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‘WE HAD NOTHING TO HIDE FROM UN’

FACE-TO-FACE

MAN WITH A MISSION TO FOLLOW?

SEE PAGE EIGHT

Johnson responds to factfinding visit on immigration issues

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net FINANCIAL Services, Trade, Industry and Immigration Minister Elsworth Johnson told The Tribune yesterday he welcomed the United Nations’ recent inspectorial visit to The Bahamas as “we have nothing to hide”.

Dr Garry Conille, United Nations resident coordinator, and his team toured the Carmichael Road Detention Centre

and a shanty town known as The Farm in Abaco at the weekend.

Following the visit, the UN team released a statement thanking The Bahamas for its hospitality and also promising assistance in immigration going forward.

Mr Johnson said the government was happy to have the team here.

“We were happy to have the UN team in The Bahamas as we have absolutely nothing to hide,” he said.

SEE PAGE THREE

BAHA MAR SEEKS TO KEEP DOCUMENTS CONFIDENTIAL

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net BAHA Mar’s current owner is becoming increasingly embroiled in a legal battle with Sarkis Izmirlian related to the latter’s $2.25bn fraud and breach of contract claim against the project’s main contractor.

Legal papers reveal Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE) and its affiliates have been sucked into the original developer’s battle

with China Construction America as they seek to obtain an injunction barring Mr Izmirlian from obtaining more evidence to strengthen his case.

CTFE is alleging its Delaware-based affiliates have already provided “substantial files plus other data” to the original developer.

It is claiming Mr Izmirlian agreed not to seek additional evidence from its Bahamian or other affiliates.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

BUSTED

A SUSPECTED $1m worth of drugs being unloaded after a boat chase in the Exuma cays ended with two men being arrested on Sunday. See PAGE TWO for the full story.

Photo: Racardo Thomas

LAWYER NEGLIGENT JUDGES THROW OUT IN $640K MORTGAGE MURDER CONVICTION

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A BAHAMIAN attorney has failed to overturn a “negligence” verdict over a $640,000 loan issued by an insurer whose owners include the PLP’s deputy leader.

Monique Gomez had sought to overturn a default judgment obtained against her in July 2017 by BAF Financial & Insurance (Bahamas), which includes Chester Cooper among its principal shareholders.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who was convicted of shooting and killing another man in 2013 had his 30-year sentence overturned in the Court of Appeal yesterday.

HELLO AND WELCOME BACK

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamian tourism industry welcomed yesterday’s return of direct British Airways (BA) flights to Nassau as providing a European gateway for the first time since COVID19 erupted.

Robert Sands, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism

THE BRITISH Airways plane arriving yesterday.

Association’s (BHTA) president, told Tribune Business: “Certainly as a

destination we welcome the first British Airways flight since March [2020].

This reopens the gateway, certainly of Europe and Britain, to The Bahamas again.

“The frequency is once weekly for the next couple of weeks and we look forward to that improving.”

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

In the early morning hours of July 22, 2013, a lone gunman shot and killed Torack Stuart as he was getting into the driver’s seat of his vehicle which had been parked near a club on East Bay Street.

SEE PAGE SEVEN

PETER YOUNG

A CONFESSION OR SPITEFUL REVENGE?

SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Tuesday, June 1, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Family shock as man shot dead at home

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net A MAN died on Sunday on Washington Street after being shot.

A relative identified the deceased as 35-year-old Alfred Lightbourn Jr. According to police, shortly after 11pm, officers were called to Washington Street where the body of a male was found. On the officers arrival, they saw the victim on the ground.

Police said: “Initial investigations revealed that the residents heard the sound of gunshots.

Moments later, they went outside at the rear of their home and found the male lying on the ground suffering from gunshot injuries. Emergency Medical Services visited the scene and following their examinations, the body was pronounced lifeless.”

The victim’s sister, Nikia Lightbourne, told The Tribune yesterday that her brother went out with his cousin that day before heading home.

“She said she dropped him off later that night through Podoleo Street, like around probably something to nine, eight and he told her that he would’ve been okay,” the sister said.

As to whether the sister

ALFRED LIGHTBOURN JR was nearby when the incident happened, Ms Lightbourne said she lived right down the road.

“We live on Lincoln Boulevard,” she said. “It’s Washington Street where he (was found), the yard is an open yard, so he was actually coming from the Washington Street side to get in the yard.

“The yard is his house.

He was actually coming through the gate and that’s when they shot him.”

She said her mother heard the gunshots and saw her brother’s body.

“My mother who was home at that time she said they heard four shots… she went to go look outside to see anybody and she said she didn’t see anybody at that time.

“Then her nephew came

to the door saying ‘auntie someone outside say to see if that’s Alfred laying on the floor’.

“She throw on some clothes and she run outside and when she ran outside to where his body was – that was him. He was laying on his side and she said she tried to shake him and she was calling his name, but he wouldn’t respond.”

She said the family is emotionally in “shock” because her sibling was not troublesome, as far as she knew.

“The brother I know, he isn’t a troublesome person at all. All he do is come home from work, lay down.

When he ready, (he would) eat, and then go wash cars.

A lot of people come to him to come wash their cars for them and that’s basically him,” she said.

She added he had no criminal record.

When asked if her brother complained about being threatened or if he had any issues with anyone, she answered: “No, ma’am, not at all. We wasn’t aware of anything and it didn’t seem (so) because he still used to hang with his friends through Podoleo Street, I understand.”

Lightbourne leaves behind a three-year-old daughter.

A BODY is taken from the scene of Sunday night’s shooting.

Photo: Racardo Thomas

BOAT CHASE ENDS WITH $1M DRUGS HAUL

POLICE speaking to the media on Sunday with the drugs haul on the dock behind them.

Photo: Racardo Thomas A BOAT chase in the Exuma cays ended with two men being arrested for possessing nearly one million dollars’ worth of marijuana on Sunday.

Police said around noon, officers from the Exuma district, while on routine marine patrol in the Exuma chain, observed two men on a blue vessel.

On seeing the police, the captain sped off.

A short chase ensued, and the vessel was later intercepted.

The officers boarded the vessel and conducted a search of the cabin. They found four crocus sacks which contained “a grassy substance” believed to be marijuana.

Both men were arrested and the vessel was towed into George Town, Exuma.

While at George Town, a further search of the craft was conducted, and an additional 25 crocus sacks were found containing suspected marijuana. The drugs weighed 872 lbs with an estimated street value of $872,000.

The drugs and suspects were transported to New Providence late Sunday night.

The suspects are in their 40s and are known to police, Assistant Superintendent Audley Peters said.

With several recent hefty drug seizures over the past few months, most notably a drug bust at a $7m marijuana field in Grand Bahama in May, ASP Peters was asked if these incidents are connected in any way.

“At the moment, we can’t say that they are connected but what we do know that there is a transnational operation that is going on where persons are trying to ship their products to other jurisdictions via The Bahamas. And our network, which is the police network I’m talking about, we’re working and we’re cooperating with one another.

Hence we have the success that we have today,” ASP Peters said.

An investigation into Sunday’s arrests and seizure is ongoing.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 1, 2021, PAGE 3

from page one

development cooperation, the environment, migration, disaster preparedness and response, the economy and recovery from COVID19 were positive.

“The RC recognises the ongoing challenges associated with irregular migration, and the health, sanitation and safety vulnerabilities linked with erecting informal buildings – challenges not unique to The Bahamas. The RC also acknowledges the positive attempts of the government to treat these sensitive issues with due care and dignity.

“Dr Conille commits the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator and its country team to support and work alongside the Government of The Bahamas, and partners, to help ensure that all processes to regularise migration as well as housing and building codes, maintain the health and dignity of all populations, are in keeping with Bahamian law, meet international best practice, recognize the human rights of all persons and uphold Bahamas’ human rights commitments.”

The UN’s statement also thanked and welcomed “the frank, positive, transparent and constructive” dialogues with the government and it commended the government for its management of ‘back-to-back crises,’ – Category 5 Hurricane Dorian and the global COVID-19 pandemic.

‘We had nothing to hide from UN’ “As a sovereign and democratic country, we celebrate the fact that we do all that is necessary to preserve and protect the fundamental rights and dignity of anybody who finds themselves in The Bahamas.

“We are delighted to have them visit and inspect the Detention Centre. We have been commended by the Inter-American Commission Rights for the advancement made at the Detention Centre.

“We will continue to uphold the laws of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to ensure the protection of the fundamental rights of everyone.”

Over the past few weeks, the government has taken action against shanty towns in Abaco and bulldozing illegal dwelling structures is in progress.

During the UN team’s visit to Abaco, a group of shanty town residents protested against the bulldozing with the hope of getting the attention of the UN team.

“We have been very clear and unambiguous in what we are doing in Abaco with the shanty towns,” Mr Johnson said. “We say that those homes are irregular. They are built in contravention to our building regulations and laws and are not fit for human habitation.

“This has been going on for years. The matter is

GARRY Conille and other UN delegates after touring the Carmichael Road Detention Centre. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff before the courts and we are following the law. We have given proper notice. In regards to this, I will quote this from a previous case where the Privy Council said, ‘If one occupies and/ or constructs structures

without the authority of the owner, then they do it to their own disadvantage.’

“Nobody has the right within the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, including the government, to unlawfully take possession

of property and construct, whether it’s private or public property.”

A statement released by the UN after the team’s visit noted: “Dr Garry Conille, United Nations resident coordinator (RC) in the

Bahamas, thanks the people and government of The Bahamas for their warm welcome and hospitality during his consultative mission in the country over the past week.

“Discussions around

‘GOVT IGNORING OUR NURSING LICENCE PROBLEMS’

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net SOME unlicenced nursing school graduates feel they are being ignored by the government and are left in limbo unable to practise.

A large number of graduates of the University of The Bahamas’ nursing programme have been unable to obtain nursing licences due to unattainable clinical hours because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to obtain a licence to practice as a nurse, the Nursing Council requires a certain number of clinical hours. The nursing students have not been able to meet those requirements because of stipulations in COVID-19 protocols which restricted UB from face-to-face clinical training.

One of the nursing school graduates said they were in “limbo” as there was no communication with them.

They said no one was trying to get them what they needed besides Bahamas Nurses Union president, Amancha Williams.

“We are in limbo here,” said the nursing school graduate who asked for her name not to be used. “We can’t practice. There is no one pushing the issue for us besides Nurse Amancha Williams. We have been asking everyone what is going on and no one can give us answers.

“We are being ignored.

This government ignores everyone. It’s like there is no sense of urgency about anyone’s life or livelihood.

There are at least 140 of us in the system waiting to be able to practise as nurses.”

When contacted for comment, Nurse Gina Dean, director of nursing at the Ministry of Health, said the government has in fact started to allow clinical hours for the graduates and chalked it up to poor communication.

She sympathises with the frustration experienced by the graduates.

“It’s not that they are unable to graduate,” said Nurse Dean. “They have graduated from the University of The Bahamas so they have their Bachelors of Science in Nursing. The challenge, because of the pandemic, they were not able to complete all of their clinical hours, legally required by the (Nursing) Council.

“The Council requires that before they are able to practise as nurses they have to have a certain number of clinical hours. So in the pandemic when everything was shut down that stopped their training and stopped them from accepting those clinical hours to get what they needed.

“We have now started infiltrating them back into the clinical site. Whoever you spoke to may not have been in the first group to have gained access. We are making sure that all of them receive the clinical hours.

The first group went in on the 10th of May. There are two different groups of nurses.”

Nurse Dean explained how the roll out of clinical hours would take place and promised a meeting with all those involved.

“You have trained clinical nurses and then you have those who are trained as registered nurses.

Because they were out for a longer period, we started with the trained clinical nurses grouping on the 10th of May,” she said. “We now have a few of the other students from the bachelor’s in nursing programme who have started as well.

“Everyone is going to be completed over the summer and ready for practise to sit their final examination.

There are a number of things we had to put in place to have them reintroduced.

So I totally understand their frustration. What we are planning right now is to have a meeting with them.

A part of this is very likely due to poor communication so they are not aware of everything that is going on.

“They will be brought up

to date on exactly what is happening and when each person will be included to complete. That is the biggest problem right now. We have not communicated as well as we should have. It’s a combination of things.

The Ministry of Health is really trying to facilitate. The agreement for all of this training is really between UB and all of the different clinical sites where they have to go.”

Nurse Dean said the government will update the Nurses and Midwives Act.

The current law has been in existence since 1971.

For her part, Ms Williams said she tried to reach Minister of Health Renward Wells on behalf of the graduates to make suggestions on how to settle the issue. “(The need is great for) nurses so why don’t you facilitate this the best way?” she asked. There are various things to do without breaching the standards and the requirements of the Council. Americans, Canadians and other Caribbean countries have done

it so why can’t we do it?

They are allowing them to either do or omit the clinical hours or adjusting it to a minimum.

“I was trying to reach out to Minister Wells for almost four weeks. He had a scheduled meeting with the union and he cancelled it. We called and he won’t answer his phone. What do you do when you cannot talk to the people who can make the changes? When you can’t reach these people you ask the question, are they heartless or they just

don’t want to deal with the situation?”

An amendment to the Emergency Powers (COVID-19) Order issued earlier this month allowed student nurses currently undergoing practical training at a public health care facility to be deemed as a registered nurse during the COVID-19 state of emergency.

The order states that those students must also have completed the relevant curriculum of study, however.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, June 1, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

‘Several’ airlifts of COVID patients from Andros SEVERAL people have been airlifted from Andros to New Providence with COVID-19 in the last week, The Tribune understands.

One of them, a middleaged man who residents described as obese, died from the illness.

The Tribune understands a police officer is among those who were recently flown out of the island. A woman was also flown out on Sunday.

Health Minister Renward Wells did not respond to a message yesterday seeking comment on how many people have been airlifted from Andros in the last week.

Five cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Andros on Sunday and three on Saturday, bringing the total on that island to 155.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced a two-week lockdown of

North and Central Andros on May 23, along with Cat Island. Residents there are allowed to harvest crabs during the lockdown from 8pm to 5am.

According to the latest dashboard information, 55 people are hospitalised with COVID-19, including five in the intensive care unit. The country has recorded 230 deaths up to press time.

The Ministry of Health reported on Sunday that 55,037 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered to that date, including 8,659 second doses.

Infectious disease expert Dr Nikkiah Forbes said on Sunday that vaccination is the key to overcoming COVID-19 in the country.

“We are seeing that there is vaccine hesitancy and there are also a lot of myths about the COVID vaccines

that need to be combated to increase the number of persons that are vaccinated,” Dr Forbes said.

“I really implore everyone to protect themselves from COVID-19.

The public health measures work. And I encourage people to know the facts on COVID-19 vaccines and COVID-19 in general. Go to reputable sources for information.

“The benefits of vaccines outweigh risks and are major solutions for seeing our way out of the COVID pandemic and for the situation to be better in (the) country. We are the third wave of COVID-19 in The Bahamas. Cases are continuing to be high every day and the curve is not being flattened.”

Fifty-three new cases of COVID-19 were recorded on Sunday, bringing the nation’s toll to 11,849.

TOTAL CASES

TOTAL DEATHS

11,849 230 NEWLY CONFIRMED CASES SUNDAY 53 CASES NEW PROVIDENCE 40 CAT ISLAND 6 ANDROS 5 GRAND BAHAMA 1 BIMINI & CAT CAY 1

RECENTLY CONFIRMED DEATHS • A 60-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FROM NEW PROVIDENCE DIED ON MAY 27.

TOTAL TESTS

97,631

HOSPITALISED

55

CASES IN ICU

5

RECOVERED

10,750

JUSTICE Juanita Denise Lewis-Johnson after being sworn in as a Justice of the Supreme Court.

Photos: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

THREE SWORN IN AS SUPREME COURT JUSTICES

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THREE newly appointed justices for the Supreme Court took their oaths yesterday.

Chief Justice Brian Moree said he hoped these appointments will help to tackle the backlog of cases in the judicial system.

Juanita Denise Lewis-Johnson, Jeanine Weech-Gomez, and Andrew D Forbes were sworn in yesterday. Justice Forbes and Justice WeechGomez were assigned to the criminal division; Justice Forbes in Freeport and Justice Weech-Gomez in New Providence. Justice

CHIEF Justice Brian Moree.

Lewis-Johnson will be assigned to the family and civil divisions in Nassau.

The trio are among the five appointments that were announced by the Judicial

and Legal Services Commission to be appointed to the Supreme Court. The other two, Neil Brathwaite and Camille DarvilleGomez, are to be effective as justices on June 14 and August 3 respectively.

Once the five justices have been sworn in, that will take the number up to 20 judges – two in Freeport and 18 in New Providence.

A statement from the commission last week noted a reduction of justices caused in part by the retirement of two judges, the elevation of two judges to the Court of Appeal, and another judge on preretirement leave earlier this year.

“Meanwhile, the volume

JUSTICE Andrew Dwayne Forbes being sworn in by Governor General CA Smith yesterday.

JUSTICE Jeanine Michelle Weech-Gomez swearing in as a Justice of the Supreme Court. of the work of the Supreme Court has continued to increase during that period of time,” the statement noted.

Speaking to reporters after the swearing-in ceremonies, the Chief Justice said that over the last 12 to 24 months there have been a number of retirements and elevations in that court thus “we really were shorthanded.”

He gave an estimation on the length of the backlog.

“The empirical data is actually difficult to get because there is no statistical unit in the Supreme Court... On the criminal side, the backlog is probably somewhere between 12 to 18 months. Now

exceptionally, there may be some cases that maybe went a little longer than that waiting for trial...

“On the civil side, on the commercial side and the family side, the backlog is running somewhere between nine and 18 months. The family division actually is probably a little shorter. Civil and commercial probably is 18 months. Family is somewhere between nine to 12 months.”

He also noted the importance of these new appointments.

“So these appointments are going to provide the judiciary with much needed additional resources in order to deal with our cases.

There has been a backlog of cases and that, of course, was compounded by the public emergency and so we now have a larger backlog we had to deal with in addition to all of the new cases which are coming into the system literally every month. So this is a very important development for us.”

