HALKITIS DENIES GARDINER HIRED HIM
FNM calls for resignation of Finance Minister after he admits link to construction firm
By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Digital Editor
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
FINANCE Minister Michael Halkitis yesterday confirmed that he previously served as a director for Top Notch Builders after initially denying any involvement with the company when questioned by The Tribune a day earlier. His admission comes
amid repeated silence on emerging details of the election day plane crash off the Florida coast, and mounting political scrutiny over allegations contained in a US Drug Enforcement Administration affidavit alleging links between government figures and individuals accused of involvement in drug trafficking.
DENIES - SEE PAGE THREE
D’ANGELO CULMER
ESCAPED MURDER SUSPECT CAUGHT AFTER EIGHT MONTHS ON THE RUN
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net
ESCAPED murder accused D’Angelo Culmer was captured on Thursday after nearly eight months on the run, ending a manhunt that led to investigations and police tribunal proceedings against officers
responsible for his custody.
Police said officers from the Internal Security Division, also known as SWAT, arrested Culmer and a 44-year-old man shortly before midday after intercepting a grey Nissan Note at the corner of Tonique Williams-Darling Highway
CAUGHT - SEE PAGE FIVE
Bimini man faces child cruelty and gun charges
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
A BIMINI man accused of exposing an eight-yearold child in his care to unnecessary suffering and possessing a handgun with intent to endanger the child’s life was charged and remanded to prison yesterday. Dexter Durell Saunders, 40, of Bailey Town, appeared before Magistrate Uel Johnson charged with one count of child cruelty and one count of possession of a firearm with intent to
CRUELTY - SEE PAGE FIVE
BPSU MEMBERS DEMAND ANSWERS OVER ALLEGED FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Public Services Union members in Grand Bahama have given union President Kimsley Ferguson seven days to answer allegations of financial mismanagement and constitutional breaches after protesting outside the union’s Freeport building on Thursday. Members gathered at the BPSU
Building around noon, chanting “Fergy got to go” as they demanded answers about alleged failures to provide biannual financial reports since 2019, outstanding National Insurance Board payments and a lack of insurance coverage for union buildings in Grand Bahama and New Providence. Latoya Cartwright-Jones, BPSU area vice president for the Northern Region, alleged Mr Ferguson had
FERGUSON - SEE PAGE THREE
BPSU PRESIDENT
MINISTER OF FINANCE MICHAEL HALKITIS
DURAN SAUNDERS
KIMSLEY FERGUSON
Daylight ambush leaves man dead and woman injured
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
A MAN in his early 20s was shot dead and a woman wounded in a daylight ambush in Elizabeth Estates yesterday, as grieving relatives wept and struggled against police barricade tape while officers processed the country’s 27th murder scene for the year.
The victim’s tearful sister was held back by police on several occasions as she attempted to cross the yellow tape to reach her slain relative.
Chief Superintendent Sheria King, police press liaison officer, said officers were alerted to reports of gunfire shortly before 3pm near Antigua Street and Barbados Avenue.
Preliminary
investigations revealed that the victim had just arrived near his residence when a light-coloured Japanese vehicle pulled into the area.
The occupants got out of the vehicle, produced firearms and opened fire in the direction of the victim, according to police.
The victim attempted to drive away after being shot, but crashed into a nearby residence a short distance from the scene.
He died at the scene.
A female passenger, believed to be in her early 30s, suffered upper-body injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.
Investigators had not determined how many people were involved in the attack.
"We will comb the area, looking for CCTV cameras to assist us in determining that, but at this time we do
not have that information," Ms King said.
Behind the police barricade, relatives could be seen weeping and demanding to see the victim as officers examined the scene.
At one point, Ms King went over to the victim’s sister, who was visibly distraught and inconsolable, in an attempt to comfort her.
When asked whether the victim was known to police, Ms King confirmed he was wearing an electronic monitoring device connected to "a serious offence", however, declined to provide details about the offence, and could not confirm whether the victim had recently been released from prison.
Police appealed to members of the public with information to contact them as investigations continue.
US asks police to expand search for missing American woman
AMERICAN investigators have reportedly asked Bahamian police to expand the search for missing American Lynette Hooker after electronic location data allegedly conflicted with her husband’s initial account of the night she disappeared.
CNN and other international media outlets reported yesterday that data recovered from Brian Hooker’s electronic devices differed from his earlier statements to investigators about where authorities should search for his wife.
The reports said US officials asked police for permission to deploy divers to additional locations.
Chief Superintendent Sheria King could not confirm the reports yesterday, saying the information had not been brought to her attention.
Mr Hooker’s attorney, Terrel Butler, also declined to comment, telling The Tribune that investigations were ongoing. Hooker, 55, disappeared on April 4 after she allegedly fell overboard from a small dinghy while travelling to the couple’s yacht in Hope Town, Abaco.
Mr Hooker told authorities that his wife fell overboard with the boat’s keys, causing the engine to shut off, before strong currents swept her away.
He reportedly paddled for hours before reaching the Marsh Harbour Boat Yard, where he alerted authorities.
Police initially questioned Mr Hooker in connection with his wife’s disappearance before releasing him. Commissioner Shanta Knowles previously told NBC that investigators have recovered only a flotation device, which remains the sole piece of evidence in the case.
Earlier this month, the US Coast Guard appealed for assistance with its investigation, seeking to speak with the owner of a sailboat believed to have been moored nearby.
MISSING American Lynette Hooker pictured with her husband Brian Hooker.
THE BODY of a man in his early 20s, who was wearing a monitoring device for ‘a serious offence’ is taken from the scene in Elizabeth Estates yesterday where the victim and a woman were shot. The woman was taken to hosppital suffering from wounds to the upper body.
Photos: Shawn Hanna
Halkitis admits past role with Top Notch Builders
Documents from The Bahamas’ registry of records have linked Top Notch to the Election Day plane crash victim Eric Gardiner, who has been arrested and charged with drug offences by the US authorities.
Up to press time, both the Free National Movement and the Coalition of Independents had called for Mr Halkitis’ resignation over his admission.
“As a private citizen I was involved in financial consulting and corporate services consulting,” Mr Halkitis said during an Office of the Prime Minister press briefing.
“I was approached to provide consulting and directorship services to Top Notch Builders, in particular setting up proper corporate governance procedures and structures.”
Mr Halkitis said he was not hired by Gardiner, and was approached by an attorney.
He said his involvement began in mid-2019, but the company suspended operations by April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I resigned as director of that company and all the other directorships that I held in 2021,” he added.
Mr Halkitis furthered official records at the Registrar General’s Department would show the company’s corporate structure and ownership.
would see that it’s not who some people say it was.”
