreme Court ruling that found the citizenship of the mother is the chief factor for determining the citizenship of a child born out of wedlock; whether to introduce term limits for work permits; and the removal of gender inequality in the transference of citizenship to an adopted child.

Currently, only a man can pass on his Bahamian citizenship to his adopted child.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff She said the existing state of the law “hampers the exercise of immigration control” over people born in the country to foreign parents, whom she said have no reason to leave the country after their birth, with no legal requirement for them to apply for resident status or consequence if they do not apply for citizenship within the constitutionally mandated timeline.

Dame Anita is concerned over the “Articles 7 and 9 dilemma”.

The former Court of Appeal president said this dilemma should have been tackled by parliament immediately after Independence, but was left untouched until the 2015 amendment introducing the resident Belonger permit.

While it included the right to work for people in this category, Dame Anita noted it was “ineffectual” because it left the decision to grant such status and its duration up to the discretion of the Immigration Director; and did not indicate whether the

sex trafficking or human trafficking.

“Women with their children are kept segregated from the general population if they go into the Detention Centre, they are kept in separate housing so that there is no risk of any kind of malpractice or ill-treatment according to women and children.

“So these things are all going to be captured in the bill to formalise our legal commitment to those things that we have brought into effect over the past decades to improve the quality of services rendered by the immigration authorities in this country and to make for a more efficient system of determining the rights of individuals within our boundaries,” Mr Bethel said yesterday.

The Law Reform Commission is chaired by former Court of Appeal President Dame Anita Allen.

application could be made by a minor or adult.

Charlene, 23, told The Tribune she had a Haitian passport but feared for her sister who was unable to apply before their parents’ death due to lack of funds.

Her sister has a daughter, whom she fears will have an even harder time applying for documents to access citizenship.

“First they told us to do the Haitian passport but the Haitian passport don’t mean nothing,” Charlene, who also did not want her surname used, said. “We have Bahamian people who here and ain’t straight, ain’t never had a passport all their life. But they make it hard for us, we been to school over here, the only thing we want over here is a job.

“They was saying if you born over here, you can’t get deported, so they wasn’t putting no pressure to say going to put in something unless they want to travel. But now seeing these laws changing, you gotta panic.”

Daphne, 25, said: “Immigration been in my yard and my heart was beating so fast. I don’t know Haiti, they ask me for my stuff and I show them the Haitian passport and the receipt of my school letter, they told me that still ain’t nothing I still have to prove why I’m over here.

“I told them I’m trying my best.

I wasn’t working and I’m trying to save up and they said ok, and that they’ll give me some time. But they told me if they ever see me again they’ll just pick me up.

“Some people don’t check, but I try all my best I could. Some things I put in my head to do, just to make money but I say I’m too young for that, and then I don’t wanna get sick.

“But I just pray, pray, go to church and pray, say God please help me.”

For her part, Dame Anita noted the effectiveness of the bill will rest on the “timely and efficient processing” of citizenship applications.

“Contrary to the view that this reform is a panacea for deporting undocumented immigrants without taking them to court,” Dame Anita said, “I respectfully posit that the exclusion or expulsion from the Bahamas of persons who are not citizens of the Bahamas, must still be done under lawful authority; and the expulsion of any person without fair treatment and due process would be unlawful. The case of Takitota is a case in point.”

The case of Japanese national Atain Takitota, who was unlawfully imprisoned here for eight years between 1992 and 2000, was used to affirm the legal position given in the initial ruling on the landmark Jean Rony Jean-Charles case - which is that detention or arrest with a view to deportation without being taken before a court is not permissible.

In a Facebook comment yesterday, cultural anthropologist and former Bahamas Director General of Culture Dr Nicolette Bethel questioned whether the proposed changes were constitutional, or sensible.

“Because what happens if/when the applications are made? We do not process those which happen now,” she wrote.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, April 3, 2019, PAGE 7

DAVIS QUESTIONS BPL TEAM AFTER ALSTRON QUITS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE sudden resignation of Bahamas Power & Light Chief Operations Officer Christina Alstron, pictured right, is raising fresh questions about the functioning of BPL’s executive team, Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis said during a press conference yesterday.

“This (resignation) comes on the heels of the resignation of the former executive chairman Darnell Osborne,” Mr Davis said. “The

question of political interference at that public corporation must be raised.”

Mrs Alstron’s appointment in 2017 was celebrated at the time but it came to an unceremonious end last week. The Tribune understands she left on bad terms with BPL. Davis questioned why the Finnish company Wartsila had been brought into supply new power engines at Clifton Pier when a deal has been done with Shell North America to answer BPL’s long-term supply requirements.

Mr Davis asked: “Are the

professionals being allowed to carry out the policy of energy reform? Is the agreement between the government and Shell North America and Wartsila presenting such a conflict and unhealthy and untenable working environment?”

Mr Davis released a three-page letter he wrote to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis on March 12 concerning the Wartsila deal. He said Dr Minnis has not responded to his many questions.

“Shell was to provide some 220MW of power using LNG,” he wrote in the letter.

“All costs associated with the infrastructure inclusive of

generators and gas facilities were to be provided by Shell and at Shell’s cost. BPL’s limited finances and inability to finance such a project was also stated.

The most recent announcement by management that BPL will now install some 132 MW of generation at BPL’s cost is contradictory to what was stated earlier by the chairman and CEO of BPL. When did this change come about? Were discussions with Wartsila underway prior to the signing of the MOU with Shell?

“Was the dismissal of the previous board members related to this matter? It is also noted that

there were onboard members present when the press conference was held to announce this $95 agreement. For such a major announcement this is surprising. Is this present board being bypassed similar as to what was alleged to have taken place with the previous board?”

The Tribune has reported a number of times the Wartsila engines will hopefully come on stream by the end of this summer, several years before the Shell plant becomes operational. BPL’s aim is the Warstila initiative will take care of New Providence’s power demands up until that time.

‘We must have transparency over police departures’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE government should be more transparent about the recent departure of several senior law enforcement officers, opposition leader Philip “Brave” Davis said yesterday.

At least eight police officers and several defence force officers near retirement who have weeks of accumulated vacation leave have recently been directed to take their leave and then retire.

Critics have questioned whether all the officers have enough vacation leave to last until the date of their

expected retirement. Some also question whether the government has sent home every senior officer near retirement who has accumulated many weeks of vacation.

“There are other persons on the force who would fall in the same categories of people who they let go,” Mr Davis said. “The question is why these persons and not others who are remaining. That explanation would require them to being fully transparent, which would include identifying other senior officers and the amount of vacation they have and why they are being kept on with preference to those who they are

sending on.”

Mr Davis also revealed that the Public Accounts Committee, which he heads, has completed an interim report. The PAC has been stifled this term, with the Minnis administration refusing to answer its requests for information, citing its interpretation of a ruling former House Speaker Dr Kendal Major made in 2015.

Mr Davis said: “The report that has been adopted by the majority is ready. The government’s member has indicated that he wants to consider putting a minority report in so he has been given an opportunity to consider that. We

OPPOSITION leader Philip “Brave” Davis will meet on April 8 to formally adopt the report and if the House meets next Wednesday we will present it then or at the next sitting.”

Mr Davis also could

not reveal the PLP’s convention plans, saying he is awaiting a report from the convention committee. The convention was supposed to happen in May but could not secure

three consecutive days in May to host the event at the Melia hotel, Mr Davis has said. PLP chairman Fred Mitchell has said the convention could be postponed.

CUSTOMERS SUFFER POWER OUTAGES

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net PARTS of New Providence experienced power outages yesterday due to a tripped generator, Bahamas Power and Light Director of Public Relations Quincy Parker said yesterday.