Justice Forbes noted the length the country’s second city has gone on without trials.

“I’m hoping that given that there hasn’t been any trials taking place for at least the last six months and I’ll be able to hit the ground running cause I’ve done it before and a little energetic and hopeful that I’ll be able to bring some of those matters that have been languishing for the last six months up to due date…” he told the media.

This is his second appointment to Grand Bahama. The first was in 2008 for five years.

The commission also

highlighted the Magistrate’s Court has also been affected by recent developments, including the retirement of two magistrates in 2020 and the resignation of a New Providence magistrate earlier this year. The elevation of former Deputy Chief Magistrate Forbes and former Coroner/Magistrate WeechGomez to the Supreme Court will further exacerbate these issues. The JLSC has advised the governor general of appointments for this court.

But the Coroner’s Court has had challenges as well. Chief Justice Moree explained that Hurricane Dorian really resulted in a lot of additional work for the Coroner’s Court and there was a backlog developing after the hurricane. In fact, Justice Weech-Gomez recently concluded the first part of an inquest into the presumed deaths of people reported missing during the deadly 2019 storm.

The Chief Justice explained that there will be an advertisement for an appointment in the Coroner’s Court.

“There are a number of deputy coroners that we have now – several in New Providence and one in Grand Bahama — and so we’re going to be deploying all of the deputy coroners together with a new appointment who will be appointed the coroner.

That process should start within the next several weeks. We’ll advertise for the post and then the Judiciary and Legal Services Commission will consider the application and advise His Excellency, the Governor General who to appoint.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 1, 2021, PAGE 5

Speaker’s conduct ‘unprecedented’ in Parliament, says historian

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A TOP Bahamian historian says the conduct of House Speaker Halson Moultrie is “unprecedented” in the history of the Bahamian Parliament.

House Speakers usually strive for neutrality, hoping to remain above the fray while avoiding commentary on public issues.

Speaker Moultrie, however, has taken another path during his tenure. He has often lamented the power the executive branch of government has over the legislative branch and has not shied away from offering critical commentary of the governing party while planning to run as an independent candidate in the next general election.

He recently told reporters the Minnis administration’s latest budget revenue projections are an “unrealistic political mirage” and “an illusion”.

Dr Christopher Curry, a professor of history at University of The Bahamas, said such comments are unprecedented from a Speaker of the House, even if Speaker Moultrie is not the first independent Speaker.

“Alvin Braynen, the former UBP member who was disgruntled with that party, was independent,” Dr Curry said yesterday.

“In order to form the government in 1967, Pindling made an agreement or alliance with Braynen and the Labour Party candidate Randol Fawkes; that’s how he was elected. But Braynen never lost his neutrality. So Moultrie as an independent Speaker is not unprecedented though it is somewhat unusual.

“His conduct, certainly I think it’s unprecedented.

When Woodes Rodgers was governor, he and the Speaker at the time, John Colebrooke, were at odds with each other. There was lots of acrimony. A similar thing is happening here where the executive is definitely at odds with the Speaker. But the Speaker, because of the position he holds, everything runs through him and he has used it as an opportunity to espouse his own ideas about the budget and other things. He has strong opinions on a number of matters and is using his position as a licence to engage in his own kinds of politics which is interesting.”

Speaker Moultrie resigned from the FNM in

February. He has repeatedly advocated for the executive to take up his draft bill that would create a Parliamentary Service Commission. The commission would control the budget and administration of the Senate and the House of Assembly.

In April, he abruptly adjourned parliamentary proceedings after accusing the executive of failing to act on his concerns about a COVID-19 exposure in the lower chamber.

Last month, he pointedly invited Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis to publicly address his claims about the executive branch’s “disrespectful” treatment of Parliament, prompting the abrupt suspension of proceedings.

Members of the governing Free National Movement Party are particularly weary of his behaviour, but they, in private, decry that he has all the power.

Dr Curry said as unusual as his conduct is, Speaker Moultrie is not breaking the rules of the Westminster system of government.

“He’s using a loophole here because there isn’t a rule about the place of the Speaker,” he said.

“So it’s not that he’s a

HALSON MOULTRIE, the speaker of the House of Assembly. rule breaker. He’s using doing as dangerous. They the voice of the Speaker see him as having his own I think to insert his own soapbox, his own platform views in a way that gives to preach from, unencumhim a platform that other bered from anything that people don’t even have would hold him accountbecause he gets to speak able. “It’s bending the rules more frequently, more or moving it in an interestoften than other people. ing direction. The executive Reece Chipman, for has also bent the rules in instance, is an independent that respect, going back to member of Parliament, but 1973 by appointing cabinets he doesn’t have the power within the legislature that to speak that the Speaker are increasingly large and enforcing the rule of the does.

“Some see what he is whip.

“Here we have a prime minister now since 2017, he has an enlarged Cabinet. Such a large Cabinet of loyalists won’t speak out against you and you also have a smaller backbench.

There is no rule that says how many people (maximum) you could have in a Cabinet, but early on in this period the Cabinets were much smaller. Both parties in the last 20 years have had larger Cabinets than they needed to have.”

JOB READINESS GRADUATES PRAISED BY YOUTH MINISTER

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of Youth, Sports, and Culture Iram Lewis commended over 70 young participants who completed the seven-week job readiness programme in Grand Bahama.

During the closing out ceremony yesterday, 72 graduates of the programme were presented with certificates, which certifies that they are now equipped with soft development skills and on-the-job training.

Some participants have already been hired by local businesses, including restaurants, the Ministry of Tourism, and other government agencies where they were placed for training.

The programme catered to young people between the ages of 17-25 who

MINISTER of Youth, Sports, and Culture Iram Lewis with participants in the job readiness scheme in Grand Bahama. had not been able to find Lewis said. “As we strive and an economic downturn He was pleased that the employment since the to create our new normal, in Grand Bahama and you programme benefitted perCOVID pandemic began in this group has been are still here,” he added. sons from all across the March 2020. equipped with the tools The programme, he indi- island from as far as Gam“The island of Grand needed to flourish in the cated, has prepared them bier Point in East Grand Bahama has been through work environment locally for “an ever-changing” Bahama to West End. a lot over the past few and abroad. workforce.

He is confident the paryears. We all know of the “You have persevered, “You are now equipped ticipants will succeed in travesties, complications, you survived the global pan- more than ever to confi- their future endeavours. and issues this world has demic, the worst hurricane dently enter the job market “I am proud to say these been through as a result in 50 years, government and acquire the jobs of your young people show us the of this pandemic,” Mr lockdowns, school closures, choosing,” said Mr Lewis. positive, and great potential

­

for the future,” he said.

He indicated there are a variety of social ills, such as crime, poverty, and varied social inequalities, that negatively affect young people.

He stated his ministry understands the importance of youth overcoming those issues and provides opportunities to young people of all walks of life to realign themselves and get on the right track through their soft-skills development and on-the-job training.

Mr Lewis noted that this year the programme was inclusive, blended and diversified.

There were virtual and in-person sessions that taught soft skills to persons with disabilities, and also recent high school graduates and college students.

He said the ministry aimed to ensure the entire island of Grand Bahama was represented.

­

­ ­

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(BAHAMAS) LIMITED. INSURANCE BROKERS & AGENTS

Be Safe. Be Prepared. Be Ready.

Nobody Does it Better!

PAGE 6, Tuesday, June 1, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-

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US debates fairest way to share spare vaccine WASHINGTON (AP) — In April, the Biden administration announced plans to share millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses with the world by the end of June. Five weeks later, nations around the globe are still waiting — with growing impatience — to learn where the vaccines will go and how they will be distributed.

To President Joe Biden, the doses represent a modern-day “arsenal of democracy”, serving as the ultimate carrot for America’s partners abroad, but also as a necessary tool for global health, capable of saving millions of lives and returning a semblance of normalcy to friends and foes alike.

The central question for Biden: What share of doses should be provided to those who need it most, and how many should be reserved for US partners?

The answer, so far at least, appears to be that the administration will provide the bulk of the doses to COVAX, the UN-backed global vaccine sharing program meant to meet the needs of lower income countries. While the percentage is not yet finalised, it would mark a substantial — and immediate — boost to the lagging COVAX effort, which to date has shared just 76 million doses with needy countries.

The Biden administration is considering reserving about a fourth of the doses for the US to dispense directly to individual nations of its choice.

The growing US stockpile of COVID19 vaccines is seen not only as a testament to American ingenuity, but also its global privilege.

More than 50 percent of Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and more than 135 million are fully vaccinated, helping bring the rate of cases and deaths in the US to the lowest level since the earliest days of the pandemic.

Scores of countries have requested doses from the United States, but to date only Mexico and Canada have received a combined 4.5 million doses.

The US also has announced plans to share enough shots with South Korea to vaccinate its 550,000 troops who serve alongside American service members on the peninsula.

The broader US sharing plan is still being finalised, a White House official said, having been the subject of policy debate inside the White House and across the federal government, and also involving COVAX and other outside stakeholders like drug manufacturers and logistics experts.

“Our nation’s going to be the arsenal of vaccines for the rest of the world,” Biden said on May 17, when he announced the US pledge to share more doses. He added that, compared to other countries like Russia and China that have sought to leverage their domestically produced doses, “we will not use our vaccines to secure favours from other countries”.

Still, the partnership with the South Korean military points to the ability of the US to use its vaccine stockpile to benefit some of its better-off allies.

It was not clear whether South Korea would pay for its doses from the US.

Most of the other doses were expected to be donated.

Samantha Power, the new USAID administrator, provided the first indication of the likely allocation last week in testimony on Capitol Hill.

She told the Senate Appropriations Committee that “75 percent of the doses we share will likely be shared through COVAX. Twenty-five percent of whatever our excess supply is that we are donating will be reserved to be able to deploy bilaterally.”

Administration officials cautioned that Biden had not yet signed off on the precise split and that it could still change. Biden has committed to providing other nations with all 60 million domestically produced doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. That vaccine has yet to be authorised for use in the US but is widely approved around the world. The US-produced doses will be available to ship as soon as they clear a safety review by the Food and Drug Administration.

The president also has promised to share 20 million doses from existing production of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine stocks. Even more doses are expected to be made available.

As part of its purchase agreements with drug manufacturers, the US controlled initial production by its domestic manufacturers. Pfizer and Moderna are only now starting to export vaccines produced in the US to overseas customers. The US has hundreds of millions more doses on order, both of authorised and in-development vaccines.

“It’s obviously challenging because so many countries face this need right now,” Power said, calling the decision of where to send doses “an urgent question.”

The decision, she continued, hinges on some combination of “the relationship we have with the countries, the public health and epidemiological scientific trajectory of the disease, and a sense of where the vaccines can do the most good, the infrastructure and readiness of countries to receive vaccines”.

The US under Biden also has pledged $4bn to COVAX, led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the World Health Organization, to help it procure and distribute vaccines.

COVAX has committed to sharing the doses with more than 90 countries, including many with which the US has tumultuous relations.

Leaving it to COVAX to decide how the bulk of the US-provided doses are distributed is seen by the administration as the most equitable way to determine who benefits. It also could allow the US to avoid any political fallout that might come from sharing the vaccine directly with adversaries.

“It’s not only a symbol of American values — it’s smart global health policy,” said Tom Hart, acting CEO of the ONE Campaign, which has pressed the Biden administration to move faster to develop its global sharing plan.

By Zeke Miller, Associated Press

Animal control EDITOR, The Tribune.

I AM writing in hopes that you and your paper can bring my family and me some relief from a bad situation that exists in my area of “Kool Acres”.

In February, three young dogs, which have plagued us since October of last year, young healthy approximately 45-50 pounds, wakened me and my family by a loud noise in our car port. We looked outside and saw the dogs playing and tearing up everything they could.

We called the dog pound and was promised that someone would come and check it out as soon as

possible. Three weeks later, nothing, no one showed up, I was told to call the Police, as the destruction from their playing mounted. The Police came twice and nothing happened. We went back to calling the dog pound, begging for relief, as we have two indoor dogs, with a closed in pen outside for exercise and other functions. Our dogs go crazy every time the three dogs show up, which is sometimes 2:00am.!

We were told that the pound does not have a van that works and they do not know when, if ever, they will get one. They sometimes have to beg The Humane Society to help

pick up animals that are wounded, if the Society cannot help, they are left on the streets to rot away.

Some third world country we are!

We have over 50,000 unattended animals roaming our streets and not one truck, or bus to collect the sick and dead animal off our streets.

So, Mr Minister in charge, and the Bahamian government, please pay some attention to dumb animals, then maybe I can get some sleep.

Please help.

BOB NEVIL Nassau, May 30, 2021.

The corned beef and grits Budget EDITOR, The Tribune.

IT IS clear that the trio in charge of the Ministry of Finance has been forced to come up with a corned beef and grits 2021-2022 budget.

If this is the best that they are able to come up with, God help us. It is conceded that taxes have been held at bay but that there is no real wiggle room for critical infrastructure and people development.

Some will argue that this is the best that Minnis and his crew could come up with in the midst of the pandemic and the lingering effects of Dorian. Besides being a corned beef and grits budget this is also a lazy man’s stitch job. In my opinion it was directly the result of Minnis’ abrupt and disjointed closing and chaotic reopening that the economy contracted by almost 85% The flinging of hard earned taxpayers dollars and the band aid approach to societal assistance and so- called unemployment benefits has further made a bad situation even worse.

This is not a job creation budget. Minnis projects that a minimum of seventy-five new jobs will be carved out within the bloated civil service. We have no available data but the last time that the Director of Labour dared to suggest unemployment figures he opined that some 40% of the labour force was unemployed. This did not factor in the over 700 Atlantis employees who have now been sent home permanently.

There is loose talk about employers receiving tax credits and breaks of up to B$400 per week per employee. How will this play out and how will it be administered? We also heard the PM say that some 34 millions of dollars will be pumped into Bahamasair, NAD and LPIA for the upcoming fiscal year. Why are we still throwing good money away to prop up an airline that has NEVER made a real profit in more than twenty years?

Few international travellers are coming in yet there is a fully paid staff complement?

The cruise port is coming along quite nicely and I am looking forward to it getting up and running. Thank God that it is being redeveloped and will be managed by the private sector. By the way, whatever happened to the proposed sky bridge that Minnis said would traverse from Fish Fry over West Bay Street and into Fort Charlotte? What about Junkanoo Beach and the broad walk downtown?

Not a single word.

85% of our national income derives from tourism. With the gradual reopening of the international tourism markets and travellers taking short trips, The Bahamas should be repositioning herself to take direct advantage of our proximity to the USA and Canada. Tens of millions of citizens of those countries are chopping at the bit to take safe cruises and short vacations. Yet, what are we proposing to entice these potential visitors? Nothing.

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net When any one visits a foreign destination they expect to be exposed to cultural and touristic experiences. Down Town Bay Street remains a dangerous eye sore. Old and abandoned buildings permeate over there. In the middle of the day all commercial and other activities cease like clock work after 1:00 pm daily. Why did the trio at Finance not see fit to motivate the owners of those buildings to either raze them or have some creative cosmetics done?

Minnis, obviously, is devoid of vision and is merely pontificating and talking abject stupidity. He was never serious in my view about the redevelopment of downtown. Why would cruise ship passengers venture off the same to walk up and down, in the hot sun, along Bay Street with knock off handbags; illegal drugs and prostitutes?

The Straw Market has been shuttered for over a year and more. Yet, nothing was disclosed in the so-called budget to reopen that facility while the vendors are languishing at home?

There is absolutely no word about affordable housing for the masses. I looked dead hard but, again, the corned beef and grits budget failed to make reference to the Carmichael Village Subdivision and the other one being bandied about in the Tropical Gardens area. This regime has failed to construct or have constructed a single house in over four years. By the way where is the Minister of Housing & the Environment? Still AWOL? The PM with great fanfare announced that he was granting some two million dollars of taxpayers funds to the established junkanoo groups along with choice Crown Land to enable them to set up permanent headquarters! Is this man serious or merely pandering for junkanoo votes? By all means grant them some marketable Crown Land and let the groups approach The Bahamas Development Bank or The Bank of The Bahamas for commercial loans at discounted interest rates. But taxpayers monies should not subsidize pie in the sky dreams.

That two million dollars could better be used to develop and lay out affordable housing subdivisions here in New Providence and other Islands. With millions of acres of Crown land why is Minnis and those not making Crown Grants available for commercial and residential, why not sell quarter acre sized lots at B$5,000 a pop?

This has the potential to generate 250 millions of dollars at the drop of the hat. What about Savings Bonds in multiples of B$100 and above at attractive fixed rates?

The Ministry of Works recently awarded multiple millions of dollars worth of contract for sidewalks to the chosen few. The Minister, with a straight face said that this was necessary to

stimulate the economy and to put bread on the table.

No problem but what happens going forward? The Water & Sewerage Corporation owes its major water supplier multiple millions of dollars in long overdue payments yet Minnis allocates less than two millions of dollars to service the same and to institute capital development works? BPL is a work in progress and it cannot get it’s bond reduction plans off the table. Why? We have been talking about a unified public transportation system from the time the omnibus was still a jitney. Yet, not a single word on this. The permanent granting of franchises have also been relegated to the back burner and the illegal leasing of plates still exist to this very day.

A dangerous precedent is being proposed by Minnis in that he will garnishee commercial rents directly from contractual tenants and apply them to outstanding real property tax arrears.

This would be illegal and interference between private contractual parties.

Remember the Mortgage Relief Scheme and the Land Lord & Tenant Scheme last year both of which fizzled out dramatically? There is in place mechanism which empowers the regime to seize real estate where the owners are in arrears and to sell them. Why not apply theses provisions to collect on the hundred of millions of dollars from owners?

Because to do so would alienate the base of its financial and political supporters.

This is a corned beef and grits budget and it shows.