Mr Halkitis served as Minister of State for Finance from 2012 to 2017 during the last Christie administration. He was sworn in as Minister of Economic Affairs and Leader of Government Business in the Senate following the 2021 general election.
Top Notch Builders is the firm that secured the $35m deal to construct the Government’s Eight Mile Rock administrative complex one day before the May 10, 2017, general election. Corporate records revealed the firm also owns Complete Construction, the company developing the Government’s flagship Carmichael Village affordable housing project that got underway last term.
against him.
At the House of Assembly on Wednesday, The Tribune asked Mr Halkitis whether he was ever involved with Top Notch or served as a president of the company.
Mr Halkitis said: “Never a president of the company, and I think he (Eric Gardiner) was the president of the company or someone else was the president of the company. I was never employed by the company.”
When pressed further on Wednesday about how Mr Gardiner, a convicted drug trafficker, was able to obtain contracts with the government, Mr Halkitis added: “I don’t want to comment on that.”
For his part, FNM leader
“All corporate documents are available from the Registrar General’s Department,” he said. “Anybody who’s interested in the complete story can get the complete set of documents which not only show who the directors are but who the shareholders are, who the owners of the company were at the time, and they
In a 2017 document, Gardiner testified that he did not own a single share in the company despite being “the president and a director” of Top Notch Builders. He asserted Top Notch Builders is owned 100 percent by Paradise Productions Inc Company, an entity fully-owned by Samson Hield, who has been listed in previous Tribune Business reports as the “lead contractor” for the Eight Mile Rock PPP deal. There is no suggestion that any of Top Notch or Complete Construction’s officers and directors have done anything wrong, and there is nothing linking them to Gardiner’s alleged activities or the charges
Michael Pintard accused the finance minister of misleading the public about the extent of his involvement with Top Notch Builders.
Mr Pintard argued Mr Halkitis was “not simply a consultant and director” but served as president of
Freeport union members give president seven days to respond
FERGUSON from page one
repeatedly refused to communicate or consult with elected officers despite months of requests from members of the executive board for meetings.
She said members wanted records showing how union funds were spent, why NIB payments remained outstanding and why the union’s buildings were allegedly uninsured.
“We are simply asking him to bring receipts as to what was spent,” she said.
“We are asking him to show why all of the payments for the NIB is still outstanding. We’re asking him to show why our buildings still don’t have insurance. So, when we talk about misappropriation of funds, we are specifically talking about not putting the funds where they’re supposed to be.”
Ms Cartwright-Jones said members had given Mr Ferguson seven days to respond, after which the union’s constitution would take its course. She said he could face suspension through a general meeting, termination, discharge and accountability measures.
She also called on the Ministry of Labour to intervene over audits she said had been outstanding since 2019.
Anton Michael King, a shop steward for the Gaming Board, alleged that tens of thousands of dollars in payments and contributions to the National Insurance Board were missing.
He also questioned why the union’s elected treasurer had allegedly been denied access to its financial records and bank account for several years.
Mr King raised further concerns about the union’s properties, alleging that insurance had not been paid on its buildings even after Mr Ferguson received an insurance claim following Hurricane Dorian.
“You took the whole check to Nassau,” he said.
Shop stewards Taronya Wildgoose, Eric Bastian and Athony Francis, representing Social Services, the Department of Agriculture and Marine Resources and the Post Office respectively, also raised concerns. Members alleged gas pumps purchased by the union were still not
the company, arguing that the role would have placed him at the centre of its operations and corporate structure.
The FNM leader further alleged that Mr Halkitis faced a conflict of interest because Complete
operational, vehicles approved by the membership several years ago had not been bought and board members had been appointed without executive approval.
“The members deserves answers, transparency and the constitution of the union must be respected,” said Eric Bastian of the Department of Agriculture and Marine Resources.
Bahamas Nurses Union Vice President William Bartlett and Charlice Ellis of the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union attended in support of the members.
The Tribune repeatedly attempted to contact Mr Ferguson for comment, but he did not return a call or answer messages up to press time.
“As a private citizen I was involved in financial consulting and corporate services consulting.”
Construction later secured “tens of millions of dollars” in government housing contracts while he sat in Cabinet.
Mr Pintard said: “This immediately places him in a direct conflict of interest position, especially in light
of the fact that as a sitting Minister and then Senator, he never made the public aware of his role in that company and the steps he took to recuse himself from any consideration.”
He added: “Halkitis must go!”
MINISTER OF FINANCE
MICHAEL HALKITIS
BPSU PRESIDENT KIMSLEY FERGUSON
Veteran journalist Opal Roach replaces Clint Watson at ZNS
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
VETERAN broadcast
journalist Opal Roach has been appointed acting general manager of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, replacing Clint Watson at the helm of ZNS.
ZNS announced Mrs Roach’s appointment yesterday, elevating a longstanding corporation executive who has served in senior news and management roles, including as assistant general manager for news and, more recently, deputy general manager.
Her appointment follows Mr Watson’s move into frontline politics after he was sworn in as a government senator earlier this month, bringing to an end his leadership of the
taxpayer-funded broadcaster after almost three years.
Mr Watson became general manager of ZNS in 2023 after leaving his post as press secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister.
Free National Movement chairman Dr Duane Sands called for his resignation last August, arguing that the head of the state broadcaster could not simultaneously pursue a governing party nomination without undermining confidence in ZNS’ impartiality.
Mr Watson later said he would step down if selected as the PLP’s candidate. However, the party ultimately chose Obie Roberts for Southern Shores. The dispute over his role did not end there.
In April, two BCB
board members resigned amid claims of political interference after the board’s directive to keep Mr Watson away from work until after the May 12 general election was overridden.
The board had decided to extend Mr Watson’s time away from ZNS until May 18, or another date determined by the board, following his unsuccessful bid for the PLP nomination.
A letter from BCB executive chairman Picewell Forbes said the decision was made in the interests of transparency and maintaining public confidence in the corporation’s operations and leadership.
However, correspondence seen by The Tribune indicated that Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis told Mr Watson he could return to work immediately.
Student ID card programme delayed by slow progress
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
NEARLY a year after announcing plans to introduce new student ID cards, education officials still have no clear timeline for the programme’s roll-out.
Speaking with The Tribune yesterday, Education Director Dominique McCartney-Russell attributed the delays to large student populations at some campuses.
She said the company contracted to produce the IDs are still taking
photographs of students at various schools.
“It’s progressing very slowly, but it is progressing,” Mrs McCartney-Russell said outside Loyola Hall.
“Some of our schools have over 900 children, and so they’ve gone to a couple of the high schools already and they’re continuing that process.”
The digital student ID system, announced last July, was promoted by the Davis administration as part of a broader effort to enhance safety and security on school grounds.
