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FACE TO FACE: IT’S CANCER, HE SPAT OUT, BUT I’LL BEAT IT
Illegal drivers spark tax plan Insurers call for new levies to finance compensation fund By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Insurance Brokers Association wants the government to institute either a payroll or gasoline tax to fund the establishment and operation of an agency to provide compensation to victims of accidents caused by uninsured and untraced drivers. The Motorist Victims Compensation Agency – a proposed legal institution - the BIBA said, would be funded by this broad-based tax, which is projected to
raise $1m per month. It also suggested another means of funding this new institution could be through auctioning seized vehicles. This funding mechanism, BIBA said, must be through involuntary contribution by all adults and will not be retroactive. According to the association, very alarming estimates suggest at any one time 30 per cent to 40 per cent of vehicles on the streets of New Providence are uninsured and in many instances these drivers flee the scene of an accident. SEE PAGE SIX
SHANE: SHARK HAD BOTH MY FEET IN ITS MOUTH
49 YEARS FOR BLAIR MURDERER By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net THE man convicted of the October 2014 home invasion and consequent shooting death of Blair Estates resident Andre Cartwright was sentenced to nearly 50 years in prison yesterday by a Supreme Court judge. Justice Renae McKay sentenced Tiano D’Haiti, 26, to 49 years in prison for the October 28, 2014,s home invasion and murder. He was further sentenced to 25 years for attempted armed robbery, and another 20 for burglary, all to run concurrently. SEE PAGE FIVE
UNIONS ASK WHY LEFT OUT OF WTO DISCUSSIONS By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Trades Union Congress’s (TUC) president yesterday slammed the labour movement’s noninclusion in ongoing WTO consultations as “a travesty” and “sign of backward thinking”. Obie Ferguson, speaking as the Government kickstarted a fortnightlong series of consultations with the business community, told Tribune Business he cannot “understand the logic” behind the failure to invite trade union representatives. Mr Ferguson said they had already protested their seeming exclusion to Dion Foulkes, minister of labour.ss FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
BANNISTER BLASTS ‘SHODDY’ SEAWALL WORKS Minister Desmond Bannister said the Minnis administration is concerned about receiving quality work from contractors, after revealing a seawall in High Rock, Grand Bahama was “improperly” built and taxpayers did not receive value for the money spent. Mr Bannister spoke to the media after inspecting two seawalls, the other in Smith’s Point, on the island on Friday.
WOMAN: TALK SHOW KEEPS IT REAL
He said he was pleased with the work at Smith’s Point, but not happy with the construction on the seawall in High Rock. He said work has to be done to fix the problems at the High Rock seawall. “We came out here because what you see is a seawall that was improperly built,” Mr Bannister said, according to a release from Bahamas Information Services. SEE PAGE 11
HEADCOUNT CARRIED OUT ON POINTE WORKFORCE
BRUCE: MINE SWAM OFF WITH MY SURFBOARD
See page three
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net IN response to growing public concern centred on the workforce make-up of The Pointe, officials have conducted a census of the compound, Labour Minister Dion Foulkes confirmed yesterday. Inspectors from the Department of Labour, Mr Foulkes said, visited The Pointe on Friday to perform a headcount. SEE PAGE SEVEN
PAGE 2, Tuesday, April 17, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
DEFENCE OFFICER GIVEN TEN DAYS TO SETTLE THEFT ALLEGATIONS By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
A ROYAL Bahamas Defence Force officer was given ten working days by a magistrate yesterday to resolve allegations he took thousands of dollars from two individuals to import vehicles and/or car parts on their behalf without honouring his obligations. Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis told Tavares Styles, of Gilbert Close off Marshall Road, that he has until April 30 to settle things with Jamaal Deal and Glenford Bevan concerning the $5,355 and $2,200 they respectively paid him to import the various items on two separate occasions in March and September of last year.
DEFENCE Force Officer Tavares Styles, 37, outside court yesterday. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff Prior to the court order, cash from Mr Deal, which Styles had pleaded guilty he also had custody of by to two counts of stealing by reason of his service. reason of service. According to a summary It was first alleged that of the facts read by the on March 20, 2017, at New prosecution, sometime in Providence, he stole $2,200 March 2017, Mr Bevan was from Mr Bevan, which he seeking to purchase truck had custody of by reason of parts, and was eventually his service. approached by a man he It was also alleged that knew as Styles who said he between September 12 and imported car parts. 30, 2017, he stole $5,355 in The prosecutor said on
March 20, 2017, Mr Bevan gave Styles $2,200 for the purchase of two Ford F-150 doors and his service while at his residence. Mr Bevan in turn received a receipt for his proof of purchase. Styles told him at the time the doors would be in Nassau within two weeks of the initial transaction. However, months passed, and Mr Bevan never got the truck doors. He made multiple attempts to contact Styles on the issue, which yielded no results. Concerning Mr Deal, the prosecutor said sometime between September 12 and 30, 2017, he paid Styles $5,355 in cash to purchase a 2009 Chevy Silverado from the United States. However, Styles never bought the car, nor did he compensate Mr Deal.
Styles pleaded guilty to both charges, but maintained he did not take the funds outright. He claimed he was merely the “middle man” for both transactions. Concerning Mr Bevan, Styles said he ordered the doors, but somehow during the shipping process they went missing. Concerning Mr Deal, Styles said he purchased the truck through his cousin, and has receipts for the purchase, but somehow things went awry. Styles said he currently has a truck, and that Mr Bevan is willing to accept that as compensation, but that he just has to get the paperwork from a certain lawyer. Styles ultimately asked Magistrate Rolle Davis not to sentence him for
the crimes and cause him to lose his job, but rather to give him some time to resolve the matters. Magistrate Rolle Davis ultimately deferred both sentences, and adjourned the case to April 13. However, the magistrate said Styles would not be released from custody. Styles indicated to the court that if incarcerated, he would not be able to resolve the issues as best as he could, and that he would not want to leave it up to someone else to do so. However, the magistrate responded by saying that as Styles had over a year in one instance and seven months in the other to resolve the respective matters, he’d “better make some calls” while in custody.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, April 17, 2018, PAGE 3
Not one - but two close escapes from shark attacks By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net TWO people, one a Scottish boy, are lucky to be alive after they escaped separate shark attacks – one in waters off New Providence and the other in Bimini – this month. Bruce Rowan, of The Bahamas, was attacked in New Providence by a tiger shark last Saturday and was able to escape by pushing his surf board into the animal’s mouth and climbing onto a nearby reef. Shane McConnell, 12, of Scotland, was bitten on the foot by a bull shark in Bimini earlier this month. Shane’s wound required 53 stitches. In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, Mr Rowan said he was attacked while surfing in the waters near Nirvana Beach. Mr Rowan has been a surfer for more than 20 years and also participates in other water activities, including free diving, spearfishing, and deep-sea fishing. This was the first time he has ever been attacked by a shark. The incident took place at 9.30am on April 14. “I was just outside of Nirvana and I was sitting on a surfboard and the water was only about six, seven, maybe eight feet deep,” Mr Rowan said. “And I was just sitting on the board minding my own business and this tiger shark…just came charging, straight up on my left side. “At the last moment, I was able to line the board up with his mouth and stick the board right into his mouth and then he clamped down on the board.” Mr Rowan said the shark began swimming away with the board. However, he was still attached to the board via a leash. Mr Rowan detached himself from the leash, and said the shark swam off with the board. “And that’s the last I (saw) of both of them.” Mr Rowan “scrambled” onto a reef, where he was stranded for an hour,
SHANE MCCONNELL, 12, of Scotland, and the injuries he suffered when bitten by a bull shark in Bimini, needing 53 stitches.
waving and calling for help. Although he was less than a mile from the shore, he was
wary of getting back in the water in case the shark was nearby.