The only good news, if it is such, are the allocations towards the Rand in Freeport and the PMH here in New Providence. Other than these Minnis and his people them are whistling while walking past the graveyard. Nothing to exploit agriculture and fisheries. Nothing to expand on manufacturing and exports.

Did anyone see or hear about the sale of Our Lucaya? Minnis says that he’s allocating another 11.5 millions of dollars to continue operating the whitest of the white elephants. By the way, when will we ever see the audited financial statements? Did anyone hear; see or read about additions to and the expansion of the Criminal Justice System, inclusive of The Bahamas Correctional Centre? Not a single word.

The Minnis regime and its hapless supporters, if there are any left, ask where are the new PLP’s plans? It is not the business of the opposition to gratuitously throw out its ideas. Minnis and crew were elected to govern.

They must now do so or go down in flames while trying. The New PLP will, of course, be on standby to pick up the charred remains.

To God then in all things be the glory. Please ask Dr Minnis to switch off the lights on his way out.

ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr Nassau, May 30, 2021.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 1, 2021, PAGE 7

JUDGES THROW OUT MURDER CONVICTION from page one

According to court documents, the gunman also pointed his firearm at Stuart’s girlfriend who was seated in the front passenger seat of the vehicle; however, the gun jammed and the gunman ran off.

During the trial, the woman testified that the gunman who had shot Stuart and attempted to shoot at her had been wearing a baby blue shirt.

Although four people witnessed the incident, the only positive identification evidence came from a police witness who chased and caught up with a man clad in a yellow shirt and khaki pants – Charlvin Laramore – who he said he saw shoot at Stuart.

The evidence revealed

that during the chase, the witness lost sight of the gunman briefly, but shortly thereafter came across two men hiding against the wall at the entrance to a nearby restaurant.

The man who was wearing the yellow shirt and khaki pants was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. When the officer asked the men why they were in the area and who they were hiding from, they said they had heard fellows were shooting and they were scared.

“The witness said that a bystander then pointed at the male in the yellow shirt and said: ‘That’s the male right there’,” the court documents noted.

“At that point, he placed the man in handcuffs, cautioned him and arrested him in

COUPLE AQUITTED AFTER NEPHEW SHOT WHEN GUN WENT OFF ACCIDENTALLY

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A MAGISTRATE yesterday acquitted a couple who were charged with child cruelty after their nephew was shot with a gun that accidentally went off when he and their son were playing with it.

In 2019, Kara Johnson entered a not guilty plea to allegations that she unlawfully neglected her son’s 11-year-old cousin that ultimately led to the child being shot in the groin.

Johnson, as well as her fiancé, Rasjard McIntosh, further denied allegations that they were found in possession of a black, 9mm revolver and three rounds of 9mm ammunition at the time of the incident.

During the course of the trial, it was revealed that the couple’s son found a gun outside, took it indoors and was playing with it when it accidentally discharged and struck his cousin. When police responded to the incident, they arrested Johnson and McIntosh, who were later charged with cruelty to children and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

After listening to submissions from the prosecution and defence counsels of the two accused, Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis delivered his ruling.

Yesterday, he noted Johnson’s and McIntosh’s son was the “star

witness” of the case. The court was told that when the young boy was initially interviewed by police, he claimed he found the firearm in his father’s drawer. However, when he gave evidence in court, he admitted he actually discovered the weapon outside by the side of the garbage, but had lied when he was questioned in police custody in the presence of his mother because he was afraid.

Magistrate Rolle Davis said if it is to be believed the firearm was found in McIntosh’s drawer, he is to be held accountable.

Still, he said, if it was a fact the weapon was actually found outside, then it would mean the young boy lied to his mother in the presence of the officers.

He said having considered the totality of the circumstances of the case, he accepted the young boy lied when he was initially interviewed by police in the presence of his mother, but had told the truth when he testified under oath in court.

“I accept when he said he found the gun by the garbage but only lied in the interview because his mother was there,” he stated. “I acquit both defendants of the offences.

The gun is to be handed over to the police for further investigation.”

Attorneys Bjorn Ferguson and Alex Dorsette represented Johnson and McIntosh respectively.

WOMAN ACCUSED OF THROWING ACID ON EX-BOYFRIEND’S LOVER

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net TWO police officers testified yesterday in the trial of a 23-year-old woman who is accused of throwing acid on her ex-boyfriend’s new lover.

Police said Dashanique Gibson caused grievous harm to Sinclair Mackey at Casey’s Bar on East Street in July 2019.

She denied the allegation when she first appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis and the matter was adjourned to trial.

Yesterday, the two officers who interviewed Gibson at the time of the incident testified under oath.

The first witness, Sergeant 2328 Darryn Stubbs, said on July 15, 2019, he received information of a complaint made at the Southern Police Station. He said when he went there, he spoke to the accused, who said she came into the station to make inquiries as to why the police were at her residence looking for her in relation to a “use of deadly means of harm” incident.

Sgt Stubbs said he cautioned Gibson, who then told him she was at a bar when she threw acid on Ms Mackey. He said he immediately arrested and further cautioned her after the confession.

Corporal 3369 Rio Wilson was the second officer to take the stand. He said a day later he interviewed Gibson in the presence of a female officer. He said during the questioning, she was informed that she was suspected of causing grievous harm to Ms Mackey by throwing some substance on her that was suspected of being acid. Cpl Wilson said the accused denied the allegation but admitted that she and Ms Mackey had an ongoing dispute since the complainant was currently dating her ex-boyfriend.

Cpl Wilson said after the interview, Gibson declined to sign the statement. He also said that when she was shown surveillance video of the incident, she admitted she was in the footage. However, he said, when he asked her to speak up, she responded by saying: “No comment.”

The matter continues on July 5.

connection with the shooting.

Both men were then transported to the Central Police Station where a name check was done and they were released from custody.

A search of the area was conducted for weapons, but nothing (was) found.

“Approximately one month later, the witness attended an ID parade where he picked out the intended appellant as the man he had detained following the shooting incident on July 22, 2013.

“The intended appellant was subsequently charged with murdering the deceased and the attempted murder of the front seat passenger.”

In 2016, the jury acquitted Laramore of attempted murder, but convicted him of the murder of Stuart.

He was subsequently sentenced to 30 years imprisonment with effect from the date he was found guilty.

He sought leave to appeal his conviction out of time on the grounds that the “quality of the identification evidence linking him to the offences was so poor and tenuous that the judge ought to have withdrawn the case from the jury and directed an acquittal”.

In a judgement posted to the Court of Appeal’s website yesterday, the appellate panel of justices allowed his appeal and quashed his murder conviction after ruling they had “serious reservations” about the safety of the intended appellant’s conviction.

In their judgement,

delivered by Justice Maureen Crane-Scott, the panel said it was evident the learned judge rejected the no-case submission because she believed the Crown had “adduced evidence for the jury’s consideration in relation to both counts”.

She also said it was a case where the visual identification evidence of Laramore as the gunman by the police officer “left a lot to be desired”, which meant the judge had “a further duty... to satisfy herself that the identifying evidence was actually sufficient to sustain a proper conviction”.

“We have serious reservations about the safety of the intended appellant’s conviction which we find to be unsafe and unsatisfactory,” she said.

“There is no doubt that a miscarriage of justice has occurred. Further, it is impossible for the proviso to be applied as we are satisfied that given the vague and tenuous nature of the identification evidence the case ought never to have been sent for the jury’s consideration.

“For all the foregoing reasons, we have acceded to the application for an extension of time.

Having also considered the merits of the appeal, we allow the appeal and quash the appellant’s conviction for murder along with the associated sentence. Having regard to the unsatisfactory state of the identification evidence, which will remain the same, we do not consider it in the interests of justice to order a retrial.”

PAGE 8, Tuesday, June 1, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

‘The Soil Guru’ on a mission and people are buying in to his message T HE cannabis industry is beginning to take shape in The Bahamas with the imminent Medicinal Cannabis Bill 2021 set to be tabled in Parliament.

While the kinks are being worked out and the cries are being made for fairness to the common man and to groups like the Rastafari movement, there are some taking the bull by the horns and preparing to stake their claim in the industry. One such visionary is Valin Bodie.

Valin is said to be the youngest soil scientist in the cannabis industry in the United States – and the only black one. This 26-year-old Bahamian owns and operates Environmental Soil Solutions (ESS), a soil company with a 6,000 sq ft warehouse in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a second warehouse being built in Oklahoma City. There, he works from his research and development tent, monitoring all progress and prepping and mixing soil.

Valin sources pure organic resources to create his soil blends. He uses his vast knowledge of these organic components garnered from his hands-on experience at leading grow companies to create transformative products. His soil has been so successful in the growing of cannabis and other plants that he has been dubbed

‘the Soil Guru’, and the name is sticking as he has crafted a movement towards environmental sustainability around the brand.

There was a buzz surrounding the Soil Guru’s booth at last week’s CannaCon – one of the largest cannabis conferences in the hemisphere.

It was held at the Oklahoma City Convention Centre and is considered a mustattend for anyone working in the realm of cannabis or thinking of entering it.

CannaCon was an interactive gathering of industry professionals, entrepreneurs and experts discussing the latest industry developments.

There, Valin was interviewed by local media houses who saw there was something special about this passionate entrepreneur operating from his core value, which is to leave the Earth better than when he was on it.

VALIN Bodie with his wife, Keisha and daughter Iva Rayne.

He takes that value, in conjunction with his scientific knowledge and desire of sustainability to create a sustainable soil company that is making moves in the industry.

As a soil scientist, Valin has carefully studied the Bahamian soil he grew up on, taking into consideration that it is limestone and very unique, and has created a special blend. This blend will allow for cannabis planted in The Bahamas to be successful – which is a key to the sustainability of the industry that is brewing in the country.

“I can help The Bahamas be a more sustainable nation by assisting with soil quality and just overall land quality,” Valin said.

“That encompasses many facets such as prohibiting land degradation and increasing land conservation through the looking glass

Memorial Service For

Arthur Balder Campbell, 77 of St. Alban’s Drive died on Sunday, May 16th, 2021 will be held on Thursday, June 3rd, 2021, 10:00 a.m. at St. Agnes Anglican Church, Baillou Hill Road. Officiating will be The Venerable Keith N. Cartwright assisted

by Canon Warren H. Rolle, Rev’d Fr. Peter I. Ferguson and Rev’d Fr. Ruel J. Strachan.

Interment will follow in Lakeview Memorial Gardens.

He is survived by his faithful wife: Deborah Spencer-Campbell; children: Evadne, ElkeMia, Tamara & Bal-Darette Campbell, Raquell Hanna (Elkin) & Indira Moss (Cedric) Emeric, Khalil, Jamil, Deputy Chief Councilor of Acklins, Marvin Campbell and Arthur Campbell; grandchildren: Ghandi Barrett, Stephen Moss, Nekisha Fisher, Da’Relle Ferguson, Tisca Campbell, Hero Green, Idi Campbell, DiMaggio Barrett & Elke-Mia Hanna, Dymond and Cedran Moss and Malique Campbell; great grandchildren: Kimainie Campbell, Rebecca Fisher, Kameilla Hall, Jermaine Adderley; siblings: Rose Marina Forbes, Agnes Saunders (Joseph), Edmund Campbell, Elcina Duncombe (Cleveland) Frances Butterfield, Phyllis Johnson (David); nieces and nephews: Linda Johnson, Caesara Smith, Cheresa Roach, Zoe Hepburn, Inell Maycock, Neca Colby, Lenoir Oldham Joni Saunders, Zoe Hepburn, Chief Supt. Mareno Hinds, Candace, D’Marska, Nadia, Tenicia, August, Alfred & Joshua Campbell, Deandra Ingraham, Genea Noel, Robert, Symonne & Aaron Johnson, Tomonique Antonio & Anwar Butterfield; his best friend forever: Lorraine Seymour Campbell; friends: Sam Williams & Family, Agatha Dean, Arthur Dean, Reginald Pennerman, Frankie Zhivago Young, Supt. Denise Rose, Terrance Hall, Athena March, Enid McKinney, Canon & Mrs. Warren Rolle, Archdeacon Earl Hepburn, Canon Basil Tynes, The children of Peter & Gleaka Campbell, The Children of Solomon and Annamae Campbell, The Children of Sebastian and Almeda Campbell, The children of Hamlin Campbell, The Children of Mary Bain, The children of Cedric and Sally Campbell, Descendants of Edward & Gertrude Campbell, Descendants of Winter & Adelle Thompson, Descendants of James Campbell I, The Miller Family, The Seymour Family, The Spencer Family, Mr. & Mrs. Harrison Petty, The descendants of Rev. Charles Thompson, The descendants of Clancy Bassett, The descendants of Abraham Smith and Vera Miller.

Friends may pay their last respects at East Sunrise Mortuary, #183 Baillou Hill Road & Cordeaux Avenue from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Please visit our website: www.eastsunrisemortuary.com to share your memories and condolences with family and friends. #183 Baillou Hill Road & Cordeaux Avenue, P.O. Box CB-12248, Nassau, Bahamas Telephone: (242) 323-EAST (3278), 326-4209 Email: eastsunrise@batelnet.bs

ABOVE AND BELOW RIGHT: Valin shows off his soil blends at CannaCon. RIGHT: Valin with his mother, Mia Campbell. of sustainability and soil management.”

As he presented his company to hundreds of potential partners and clients just days ago, he was supported by his mother, Mia Campbell and publicist, Lia Head-Rigby.

He is the CEO of ESS and his wife, Keisha, is the General Manager. Together with their daughter Iva Rayne, they are proving that families can come together and work together in the agriculture industry and aim for self-sufficiency.

“Food security is something that people are now realizing that you are what you eat,” he said.

“So if you can save your body long-term and your pockets short-term, I think that’s an overall sustainable lifestyle.”

With his Oklahoma event complete, Valin is now planning to tour in California and Florida as he promotes his special soil blends.

According to CannaCon, Oklahoma has become the “wild west of legalized cannabis markets”, surpassing the rest of the United States in medical licence carriers and licensed cannabis businesses. In 2020, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Association reported their patient count at almost 10 percent of the state’s entire population.

“CannaCon was a huge success in respects to giving the knowledge I have as education to the industry through the contacts made whether they were exhibitors or attendees,” Valin said.

“I made lots of contacts to big companies like Grow Generation and celebrities like Jim Belushi! I’m looking forward to the exponential growth that my company will take on in the coming months.”

For Mia and Lia, Valin’s success is exciting as they have watched him grow from the little boy playing on the streets of Johnson Road, to becoming a soccer star in his country, to becoming a trendsetter in the cannabis industry ahead of its birth in The Bahamas.

“You don’t have to bring in all these foreigners to the industry in The Bahamas when you have Bahamians who are already of value to the cannabis industry” Lia pointed out, noting that she personally knows of other Bahamians making strides in cannabis throughout the United States.

When Valin attended St Augustine’s College in Fox Hill, he knew that he wanted to pursue studies that would allow him to make a valuable contribution to planet Earth.

He believes that soil is one of the most important things on Earth, next to water and oxygen. When he graduated, he went on to attend Essex County College in Newark, New Jersey. He then transferred to Oral Roberts University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree with concentration in Global Environmental Sustainability. There, he met his college sweetheart who became his wife, and together, he and Keisha set out on their mission to make an impact in the

VALIN in action for The Bahamas. cannabis industry.

They brainstorm and research together, and they put the recipes to paper.

Then, Valin begins mixing the recipe by hand, then he sends it off to laboratories for testing. He then tinkers with the soil as needed to reach the required level of nutrients desired. He is currently excited about a new trend – the growing of bonsai cannabis.

“I one hundred per cent support the legalization of cannabis because I was one that used cannabis as a means to overcome one of the worst concussions one could ever have,” he shared.

“I do think that there needs to be more education about cannabis to relieve the societal stigma of it as a plant. The government needs to ensure that they close the loopholes in the laws they are fixing to pass and ensure that it’s done in a sustainable way for the country long-term. I think it’s great to create much needed revenue for the country as well as have an export that we can benefit from.”

Valin calls himself “a tinker of soil, a visionary of resources, a curious soul and a man of intent”. He shares his keys to success with young people when invited to speak at his alma mater and at other institutions.

As he climbs to greater success, he is ever mindful of the trials he will face: “God has to increase my capacity for blessings before He increases my blessings, so I’m good with the struggle even though it gets hard.”

Long before entrepreneurial success, Valin, a Lyford Cay Scholar, was used to winning. He is an athlete whose success in soccer gained him publicity along the way. He has played for the Bahamas National Football Team and Cavalier Football Club.

He played under the direction of Hugo Pierre at Essex County College where he led the team to Region 19 playoffs, and he went on to play for Oral Roberts University.

He also played for the 2017 Bahamas National Beach Soccer Team.

His national pride extends to his soil business and he aims to make valuable contributions to the industry here.

Customer service and product knowledge has helped him grow his business.

“They work hand in hand,” he explained.

“If you know your product, believe and stand by it, you’ll help growers understand it more which, in turn, allows you to sell your product. Imparting knowledge feeds the funnel.”

Valin’s feature on Face to Face comes weeks after we captured the story of Dr Robert Taylor, a veteran soil scientist in the US and a Bahamian son of the soil.

Dr Taylor pointed out that the Bahamian limestonefilled soil could become very viable with the right organic components.

Valin is now proving that and is set to make a major announcement in the coming weeks.

Reach out to Valin by email at: lia@mediamavensgroup.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 1, 2021, PAGE 9

AN HONEST CONFESSION OR SPITEFUL ACT OF REVENGE? L

ast week’s extended seven-hour appearance before a committee of MPs at Westminster by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser turned out to be an exceptionally bruising affair. It has been widely reported those present were stunned, appalled and riveted in equal measure by Dominic Cummings’ excoriating criticism of the sitting government – and of the Prime Minister himself – for seriously mismanaging the pandemic in the UK last year.

This reminded me of the old saying that “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”.

But in this case it was the PM’s right-hand man at the seat of power in Downing Street who had been forced out of his job in November.

Before that, he was considered a political genius after his role as a winner for the Leave campaign at the time of the nation’s European Union referendum in 2016.