Mr Parker added that a manual load shedding also occurred in the Baillou Hills area.

As BPL customers from Shirley Street to Palmdale complained about the lack of electricity, Mr Parker told reporters: “Just wanted to say this is not an island wide outage, and affects just downtown and the surrounding areas.

“There is manual load shedding at Blue Hills

area. Restoration expected within the hour,” he continued.

Mr Parker clarified to The Tribune yesterday that the downtown and Baillou Hills incidents were two separate events.

Regarding the downtown outage, he said this occurred because “a generator tripped and investigators are working to determine why”.

He added the load shedding in the Baillou Hills area “ended shortly after it began”.

Issues with a generator circuit breaker at BPL’s Skyline facility caused the Cable Beach area to be plagued with days of morning power outages back in February.

At that time, customers

in the western district of New Providence complained that electricity in the area was turned off on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings during the week of February 25.

“On Monday, Feb 25, 2019 at 10.06am, a generator circuit breaker at BPL’s Skyline facility tripped,” Mr Parker said at the time, adding that customers in areas such as Skyline Lakes and the Baha Mar area were affected.

“Teams are on site working to resolve (the) issue and will provide updated information as soon as it becomes available,” he continued. “BPL expects to have the issue completely solved within 24 hours.”

FORM B Notice of Intended Marriage (Section 7(3))

SALLY-ANN PRATT Registrar of Marriages

P

PAGE 8, Wednesday, April 3, 2019

F

IGHTS happen in schools all the time. I went to a high school known for its Christian mandate and inflexibility. There was probably a fight, or at least a scuffle, every week. Most of them were fist fights, but some involved makeshift weapons. Students involved in fights were usually suspended, if not expelled. It was also possible for students to be suspended for accumulating too many detentions. Detention was a punishment for a range of things, from being late and uniform infractions to causing a disturbance in class and damaging school property. It was not difficult to get suspended.

School administrators were pleased they could, at least temporarily, remove a “troublesome” student from the environment and teach them a lesson, parents were frustrated with their child and had to make other arrangements for a few days, and the student got “stripes,” seen as superior for being in such great trouble. Few people “learned their lesson” when they got a few days off from school. Some of them probably got into more trouble and some of that may have made its way back to campus.

Every parent does not have a back-up plan. Midterm breaks and holidays are difficult enough. How do you ask someone to supervise your child who has been banned from school for any period of time? For some, there is no one to ask. They have no choice but to leave them at home with instructions they may or may not follow. If the suspension is the result of a fight, what is to stop the students from meeting to finish the fight? If not, what is to keep the now free student from getting into more trouble? We say, “The devil

THE TRIBUNE

Schools have to get in the fight to protect our students The

Alicia Wallace

column

finds work for idle hands,” but do we keep our young people engaged?

Many of our “solutions” create new problems.

Schools send children home, giving no thought to the environments they will inhabit, nor to the environments the schools themselves have created. Students spend most of their waking hours in school, and that is where they need to learn and practice social skills. They need to learn how to non-violently resolve conflict, how to safely intervene. Temporarily removing them from the environment does nothing to solve the problem.

They have to come back, and they probably have a score to settle.

The attitude that we are only responsible for children when they are in our sight must change.

Many have to walk home from school. Do we know what they experience after school every day? Who they encounter, lines they

have to cross, jobs they have to do? Some of them will tell you their lives are at risk and their labour, tardiness, or free ride from a stranger is all that can save them when no one else is around.

We obviously have a violent society. Violence is often the first response adults have to misbehaving children, so it is no surprise it has become the instinct of young people in the middle of conflict. Our conversations need to shift.

We need to think about prevention of violence by teaching conflict resolution and prepare schools to mediate. The Ministry of Education, Ministry of National Security, Bahamas Union of Teachers, and non-profit organizations working with at-risk youth need to be in conversation with another, share information and develop a plan. Punishment only comes after being caught in the act. Our focus needs to be on prevention.

Child abuse is not discipline

THERE is, once again, a video of an adult beating children being circulated.

The Abaco teacher is shown hitting boys with a belt. She makes them, one by one, face and put their hands on the wall while she lashes them. It is an exercise of humiliation for them and an expression of anger for her. This is not discipline. It is an assertion of power, a threat to others, a sick form of entertainment for those watching and an attempt to break those children as human beings.

A radio talk show host talked about corporal punishment on Monday. In calls and text messages, people quoted The Bible, sure that the “rod” of correction is literal.

They insisted that beatings yields good results. Few contributors to the conversation called it violence or connected it to the anger, resentment and violence we see in society.

We are doing children a great disservice, lazily ruling by fear and humiliation. We are creating a generation that will carry trauma and may not be able to pinpoint the source for a long time. We do not even make mental health resources available for them. They are alienated from and afraid of the people we tell them to trust. They face ridicule from peers, often punished by their parents for being punished, and are seen as delinquents by the general public. They are among the most vulnerable, victimised over and over again.

What do we expect to come of this?

Children get upset. They make mistakes.

It is necessary to correct them and to do it in ways they can safely, effectively model throughout their lives. They should be able to communicate disagreement or disapproval without turning to violence, and they have to learn it from us.

BUJU Banton in action last weekend.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff THE Buju Banton concert was the talk of the town on the weekend.

Though many complained about the line-up — which was, indeed, quite odd — excitement was high. Those with tickets and those tuned in to live feeds were equally excited.

There were quite a few posts by annoyed ticketholders who were not able to enter the stadium for an hour. They tagged organizers to express displeasure and complained about the amount of money they spent only to be stuck outside for a long period of time. Once inside, they took photos and videos and started to enjoy themselves. By the time Buju performed, the earlier part of the night was forgotten.

The experience, at that point, was everything they wanted. It made me think of the five-year political cycles we go through, and the things we choose to forget so we can more fully enjoy a victory. We are constantly bargaining, shifting and searching for ways to reconcile difference, disappointments and failures, if only for our own peace of mind and temporary freedom.

It was interesting to

The rules of the game

see the level of participation from people at home.

They complained about the timing of sets and tried to control the way people did live streams. Viewers commented on live videos to tell patrons how to hold their phones, when to show the crowd and which service provider to use in order to improve the viewing experience. They complained about artists performing songs they did not know and responded with obscenities when live feeds were cut. Some viewers pointed out the people at home had more to say than the people who paid for the experience.

There was a determination to be proven right, or better than the others.

Those at home laughed at those who bought tickets, boasting they, at home, ended up with the best seats. People in attendance were convinced those at home were missing out on something special and their

arguments were worthless because they were not there.

We have people with tickets who want to sell them at higher prices and some want to get whatever they can for them. We have people who can not afford a ticket, but will pretend they do not want to go.

There are those who truly do not want to go, but want to watch from a distance so they can “be in tings” when the conversation comes up.

National discourse is not much different. Some have greater access to information than others. Some do not want to be so involved that they look complicit, but they want to participate. Everyone deserves to be heard, but not everyone deserves to be heard.

Did you pay to be here?

Which section were you in?

What time you reach? We’ll tally your points and let you know if we have time to listen to you. These are the rules. Don’t like them?

Let’s fight.

FORM B Notice of Intended Marriage (Section 7(3))

FORM B Notice of Intended Marriage (Section 7(3))

SALLY-ANN PRATT Registrar of Marriages

SALLY-ANN PRATT Registrar of Marriages

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, April 3, 2019, PAGE 9

No AI in humour: R2-D2 walks into a bar, doesn’t get the joke WASHINGTON Associated Press A ROBOT walks into a bar. It goes CLANG. Alexa and Siri can tell jokes mined from a humour database, but they don’t get them.