EDUCATION DIRECTOR DOMINIQUE MCCARTNEY-RUSSELL
FIELD TRAINING OFFICER
The cards will be used to verify and regulate access to school campuses.
Education officials initially set a rollout deadline for last September and later revised it to May, but both targets have since been missed.
Yesterday, Mrs McCartney-Russell suggested that implementation would likely extend beyond the start of the next school year.
“I don’t think so, because it’s such a long process,” she said when asked if the IDs would be fully implemented by the next academic year.
She said the process would be a phased rollout, beginning with New Providence schools before expanding to Grand Bahama and the Family Islands.
“The goal really is to ensure that every child that’s on that campus is supposed to be on that campus,” she said. “We’re just increasing our security measures, and then doubling up with that – that helps us with attendance as well, monitoring attendance.”
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GOVERNMENT AWAITS TEST RESULTS FOR PILOTS QUARANTINED AT PMH
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
THE government reported no new developments yesterday in the case of two foreign nationals quarantined at Princess Margaret Hospital, with officials still awaiting international test results days after the men were isolated on arrival at Lynden Pindling International Airport.
Press Secretary Keishla Adderley said samples from the British and French nationals were being processed through the Pan American Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The men remain in quarantine at PMH under the care of a specialised medical team.
No change in the men’s condition has been
reported and no additional public health alerts have been issued.
The two foreign nationals were placed in isolation at LPIA after arriving on a British Airways flight from Heathrow Airport, when routine screening detected fever-like symptoms.
The men, described by officials as cargo pilots, were among 218 passengers and crew on the flight.
Their recent travel through the Democratic Republic of Congo prompted precautionary monitoring amid global concern over Ebola outbreaks in parts of African countries. Health officials later clarified that the specific areas they visited were not experiencing active Ebola transmission.
Both men were initially assessed as being in good health and showing no symptoms consistent with Ebola Virus Disease before being transferred
to the PMH Modular Unit for continued isolation and observation under international health protocols.
The Ministry of Health has said, “at this time, they do not present with any symptoms consistent with the Ebola Virus Disease,” while stressing that the risk to the public remains low and that no cases have been confirmed in The Bahamas.
Officials have also said the men had no known exposure to Ebola patients, did not attend funerals and did not handle bodily fluids or other high-risk materials.
Although they initially presented with fever-like symptoms, officials have reported no further symptoms. The other passengers and crew were screened and released.
Health authorities said monitoring will continue, but the public health risk level has not changed.
ACTING GENERAL MANAGER OF THE BROADCASTING CORPORATION OF THE BAHAMAS OPAL ROACH
PRESS SECRETARY KEISHLA ADDERLEY
Minor ordered to undergo evaluation in Bimini case
CRUELTY from page one
endanger life.
Prosecutors allege Saunders neglected and exposed the child to unnecessary suffering and ill-treatment in Bailey Town on May 23.
He is further accused of possessing a handgun with intent to endanger the child’s life on the same date.
Saunders, who was represented by counsel, was not required to enter pleas because the charges will proceed to the Supreme Court by way of a voluntary bill of indictment.
He was denied bail and remanded to prison until September 21, when he is
expected to be served with the VBI.
Magistrate Johnson informed Saunders that his attorney could apply to the Supreme Court for bail. The court also dealt with a 12-year-old minor, who was not charged. Magistrate Johnson ordered that the minor undergo a psychological evaluation in Grand Bahama for six weeks before any determination is made on whether charges should proceed.
The minor was granted $5,000 bail and released into the care of a relative in Freeport.
He is expected to return to court on July 14, when a decision will be made on how to proceed.
Man ordered to serve prison time for manslaughter conviction in infant’s death
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
A MAN who admitted causing the death of a three-month-old infant in his care was ordered into custody yesterday after the Court of Appeal ruled the trial judge had no legal authority to suspend his two-year prison sentence.
The appellate court overturned Kirkwood Elliot Thompson’s suspended sentence but rejected the Director of Public Prosecutions’ attempt to secure a longer prison term, finding the Crown failed to show the two-year sentence for manslaughter by negligence was unduly lenient.
Thompson was ordered to begin serving the two-year sentence immediately.
The ruling sharply rebuffed the prosecution’s attempt to press for a harsher sentence based on claims the infant’s fatal injuries reflected a deliberate act. The court found no evidence established how the child suffered the injuries.
Justice of Appeal Peter Jamadar Kokaram, delivering the unanimous ruling, said the Crown could not treat Thompson’s conviction as a more sinister act when no such case was proved or charged. Justices Jon Isaacs Turner and Milton Evans Hilton agreed.
On January 16, 2023, the infant was in Thompson’s care after her mother, Lakeisha Parks, placed her
in a car seat. Thompson was driving and expected to make several school drop-offs. Later that day, the child was pronounced dead on arrival at Accident and Emergency. Medical evidence showed she suffered blunt force trauma to the head, broken ribs and internal bleeding.
Thompson was charged with manslaughter by negligence, carrying a maximum five-year sentence. In September 2023, the Crown indicated it intended to amend the charge to manslaughter based on the pathologist’s report if Thompson went to trial. Thompson instead pleaded guilty to manslaughter by negligence. He was convicted and sentenced on June 17, 2025, to two years in prison, suspended for two years. The trial judge also ordered three years of good behaviour, parenting classes, counseling with Dr David Allen and a $5,000 fine for breaching a court order.
The breach involved a bail condition requiring Thompson to stay away from the child’s mother pending sentencing. A probation report later revealed Ms Parks remained in a relationship with Thompson, was expecting his child and sought leniency on his behalf. The child’s biological father, identified as Mr Milfort, pressed for the maximum sentence.
The DPP appealed, arguing the trial judge lacked jurisdiction to suspend the sentence and that
two years was too lenient given the circumstances. Thompson accepted Bahamian courts cannot suspend prison sentences under the Penal Code.
The Court of Appeal agreed, finding the trial judge wrongly relied on an Eastern Caribbean case when Bahamian decisions established no such sentencing power exists locally. Bahamian law permits postponing sentences or imposing alternatives, but not imposing imprisonment and then suspending it. This error meant Thompson had to serve a custodial sentence, but the court rejected the DPP’s argument to increase it.
The prosecution initially sought four years, citing aggravating factors including the infant’s death, Thompson’s conflicting accounts, efforts to avoid a manslaughter charge, alleged drug use, bail breaches and a claimed lack of remorse. During the appeal, the DPP conceded four years was unavailable after discounting for Thompson’s guilty plea. The Crown then argued for three years and four months.
The Court of Appeal found that argument unsustainable. Although the pathologist established the injuries, the court said it did not establish how they were sustained. The trial judge lacked a clear account, and the DPP could not explain how the child died in Thompson’s care.