Was it, then, an embittered man settling old political scores and trying to undermine his old boss or was there anything of real substance in his long and spiteful diatribe against the government’s response to the crisis?

Cummings unleashed a series of blistering accusations about a shambolic reaction by a chaotic and dysfunctional governmental system that fell “disastrously short of standards the public has a right to expect”. He called the PM hopeless, careless, incompetent and “unfit” for his job and stated that he had bungled and botched life-and-death decisions affecting millions while he and his government were responsible for the fact that “tens of thousands of people died who didn’t need to die”. He also strongly criticised the Health Secretary for his poor handling of the crisis and called him a serial liar who should have been fired.

This was incendiary testimony by any standards.

But some say Cummings was an unreliable witness who lacked credibility and, if he thought that there were serious failures at the highest levels of the health bureaucracy, he himself was in a position to do something about it.

For sure, he had his moment of self-awareness by admitting his share of responsibility and by stating it was “completely crazy that I should have been in such a position” of influence at the heart of the decision-making process.

Sharing his culpability may have saved him from ridicule as a disgruntled former employee motivated by revenge. But people recall that he himself broke his own lockdown rules when he drove to his family home in northeast England last summer at the height of the crisis.

After being convinced by his public denial of any wrongdoing, I wrote in this column in defence of him.

But, in light of later evidence of his lying about the episode, I clearly misjudged the situation.

Overall, there is little doubt that at the beginning of the pandemic the government underestimated its seriousness. But ministers were facing what turned out later to be an unprecedented outbreak worldwide and they were grappling with the unknown. Their policies were often badly thought-out, seesawing and contradictory – and there is no doubt a number of mistakes were made during the course of last year, one of the most damning of which was discharging elderly National Health Service patients into care homes without their being tested for COVID-19.

Thus, there appears to be a lingering view the government should have done a lot better so that last year need not have been as bad as it was. But people are now saying that, although the buck stops with the PM, many others were involved

DOMINIC Cummings attends a science and health committee hearing at Portcullis House in London on May 26. In recent days, Cummings has directed a torrent of criticism at Johnson’s Conservative government in an ever-lengthening string of Twitter posts. (House of Commons via AP) down the chain of command – for example, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) – and Boris Johnson did his best in very difficult circumstances. Moreover, according to a recent survey, the public is on the whole prepared to forgive the government’s many errors because of its extraordinary efforts to develop, procure and administer vaccines; and Cummings’s outpouring of invective takes no account of the tremendous success of the government’s vaccination programme.

In my view, far too much attention and credence has been given to this discredited former political adviser.

As an appointed official employed to come up with ideas and suggestions, he should still defer to elected government ministers and not seek – presumptuously and insolently – to lord it over them.

We are being reminded that former Prime Minister David Cameron earlier described Cummings as a “career psychopath”, and some now think he is verging on the unhinged. Others say his performance in front of MPs mixed delusion with arrogance and vengefulness. It is hard to disagree with that. The wonder is how – despite being seen as a brilliant strategist who masterminded the “Leave” success - he got into such a job as right-hand man to the PM. As one commentator put it, he turned from being the hero of Brexit to the Judas of Downing Street.

Meanwhile, the Conservative government’s standing in the polls – particularly Boris Johnson’s own approval rating – remains in good shape. As he publicly refutes Cummings’ more outrageous allegations, he seems already to have brushed off the heavy criticism. It is clear people want to put the past year and the lockdowns behind them and to look forward with relish to a future of freedom as the vaccination programme continues to go full steam ahead.

A successful rollout of such a programme is also surely the key for other countries like our own in getting back at last to some sort of normality, and the political gain should not be underestimated.

As the number of cases rises here in The Bahamas, the problem is to persuade the doubters to take the jab so perhaps the government should be more proactive in explaining that the benefits outweigh the risks.

One way forward is to offer incentives to those who hesitate. Such expenditure can be justified since it is in the national interest for as many people as possible to be vaccinated. Other countries are going down this route, and with good results. Should we not consider doing so as well?

Breaking every rule in the book

On Sunday, May 23, a serious incident occurred in Belarus that seems to have attracted relatively little attention in the US

media. A commercial passenger airliner, belonging to the Irish company Ryanair, was en route from Greece to Lithuania. While passing over Belarusian airspace, it was ordered by air traffic control in the capital Minsk to divert there – escorted by a fighter jet – because of a bomb on the plane. Later, no bomb was found so this was a false alarm, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel subsequently calling the claim of such a threat as “completely implausible.”

On landing, two passengers – a 26-year-old opposition Belarus journalist called Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend, a Russian national, who was accompanying him – were detained.

This journalist, a former editor of a dissident media publication through which protesters had channelled opposition to the 2020 elections, had been living in exile in Lithuania since 2019. He had been placed last year on Belarus’ terrorist list and now clearly faces serious charges. It has been reported both have confessed to unspecified crimes though their so-called confessions appear to have been made under duress.

This state hijacking of an international airliner and kidnapping of two passengers has been widely condemned as an outrage and an unacceptable breach of international law.

Britain and the EU have already announced sanctions in the form of a ban on overflying Belarus and the stopping of flights from there landing in EU member states, with the EU also pledging funds for a return to democracy.

For its part, the US has called for an international investigation and is said to be drawing up a list of targeted sanctions against key members of the Belarusian government together with restrictions on US companies doing business with state-owned enterprises there.

Following last year’s elections, which the opposition claims were rigged to enable Alexander Lukashenko to extend his presidency after being in power for a quarter of a century, there was a long period of protest.

Lukashenko cracked down on this but there were further demonstrations this past weekend in Poland and Lithuania calling for Mr Protasevich’s release.

Belarus remains clearly within Russia’s sphere of influence. At a meeting with Vladimir Putin last Friday, Lukashenko no doubt sought economic support from his ally.

Meanwhile, the NATO Secretary General is quoted as saying “It’s hard to believe that the decision to hijack the Ryanair plane and arrest a dissident journalist was without any input from Russia.”

Belarus, with a population of about 10 million, is a land locked country bordering Latvia, Lithuania and Poland all of which are EU and NATO members. That will explain Lukashenko’s recent remarks about the West “gobbling us up” but it does not justify them. By

BRITISH Prime Minister Boris Johnson. ordering a state-sponsored high jacking in order to kidnap a dissident journalist, Europe’s last dictator has turned his country into a pariah state. This action has also now been condemned by the International Civil Aviation Organisation and by the Prime Minister of Lithuania.

But, while the West must make a stand and bring Belarus to book for its egregious behaviour, all will surely hope that, in light of Russia’s involvement, international outrage and a growing standoff will not develop into a more serious conflict with wider repercussions.

This time of year...

A brief internet search reveals how many events of historical significance occurred over the years during what is often called the merry month of May that in the northern

hemisphere is the real beginning of summer.

There is no space today to examine the main ones in any detail, but I should like to draw attention to two pivotal events during the Second World War that took place in that month; namely, the Dunkirk evacuation that began on May 26, 1940 and VE Day on May 8, 1945 which marked the end of the war in Europe.

Between May 26 and June 4, 1940, some 340,000 Allied troops, including large numbers of the British Expeditionary Force, were evacuated from the French seaport of Dunkirk in the face of overwhelming attacks by German military forces – and they lived to fight another day. Some historians call this a military disaster but at the time many saw it as a miraculous escape and a boost to Britain’s determination to

fight on under the inspiring leadership of Winston Churchill.

Last year was the 75th anniversary of VE Day and I wrote about it in detail in this column. But I recall well the 50th anniversary in 1995, having led, under the direction of government ministers, the planning and organisation of the civilian side of Britain’s commemorations and celebrations.

In particular, our team recreated the scene in London on May 8, 1945 when the King and Queen and the two princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret, accompanied

by Churchill, appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in front of a huge and ecstatic crowd. Fifty years later to the day, The Queen, together with the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, stood on the same balcony in front of another massive cheering crowd.

The emotion created was heart-warming and – as is said of the theatre – there was not a dry eye in the house. Nonetheless, it was brought home to all of us at the time of the 50th anniversary of VE Day that the sheer joy and relief at the ending of the war in Europe in May, 1945 was tempered by the knowledge that hostilities in the Pacific were still going on – and it was not until Japan surrendered to US forces three months later that the global conflict reached its final conclusion.

PAGE 10, Tuesday, June 1, 2021

In postpandemic Europe, migrants will face digital fortress PEPLO, GREECE Associated Press AS the world begins to travel again, Europe is sending migrants a loud message: Stay away!

Greek border police are firing bursts of deafening noise from an armored truck over the frontier into Turkey. Mounted on the vehicle, the long-range acoustic device, or “sound cannon”, is the size of a small TV set but can match the volume of a jet engine.

It’s part of a vast array of physical and experimental new digital barriers being installed and tested during the quiet months of the coronavirus pandemic at the 200-kilometer Greek border with Turkey to stop people entering the European Union illegally.

A new steel wall, similar to recent construction on the US-Mexico border, blocks commonly-used crossing points along the Evros River that separates the two countries.

Nearby observation towers are being fitted with long-range cameras, night vision, and multiple sensors. The data will be sent to control centers to flag suspicious movement using artificial intelligence analysis.

“We will have a clear ‘pre-border’ picture of what’s happening,” Police Maj Dimonsthenis Kamargios, head of the region’s border guard authority, told the Associated Press.

The EU has poured three billion euros ($3.7bn) into security tech research following the refugee crisis in 2015-16, when more than one million people — many escaping wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan — fled to Greece and on to other EU countries.

The automated surveillance network being built on the Greek-Turkish border is aimed at detecting migrants early and deterring them from crossing, with river and land patrols using searchlights and long-range acoustic devices.

Key elements of the network will be launched by the end of the year, Kamargios said. “Our task is to prevent migrants from entering the country illegally. We need modern equipment and tools to do that.”

Researchers at universities around Europe, working with private firms, have developed futuristic surveillance and verification technology, and tested more than a dozen projects at Greek borders.

AI-powered lie detectors and virtual border-guard

THE TRIBUNE interview bots have been piloted, as well as efforts to integrate satellite data with footage from drones on land, air, sea and underwater. Palm scanners record the unique vein pattern in a person’s hand to use as a biometric identifier, and the makers of live camera reconstruction technology promise to erase foliage virtually, exposing people hiding near border areas.

Testing has also been conducted in Hungary, Latvia and elsewhere along the eastern EU perimeter.

The more aggressive migration strategy has been advanced by European policymakers over the past five years, funding deals with Mediterranean countries outside the bloc to hold migrants back and transforming the EU border protection agency, Frontex, from a coordination mechanism to a full-fledged multinational security force.

But regional migration deals have left the EU exposed to political pressure from neighbours.

Earlier this month, several thousand migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in a single day, prompting Spain to deploy the army. A similar crisis unfolded on the GreekTurkish border and lasted three weeks last year.

Greece is pressing the EU to let Frontex patrol outside its territorial waters to stop migrants reaching Lesbos and other Greek islands, the most common route in Europe for illegal crossing in recent years.

Armed with new tech tools, European law enforcement authorities are leaning further outside borders.

Not all the surveillance programs being tested will be included in the new detection system, but human rights groups say the emerging technology will make it even harder for refugees fleeing wars and extreme hardship to find safety.

Patrick Breyer, a

POLICE officers patrol alongside a steel wall at Evros river, near the village of Poros, at the Greek -Turkish border, Greece. An automated hi-tech surveillance network being built on the Greek-Turkish border aiming at detecting migrants early and deterring them from crossing, with river and land patrols using searchlights and long-range acoustic devices.

Photo: Giannis Papanikos/AP European lawmaker from Germany, has taken an EU research authority to court, demanding that details of the AI-powered lie detection programme be made public.

“What we are seeing at the borders, and in treating foreign nationals generally, is that it’s often a testing field for technologies that are later used on Europeans as well. And that’s why everybody should care, in their own self-interest,” Breyer of the German Pirates Party told the AP. He urged authorities to allow broad oversight of border surveillance methods to review ethical concerns and prevent the sale of the technology through private partners to authoritarian regimes outside the EU. Ella Jakubowska, of the digital rights group EDRi, argued that EU officials were adopting “technosolutionism” to sideline moral considerations in dealing with the complex issue of migration.

“It is deeply troubling that, time and again, EU funds are poured into expensive technologies which are used in ways that

criminalise, experiment with and dehumanise people on the move,” she said.

The London-based group Privacy International argued the tougher border policing would provide a political reward to European leaders who have adopted a hard line on migration.

“If people migrating are viewed only as a security problem to be deterred and challenged, the inevitable result is that governments will throw technology at controlling them,” said Edin Omanovic, an advocacy director at the group.

“It’s not hard to see why: across Europe we have autocrats looking for power by targeting foreigners, otherwise progressive leaders who have failed to come up with any alternatives to copying their agendas, and a rampant arms industry with vast access to decision-makers.”

Migration flows have slowed in many parts of Europe during the pandemic, interrupting an increase recorded over years. In Greece, for example, the number of arrivals dropped from nearly 75,000

in 2019 to 15,700 in 2020, a 78% decrease.

But the pressure is sure to return. Between 2000 and 2020, the world’s migrant population rose by more than 80% to reach 272 million, according to United Nations data, fast outpacing international population growth.

At the Greek border village of Poros, the breakfast discussion at a cafe was about the recent crisis on the Spanish-Moroccan border.

Many of the houses in the area are abandoned and in a gradual state of collapse, and life is adjusting to that reality.

Cows use the steel wall as a barrier for the wind and rest nearby.

Panagiotis Kyrgiannis, a Poros resident, says the wall and other preventive measures have brought migrant crossings to a dead stop.

“We are used to seeing them cross over and come through the village in groups of 80 or a 100,” he said. “We were not afraid. ... They don’t want to settle here.

All of this that’s happening around us is not about us.”

BLACK WOMEN’S NEXT TARGETS: GOVERNORSHIPS AND SENATE SEATS

ATLANTA Associated Press

JENNIFER McClellan remembers her parents’ recounting life as Black Southerners enduring segregation and the trauma and triumph of the civil rights movement.

It showed her that government can be “a powerful force for improving people’s lives” but also one “that oppresses some, ignores others”.

A generation later, despite her interest in public office, there was no obvious pathway for someone like her.

“There weren’t a lot of role models ... examples

REP VAL DEMINGS, D-Fla, asks questions during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on proposed changes to police practices and accountability on Capitol Hill in Washington. Demings is running for Republican Sen Marco Rubio’s Florida seat.

Photo: Greg Nash/AP of Black women” in senator running for govpower, said McClel- ernor herself: “We’re in a lan in an interview. Now, very different Virginia.” she’s a 48-year-old state McClellan’s candidacy

alongside fellow primary candidate Jennifer Carroll Foy demonstrates the rising political power of Black women, long a foundation of Democratic victories, and more recently, as candidates and officeholders, from Vice President Kamala Harris to mayors in Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco.

McClellan and Carroll Foy, a 39-year-old former legislator, are trying to break another barrier by becoming the first Black woman to win a governor’s race in any state.

They are decided underdogs to former Gov Terry McAuliffe in Virginia’s June 8 primary. Yet they’re

nonetheless part of a surge in candidacies by Black women not just for local and legislative posts but also statewide offices that are still new ground for Black women.

“We are normalising Black women’s leadership (and) seeing Black women on every ballot so that it’s second nature for voters,” said Glynda Carr, cofounder of Higher Heights for America, which backs Black female candidates.

In addition to Virginia, two Black women are running for US Senate from North Carolina in 2022: former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley and former legislator Erica Smith. In Florida, US Rep Val Demings is running for Republican Sen. Marco Rubio’s seat.

In Georgia, voting rights activist and former legislative leader Stacey Abrams is expected to make a second run for governor in 2022.

Steve Schale, a white strategist who helped President Barack Obama win Florida twice, said it’s a developing consensus that Black women can assemble Democrats’ ideal alliance for statewide elections: older Black voters, younger voters across racial and ethnic lines, urban white liberals and enough white moderates, especially women, in metro areas.

“This is the next step post-Obama,” Schale said.

“They can rebuild that coalition as well as anyone.”

Both Virginia candidates say Black women are right for the moment.

“I am tired of fighting the same fights that my parents, my grandparents and my great-grandparents fought, and I cannot leave that to my children,” McClellan recalled thinking when she watched the video of George Floyd, a Black man, dying under the knee of a white police officer in Minnesota last year.

Carroll Foy ties her biography — graduating from Virginia Military Institute and working in low-wage jobs and as a public defender — to her political strategy.

“There’s intersectionality ... coming from one of the poorest

communities in Virginia” and selling policy ideas to all working- and middleclass voters, she said in an interview.

In addition to no Black woman serving as governor, only two have been elected to the US Senate, and the chamber has none now.

The next goal, Carr said, is for Black women to match their voting power to their representation.

Congress began this year with a record 25 Black women out of 435 House members. Black women are mayors in seven of the 100 most populous US cities, up from one less than a decade ago. The number of Black women in state legislatures has nearly doubled in two decades, to more than 4%.

“We can celebrate,” Carr said, “but still recognise the work that needs to be done.”

At the least, strong campaigns from Black women so early in the midterm cycle stand out compared to previous years.

In 2017, as Georgia’s Abrams was preparing for her first bid for governor, white power brokers in the state party recruited one of her fellow state lawmakers, a white woman, to run against her.

“They should have been ashamed,” said Karen Finney, a prominent Black Democratic consultant and Abrams ally. “She proved them all wrong.”

Abrams trounced her hand-picked primary opponent and came within 55,000 votes out of four million cast of defeating Republican Brian Kemp. Soon after, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer courted her to run for Senate. She declined but recruited the Rev Raphael Warnock. Warnock, a Black man, won his January runoff by two points, a wider margin than his white colleague, Democratic Sen Jon Ossoff, managed in a parallel contest.

Heading into 2022, Georgia Democrats are uniformly ceding the top of the ticket to Abrams, who is publicly mum but expected to run.

“She proved you don’t have to follow conventional wisdom,” McClellan said.

