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VOLUME:114 No.136, JUNE 8TH, 2017

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Millions in deals ahead of election Turnquest says that contracts signed just two days before vote

By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

WITHIN two days before the May 10 general election, the former Christie administration signed off on “millions of dollars” in contracts, Deputy Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest revealed yesterday, as he underscored the “egregious fiscal mismanagement” of the Progressive Liberal Party.

There were also “hundreds” of people employed just days before the country went to the polls, Mr Turnquest said.

He explained that among these questionable hires were 41 people in Acklins

who were given the impression that their new jobs were on a long-term basis.

However, the finance minister said the workers were only contracted for a threemonth period.

The minister said when the workers’ contracts expire, the government will have to make a decision on what to do next.

Mr Turnquest further responded to the Official Opposition’s criticisms over the government’s projection that it will have to borrow $722m to cover inherited outstanding bills along with the costs associated with running the country moving forward.

SEE PAGE TWO

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Minister tours prison site

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WOMAN IS STABBED TO DEATH AT HOME

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

A 55-YEAR-OLD woman is dead after she was stabbed multiple times in her home off Mackey Street during a suspected domestic dispute early yesterday morning.

The killing took the country’s murder count to 63 for the year and marked the fourth murder in four SEE PAGE SIX

$429M IN SUBVENTIONS FOR STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES

By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

TWENTY-FIVE state owned enterprises will receive $429m in the upcoming fiscal year, with Finance Minister K Peter Turnquest noting that the government receives no returns or dividends from such institutions.

This year’s allocation to such institutions is increased by $79m compared to the previous fiscal year, mostly because of the introduction of National Health Insurance (NHI).

As usual, the Public Hos-

pitals Authority (PHA) will receive the most money, with $213.8m allocated to it or 50 per cent of the government’s total subventions.

The new National Health Insurance Authority will receive $47m, the University of the Bahamas $34.5m, Water and Sewerage Corporation $30m, the Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority $17.1m and Bahamasair $14.9m.

“This only tells a small part of the story,” Mr Turnquest said in the House of Assembly yesterday.

SEE PAGE SIX

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ALSO AVAILABLE:

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MINISTER of National Security Marvin Dames visits the Bahamas Department of Corrections yesterday. See page three for the full story.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

THREE WEEKS TO FILE MISSING DISCLOSURES SMITH TO PAY OR FILE WILL GO TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL UP $20,000

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net DELINQUENT former and sitting parliamentarians have been given three weeks to file disclosures or face the court for breaking the law, according to Press Secretary Anthony Newbold.

The deadline imposed

by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis affects more

than 20 MPs, and follows a report in The Tribune last week that revealed a handful of parliamentarians did not make a single disclosure last term.

Mr Newbold said yesterday that the number of parliamentarians that did not disclose for the entire five years was “not less than six”.

“All of those members of Parliament sitting in the last House as at December 31,

2016, who did not disclose

by March 1, 2017, the prime minister has given them three weeks in which to file that disclosure form or he is going to turn that file with their names over to the attorney general and instruct him to do what the law prescribes,” he said during a press briefing in the Majority Room of the House of Assembly yesterday.

SEE PAGE SIX

ministration “wasted” a lot of money like the country “was balling” by spending “money left, right and centre” on the initiative.

As the newly elected Minnis administration delves deeper into the former administration’s handling of NHI, Dr Sands

said the government is discovering that through monthly and annual fees, some foreign consultants were paid up to $500,000 each month while other non-Bahamian firms got $250,000 monthly.

SEE PAGE SIX

SEE PAGE NINE

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By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A SUPREME Court judge has ordered Keod Smith, former PLP member of parliament, to be committed to prison for 14 days for accusing her of bias in a series of affidavits more than three years ago.

However, Justice Rhonda Bain, in her written ruling yesterday, said the order of committal “shall be suspended” on the condition that Smith pay a $20,000 fine before June 28. The Tribune understands that Smith and his legal team are in discussions on a way forward concerning the ruling.

Nonetheless, in her ruling, which was obtained by The Tribune, Justice Bain stressed that “scandalising

TAXPAYERS ‘DID NOT GET VALUE FOR MONEY’ FROM MULTI-MILLIONS TO NHI CONSULTANTS HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands suggested yesterday Bahamian taxpayers did not get value for money from the “tens of millions of dollars” spent on National Health Insurance consultancies.

Dr Sands insisted that the previous Christie ad-

OR GO TO JAIL

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PAGE 2, Thursday, June 8, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Millions in deals ahead of election

DEPUTY Prime Minister Peter Turnquest speaking during yesterday’s debate.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff from page one The Minnis administration now has to obtain parliamentary approval for the emergency borrowing through a resolution in the amount of $400m that will allow the government to clear the back log of payments owing and those unfunded commitments, Mr Turnquest said.

He said any criticism coming from the PLP in this regard was “disingenuous” and an “indictment” on the opposition party.

“The member for Englerston (Glenys Hanna Martin) asks if we are going to be firing people,” Mr Turnquest said. “What I am going to say is that we will not place on the backs of the Bahamian people costs that they cannot bear for political expediency.”

He spoke in response to the former transport and aviation minister’s questions over whether the government’s review of expenditure in the public sector would cause some in

the civil service to be terminated.

He reiterated that questions of efficiency will come into play. Among these is whether certain quasi-government agencies can be transferred to the private sector.

He continued: “I will say this again, persons were hired just before the election on May 10. In fact, May 9 people were hired by the previous administration, hundreds of them. In Acklins today there are 41 people who are calling, trying to find out how they are going to get paid and when they are going to get paid.

“They were hired May 9. What is egregious about that is that the previous administration gave these people the impression that they were going to be longterm employees. The contract though for those people is three months. And so, Mr Speaker, I don’t know what they were going to do, God forbid if they were successful.

“But they got these people on a three month contract and when the three months is up this government is going to have to make a decision, but they want to stand up and claim victimisation. Mr Speaker, once again the government of the Bahamas will not put more on the Bahamian people than the revenue that we generate can bear. We cannot continue to carry on as if there is fat and plenty.

“So, no, we are not terminating. That’s not the fact.

But we are going to insist on efficiency. We are going to insist on the redeployment of some resources. We are not in the business unlike y’all on the side opposite who when they came to office wiped out everybody at

Urban Renewal.”

The deputy prime minister also said: “Mr Speaker, it is so disingenuous for the side opposite, I saw some statements in the newspaper talking about $722m and how this government just came to office and borrowing $722m. It is so disingenuous because they know that back on the 8th and the 9th (of May) they have to explain to the Bahamian people how they entered those contracts and why they entered those contracts for works as well as for services and employment and extension of contracts for people who are on contracts who naturally should have ended. They are going to have to explain.”

When the House of Assembly resumed for the afternoon session, Mrs Hanna Martin denied the East Grand Bahama MP’s accusations.

“The member for East Grand Bahama, who asserted in this House that within days there were 41 people hired in Acklins on a temporary contract for three months, of course you know that would have caused great anxiety to the people who would have been hired in Acklins at some point.

“I have been provided with several letters relative to several persons and there are a couple of observations. One is dated the 13th of March not the 8th or 9th of May. Secondly, it is signed by a permanent secretary in the government and thirdly it is not three months. It’s a letter of appointment.

“The member cannot make it up as he goes along, Mr Speaker. You don’t do that,” Mrs Hanna Martin said.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 8, 2017, PAGE 3

Davis says Turnquest wrong on Urban Renewal claim

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net OPPOSITION Leader Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday denied assertions by Deputy Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest that certain bank accounts of the previous administration’s Urban Renewal 2.0 initiative were “private” and thus inaccessible to the auditor general for review.

Mr Davis, speaking with reporters outside the House of Assembly, said Mr Turnquest was “wrong” in making his claims, further charging that Mr Turnquest’s statements were just his “nomenclature” over an account or accounts that may have been established “outside of the public service strictures”.

Mr Davis also said the accounts were established “on the authority of the financial secretary,” and insisted that there is “nothing untoward” about government agencies having their “own separate accounts to separate the way they do their business from the usual

strictures of the bureaucracy of governance.”