Thompson’s explanation
SWAT arrests suspect during highway stop
CAUGHT from page one
and Premiers Avenue. A search of the vehicle and its two occupants allegedly uncovered one pound and eight ounces of suspected marijuana in a black backpack, valued by police at $3,200. Both men were arrested and cautioned over the alleged drug find. Police said the 44-year-old man was also cautioned in connection with harbouring a fugitive.
Culmer escaped lawful custody from the Nassau Street Court Complex on South Street around 3.30pm on October 2, 2025, while facing murder and attempted murder charges in connection with the killing of Rudiska Bethel.
His escape raised serious questions about security at the court complex. Police Commissioner Shanta Knowles confirmed in November that three police
was that the injuries resulted from his driving. His conflicting accounts could have formed part of a manslaughter prosecution had the Crown proceeded with that charge at trial. Instead, the prosecution permitted Thompson to plead guilty to manslaughter by negligence.
The prosecution could not then argue Thompson’s conduct amounted to a more sinister act unsupported by established facts or his charge. The court rejected treating his guilty plea as an aggravating factor for avoiding trial, noting the prosecution deliberately pursued manslaughter by negligence. The Crown could also not argue Thompson lied or used drugs unless clearly established as facts.
Reviewing the sentence, the court recognised the gravity of the defenceless infant’s death, Thompson’s conflicting accounts and the father’s grief. These factors were balanced against Thompson’s guilty plea, a clean criminal record, the probation report, recorded remorse and the mother’s leniency request. The court observed
officers were under investigation in connection with the breach and said security protocols had been strengthened to prevent another escape.
By January, Commissioner Knowles said the three officers had been brought before a police tribunal over Culmer’s escape. One officer had been interdicted and another was expected to face interdiction as the tribunal process progressed. The status of those disciplinary proceedings is unclear.
Culmer was arraigned in the Magistrate’s Court on February 16, 2024, on one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder after prosecutors accused him of opening fire from a vehicle at a group of people on January 31, 2024.
Bethel, 39, was killed in the shooting on Ragged Island Street. Carla Bain and Lorenzo Sands were also injured.
the case exposed the absence of legislation allowing judges to impose suspended sentences or use restorative justice mechanisms, particularly where family relationships continue.
The DPP’s appeal was allowed in part. Thompson’s suspended sentence was quashed, his two-year term upheld and he was ordered into custody.
DEXTER Durell Saunders escorted to court, Photo: Vandyke Hepburn
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A stumbling start for new administration
POINTED questions for Finance Minister Michael Halkitis yesterday highlighted the stumbles that have marked the start of this second-term administration.
On Wednesday, The Tribune asked Mr Halkitis if he had any involvement with Top Notch Builders, a company linked to Eric “Player” Gardiner, who was on board the plane that crashed on election day –and ended up being arrested and charged with drug offences by the US authorities.
Mr Halkitis denied any such involvement – but yesterday he admitted that he had previously served as a director of the company, saying he resigned in 2021.
Top Notch Builders is in the spotlight because it secured significant government contracts, despite Mr Gardiner’s criminal past. Those contracts included the $35m deal to build the Eight Mile Rock administrative complex, signed a day before the 2017 general election. The company also owns Complete Construction, which was awarded the Carmichael Village housing project that began to be built last term. There clearly remain further questions to be asked about Top Notch and Gardiner – but it is curious that Mr Halkitis would first distance himself from the company before making his clarifying statement yesterday.
Mr Halkitis’ admission that he was a director has also not found acceptance from the FNM – who insist he was president of the company and that Mr Halkitis had a conflict of interest in the matter, and should resign. Mr Halkitis yesterday denied that he was ever a president of the company, adding: “I think he (Gardiner) was the president of the company or someone else was the president of the company. I was never employed by the company.”
It must be said, it seems unusual that a director of a company would not know who the president was.
Mr Halkitis’ slip is not the first under the new administration – he follows in the stumbling footsteps of West Grand Bahama MP Kingsley Smith.
Mr Smith’s name came up after passengers on board the crashed plane said in an interview after the rescue that “Kingsley” had helped to get them on board the plane. With questions over who chartered the plane swirling, The Tribune asked Mr Smith what he knew about who the plane was chartered for and by, why it was chartered on election day, and how Gardiner came to be on board, allegedly with $30,000 strapped to his body, Mr Smith also failed to come up with any answers. Instead, he said there was “no comment right now, buddy”. That was on May 18. The “right now” has continued on for some time.
There has been ample opportunity to come forward with answers to some of those questions, but little impetus to do so, it would seem.
It is not the only area where questions are left to linger rather than being answered outright.
For example, the new Cabinet has two individuals involved who have long held links to the gaming industry, Sebas Bastian and Leslia Miller-Brice.
Their presence raised questions over whether they had adequately distanced themselves from the businesses they had been connected with – Mr Bastian resigned as head of Island Luck ahead of the election, while Mrs Miller-Brice’s husband stepped away from his role at Asure Win, we are told.
Those are perfectly reasonable questions to ask – indeed there were further objections raised by the religious community, including the Bahamas Christian Council on the matter.
We were told that comment would have to come from the Gaming Board on whether the steps taken were adequate – and yet again, no comment has been forthcoming.
Then there have been questions about how seriously this administration will take implementation of such measures as the ombudsman, freedom of information laws and the commission of investigation.
The budget has seen allocations associated with those areas remain frustratingly small, and nowhere near the levels needed to properly implement such legislation –but again, when questions are raised about those issues, the answers are lacking in clarity.
Some of these matters may have perfectly simple explanations – and if so, let us have them. The lack of such answers does little to advance the discussion, and gets in the way of the issues the government presumably wants to concentrate on. Its pronouncements in the budget on matters such as projected surplus, cutting power costs in Grand Bahama, plans for how to deal with artificial intelligence, even savings on the hair on your head with cuts in duty on wigs, all of these have instead been eclipsed in the news cycle by questions that could have been answered more simply and certainly than we have seen.
Instead of a celebratory start, with the new administration getting off to a roaring start with a budget and a can-do attitude, it has instead been on the back foot when it comes to dealing with questions and concerns.
It is of course early days – and there is plenty of time to right the ship. But clarity and transparency have always been lingering concerns over a number of administrations in Bahamian politics –and being clear from the outset might well have allowed the spotlight to stay where the administration would have hoped. There is a lesson there to be learned.
Understanding Taiwan question and the One-China principle
EDITOR, The Tribune.