Mr Rowan was eventually rescued by two men, who took him to the Lyford
Cay Marina. When asked if the incident has affected his desire to participate in water activities, Mr Rowan told The Tribune: “All I could say is, it takes 20 years to get you, hopefully it’ll take 20 years to get you again.” Although Mr Rowan was unharmed in his encounter, 12-year-old Shane unfortunately was injured. Shane was on vacation with his family earlier this month when his attack occurred. His family were staying in Florida but visited Bimini where they spent the morning “jet skiing off a yacht.” Later that day, they were swimming at the Big Game Marina resort when Shane decided to return to the boat to get his “lucky cap”. He was walking on the dock when he tripped and fell into the water and then suddenly a shark grabbed him by his feet. “I put my hand over my
eyes to block the sun out and accidentally tripped and fell into the sea,” Shane said from his home in Edinburgh, Scotland. “Then I saw a shark’s body rise out of the water. I was splashing a lot, and I think it thought I was food being thrown in. I shouted for help when I saw it. But then it disappeared under me. I felt it brush my hand – I thought it had missed me.” Shane pulled himself up by a ladder and was assisted by three security guards. He said he felt no pain. Medics later said that if he had not been wearing shoes, he could have lost both feet and possibly bled to death. Although his injuries required 53 stitches, Shane says this has not hampered his desire to become a marine biologist. “Even after this, I am happiest when I’m in the ocean.”
PAGE 4, Tuesday, April 17, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
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Beware cruise lecturers, they’re after your dollars THE April 5 ‘NBC Responds’ report on a couple who purchased more than $11,000 in jewellery at a popular cruise port after attending a ‘shopping seminar’ onboard a ship only to find out later what they purchased was valued at less than half blew the lid off a problem that has been simmering for years. The problem – advertising billed as information rather than paid commercial fare. And every day, thousands and thousands of gullible cruise passengers, including those onboard ships calling on Nassau and Grand Bahama, are prey to the deceptive practice. Here is how it works. Before the ship pulls into the port where it will spend the next day, passengers are invited to enjoy an informative lecture. They are treated to a warm welcome by a ship crew member setting the atmosphere for a fun, relaxed and informative half hour or so. There is usually a bit of humour in the opening remarks usually by the social director to put the audience at ease. After a few moments, the crew member introduces another individual billed as the port expert on all things important to the imminent visit, background about the port of call, shopping tips. The speaker continues to build rapport with the eager listeners, many of whom have never been outside the US before and hang on to every word because to the uninitiated travelling to The Bahamas or Caribbean is exotic. Without revealing their professional relationship with the stores they are promoting, the lecturer begins his or her pitch. They offer information that may be historic, practical or just plain interesting and fun. Then they move into the meat of the lecture, shopping, describing not only what they call the “great bargains” at the ship’s recommended stores, but pointing out that if you shop at approved stores you have their guarantee whereas if you dare to risk shopping elsewhere, you are taking a chance, implying you could easily be ripped off. At no time during the lecture do they inform the passenger they are being paid – and often paid very big bucks – for promoting stores and earning a commission on what you spend in that store. The “expert shopper” delivering the “seminar” hits all the right buttons including confidence building with words like ‘I have been to every port and I know which shops you can truly count on’. They relay nightmarish stories of those who spent thousands on emeralds only to go home and find they were green glass. They act as if their hearts go out to the victims and they do not want you in the audience to fall prey to similar ripoff tactics. They offer to meet you at a store, at a certain time the next day when the ship is in port and if you will come by their desk that night, there will be a special invitation waiting for you. Their advice sounds so sincere it is hard not to fall for it. They talk of trusting the merchandise in shops whether it be t-shirts that are better quality so threads do not unravel after the first washing or jewels carefully chosen from the best mines, it is all delivered with a depth of knowledge and sophistication that is hard to find fault with. The problem is they never tell the most important truth, they are paid, talking human advertising machines. For years, merchants and organisations have fought for the shopping portion of the port lecture to be accurately labelled as advertising without success. Smaller shops are left at a great disadvantage and even the largest stores and
franchises struggle to make what sometimes amounts to a million dollars a year in fees and commissions. Cruise ship advertising is one of the few areas that does not comply with any truth in advertising requirement. The lecture is out at sea, not in port. Truth in advertising campaigns have been around since the late 1890s when those who had goods to sell clashed with those who knew the sales pitch did not match the facts. From snake oil to remedies to reverse baldness or quick fixes to stop smoking, those who have exaggerated the facts have run amok of those who demanded the truth. Over the years, individual state laws in the US tried to protect citizens but it has been an uphill battle to get a unified law that governs advertising on TV, internet, in print or other medium. At least, the expectation that truth in advertising exists provides a certain level of comfort to the average shopper. Yet, when that same shopper sets foot on a cruise ship, he of she does not have the same rights though likely has the same expectations of protection. Cruise ship shopping promoters operate under the radar by passing off their pitches as helpful information rather than paid advertising. Scores of disappointed and disgruntled passengers who paid too much for what they purchased based on port lecturer recommendations directing them to a certain store have reported abuses online. From time to time, their stories make TV headlines as did Fernando Salazar’s in early April. Salazar, who wanted to replace a wedding ring he had lost so he and his wife could renew their vows, went to a Diamonds International as recommended by the port lecturer who assured passengers that by being in the Caribbean you could save up to 70 percent off American prices. The couple selected two rings and a bracelet for a total purchase price of $11,416. When the jewellery was delivered to the ship, he noticed a gemstone was loose. Back home in Miami, Salazar took the jewellery to an appraiser who told him it was not worth half what he had paid. Diamonds International refunded the money, but only after many calls and TV exposure and quoting another expert who said it was hard to determine the exact value of a certain type of stone without knowing the market, the timing and more. In a similar case the year before, a Washington, DC couple spent $12,000, “caught up in the moment”, they said, also with the same merchant during a call on the port of Belize. The ring, necklace and bracelet that originally brought such pleasure to the couple who met in a hospice and became a couple after their spouses passed away, turned their romantic vacation memories sour. The jewellery was appraised at $3,000. That story was aired on NBC Washington in August 2017 A cruise is a relaxing way to travel and there is much to be said for it. We celebrate those who choose to see The Bahamas by sea just as we appreciate those who come by air. But for the multi-billion dollar cruise industry that wants to protect itself and its reputation, the time has come to add a little more honesty to the voyage. Let the passenger know in a few simple words that the following portion of the port lecture is brought to you by those merchants who want you to know more about their business and what products they offer. Cruise lines should not be in the business of promoting guarantees for outside vendors and truth in advertising demands by the public will one day land them in a port they do not need to dock at if they simply stand up and do the right thing.
The cost of providing electricity EDITOR, The Tribune.
FOR some 90 years as electricity users know we have been subject to the unstable costs of oilbased fuels - in the oil crisis we had a crisis in our homes as the cost of electricity went sky-high with no rebate or hope. Using fuels that are controlled by external sources makes you subject to the global speculators and the ups and downs of the
markets. Will anything change with LNG? With abundance of sun and the political promise of the FNM before the election and since it seems Solar has flown off the tablet of even consideration and we each and every consumer - customer of BP&L will be subject now to a new master - LNG. Is this another blunder of the Minnis Government? Unless we get a reduction
to as close to FP&L, Florida for a max of 12-13 cents per KW it is totally unacceptable and one questions the rationale of the BP&L deal of which it seems the Management are so proud of. An 8-10 cent decrease and being subject to the speculators of the world is not very reassuring. The Oil crisis hurts to the core. ABRAHAM MOSS Nassau, April 15, 2018.