Mr Davis also said he is not aware of any request by Auditor General Terrance Bastian to review any of Urban Renewal’s accounts while he sat as deputy prime minister.

Mr Davis was responding to claims made by Mr Turnquest in the morning session of the House of Assembly about the latter’s concerns while in opposition about whether Mr Bastian had the constitutional “right” to audit a “private account” that the Urban Renewal Commission had established.

Mr Turnquest also claimed that the Urban Renewal Foundation, a separate entity from Urban Renewal 2.0, received funds using the previous government’s banner, but still told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), of which Mr Turnquest was a member at the time, that it had “no right to investigate.”

Similar concerns were previously raised by former PAC Chairman Hubert Chipman during a contro-

versy over Urban Renewal’s Small Homes Repair programme. In September 2015, Mr Chipman said that the PAC had found out that the Urban Renewal Foundation “sits outside Urban Renewal, even though they raise funds in the name of (the) Urban Renewal Foundation.”

At the time, Mr Chipman told reporters that Urban Renewal was operating under the direction of the Christie Cabinet and the Ministry of Works and Urban Development, but had no legal status of its own.

When questioned by The Tribune about Mr Turnquest’s claims, Mr Davis said: “He’s wrong about that. As I indicated, first of all Urban Renewal is a government agency. Government agencies cannot set up private accounts. “…It may be an account outside of the public service, and if he’s calling it private because it was outside of the use strictures of the public service, then that’s his nomenclature for such an account.

“But it’s an account that

MINISTER of National Security Marvin Dames during yesterday’s prison tour.

was set up on the authority of the financial secretary, and there’s nothing untoward for agencies to have their own separate accounts to separate the way they do their business from the usual strictures of the bureaucracy of governance.”

He added: “…If he describes it as private because it is outside of the public service strictures, then that’s his nomenclature for it. What I’m saying to you is that the account was an account, it wasn’t private in the sense that it was not open for scrutiny as he (was) suggesting. That account was open for scrutiny by the auditor general.”

Meanwhile, Mr Turnquest, in his communication to Parliament, stressed the importance of the PAC having unfettered access to any report compiled by the auditor general, free of any political interference.

He referred to a situation that arose under the previous Christie administration where he said the PAC’s work was hampered due to the unavailability of an auditor general’s report in

Parliament. “…You might recall in the last term in Parliament, the Public Accounts Committee had cause to reference an auditor general’s report, and in my view… there was a ruling that the Public Accounts Committee could not access or refer to that audit report because it had not been tabled in the House,” Mr Turnquest said.

“It is erroneous in my view.

However, it was in the government’s authority at the time, and they did delay the presentation of that report so that it stymied the work of the Public Accounts Committee.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

GOVT REVIEWING EFFECTIVENESS OF EXISTING CRIME PROGRAMMES

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE government is still reviewing existing programmes to see if they meet the country’s needs with respect to crime reduction, National Security Minister Marvin Dames said yesterday.

His statement came as he toured the Department of Correctional Services for the first time in his new post.

It also came after the country recorded four murders in four days.

“When we entered into office a few weeks ago we started an aggressive plan of trying to assess where it is we are at,” he told the press. “Just this morning prior to going into Parliament I spent the morning with the commissioner and his crime team just having them share with me their strategy and how does that mesh with our policy of visibility, police enforcement and ensuring Bahamians in our communities are safe.

We spent some time looking at the statistics for this year, looking critically at where these incidents are occurring, time of day, day of week, and getting an understanding from the commissioner and his team as to their role in ensuring that we do more to reduce the level of crime.

“Everyone says it’s not a police responsibility, not totally a police responsibility, the reduction of crime.

But our government now is looking at some of the current existing programmes

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MINISTER of National Security Marvin Dames visits the Bahamas Department of Corrections. and trying to see whether they are relevant and if they are not relevant we are looking at introducing some new programmes that can be relevant and maybe fine-tuning the existing programmes to ensure that they meet the needs of the people of this country.

“We have begun introducing some short-term measures that hopefully will begin reaping some positive results. Still, those long-term measures that will help bring the crime to a manageable place are important.”

Asked to elaborate on the short-term measures being employed, Mr Dames stressed the importance of police visibility and patrol of crime hotspots.

“You will begin to see a change coming after my meetings,” he said. “We have some fixing to do in all of these (law enforcement) organisations. It won’t be overnight. We need to determine what is the establishment of all of these or-

ganisations.”

The latest murder occurred Wednesday morning after a woman was stabbed in her house during a suspected domestic incident.

Three more people were killed — one in Acklins — over the holiday period.

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THE TRIBUNE

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

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Victimisation at NIB - PLP style OPPOSITION leader Philip “Brave” Davis, and PLP chairman Bradley Roberts seem strangely upset at the Minnis government fulfilling an election promise made to the Bahamian people that should the FNM be entrusted with the administration of government for the next five years, an audit would be done of all government departments.

National Insurance was the first government department targeted. Quietly, several executive board members were asked to take vacation leave on full pay while the audit was being done. Although no one was accused of anything, there were immediate shouts of “rank victimisation, discrimination and intimidation” from the Davis and Roberts’ political camp.

According to Mr Roberts, Dr Minnis was breaking an election promise made during the campaign that there would be no victimisation should his party win. So far there has been no sign of anyone being victimised. The Minnis government was just fulfilling an election promise to make certain that it was not the Bahamian people who were being victimised.

But that isn’t the way party chairman Roberts viewed the situation: “The apparent intent of the prime minister and the FNM of promoting political tribalism and divisiveness through political witch hunts is clearly not the way to build a country,” he said.

“Tribalism,” he lectured, “only promotes partisanship, that is, very strong feelings of political and social loyalty and not the accountability, transparency and public trust he claims he wants to build.”

Politicians of this ilk cannot afford to venture out on such a brittle limb, particularly if their memories are short.

Davis and Roberts have only to cast their minds back a short five years to get a true picture of what vicious political tribalism is all about — particularly when administered by the PLP. At the end of the first Christie government under the chairmanship of Labour Minister Shane Gibson, the newly elected Ingraham government found that National Insurance was in a sorry state. During the Gibson administration there was an annual deficit at NIB with many individuals and organisations not having paid their contributions in years.

The new Ingraham government knew that an efficient manager had to be brought in to right the sinking NIB ship.

Feelers went out and Mr Algernon Cargill, an able administrator, was discovered in the private sector. At the time Mr Cargill had been eight years as District Manager and Country Chairman of Chevron Puerto Rico, LLC, with responsibility for sales, service, marketing, risk management and financial performance for a regional district that comprised Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Antigua, St Kitts, Dutch St Maarten and French St Martin, as well as Dominica and St Lucia.

In 2008, Mr Cargill was appointed Director of NIB. His salary and bonus was only a fraction of what he was making in the private sector. His NIB contract included his salary and his bonus.

Contrary to what Shane Gibson would have had one believe at the time, Mr Cargill did not pay himself his bonus.

It was written into his contract and was paid by the Board. In fact all NIB executives had bonuses. Mr Cargill’s bonus was conditional on him turning NIB around and making it a successful enterprise. He not only met all of the terms of his contract, but exceeded the goals set for him at NIB. At last NIB was a going concern. Obviously this meant that in demanding payment from all contributors, regardless of politics, he had stepped on many precious toes. This led to his fall.

What is of interest is that at that time Mr Cargill, from a traditional PLP family, was a staunch PLP. However, Prime Minister Ingraham never let party politics interfere with the hiring of a qualified Bahamian — far more than can ever be said of the PLP, which made it clear that they were only “looking out for PLPs” to whom God is meant to have given this country.

Of course, when the PLP came in they wanted Mr Cargill out. His sticking to the rule book of good administration was obviously too much for them.

Gregory Moss, at the time PLP MP for Marco City, was appointed NIB chairman. In mid-2012 shortly after his appointment, Mr Moss and Mr Cargill clashed over whether NIB should have fully taken up the Bank of Bahamas Holdings’ $10m preference shares. Mr Cargill said management recommended that NIB “not participate” in the private placement. However, Mr Moss insisted that Prime Minister Christie and several Cabinet ministers wanted NIB to purchase the full BAB offering. So said, so done.