Humour is what makes humans special.

When people try to teach machines what’s funny, the results are at times laughable but not in the way intended.

“Artificial intelligence will never get jokes like humans do,” said Kiki Hempelmann, a computational linguist who studies humour at Texas A&M University-Commerce. “In themselves, they have no need for humour.

They miss completely context.”

And when it comes to humour, the people who study it — sometimes until all laughs are beaten out of it — say context is key.

Even expert linguists have trouble explaining humour, said Tristan Miller, a computer scientist and linguist at Darmstadt University of Technology in Germany.

“Creative language — and humour in particular — is one of the hardest areas for computational intelligence to grasp,” said Miller, who has analysed more than 10,000 puns and called it torture. “It’s because it relies so much on real-world knowledge — background knowledge and commonsense knowledge. A computer doesn’t have these real-world experiences to draw on. It only knows what you tell it and what it draws from.”

Allison Bishop , a Columbia University computer scientist who also performs stand-up comedy, said computer learning looks for patterns, but comedy thrives on things hovering close to a pattern and veering off just a

DR NOAM SLONIM, principal investigator, stands with the IBM Project Debater before a debate between the computer and two humans in San Francisco. Slonim put humour into the programming, figuring that a one-liner every now could help in a debate. But in initial internal tests, it backfired when the system gave a humorous remark at an inappropriate time and way. “We know that humour – at least good humor – relies on nuance and on timing,” Slonim said. “And these are very hard to decipher by an automatic system.”

Photo: Eric Risberg/AP bit to be funny and edgy.

Humour, she said, “has to skate the edge of being cohesive enough and surprising enough.”

For comedians that’s job security. Bishop said her parents were happy when her brother became a fulltime comedy writer because it meant he wouldn’t be replaced by a machine.

“I like to believe that there is something very innately human about what makes something funny,” Bishop said.

Oregon State University computer scientist Heather Knight created the comedyperforming robot Ginger to help her design machines that better interact with — and especially respond to — humans. She said it turns out people most appreciate a robot’s self-effacing humour.

Ginger, which uses

human-written jokes and stories, does a bit about Shakespeare and machines, asking, “If you prick me in my battery pack, do I not bleed alkaline fluid?” in a reference to “The Merchant of Venice”.

Humour and artificial intelligence is a growing field for academics.

Some computers can generate and understand puns — the most basic humour — without help from humans because puns are based on different meanings of similar-sounding words. But they fall down after that, said Purdue University computer scientist Julia Rayz.

“They get them — sort of,” Rayz said. “Even if we look at puns, most of the puns require huge amounts of background.”

Still, with puns there is something mathematical

that computers can grasp, Bishop said.

Rayz has spent 15 years trying to get computers to understand humour, and at times the results were, well, laughable. She recalled a time she gave the computer two different groups of sentences. Some were jokes.

Some were not. The computer classified something as a joke that people thought wasn’t a joke. When Rayz asked the computer why it thought it was a joke, its answer made sense technically. But the material still wasn’t funny, nor memorable, she said.

IBM has created artificial intelligence that beat opponents in chess and “Jeopardy!”

Its latest attempt, Project Debater, is more difficult because it is based on language and aims to win structured arguments

with people, said principal investigator Noam Slonim, a former comedy writer for an Israeli version “Saturday Night Live”.

Slonim put humour into the programming, figuring that an occasional one-liner could help in a debate. But it backfired during initial tests when the system made jokes at the wrong time or in the wrong way. Now, Project Debater is limited to one attempt at humour per debate, and that humour is often self-effacing.

“We know that humour — at least good humour — relies on nuance and on timing,” Slonim said.

“And these are very hard to decipher by an automatic system.”

That’s why humour may be key in future Turing Tests — the ultimate test of machine intelligence, which is to see if an independent evaluator can tell if it is interacting with a person or computer, Slonim said.

There’s still “a very significant gap between what machines can do and what humans are doing,” both in language and humour, Slonim said.

There are good reasons to have artificial intelligence try to learn to get humour, Darmstadt University’s Miller said. It makes machines more relatable, especially if you can get them to understand sarcasm. That also may aid with automated translations of different languages, he said.

Texas A&M’s Hempelmann isn’t so sure that’s a good idea.

“Teaching AI systems humour is dangerous because they may find it where it isn’t and they may use it where it’s inappropriate,” Hempelmann said.

“Maybe bad AI will start killing people because it thinks it is funny.”

IN A FIRST, ELECTRIC CARS OUTSELL TRADITIONAL ONES IN NORWAY COPENHAGEN Associated Press IN A symbolic first, electric cars outsold fossil fuel-powered ones in Norway last month.

Christina Bu, the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association’s general secretary, said on Monday that 58.4 percent of new cars sold in the country in March were battery-powered, calling it “historically high”.

Bu added that electric cars’ share of the market in the first three months of 2019 was 48.4 percent and is expected to hover around 50 percent for the whole year.

“Norway shows the whole world that the electric car can replace cars powered by gasoline and diesel and be an important contribution in the fight to reduce C02 emissions,” Bu said in a statement.

ELECTRIC cars queue in the bus lane, left, on the main road into Oslo, Norway. In a symbolic first, electric cars outsold fossil fuel-powered ones in Norway in March 2019. Christina Bu, the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association’s general secretary, says sales figures show 58.4 percent of new cars sold in the country in March were battery-powered, calling it “historically high”.

Norway, a wealthy European nation of 5.3 million, has provided big incentives to boost electric car sales. It waived hefty vehicle import duties and registration and sales taxes for buyers of electric cars to boost sales.

Owners don’t pay road tolls and use bus lanes in congested city centres.

The perks, however, are to be phased out in 2021.

Norway’s Parliament has voted to require that all new cars sold in the Scandinavian country be electric by 2025.

Countries around the world are trying to encourage more people to buy electric cars as part of the effort to reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change. China, the world’s biggest auto market, has also provided big incentives as it tries to clean up the country’s air pollution problem and gain a lead in new technologies.

• MAYOR Jorge Elorza says the Rhode Island city of Providence will make 700 more electric bicycles available for rental.

The JUMP bike influx will increase the total number of bikes available in the city to 1,100 and expands the service area into multiple city neighbourhoods.

JUMP already services downtown, lower and upper South Providence, Federal Hill, Smith Hill and other neighbourhoods.

The expansion announced by the Democratic mayor will fully cover neighbourhoods already previously covered by JUMP. JUMP is owned by Uber and bikes can be rented through the Uber app.

Renting a bike costs $2 for every half-hour of riding.

• WALMART will now allow its shoppers to order their groceries by voice through Google’s smart home assistant, its latest attempt to challenge Amazon’s growing dominance.

Starting this month, shoppers can add items directly to their Walmart grocery cart, according to a company blog post yesterday. Walmart Inc says it can quickly identify the items customers are asking for, based on information from prior purchases with Walmart. For example, if a customer tells Google Assistant to add milk to the cart, it can make sure to add the specific milk the customer buys regularly.

The new features come almost two years after the retailer announced a partnership with Google.

Amazon.com’s Echo will capture 63.3% of smart speaker users in 2019, while Google Home will account for 31%, according to eMarketer.

• APPLE, Spotify, Instagram and some of the year’s most talked-about personalities are among those nominated for the 23rd annual Webby Awards for lighting up the internet through excellence and innovation.

The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences announced the nominees yesterday. They include such celebrities as Will Smith, Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.

Nominees addressed social issues such as gun control, women’s rights, addiction and bullying.

This year’s awards will include new categories for excellence on social platforms and for celebrating innovations using voiceenabled speaking platforms such as Amazon Echo and Google Home.