Lawyers stirring up trouble EDITOR, The Tribune.
justice, when appointed, to dispense justice more effiIN his play Macbeth, ciently. That could mean William Shakespeare told putting the full complement letters@tribunemedia.net the story about how unbriof 12 Justices on the bench. dled ambition on the part Justices of the court funcThey could also help of politicians often leads to tion without recourse to the explain to the public why their ruin. It can cost the Chief Justice. we need a constitutional best and the brightest to get One can only speculate amendment to extend the ahead of themselves or, to on the motives awash in retirement age for justices use the native vernacular, the Bar Association. It did from 65 to perhaps 75. “to smell dey self”. come across as somewhat People are living longer We have a tempest in a of a condescending lec- today than they were 45 tea-cup brewing over the fact ture by lawyers to our first years ago when the constithat there is a job opening at non-lawyer Prime Minister. tution was written. And the top of the judicial branch They attempted to “mans- we, in essence, have a brain of government. For all sorts plain” the subtleties of the drain at the top as justices of reasons smart people have high court to someone they who are fit in both mind been piling on the Prime viewed as a neophyte. and body must leave the Minister pressuring him to It could be construed that bench because of this statuname a Chief Justice. these robed counsellors tory age wall unless given But while there is an were trying to shame the an extension to serve for opening for Chief Jus- PM into moving the pawns, two more years until age 67. tice, the post is not vacant knights, rooks, bishops and The retirement age for jusas some would imply. queen on the judicial chess tices in England and Wales Last November the PM board. is 70. In Canada it is 75. appointed an acting Chief Our Jamaica family just As any chess player Justice who for all intent knows, although the king had a bit of a kerfuffle over and purposes is discharging (ie the Prime Minister) is the appointment of a Chief the duties of the office. the most powerful piece in Justice there this year. Their There is no constitutional the game, he is hardly an Prime Minister, Andrew or existential crisis because aggressive member. Those Holness, a spritely 45-year of this opening. In fact, the rooks presently and for- old, took heat for naming purportedly learned people merly at the bar simply an acting chief justice. Only piling on the PM ought to overplayed their hand. in his mind the “acting” know that the Constitution Even a sitting Cabinet referred more to a probadeals with this very matter. member (the state Min- tionary period as opposed to The Supreme Court and ister for Legal Affairs no holding the post temporarthe office of Chief Jus- less) forgot that it was his ily, like we do here. tice are established under job to defend the king. He Said Mr Holness he was Article 93 of the Constitu- went off script and publicly from a different age and tion. Article 94 stipulates upbraided Dr. Minnis for his way of thinking may that the Chief Justice shall moving too slow to name a not always coincide with be appointed by the Gov- Chief Justice. those who hold traditional ernor General on the This was a jaw-dropping views. Sounds like he and recommendation of the rookie move that could Dr. Minnis are cut from Prime Minister after con- have gotten him ejected the same cloth despite the sultation with the Leader of from the game, but the 20-year age difference. the Opposition. The whole brouhaha got king was gracious and Article 95 says that if magnanimous. This errant the Jamaicans talking serithe post becomes vacant minister’s swift and forth- ously about increasing their the Prime Minister must right mea culpa did help retirement age for judges name someone to act until him wheedle his way back from 70 to 75. such time as the Governor into the palace. Cooler heads will prevail General appoints a new CJ As with the game of at the Minnis cabinet table on the advice of the PM chess, the appointment and we will muddle through after consultation with the of a Chief Justice could this without a threat to the Leader of the Opposition. leave open any number of independence of our judiThe PM has named such a squares on the board. Per- ciary. The plotters and the person and that person has haps a cabinet level position Lady Macbeths who lurk in been duly appointed by the could be in play. And some the halls of power should Governor General. self-serving lawyers may be heed the counsel of ShakeA substantive Chief Jus- jockeying to get their candi- speare: “Vaulting ambition tice is not essential to the dates into high position. overleaps itself.” maintenance of a free and What the legal fraternity fair judiciary. As former ought to be pushing for THE GRADUATE CJ Dame Joan Sawyer suc- is more public resources Nassau, cinctly pointed out, the to enable a new chief April 15, 2018.
LETTERS
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, April 17, 2018, PAGE 5
WOMAN IN VIRAL VIDEO IS ACCUSED OF TRESPASSING By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
A 37-YEAR-OLD Haitian woman was arraigned in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday accused of trespassing on to another woman’s property in the early morning hours of Friday. Judith Alcime stood before Magistrate Ambrose Armbrister charged with one count of trespassing stemming from the April 13 incident. It is alleged that around 3.25am on Friday, Alcime, without lawful cause, trespassed on Mary Taylor’s premises on Carmichael Road. A video of the incident has since gone viral on social media, depicting a woman clad in white standing on a porch while another woman, recording the incident from inside her
home, loudly protests the alleged trespasser’s actions. Magistrate Armbrister recorded a plea of not guilty after Alcime, who was not represented by an attorney, audibly replied “No” to the charge. Alcime said she has lived in The Bahamas for six years, but was born in Haiti. She is a resident of the Golden Isles constituency, according to legal documents. Magistrate Armbrister ultimately adjourned the matter to May 14 for trial saying he will seek to have an interpreter present for the proceedings. Bail was granted in the amount of $500 with one surety. However, after indicating there was no one present in court to make bail for her, Alcime was further remanded until that date or until her bond is executed.
JUDITH ALCIME, 37, of Golden Isles, outside court.
Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
49 years for Blair murderer from page one However, after factoring in the amount of time D’Haiti spent on remand – two years, ten months and 17 days – Justice McKay said D’Haiti will effectively serve 46 years, one month and 13 days in prison. The sentences are to run from the date of his conviction, September 25, 2017. Justice McKay said in sentencing the Thompson Lane resident, she took into consideration his youth, and, in adopting the words of his attorney Jairam Mangra during his plea of mitigation, that there is no evidence D’Haiti is beyond redemption and/or rehabilitation. However, the judge said the sentence imposed must be sufficient enough to express society’s abhorrence of such criminal acts and should serve as a method of deterrence. On September 25 of last year, a Supreme Court jury found D’Haiti unanimously guilty of the murder, attempted armed robbery and burglary charges he was faced with. D’Haiti had previously stood trial along with Kevin Andrews as the two accused in connection with Andre Cartwright’s death, both having been initially arraigned on November 11, 2014. However, Andrews was acquitted by the jury on the instructions of Justice McKay after hearing submissions from lawyers for the accused and the Crown. According to initial police reports, Cartwright, 44, was at his Blair Estates home around 1.40am with his mother, Emma Cartwright, and father, Glenn Cartwright, when men kicked in the front door of the house. When he heard the noise, Cartwright got his licensed shotgun and went to investigate, police reported. He encountered the three suspects, one of whom was armed with a handgun. There was a brief exchange of gunfire, which resulted in Cartwright being shot multiple times. He died at the scene. One of the suspects was also shot, however, he and the other men escaped in a silver coloured Honda Accord. During trial, Mrs Cartwright testified how the home invaders feigned being members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) in their attempts to burglarise her eastern New Providence home the night her son was killed. She said she heard shouts of “police, police” from the other side of her home’s interior door, which was being bashed in, just seconds after her son Andre, in a loud voice, commanded: “Stop! I have a gun.” Mr Cartwright, meanwhile in an emotional testimony that invoked sobs from family and friends of the deceased in the courtroom, described how shortly after 1am he was awakened by loud “banging” and “crashing” noises coming from the direction of his home’s front door.