In the end, the Christie government spent nearly $900,000 on a forensic investigation into allegations against both men.

While all of this was going on Mr Cargill’s personal financial files were illegally made public. The forensic audit carried out to prove that there had been theft on his part failed miserably, yet there was neither accounting nor explanation for the wastage of NIB funds to undertake this wild goose chase.

And while former NIB chairman Gregory Moss was busy drafting a letter to justify his arbitrary dismissal of Mr Cargill, a rather inconvenient letter arrived from Geneva notifying NIB that Mr Cargill had just received global recognition for an outstanding plan he had introduced at NIB. He was invited to give the “keynote” address on his Balance Score Card, designed to measure productivity, at a banquet to be held in Lima, Peru. While being viciously victimised at home by a group of political pygmies, the true worth of this Bahamian was receiving international recognition in South America by the International Social Security Association.

The PLP government, so intent on destroying Mr Cargill, never released the news of this international award which was quite an achievement for the Bahamas. Even today Mr Cargill still awaits payment for compensation owed him under his contract for four years of dedicated service to NIB, In view of their rank behaviour over the years, politicians like Bradley Roberts have colossal nerve to accuse any government of “tribalism”.

Who speaks for PLP on finance?

EDITOR, The Tribune.

AS I read the report in The Tribune, the appointments did not include the Shadow Minister of Finance.

Did I miss something?

Or are the finances so deeply down the toilet that the PLP can’t raise any questions without exposing themselves?

I remember when Nor-

man Solomon was the Shadow Minister of Finance and would stand in the House for hours into the night and debate the budget. People from over the hill would tell me they stayed up to listen to him on the radio - B.S.M.( Before Social Media).

Solomon style scrutiny of the Budget, etc, from a serious opposition could benefit our country.

Have the PLP finally reached a long awaited threshold of shame where they can’t put such words as fiscal responsibility in their mouths?

A meaningful contribution from the opposition is still needed for our democracy.

LEANDRA ESFAKIS Nassau, June 7, 2017.

An open letter to the PM EDITOR, The Tribune.

Please print this open letter to the Prime Minister

Dear Dr Minnis: Congratulations on your new appointment as Prime Minister of The Bahamas.

As a supporter of the FNM party for many, many years, (I was born in 1929) and have seen many changes and new appointments in the Government, but would like to make a few suggestions.

I would like to see this new Parliament show more respect towards the House of Parliament, no more name calling and pulling one another down. It has been so embarrassing in the past to listen to Parliament and hear the mud-slinging at one another.

I often wonder what our young children think of watching grown men and

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net women conducting themselves in this matter. Please let this be a thing of the past.

I also have a suggestion to make with the disposal of garbage to be more effective. Like in the United States and Europe, we have to do more to recycle our trash. We need a drop off point for old papers and boxes, special bags for tins and bottles, plastics should be recycled and this would help with the problems we are presently having with the dump fires.

I would also like to see recognizable bus stops and the buses stop only at designated bus stops. Now buses stop wherever they like, which causes traffic congestion and unnecessary accidents to happen.

Also I think owners of vacant land, must be made responsible to keep the land cleaned up. Riding around Nassau and seeing the state of some of the properties is an eye sore. Along with this, a major clean up needs to be done in Nassau, as it is deplorable. Garbage and trash thrown anywhere with no one cleaning it up. As a Bahamian it is an embarrassment to see and for tourists to witness how dirty our country is.

Along the lines of cleaning up, I think all politicians need to be responsible for their constituencies to keep it clean. Remove all broken down cars, and garbage, clean up the yards of derelict buildings and let us get back to a Bahamas we can all be proud of.

A VERY CONCERNED CITIZEN, Nassau, June 6, 2017.

Time to deliver to the people EDITOR, The Tribune,

MAY 10th is already a week past and the smoke and mirrors of the campaign have disappeared and reality is now the issue - reality is can PM Hubert Minnis deliver - It’s The People’s Time?

Immediately as with all elections, a new Administration has the enormous financial issue to face. The total madness of two successive General Elections, being on the eve of when a Budget has to be presented, is just that but that is a reality, so we face it.

Minister Peter Turnquest probably will go to Parliament with a request to borrow $3-400m to meet shortfall responsibilities of the Treasury (bills needed to be paid, plus the Police arrears

$28m and long considerations of meeting fiscal borrowings, etc, will also have to be met.

The People’s Agenda GOOD GOVERNANCE page (1) of Manifesto I suggest PM Minnis has to deliver on at least four of those issues. He can and must, or he will be on the failing route, immediately missing the popularity hype post election, when a PM cannot make a mistake but delay problems.

So I expect by November, 2017, there will be a Referendum to Amend - Term of Prime Ministers - Recall of MPs - Independent Boundaries Commission - Fixed date for Elections - Campaign Finance, as well as donations to MPs reform.

Is it possible? Possible should not be a considera-

tion. If PM Minnis does not take this challenge, he and the FNM will not ever bring these basic reforms of the People’s Agenda.

Fixed day for Election - the date should only be in February or November - the PM should retain the right, subject Parliament’s approval to call an Election earlier (UK system). Term limits for PM…logical is two consecutive terms i.e. back-to-back.

The Speech from the Throne on Wednesday should say this, that in November there will be a Referendum on these issues. Let us see if the FNM believe in their People’s Agenda?

TRICIA HUMES (Mrs), Nassau, May 20, 2017.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 8, 2017, PAGE 5

Turnquest under fire over his link to Sky Bahamas

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter Sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ENGLERSTON MP Glenys Hanna Martin yesterday criticised Finance Minister Peter Turnquest for allegedly failing to disclose his interest in Sky Bahamas to Parliament after the government approved duty exemptions for the repair and maintenance of aircraft in the 2017-2018 Budget.

Addressing her colleagues in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, Mrs Hanna Martin said because these concessions “could impact the financial interest of persons in the House,” Mr Turnquest was “obliged” to reveal his interest in the company when the debate began.

“I want to raise the concern of a potential conflict of interest of favourable concessions of this budget, Mr Speaker, that might impact the financial interest of members and the rules require that you have to declare that out in the open,” Mrs Hanna Martin said.

MEMBER of Parliament for Englerston Glenys Hanna Martin. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff “The minster of finance declared in his communication on page 50, page 50 speaks about the duties that are being exempted and what I found interesting about this is, in his description he said ‘providing duty exemptions for equipment and machinery specifically

designed for groundwork and the service of cruise ships and sea vessels’ but in fact the actual provision speaks to sea craft and aircraft, air and sea services.

“You have to have an awareness that these peculiar concessions could impact the financial interest

of persons in the House. So you have exemptions and there are multiple items for aircraft in this budget and I support incentivising the aviation sector but this talks about the catering for the aircraft, the tyres and so on.

So, Mr Speaker, I believe that the minister should

clarify whether this impacts him financially... We are obliged when we debate to declare it. It is a part of transparency. It is an obligation. I am saying he ought to have disclosed it and that is what you normally do, if you have interest in something you are debating before the House, you disclose it. I am saying he admits he has an interest, we have tax concessions for aircraft and it ought to be something he put on the table.”

In response, Mr Turnquest said before the election he disclosed all his interests to the relevant authorities because he had nothing to hide. He also admitted that he did not realise the aircraft exemptions were in the budget until he read them in the House of Assembly because he had “very little to do” with the changing of anything in the budget.

Mr Turnquest also said Mrs Hanna Martin’s implication that he somehow amended the legislation to benefit himself is “misleading” and dangerous to his reputation.

“It is no secret in this

OFFICIALS DENY CONFLICT OF INTEREST FOR MINISTER OF TOURISM OVER BAHA MAR TIES

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net GOVERNMENT officials yesterday rejected concerns of a looming conflict with respect to the government’s deliberations on Baha Mar and Minister of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar’s directorship on the previous resort developer’s board, and his public statements on the election campaign trail.

The matter was highlighted by Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts, who suggested on Monday that Mr D’Aguilar’s ties to former developer Sarkis Izmirlian put him in a ‘conflict of interest’ position.

Mr D’Aguilar has rejected the assertion, and yesterday Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest summarily dismissed the prospect.