Fans can vote for the Webby People’s Voice Award online.

Winners will be announced on April 23.

The awards will be presented on May 13 in New York City.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, April 3, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

CHINESE WOMAN CARRYING MALWARE ALLEGEDLY GOT INTO MAR-A-LAGO FLORIDA Associated Press

A WOMAN carrying two Chinese passports and a device containing computer malware lied to Secret Service agents and briefly gained admission to President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club over the weekend during his Florida visit, federal prosecutors allege in court documents.

Yujing Zhang, 32, approached a Secret Service agent at a checkpoint outside the Palm Beach club early on Saturday afternoon and said she was a member who wanted to use the pool, court documents

said. She showed the passports as identification. Agents say she wasn’t on the membership list, but a club manager thought Zhang was the daughter of a member. Agents say that when they asked Zhang if the member was her father, she did not answer definitively but they thought it might be a language barrier and admitted her.

Zhang’s story changed when she got inside, agents say, telling a front desk receptionist she was there to attend the United Nations Chinese American Association event scheduled for that evening. No such event was scheduled and agents were summoned.

Agent Samuel Ivanovich wrote in court documents that Zhang told him that she was there for the Chinese American event and had come early to familiarise herself with the club and take photos, again contradicting what she had said at the checkpoint. She showed him an invitation in Chinese that he could not read.

He said Zhang was taken off the grounds and told she could not be there. Ivanovich said she became argumentative, so she was taken to the local Secret Service office for questioning.

There, he said, it became clear Zhang speaks and reads English

well. He said Zhang said she had traveled from Shanghai to attend the nonexistent Mar-a-Lago event on the invitation of an acquaintance named “Charles,” whom she only knew through a Chinese social media app. Ivanovich said she then denied telling the checkpoint agents she was a member wanting to swim.

Ivanovich said Zhang carried four cellphones, a laptop computer, an external hard drive and a thumb drive containing computer malware. She did not have a swimsuit.

Zhang is charged with making false statements to federal agents

and illegally entering a restricted area. She remains in custody pending a hearing next week. Her public defender, Robert Adler, declined comment.

There is no indication Zhang was ever near the president.

There is also no indication that she is connected to Li Yang, a Chinese native, Republican donor and former Florida massage parlor owner.

Yang recently made news after it was learned she was promising Chinese business leaders that her consulting firm could get them access to Mar-a-Lago, where they could mingle with the president.

PRESIDENT STEPS DOWN AT ARMY INSISTENCE

GUNMAKERS GATHER FOR BRAZIL SHOW RIO DE JANEIRO Associated Press GUNMAKERS and military industry companies from all over the world gathered in Rio de Janeiro for Latin America’s largest defence and security fair yesterday, looking to benefit from Brazil’s new far-right administration and President Jair Bolsonaro’s vow to loosen gun laws.

Brazil, whose gun market remains mostly closed to foreign firms, was expecting some 450 companies and nearly 200 delegations from 80 countries during the fourday expo, organisers said.

Brazil is the world’s third-largest gun manufacturer after the United States and China, according to Brazilian think tank Igarape.

ALGIERS, Algeria Associated Press

A MAN tries a multi shot riot gun at the LAAD Defense and Security International Exhibition in Rio de Janeiro yesterday.

ALGERIAN President Abdelaziz Bouteflika stepped down yesterday after 20 years in office, and six weeks of massive nationwide protests aimed at pushing him and his much-criticized inner circle from power to create a real democracy in the gas-rich nation.

The announcement followed a sternly-worded call from the powerful army chief for Bouteflika, 82 and ailing, to “immediately” take up his proposal to bow out while respecting the constitution.

There was no immediate word on who would take over from Bouteflika.

Under the constitution, the president of the upper house, the Council of Nations, steps in as interim leader for a maximum of 90 days so that elections can be organised

Aid cuts ‘will make Central VENEZUELANS POLICE America migration worse’ BREAK BLOCKADE SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador Associated Press

GOVERNMENT officials, aid workers and activists in Central America are mystified by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to cut off nearly $500 million in aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador in response to what he calls an immigration crisis. Over time, they say, it will only worsen the problem.

At risk of falling on the chopping block are development programs that work to tackle the root causes driving migration: poverty, inequality, violence and corruption. These include outreach to at-risk youth to combat forced gang recruitment as well as programs to address gender-based violence and support education, workforce development and the uphill fight to root out endemic graft.

“It’s illogical and it’s irresponsible. ... You’re talking about long-term challenges that are going to require long-term, sustainable

LAST OCTOBER, members of a USbound migrant caravan stand on a road after federal police briefly block their way outside the town of Arriaga, Mexico. solutions,” said Adriana Beltrán, a Central America specialist at the Washington Office on Latin America. “So rather than helping to stabilise the situation and try to

address these long-term challenges, the cut in assistance will only make the situation worse.”

“Gutting important programs,” she added, “will eventually lead to more migration, more insecurity, more corruption, more impunity in these countries.”

It’s still not clear exactly what, when or how much could be cut.

Trump said last week that “we were paying them tremendous amounts of money and we’re not paying them anymore because they haven’t done a thing for us,” and mentioned a figure of $500 million.

State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said that the amount affected by any aid cut would be $450 million from fiscal year 2018 as well as an as yet undetermined amount from 2017.

“The president has made clear that the decision is aimed at securing the United States borders and protecting American citizens,” Palladino said. “These programs have not effectively prevented illegal immigration from coming to

the United States, and they’ve not achieved the desired results.”

The aid is meant to promote democracy-building, good governance, trade, agriculture, education, health, public safety and law enforcement. Experts say all of those areas play a direct role in whether people feel they can get by or even survive in their home countries. .Both Honduras and El Salvador pointedly said they had not been formally notified of any specific cuts in U.S. aid. Honduran Defense Minister Fredy Díaz said cooperation with the United States on security is “unchanged,” while the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the relationship has been “solid, close and positive.”

Salvadoran Vice President Oscar Ortiz said that an aid cut would not solve the migration problem but have the opposite effect. “The best way to tackle the issue of migration ... is not with this type of decision,” he said. “The best way to tackle the issue is to keep working together.”

BOGOTA, Colombia Associated Press AUTHORITIES in Colombia are warning of potential unrest at a border crossing with Venezuela after droves of migrants broke through a blockade erected amid mounting hostilities between the two countries. President Nicolas Maduro closed Venezuela’s border with Colombia in February in a bid to stop a US-backed plan to deliver humanitarian aid.

But the Tachira River separating both countries swelled yesterday after heavy rainfall. That led the migrants to break a Venezuelan police blockade at the Simon Bolivar bridge and climb atop shipping containers placed there by Maduro to block the delivery of aid.

FORM B Notice of Intended Marriage (Section 7(3))

FORM B Notice of Intended Marriage (Section 7(3))

SALLY-ANN PRATT Registrar of Marriages

SALLY-ANN PRATT Registrar of Marriages

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, April 3, 2019, PAGE 11

Judge orders acquital of man accused in murder plot By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

Lightbourne was shot multiple times while walking through his neighbourhood off Market Street. He died at the scene.

Neely and Edgecombe, the alleged gunman, were arraigned within months of each other in 2016 in connection with Lightbourne’s death. Brown was charged with being an accessory after the fact.

Evidence was previously led that Edgecombe killed Lightbourne not only in furtherance of a murder plot the Crown claimed was hatched by Neely, but because he and the deceased were gang rivals.

The jury watched a video in which Edgecombe admitted to killing Lightbourne because of his affiliation with the Mad Ass gang when initially interviewed by then Detective Constable Raphael Miller just three weeks after the incident in question.