He said he ultimately made it out of his bedroom when he noticed the inner door was being pushed in. According to Mr Cartwright, the inner door separates the bedrooms from the rest of the house. He said he always locks that door before retiring for the night. When it became obvious the inner door would be compromised, Mr Cartwright said he pushed his wife into the bedroom for safety. Mr Cartwright said his son then pushed him into the bedroom, and consequently got in between his parents and the compromised inner door. Mr Cartwright said he heard a brief exchange of gunfire, and eventually came out of the bedroom to see his son Andre stumbling backwards into one of the doorways on their side of the inner door. He said he noticed that his son was in “distress” and holding his chest. Mr Cartwright said he subsequently tried to resuscitate his son, but he had already died. Mr Cartwright said he sat on the bathroom floor with his dead son in his lap for an unknown amount of time, before going out the front door, falling on the grass and sobbing until his son’s body was taken away. A police officer also testified during trial how D’Haiti presented himself to the Accident and Emergency Room at the Princess Margaret Hospital suffering from an injury shortly after the incident in question occurred. Officer Dawkins said D’Haiti showed up at the hospital in a silver coloured Honda vehicle being driven by a woman. Upon pulling up at the hospital, D’Haiti jumped out, bareback and told him he had been stabbed. The officer said he did not actually see the wound because D’Haiti had his hand covering the injury, which he claimed was on the left lower side of D’Haiti’s torso. Nonetheless, he said D’Haiti was rushed inside by nurses and taken to the emergency room. Dr Dervin Kemp, a senior house officer at PMH, later told the court that upon examining D’Haiti in October 2014, the convict was found to have sustained a gunshot wound to his left lateral chest. Nonetheless, Officer Dawkins said he later saw D’Haiti in the emergency room, and cautioned and arrested him. The female driver was also later cautioned and arrested, he said. The female driver turned out to be Shecoya Davis, who, during trial, said she never would have taken D’Haiti to the hospital had she known the gravity of the matter he would later be convicted of. She said the decision to take D’Haiti to hospital was largely impulsive in nature, and was made after Andrews allegedly knocked on her door between the late hours of October 27 and early morning hours of October 28, 2014 and
asked her to take D’Haiti to PMH. “If I had known, I would’ve never, ever even drove my car to the hospital with him,” she told the court. Meanwhile, Police Detective Sergeant Sherwin Braynen testified D’Haiti told him while he was one of five men who visited Cartwright’s home on October 28, 2014, he stayed in the car while the other four, inclusive of Andrews, forced their way into the Cartwright residence. According to Det Sgt Braynen, who was attached to the homicide division of the Central Detective Unit (CDU) at the time of the incident, D’Haiti made his statements on October 31, 2014 while in PMH suffering from a gunshot wound. The officer said D’Haiti told him thAndrews, along with Andrews’ younger brother and two other men picked him up in a white Astro van on October 28, 2014 and drove around for a while before arriving in the Blair Estates area sometime after 1am. At the time of their arrival in Blair, D’Haiti said he was driving the vehicle, according to Det Sgt Braynen. Upon arriving in the area, D’Haiti said he parked the van near a wall while the other suspects proceeded on foot to the Cartwrights’ residence. Det Sgt Braynen said D’Haiti told him he only went into the house after he heard the sound of gunshots. Upon entering, D’Haiti allegedly saw Andrews and his younger brother before proceeding towards the home’s inner door, which separates the bedrooms from the rest of the house. The officer said upon arriving at the inner door, D’Haiti heard another shot ring out, prompting him and the others to flee the residence. It was then that D’Haiti said he realised he was shot, Det Sgt Braynen claimed. The officer said he was told the van sped off and ultimately ended up at the residence of Andrew’s girlfriend, whose roommate then drove D’Haiti to PMH. However, Crown prosecutor Kendra Kelly, assisted by Destiny McKinney, referred to D’Haiti’s confession to Sgt Braynen as his attempt to “minimise” his involvement in the matter. Ms Kelly further pointed out the significance of the circumstances behind D’Haiti’s attempted armed robbery charge, charging that Cartwright shooting his gun in defence and wounding D’Haiti likely foiled what could have been an armed robbery. “If he had not been shot, he might have gotten away with it,” she said at the time.
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TIANO D’Haiti at a previous court appearance.
Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
PAGE 6, Tuesday, April 17, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
OPPOSITION LEADER ‘UNMOVED’ AS AUDIT SENT TO AG PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis was unmoved yesterday by Works Minister Desmond Bannister’s revelation that the Office of the Attorney General is examining auditor EY’s forensic report into the Water & Sewerage Corporation. Mr Bannister, according to The Nassau Guardian, said “there is going to be some litigation” as a result.
“There are some things in there that are going to cause Water and Sewerage counsel and the Attorney General’s Office to be instructed to litigate,” he said. “If you look at the report, you will see some very serious things. Some people are going to have to account for it.” When he tabled the report in Parliament, WSC Chairman Adrian Gibson said it was also sent to the
police. Assistant Commissioner Paul Rolle, head of the anti-corruption unit in the Royal Bahamas Police Force, declined to comment yesterday on whether matters related to the report are being investigated by his unit. Nonetheless, Mr Davis said sending the file for further examination by the Office of the Attorney General fits the administration’s habit of distracting
Bahamians. “The announcement is made just to distract from their inability to do things positive in respect to bringing relief to the challenges that Bahamians have,” he said. “They have had an audit. I don’t know why they’re sending it. The audit, on the face of it, its only claim is really mismanagement in their view and that processes that ought to be
followed weren’t. I don’t see what concerns the AG’s Office would be interested in. But that’s them. They continue to move on a name and shame and blame basis as opposed to paying attention to those reasons they are losing support.” When contacted yesterday, Attorney General Carl Bethel told this newspaper the matter referred from the Ministry of Works was
“immediately forwarded to the senior officials” in his ministry and departments. “I await their advice,” Mr Bethel added. EY’s report highlighted widespread irregularities at WSC. It revealed the debacle of the Gladstone Road Waste Water Treatment Plant, which experienced a cost overrun of 91 per cent and is still unfinished, despite costing Bahamians nearly $20m.
Roads a concern, says minister, in wake of 22 traffic fatalities COUPLED with a troubling number of traffic fatalities, 22 already for the year - according to Transport and Local Government Minister Frankie Campbell - the roadways are an issue of concern for officials. In response to this, BIBA has made more than a dozen recommendations, including passing continuous motor insurance enforcement legislation among other things. Asked about these suggestions, Mr Campbell would not comment directly saying he was not intimately aware of the recommendations. He explained that this was not a reflection of those agencies under the Ministry of Transport’s umbrella. However he said he was sure the government would be in support of any entity, which could contribute to finding a resolution for these kinds of issues. The concept is for the mechanism to mirror that of the Motor Insurers Bureau in the United Kingdom, a private company funded through motor insurance premiums paid by all lawabiding motorists. MIB works alongside the police to remove unlicenced
JUNIOR road safety officers pictured with Minister Frankie Campbell are Gabriella Knowles (second left) and Ricardo Munroe (right). Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff vehicles from the road “There is a critical need in collisions on our roads formidable future living among other things. to address this most egre- every year and have expenses. “As it relates to the gious deficiency in our resulted in life-altering “Unfortunately, in The Commonwealth of The social responsibility. BIBA experiences for the injured Bahamas we do not have Bahamas, the Bahamas is dedicated to keeping this victims and their families,” stringent laws and penalInsurance Brokers Associa- issue at the forefront of our the press statement also ties that will discourage tion believes that the time legislators. As we feel the said. vehicle owners from drivhas passed for The Baha- matter is too important to “These victims not only ing uninsured vehicles, or mas to implement a similar be left unaddressed until suffer loss or damage to allowing unauthorised permodel,” the association said another incident happens. their property, they also sons to drive, especially in a press statement to The “Many of these (unin- experience loss of income, those without a valid drivTribune. sured) vehicles are involved and have to bear huge er’s licence. Many of these financial burdens for motorists flee the scene of medical treatments and an accident, resulting in the rehabilitation and in many accident being declared a cases, these injuries lead to hit-and-run. Even when temporary or permanent the at-fault party does disability, disfigurement or remain at the scene of the even death, leaving fami- accident, the end result lies with funeral costs and does not differ much for
the injured victims and their families, despite criminal proceedings in such a situation.” BIBA said the new framework would also include strict enforcement of penalties upon perpetrators and will work in conjunction with the Road Traffic Department and insurance companies via shared information on insurance coverage and valid driver’s licence. In addition, the BIBA suggested the agency be staffed by contracted retirees from various disciplines such as insurance, police, road traffic, health care and clergy. The proposed agency would also be guided by a set of rules determining how victims of uninsured and untraced motorists should be compensated. The agency’s existence, BIBA said, will neither absolve the perpetrator nor the insurer of ultimate responsibility for their legal liability, settlement of claims, and court ordered judgments and the victim’s compensation will only be set in motion when there are no other sources to claim, it will be the avenue of last resort. It is also proposed there be monthly publication of disqualified drivers in the local newspaper and online and provision of hotline telephone numbers to give authorities tips on those committing an infraction.