NOT long ago, the Taiwan question became a focal topic during the meeting between the Chinese and U.S. heads of state. Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations. The international community has been closely following the statement of the two heads of state, and I have noticed that mainstream media in The Bahamas have also reported on them. 183 member states of the United Nations recognise that Taiwan is not a country. The one-China principle is not only a prevailing consensus of the international community and a basic norm governing international relations, but also an important cornerstone for safeguarding the post-World War II international order. Although the international community has already reached a broad consensus on Taiwan question, “Taiwan independence” separatist forces have never given up their attempts. Especially in recent years, the Taiwan authorities have actively promoted the so-called “civil diplomacy” in the Caribbean region. Certain organizations backed by the Taiwan authorities have registered in some countries as purported non-governmental organisations, enticing governments and officials to take part in their cultural and religious events. They attempt to use culture or religion as a cover to create the illusion of “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan” in the international community, and to advance so-called “incremental Taiwan independence.” Their true intention is to pursue separatist political agendas by relying on external forces. Many kind people have been deceived by them. In light of the complex situation mentioned above, I feel it necessary to explain the crux of the Taiwan question for all friends of China. Why the Taiwan question is so important
The Taiwan question concerns China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Safeguarding national unity and territorial integrity is the sacred right of every sovereign state and a fundamental principle of international law. Reunification is the shared aspiration and expectation of all Chinese people, and it is also explicitly stipulated in China’s Constitution. Therefore, the Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests.
The essence of one-China principle
The one-China principle, i.e. there is but one China in the world, the Taiwan region is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, is the political foundation and prerequisite for China’s relations with other countries. To date, 183 countries including The Bahamas and other peace-loving countries that stand for justice have established and developed diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle.
The origin of the Taiwan question
The nature of the Taiwan question
The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair and not an international issue. As an internal matter, it should be resolved by the Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and no external forces have the right to interfere. In October 1971, the 26th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted Resolution 2758 by an overwhelming majority. The resolution solemnly affirmed and fully embodied the one-China principle, and the UN Office of Legal Affairs has also stated in its official legal opinion that “Taiwan, as a province of China, has no independent status,” and that “the Taiwan authorities do not enjoy any form of governmental status.” The Bahamas’ Longstanding Commitment to the One-China Principle
The one-China principle is a reflection of adherence to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and the basic norms governing international relations. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations with China, The Bahamian Government and the people have shown longstanding commitment to the one-China principle, and provided firm support of China’s just position on issues bearing on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Amid a complex and evolving international landscape, such commitment demonstrates the responsibility and integrity of a responsible nation on the international stage. China highly appreciates this position.
ZHANG HONGLIANG, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Chinese Embassy in The Bahamas Nassau, Bahamas May 27, 2026
The Taiwan question is a legacy of the Chinese civil war in the 1940s. Taiwan has been an integral part of China since ancient times, but suffered under Japanese colonial rule for half a century. After the victory of the World War II, international legal instruments such as the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and Japan’s Instrument of Surrender explicitly stipulated that Japan must return to China all territories it had stolen, including Taiwan. Later, due to the continuation of the civil war and external interference, a special state of prolonged political confrontation has existed across the Taiwan Strait. But China’s sovereignty and territory have never been divided, and the fact that Taiwan is part of China has never changed.
Surprised by Mario Moxey
EDITOR, The Tribune.
WE were mildly surprised but certainly not shocked at the vitriolic broadside leveled against newly elected Bahamas Christian Council President, Pastor Mario Moxey following his statement on the offices bestowed upon two members of parliament with a long association with gambling in the country.
What has also been a little surprising is the lack of an immediate defense of Pastor Moxey by more of his fellow ministers of the gospel. Surprising only, because they must all know that a large swath of the public perceive them as timid soldiers for Christ who spend too much time tiptoeing around current issues of national importance because they are compromised by money or other favors and behaviors not suitable to mention in a family publication. A more fulsome response would have done wonders for the unbelievers!
Not surprising has been the very vigorous support for Pastor Moxey by the Bishop
of Wulff Road, Bishop Walter Hanchell, who has never been shy in making his positions known, either about the ungodly number of the hungry and homeless or the scandalous behavior of many in high places.
But we believe that the venom leveled against Pastor Moxey is an indication of how far we have fallen from our moral underpinnings, and more sadly, how we have normalised such crass and crude behavior in our citizenry. Of course this is not an overnight phenomenon. With the advent and proliferation of social media, what over the last few years was an aberration grew into full flower over the last year, blooming in all its pernicious glory during the last election campaign.
With the all or nothing approach or rather win at all cost it appears. No one in leadership, more particularly the leadership of the governing Progressive Liberal Party, saw fit to publicly denounce this reprehensible behavior by its supporters. The filth
obviously bubbled up from the sewer from which it came, so no one in leadership can claim ignorance of its existence.
Of equal surprise has been the response or lack thereof, to the request by Pastor Moxey that precipitated this brouhaha. We believe nothing less than a full-throated denunciation of the attack on the good Pastor and a clear response to his request is acceptable.
Notwithstanding the above, we are very familiar with the lineage of Pastor Moxey, so we would be very surprised and shocked if the new president wilts like a wallflower in the face of this fowl fusillade of invective coming his way.
The blood of Edmund and Sylvia Moxey runs through his veins and so we suggest that the public and his detractors would do well to gird up their loins for what will be coming their way in the future.
ED MURROW II Nassau, May 27, 2026.
An admission of institutional collapse: weaponising SOE
EDITOR, The Tribune.
GOVERNMENTS across the Caribbean increasingly deploy States of Emergency (SOEs) as aggressive “circuit breakers” to freeze escalating gang warfare and runaway gun violence. These emergency declarations temporarily strip away standard legal guards, granting security forces sweeping powers to enforce curfews, conduct warrantless searches, and detain suspected gang members indefinitely without formal charges. Rather than imposing nationwide lockdowns, states typically weaponise these measures within hyper-localised crime hotspots, flooding volatile neighborhoods with joint police and military units to break gang leadership and block retaliatory strikes.