During that interview, Edgecombe said he was after Lightbourne and

A SUPREME Court judge yesterday directed jurors to acquit a man previously accused of concocting a plot to have another man killed as part of gang warfare three years ago.

Justice Cheryl GrantThompson instructed the jury to unanimously acquit Daran Neely of allegations he conspired to kill Woods Alley resident Kenyari Lightbourne in June of 2016.

Justice Grant-Thompson further ordered Neely’s ankle bracelet be removed and all recognisances entered into by the suretors for his $15,000 bail be officially discharged.

Neely’s acquittal came following submissions by his attorneys that he had no case to answer in the matter.

His former co-accused, Sean “Fire� Brown and Jahmaro “Bingy� Edgecombe still have to answer to their respective charges, however.

On June 21, 2016,

several other affiliates of the Mad Ass gang, namely “Spider�, “Eyes�, and “Kadi�, with the promise that he could be paid $8,000 for killing any of them.

Lightbourne ended up being the one he shot and killed that day.

Edgecombe further told the officer that Neely was the one who authorised the hit on Lightbourne’s life some days before the actual murder, and that Neely sent Brown to pay him the $6,000 for successfully executing the crime.

And after killing Lightbourne and cashing in on his reward, Edgecombe told police he “paid off some bills� with the blood money and distributed the rest to family members.

The matter continues.

Racquel Whymms and AlLeecia Delancy represent the Crown. Neely is represented by Wayne Munroe, QC, and Jomo Campbell; Edgecombe is represented

by David Cash, and Brown

by Nathan Smith.

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do much more to “fully derstand this senseless unof killings,� and have set law PRIME Minister Perry enforcement respond “as Christie yesterday likened quickly as possible� and in a “very meaningful way� the Bahamas’ crime in situation to the “Wild West,� their crime fighting efforts.

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Tribune arrivedwere which was used - for displaced RESIDENT to evacuate their When The ring is due to gang activity incorporating Royal Baharesidents forced last hurricane mas Defence Force marines dens were after a massive the scene, severaltheir roofs, as the the and retaliation. believed on landfill homes yesterday the dump is smaller homes. residents.

Providence thick, pouring water He said the past bloody in policing efforts.

The fire at by a in closer to their fire at the New Mr Christie also said blaze grew Parliament for Tall to have been started Road. weekend is a “shocking he blanketed the community of would be speaking also assist- bush fire off Fire Trail development� that will with black hazardous smoke. Bahamas Member Miller was the Royal Pines Leslie in hosing down their quire the government reTWO AND THREE SEE PAGE THREE entrance Members of to SEE PAGES blocked the visibility ing residentsproviding transportaPolice Force as and help. homes who needed residents to the subdivision tion for those zero. Angry dropped to in verbal alterbecame involved of human trafficking. fire off Fire Suppression Act, Chapter James Coakley, 53, a smaller bush to the city of 106. after a spread have ed by Cargill Creek, Andros Movement fre- Trail Road that blanketed Jubilee Gardens yesterday The former boxer was was brought before Fire Trail Road. fire the smoke in Jubilee the Free National areas in Chief in bushes off to prevent dump. The flees from the Magistrate Joyann Fergu- also charged with three A DORSETT YOUNGSTER done enough the New Providence Gardens and surrounding landfill that started counts of rape filed under at and threatened A at the New Providence to evacuate their homes. Hanna/Tribune Staff

By SANCHESK son-Pratt to answer to Reporter quent fires have caused some of thick, black smoke officials fire two Section 6(a) of were asked et Photos: Shawn Tribune Staff prompting issues. counts of trafficking in the Sexual Landfill that Many residents bunemedia.n perseveral homes, sdorsett@tri to develop respiratory sons contrary to Section Offences Act, Chapter 99. It SEE PAGE THREE came as a masJubi- them 3(1)(a) of the Trafficking is alleged that he engaged in owners in Their comments at the landfill, raging ANGRY home in Persons Prevention was startyesterday expressed sive fire was SEE PAGE SIX and lee Gardens concern that neither which officials believe nor disgust and Liberal Party the Progressive had any redespite not having many purchase WELLS sponse to his Mar’s former

By RICARDO offers, as Baha Izmirlian said cases of im- Tribune Staff Reporter enced alleged nemedia.net developer, Mr “stands ready, officials solicitmigration from migrants rwells@tribu RASHAD ROLLE company By his

By AVA TURNQUEST buy Baha By Reporter SANCHESKA DORSETT developer ing bribes and able to The bill will allow Tribune Staff beatings of Tribune Chief Reporter THE originalMar resort willing complete it emedia.net and alleged prisoners in commissioner of police, the an law as it placed author- Tribune Staff Reporter today and Bahamian rrolle@tribun aturnquest@tribunemedia or a ity solely in the of the Baha the resort’s Mar with .net person acting on migrants and hands of sdorsett@tribunemedia.net his behalf, the independent States has de- immediately Bahamian conyesterday said judiciary, THE United Bahamas custody. the Ministry continued completiondates workers and chronic delays ATTORNEY General to obtain a warrant from a adding that POLICE are investigatthe Yesterday, the The opening highlighted Allyson Maynard-Gibson Supreme Court judge to in- international the ICB met ing the “intimida- of Foreign Affairs said lays, missed stag- tractors. ’s CCA for either circumstances surtercept and examine standards government ental “inaccurate� and “now supposedthe en- created by yesterday defended the or patent incomIn- son’s communicationsa per- and also addressed recent rounding the death of a of report had “incomtion of non-governm self interest terception of Communicanow. The from criticisms gered opening� three-year-old boy who s� and efforts and in some cases . into late next petence must stop was auorganisation tions Bill as an important telecommunications opera- Devices of the Listening found unresponsive and property better.� tire information Sarkis plete� in a car an incident year shows that superi- Bahamas deserves by the government anti-crime tool that would tors, internet providers and Council. Act by the Privy in front inhibit “free of his daycare yesReferring to SEE PAGE SIX Minpostal services. offer “is thorities to enhance the privacy of criminal Education Izmirlian’s She said any suggestion terday afternoon. lawIn a statement yesterday, Fitzgerald or� to the current situation. for in which speech through abiding citizens rather and that the The body of the toddler as problems than ister Jerome despite this, libel laws� encroach upon it, as detrac- Mrs Maynard-Gibson ex- “spying legislation was a was discovered PAGE 12 its latest However, SEE in bill� was false. plained that this move shortly the Bahamas report. tors claim. was ter 2pm on Monday afunprecedented in Bahamiby a human rights also referSEE PAGE FIVE The report SEE PAGE SIX

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certain neighbourhoods� and the suggestion to do is “emotional and makes so no DESPITE the country sense�.

His comments came recording 13 homicides 13 days, Commissioner in hours after the country reof corded its 27th homicide Police Ellison Greenslade the year. Seven people for said the Bahamas is not have ROLLE a state of “crisis� and in been killed since Friday.

By RASHAD Reporter On Monday afternoon, average Bahamian can the conTribune Staff emedia.nettinue to “go about their day police also reported that a rrolle@tribun man was stabbed outside as normal day� without the an establishment Nottage’s fear on Nassau of being attacked.