PAGE 11

TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021

Soca songbird launches fashion boutique

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net EVEN before the pandemic, music artist Wendi Lewis-Knight understood the importance of having multiple streams of income.

But when all global economic activity almost came to a screeching halt due to COVID-19, the singersongwriter who had been thriving in her musical endeavours had to suddenly pivot in her life. She turned her attention to another venture, one that was unexpected and yet a perfect fit.

Last week, the soca artist celebrated the launch of the Bahamas’ newest online boutique. It’s only one of several business ventures Wendi is currently juggling.

Her store, ShopWtoo42, features trendy fashions curated by Wendi, who loves all things associated with shopping, styling and entertainment.

“For some time, I had plans to present Wendibranded merchandise and had already sourced items for that purpose. It wasn’t until a close friend of mine, who is fantastic businesswoman in her own right, encouraged me to think bigger. She showed me that I was limiting myself, and even now I can hear her voice in my head saying, ‘Well, Wendi, why don’t you think you can move $5,000 worth of product? Do you not know who you are?’”

Furthermore, Wendi said whenever she performs, people always ask her about her outfits.

“I am always asked where I got my outfit, where I got my shoes, who did my makeup, etcetera. I would always gladly provide the

store’s name, especially if it was a local clothing store or designer. I am so happy that now I can proudly say ‘I got this from ShopWtoo42’,” she said.

ShopWtoo42, she said, is trendy and targets the fashionista: “The sexy 20 something, 30 something and 40 something.”

“We also have cool casual wear but with an edge so you can transition easily to an outing.”

Wendi said she feels

proud that what simply started as creating a space to offer her merchandise and branded products is now a fully realised online boutique.

“This is not something that I saw myself doing, but it really does feel like a natural progression in my brand. I am lucky enough to have a platform, voice and audience, and many businesses have hired me to promote their products to my audience, especially

during the pandemic when so many eyes stayed locked on to social media. Light bulb moment for me... I can create a product (other than music) to present to my audience also,” she said.

And it seems fans of Wendi’s music are following her on her new adventure.

“My supporters are always so amazing when I bring out a new song or if I’m a part of a marketing campaign for a product or service, but I was particularly surprised by the

website hits in the first few days. I surpassed my projections, which of course is a good thing,” she said.

Juggling her various ventures and projects, she said, has been a tiring yet rewarding at the same time.

But Wendi is careful to take breaks in order to reenergise.

“I have five jobs. One of which is being a mother and a wife. I am happy and fortunate to have a strong

village to support all of my entrepreneurial ventures.

Without them, I would not be able to be the entrepreneur that I am today,” she said.

On top of all that, Wendi is also working on recording her very first album.

“I have already picked out tracks, have songwriters writing music and I know what direction I want this body of work to go in. Look out for my album by October 2021,” she said.

The true meaning of ‘simp’ A new derogatory term for men who are ‘too nice’ to women

By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

man who tends to be halfway decent to women in general.

This week, our female IN your travels around readers weighed in on the the internet and through term and whether “nice various social media, you guys” really do finish last. may have come across the “The fact that ‘simp’ word “simp”. You may is considered derogatory have even heard your kids annoys me. Like really, a or young family members man being nice to use it. And while a woman is a bad it’s just started ‘The fact thing? I mean, to really pervade that “simp” isn’t it the point popular culture, that you want the term is older is considered to meet, date than you may derogatory and eventual think. Rap lyrics annoys me. marry someone from the late who treats you 1980s and 1990s Like really, nicely,” said were already a man being Melinda. using the word.

“Hollywood nice to a But what does has done a lot woman is a it mean? to glamourise The word bad thing?’ the bad boy. You “simp” was origiknow he is always nally a slang flawed and he term for men who are treats the girl horribly, but extra attentive and nice to she still stays obsessed with women, purely in the hopes him. Meanwhile, her sweet of getting sexual attention. neighbour, lab partner or However, the term has whatever, who would treat recently evolved and is her like a princess because now used as a jab at any he genuinely has been in

love with her forever, gets to stay in the friend zone until the last three minutes of the movie when she finally catches sense.”

Mother-of-two Michelle admits that she had no idea what the term meant until her 11-year-old son brought it to her attention.

“We were just talking, and he was saying how one of his friends has a crush on a classmate and was also doing things for her like

carrying her stuff or buying her a snack at lunch. He was like, ‘He is such a simp’.”

Michelle said that led to an entire conversation about how young men should treat young ladies.

“I asked him why they were teasing his friend and he said that there was no reason to be nice to a girl if she didn’t like you back. So, I tried to explain to him that it was still important to be nice and

gentlemanly to women all the times, even if they don’t ‘like you’.”

Avery said men need to normalise displaying nice and decent behaviour for its own sake, and not just to get something in return.

“If a guy offers to be buy me lunch and I decide to accept, I shouldn’t have to feel that I have to give him some action in return, like get physical with me

because I spent one $20 on you at Bamboo.’ And it’s sleazy for guys to think that’s all they need to do,” she said.

On the other hand, Niecy feels men call other men “simps” because they themselves feel inadequate.

“I think it’s guys who know they aren’t just decent enough to do nice things for a woman who try to make fun of those who do,” she said.

PAGE 12, Tuesday, June 1, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Debutante queens are crowned AFTER preparing a group of girls to be polished, poised and officially presented to society, the Bahamas Debutante Foundation (BDF) crowned two ladies-in-waiting as debutantes of the year.

On May 16, 11-yearold Leandrea Chipman and 17-year-old Jada Fox became the most recent members of debutante royalty, having earned the titles of 2021 junior and senior debutante of the year, respectively.

“When they called my name, I was utterly shocked because I wasn’t expecting to get the award this year,” said Jada, senior debutante of the year and 12th grade student at St John’s College.

“I was already ready to start clapping for one of the other girls that were there and then when they called my name, I hesitated. Then I realised they were

waiting on me to go and get the award. Honestly, even when I came home hours after, I was just sitting there wondering ‘how did I get this award?’ I was just shocked, really.”

The high school senior, who describes herself as shy, said she wanted to join the programme to tap into a side of herself that she rarely gets to use.

“I guess you can say I don’t really look to be in the forefront of attention.

But I just wanted to build my confidence more and I also wanted to meet more people, get more perspectives and I wanted to find out more about other people’s lives and how I could do something in my own (life) to become better.”

BDF was not immune to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, having to, for the first time in its history, temporarily

VILDA CHIPMAN, BDF committee member, presents a plaque to Jada Fox, right, senior debutante of the year.

cancel its culminating hallmark – the father-daughter dance – along with other notable activities.

“It affected us in that we weren’t able to have the full amount (of participants), because every year, we usually have about 30 to 40 girls in the senior cohort and about 30, sometimes 35, juniors,” said BDF President and CEO Christina Johnson. “But this year, we had to keep it whereas we could house them in our meeting room and have social distancing. And then, we couldn’t have our ball for them to dance with their fathers; we couldn’t do our field trips. So, this year, we were only able to have a luncheon with the girls and one or both parents; we cut our session down to four months, as opposed to our usual six; and instead of having our meetings for two hours, we cut them down to one hour, so it affected us quite a bit.”

Ms Johnson, however, promised a more positive outlook for both winners.

“I talked about it with the committee, and I decided that we can’t let the COVID cause us to stop adding value to these girls’ lives. Life must go on and they still need the training in or out of COVID,” she said. “Although we didn’t have our ad booklet or any fundraisers this year, we gave (Jada and Leandrea) a promise note that at the end of August 2021 we will give them financial assistance towards their scholarships through upcoming fundraisers. We are also inviting them to join in on

JUNIOR Debutante of the Year Leandrea Chipman, right, receives her plaque from Bertina Johnson, BDF committee member.

next year’s session, via Zoom meetings, to catch up on things that they missed this time around,” she said.

Junior debutante winner Leandrea shared her excitement with being crowned and continuing a family tradition.

“I wanted to become a debutante because I wanted to develop myself into becoming a young lady and my mom was a debutante and my cousin was a debutante,” said the sixth-grade student at Thelma Gibson Primary.

“My favourite session was more of how to be a young lady in terms of how to sit properly and what to do if something drops on the floor.”

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the seniors were able to participate in a speech competition, and both Jada and Leandrea completed the programme feeling more self-confident, having gained new

friendships, and lifelong lessons.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought, interacting and socialising,” said Jada. “Just talking makes me kind of nervous and sometimes I feel like I talk too much, or I don’t say enough, so the experience was pretty good.

I liked learning about other people, their interests, and to see that they are not so different from me.”

Leandrea’s mother, Vilda Chipman, is proud of her daughter for persevering, especially during a pandemic, and encourages all young ladies, who have the opportunity, to be a part of BDF. “I can definitely see the benefits of this programme through Leandrea’s daily mannerisms and interactions,” said Chipman who is a past debutante and current committee member. “I believe that The Bahamas Debutante Foundation is

very relevant and important for young girls in the Bahamas because it helps them with their transition into society,” said Ms Chipman.

“Ms Johnson and her team have impacted so many lives over the years and it is my hope that they continue to do so for years to come.”

BDF, a non-profit organisation, was founded in 1997, by veteran creative arts teacher, dancer and performer Christina Johnson.

The aim of the foundation is to teach 12th grade girls (and now sixth-grade girls) everyday etiquette, and how to consistently be a better version of themselves.

Girls who are interested in joining BDF can speak to their school’s counsellor about applying. Parents can also contact Ms Johnson directly at 242-433-0921 or at debutantefoundation@ yahoo.com.

Young mother of two praises ‘impactful’ professional training ROSELYN Taylor believes in seizing great opportunities.

Hence, when the possibility for further training to sharpen her soft skills presented itself, her interest was immediately piqued.

“While scrolling on Facebook I saw an ad for Revive Academy and decided to look them up.

Upon further investigation, I saw that a free soft skills training course was being offered. I immediately signed up and awaited the start date of the programme,” said Roselyn.

The comprehensive four-week programme ­ – developed and delivered by the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institution (BTVI) – is being conducted in conjunction with Revive Academy and the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP). It includes, but is not limited to, topics such as communication skills, resume writing, social netiquette,

ROSELYN Taylor was part of the first cohort of the Citizen Security and Justice Programme. problem solving, time management, critical thinking, personal branding and job search skills.

Roselyn, a wife and mother of two, was a part of the first cohort of the programme had 135 participants who successfully completed. To date, 249 participants have completed the programme.

“I had the opportunity to meet a lot of amazing

people through the programme and I feel very fortunate to have heard some of their stories. I think I’ve learned a few life lessons that will stick with me. Our time was short, four weeks, but very impactful. Mr Uel Johnson was an excellent instructor, who went above and beyond to ensure that we all passed his class,” said Roselyn.

“What made him such a great instructor was his desire to share his knowledge and experiences with his students. He always seemed to find a way to make the lessons relatable and enjoyable. I think he went above and beyond, sacrificing some of his Saturdays to accommodate students that missed his class through the week,” she stated.

Students participated in blended learning modalities, accessing BTVI’s virtual learning platforms along with in-person classes stationed at the Ministry of National Security’s community centers, namely the Edmund Moxey, Quakoo Street and Fox Hill centers.

Questioned as to the importance of soft skills for the workplace and in one’s personal life, the former private school administrative worker described them as an asset.

“It’s a combination of

people skills and social skills. Soft skills will also help you to develop your character and give you the tools to thrive in any work environment. Now that I’ve completed the soft skills program, I see a dire need for it here in Nassau. I hope that more people see the importance of soft skills and sharpening them before applying for a job. I know that I am not alone in saying that customer service is not important in many establishments and that needs to change,” said Roselyn.

The goal is for there to be 1,000 beneficiaries of the free programme managed by the Ministry of National Security and funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Heading the soft skills program at BTVI is Dean of Student Services Racquel Bethel.

Meanwhile, Roselyn is one of the 75 percent of the

135 successful participants who signed up to return to BTVI. The former CC Sweeting High School and Atlantic Interactive School of Learning student, has her sights on becoming a licenced skin care specialist. She wants to run a medical spa and is hoping to attend BTVI to study Esthetics as of fall 2021 on the government tuition grant.

“I have found some peace throughout all of the uncertainties that came with the pandemic.

I am more motivated and hungry for success than I’ve ever been,” she said.

In the interim, Roselyn is grateful for the soft skills training she received.

“I would encourage anyone with free time on their hands to make use of this free training course because it will not only help you land a job, it will also give you the skills to keep a job,” she concluded.

Tanisha inspired by tragedy on new heartfelt song

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net

INSPIRED by a special kind of heartbreak that only a woman can truly experience, Tanisha Sweeting has a released a song as a homage to loss and letting go.

The idea behind the song, “A Single Pale Rose”, Tanisha explained to Tribune Woman, came from a short story she once read about a woman who was pregnant with a baby girl and named her Rose. Tragedy struck and the woman suffered a miscarriage.

“The song was based on a fictional story, but it pulls from actual experiences of a few women I’ve spoken with. I didn’t set out to write a song about child loss, but

TANISHA SWEETING it kind of just happened. I heard the phrase, ‘a single pale rose’ years back and I always thought it was so beautiful. I never really understood the meaning, so I decided to give it a new

one,” she said.

Tanisha, who is also a businesswoman owner of the startups Kismet Spa and Trinkets, said she is now more than ever focused on her music.

“I’ve been singing and writing music since I was 14. I’ve been playing guitar and ukulele for about seven years, and I’ve recently been signed with a local record label called Savage 100. A few years ago, I released my first EP called ‘My Point of View’.

And right now, I’m working on a new album called ‘Honestly’, expected to be released later this year,” she said.

There is also a music video to accompany her new song, “A Single Pale Rose”.

She said the concept for the music video is one that she’s had in mind since first penning the lyrics.

She visualised what the pain of losing a child might look like. In the video, she said, she wanted to

illustrate how hard it is to let go of the “what might have been” when it comes to that kind of loss. Tanisha said the shooting locations were perfectly chosen by her production team, the Savage 100 crew and Tony Williams Media.

“They all really did a great job in capturing the depth and realism of the idea,” she said.

So far, she said, the public has responding wonderfully to her new project.

“The feedback has been entirely positive and encouraging. Those that choose to comment and share seem to really love the story it tells. The release of the video felt a bit unofficial because I originally wanted to have a release party, but I knew that would be difficult to

safely organise. However, the online interactions have definitely made up for it,” she said.

But Tanisha is not one to rest on her laurels and is already working on a new project.

“I am releasing an acoustic album sometime this year, and we may be working on another music video for a different song from the album, but this one will be much more lighthearted and hopefully a lot more fun,” she said.

Fans can connect with Tanisha on social media on Instagram at ‘Iriss_t’ for live performances, event updates and temporary music releases, and and find her music on all streaming platforms and on the Tanisha Sweeting YouTube channel.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 1, 2021, PAGE 13

BODY AND MIND

Energy Fitness celebrates five years of personalised training

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

PERSONAL trainer Regina Smith, above, and, pictured below at work.

SHORTLY before it’s fifth anniversary, Energy Fitness Bahamas evolved in an unexpected and unplanned way. The centre had to embrace virtual fitness during the pandemic, which has resulted in helping a wider cross section of Bahamians maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Owner Regina Smith said she is looking ahead to what the next five years will bring.

“We are celebrating this milestone by recovering, restoring and concentrating on a more focused business model,” she told Tribune Health.

Regina is the lead personal trainer and owner of Energy Fitness Bahamas Limited. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Dance Pedagogy with a minor in exercise science and business administration.

Additionally, she holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration, certifications in personal training, TRX, barre method, indoor cycling, and beginner, intermediate and advance certifications in the Stott Pilates Method.

Regina has been an active

individual throughout her life, starting in childhood and continuing in her high school and college years.

As an adult, and after working several years in the field, she recognised the need in the Bahamas for a specialised fitness centre.

“I loved personal training and teaching Pilates. I saw that there was a need in the market for a more personalised approach as it relates to fitness. Everyone was doing bootcamps, outdoor fitness programmes, CrossFit or some hybrid form of it. But there was no one, or very few trainers that were interested in working one-on-one with clients or small groups.

There was an opportunity also, to not only work with the average fitness enthusiast, but also with injuries and special populations. I’ve found that over the years that’s where my passion lies. Working specifically with injuries and special populations. I love programming and creating progressive programmes for clients whether their goals are daily functional movement or athletic in nature,” she said.

One way Energy Fitness has been able to maintain its reach during the pandemic was by relying solely on its

virtual platform at times.

“That’s something we didn’t explore until just before the pandemic and I’m so glad we did! It’s what kept us going during the entire pandemic. We were very strategic. We were able to offer most of our products to our clients on the virtual platform. Post pandemic it’s opened up a whole new world for us and many clients are happy with doing virtual and in studio sessions and classes,” she said.

Getting to year five with her fitness centre has challenged Regina in ways she couldn’t have imagined at the onset, she said. The challenges over the years, however, have built “strong muscles”, she said.

“It’s confirms to me that I am exactly where God wants me to be in this industry at this particular time in my life. Energy doesn’t have revolving door clients. We have clients that we’ve helped, progressed and that thoroughly enjoy the fitness/movement experience that we provide for them. My teammates and I have clients that we’ve worked with since we opened our doors. That speaks to the quality of our services and customer loyalty,” she said.

Colorectal cancer screening at 45 instead of 50 - it’s no fun, but it’s worth it

By FRANKLIN G BERGER Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina

COLORECTAL cancer screenings should begin at age 45 instead of 50, according to the panel that sets guidelines for preventive screenings in the US. The US Preventive Services Task Force on May 18, 2021, officially recommended lowering the age recommendation because of an increase in colorectal cancer among young adults by almost 15 percent in about a 15-year period.

As a research scientist and an advocate for people with colorectal cancer, I am particularly excited over this change. Along with a 2020 federal law that changed reimbursement to make sure the cost of a screening colonoscopy is fully covered by Medicare, this development will likely save lives.