“No,” said Mr Turnquest, “none at all. First off the minister is an honourable gentleman. He’s a business person and he’s fully, in my view, able to distinguish

personal feeling from the interest of the Bahamian people. He does not have an equity interest in CTFE, Baha Mar, the people before, the current people, whoever.”

Mr Turnquest added: “He has an ability to bring to the table the best deal for the Bahamian people and at the end of the day the Cabinet of The Bahamas will make the decision.”

Since the resort’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, Mr D’Aguilar was a leading advocate of Mr Izmirlian’s cause, arguing that the project was wrongly stripped from the latter by an alliance between the former Christie administration and the Chinese governmentowned lender and contractor.

When CTFE was identified as the prospective buyer late last year, Mr D’Aguilar insisted the Hong Kongbased conglomerate that “unsuited to invest in The Bahamas,” citing an alleged “well-documented connection to organised crime in Asia”.

In the months before the May 10 general elec-

tion, he further alleged that CTFE and its owners, the Cheng family, were unsuitable to hold a Bahamian casino licence because they had allegedly been denied such permits by gaming regulators in the US states of Nevada and New Jersey.

His claims sought to link the Cheng family and CTFE’s publicly traded subsidiary, New World Development, to concerns that Macau’s VIP gaming rooms were vulnerable to exploitation by Chinese/Asian crime gangs known as Triads.

Mr D’Aguilar attempted to link CTFE to this via its investment in Stanley Ho’s STDM and SJM companies, which control a significant share of Macau’s gambling industry.

CTFE has refuted all claims as “baseless and unfounded,” pointing to its strong reputation for business integrity and corporate governance.

Concerns over Mr D’Aguilar’s pre-election stance have been compounded by campaign statements made by Dr Minnis

SANDS: DORSETT EXCUSE IS CONCERNING

By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands said yesterday it is “concerning” that former Environment Minister Kenred Dorsett suggested the Pan American Health Organisation’s (PAHO) report on the New Providence Landfill was not released by the former government because he was on the campaign trail.

Dr Sands said despite the dissolution of Parliament at the time of the report’s completion, the country’s executive body does not go on “vacation”.

On Tuesday, Mr Dorsett denied attempting to “suppress” the damning report from PAHO, adding that it had been emailed to him at the height of the 2017 general election, a period in which he said he was not in office.

As a result, he insisted that he did not see the report until after the Progressive Liberal Party suffered a brutal loss at the polls to the Free National Movement.

Dr Sands said: “The former minister said he was campaigning and that he did not get a chance to see the report. We have to accept his explanation.

“That is a bit concerning given that the executive of The Bahamas does not go

on vacation. There is a constitutional requirement for the business of the country to continue until the transition is complete.

“So while the House may have dissolved, the executive of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas was expected to continue to perform. So if there was an emergency that required the attention of a member of the Cabinet of The Bahamas - either that individual or the designated minister

with acting responsibility should have dealt with it.”

The report — which was ordered by the Christie administration — was released last Thursday.

However, the report was sent to members of the former government on April 28 — several days before the May 10 general election.

The report called the landfill a “public health hazard” and said shortterm and long-term solutions were needed.

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concerning the beleaguered mega-resort.

Expanding on the uncertainty surrounding the finality of the resort’s sale to CTFE in March, Dr Minnis pledged that his party will “engage and execute a real sale” of the Baha Mar resort “to a qualified and respectable purchaser who believes in Bahamians,” should the opposition party win the next general election.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Dr Minnis also said this buyer would use only Bahamian labour to complete the beleaguered resort, while again promising that his party would make public the details relating to the Baha Mar deal and any other government dealings with Chinese investors.

The following day, Dr Minnis added that if the Baha Mar deal does not stand up to public scrutiny, his party reserves the right “to not approve any sale that is not in the best interest of the Bahamian people.”

Speaking to Tribune Business about the con-

cerns, and his recent meeting with CTFE on Tuesday, Mr D’Aguilar defended himself this week as a “right-thinking, businessheaded” minister of tourism who was simply meeting with the sector’s key stakeholders to understand their plans and concerns.

“There was no discussion about ownership. That was certainly not the place for it to be done,” Mr D’Aguilar told Tribune Business.

place or in public that I do have an interest in Sky Bahamas airline. I have said throughout my budget that this minister of finance has had very little to do with changing anything in the budget, as a matter of fact, it may be interesting to note, that I didn’t recognise that was in there until I was reading it,” Mr Turnquest said.

“And so when she suggests that this minister of finance somehow amended or proposed an amendment to the duty rates to benefit him, it is a complete and utter lie and that is a strong word. It is intentionally misleading and it is dangerous to me and to my reputation.

Secondly, the proposal to eliminate duties on aircraft was made by that side when I was sitting over there, not by me.”

Mr Turnquest applauded the former Christie administration for reducing the aircraft duties because he said it will create “the opportunity for an industry that has not been able to rise to the level of its potential”.

PAGE 6, Thursday, June 8, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

$429M IN SUBVENTIONS FOR STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES from page one

“There are other entities which have underperformed and not provided any benefits or static benefits to the state. For example, BEC and its operating company BPL have not been in a position to provide dividends to the government for over 20 years. Likewise, the Nas-

sau Airport Development Company has not found a formula to provide any returns to its shareholders after ten years.”

He continued: “The restructuring of the Bank of the Bahamas has cost the government over $200m and counting. The government has invested close to $70m in NewCo, the operators of Aliv. As can readily

be appreciated, these subsidies, investments and lack of returns or dividends have a substantial impact on the government’s fiscal resources. Given the need for prudence and restraint in the period ahead, it will therefore be imperative that such subsidies, investments and other support from these SOEs be reviewed and assessed objectively and eq-

uitably in line with other areas of direct government activity.”

Mr Turnquest stressed during his budget contribution in Parliament that the government intends to impose greater fiscal controls on the country’s finances than in the past, placing a priority on transparency and accountability.

To help accomplish this

goal, the Minnis administration intends to enact fiscal responsibility legislation “to elaborate the rules and procedures relating to core budget principles.”

The government is also considering establishing an Office of the Auditor General Agency, Mr Turnquest said. This will be an “approved authority whose overall work and finances

would be under the supervision of a board comprising members of Parliament and private citizens with requisite qualifications in accounting, law or government.”

He added: “The board would play no role whatsoever in the preparation of the auditor general’s annual audit plan nor in the conduct of individual audits.”

Taxpayers ‘did not get value for money’ from multi-millions to NHI consultants from page one

The Elizabeth MP said NHI was the greatest example to date of fiscal ineptitude and fiscal mismanagement by the former administration.

Having spent large sums of money on an initiative that is “not ready”, Dr Sands said Bahamians want to know when they’ll receive the benefits promised to them, adding that the government will “stop, review” and make NHI right for Bahamians.

Asked if there was any validity to claims that audit firm KPMG had been paid $500,000 a month for its NHI work, Dr Sands said “at one period of time this was correct.”

Last week, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance K Peter Turnquest revealed the Christie administration paid over $10m

MINISTER of Health Dr Duane Sands during a tour of the Princess Margaret Hospital. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff in consultancy fees for NHI in the last fiscal year.

“As we put together the numbers now and we see the monthly or annual outlays for foreign consultants, up to tens of millions of dollars spent,” Dr Sands told reporters following

the morning session of the House of Assembly yesterday where debate on the 2017-2018 Budget began.

“Some consultants (were) getting up to $500,000 a month (and) other consultants (were) getting $250,000 per month, non-Bahamians firms.

“And you ask the question, as we look at the final product of National Health Insurance whether the Bahamian people got value for money. You spent all these millions of dollars and what do we have?

“I would say that National Health Insurance is an example of not only fiscal ineptitude, fiscal mismanagement, but it becomes the poster child of what happened during the last administration.”

He continued: “(There was) a lot of talk (and) a lot of waste. It was like we was ballin’. We got money left right and centre. So we got VAT money, let’s spend it.

Let’s put some pretty ads out there and let’s sell the people a dream. But when you dig deep and see what is it that you can deliver to the Bahamian people it’s not much there.