STUDENTS PROMOTE ROAD SAFETY A PAIR of students from 12 schools across New Providence were yesterday inducted as junior road safety officers. Transport Minister Frankie Campbell yesterday flagged the high incidence of traffic fatalities this year, expressing hope the new initiative would positively impact motorists in a ceremony at Columbus Primary School. He noted the issue of road safety was particularly
YOUR
poignant for him as he was hit by a car in his youth while crossing the street carelessly. “We have 22 fatalities and some 26 homicides,” he said. “Fatalities are keeping pace with homicides we’ve got to do something about this. So I’ve sought the more influential persons in these households, the children. They’re the ones who determine where we shop, and what
we buy, so I believe they too can influence parents as to their behaviour on the street. They have enthusiastically accepted the challenge and I am optimistic that their participation in this whole process will make a difference.” He added: “I want to ensure, to the extent that we all can, that what happened to me as a youngster don’t happen to our dear loved ones.”
CHOICE FOR THE FAMILY WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JOYFM1019
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, April 17, 2018, PAGE 7
Bus pilot project depends on agreement with bank By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net THE launch of the pilot project for unification of the public bus system hinges on the government honouring its agreement to jointly fund the project with the Inter-American Development Bank, Transport and Local Government Minister Frankie Campbell said yesterday.
Mr Campbell said the pilot project was almost ready to go but there was a “slight funding issue” despite the project having received its portion from the bank as part of the New Providence Road Improvement Project. “The pilot project for the unification programme is just about set to go,” he said. “There is a slight funding issue, the IDB provided its portion of the funds, the
government of the Bahamas is supposed to provide its portion of the funds. So we’re just tightening those small housekeeping matters but they are ready to go.” Mr Campbell continued: “The pilot project is supposed to be about six months so we’re hoping to have it finished by the end of this year. Which means we have to do it on or before June. I’m hoping we can keep within that timeline.”
The proposed unification of the public bus system is part of the NPRIP, funded by the IDB, which also involved the upgrading of New Providence’s road network. The project, which is being financed by $500,000 from the IDB, and an additional $230,000 from the Ministry of Finance, is an attempt to encourage jitney operators and franchise holders to take the next
step towards reform, and overcome what appears to be entrenched stakeholder resistance. An IDB paper, obtained by Tribune Business in 2016, revealed that little progress towards practical jitney/bus industry reform has been made despite numerous reports and studies being presented to the government, some of which date back to 1992. According to the IDB,
around 280 buses serve the Bahamian people on 23 different routes. Yesterday, Mr Campbell said: “I think that the committee itself has been working in the background for some time. I think they’re basically ready to go, housing has been provided for them. “There are one or two issues that await but once the funds are in place, they too will be addressed.”
WORKERS at The Pointe development on Bay Street.
HEADCOUNT CARRIED OUT ON POINTE WORKFORCE from page one However, he was still unable to say how many Bahamian workers there are to foreign labourers on the project, telling The Tribune yesterday he was awaiting the completion of a report from the census. This comes the day after Bahamian Contractor’s Association President Leonard Sands said officials must descend on the downtown Nassau project to conduct a physical count of its workers to determine whether the Heads of Agreement is being adhered to. The Heads of Agreement between CCA and
the government states 70 per cent of the workers are supposed to be Bahamian and 30 per cent should be foreign. This would be the first time the Department of Labour physically checked The Pointe’s Construction site since May 2017. More than a week ago Tribune photographers monitored who went on to the site and with the exception of three or four Bahamians and a guard at the gates of the development, everyone else appeared to be Chinese. Previously, this newspaper observed workers on the site in both January and February and it was a similar story. Dozens of
Chinese builders walked on to the site every day from a building, which lodges the workers opposite the development, and virtually no Bahamians were anywhere to be seen.
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PAGE 8, Tuesday, April 17, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
Oban energies, much like old soldiers, will simply fade away with time TO OBAN ENVIRONMENTALISTS: RELAX
T
HOSE who worry about the hypothetical Oban venture, with refinery, port facility and storage tanks destroying the native wetlands and fishing grounds of East End Grand Bahama, should heave a sigh of relief: it won’t be built, in any conceivable time-frame. Construction won’t even get started. An environmental impact statement, although always welcome, will be irrelevant. Although Oban President Satpal Dhunna appears to have enlisted a couple of professional experts in refinery operations and project creation, they will be defeated by hard economic facts: $5.5bn new capital investment, or even half that, simply cannot be raised for an unproven start-up venture that has neither a committed supplier of crude oil nor SATPAL purDHUNNA, chasOban Energies ers of president.
OIL refinery plant from obanenergies. com
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis shakes hands with Peter Krieger, former non-executive chairman of Oban Energies. The Oban deal underwent a lot of public scrutiny that exposed several missteps in the $5.5 billion dollar heads of agreement.
refined products, particularly in this era of uncertainty about the very future of carbon-based energy. If nearby Buckeye and Statoil, building on strong assets with years of commercial and technical experience, do not choose to go the refinery route, what chance has a newcomer like Oban, which could take up to ten years to be built and start earning? On any rational basis, Prime Minister Minnis should
today pull the plug on Oban so that he can focus on realistic projects of positive benefit to Grand Bahama. Any legal obstacles to cancelling the heads of agreement can easily be overcome. The only blockage would be his own hubris or simple inertia. In that case, like old soldiers, Oban will never die,
it will just fade away.
FREEPORT AS INDUSTRIAL CENTRE
I
n a recent conversation with Mick Holding, president of Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, he lamented that no good news was being reported from the island, with tourism suffering and its industrial side inadequately promoted. Of course he recognised the blight on commerce from the continuing failure to re-open the Grand Lucayan Hotel and energise the once dynamic and fun-filled Port Lucaya complex. But tourism is not the only economic driver. We considered a few of the others: • Grand Bahama Shipyard (where he was a long-time senior executive), is one of the world’s prime facilities for drydocking and major marine repairs, with a specialty for cruise ships, servicing 23 of the monsters last year, employing hundred of skilled workers. • Across the harbour, Freeport Container Port handles container ships along 1,500 meters of quay frontage and ten rolling Post Panamax cranes, making it the largest trans-shipment terminal this side of the Atlantic. • Buckeye Pipeline absorbed Borco to operate one of world’s major petroleum storage terminals with 26 million barrels capacity, capable of blending crude into distillates and shipping with supertankers • Just outside the duty-free zone, the StatOil terminal performs much the same function for its Norwegian parent, an integrated petroleum enterprise with international scope and reserves available from Brazil. • Pharmachem Technologies produces pharmaceutical specialties primarily for AIDS treatment by Gilead Sciences and is completing a $120m expansion requiring an increase of 100 employees to its present 120 work force. • Polymers International makes the polystyrene beads for the
billions of styrofoam cups and containers cranked out by its US parent company Dart Industries. • Bradford Marine is a favoured port for hull and engine repairs of large yachts, combined with rebuildings and refurbishment contracts. These companies, usually tied into the over-all operations of their foreign parents, are wary about disclosing financial figures for their competitive businesses, but surely the Port Authority or the Chamber of Commerce could gather gross revenue, employment and payroll statistics, which it could publicise in a major effort to attract investment. They were drawn to Grand Bahama not mainly by tax advantages but by its unique geographical location, spacious land resources and a supply of competent, reasonably paid employees. Their slow but steady growth shows that many more are available, if seriously pursued. We don’t have to rely on pie-in-thesky mirages like Oban.