DR Bernard forever be will At a press conference Street while two men were “footprints the Bahamian shot while in the at police headquarters etched on tal landscape� on Ross Corner. These area of victims developmen work asMonday a for- after a weekend of were said to be “carnage�, his in stable Commissioner condition through of the Bahain hospital. mer president of Greenslade Athletic said the only soCommissioner lution to the country’s crime mas Association Greenslade said s, the Bahamas problem Association , theis to “keep prolific ply not enough it is simoffenders for people Medical Association and as a behind bars�. He to “point the finger said the at the af- Royal Bahamas police MinDoctors’ Union consumer in times of crisis�

FORMER Prime Police Force reminister for health and (RBPF) is not yet refuse to “manage to accept the ister Perry Christie their a defeat, was as I did when I fairs, education, considering Opposi- implementing for it arrears, into pictured yesterday. W. a curfew or “locking down SEE PAGE THREE COMMISSIONER national security, who was in sponsibility response to Photo: Terrel of Police Ellison Greenslade Philip “Brave� airport tenant described recent resigned,� he said in levelled speaking at a press e Staff tion Leader conference yesterday. as the criticism recent Carey/Tribun Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune on from accusations Mr Christie in Davis said Wednesday. questions on 71, died Staff administrati e spending, misfea- moves made by the government pandering at his administration Dr Nottage, the Cleveby a party of irresponsibl WELLS at a “misstep� thought

By RICARDO Reporter Wednesday He will receive sance and cronyism. that weeks. never any

By RICARDO WELLS he was “disap- to its base. acceptmaintained Tribune Staff “There was land Clinic. the three most recent He also said allegations being in arrangenemedia.net that I was degree Tribune relating Mr Christie inci- a double shooting Staff Reporter by the rwells@tribu gova state funeral announced, documents s would on my part dents, which have left on Ross By LAMECH y for any Per- pointed�around by the new berwells@tribunemedia.net a review of one irrements to ing responsibilit man dead and three others Corner yesterday, lamented Tribune Staff JOHNSON Prime Minister tossed matters that to these two controversie the press secto on of any whatsoever of criminality, FORMER Reporter condemned notion concerning as the according the of administrati in hospital in serious condi- the “too bold� nature of ljohnson@tribunemedia.n yesterday ernment Officethe his last term absolve his and prove that much sponsible spending andbare’ is just country and po- tion. ry Christie crimes occurring in the et retary for the AS Anthony Minnis administra- transpired during caplice is as noth- that ‘the cupboard is wrongdoing efforts by the his government in ital recently, as he insisted Prime Minister, continue to grapple Officer-in-charge prime minister.at accusations from of the FNM’s rhetoric slogans.�

A MAN appeared with the latest spate of tion to portray as he challenged in Newbold. vio- Central Detective of the that a “handful of prolific Magistrate’s “political political slogans.�

Hitting back Minnis adminislight, PAGE SIX lent PAGE THREE SEEcrimes, ing more than challenges I have Unit, the Court yesterSEE a negative leader to carry out a law of offenders� remain hell-bent enforcemembers the controverday accused of sexually government officials are seeking Chief Superintendent Clay- on terrorising “One of the the nation’s te examination of the aswho led the $8m to the public. ton Fernander, speaking tration concerning saulting a woman during the public’s assistance of more thanclean up as the person led the government to “dispassiona in the media on the sial pay out and who SEE PAGE THREE the Christmas holidays. scene of record�. interview at one vendor for hurricane to an ment She is alleged to be a victim off of $1.2m During a lengthy on Thurswrite home the and his Cable Beach defended his day, Mr Christie

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FORMER PM TELLS OF LAST TALK WITH NOTTAGE

G concern ADMITTIN Bernard Notin over what Dr have battled last tage may his isolation during Prime Minisdays, former yesterday for ter Perry Christie admiration the expressed forth by the effort put security to former national the build-up minister in election. the May general from his Breaking away since being public silence office in hisof out a voted last month, toric fashion Mr Chrishis visibly troubled portions of his tie detailed with conversation last longfriend and childhood colleague on time political Thursday.

Centreville The former Nottage as Dr MP saw “fought tehis someone who throughout naciously� he loved and life for thosetrait he said he a supported, up to their saw on display . last conversation PAGE SIX

By SANCHESKA DORSETT SEE Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.n et

SEE PAGE SIX

HUSBAND KILLED AFTER GUNMEN FORCED COUPLE TO STOP CAR By

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the holiday would on the actual date be observed of the historic event, Tuesday, January The change in the 10. public holiday calendar has been perceived by many as an attempt by the government to strike success of a seconda blow to the event by We March Bahamas.

CHIEF Superintendent Clayton Fernander, in-charge of the officerDetective Unit, Central drivers yesterday warned to tra cautious� after be “exmen forced a couple armed to stop their vehicle in the of the road before middle shooting and killing the driver.

Chief Supt Fernander said police believe armed robbery may be the for the killing. He motive incident could havesaid the “happened to anyone�.

The murder took place shorty after 9pm day in the area on Tuesof nium Gardens, off MillenWilliams Darling Tonique and brought the Highway, murder count to country’s 109 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records.

Chief Supt Fernander tee next month, said the victim, committee mians, identiChairman James Smith said former most of the foreign fied by police as Kendrick yesterday. employees Simms, was driving ceive all that is duewon’t reSince the money his wife, when anotherwith to Mr Smith said theythem. pulled en on an ex-gratia was givcar will, basis by however, ahead the China Export-Import receive a “high ing them to of them forcstop. figure�.

Bank (EXIM) and “The man was tended primarily was indrivfor BahaSEE PAGE FIVE ing through Millennium SEE PAGE FIVE

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By AVA TURNQUES T Tribune Chief aturnquest@tr Reporter ibunemedia.ne t WATER and Sewerage Corporation Adrian Gibson Chairman yesterday confirmed the existence of a “do not list populateddisconnect� by scores of elites at the government owned utility provider as he pledged initiate a crackdown to on delinquent accounts.

Mr Gibson told The Tribune the list� held “confidential 221accounts with a combined , total $175,000 for of ending June the period 2017.

He said that he plans to direct the corporation to notify all persons owing excessive arrears to resolve debts or face disconnectio n. “There is dential list,� a list confiIsland MP said.the Long “In fact, I that all the would think over the last corporations year or two, and more particularly May of this in year, there has been tion paid toclose attenthat list by the managemen t with a view to changing the way those lists usually operate. “As it stands, this confidential list of persons has a number on it, and really and truly used to notify it’s being courtesy call persons by I can say too or letters. chairman of that as the the corporation I am going that all personsto direct excessive arrears owing who are SEE PAGE EIGHT

By RASHAD Tribune Staff ROLLE prepared. rrolle@tribun Reporter

By SANCHESK During a emedia.net A DORSETT address fromlive national Tribune Staff Reporter homicides WITH as his office sdorsett@tri the guarding the well as safefore- last night, Dr cast for Hurricane bunemedia.n residents of et Minnis Fox Hill.

Maria said: “Hurricane projecting the ACTING Maria is Commission storm to pass another During a near the Southeast of Police Anthony potentially er walkabout dev- son Fergu- Fox Hill on Tuesday, Baha- astating hurricane in mas Friday that we the announced yesterday Commission Acting Minister Dr morning, Prime must carefully monitor.� establishme Hubert Minnis Ferguson nt of two said the er He added: is urging residents Though most separate Royal Anti-Gang Bahamas Firearms of those of the Bahamas and islands to was spared Police Force anti-crime tigation Tracing and Invesbe vigilant units aimed and Unit will operate SEE PAGE TWO gang activity at eliminating out of the Central Detectry, reducing in the coun- tive Unit (CDU) the number while the of SEE PAGE 11

INSURANCE MANAGE MENT

TUESDAY

Seniors go big for

‘We will still march without permission’

seats: Encaptured four Island and Cat were spent under to South Aners’ dollars administration. glerston; 1,900 votes and San Salvador; Christie the win with is evidence 2017 the as well as Exuma DORSETT Mr Christie’s 1,875.

By SANCHESKA He said if there�, the new dros VIRGIL ELECTION Islands.