“And so now what we are faced with is a situation

where the Bahamian people expected value in terms of their health and they are looking at us and saying where is this National Health Insurance plan that was going to get rid of the cook-outs? Where is this National Health Insurance plan that is going to keep us healthy?

“Am I justified now in spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a month for non-Bahamian consultants when NHI is not ready to help the average Bahamian living in regular conditions in any place in the Bahamas? The answer is no.”

Dr Sands said moving forward, the government intends to spend $40m on NHI. Roughly $10m, he said, will be spent to set up the staffing and administration, an estimated $15m for primary care and $15m for catastrophic care.

He explained that this will come from the Consoli-

dated Fund.

“Bear in mind that the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (Peter Turnquest) has made it clear that each of these programmes will need to be funded at some point. In this first fiscal year this is going to be funded through the Consolidated Fund, we acknowledge and admit that.

“We now have to find a way to ensure that each of the healthcare barrels or bins eliminates as much waste as possible so that maybe we are able to shift some monies to increase the allocation into essential services. So the Public Hospitals Authority consumes two hundred and something million dollars.

“But make no bones about it, the charge is to find the waste, cut the waste and convert that to value for the Bahamian public,” Dr Sands said.

THREE WEEKS TO FILE MISSING DISCLOSURES OR FILE WILL GO TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL from page one “They could face a fine of $10,000, or two years in prison, or both, or confiscation of land if land is involved.

I can tell you from having seen those documents that more than 20 MPs, former

and present, have three weeks in which to file.

“Some of them who were sitting from 2012, I’d say about six of them they didn’t file at all over the five-year period. So it’s going to be interesting to see what happens over the three-week period.”

Last week, Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) Chairman Myles Laroda revealed that a handful of officials failed to disclose as he underscored the critical need to bolster the independence of the PDC. Mr Laroda would not disclose the list of delinquent

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politicians, but noted that they included members of both the former governing party, the Progressive Liberal Party, and the Free National Movement, which served as the Official Opposition until the May 10 general election.

He stressed that the com-

mission has written numerous letters to delinquent officials since 2015, inclusive of the former Prime Minister Perry Christie and Dr Minnis, the then leader of the Official Opposition.

Present and former members of Parliament and senators, along with senior

public officers, are required to submit their disclosures to the PDC by March each year.

While he did not provide any further clarification, Mr Newbold noted that the list of officials being targeted were comprised of MPs and senators.

WOMAN IS STABBED TO DEATH AT HOME from page one days, according to The Tribune’s records.

According to a police report, shortly after 12.30am Wednesday police received information that a woman had been found by her neighbours stabbed to death at her home on Peter Street.

When officers arrived on the scene, they found the lifeless body of a woman with multiple stab wounds. The Tribune understands the victim was stabbed in the breast, the back and once in her left side.

She was pronounced dead on the scene.

Police have identified the victim as Vadrise Bowleg of Peter Street.

Officers were last night searching for 45-year-old Ronald Nottage, of Sampson Street, Nassau Village, in connection with the death.

The murder happened less than 48 hours after a man was shot multiple times and killed in front of his home off Okra Hill Road around 5pm Monday and another man died in hospital after a later shooting on Mackey Street and Wulff Road. The men have been identified by police as Livingston Mychal Rolle and Zachary Williams.

On Sunday, a man was found dead outside his home in Acklins hours after he had been treated and released from the local clinic for multiple stab wounds. The killing marked the island’s first homicide this year.

He has been identified as 47-year-old David Alexander Hanna.

Last Tuesday, when asked about concerns over violent crime, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said “there is a sense of calmness” hovering over the country after his party’s crippling defeat of the Progressive

RONALD NOTTAGE Liberal Party.

However, he said, he is sure National Security Minister Marvin Dames will be aggressive in rolling out the party’s crime plan.

Despite several murders since the FNM’s election win, the prime minister offered no insight at the time as to how his administration intended to tackle the issue.

Asked to reveal when Bahamians could expect to see his administration’s new crime strategy introduced in view of the most recent murders, Dr Minnis said last week: “I think the minister of national security is doing all he can to bring the plan out as aggressively as he can.”

Anyone with information on any of these homicides is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 5029991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS. Investigations continue.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 8, 2017, PAGE 7

AN AWARD TO RECOGNISE EXCELLENCE

THE PRESENTATION to the April winner of the PHA/Tribune Unsung Heroes Award, Glynis Armbrister. She is pictured with Kevin Darville, Tribune Media Group project manager; Herbert Brown, PHA managing director and Verna Bonaby, assistant director, PHA Corporate.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Administrator wins Unsung Hero Award

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net GLYNIS Armbrister, administrator of the Mangrove Cay Clinic, was yesterday named the April recipient of the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) Unsung Heroes Award.

As she accepted the award during a press conference at the PHA’s Third Terrace Corporate Office, Ms Armbrister said she has always worked to give the best service possible irrespective of who was watching or what was demanded of her.

Expressing joy over her selection, Ms Armbrister said she remains hopeful that her award stands as a challenge to others in the industry to put their best efforts forward each day.

She also said that there continues to be a serious need for quality service, adding that patients deserve the absolute best when they are being assisted.

“When a patient is presented to me or presented to anybody, I become that (patient), especially when they present to me. I put myself in their shoes,” Ms Armbrister, affectionately known as “Miss Penny,” said.

“I came out of a strong foundation…. there was no

Unsung

HER ES

toleration for mediocrity.

You had to go above and beyond and that is the basis of who I am today.

“Customer service is not a surface. It is real. I am accused of being passionate because I need to get things done; I need to make that patient feel that they are recognised and that I empathise with them.”

PHA Managing Director Herbert Brown, on hand for Wednesday’s presentation, commended Ms Armbrister for her years of “relentless, empathetic, experienced and focused” service.

“It takes a very special kind of person to excel in the environment of a Family Island clinic,” Mr Brown stated.

He noted the pride he felt to present the award to Ms Armbrister, with whom he worked closely during his time at the Rand Memorial Hospital in Grand Bahama.

“I am not surprised that Ms. Armbrister is being recognised with this award.

In fact I told her as much when I learned that she was selected as the April recipient.

“When I served as hospital administrator in Grand Bahama, I was impressed with her commitment and work ethic at the Rand Memorial Hospital and I am pleased to see that she has continued to excel and represent the best qualities of our public health system.

“Indeed, Ms Penny entered the public service in 1982 at the Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport. She returned to her native Mangrove Cay, Andros in 1992 and applied her experience and talents for the benefit of her fellow Androsians,” he added.

The PHA Unsung Heroes Award is a monthly recognition, given to employees in the PHA who have made extended and noteworthy contributions to the health services industry in the Bahamas.

The initiative is part of a

ground breaking public-private partnership between the PHA and Tribune Media Group.

Kevin Darville, Tribune Media Group’s special projects coordinator, presented Ms Bain with a cash prize of $1,000, a voucher for dinner for two at the Dune restaurant at the One&Only Ocean Club, a pin to commemorate her selection as the fourth monthly winner and a certificate to mark the achievement.

Ms Armbrister joins wheelchair valet Veronica Ferguson and veteran nurses Patricia Laing and Una Bain as recipients of the monthly award.

The award is open to employees of the PHA, with nominations now being accepted for April.

THE Unsung Heroes awards programme recognises and rewards excellence, care and compassion in the Bahamas health care system as part of a ground breaking public-private partnership between the Public Hospitals Authority and the Tribune Media Group.

It will identify and publicly honour those PHA employees who have gone “beyond the call of duty” in providing levels of care and compassion throughout the islands, in the authority’s two hospitals (Princess Margaret and Rand Memorial), Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre and its 108 clinics and agencies.

Nominations of employees for the monthly award will be made by co-workers and by patients and visitors.

The winner each month will receive a cash prize, dinner for two, a framed certificate and a bespoke recognition pin. An annual winner, selected from the monthly champions, will be announced and honoured at a gala dinner in January 2018.

The prestigious awards programme is part of a partnership between the PHA and The Tribune announced in January to advance the fight against paediatric diseases in the Bahamas, an alliance local health officials said will have a “significant impact” on the delivery of paediatric care throughout the public healthcare system. Its aim is to raise awareness about and subsequently battle various diseases, such as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), leukaemia, diabetes and cancer.