BISX PAYS DIVIDEND
K
eith Davies, CEO of BISX, took great pride, quite rightly, in recently announcing payment of the first dividend by this company that serves the public but must also have a profit motive, like the enterprises that it accepts for listing. Keith has been there from the beginning in 1999, when an overambitious chairman and board of directors enjoyed dreams of entering the world of international securities trading by hiring expensive
KEITH DAVIES, BISX CEO.
consultants and trekking to Wall Street and the City of London. A few years later, he handled incipient bankruptcy from the profligate spending. Government had to step in with a recapitalisation plan, eventually owning about 45 percent of the equity. Many of the original shareholders (including the bank of which I was a director) simply wrote off their investment as worthless — a well-intentioned but financially rash use of funds. Several years of quiet
effort by the small BISX staff gradually rescued the venture. A campaign to list specialised mutual funds for offshore investors has resulted in nearly 50 listings with significant growth in fee income. Equally important was the creation of Bahamas Central Securities Depositary (BCSD), a joint venture of BISX and our two largest broker-dealers. Far from the public eye, the ten ladies of BCSD are the nuts and bolts of our capital market. They provide the back-office machinery without which BISX couldn’t function — maintaining share registers, recording trades and changes of ownership, handling dividend payments and the paperwork of proxies and annual meetings. From their crisp suite of rooms and computer cubicles up near BISX, they could well handle a greater volume of new issues and trading. Unfortunately, BISX has only been partially successful in fulfilling its principal mission: spreading equity ownership more widely among Bahamians of average wealth. The exact numbers have never been figured, but probably not more than 10,000 citizens are shareholders, although more have indirect interests through pension funds. Of the scores of profitable large and small local companies, only 20 have their ordinary shares listed on BISX, and the last equity public offering was launched in 2012. So trading volume is low and liquidity often absent for weeks. It’s a chickenand-egg riddle — because we have so few companies issuing shares, the public has little interest in trading, which discourages new companies from issuing shares! It’s often said most Bahamians are simply not ready for the risks of equity ownership, and ignore its rewards. Perhaps, but much more could be done to change their views. Government is just beginning to relax exchange controls and could grant tax exemptions to encourage share ownership. The media could improve their feeble efforts to publicise share trading and announcements of quarterly earnings — we have nobody approaching fearless Jim Cramer blaring his market opinions on daily morning TV across America. I am continually astonished that none of our securities firms produce formal investment rankings for our 20 listed companies, while virtually all the thousands of NYSE companies are followed and graded by at least one dealer. Do RoyalFidelity and CFAL have enough business with no need to advertise their product? With no more resources than any private investor, I have been able to create a numerical ranking system for each of the 20, from attractive to average to weak to don’t touch, with commentary. But why should I give my system away?
WILL WE REMAIN “BLACKLISTED”?
I
have no idea. I am not privy to the thought processes of the ideologues and technical gnomes who infest the European Union bureaucracy. I hope to report more after returning from the popular “Offhore Alert” conference in Miami, where everyone from hedge-fund charlatans to IRS tax collectors meets. One sure question will be: why is there no blacklisting for Delaware and other States where anonymous ownership is defended, while vigorously attacked in offshore centres?
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, April 17, 2018, PAGE 9
Minister suggests biometric solution to immigration issues By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net TRANSPORT Minister Frankie Campbell yesterday suggested recording biometric data at birth as a viable solution to current challenges affecting the naturalisation process moving forward. Mr Campbell pointed to the initiative when asked by The Tribune whether he supported proposed amendments to the Immigration Act, and the establishment of a maritime bill that would allow for mass deportation of migrants apprehended at sea without court order. Immigration Minister Brent Symonette announced last month, among other proposed policy changes, that persons born in this country to non-Bahamian parents, who have missed the constitutionally entitled period to apply for citizenship between 18 and 19, will only be granted permanent residence with the right to work unless other circumstances entitle them. Mr Campbell spoke to The Tribune on the sidelines of a ceremony to induct the first instalment of Junior Road Safety Officers at Columbus Primary School. He expressed support for the government’s current track, a multi-pronged approach that focused on closing borders, regularising persons with a claim of right, and the proper integration of persons in “irregular housing subdivisions” or shantytowns. “What I would say on that issue,” Mr Campbell said, “is we are at a stage in our development as a country where we should consider whether or not everything is in place, dating back from the childhood of a person, to ensure that if and when such a (citizenship) claim is made, it is easily verifiable.” He said: “You have in the United States where children have their footprints taken at birth so we have the ability to use biometrics etc. What is past is past, but moving forward, and those things will help us not only with immigration but in other sectors of governance. “And so that is the kind of thing I would support and the kind of thing I’m certain our government would consider as we move forward addressing these situations.” The verification of birth certificates plays a critical role in the processing the citizenship claims of persons born to non-Bahamians, particularly those who may not have lived in the country before coming of age. Among systemic challenges highlighted by the landmark case of Bahamas-born Jean Rony Jean-Charles earlier this year, was the significant and far-reaching legal challenge over the verification of birth certificates. But the issue briefly became a personal one for Mr Campbell, whose Haitian mother came to the Bahamas as an undocumented migrant, when he faced accusations over his own naturalisation process late last year. When asked by The Tribune whether he faced stigma during his childhood due to his lineage, and whether there was also a need for social initiatives alongside government reforms, Mr Campbell said: “That’s a foregone conclusion (to experience stigma) but I’m here, whatever it is, I’m here. “Just like road safety, anything that has a national implication is a shared responsibility between all persons here presently,” he said. “Immigration, road safety, are just among those issues that we all need to get involved in and have a say about to ensure that where there are rules and regulations, they are followed. “To ensure that if there are weaknesses in the rules and regulations, there are the necessary amendments. And then we make sure all who need to know are properly informed so that everyone is able to participate at the necessary and expected level.” He added: “Immigration has become a national topic. “I believe if we do those three things, those three tentacles, close the borders, regularise who has a claim of right, and properly integrate who is here, we will move away from having what seems to have been two parallel societies existing, and we will come together as one people for the benefit of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.”