While regional constitutions permit immediate, temporary executive declarations to control sudden crises, any prolonged extension demands strict legislative oversight and contentious parliamentary debate. While States of Emergency (SOEs) routinely trigger an immediate, localised drop in violence by removing high-profile targets from the streets, their security benefits are notoriously fleeting. Rather than dismantling organised crime, these aggressive operations merely disperse it, displacing gang activity into unprotected zones or forcing syndicates to briefly lower their profiles. Human rights advocates heavily criticise this approach, noting that SOEs frequently catalyse police brutality, systemic
civil liberty violations, and the discriminatory targeting of vulnerable youth in marginalised communities. Empirical data confirms that emergency declarations are superficial fixes rather than sustainable solutions. Once the emergency status expires, violent crime inevitably surges back to baseline levels if the underlying socioeconomic catalysts— namely systemic poverty, a lack of economic mobility, and fractured educational institutions—remain completely unaddressed. Across the Caribbean, governments increasingly rely on emergency powers to mask systemic policing failures. Belize City frequently deploys hyper-localised States of Emergency (SOEs) to abruptly freeze retaliatory gang violence—a
tactic officials praise as a vital circuit-breaker, but critics dismiss as a superficial bandage. Taking a more aggressive approach, Trinidad and Tobago responds to spikes in homicides with militarised, country-wide anti-gang SOEs that strip away civil liberties through suspended bail and prolonged detention without charge. Meanwhile, Jamaica has normalised a cycle of recurring States of Public Emergency (SOPEs) to suppress transnational trafficking and gang warfare. Collectively, these heavyhanded measures have ignited a fierce regional debate over the dangerous erosion of fundamental constitutional rights for the sake of temporary security. The claims made by the governments of Belize,
Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica regarding lower homicide rates due to States of Emergency (SOEs) are highly misleading. In reality, these measures represent a classic Pyrrhic victory, as the superficial drop in violent crime is driven by external variables rather than sustainable governance. First, the statistical decline began during the stringent restrictions and curfews of the COVID-19 pandemic, establishing a lower baseline that never actually normalised back to pre-pandemic levels. Second, this reduction was heavily accelerated by outward migration, specifically because numerous high-ranking and notorious gang members successfully secured asylum in the United States, which artificially relieved localised
social pressures. Most critically, these heavy-handed policies inflict deep psychological trauma and systemic harm on everyday citizens. Far from a sign of strength, resorting to an SOE is an admission of governmental incompetence—a confession that the state cannot manage gang violence through the standard rule of law. Normalising these dictatorial mechanisms undercuts democratic foundations, proving that once a society relies on emergency powers to police its citizens, it has quietly traded its democracy for a dictatorship BRIAN ELLIS PLUMMER Nassau, May 25, 2026.
Attempted murder suspect granted bail after three years
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN accused of a near-fatal shooting in Pinewood Gardens in 2023 that left a man paralysed was granted bail yesterday.
Shaquon Dean, 30, was granted $15,000 bail on charges of attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life before Justice Loren Klein.
Under the terms of his bail, Dean must be fitted with a monitoring device, obey a 9pm to 6am curfew and report to his local police station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday by 6.30pm.
He was warned not to interfere with the complainant or any witnesses. Failure to comply with the conditions would result in his bail being
revoked. Dean was remanded after his arraignment nearly three years ago and was previously denied bail three times.
Dean allegedly approached Ricardo Bullard with another armed suspect as Bullard sat in his Honda outside his home on Thatch Palm Avenue on the night of July 26, 2023.
The defendant is accused of shooting the 29-year-old victim multiple times about the body with a handgun.
Bullard survived after being treated in hospital, but was left paralysed and uses a wheelchair.
The prosecution objected to Dean’s bail, arguing that he posed a risk to the complainant’s safety and the public.
The prosecution claimed the alleged attack was a hit job. They further submitted that the accused allegedly
told the victim “sorry I had to do this” and that he did so on behalf of one his boys called “Bugs”. Dean challenged his identification as the shooter, claiming the complainant had been smoking marijuana before the shooting and only had a fleeting glimpse of the shooter in the dark while staring down the barrel of a gun.
Geoff Farquharson, the defendant’s attorney, argued that it was not right his client “rot in jail like a sack of potatoes” in a case he claims he is likely to win.
Justice Klein granted Dean bail because of the delay in bringing the matter to trial in what was said to be a straightforward case.
Dean’s trial is set to begin on August 10. Jacklyn Burrows and Danielle Capron appeared for the prosecution.
Elderly man gets conditional discharge for cutlass assault
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
AN elderley man who admitted assaulting another man with a cutlass on Grant Street last week was ordered to be of good behaviour.
Man jailed for sleeping with gun
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was sentenced to 30 months in prison after he admitted falling asleep with a gun on his lap outside an apartment complex on Hillbrook Road and Edward Avenue earlier this week. Stevenson Taylor, 29, was found with a purple and black Taurus G2C 9mm pistol and 14 rounds of ammunition as he slept in a chair at 5am on May 26.
Police went to the area after receiving reports of shots being fired. Taylor pleaded guilty to possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition before Senior Magistrate Algernon Allen Jr. Defence counsel claimed Taylor found the gun in bushes and was intoxicated at the time of the incident. Taylor was sentenced to 30 months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Sergeant 2257 Forbes prosecuted the case.
Suspect gets $5,000 bail in robbery
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN accused of robbing another man of a wallet containing $1,746 on East and Plantol Streets last week was granted bail yesterday. Prosecutors allege Shaquille Thompson, 33, robbed Carley Saint Jean of his black wallet containing $1,746 on May 25.
Thompson pleaded not guilty to robbery before Acting Chief Magistrate Ancella Evans. His bail was set at $5,000 with one or two sureties. He must be fitted with a monitoring device and obey an 11pm to 6am curfew.
Thompson must also sign in at the Quakoo Street Police Station every Tuesday by 8pm. He was warned not to interfere with any witnesses in the matter and to stay 100 feet away from the complainant. Failure to comply with any of the conditions would result in his bail being revoked.
Thompson returns to court for trial on July 28. Inspector Deon Barr prosecuted the case.
Vincent Thomas, 67, assaulted Dion Decosta with a cutlass following a verbal altercation at his residence at 12.30pm on May 22. Thomas pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous instrument before Deputy Chief Magistrate Shaka Serville.
remorse for his actions, the court granted him a conditional discharge and ordered him to be of good behaviour for one month.
Failure to comply with the condition would result in punitive measures to be determined at a later date.
After Thomas expressed
Inspector Cordero Farrington prosecuted the case.
Trump review that could shutter Mexican consulates stokes worries
By DORANY PINEDA and MEGAN JANETSKY Associated Press
MEXICO'S consulate in Los Angeles helps thousands of citizens each week, assisting them with registering births, obtaining passports and, increasingly since President Donald Trump's second term began, accessing legal help for loved ones who have fallen afoul of his administration's immigration policies.
Although it serves the country's biggest Mexican community, all 53 Mexican consulates in the U.S. provide services that make Mexican people's lives easier — just like the nine U.S. consulates in Mexico improve the lives of Americans south of the border.
The U.S. State Department, though, has launched a review that might lead to the closure of an unknown number of Mexican consulates. Although it hasn't said why, the review is happening against the backdrop of the immigration crackdown, some thorny bilateral issues and far-right theories that the consulates have been interfering in U.S. politics and encouraging Mexicans to migrate northward.
Azucena Aviles, a 33-year-old mother who drove more than an hour to the LA consulate this month to renew her Mexican passport and get one for her daughter, said consular services are invaluable, especially in California, which is home to nearly 13 million people of Mexican descent, including an estimated 1.7 million who are in the U.S. illegally.