A deadly disease Colorectal cancer remains a major source of cancer incidence and mortality worldwide. The American Cancer Society recently estimated that in 2021 there will be 149,500 new cases of colorectal cancer and 52,980 deaths in the US alone. This places the disease fourth highest in cancer incidence and second highest in mortality in the country. Only lung cancer claims more lives from cancer in the US. In addition, African Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease and to die from it.

And yet colorectal cancer is among the most preventable of cancers. Over the past three decades, timely screening and removal of

ACTOR Will Smith vlogged his colonoscopy. precancerous lesions, called polyps, before they progress to cancer have contributed to sustained decreases in colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. So progress is being made, but we have a way to go.

In 2000, President Bill Clinton dedicated March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, indicating that “our most effective weapon in defeating colorectal cancer is early detection and treatment.” Each year, survivors, patients, medical providers, researchers and advocates collectively disseminate knowledge of colorectal cancer and its prevention to the general population, promoting awareness and action that will reduce the toll of this highly preventable disease.

Alarming trend in young adults For quite some time, national guidelines recommended that colorectal cancer screening begin at the age of 50, when risk of the disease starts to climb markedly.

However, in recent years, researchers and

physicians have observed that the incidence of colorectal cancer is increasing in people under age 50. Until now, screening has generally not been recommended for those under 50 unless major symptoms occur.

Those of us who study the disease do not fully understand the reasons behind this increase, but there is growing concern among doctors, researchers and, of course, patients and their families. This concern led to reconsideration of screening guidelines. In October 2020, the United States Preventive Services Task Force conducted a comprehensive and in-depth evaluation. It recommended that adults ages 45-49 be screened for colorectal cancer, bringing the task force in line with what the American Cancer Society recommended in 2018.

The panel’s decision this week serves as an official update to recommendations it last made in 2016.

The Affordable Care Act mandates that colorectal cancer screening follow these guidelines, and that private insurers and Medicare cover approved

screening tests with no copayments.

Now, adults ages 45-49, who are increasingly vulnerable to colorectal cancer, will become eligible for insurance that fully covers screening.

Getting rid of surprise payments The second development concerns Medicare coverage of screening colonoscopies. While Medicare must cover colorectal cancer screening with no copayments, a copayment is charged if a polyp or other tissue is found and removed during a colonoscopy. The rationale for this has been that removal of tissue is considered a diagnostic, rather than a screening, procedure.

This distinction has led to patients’ being surprised with a copayment they weren’t expecting. Thus, Medicare patients undergoing colonoscopy think that they are fully covered, only to be confused by being billed for a copayment after the procedure had been carried out.

This has been deemed

unacceptable by medical providers and public health advocates, who view removal of precancerous lesions to be an integral part of the screening process. In all, this situation, known as the Medicare loophole, has become a barrier to preventive colonoscopy in an older population that is at high risk of colorectal cancer.

After many years of advocacy and lobbying around this issue by organizations such as Fight Colorectal Cancer and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the loophole was finally closed in December 2020, when Congress passed, and President Trump signed, the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2020. This act, part of the COVID-19 Economic Relief Bill, requires the waiving of coinsurance charges associated with colorectal cancer screening tests, regardless of whether tissue is removed during the test. It will be phased in during an eight-year period beginning in 2022.

The future of colorectal cancer screening President Biden, in a proclamation to the nation on March 1, encouraged “all citizens, government agencies, private businesses, nonprofit organisations and other groups to join in activities that will increase awareness and prevention of colorectal cancer.” The new screening guidelines will help make that happen in the future.

A number of effective options for colorectal cancer screening were approved under the new guidelines.

These include tests that look for the presence of blood or specific DNA biomarkers in fecal samples, and visualisation tests that

directly examine the inner lining of the colon and allow removal of tumors or precancerous lesions.

New technologies are emerging that should make screening easier and more effective. For example, liquid biopsies involve analysis of easily obtained bodily fluids, such as blood or urine. Doctors may soon to able to isolate and analyze cells or DNA that come from tumors and that are present within the bloodstream.

Also, molecules in urine may be potentially important as biomarkers for detection of colorectal lesions.

Though the utility of technologies such as these is still under study, it is clear that in the near future we should witness the appearance of simpler, more accessible and more sensitive tests for colorectal cancer. It is important to note, however, that these noninvasive tests must be followed up by a colonoscopy if anything of concern is noted.

People of all ages need to be aware of risk factors for colorectal cancer, of symptoms that may be indicative of the disease, and of strategies and guidelines for screening and prevention.

Talk to your doctor and your insurance provider about colorectal cancer and its prevention. And make sure you are aware of the recent changes in screening guidelines. The more you know, the better.

• This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com

PAGE 14, Tuesday, June 1, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Stimulation of ankle nerve can prevent frequent urination OVERACTIVE bladder and urinary incontinence/leak affects thousands of Bahamian men, women and children.

It is characterised by the frequent urge to urinate that cannot be delayed, by frequent voiding, frequent nocturia – nighttime urination – and urge urinary incontinence/leak.

Overactive bladder may be characterised by the involuntary contractions of the bladder when the bladder is not full, with a false sense of urinary urgency leading to frequent urination.

Men, women and children may experience frequent urination due to several potential causes.

Any patient seen by an urologist for frequent urinary frequency and/or urinary incontinence will be exhaustively evaluated to determine the root cause of their overactive bladder and then the subsequent treatment of that root cause.

Conditions that may lead to overactive bladder symptoms include urinary tract infections, diabetes, neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, and bladder abnormalities such as bladder stones or tumors.

Incomplete bladder emptying may lead to overactive bladder symptoms such in the case of an obstructive prostate in men or organ prolapse, uterine fibroids and pregnancy in women.

The urge and frequent need to urinate often sadly controls the lives of sufferers of overactive bladder.

Bladder function is regulated by a group of nerves at the base of the spine, the sacral nerve plexus.

Stimulating these nerves through gentle pain free stimulation can significantly reduce overactive bladder symptoms.

Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) is a proven

FDA approved innovative neuromodulation technique used in most First World countries to effectively treat overactive bladder. It involves stimulating the tibial nerve at the back of the ankle with a painless acupuncture type sterile fine micro needle connected to a painless low voltage emitting electrode, that stimulates the lower back sacral nerves that control bladder and pelvic floor function.

This non-surgical electrical stimulation is provided within the urologist office in outpatient procedures.

The advantages of PTNS are that it is an office procedure with rare side effects, and it allows patients to be free of daily medications like anticholinergics that may have multiple negative side effects. PTNS provides sustained highly effective relief of overactive bladder symptoms for up to 12 months.

The improvement in the quality of life of an overactive bladder suffer can be profoundly positive with the treatment of posterior tibial nerve stimulation.

Overactive bladder and urge

urinary incontinence are traditionally treated with firstly behavioural modifications and medications, primarily anticholinergic medications that unfortunately have many side effects such as dry mouth and constipation, and dementia in the elderly.

A newer drug, Mirabegron, is efficacious in treating overactive bladder, with few side effects, but is it is an expensive medication.

Minimally invasive bladder scoping with Botox bladder injections is a very well tolerated management for overactive bladder that provides effective relief for an average period of 12 months.

The innovative minimally invasive procedures of both PTNS and

bladder Botox Instillations are readily available in the Bahamas through Urology Care Bahamas.

Do not let your bladder control your life and rob you of your happiness.

Modern advances in urology are readily available in the Bahamas with the potential of having an overactive bladder sufferer void urine every four to six hours instead of every 15 minutes.

It could potentially change your life from darkness to light.

Do not let embarrassment or fear keep you from seeking treatment for your bladder issues. You are far from alone; over 33 million Americans suffer from overactive bladder.

Confidential, compassionate

STIMULATING the tibial nerve at the back of the ankle with a painless acupuncture type fine micro needle can help with an overactive bladder. and comprehensive advanced modern urology care awaits you.

• Dr Greggory Pinto is a boardcertified Bahamian urologist and laparoscopic surgeon. He has trained in Germany, South Africa and France, and is a member of the European Association of Urology.

He can be contacted at OakTree Medical Center, #2 Fifth Terrace & Mount Royal Avenue. Telephone: (242) 322-1145 (6) (7); e-mail: welcome@urologycarebahamas.com, or visit the website:www.urologycarebahamas.com.

Women urged to take action regarding their health DR Shamanique Bodie-Williams

TOO many women spend their time caring for others but not themselves, said obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr Shamanique Bodie-Williams.

For International Day of Action for Women’s Health on Friday, May 28, she urged women to be proactive and advocate for their own health.

“We are so busy we forget our own health, which is vital for us to be able to maintain the life and the lifestyle that we want,” said the author of Being Breast Aware and Progression: A female adolescent and parent’s guide to gynecological health.

“We need to find our voice.

We need to educate ourselves about what our health needs

are as women and how to go about addressing these health needs.”

While women serve as caregivers to their children, partners, and even parents, they can be in the dark when it comes to their own health.

In some cases, that could be because they lack money, time or know-how to access the health care system.

“We have to educate ourselves about what is available in our country so that if you need to utilise the healthcare system you know where to go and who to go to. Find a good healthcare provider and then let them be your key to help you navigate the health care system,” advised Dr BodieWilliams, who works as a consultant physician in Grand Bahama’s public health system and sees private patients at the Medical Pavilion in Freeport and at the Bahamas Women’s Wellness Centre in Nassau.

She noted that some women aren’t utilising the free health maintenance screening

provided in their private insurance plan.

“Usually it covers a physical exam, a pap test, a mammogram and some blood work so I would definitely recommend women start there,” said Dr Bodie-Williams.

“For the uninsured there are two options to access healthcare. NHI has come on-stream providing primary care services for comprehensive exams and health tests. For those not on NHI they still have public clinics they can access with issues and then they can get into the system if they have a particular health issue.”

Dr Bodie-Williams noted the importance of women assessing their personal risk factors for disease, adopting lifestyle changes to reduce them and not put off seeing a doctor until their symptoms are severe.

“It’s not uncommon for women to wait until it’s too late and then they are trying to play catch up. There are some things as women we have control over. We have control over what we eat. We

have control over how much we exercise. We have control over being able to know what’s happening with our bodies and recognising when there is a problem.”

Since its inaugural launch in 1987, May 28 has been recognised as the International Day of Action for Women’s Health by several governments, various international agencies and multiple civil society organizations around the world, according to the commemorative website.

Each year focusing on a particular topic related to women’s health. This year, it is sexual and reproductive health and rights including family planning, sexual health screening and access to care.

“It’s not just about educating today’s woman but also the adolescents, the women of tomorrow, so they can understand what their reproductive health should look like and what it entails to stay in tip top shape to put their health first so they can function at their optimum level.”

Cancer Centre reaccredited for four more years THE Cancer Centre Bahamas has been reaccredited for another four-year term by the American College of Radiation Oncology Accreditation (ACRO Accreditation).

Dr Conville Brown announced the news of the accreditation, which he said showed patients they can expect “true high-quality care”.

Since 1995, ACRO Accreditation has offered a voluntary programme to radiation oncology practices to ensure the highest quality of care.

The objective is to ascertain that equipment, staff, policies, procedures and treatment programmes

meet accepted standards of modern-day radiation therapy delivered in the US. Each practice is examined for quality and efficiency of patient care, as well as appropriateness of radiation therapy equipment, professional performance and staffing levels. Accreditation is awarded to practices meeting these performance standards.

Dr Brown said: “ACRO carried out an in-depth review of our practice consisting of an online medical chart review by disease site specific team members as well as an on-site review by a medical physicist and an administrative surveyor.

“We were awarded full accreditation by ACRO

which expires July 31, 2023.

“The Cancer Centre Bahamas underwent this process because we are committed to ensuring the highest standard of care for our patients. Receiving this comprehensive overview from our peers reaffirms this commitment, and it allows us to show our patients that they can expect true highquality care at The Cancer Centre Bahamas.”

The centre at the Medical Pavilion Bahamas remains the only ACRO Accredited cancer centre outside North America that provides for all cancer needs - screening diagnostic, medical, surgical, paediatric and radiation oncology treatment all under one roof.

THE CANCER Centre Bahamas support, technical and clinical team members.

PAGE 20, Tuesday, June 1, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Sarkis battle sucks in Baha Mar owner ‘TOO MUCH FOR THE TAXPAYER TO BEAR’ FROM PAGE 24

assets to Perfect Luck, a Chinese entity owned by Export-Import Bank of China.

“Perfect Luck thereafter re-engaged defendants as construction manager, awarded them lucrative work packages, and attempted to amend the contracts that had originally governed the parties’ relationship. Perfect Luck’s documents are therefore material to defendants’ intentional and knowing conduct to remove plaintiff from the project and attempt to strip plaintiff of its rights to the benefit of defendants.”

Communications between Perfect Luck and Baha Mar’s provisional liquidators; receiver-managers; and its China Export-Import Bank owner are Mr Izmirlian’s targets, along with details on the revisions made to the construction contract with CCA after Mr Izmirlian was removed as the project’s developer.

CTFE’s attorneys, alleging that this breaches the agreement with Mr Izmirlian, reveal in their letter that the latter initiated legal proceedings in the Delaware Superior Court in October 25, 2019, to obtain documents and files from both its US and Bahamian affiliates

- including Perfect Luck and Baha Mar’s immediate owner, CTF BM Holding Ltd. The two sides ultimately engaged in “cordial and productive” negotiations whereby CTFE’s Delaware subsidiary “caused the Baha Mar affiliates to produce substantial files to BML Properties, plus other data”.

“A condition of the signed agreement, which is governed by Delaware law, was that BML Properties would not seek document discovery in any forum (including in The Bahamas) from the CTF Baha Mar affiliates that had been requested in the Delaware subpoena,” CTFE’s attorneys wrote.

“In recognition that CTF Delaware had complied with the agreement, BML Properties voluntarily dismissed with prejudice the Superior Court action governing the Delaware subpoena on February 2, 2021.” However, Mr Izmirlian then sought judicial assistance from The Bahamas on April 4, 2021, barely two months later.

“The proposed letter rogatory, if endorsed, would request assistance from The Bahamas’ courts to obtain discovery from Perfect Luck – a CTF Baha Mar affiliate – on issues covered by the Delaware subpoena.

It is CTF Delaware’s

position that, in filing this request, BML Properties directly breached the agreement with CTF Delaware,” CTFE’s attorneys wrote.

After Mr Izmirlian and his attorneys allegedly refused to withdraw their judicial assistance request, CTFE’s Delaware subsidiary initiated legal action in the US state’s chancery court on May 25, 2021, seeking “temporary, preliminary and permanent injunctive relief against BML Properties for breach of the agreement.”

CTFE’s attorneys, stating that they were acting to bring the matter to the New York court’s attention, said: “This includes a request for an injunction restraining BML Properties from pursuing the proposed letter rogatory and/or requesting any other information from Perfect Luck that was previously sought by BML Properties from CTF Delaware in the Delaware subpoena.....

“CTF Delaware has moved for expedited treatment of its claim and for a temporary restraining order against BML Properties.”

The disclosure of the deepening legal battle between Baha Mar’s current owner and original developer emerged just as Mr Izmirlian earned another preliminary legal victory over CCA.

FROM PAGE 24

is also cost containment, just watching the pennies.”

Mr Turnquest declined to expand on what cost containment might require.

While many have argued that Bahamasair should have long been privatised or shut down, given the half-a-billion-dollar plus drain it has imposed on the Public Treasury during its existence, successive governments have justified its existence on the basis of the airline opening up new tourist markets and providing key Family Island connectivity on unprofitable routes commercial carriers will not touch.

The Bahamasair chairman, meanwhile, said the national flag carrier was responding to “increased bookings” on its US routes as well as adding flights to domestic destinations such as Abaco, Exuma and Eleuthera.

“We’re seeing a good

uptick in Fort Lauderdale,” Mr Turnquest said, “so much so we’ve added an early morning flight that’s post-cleared. We leave at 7.30am in the morning before US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) open. We were doing that into Miami two times a week, and we’ve increased that to Fort Lauderdale as summer bookings look strong.

“We have a big hole to climb out of, but we’re going to give it the old college try. The government is still providing a substantial subvention, and we’re big in the hole. There’s no sense in trying to run around that. We’re deep in the hole. We’re still reliant on the government to survive.

“We’re issuing our summer schedule on June 13. That schedule is still only 70 percent of the 2019 summer schedule. We just have to make the most of what we could. We’re trying to be as aggressive as we can in terms of Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, which are popular Bahamian travel destinations, and increasing routes into Miami.”

Mr Turnquest said Bahamasair plans to fly into Miami three times per day on summer weekends, with flights in the early morning, midday and afternoon, while also servicing Fort Lauderdale multiple times and going into Fort Lauderdale multiple times.

“We’ve had some discussions with the local operators in Marsh

Harbour, and have increased the frequency with West Palm Beach, which is going quite well,” he added. “We’ll go into Marsh Harbour and West Palm Beach four times a week. We’re making the most of what we have. It’s not all doom and gloom.”

The Bahamasair chairman said that while the national flag carrier was “watching closely” the possibility of providing airlift to Royal Caribbean’s and Crystal Cruises’ home porting passengers, but added: “They’re not as strong as we want them to be, but don’t want to pass judgment yet, so we’re watching that.”

And Mr Turnquest said The Bahamas’ ban on travel to Haiti, as well as Cuba’s COVID-19 restrictions, continue to deprive Bahamasair of some of its higher margin routes. “The ban on Haiti flights, those yields were very good,” he explained. “We’re not seeing those, and and in Cuba we’ve been reduced to one flight every two weeks as opposed to six times a week. They were both very high yield routes in terms of our fares.

“We went into Haiti twice a week, once to Port-au-Prince and once to Cap Haitien. They’ve been suspended. We were going into Havana, Holguin and Santa Clara all twice a week, but that’s been cancelled because of the Cuban government other than flying into Havana once every second Monday.”