The partnership is the brainchild of Robert Dupuch Carron, president of the Tribune Media Group, and his wife, Elizabeth, whose infant son Aidan contracted HLH, a deadly auto-immune disease, and leukaemia. Aidan’s plight prompted the Carrons to establish the Aidan Roger Carron Foundation and forge a partnership with the PHA to ensure that what happened to their son does not happen to other families.

Mr Carron said the ini-

tiative “is about bringing together partners from all walks of life with a common goal of transforming our approach to paediatric healthcare, so that no child is left behind. It is also about recognising and saluting all those who, without their extraordinary efforts, many other children would not be here.”

The foundation’s mission statement is: “Together we can fight HLH, leukaemia, cancer, diabetes, obesity and other paediatric diseases by utilising world-class partnerships, creative multi-platform educational campaigns, stateof-the-art diagnostic equipment and treatment protocols, whilst recognising the ‘Unsung Heroes’ in our nation.”

The criteria for nominees for the monthly PHA Unsung Heroes Awards encompass exceptional success in an area or aspect of work including consistent and outstanding performance; demonstrating initiative for personal development and professional knowledge while maintaining the highest standards of relationships with patients, staff and the community; consistent and outstanding leadership, actively promoting and encouraging colleagues to deliver a high standard of service; consistently high standard of service delivery to internal and external customers; achievement in promoting links with the community or enhancing the reputation of the PHA in it; and noted participation in community health activities at various levels.

The attributes which make an employee suitable for nomination include attitude, drive to succeed, overall work quality, an exceptional act of service and willingness to go the extra mile.

Nomination forms and full criteria for eligibility and selection can be found on the PHA website (phabahamas.org) or obtained from human resources. They will also be available to patients and visitors at all facilities.

Nominations must be submitted by the last day of the month. Employees can only win one monthly award per calendar year.

PAGE 8, Thursday, June 8, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

The Way Forward Part 2 Party Structure and Governance

YOUR SAY

By ALFRED SEARS, QC

F

ROM October 2016 to January 2017, my campaign team and I undertook a listening tour amongst stalwart councillors, branch officers and delegates of the PLP in New Providence, Abaco, North and Central Andros, Bimini, Cat Island, Grand Bahama, Eleuthera and Exuma during the campaign for the position of leader of the Progressive Liberal Party.

In each Family Island that we visited, we went to the homes of stalwart councillors, held group meetings with stalwarts and party members to discuss their perceptions of the party, their concerns and their recommendations about strengthening the capacity of the party.

To rebuild, reform and refresh the PLP, we are duty bound to review the structure and practices of the party and to propose corrective measures to ensure electoral success by the PLP in 2022.

The right to form and belong to a political party is a fundamental right, secured

by Article 24 of the Bahamian Constitution. Political parties play a pivotal role in our parliamentary democracy. Political parties structure electoral choice, provide mechanisms for political participation and organise elected representation in the House of Assembly and the Senate. Invariably, the person elected as party leader will become the prime minister of the government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas upon his/her party winning the majority of seats in general elections.

Therefore, representative government in The Baha100% FLEXIBLE 100% ONLINE 100% RELEVANT

ALFRED SEARS mas is produced, shaped and determined through the two major political parties in the Bahamas, namely, the PLP and the FNM. The internal governance of the PLP is justifiably a matter of interest to the members of the party and the general public.

The PLP’s constitution, in theory, calls for accountable leadership, independent and democratically operated branches, a council for stalwart councillors and island or regional constituency councils.

The constitution declares, at article 1.2, that the constitution is the supreme governing law of the party and all of its branches.

The principal objective of the party, at article 2.1, is “to organise and maintain in the Parliament of The Bahamas the Progressive Liberal Party as the government of the day.”

Opportunity to change or reaffirm the leadership annually is provided at article 7. That article declares that the annual national general convention is the supreme authority, which shall (a) review the work of the party, (b) establish new policies, (c) amend the platform, byelaws and the constitution, (d) receive reports of the National General Council and branches of the party, and (e) elect all

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THE CROWD at the Progressive Liberal Party convention’s opening night at The Melia in January.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff officers of the party.

These constitutional organs of the party were designed to ensure internal democratic governance, accountable leadership and effective canvassing capacity in every constituency in order to win elections. In charting the way forward, the party must engage in an honest appraisal of how these constitutional structures operated prior to the last general elections and what changes should be made to ensure electoral success by the party in the future.

Constituency Branches The branch is the most important unit of the party.

Its main objective, in Article 1 of the party’s byelaws, is to ensure that the party forms the government of The Bahamas and to ensure the election and re-election of the party’s candidate to the House of Assembly.

It is through the party’s branches that (a) an indi-

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vidual becomes a member of the party; (b) a stream of revenue is generated for the party from membership dues; (c) official delegates to the National General Convention are elected; (d) one member of the National General Council is elected; (e) members of the party to be appointed as stalwart councillors are proposed; and (f) prospective candidates for election to the House of Assembly to the Candidate’s Committee from each constituency are recommended in writing. These functions of the branch are essential to maintaining an active organic presence in each of the 39 constituencies, hold the leadership accountable and ensure a robust machinery on the ground to give the party the best opportunity to win elections and obtain and/or maintain the government.

The branch is independent of the party’s parlia-

mentary candidate and member of Parliament.

The member of Parliament is not in charge of a branch, but is answerable to the branch. Article 18.3 of the constitution provides that: “Each member of Parliament is responsible and answerable to the party and his constituency branch and shall work with and through the branch at all times to ensure the visibility, smooth running and active operation of the branch but shall have no power to control the functions and work of the branch.”

From observations during the listening tour 2016/2017, the basic and most important units of the party, the branches, were not active in New Providence and in many of the Family Islands that we visited. Where there were functioning branches, most were not functioning in accordance with the party’s constitution.

In some cases, branches

were not active since the last general elections in 2012. As required by the constitution, the branches did not hold monthly meetings; did not hold annual general meetings; did not submit to the secretary general in January each year a calendar of events and activities for the year; and did not submit quarterly reports to the secretary general of their existing fully paid up and financial members.

In many instances, branches were only revived and mobilised to elect official delegates for the national general convention.

Undoubtedly, the absence of five years of active branch engagement, membership recruitment and community involvement in some constituencies contributed to the loss of the general elections on May 10, 2017.

Councils of Stalwart Councillors The party’s constitution, at Article 11, requires the

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 8, 2017, PAGE 9

SMITH TO PAY UP $20,000 OR GO TO JAIL

from page one

the court is a serious offence and should be punished in a way to deter other persons from following the action of the contemnor” in this case, Keod Smith.

In 2014, Smith was found guilty of contempt of court for impugning Justice Bain’s professional reputation through a series of affidavits he created in support of a recusal application from an ongoing judicial review to which he is a party.

Smith, the former attorney for controversial Canadian fashion designer Peter Nygard, had filed a series of affidavits claiming that Justice Bain should recuse herself from a judicial review proceeding as she allegedly made a series of decisions based on her affiliation with the Free National Movement (FNM).

He alleged the judge once worked under former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, that she was appointed to a high-ranking position in the party to establish councils of stalwart councillors on all the islands of The Bahamas where there exist more than 12 stalwart councillors ordinarily resident. The purpose of these councils is to have stalwart councillors to meet regularly to discuss the business of the party. There is no such council in New Providence or any island of The Bahamas. Therefore, the failure to institute this constitutionally mandated organ of the party robs the party of the wisdom, contribution and regular participation of stalwart councillors, especially those in the Family Islands, who cannot easily attend the monthly meetings of the National General Council which are usually held in Nassau.

Due Process and Election of Party Officers The party’s constitution, at Article 7, requires that there should be held every year, either in October or November, an annual national general convention.

The Convention constitutes the supreme authority of the party.

Prior to January 2017, the Progressive Liberal Party had not held a national convention since 2009. Contrary to popular perception, a convention is not a celebration or a “party in the backyard”. In fact, it is the only occasion when the party can change or affirm its officers and engage in a complete review of its operation, performance and capacity. At the national convention, five essential functions take place: (a) review of the work of the party; (b) modification and/ or establishment of new policies, programmes and standing orders of the party; (c) amendment by resolution the platform, byelaws and constitution of the Party; (e) receipt and adoption of the reports of the National General Council and branches of the party; and (e) conduct of the election of officers of the Party.