DORSETT

By SANCHESKAReporter to the unofTribune Staff Reporter

By KHRISNA Reporter the same route as seat, Fox According the the Ragged of “criminality et planned� even Tribune Staff from the Parwill allow SPEAK An additional being resdorsett@tribunem Deputy Chief without the government’s bunemedia.n ganiser Ranard Henfield ficial results Registration government course.

THE PEOPLE edia.net nemedia.net sdorsett@tri PAGE 4 was still permis- that “after revealed nounced its kvirgil@tribu sion. his Hill, law to take several weeks of last month that the to press time. and liamentary , Mr Chipman after ON’ back planned a decounted up DESPITE being In an interview and forth� the Cabinet his parMoments DNA ‘TO GO PAGE 5 march to mark the PLP IN a surprisingat the Departmentout of 12 pollwith The Tribdenied the as the na- This marked the worst in Office on anniversary AFTER leadinglandslide use of Rawson 50th defeat party won seven maiden speech Minand Parliament une, Mr Bostwick II said “there Wednesday rejected the group’s of Majority Rule.

LOSE humbling leader, Dr Prime Min- ing divisions in the former Squares ty to a stunning feat for a governing will be no compromise� application to protest for a protest This latest development Mr tion’s next PLP BIG NAMESPAGE 7 dealing a parapolls, outgoing that under recent history. in Rawson and the and Parliaments Rule Day in January,on Majority group will “not is yet victory and to the ProgresChristie lost PLP stronghold, while will nis promised victory came MPS ister Perry Squares because another set back for the organiThe FNM’s won five. Bahamas organiser We March attempt towardbe deterred by this the “event lysing blow Party last night, the Centreville PROJECTED watch, Bahamians five years his from 9 YOUR conflicts with another sation that planned to protest rocky fascist fear his seat in last night by Christie John Bost- and a PAGE to Mr Christie wick sive Liberal on II said yesterday Monday, January the abuse of our coercion event� already booked challengIn 2012, have nothing , pointing to despite conPrime Minister constituency representing the demon- constitutional 9 - the original rights and date.

FAR included two for that observance incoming the Centrevillestration “will go on as planned, said that Dr Minnis’ leadership, the government RESULTS SO PAGE 14 freedoms�.

Minnis declared date 25 votes aftermore than 40 won n, which he for the eighth on Dr Hubert In a post on Facebook, Progressive Majority Rule Day.announced for of a frachave abused victimisatio tional� “im- es to the area for Liberal unof- stituency time with lead or- Chairman Party that those who trust “have continued reports ultimately However, earlier according to consecutive He defeated is “unconstitu MORE COVERAGE and Bradley Roberts of 2-18 years, party this month it “wrong�.

PAGES positions an- was announced the post 2,950 votes. moral� and to unofficial tured to fear�. ficial results. in Parliament that candidate Ella removal from has held Opsomething to thousands of According able his at the the Official Mr Christie 1977 and the FNM’s Speaking the FNM wasdefeat of leader of the House of by 1,349 votes at the Q House today. won all that results, the Lewis in the seat since stunning jubilant supporterslast night, ment leader of in Minnis pledged time. Mr Christie to pull off a mas- position been a Dr give Centre has division Party will securing on E Sports Liberal but one polling administrati Terrance of the PLP, constituencies. Assembly. a long fought National MoveProgressive 39 “This was victory is not the Free also announced his General it sive 34 of ry Regsince 1997. released a but the Prime 2012. ment leader be sworn in as Auditor the resources AVA former is yours,�

Although he Bythe The Parliamenta TURNQUEST did battle, loss, The to the islands of Bimini that he will fourth prime Bastianto probe how taxpay- istration Department re- mine - the victory Tribune lost his seat Chief Reporter statement about speak told thousands needs Minister and not election did Bahamas’ full Minnis Eleuthera, bringing Movement Mr Christie aturnquest@tribune carThe Dr not release 5pm at Governthe tomedia.net tal to Free National packed on the with the last and pominister at SEE PAGE SIX 25 confirmed cases By sults last night, in from the of FNMs (FNM) candidate Reece SANCHESKA DORSETT nationwide. nival grounds. people’s time HEALTH officials numbers coming Tribune Staff Reporter litical newcomer agency around “This is the servant and I “This is like a lull, terday urged residentsyeswho secured the government sdorsett@tribunem from quiet Chipman, your am to I period,� remain vigilant edia.net Dr McMillan 11pm. However it ap- and against SEE PAGE THREE vironmental factors en- “We continue to get said. unofficial numbers, samFORT that ples as they the PLP only conbreedof the mosquitoes send them in for Dr Andre Charlotte MP peared that despite Rollins “The outcome the inspire “lull� intrust local transmis- testing but we have no fur- night that “there said last according to vention did not ther cases, which sioninofthe will be no theBahalast Zika virus.

Mark Humes is good. disciplinary results, said coming afor confidenceDirector but that’s of Public Health We’re still monitoring and against the action� taken “obvious� mian electorate sweeping defeat residents unofficial seven doing our surveillance.

Dr Pearl think that it is ROLLE tional Movement Free Nanow and IMcMillan yesterhave stood behind us day they night ter Fort Charlotte “I think we have

By RASHAD Reporter MPs who told him party would wonderfulthat there has aconfirmed been ousted party winning the the party have repeatedly lead- the progressing well and Tribune Staff stand the any a better chance been no as it relates Hubert Minnis Leader Dr to rebuild emedia.net new con- to could not he been victori- opportunity as leader rrolle@tribun getting the message firmed cases of the country per- election had since the deitself,� he said. leadership out the Official Opposition, of there and persons partment’s press for for- ership despite their beous in the PLP’sadding that reengineer heeding cause there is no release on it.

SIX longer, him.

AS HE called This Zika thing December legal basis THE REBEL SEVEN of, SEE PAGE RASPBERRY 5, which Minister Perry sonal affection for was pro- race in January, for such a move. made a mistake� mer Prime ard Lightbourn, Lorettafrom left, Hubert Chipman, Edison Key, the number of cases raised down in July, which came who ICED TEA “the party resign as leader is when RichMr Sears, He added that Butler-Turner, Neko in New we usually Mr Christie.

Free NaChristie to Providence from a formal Andre Rollins.

Liberal Grant, Theo Neilly, get our first case objection in choosing to lose to the 22 to 23. and Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune has been Al- jected Movement’s (FNM) of the Progressive There is one case last night, SEE PAGE SIX against “the bogus lodged solidify widespread support Staff each on the tional Party (PLP) FNM’s Executive said he saw levelled against himcharges� around a new leader.�

Commitfred Sears and the tee would not have His remarks came six other members a case ment who took of Parlia- e-mail in response to in an because the group’s actions part ques- “were consistent action of removing in the tions from The Tribune. constitutionally with the Dr Rollins echoed nis from the post. Dr Minprotected Dr Rollins sentiments the said a growing of Long Island right of parliamentarians to number of MP recall a parliamentary FNMs are admitting Loretta lead“that and St Anne’sButler-Turner er when they the best course of MP Hubert confidence no longer have the party to take action for Chipman, who last under the said week to lead.� in his/her ability present circumstances the if the matter were is to to be taken to court, the SEE PAGE THREE

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By AVA TURNQUES T Tribune Chief officials could Reporter aturnquest@ not be reached up tribunemedia to .net According press time.

FOUR former to sources Progres- close to the sive Liberal Party Cabinet Monday Mr matter, as of ministers owed Wells has since more than paid $9,000 on $20,000 each his accounts at Bahamas with an outstanding Power and Light, balformer minister with one ance of some $8,600.