"It wouldn't be fair if they messed with the Mexican people, especially with our support systems, which come from the Mexican consulate and which, in some way, help or protect our fellow Mexicans," she said.
Strained relations Trump has been exerting growing pressure on Mexico, with questions looming over issues including human rights, national sovereignty and regional diplomacy.
His administration, though, has given only the broadest of explanations for launching its review.
"Department of State is constantly reviewing all aspects of American foreign relations to ensure they are in line with the President's America First foreign policy agenda and advance American interests," Dylan Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, wrote in an email.
Among the possible reasons for the review is that it could somehow fit into the Trump administration's immigration efforts to deport people in the U.S. illegally. The largest contingent of such people — an estimated 4.3 million, according to the Pew Research Center — is Mexican.
Relations between the two countries could also play a role, with Trump increasing pressure on Mexico in the run-up to free trade negotiations important to both nations' economies, taking a more aggressive approach toward the U.S.'s southern neighbour and even threatening to take military action against Mexican cartels.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has avoided head-on conflicts with Trump and instead relied on diplomacy, including sending top officials to Washington and seeking to maintain a strong relationship with the Trump administration by cracking down on Mexican cartels. Sheinbaum and her predecessor have also been key allies in slowing migration to the U.S. and speeding up the deportation of other Latin American migrants.
But Sheinbaum has taken a firmer stance regarding the deaths of Mexicans in U.S. immigration detention centres, calling them "unacceptable" and saying the conditions in such lockups
were "incompatible with human rights standards and the protection of life." She instructed Mexican consulates to visit detention centres daily to help ensure detained citizens are being held in safe conditions.
Relations rapidly deteriorated in recent weeks after the U.S. indicted several Mexican officials on drug trafficking charges, and two CIA officers died following an anti-narcotics operation in northern Mexico — American involvement that Sheinbaum said her government hadn't authorised. That drug raid raised uncomfortable questions in Mexico about the extent of U.S. involvement in domestic security operations. And years of tit-for-tat tariffs between the two countries have also added strain.
A review of foreign consulates is "usually a sign that a bilateral relationship is in a very, very rocky moment," said Arturo Sarukhan, a former Mexican ambassador to the U.S. In Mexico's case, it comes at "the worst moment of the U.S.-Mexico relations" in decades, given all the current points of contention, he said.
Further straining relations is a theory being amplified by Peter Schweizer, a writer with a following among Trump loyalists who has claimed that Mexican consulates interfere in U.S. politics and encourage migration to the U.S. Experts say that although a few Mexican consulate officials may have sought to influence politics back home, there is no evidence of them interfering in U.S. elections.
In response to the State Department review, Sheinbaum said the idea that Mexican consulates are "playing politics in the United States is completely false." She said the job of consulates anywhere is to "always protect" citizens.
Sarukhan, too, said that although consulates defend the rights of Mexican citizens, there is no evidence that they are interfering in U.S. elections.
Worries about possible closures
Whatever the reasons for the consulate review, it has stoked worries.
During a weekly public forum at the LA consulate, a woman who didn't give her name and whose husband had been in U.S. immigration detention asked for help finding him a lawyer, highlighting one crucial service consulates provide for their citizens.
An older man, meanwhile, said he had heard about the review and asked about possible closures.
Carlos González Gutiérrez, Mexico's top diplomat in Los Angeles, responded that, as Sheinbaum said, there would be "no reason whatsoever" for the U.S. to close a Mexican consulate.
Indeed, closing consulates "would have significant, devastating effects for Mexican immigrants," especially in isolated areas, Ariel Ruiz Soto, a senior policy analyst for the Migration Policy Institute, told The Associated Press.
Every day, consular officials go to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding centre in downtown LA to identify and interview as many detained Mexican nationals as they can.
González Gutiérrez, 62, begins every weekly public forum by noting how many detained Mexicans consular officials have interviewed since last June's Los Angeles immigration crackdown. At that May 11 meeting, the figure stood at 1,940. Nearly half had deep roots in the U.S., he said. About 46% have been deported, 35% have children born in the U.S., 69% entered the country through a port of entry, 6% overstayed a visa, and 2.5% requested asylum. Most were men, and many worked in construction, agriculture, gardening and the service industry.
Man stabs 3 people at Swiss train station in what authorities call an 'act of terror'
A MAN stabbed and wounded three people in what authorities described as an "act of terror" at the train station in the Swiss city of Winterthur on Thursday before being arrested.
The attack took place shortly before 8:30 a.m. The suspect, who was arrested five minutes after emergency services were alerted, is a 31-year-old Swiss-Turkish dual national who lives in Winterthur, regional police chief Marius Weyermann said.
He had come to the authorities' attention in 2015 for distributing propaganda of the Islamic State group, Weyermann added. In recent days, he was taken to a psychiatric facility after calling the police emergency number and making "confused comments," but he left on Wednesday after a doctor determined that he wasn't dangerous.
Three Swiss men, ages 28, 43 and 52, were wounded in Thursday's attack. The first two were discharged or were about to be released from hospitals by mid-afternoon, Weyermann said. The oldest was still hospitalised after an operation on a thigh injury.
Weyermann said investigators believe the man acted alone.
Mario Fehr, the Zurich region's top security official, described the attack as "an evil act of terror." He said the suspect was born in Switzerland and gained Swiss citizenship in 2009, and apparently had spent much of the last two years in Turkey. Winterthur has about 123,000 residents and is located in northeastern Switzerland, near the coun-
What to know about Code Noir, a shocking French law that oversaw the slavery of 1.4 million Africans
By THOMAS ADAMSON Associated Press
FRANCE'S powerful lower house voted finally to scrub a fundamental slavery-era edict from French law on Thursday. After the National Assembly voted 254-0 to adopt the bill to repeal Code Noir, it now goes to the Senate, where supporters expect it to be approved as well. Code Noir — or Black Code — was signed by King Louis XIV at Versailles Palace in 1685 to set the rules for slavery across France's colonial empire. The code quietly remained on the books even after it lost any authority when France abolished slavery in 1848. It was described as "the most monstrous legal text of modern times" by French philosopher Louis Sala-Molins.
Its 60 articles first governed the French Caribbean — Martinique, Guadeloupe and Saint-Domingue, today's Haiti — and were later extended to French Guiana, Louisiana, and the
Indian Ocean islands of Réunion and Mauritius.
Deaths outpaced births France shipped about 1.4 million Africans across the Atlantic in chains — the third-largest slave trade of any European power, after Portugal and Britain.
Most were put to cutting sugar cane and feeding the boiling houses, where the syrup was reduced over open fires, alongside coffee, cotton and indigo.
The work was so deadly that deaths surpassed births. Planters replaced the dead with fresh shiploads of Africans.