The 52nd National General Convention was held on January 24-26, 2017, at Melia Hotel, Nassau, four months before the last general elections. For example, the conduct of elections for officers at the convention disclosed issues about due process and fairness which impacted public confidence in the party.

First, about two weeks before the convention, about 355 additional stalwarts were appointed. At the convention immediately before nominations for officers on January 25, 2017, the party’s constitution was amended giving the leader the authority to increase the number of stalwart councillors “as he deems necessary”. The appointment of these new stalwart councillors on the eve of the convention automatically conferred voting status on these persons to determine the leadership race. Our campaign team was not provided with the names and contacts of these additional voters prior to the voting at the convention.

Second, the voting for party officers commenced at 9am on Thursday, January 26. The list of eligible voters was not available

KEOD SMITH, pictured outside court previously.

Attorney General’s Office because of her ties to the FNM and that her two sons were fathered by a person he claimed is a close friend and advisor of Mr Ingraham.

Smith also alleged that Justice Bain had made several rulings in favour of Fred Smith, QC, who in the past had been affiliated with the FNM, and “can only be explained as coming about as a result of her bias.”

According to Justice Bain’s ruling, Smith admitted to the court that he prepared and filed the affidavits himself and that even though the affidavits were endorsed with the at the commencement of the voting. After strenuous protests, at about 11am that morning, our campaign team was finally provided with a stack of papers which were purported to be the list of eligible voters, after scores of persons would have already voted.

Third, persons voted around flat tables standing next to each other, as no individualised booths were provided to ensure the secrecy of the ballot, as required by Article 19.1 of the party’s constitution.

Fourth, access to the voting area was not determined on the basis of an agreed or verified list of eligible voters, since the list of eligible voters was not compiled until two and one half hours after the voting had commenced.

Fifth, it was announced in early January 2017 that the trustees of the party had conduct of the nomination and election of officers.

However, the trustees were only given the power to supervise the conduct of the nomination and the election of party officers on January 25, when the party’s constitution was amended.

In contrast, the election for the leadership of the People’s National Party in Jamaica in September 2015 is instructive. Prospective candidates had to submit their nomination papers by July 20 accompanied by the names and signatures of 12 registered party members.

The party secretariat sent out a list that it deemed eligible to vote in the elections for review and comments by the candidates. The actual voting process was supervised by the Electoral Commission of Jamaica in order to assure persons of the fairness and integrity of the process. The Bahamian public observed the process of the election of officers within our party and was able to determine whether it lacked fairness and integrity.

Island or Regional Constituency Councils Article 10 of the Party’s Constitution requires that the Party establishes an Island or Regional Constituency Councils on every Island or group of Islands.

Such Councils should comprise the Member of Parliament, NGC Member, Branch Officers and Representatives and Stalwart Councillors. Their functions are to meet at regular intervals with the National Chairman and to discuss and devise a strategy to ensure that Branches on that Island are active, visible and functioning. During our listening tour, there were no Island or Regional Constituency Councils either on New Providence or any of the Family Islands, save and except for a brief period in Grand Bahama.

The leadership’s failure to implement this constitutional organ removes a vital link between the national leadership of the Party and regional groups of constituencies, especially those in Family Islands.

Currently, there are no councils of stalwart councillors or island or regional district councils anywhere in The Bahamas.

The net effect of the non-

firm name of Ryan & Co, Smith’s former attorney Derek Ryan did not assist with the preparation of the affidavits.

On March 1, more than three years after filing the affidavits, Smith offered an apology and explanation to Justice Bain that he never intended to impugn her professional reputation, and attempted to show cause why he and Mr Ryan should not be committed to prison.

On May 25, while making a plea of mitigation, Smith’s lawyer, Elliot Lockhart, QC, made a number of submissions on matters the court should take into consideration in sentencing Smith. Mr Lockhart sought to have Smith reprimanded instead of being hit with a custodial sentence.

Those submissions in mitigation included Smith being “medically challenged” and suffering from high blood pressure which can be “dangerously high” on occasion, forcing him to work from home; Smith’s various endevours in pub-

compliance with the party’s constitution, as detailed above, is that it promotes the paramountcy of interest of leadership over the interest of the party, parachuting candidates into constituencies, appointing stalwart councillors and making decisions, without any real participation by the branches, the councils stalwart councillors and regional district councils, prior to consideration by the National General Council.

These structural weaknesses in the party’s machinery, alienated the party’s base, removed the mechanisms to hold its leadership accountable and undermined the party’s capacity to mobilise its resources effectively to win the general elections.

We all, party officers, candidates, stalwart councillors and delegates, must take responsibility for allowing the party’s affairs to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with its constitution.

In part three, I will challenge our party to make its constitution a living document and to implement a culture of servant leadership. The PLP must become a party with a cause again and a model of democratic governance. Further, I will remind our party to articulate, consistent with its core values, a national vision for sustainable development, expansion of the Bahamian economy, facilitation of Bahamian ownership of the

lic life, such as serving as a MP from 2002 to 2007, and Smith not being convicted of any criminal offence.

At the time, Smith’s attorney also attempted to have the fifth, sixth and seventh affidavits he filed on January 14, January 20 and January 27, 2014 respectively expunged from the record.

However, in deliberating on an appropriate sentence for Smith, Justice Bain took into consideration a number of factors, such as the “effect of the contempt on the administration of justice;” the need to “deter the contemnor and others from committing further contempt;” and the “presence of a prior conviction for contempt,” the latter of which is applicable to Smith.

Justice Bain also referred to several local and international cases of contempt of court previously heard before either the Supreme Court or Court of Appeal to help constitute her ruling.

“The court must then

consider the seriousness of the contempt and the contemnor’s culpability in determining whether a custodial or some other type of sentence is the most appropriate in the circumstances,” Justice Bain wrote.

“Scandalising the court is a serious offence and should be punished in a way to deter other persons from following the action of the contemnor.”

She added in a later paragraph: “In sentencing for contempt, the court is both punishing the contemnor for the breach and seeking to ensure compliance with future orders. The court must determine the appropriate punishment or penalty. If a custodial sentence is warranted the court must then consider whether the sentence can be suspended.”

Justice Bain ultimately ruled that a custodial sentence is “appropriate” given the circumstances surrounding the matter, simultaneously dismissing Mr Lockhart’s pleas to

have his client simply reprimanded for his actions.

The judge also noted in her ruling that Smith “is a counsel and attorney at law with upwards of 19 years at the Bahamas Bar” and as such “has an obligation to respect and maintain the administration of justice and to comply with the Bahamas Bar (Code of Professional Conduct) Regulations”.

“The court finds that the contempt by Keod Smith is serious and a reprimand would not be appropriate under the circumstances,” Justice Bain concluded. “A reprimand would not serve as a deterrent.”

Smith’s custodial sentence stems from a judicial review application filed by Save The Bays—formerly the Coalition to Protect Clifton Bay—which is challenging an application

by Mr Nygard to further develop his Mayan-themed development in Lyford Cay and gain a lease for Crown land reclaimed from the sea without official approval.

PAGE 10, Thursday, June 8, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

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HERE is great concern that in the Arctic, polar bears are becoming an endangered species.

I wish the same were true of bipolar disorder, but far from vanishing it is either increasing or the recognition of the illness is improving as we become more aware of its existence.

Climate change deniers and mental illness naysayers still clamour for attention but the scientific facts are real and bipolar disorder affects about 1 per cent of all the people of the world.

This means that about 3,500 Bahamians have this illness.

It used to be called manic depressive illness and the names describe this switch of mood from pole to pole,

mania to severe depression.

People with this illness can change from feelings of extreme happiness and energy to suicidal despair. The depression can be unbearable and anything to stop the suffering seems acceptable. A four-decade-long study in Denmark showed a suicide rate of 0.7 per cent for the whole country but an 8 per cent suicide rate for those suffering from bipolar disorder. The level of depression is so severe that thinking becomes delusional with strange beliefs of paranoia, guilt and worthlessness. I treated a lady who had tried to end it all as she believed that she had promised the church one pound forty years earlier and needed to go to “hell” as she never given the church her money.