The source for some $60,000 in arrears also said as ARNOLD as of July, of Monday according to FORBES a list obtained in talks withMr Forbes was

by The Tribune. $62,023 to settle the the company The Credit and Collec- a three-monthbalance over tions Department period. Mr listing of Forbes, former MPs, senators PLP Mount and board Moriah MP, members for the period to Cabinet was appointed ending July in January that former 31, revealed and previously served 2015, State Minister chairman as the in the Ministry of the Bahamas Arnold Forbes of Works Agricultural and Industrial owed BPL Corporation. $62,023.14.

Others on The list obtained the “do not Tribune contains by The disconnect� list are: former delin- Minister of Health quent accounts of six Perry Gomez, former Dr former PLP Cabinet minisPines MP Tall ters, two former Leslie Miller, PLP MPs, former Minister two private of one sitting entities, and Dr Danny Johnson, Youth former Cabinet min- Nassau Village ister: Bamboo MP Dion Renward Wells. Town MP Smith, former Tourism Minister Obie Mr Wells, Wilchcombe DR DANIEL , $9,277.07 and who owed former South Beach MP JOHNSON two separate $3,703.96 at Cleola Hamilton $24,413 $12,981.03 in locations - former Minister of and total – did not for Legal State want to comment Affairs Damian yester- Gomez. day, and the other former SEE PAGE EIGHT

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By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business utility operator Editor nhartnell@tr ing to “walk is quite willibunemedia.n away� from et maximum $25m, five-yearit BAHAMAS BPL Light’s (BPL) Power & if themanagement contract board and hold a “crunchboard will administrati Minnis on with PowerSecur meeting�

The meeting,wish it to go. with the outcome e today, be attended which will ical in deciding likely crit- executives by PowerSecure and their attorneys latter remains whether the from the US, is viewed as manager.

Multiple Tribune CLEOLA as key to determining Business sources whether HAMILTON OBIE yesterday two sides will “kiss and the confirmed $6,118 make up� or WILCHCOMBE that the DAMIAN US FULL separate. $4,911 STORY - SEE GOMEZ BUSINESS NINE individuals $3,413 July. The sums named on the BPL “do HURRICANE not disconnect� do not include any payments list INSURANCE: made or furtherand the amount they owed at the end of debt incurred since that date.

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FIREFIGHTERS yesterday battled a large blaze at the New Providence Landfill, nearly three weeks after tackling a massive fire at the city dump that burned for nearly a month.

Officer in Charge of Fire Services, Chief Superintendent Walter Evans said the current fire is “not connected� in any way to the previous blaze and at this time officials do not know PRIME Minister what caused the fire. HowDr Hubert Minnis meeting ever Environment Minister Kendera Woodside, the mother of Kenred Dorsett told remurdered Eugene Woodside. he RASHAD porters at the siteBythat TribuneinStaff ROLLE suspected “sabotage�

Three Reporter rrolle@tribun He said emedia.net Photo: Yontalay relation to the fire. after murder that days the Bowe team he “instructed� the struggle withpushed the country’s composure.

THE the hugs and have Dr Minnis said of firefighters towords comforting the national violent crime into he felt the fam- Each citizen has of Prime ily’s spotlight yet “before a responsibilit blaze extinguished Minister Dr her pain remained and again, even pain. “What makes Hubert y our countries.

Minnis and today and me feel has whatever information worse is that nomination day� “He ain’t even acute.

Patricia we must bring Yes one most we see in Minnis couldn’this wife God,�

Baha Mar’s live a life, certainly beforethe that forward. mother more than I feel for this the yard, of those These criminals my answer Mrs I can say.� questions Dr Minnis opening on Friday. that consumed “He’s a baby. Woodside cried. my years as a medicalI, during Mrs Minnis, live among us.� said he will Kendera shortly Woodside yesterday medical attention doctor, to ensure The blaze started breath right I could give my the family who emphasised Mrs she grieved is provided andfor as baby now just for that her appearWoodside, after 3am Wednesday to her ance son, to be right year-old before eightsaid officEugene, who here. They my “You can see who is pregnant.

Chief Supt Evans political move,them was not a take was killed my heart out my four theago. the grieving fire body. ers expect to battledays to wear black called on women pain she’s going through,� and “This my “Why but daythese for at least another people ain’t he almost shoot only son. They in mourning one day this week said. “I assured her ing a “huge� tellthat somefor my daughter time today they he said the wind isme “As a mother, murder victims.

(Friday) too right now?� bringing my son and they inside (the medical personnel we will have I’m calling factor. house) with she cried between me. What all mothers screams they do to come because I upon after her as SIX SEE PAGE Dr Minnis my family? believe mothers because she’sto look really console the tried to What they do to us? would’ve delivered nant. can family at their “Why they most of them said Mrs Minnis, who stop this,� her I have to make surepregbud Road home where Rose- live 29 years, ain’ carry me? I so they are closer to and that was at her times. tearful unborn me knowing was shot by “We have our Eugene they are my He’s a baby.� former patients,� a stray bullet we cradle Tonio Woodside, sons who both well and we will infant are Monday as Minnis, a gynaecologi also make on father, arrangemen Dr become from birth and as he did his homework.

Eugene’s ts to make they consoled men we are st by fession, said. sure the as he struggled his wife even still with necessary medical “The messagepro- them. We have personnel we them. to speak with look after her to maintain must send to the entire I think all is the police Bahamas women should regular basis and see her on a can’t fight this wear alone. and black one day this of her and herto ensure the safety week mourn what’s unborn infant.� happening in SEE PAGE TWO PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts lashed out at his former party colleague Vincent Peet last night, accusBy NEIL HARTNELL ing the former North AnTribune Business so alarmed dros and Berry Islands MP Editor by the Caribnhartnell@tr bean Financial ibunemedia.n of being a “political enemy�

Action Task By RASHAD ROLLE et Force’s (CFATF) Tribune Staff THE Attorney who mounted an independreIn June, Reporter ONE of the leaked emails showing a draft rrolle@tribun Gen- report on The he told Pareral yesterday ent campaign because he Sciliament Bahamas emedia.net quest from Minister of Education, slammed that he the deficiencies was denied a nomination cost Bahamians to in the nation’s to begin instructed his staff ence and Technology Jerome Fitzgerald.

BRENSIL party. anti-money governing the of work from Rolle, min- increases such laundering the flaws from on addressing ister of public was $10,149,738. regime as Speaking to PLP supfor Limolink in The The revision “entirely unacservices and clientele with which his agent Mr Bethel early June. ceptable�, warning You are encour- porters at a rally in North blasted the said National Insurance, he included comes after limousine company was fa- Bahamas. between put The Bahamas they had former Christie more aged to get a reference from Andros last night, Mr Robmiliar. “in great tration for failing adminis- 2016 and May December 1,700 workers that werethan if erts said “this is war� as danger�.

2017, the in his original not regard the the president of Viacom “Also withA1MAIN known weaknesses to tackle public purse count.

Carl Bethel wish. Please feel free he urged the crowd to vote ballooned Amid the told Trib- necessary urgency. with the $16,532,738 because limousine business we you by une Business contact me personally for incumbent Dr Perry Liberal Party’sProgressive of he had been FULL Christie are ready to meet with to administrati the of the criticism have your agents contact Gomez, adding that a vote STORY - SEE on’s Minnis your people anytime,� he or the BUSINESS hiring of new public Mr Porter our Managing for Mr Peet is a vote for service tion because ofadministraworkers during writes. its firings Free National Movement. directly.� that period. “As indicated we really Director SEE PAGE SIX SEE PAGE SIX only cater to highend cusSEE PAGES TWO & THREE tomers and are the official

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