MINISTER of Transport Frankie Campbell at a Junior Road Safety event at Columbus Primary School yesterday. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
READERS ON THE POINTE WITH questions over the ratio of Bahamian to foreign workers at The Pointe development, Bahamian Contractors Association President Leonard Sands said officials must descend on the The Pointe project to conduct a physical count of its workers to determine whether the Heads of Agreement is being adhered to. Readers gave their reaction on tribune242.com. OMG had this to say: “Simple. Immigration officers and police surround the building, isolate different areas and do a head and nationality count. Why does government make the simplest thing so difficult?” And there was this from Craig: “All this talk of descending upon and surrounding the site with immigration and police officers and the like to conduct head counts is nonsense. The HOA is just like any other contract, there are remedies for non compliance with any of its terms. Whatever department of govt is responsible for ensuring compliance with the terms of the contract must invoke the remedy as we can rest assured that if the govt of the Bahamas does not fulfil its obligations under
the contract there will be consequences! Whoever in govt is responsible for ensuring contract term compliance please do your job.” Delays for motorists due to botched resurfacing work on Eastern Road also prompted a lively reaction. Proudloudandfnm said: “Damn, its a comedy sketch! And this what our tax dollars go to. Lazy, incompetent government staff . . .” Dawes asked: “Can the Minister also get the utility companies to hire people who can replace the hole they have dug so it is level with the road? It seems every time they dig a hole it starts off being higher than the road and then over time sinks to below the road. It’s not rocket science to get it right so they should be able to do it (as a note the rest of the world does it so maybe ask them).” OMG was unhappy with the utility companies: “Usual debacle whereby a road is resurfaced and then
the utility companies decide they need to lay lines, etc and dig up the resurfaced area. Why do we pay all these bosses in W & S, BTC, BEC to show such incompetence? How hard can it be to liaise with one another prior to starting work?” To which ThisIsOurs responded with: “Actually scheduling is one of THE hardest problems, you can see some of the challenges as Bannister explains that when the problems were finally resolved, the equipment was already committed for use elsewhere.” • Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.
PAGE 10, Tuesday, April 17, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
He just spat the words out: ‘Oh, it’s cancer’ - but I’m determined to beat it.
I
am used to seeing Sharon all dressed up to the nines – hair done, clothing on point and always wearing a big smile. When her cousin contacted me to say Sharon had developed breast cancer and her attitude is so commendable she thought I should visit her for an interview, I obliged. However, I was not prepared for the Sharon I met. Her big, beautiful coif is reduced to the scalp, and although she was never big in size, she is definitely smaller. The only thing that seemed the SHARON same to me were her beauMiller-Stubbs tiful eyes, her voice and always sported a the big, bright smile that head of beautiful usually greets me. hair. Obviously a little worn from a recent chemotherapy treatment, Sharon sat with me and spoke candidly about what she has faced since being diagnosed with cancer. She also spoke about how she has managed to remain in high spirits through it all. In October 2016, Sharon took advice from a radio programme which was promoting breast cancer awareness month and did a self breast examination their breasts. For Sharon, while in the shower. To her taking heed made all the surprise, she felt a lump. difference. With the first mamTwo months later, she was having a mammogram mogram and ultrasound and ultrasound to find Sharon took, the doctor out what that lump was. informed her the lump she October is breast cancer felt was fibrocystic; it was awareness month, so there benign and not cancerous was media everywhere and therefore, she should advising women to check have nothing to worry their breasts. Only now about. She went on with her that she has taken heed, Sharon can advise that all life and even got married women should check their in April 2017, becoming Sharon Miller-Stubbs, breasts on a regular basis. What women in The with high hopes for a great Bahamas may not realise future. But soon after, she is that breast cancer could started to have pain in her affect any one at any age arms and her sister Janice – even men. I recall there took her to the hospital to was a case of a ten-year- have it checked. “I was referred to outpaold girl in Eleuthera with a breast cancer diagnosis. tient clinic to have another mammogram and ultraFor this reason, Sharon sound, and by July the says it’s importest results came tant to pay back,” Sharon attention said. to your It wasn’t body. In the UK, good news; Kris but what Halwas worse lenga is the way founded in which she the charwas delivity “Coppa ered the news: Feel” after “The first doctor SHARON being diagat Disney at Princess Marganosed with World with her ret Hospital wasn’t clear breast cancer daughters Lashan so we asked for another at the age of and Deshaughn doctor, but the second 23. The char- in their earlier was worse than he was. years. ity focuses on “I went in to see him. He promoting early never introduced himself detection of breast cancer, and he was cold. He read encouraging women under the results from the com30 to regularly check puter and said ‘Oh! It’s
SHARON with her father Ashlyn, and sisters Ann and Tiffany.
To date, Sharon has already had 12 chemotherapy treatment sessions – six double sessions. I knew nothing about how treatments worked, so she explained te first thing they did was conduct a surgery on her to implant a port just above her breast. cancer!’ He just spat the This port was graciously words out that changed provided free of charge my life. No care. My sister by the Sister Sister Breast and I were in shock. We Cancer Support group paused. He didn’t do any and their relationship with examination on me, and he Ports International. Prior never told me what stage I to this, she had four biopwas on; basically he gave sies where breast tissue us no information. I asked was removed to test for him if there were any cancer. After this she has had to endure a lot of options and what I bloodwork and could do. He said scans, includthe only thing ing a PET he could do scan done to help if it in Florida is too far to ensure gone into the the bone or cancer the blood was isois to cut off lated to both of my her breast. breasts. My SHARON’s mom, “I felt sister got upset Naomi, on her devastated and said she 70th birthday. at first,” Sharon would report him shared, “Because I because he was was having scans and not sympathetic at bloodwork what felt like all. We went and made the every other day. I looked report, and they told us like I was a hundred.” to follow up with a letter “My doctor at Jackto the Public Hospital’s son Memorial was caring. Authority, but we had to She said Sharon, you are deal with this diagnosis so curable.” we had no time to do it.” The doctor, a female this Sharon felt the need for time, told her she would a second opinion and did have to do 12 double so by visiting the Jackson chemotherapy sessions Memorial Hospital in Florand eight single ones, and ida. There, doctors told then they would see if she her the lump was indeed had gone into remission. cancerous in the left breast The lump, she said, was and that there was “some10cm but she can feel it thing very small” in the shrinking. right breast. “I never dreamed “I decided to come this would happen to home and have the treatme because my mother ments done here at home (Naomi Williams) who is at the cancer centre on 81 and my father (Ashlyn Collins Avenue,” she said. Miller) who is 77 are still living. My mother has ten children and I am the only one with this diagnosis. None of my grandparents died of cancer.” Looking back to try to determine what happened, Sharon believes that wearing wired bras may have been a factor because self-image was always important to her. She warns women to take heed to the cancer support groups which give advice about taking precautions – like the wearing of wired bras. Nowadays, she chooses not to wear a bra whenever she is at home – something many women don’t do. Also, she knows she was “sweet mouthed” and enjoyed sweets. Her job
as a salesperson Sharon always on has had to the road led to also stay positive her making do with junk for her husband, Henderfood instead of eating son Stubbs. For him, it’s proper meals often. Nowa- difficult because he lost days, she has opted for a his first wife to pancreatic diet which is more plant- cancer. For Sharon, she based, and may only have plans to fight this battle a little chicken or turkey not only for herself and once in a while. She no her husband, but for her longer consumes dairy or two daughters, Lashan and sugary food and would Deshaughn and her granddrink moringa or sour sop son, Mason. leaf tea without the sugar “No one is exempt,” she she would have once had. warns. She loves to drink coco“We take things for nut water from the shell, granted. We try to remedy drinks lemon water in the ourselves. You should get mornings, and takes vita- checked by a medical promins and supplements fessional, even if it is a regularly. constant pain in the stomSharon is an island girl ach. Years ago, you hardly at heart. She grew up on heard about cancer, but Acklin’s island with her these days are different. grandparents and cher- Women should have regular ishes the years she spent checkups with their doctor in “the field” (farming), and conduct self breast gathering wood for her examinations. Change your grandmother’s outdoor eating habits now!” kitchen, and “toting” The support of her entire water. She finds herself family and her friends has going back to her roots and been immeasurable in her knowledge of the bush terms of her ability to fight medicine of The Bahamas the battle, she says, adding to help her through. that families should stick “I stay positive – you closely together not only have to have a positive through illness, but through spirit,” she life. advises. SHARON Sharon has already Once the and her sister accrued more than news set in, Janice, a social $20,000 in medical fees she resorted worker who has and her chemotherhelped her to the attitude apy sessions are greatly. that she is wellnot over. Her known for: “I prayer is she remained would not calm, optihave to mistic, have her positive breasts and I was removed, ready for although chemodoctors therapy. I say it may was ready be a possito face it. bility. She says I decided to she is remaining remain focused on confident the current chemGod. I went through with otherapy sessions will send little side effects, such as the cancerous tumour into the numbness, vomiting remission. and diarrhea, and memory Her family and friends loss. I really was blessed; are hosting a benefit conall I can recall is a little nagging in the stomach cert to aid with her medical after each treatment. My expenses on Sunday, April sister Janice cut my hair 29. The “Spring Gospel will feature when I started combing it Concert” the legendary Rahming out in balls, and she really helped me Brothers, Minister Emily through this Williams, Christian Massive, Edison Sumner, Voices whole of Praise, Allison Rolle, the proSBC Adventist Youth Choir, cess.” Koe Smith and Christian Life Church Dance Ministry. The event will be DIAGRAM of held at Kemp Road Minan entry port for breast cancer chemo- istries beginning at 7pm. theraphy treatment For more information, - from breastcancer. email her sister Janice at janiceevans861@gmail. org. com or yolandamiller@ coralwave.com.