By 1789, Saint-Domingue — now Haiti — held around 500,000 enslaved people, more than any other Caribbean colony. It produced much of the world's sugar and coffee, and was fabled to be the richest colony on earth.
Code Noir became toothless when France abolished slavery in 1848, but no one ever formally struck it from the books.
It made people into property
Article 44 referred to the enslaved as "movable property."
A master could buy them, sell them, mortgage them, or leave them to his children, like land or furniture.
Article 28 said that they could "own nothing that does not belong to their master."
Anything they earned, and anything they were given, was his. They had no name in law.
From 1839, each enslaved person in the colonies was given a number and a registration code. Only at abolition were the freed given last names.
It branded those who ran Article 38 punished people who tried to escape.
The first time, their ears were cut off, and one shoulder was branded with a fleur-de-lis — the symbol of the French crown. The second time, a leg tendon was cut, and they were branded again.
The third time, they were put to death.
It killed those who fought back
Article 33 ordered death for any enslaved person who struck a master, his wife or their children hard enough to leave a mark or
draw blood, or who struck them in the face.
Such a slave, the article said, "shall be punished by death."
Its shocking first line was about Jewish people
Before it said a word about the enslaved, the code's first article expelled every Jew from France's colonies within three months.
It called them "declared enemies of the Christian name."
It forced a religion
Articles 2 and 3 ordered all enslaved people to be baptised and raised Catholic.
No other religion could be practised in public.
It passed slavery down by birth
A child took the mother's status.
The child of an enslaved woman was born enslaved — even if the father was free.
Children were enslaved from birth.
Code Noir set their food rations at half an adult's.
Its 'protections' were mostly ignored
A few articles read like rules to "protect" the enslaved.
Masters were meant to feed and clothe them, not to torture them, and not to sell a husband, wife and small children apart.
Historians say these were widely ignored.
Owners who killed the people they enslaved were rarely punished.
A statue is photographed by French artist Didier Audrat in Paris, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, honoring the memory of the abolition of slavery, depicting Solitude, the daughter of an African slave who was raped by a sailor aboard the ship transporting her to the Caribbean, holding the proclamation of Louis Delgres, an anti-slavery resistance leader calling for resistance and struggle.
Photo: Thomas Padilla/AP
Police officers remove tape following a stabbing attack at the train station in Winterthur, Switzerland, Thursday, May 28, 2026.
Photo: Claudio Thoma/Keystone /AP
Bahamian actress lands role on Tyler Perry’s The Oval
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
GROWING up in Abaco with her family, Kristin McIntosh often watched stars on television without ever imagining she could one day become one herself. Today, the 35-year-old actress has a guest recurring role as a reporter on Tyler Perry’s hit drama The Oval.
Ms McIntosh landed her breakthrough role in 2023 when she secured a recurring guest-star role on The Oval. Since October 2023, she has been contracted for seasons six and seven of the show, where she plays a
news reporter. At first, she did not know the audition was for a Tyler Perry production. She was only told she would be auditioning to play a news reporter. She recalled feeling confident that the role suited her naturally but wasn't sure if she would be reoccurring character. Ms McIntosh said she was hired the same day she auditioned.
“When I booked it, I had quite a few emotions,” she said, adding she thought she would stick in co-star on the show by having a one-time role. “I felt like it’s going to blow over and nothing is going to come out of it.”
Since adding Tyler Perry Studios to her credentials, she has seen an increase in larger audition opportunities, with more casting directors reaching out to her about projects. Ms McIntosh said she draws inspiration from Bahamian journalists at ZNS when she prepared for her role.
“I would literally go back to those old news station episodes of ZNS that I used to listen to as a child,” she said. “I just loved listening in and pretending to be a news broadcaster.”
Her interest in acting began long before she stepped onto a professional
100 JAMZ turns up the heat with Memorial Day weekend promotions
The Bahamas’ number one radio station, 100 JAMZ, officially kicked off the summer season with a lineup of events and listener giveaways spanning from Athol Island to Miami, Florida. The excitement began with the pre-Memorial Day weekend pool party hosted by 100 JAMZ in partnership with the Antiki Floating Bar at The Village on Athol Island. Lucky listeners were treated to
including Ton-Ash, Iris Stryx, and Jay Shepard. The momentum continued the following weekend as the 100 JAMZ team travelled to Florida for the highly anticipated Memorial Day weekend festivities. The station rewarded loyal listeners with free concert tickets, while grand prize winner Demetrie Duncombe received the ultimate VIP experience – including round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations, and VIP access to both the exclusive “Access Granted” party
and the main event, the world-renowned Best of the Best Concert at Museum Park. The concert featured reggae icons Beenie Man, Capleton, and Sizzla. Representing The Bahamas on the international stage, Jay Shepard also delivered a performance that energised the crowd.
100 JAMZ extended gratitude to corporate sponsors Bahamasair and Sands Beer, whose support helped make the promotions possible for Bahamian music fans.
television set.
At age 14, she starred in a holiday commercial for her mother’s store in Abaco. Recording her lines at BCN Network (Radio Abaco) was an exciting experience, and although she did not realise acting could be a career, it sparked her interest in the creative industry.
Initially, Ms McIntosh believed she would pursue a career in fashion. She later moved to Atlanta to attend college, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design and Management in 2012. After graduating at 22, she realised she loved fashion but not the sewing aspect of it and still wanted a creative career.
“I began to pivot,” she told The Tribune. “I reached out to an old college professor who's now still my mentor to this day, and she basically kind of connected the two for me.”
Her professor helped her secure an internship at Atlanta Models and Talents, which later became an externship. The experience deepened her interest in production and working in front of the camera. While on set, she often assisted big stars during filming.
However, her journey to television roles was marked by constant no's, disappointment and being told she was not the right fit for projects.
Her career gained momentum in 2017 when she booked a Screen Actors Guild commercial for the Tennessee Lottery.
“I was basically on a plane to Nashville by that night, got on set for fitting,” she said. “I honestly didn't know what the heck I was doing in terms of like set editing, because that was the first time that I had booked and gone past the auditions.”
She later secured roles in television programmes
including Snapped and murder mystery documentaries. She has also provided voice-over work for video games, including Roblox and Grand Theft Auto. Ms McIntosh still lives in Atlanta and continues to refine her craft through industry masterclasses. While acknowledging that the entertainment industry is challenging, she said the
support of her family has helped her persevere. To aspiring Bahamian actors, Ms
encouraged them to pursue their dreams. She also urged Bahamians to create their own content on social media platforms to showcase their talents, noting that they never know who may be looking for the next star.
McIntosh
KRISTIN MCINTOSH
KRISTIN McIntosh on the set of The Oval
University of The Bahamas
2026 Commencement