The switch into mania is dramatic with high energy levels, insomnia, rapid speech, ideas rapidly changing, sexual disinhibition and grandiose delusions. They are usually very happy but this can change into paranoid anger if anyone tries to oppose them. I used to visit prisons in Manchester when I was training in forensic psychiatry, on one occasion the prison officer told me it would be better to interview my client through the peep hole in the strip cell as they had him completely stripped on a suicide watch. He had also managed to jump up, grab the light bulb and eat it!

I assessed that he was manic and asked to be let in to continue the interview; after a while I asked him had he eaten the light bulb.

“Sure,” he responded .“I wanted a light breakfast.”

I laughed with him; the officers never treated me the same after that incident.

It is fine to laugh with patients but never to laugh at them.

The illness seems to run in families so it has a genetic vulnerability which is triggered by life’s events; exactly what we do not know. It has been gaining recognition if not acceptability as numbers of famous celebrities have openly dis-

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cussed their battles with the illness. Catherine Zeta Jones and Kurt Cobain (a creative genius who died by suicide age 27) have been diagnosed as suffering from bipolar disorder.

Some of the great British comedians like Stephen Fry, John Cleese and Spike Milligan have written and spoken extensively about their experiences with the illness. They describe periods of comedic brilliance and attempts to leave this place with suicide the only apparent option. It disturbs me greatly that some religions are still unable to accept that death by suicide in the midst of a delusional depression is no different from death from cancer or a heart attack, the illness, not moral decadence is the root cause.

Bipolar disorder is treatable, the main aim is to restore balance so whilst we all have mood swings therapy tries to lesson the dramatic polar swings. It is important to restore bal-

ance to life; be calm, reduce stress, avoid substance abuse, exercise and stable diets all help.

Mindfulness, cognitive behaviour therapy all help but most people will also need medication; many will have already tried self medication with alcohol and drugs often making matters worse.

Lithium for many years was the drug of choice and despite many complications of the drug, it saved lives.

There is now a move towards anticonvulsant medication, drugs that were developed to prevent seizures help prevent these mood swings as well and generally have a less damaging side effect profile.

• Dr Mike Neville is a forensic psychiatrist who has practised for more than 40 years in The Bahamas, working at Sandilands, the prison and in private practice. Send comments and responses to mneville@ tribunemedia.net.

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THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 8, 2017, PAGE 11

Concern raised over schedule of compacting at landfill site

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net ONE of the nation’s environmental groups has raised concern over the current state of affairs at the New Providence Landfill since the May 10 general election.

Representatives of Raising Awareness for the Bahamas Landfill (RABL), noting the proposals laid out by government officials over the weekend, yesterday raised questions over the ongoing status of compacting schedules at the landfill site.

In comments circulated on social media, Heather Carey, co-spokesperson for RABL, claimed that the dumpsite has remained “uncompacted, uncovered” and “fully exposed” for several weeks.

Her post went on to speculate that the changes in government and lack of clarity on the role the Department of Environmental Health Services (DEHS) should play in the day-to-

AN AERIAL shot of a landfill fire last year.

Photo: Raising Awareness of the Bahamas Landfill day management of the site has left this practice undone.

“This is something that should be done and has not been done by DEHS since the election we have been told,” Ms Carey claimed on Facebook.

“Two weeks ago, RABL visited the site to see and confirm for ourselves.

RABL has been seeking answers as to why this is not being done and when the public can expect for this

to be addressed. Every day that this most fundamental process is neglected the fire risk and health hazards become greater.”

When contacted to clarify the post this week, Ms Carey explained that she was out of the country and referred comment to Laura Paine, attorney and cofounder of RABL. In an interview with The Tribune on Wednesday morning, Mrs Paine did

YOUNG CANDIDATES STEP UP FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

MORE young people from Grand Bahama, particularly Freeport, have offered themselves as candidates this year for the 2017 local government elections, a process that is expected to be “very competitive”.

Freeport Administrator Preston Cunningham told The Tribune that this is the first time that so many young persons have nominated since the introduction of local government in 1996.

In Freeport alone, a total of 34 candidates have nominated, and many newcomers have stepped forward seeking to represent their communities at the local level.

There are nine seats on the Freeport Council for which the candidates will be vying – three in Marco City; and two each in Pineridge, Central Grand Bahama, and East Grand Bahama.

“We have quite some persons nominated and surprisingly more young persons this time than any other since the inception of local government,” said Mr Cunningham.

“I suspect young persons have awakened to the need to serve, and maybe they are sick and tired of old horses doing crap from time to time.”

Administrator Cunningham reported that seven persons were nominated in East Grand Bahama; eight in the Central Grand Bahama; nine in Pineridge; and 10 in Marco City.

The vetting process is not rigid, but candidates must be of legal age and must not have been convicted of a crime within one year of the elections.

“It is going to be a very competitive exercise, and I trust and hope at the end of the day we get people who are interested in the wellbeing of their communities,” said Mr Cunningham.

“I worked in every Family Island since local government started and I have seen where some only want to get in there for selfish gain, while some try to get in along party lines.”

Mr Cunningham said that “it should be about a desire to make your community better.”

One of the newcomers this year is Tammi Mitchell, who is no stranger to public and community service.

Ms Mitchell, a candidate for the Pineridge constituency, was supported by her mother and family members on nomination day on Tuesday.

“My decision to run for local government is one I do not take lightly having thought and prayed about

it for the past two years before making the leap of faith,” she said.

Ms Mitchell is a supplies officer assigned to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Grand Bahama, with responsibilities for the NEMA warehouse. She is also the deputy co-chair of the Grand Bahama Disaster Consultative Committee (GBDCC), a voluntary position she has held for more than 15 years. She is also a board member of the Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association (BASRA), a member of the Rotary

Club of Lucaya (RCL) and a member of the Grand Bahama Road Safety Committee GBRSC).

Ms Mitchell outlined some of her goals, which are to establish disaster management teams in the Pineridge constituency, foster a better relationship with government officials and other stakeholders to address the concerns of the residents, and assist with ongoing projects that would not have been completed by the previous local government administration.

The vote will take place on June 22.

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not add further comment on that issue, but applauded the recent release of a damning report from the Pan American Health Organisation, which classified the landfill as an “urgent public health hazard” presenting a “chronic health risk” to residents.

She said the report painted a portrait of conditions her group has worked to bring attention to for much of the past two years.

“The report is there black and white,” she said. “Anyone can read it. Hopefully now people can understand how dangerous this situation really is. Living conditions for so many Bahamians have been threatened for far too long.”

Asked about the current state of affairs at the landfill, Mrs Paine said she recognised that the new administration has a “huge” task ahead of it.

“We have met with the prime minister and the minister of health. We have

heard their plans and are prepared to work closely with them to bring about some resolution.

“There are so many sources of pollution that need to be addressed . . . the cruise ships, oil spills, vehicle emissions. We recognised that there is a lot of work to be done and we will work along with the government as best we could.”

The Minnis administration made the PAHO report public last Thursday, about a month after the report was submitted to the previous government, the Christie administration.

Former Environment Minister Kenred Dorset has denied assertions that the Christie administration sought to “suppress” the report.

On Tuesday he told The Tribune that the report was emailed to him at the height of the 2017 general election season, a period in which he said he was not in office.

The former administration moved management responsibilities of the landfill to the Department of Environmental Services (DEHS) last year after Renew Bahamas withdrew its services following claims that their agreed upon venture with the government was not profitable and was not yielding the expected results.

Renew Bahamas also cited the continued absence of power and communications, including internet; the absence of fuel supplies; overturned containers; and the closure of the Nassau Container Port, preventing further exports and revenue generation, as reasons for its departures.

Officials at DEHS have not offered comment on developments at the site.

Deputy Director of Environmental Health Services Thomasina Wilson could not be reached for comment.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 8, 2017, PAGE 19

8 2 4 1

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PAGE 20, Thursday, June 8, 2017

THE TRIBUNE