BREAST cancer awareness tips provied by coppafeel.org.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, April 17, 2018, PAGE 11
WORKMEN of Waugh’s Construction, the contracted company, are seen working while Minister of Public Works Desmond Bannister toured the site on Friday.
Photos: Lisa Davis/BIS
Bannister blasts ‘shoddy’ seawall from page one “It has not given the people of Grand Bahama value for their money and you’ve seen where this was improperly done. The wall further down has actually separated, and there are a number of issues which ought never to have happened. “We’re going to have to do some things to remedy this but we’re very concerned about the quality of work we get from contractors with respect to seawalls and other protective mechanisms for the people of Grand Bahama and the people of The Bahamas.” Mr Bannister said people need to be made aware of how their tax dollars have been spent on “shoddy work, shoddy workmanship, work that’s not going to last, and we have to ensure that this doesn’t happen again”. Antonne Taylor, an engineer, said the shorelines need to be made more resilient to coastal hazards. To this end, he said, wellbuilt coastal protection is needed, and the seawall in High Rock is an example of one done incorrectly. “As a result, it’s suffered
the various damage,” the engineer said. “Going forward, we have to make the necessary recommendations and works to ensure the proper functionality of the seawall.” The seawall was built in 2004 and there is not yet a timeline for the repairs. “It’s a good contrast to see the quality of work that you saw at Waugh Construction (at Smith’s Point) and how that can protect a community, and when you have something like here that’s not tied in properly, it’s not backfilled properly, it comes back to haunt you in a few years,” Mr Bannister said. With hurricane season fast approaching, concern was expressed by the minister as to whether the seawall will protect or harm the residents. Earlier on Friday, the delegation toured the seawall in Smith’s Point. Following that tour, Mr Bannister expressed pleasure in the work. He said that in his tenure as minister for almost one year, that project makes him “most proud.” “You’ll remember when I started as minister of public works, this project was lagging. It was quite a bit
behind time,” he said. Having visited the island on a private visit, Mr Bannister saw the condition of the seawall and said at the time he was not pleased. The right decision was made, he said, when the former contractor was terminated and Waugh Construction was brought in. “They have shown extreme, outstanding professionalism in getting the job done. When you see something like this that is going to protect the community and you see what they’ve done here. The beach is coming back and so you’ll be able to walk on the beach. The amount of erosion that they had on this beach before, the sand is now coming back naturally because of the work that they’ve done.” Mr Bannister said he was particularly proud that there were Bahamians doing the work. Toni Hudson-Bannister, officer in charge of the Ministry of Works and Utilities in Grand Bahama, said that the original project amount at Smith’s Point was $4.8m and is expected to be completed in June, at the beginning of the hurricane season.
MINISTER Desmond Bannister was not pleased when seeing the damaged seawall in High Rock. He is seen with Parliamentary Secretary Iram Lewis and Toni Hudson-Bannister, officer in charge of the Ministry of Public Works in Grand Bahama.
PAGE 12, Tuesday, April 17, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
TRUMP LAWYER FORCED TO REVEAL ANOTHER CLIENT: SEAN HANNITY NEW YORK Associated Press A LEGAL fight over what should happen to records the FBI seised from President Donald Trump’s personal attorney took a surprise twist on Monday when the lawyer, Michael Cohen, was forced to reveal a secret — that he had also done legal work for Fox News host Sean Hannity. The disclosure came as attorneys for Cohen and Trump tried to persuade a New York judge to delay prosecutors from examining records and electronic devices seized in the raids on the grounds that many of them are protected by attorney-client privilege. US district judge Kimba Wood said in hearings on Friday and Monday that if Cohen wanted the court to declare that some of his files were protected because of attorney confidentiality rules, he would have to divulge the names of the clients he’s worked with since the 2016 election. One was, of course, Trump himself. Another was Elliot Broidy, a Trump fundraiser who resigned from the Republican National Committee on Friday after it was revealed that he paid $1.6m to a Playboy playmate with whom he had an extra-marital affair. The playmate became pregnant and elected to have an abortion. With Cohen by their side on Monday, lawyers initially resisted revealing the name of the third client for privacy reasons, saying it would be embarrassing for the client. But Wood pressed on. “I understand he doesn’t
MICHAEL COHEN, President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, arrives at federal court on Monday. A US judge will hear more arguments about Trump’s extraordinary request that he be allowed to review records seized from Cohen’s office as part of a criminal investigation before they are examined by prosecutors. Photo: Mary Altaffer/AP want his name out there, but that’s not enough under the law,” she said. When the name was announced, there were gasps and some laughter in a courtroom packed with journalists. A few of them raced from the courtroom. Cohen’s lawyers did not detail the type of legal work he did for Hannity. Cohen, in a light blue tie and dark suit, spent most of the hearing looking forward, his hands folded. On his radio show, Hannity said Cohen was never involved in any matter between him and any third party. “Michael never represented me in any matter,” Hannity said. “I never retained him in any traditional sense. I never received an invoice. I never paid a legal fee. I had brief discussions with him about legal questions where I wanted his input
and perspective.” Hannity, an outspoken supporter of Trump, has been a fierce critic of special counsel Robert Mueller, who is looking into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. Monday’s hearing began with an appearance by porn actress Stormy Daniels, who was swarmed by photographers and
leave. While in court, she smiled several times as she observed the proceedings from a folding chair near the back of the room. Outside afterward, she said Cohen has acted like he’s above the law and that she and her lawyer are committed to making sure everyone learns the truth. The April 9 raid on Cohen sought information on a variety of matters, including a $130,000 payment made to Daniels, who alleges she had sex with a married Trump in 2006. At issue is exactly who gets to look at Cohen’s STORMY seized documents Daniels arrives and devices at federal court where a before they are federal judge is considering turned over to how to review materials that prosecutors. the FBI seized from President Attorneys Donald Trump’s personal lawyer for Cohen to determine whether they should say they want be protected by attorney-client first crack. privilege. Trump’s lawnearly yers say they also fell as Photo:Seth Wenig/ want some form of she was AP prior review. Another hustled into option is to set up a “spethe courthouse, a scene that captured the sen- cial master” who would sational atmosphere around vet the material to determine what is protected and the case. The last to enter court, what isn’t; that is the Cohen she was among the first to team’s second choice.