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL The Public is hereby advised that I, Michelle Chevon Rolle of the Southern District of the Island of New Providence, The Bahamas the mother of JAMAL ONEIL MARQUISE ROLLE, a minor, intend to change his name to JAMAL ONEIL MARQUISE SPENCE. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O.Box N-742, Nassau, N.P., Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com

MONDAY, 31 MAY 2021

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX:

CLOSE

CHANGE

1951.20

2.83

%CHANGE

YTD

YTD%

0.15 -141.26

-6.75

(242) 323-2330 (242) 323-2320

BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 5.20 33.05 1.50 2.90 1.78 6.00 6.96 3.60 6.00 4.01 6.16 12.00 2.75 7.50 10.71 9.01 14.60 4.25 8.97 16.00

52WK LOW 3.13 22.65 1.46 1.62 1.44 5.00 6.00 2.70 4.25 2.75 5.00 9.75 2.10 4.90 9.50 8.00 13.00 3.42 8.00 15.20

PREFERENCE SHARES 1.00

1.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 10.00 0.90

SECURITY AML Foods Limited APD Limited Benchmark Bahamas First Holdings Limited Bank of Bahamas Bahamas Property Fund Bahamas Waste Cable Bahamas Commonwealth Brewery Commonwealth Bank Colina Holdings CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank Consolidated Water BDRs Doctor's Hospital Emera Incorporated Famguard Fidelity Bank Bahamas Limited Focol Finco J. S. Johnson

SYMBOL AML APD BBL BFH BOB BPF BWL CAB CBB CBL CHL CIB CWCB DHS EMAB FAM FBB FCL FIN JSJ

LAST CLOSE 5.20 32.12 1.50 2.61 1.44 6.00 6.96 3.53 4.27 2.89 5.95 9.75 2.46 7.00 11.44 9.01 14.00 3.99 8.19 15.50

CLOSE 5.49 32.12 1.50 2.61 1.44 6.00 6.96 3.53 4.27 2.89 5.95 9.75 2.46 7.35 11.40 9.01 14.00 3.99 8.19 15.50

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

SYMBOL FBB22 BFHB

LAST SALE 100.00 100.00

CLOSE 100.00 100.00

CHANGE 0.00 0.00

BAH29 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0307 BG0330 BG0407 BSBGRS650227 BSBGR1271398 BSBGRS870288

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.88 100.00 100.86

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.88 100.00 100.86

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Bahamas First Holdings Preference Cable Bahamas Series 6 Cable Bahamas Series 8 Cable Bahamas Series 9 Cable Bahamas Series 10 Colina Holdings Class A Fidelity Bank Bahamas Class A Focol Class B

BFHP CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA FBBA FCLB

CORPORATE DEBT - (percentage pricing) 52WK HI 100.00 100.00

52WK LOW 100.00 100.00

115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00 100.88 100.00 100.66

104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.88 100.00 100.66

SECURITY Fidelity Bank (Note 22 Series B+) Bahamas First Holdings Limited

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing) Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BGS: 2014-12-7Y BGS: 2015-1-7Y BGS: 2014-12-30Y BGS: 2015-1-30Y BGS: 2015-6-7Y BGS: 2015-6-30Y BGS: 2015-10-7Y BGRS FL BSBGR650227 BGRS FX BGR127139 BGRS FL BSBGR870288

CHANGE 0.29 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.35 (0.04) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

VOLUME 1,050

1,500

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

EPS$ 0.239 0.932 0.000 0.110 0.070 1.760 0.369 -0.438 0.140 0.184 0.449 0.722 0.102 0.467 0.646 0.728 0.816 0.203 0.939 0.631 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

VOLUME

DIV$ 0.170 1.260 0.020 0.030 0.000 0.000 0.260 0.000 0.000 0.120 0.220 0.720 0.434 0.060 0.328 0.240 0.540 0.120 0.200 0.610 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

P/E 23.0 34.5 N/M N/M N/M N/M 18.9 -8.1 30.5 15.7 13.3 13.5 24.1 15.7 17.6 12.4 17.2 19.7 8.7 24.6

YIELD 3.10% 3.92% 1.33% 1.15% 0.00% 0.00% 3.74% 0.00% 0.00% 4.15% 3.70% 7.38% 17.64% 0.82% 2.88% 2.66% 3.86% 3.01% 2.44% 3.94%

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 6.25% 7.00% 6.50%

INTEREST Prime + 1.75% 6.25%

19-Oct-2022 30-Sep-2025

6.95% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.50% 6.25% 4.25% 4.66% 5.00% 4.33%

20-Nov-2029 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2022 6-Sep-2022 15-Jan-2039 26-Apr-2028

MATURITY

MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI 2.43 4.44 2.16 202.18 190.86 1.69 1.81 1.78 1.16 8.58 10.26 7.35 14.59 12.84 10.31 10.00 10.43 14.89

52WK LOW 2.11 3.30 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.67 1.73 1.75 1.03 6.41 7.62 5.66 8.65 10.54 9.57 9.88 8.45 11.20

FUND CFAL Bond Fund CFAL Balanced Fund CFAL Money Market Fund CFAL Global Bond Fund CFAL Global Equity Fund Leno Financial Conservative Fund Leno Financial Aggressive Fund Leno Financial Balanced Fund Leno Financial Global Bond Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Secured Balanced Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Targeted Equity Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Prime Income Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Equities Sub Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - High Yield Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Alternative Strategies Fund Colonial Bahamas Fund Class D Colonial Bahamas Fund Class E Colonial Bahamas Fund Class F

NAV 2.43 4.44 2.16 202.18 190.86 1.69 1.75 1.76 1.03 8.58 10.14 7.35 14.59 12.64 9.99 N/A 10.43 14.89

YTD% 12 MTH% 1.47% 4.26% 0.20% 0.87% 0.95% 2.82% 0.14% 5.02% 3.25% 31.13% 0.91% 0.68% -2.55% -3.02% -0.27% -0.27% -2.20% -7.62% 1.14% 4.22% 1.09% 3.04% 1.01% 4.65% 4.93% 42.27% -1.56% 0.80% -0.60% -4.90% N/A N/A 3.00% 25.60% 7.90% 48.70%

NAV Date

30-Apr-2021 30-Apr-2021 30-Apr-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 30-Apr-2021 30-Apr-2021 30-Apr-2021 30-Apr-2021 28-Mar-2021 28-Mar-2021 28-Mar-2021 28-Mar-2021 28-Mar-2021 28-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021

MARKET TERMS

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX - 19 Dec 02 = 1,000.00

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price

52wk-Hi - Highest closing price in last 52 weeks

Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity

52wk-Low - Lowest closing price in last 52 weeks

Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity

Previous Close - Previous day's weighted price for daily volume

Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price

Today's Close - Current day's weighted price for daily volume

Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week

Change - Change in closing price from day to day

EPS $ - A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mths

Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today

NAV - Net Asset Value

DIV $ - Dividends per share paid in the last 12 months

N/M - Not Meaningful

P/E - Closing price divided by the last 12 month earnings

TO TRADE CALL: CFAL 242-502-7010 | ROYALFIDELITY 242-356-7764 | CORALISLE 242-502-7525 | LENO 242-396-3225 | BENCHMARK 242-326-7333

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that JULENOR PIERRE of Main Street, Spanish Wells, Eleuthera, P.O. Box N-4334, Nassau, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 26th day of May, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that JENICKAH LOUIS, of 42 Aberdeen Drive, South Bahamia, Freeport, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 25th day of May 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that CASSANDRA DORJEAN, of Nassau Village, Alexandria Blvd, New Providence, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 1st day of June 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 1, 2021, PAGE 21

serious attempts or efforts to pay” this sum by Ms Gomez, who subsequently moved to set aside the default judgment on February 2, 2021 - almost four years after it was obtained

by BAF. Justice Charles said the key to determining Ms Gomez’s application was whether it had any real prospects of success or “does the defence have some degree of conviction”. She noted that the attorney made “no admission” in response to BAF’s claim that the mortgage was secured on two real estate parcels described as the Civic Industrial Property and the Bahamia Property.

While confirming that she was instructed by BAF, Ms Gomez argued that “it was an implied term of the contract for legal services between BAF and herself that BAF would inform her of any steps it intended to take so as to enable her to protect BAF’s interest by rendering advice in respect of the intended actions connected to its intended mortgage”. She also argued that the insurer failed to pay her the agreed $17,236.

Damian Gomez QC, defending Ms Gomez, argued that BAF was instead the one that was negligent in advancing the $640,000 loan despite being aware of Scotiabank (Bahamas) pre-existing mortgage over the same real estate parcel. As a result, BAF “assumed the risk” and consequences if the contractor and its principals defaulted on payments to the bank.

Mr Gomez also argued that BAF’s action was statute-barred by the Limitation Act, on the basis that the insurer’s legal action was launched more than six years after the October 2008 mortgage loan was executed.

“In written submissions, Mr Gomez argues that BAF was negligent in failing to have the mortgage stamped and recorded. He maintains that attorney Gomez’s firm did not receive payment from either BAF or the other defendants for the stamping and recording of the mortgage,” Justice Charles recorded.

“The subsequent Scotiabank foreclosure exercise had nothing to do with her

alleged failure to stamp and record BAF’s mortgage deed but BAF’s own negligence. Mr Gomez further submits that, on the admissions of BAF by pleadings and affidavits, it must fail in showing a cause of action in negligence and that BAF’s claim against attorney Gomez ought to be properly struck out.”

Mr Gomez also argued that BAF had failed to show it had suffered damage as a result of Ms Gomez’s alleged inactions or actions.

However, Justice Charles dismissed the Limitation Act argument by finding that BAF was well within the timeframe to bring an action because it only became aware the Williams’ had sold the Bahamia property when the conveyance was recorded on February 21, 2012.

And, given that BAF only realised that Ms Gomez had failed to have its mortgage security stamped and recorded when this event occurred, Justice Charles said it could not be accused of being “contributorily negligent” to its own fate.

“In addition, says Ms Roker, attorney Gomez simply did not discharge her duty as a reasonable and prudent attorney acting on behalf of BAF to have the security perfected. To date, she has failed and/or refused to forward original documents and has offered no excuses for the same,” Justice Charles wrote.

“In fact, in a letter to BAF dated October 24, 2008, she acknowledged that once the mortgage is stamped and recorded, it will represent a valid and enforceable security. Yet she failed to do so and now attributes culpability at the feet of BAF when, effectively, it is the other way around. She was attorney acting on behalf of BAF.” Justice Charles said Ms Gomez’s claim not to have been paid the $17,236 was contradicted by a “statement of account” note signed by a Sandra Stewart from her law firm, and bearing the stamp “paid”, which was addressed to the Williams’ on October 24, 2008.

The same sum was involved.

The judge added that near four-year delay in seeking to overturn the default judgment was an aggravating factor that further influenced her decision not to set it aside.

feedback calling for more time to facilitate transactions involving government bonds.

These hours take effect 1 June 2021.

Bahamas Government Registered Stock (BRS) began trading over BISX on 9 July, 2020, adding $3.6bn in market capitalisation and 220 instruments to the exchange.

Keith Davies, BISX’s chief executive, said: “We are excited to take this next step in the continued evolution of the exchange. This does

represent a milestone and marker of the continued maturity of our market. We are appreciative to all of our partners in the Bahamian capital markets for helping us achieve this including our BISX members, our listed issuers, the Central Bank of The Bahamas and the Ministry of Finance.”

The extended trading hours will be effective for all securities listed and traded on BISX.

Attorney fails to overturn $640k loan ‘negligence’ FROM PAGE 24 had breached its contract with her by not paying the promised $17,236, while arguing that the insurer was responsible for failing to pay the Stamp Duty and recording fees required to perfect its mortgage loan security.

Kendal Williams Construction Company, according to Tribune Business records, was one of the first 13 delinquent Bank of The Bahamas’ borrowers to be transferred to the government-created bailout vehicle, Bahamas Resolve.

Yet, apart from Bank of The Bahamas, it has enjoyed success in obtaining significant sums from other lenders, including Scotiabank (Bahamas) and BAF. The contractor and its principals also obtained $1.35m from the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union’s (BCPOU) pension fund - a loan that ultimately resulted in the then-four pension trustees being declared bankrupt by the Bahamian court system, although this is still being contested.

In relation to the BAF claim, Justice Charles’ verdict recalled how the insurer initiated legal action seeking damages from Ms Gomez, the contractor and its principals over the mortgage loan on April 24, 2017.

“BAF claims negligence on the part of attorney Gomez for her failure to complete instructions on its behalf which resulted in loss to BAF,” she wrote.

After Ms Gomez failed to either appear before the court or file a defence to BAF’s claim, despite being served with the action, the insurer filed a judgment in default of appearance against Ms Gomez on July 6, 2017.

Glenda Roker, BAF’s attorney, then appeared before Justice Charles on February 5, 2020, in a bid to obtain an order to enforce the default judgment “after futile efforts were made to settle the matter”. Ms Gomez was present for the hearing, and Justice Charles granted the order sought in requiring that all defendants pay their respective judgments within 90 days.

However, Ms Roker complained “there have been no

BISX EXTENDS TRADING HOURS THE Bahamas International Securities Exchange (BISX) last night said trading hours are being extended with effect from today to support the government’s $3.6bn debt securities market.

The exchange, in a statement, said trading hours will now be between 10am and 3pm in response to market

CENTRAL BANK’S RESERVES INTERVENTION READINESS FROM PAGE 22 inflationary pressures are expected to remain subdued, barring any shocks to international oil prices.”

Even though thousands of Bahamian workers have been terminated or remain on furlough, the Central Bank said total commercial bank loan arrears had contracted by two percent or $15.9m in April to close the month at $780m. The latter figure showed 14 percent of credit extended to businesses, households and individuals is at least 30 days past due.

“Contributing to this development was an $11.5m (2.4 percent) contraction in nonperforming loans (NPLs) to $476.5m, corresponding with a 19-basis point decline in the attendant ratio to 8.6 percent,” the Central Bank said.

The non-performing loan rate for mortgages fell by 24

basis points to 11.3 percent, while that for commercial loans dropped by 21 basis points to 4.5 percent. The proportion of consumer loans deemed non-performing fell by 16 basis points to 6.8 percent. Short-term arrears fell by $4.5m (1.5 percent) to $303.5m, while the associated ratio firmed by seven basis points to 5.5 percent.

“Disaggregation by loan type revealed that the reduction in total delinquencies was led by consumer credit, which moved lower by $12m (4.5 percent) to $255.1m, as both the short and long-term segments declined by $8.7m (7.4 percent) and by $3.4m (2.2 percent), respectively,” the Central Bank added.

“Similarly, mortgages reduced by $11m (2.3 percent) to $464.4m, owing to a $5.7m (1.9 percent) retrenchment in non-accrual loans and $5.3m (three percent) fall-off in the short-term

segment. In an offset, commercial delinquencies rose by $7.1m (13.4 percent) to $60.3m, led by a $9.5m (70 percent) growth in the shortterm component, which outstripped the $2.4m (six percent) decrease in non-performing loans.”

The Central Bank, though, said Bahamian commercial banks slightly increased their collective provisions for loan losses to $573.3m, a sum equal to 120.3 percent of non-performing loans and 73.5 percent of total credit in arrears to 73.5 percent.

“In addition, the coverage ratio of specific provisions to non-performing loans increased by 4.4 percentage points to 87 percent.

In April, banks wrote-off an estimated $8.5m in bad loans and recovered approximately $2.3m,” the Central Bank said.

“In comparison to April 2020, the total private sector arrears rate rose by 1.7 percentage points, reflecting expansions in both the shortterm (1.3 percentage points) and non-accrual segments (0.4 percentage points).”

PAGE 22, Tuesday, June 1, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

MEMORIAL DAY BOOKINGS BACK ‘WITH A VENGEANCE’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A FAMILY Island hotel operator yesterday said Memorial Day weekend occupancies had returned to 2019’s pre-COVID levels “with a vengeance”.

Matthew Brear, Cape Santa Maria’s general manager, told Tribune Business that the Long Island resort’s occupancies were at 60 percent over the US holiday weekend with business volumes now back at 2019’s record levels.

He said: “It’s been busy.

We’ve had 60 guests inhouse. But it’s more than just the guests in house; it’s

also the phones ringing off the hook. June and July look to be the busiest June and July we’ve had in history, and August is picking up also. We’re beyond 2019 numbers. So it’s bounced back with a vengeance, and for the month of June we’re looking at 70 percent occupancy.

“We have a lot of guests who come year after year after year; 70 percent of our guests are repeat customers. It’s all of the people who couldn’t come to the Cape in 2020 and had postponed their vacations. They’re all here, and it’s also that Americans are looking at The Bahamas as a quick trip and they’re not

in the planes very long.”

Muna Issa, SuperClubs Breezes’ managing director, said the Cable Beach-based resort had seen business pick up over the Memorial Day weekend. She added that the booking momentum moving into June was “positive”, but “nowhere near 2019” levels.

Cheryl Bastian, owner/ operator of Swain’s Cay Lodge in Andros, said her business also enjoyed a good weekend as fishing tours were up significantly.

“We had 50 percent occupancy for the weekend.

Everyone was having a great time. People left rave reviews,” she added.

Ms Bastian has also

reduced her rates to 30 percent of what they Swain’s Cay normally charges as a way to drive business, something she said is “sparking a bit of interest”.

“We feel as if we can smooth over with some 40 percent or 30 percent of sales. Anything just to stay open and keep staff motivated, then that’s good,” she said. “Obviously compared to 2019 it’s still down, but we did fairly well. But remember back in 2019 we were riding a really serious wave. We’re not there yet, but the outlook looks very promising to get there and surpass that.”

Ms Bastian added: “We’re so glad we’re not

a part of the North and Central Andros lockdown.

A lot of businesses in the south lobbied to not be a part of that. We don’t need that type of publicity now.”

Andoni Lisgaris, owner/ operator of Reel Dreams Sport fishing charters, said business has been fairly good for the past few weeks as a result of “last minute bookings”.

He said: “It really feels like customers are still a bit wary, but I don’t know if it’s because of the COVID19 testing requirement or they’re not fully vaccinated.

We’re getting a decent amount of last minute bookings.”

Mr Lisgaris suggested

May may have been “even” with the same month in 2019. He added: “May actually tends to be a little bit of a lull for us and we’re normally quite busy in March and April because of Spring Break and Easter, and then in May there are a lot of graduations in the US so no one has time to travel. Then it typically picks back up in June.

“But this year, because of COVID-19, I think people are travelling whenever they get the opportunity to travel, so I think that normal lull in May was off this year because people have such a strong desire to travel.”

EXCURSION OPERATORS RENEW ‘LEVEL PLAYING FIELD’ DEMAND

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN excursion operators yesterday reiterated their demands for the government to place them on a taxation and regulatory “level playing field” with foreign charter vessels.

Andoni Lisgaris, The Bahamas Excursion Operators Association’s president, told Tribune Business he had not received any response from the Minnis administration to repeated calls for foreign charter vessels to pay their fair share in taxes and fees.

Warning that Bahamian charter operators were being placed at a competitive disadvantage by the government’s failure to enforce this, Mr Lisgaris said: “We believe that over 80 percent of these vessels are grossing more than $100,000, and they’re doing business here. With those two reasons alone they should be charging VAT. “Last year, the government started requiring Facebook and Netflix to charge VAT (on local consumers) because they are doing business in The Bahamas, so what about these yachts? I’m so confused

CENTRAL BANK’S RESERVES INTERVENTION READINESS

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Central Bank yesterday signalled its continued willingness to intervene and “support a favourable outturn” for

The Bahamas’ external reserves amid their expected drawdown over the remainder of 2021.

The regulator, in unveiling its assessment of monetary and economic developments during April, predicted that the foreign currency

about why this government is going after certain loopholes and not others.

“This is something that has been raised with the Ministry of Finance several times now, and I’m literally getting no traction on it and this is very discouraging for us,” Mr Lisgaris added. “For example there is a foreign boat that does group charters out of The Bahamas. I’m not sure if they had to register, but I’m guessing they have not because they wouldn’t have gone through any sort of approval like the Bahamas Investment Authority approval or anything

like that.

“They’re here on a temporary permit and they’re here doing group trips, but there are other Bahamian-registered boats that are doing group trips that would take upwards of 20 people to Rose Island as well as cook for them and take them to various events.

They have to pay port fees, business license fees, fuel bills and insurance while the foreign boat pays none of that.”

Further arguing that if the Ministry of Finance could require Facebook and Netflix to charge VAT on their services here, then it could

easily do the same with a foreign tour boat operator, Mr Lisgaris said: “I see the government is now forcing Airbnb to pay the full VAT on their services, probably due to pressure from the major resorts.

“The point is they are listening to some stakeholders, but they are seemingly not listening to us. If they are listening to us, it is certainly not being communicated.”

Iola Knowles, director of SandyToes Excursion, added: “Our basic thing is that there should just be a level playing field. So these foreign yachts pay a four

percent tax to our knowledge, and obviously all of the Bahamian operators are paying business license fees plus 12 percent VAT and other associated fees that go along with operating a business here. So this is just about levelling the playing field and ensuring that it is fair for all.”

While not speculating as to why the government has not responded to their concerns, Ms Knowles added: “We have been heard by some, and have sent several letters, but unfortunately there hasn’t been much follow up since then.”

reserves which support the Bahamian dollar’s one:one peg with its US counterpart will “remain more than adequate” despite the slow recovery of tourism-related inflows post-COVID-19.

“External reserve balances are forecasted to decline during the year, owing to reduced net foreign currency inflows, as tourism remains below capacity and spending on imports for (Dorian-related) reconstruction work increases.

Nonetheless, the external balances are anticipated to remain more than adequate to maintain the Bahamian dollar currency peg,” the Central Bank said.

Pledging to pursue “policies that ensure a positive outturn for external reserves and minimise financial sector disruptions”, it added: “In addition, the bank will continue to assess developments within the foreign exchange market and, if required, implement appropriate measures to support a favourable outturn for the foreign reserves.”

Maintaining the exchange rate peg with the US dollar is key to preventing a sudden inflationary shock to the Bahamian economy, which would drastically undermine living standards/quality of life for all residents, and the Central Bank’s language indicates it will do whatever it takes to secure what has always been its primary monetary policy objective despite the economic devastation inflicted

by COVID-19.

The external reserves ended April 2021 at a seemingly healthy $2.254bn, which represented a $219m increase over the same

point last year. However, Central Bank data shows that the external reserves have decreased by almost $127m during the first four months of this calendar year as demand for foreign exchange rose while tourism-related replenishing inflows remained impaired due to the pandemic’s fall-out.

Concerns have also been voiced that the external reserves have been inflated by the government’s significant foreign currency borrowings over the past year to plug its record $1.327bn deficit, creating a debt surge that will ultimately strain tourism and other export-earning industries to generate sufficient inflows to repay it in years to come.

While the government had little alternative to such foreign currency borrowing, the prime minister foreshadowed in last week’s budget that it will again turn to international capital markets to cover the bulk of this year’s $951.8m deficit albeit with a greater mix of Bahamian dollar financing.

“The resulting budgetary gap is estimated to be financed largely from external credit, but with a

likely increased ratio of the total funding from domestic sources,” the Central Bank confirmed yesterday, while indicating that its outlook for the economy has changed little.

“The domestic economy is expected to register marginal growth in 2021, with developments continuing to be dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” it added. “The gradual restart of the tourism sector will remain contingent on the progression of international health initiatives, the effectiveness and availability of vaccines and the removal of all globally imposed travel restrictions.

“Nevertheless, new and ongoing foreign investmentled projects, in addition to ongoing post-hurricane rebuilding works, are anticipated to provide continued stimulus to the construction sector.

In this environment, an uptick in the unemployment rate is projected in the near-term, with job gains concentrated within the construction sector, and the limited re-engagement of tourism sector employees. In terms of prices,

SEE PAGE 21

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 1, 2021, PAGE 23

TOURISM HAILS RETURN OF BA’S EUROPE GATEWAY

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamian tourism industry welcomed yesterday’s return of direct British Airways (BA) flights to Nassau as providing a

VACATION RENTALS IN 37% ROOM NIGHTS SOLD GROWTH DOMESTIC demand continued to support the Bahamian vacation rental market’s April rebound, the Central Bank confirmed yesterday, with room nights sold increasing by

European gateway for the first time since COVID-19 erupted.

Robert Sands, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) president, told Tribune Business: “Certainly as a destination we welcome the first British

Airways flight since March [2020]. This reopens the gateway, certainly of Europe and Britain, to The Bahamas again. The frequency is once weekly for the next couple of weeks and we look forward to that improving.

“But, more importantly, we also look forward to the United Kingdom enhancing The Bahamas’ status from amber so that returning guests don’t have to quarantine once they get

back to the UK. All of this augers well for the fact that Bahamian tourism is gaining momentum and it’s coming out of the doldrums of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Very slowly, and every week, we are seeing improvements in numbers, and we’re also seeing improvements in demand for the entire Bahamas destination. So all of this is a very positive event with British Airways arriving in

New Providence yesterday.”

Tribune Business was told yesterday that British Airways may restart direct flights every three days to Nassau from London with effect from June 21. An airline official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “As for now, we have flights coming into Nassau this Monday coming and the following Monday, June 14.

“However, as of June 21 we may be going back to

a three-day schedule from what I’m seeing on my terminal, but this is not confirmed as yet.”

British Airways suspended international “long haul flights” in mid-December 2020, resuming them as recently as mid-April. Yesterday’s flight to Nassau marked the resumption of direct service for the first time since the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020.

almost 37 percent.

The regulator, in its monthly economic assessment for April, said: “Underpinning this outturn, bookings for entire place listings and hotel comparable listings grew by 38 percent and by 25.9 percent, respectively. Pricing indicators varied, as the average daily

room rate (ADR) for hotel comparable listings rose by 1.8 percent to $172.42, while the ADR for entire place listings fell by 3.3 percent to $481.31.

“On a year-to-date basis, total room nights sold decreased by 14.8 percent, reflective of a

25.7 percent fall-off in private room listings and a 13.3 percent decline in bookings for entire place listings. Pricing data revealed that the ADR for both entire place and hotel comparable listings rose by 10.6 percent and by 4.7 percent, to $462.67 and $162.76, respectively.” The figures were

based on data from AirDNA. Elsewhere, the Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) reported 467,332 departures for April “net of domestic passengers”.

The Central Bank added: “Underlying this outturn, the dominant US component totalled 45,995, relative to just

250 a year earlier.

“In addition, non-US departures amounted to 1,337, exceeding the 195 passengers in the comparative 2020 period. On a year-to-date basis, the reduction in outward bound traffic extended to 67.9 percent from 37.1 percent in the previous year.”

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 71° F/22° C

TAMPA

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

A t‑storm; breezy in the morning

A shower early, then a thunderstorm

A stray t‑storm; breezy in the a.m.

A shower; breezy in the morning

A t‑storm in spots in the afternoon

Partly sunny, a t‑storm in the p.m.

High: 85°

Low: 74°

High: 82° Low: 75°

High: 84° Low: 75°

High: 85° Low: 75°

High: 86° Low: 74°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

89° F

77° F

88°-73° F

92°-77° F

93°-79° F

95°-77° F

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 75° F/24° C

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

N

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 76° F/24° C

7‑14 knots

S

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 76° F/24° C

7‑14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

E

W S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

N

| Go to AccuWeather.com

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 74° F/23° C

MIAMI

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

6‑12 knots

KEY WEST

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 74° F/23° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

N

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

tiDes For nassau High Today

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

1:19 a.m.

1:57 p.m.

2.9 2.3

7:54 a.m.

8:02 p.m.

0.0 0.3

Wednesday 2:18 a.m.

3:00 p.m.

2.7 2.4

8:51 a.m.

9:08 p.m.

0.2 0.5

Thursday

3:16 a.m.

4:00 p.m.

2.5 2.4

9:45 a.m. 0.2 10:11 p.m. 0.6

Friday

4:11 a.m.

4:53 p.m.

2.4 2.5

10:35 a.m. 0.2 11:09 p.m. 0.6

Saturday

5:02 a.m.

5:40 p.m.

2.3 2.6

11:19 a.m. 0.2 ‑‑‑‑‑ ‑‑‑‑‑

Sunday

5:49 a.m.

6:23 p.m.

2.3 2.7

12:00 a.m. 0.5 12:01 p.m. 0.1

Monday

6:33 a.m.

7:03 p.m.

2.2 2.8

12:47 a.m. 0.4 12:40 p.m. 0.1

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:20 a.m.

7:56 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

1:12 a.m.

12:32 p.m.

Last

New

First

Full

Jun. 2

Jun. 10

Jun. 17

Jun. 24

CAT ISLAND

E

W

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

N

S

E

W

7‑14 knots

S

8‑16 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 86° F/30° C Low .................................................... 79° F/26° C Normal high ....................................... 86° F/30° C Normal low ........................................ 73° F/23° C Last year’s high ................................. 89° F/32° C Last year’s low ................................... 77° F/25° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.02” Year to date ................................................. 3.48” Normal year to date ..................................... 8.42”

uV inDex toDay

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 76° F/24° C

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

N

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

tracking map

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

8‑16 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 84° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 82° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 86° F/30° C Low: 79° F/26° C

N

E

W

E

W

N

S

S

8‑16 knots

8‑16 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots ENE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots NE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots NE at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots NE at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 8‑16 Knots NE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots

WAVES 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 3‑5 Feet 4‑7 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 4‑7 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 4‑7 Feet 4‑7 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑5 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 4 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 4 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 81° F 81° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 82° F 82° F 80° F 80° F 82° F 82° F 81° F 81° F 83° F 83° F 81° F 81° F 81° F 81° F 81° F 81° F 82° F 82° F 80° F 80° F

business@tribunemedia.net

TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021

$4.91

$4.91

‘Too much for the taxpayer to bear’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

B

AHAMASAIR’S $52m-andcounting subsidy “is too much for taxpayers to bear”, its chairman admitted yesterday, while adding that it has “got to make” the next fiscal year’s $30m allocation work.

Tommy Turnquest told Tribune Business the national flag carrier “can’t go through what the government has given us” this fiscal year again, while disclosing that it is “trying to get” the government’s monthly support down to $4m-$5m compared to the near $6m run rate for the first nine months of 2020-2021.

Revealing that Bahamasair’s 2021 summer schedule, due to be released on June 13, will cover just 70 percent of the routes flown pre-COVID, Mr Turnquest said the airline is also grappling with the loss of its “high yielding” Haiti and Cuba business due to

TOMMY TURNQUEST

• Bahamasair ‘can’t go through’ $52m plus again • Chairman says airline ‘must make $30m work’ • Summer schedule 70% of pre-COVID capacity COVID-19 restrictions.

Arguing that “it’s not all doom and gloom” due to the increase in US summer travel demand, as the vaccination roll-out in The Bahamas’ key source market continues, he nevertheless conceded that “it makes no sense trying to run around the fact we’re in a deep hole” due to COVID-19’s devastating impact on international travel and Bahamasair’s exceptionally strained finances.

Asked whether the $30m subsidy provided to Bahamasair in the 2021-2022 budget is sufficient, given the bleeding endured this fiscal year, Mr Turnquest replied: “My view is that it had better cover it. We cannot go through what the government gave us this current fiscal year. It’s too much for taxpayers to bear.

“We’ve got to make it

work. We’ll have to whatever we need to do to make it work. We’ve got to run it like a business. We’ve got to make it work. We’ve got to make it work. Thirty million dollars is more than most years in the past. We know we have a debt obligation for the financing of the ATRs. We have got to make the operations work with the balance.”

COVID-19 related lockdowns and border closures, together with the slow rebound of international and domestic travel, saw Bahamasair blow through its original $19m subsidy for the 2020-2021 fiscal year within months. It has sucked up some $52.494m of taxpayer monies, more than two-and-a-half times’ this sum, in the nine months to end-March 2021.

The latter figure implies that the national flag carrier

has required almost $6m per month to ensure its survival to end-March. “I hope it’s not that high,” Mr Turnquest replied, when this newspaper pointed out this placed Bahamasair on course for an annual subsidy of close to $70m.

“We’re trying to get it more like $4m-$5m,” he added. “In terms of the salaries, we’re at $3.5m per month. That would be what we need in terms of retaining salary levels. If I was an employee, I would be grateful to the people of The Bahamas.

“We have to operate within the parameters we have. We have got to cut out all the excess, and I think we’re doing a good job. It is what it is. We have to still tighten our belt. The revenue is one side, and there

SEE PAGE 20

$5.01

$5.01

Attorney fails to overturn $640k loan ‘negligence’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A BAHAMIAN attorney has failed to overturn a “negligence” verdict over a $640,000 loan issued by an insurer whose owners include the PLP’s deputy leader.

Monique Gomez had sought to overturn a default judgment obtained against her in July 2017 by BAF Financial & Insurance (Bahamas), which includes Chester Cooper among its principal shareholders, due to the loss it suffered on a mortgage granted to a Bahamian construction company.

Justice Indra Charles, in a May 25, 2021, ruling noted Ms Gomez’s admission that she had been instructed by BAF Financial to ensure that Kendal Williams Construction Company and its owners, Kendal and Jennifer Williams, had “good and marketable title” to two properties upon which the $640,000 loan was secured.

She was also asked to prepare the mortgage

documents, but the insurer said it discovered several years later that Ms Gomez had failed to have them stamped and recorded with the Registry of Records.

Thus its security for the October 24, 2008, loan was not perfected, enabling Jennifer Williams to sell one of the two properties just three years later without any hindrance.

And the other had already been mortgaged to Scotiabank (Bahamas), which subsequently foreclosed and sold it to recover its own loan, leaving BAF Financial holding a substantial loss.

However, Ms Gomez turned around and blamed the Bahamian life and health insurer for the loss.

She alleged that it was “negligent” in extending $640,000 to Mr Williams because she had informed it about Scotiabank (Bahamas) mortgage and the associated risks if the contractor defaulted.

Ms Gomez also claimed that BAF Financial

SEE PAGE 21

Sarkis battle sucks in Baha Mar owner

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

BAHA Mar’s current owner is becoming increasingly embroiled in a legal battle with Sarkis Izmirlian, pictured, related to the latter’s $2.25bn fraud and breach of contract claim against the project’s main contractor.

Legal papers obtained by Tribune Business reveal that Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE) and its affiliates have been sucked into the original developer’s battle with China Construction America (CCA) as they seek to obtain an injunction barring Mr Izmirlian from obtaining more evidence to strengthen his case.

CTFE, the Hong Kong-headquartered conglomerate that acquired Baha Mar out of receivership, is alleging that its Delaware-based affiliates

• CTFE seeks injunction against original developer • Claims breached deal after it gave ‘substantial files’ • CCA loses fight to use Izmirlian’s legal opinions

have already provided “substantial files plus other data” to the original developer and his BML Properties vehicle.

Having done this, it is claiming that Mr Izmirlian agreed not to seek additional evidence - through

the court-mandated discovery process - from its Bahamian or other affiliates. CTFE is alleging that the original developer has now broken this deal by seeking the assistance of the Attorney General’s Office and Bahamian judicial system to obtain further documents from Perfect Luck Assets.

This was the vehicle created by Baha Mar’s then-$2.45bn lender, the China Export-Import Bank, to facilitate the project’s sale out of receivership to CTFE. A May 27, 2021, letter from CTFE’s attorneys to New York State Supreme Court judge, Andrew Borrok, who is presiding over Mr Izmirlian’s

case over CCA, reveals that Perfect Luck Assets is now 100 percent owned by their client.

“The documents plaintiff [Mr Izmirlian] is seeking from Perfect Luck are central to this matter,” the New York court said in its judicial assistance request.

“Defendants’ [CCA] alleged fraud and delay resulted in the Government of the Bahamas initiating liquidation proceedings, and the Export-Import Bank of China, which had partially financed the project, initiating receivership proceedings, seizing plaintiff’s interest in Baha Mar, and selling Baha Mar’s

SEE PAGE 20