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TIME WE FACED FACTS ON DEBT Sands warns painful tax reforms can no longer be avoided By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net ELIZABETH MP Dr Duane Sands said yesterday the country will have to adopt serious changes in the years ahead in response to the nation’s worsening debt crisis, noting an income tax system may even have to be implemented. While voicing his support for the 2021/2022 budget, the former Health Minister recommended the government look to tax reform strategies, public private partnerships and other
related initiatives to help chart the nation to recovery. He said losses incurred from Hurricane Dorian and now the COVID-19 pandemic have “left us in a very tight spot,” adding to the major debt issues created by past administrations over the last five decades. And with government debt set to top $10 billion by the end of the next fiscal year, Dr Sands said business can no longer return to usual in the country and further added that changes will have to be made.
AN “INEXCUSABLE” blunder by the Attorney General’s Office and its US counterparts has resulted in the Court of Appeal refusing to refreeze the alleged $1.5m proceeds from an international fraud. Appeal justice Milton
PAGE EIGHT
AIRFARES SOARING FOR US FLIGHTS
THE Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association’s president yesterday voiced concerns that high airline ticket prices, especially at peak weekends and holidays, “could be a deterrent” for travel to this nation. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
SEXIST TO LANISHA? NOT BY US
SEE PAGE THREE
Evans, in a unanimous May 27, 2021, ruling backed by his two fellow justices, blasted Bahamian prosecutors for failing to resolve “inconsistency in the evidence” supporting claims against several defendants who include flamboyant “philanthropist” Rudolph Kermit King, and a local “non-profit” group. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
THE LEGACY OF THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR OUR FUTURE
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
JUDGES SLAM AG’S OFFICE ON ‘INEXCUSABLE’ ERROR By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
FRONT PORCH
By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
ADRIANA MARIA CARO, a 22-year-old Cuban woman, who is missing.
‘ADRIANA WAS NEVER HERE - SHE DROWNED’ By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net IMMIGRATION officials have denied detaining a Cuban woman after the boat she was on capsized in Bahamian waters three months ago, believing her
to have died onboard the vessel along with several others. Adriana Maria Caro, 22, was said to have been onboard a Cuban vessel that was intercepted by Cuban, Bahamian, Turks Island and US Coast Guard officials in early March.
According to court documents, for some “unknown reason” there was an accident on Cay Sal Bank and the boat subsequently exploded and sank. It has been said that some 15 to 20 people died in the incident.
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SEE PAGE TWO
DIRECTOR of Sports Tim Munnings has denied any suggestion of sexism towards former Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Lanisha Rolle from sports officials, saying it is not a practice at that ministry. SEE PAGE THREE
STATESIDE
PUTIN WON’T FIND BIDEN AS EASY TO HANDLE
SEE PAGE NINE
PAGE 2, Thursday, June 10, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
‘Adriana was never here - she drowned’ from page one
Surviving passengers, according to immigration officials, were repatriated to Cuba in April, court documents also note. However, relatives of Mrs Caro have said they have reason to believe she has not been deported to Cuba and is still being detained at a local immigration facility. Last month, a Supreme Court judge granted the attorneys representing Mrs Caro leave to issue a writ of habeas corpus against Attorney General Carl Bethel, Immigration Minister Elsworth Johnson, Immigration Director Clarence Russell and Officer in Charge of the Carmichael Detention Centre Peter Joseph. Immigration officials were also ordered to prove that they acted lawfully when they allegedly detained a Cuban woman, believed to be Mrs Caro, who was reportedly placed in their care after the incident.
ADRIANA MARIA CARO, pictured above and top left. In an affidavit filed on to the applicant and spoke Tuesday, Mr Joseph said to Ms Johnson in relation to that Mrs Caro is not being the matter. held at the facility nor was “When Mr Wallace Whitshe ever detained there, field spoke to Ms Johnson, adding he believed she had there was a female Vendied onboard the ill-fated ezuelan national detainee vessel. in custody who was being He also explained that transported to court. Ms Mrs Caro was mistak- Johnson, who was also enly identified for another managing another matter female detainee who was at the time, being disin custody in relation to a tracted, in error believed separate matter. that person referred to “In March 2021, per- by Mr Wallace was the sons claiming to be family detainee in question and members of the appli- she, therefore, erroneously cant called the Detention told Mr Wallace Whitfield Centre making enquiries that the applicant was being about her stating that they detained at the detention were informed by a nurse centre.” at PMH that their family Mr Joseph said Ms Johnmember was released to the son, upon realising her Detention Centre,” the affi- mistake, subsequently davit reads. called Mr Whitfield to “Ms Cherise John- inform him of the error, son, senior immigration but he refused to accept the officer, second officer explanation. in charge of the deten“The applicant was tion centre, informed the not being detained at the family members that no Detention Centre and was such person was being never in the Detention detained.” Centre custody... I verily The affidavit states that believe that the applicant on or about March 26, 2021, was one of the persons Paul Wallace Whitfield also that perished on board called the Detention Centre the vessel,” the affidavit making enquiries in relation continued.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 10, 2021, PAGE 3
Sands warns painful tax reforms can no longer be avoided from page one “We have a sovereign debt crisis,” Dr Sands told the House of Assembly yesterday. “If we survive this, and we will, we have to make the adjustments necessary. We can no longer kick tax reform down the road, so Mr Speaker, this is the time, now, not tomorrow, but today to start on the road to resiliency and recovery. “It is time to lock in fundamental reforms moving forward rather than simply throwing stones. I would like to make some recommendations as to what we
should do.” He said the country should acknowledge its total debt. “Let us, as the old people say, ‘claim it.’ Find where the bodies are buried at BMC (Bahamas Mortgage Corporation), BOB (Bank of the Bahamas), BDB (Bahamas Development Bank), BA (Bahamasair), BPL (Bahamas Power and Light). “Let us look at our unbooked pension liabilities, write it down. All of our accrued vacation leave. Let us speak openly about the state of the NIB fund and the challenged ability to provide benefits beyond
2028-2033 as the most recent actuarial reviews confirm. “As painful politically as a national, holistic ‘come to Jesus’ moment will be, sugar coating our current situation is not the way to go. After 2021 and 2022, we need to implement some belt tightening. Yes, I said it. Start with the state owned enterprises and eliminate the concept that there’s a bottomless pit for money. “I will say that it (the budget) does not in plain language, acknowledge that we are in deep trouble. There’s no free lunch. We must now accept that
things are different. We may have afforded champagne previously, but if we drink cider or beer, maybe we will emerge stronger and leaner. “Let us accept that mortgage default rates of 40 to 50 percent help no one. Let us carve out sustainable investments in the future. Put a cost on the road to digital transformation and let us fund it. “Let us continue on the road to autonomy of healthcare. Let us accept that the current model is broken. Promising free care to all results in substandard or no care for many. Capital
investments in healthcare without maintenance contracts and continuous capital equipment repairs and upgrades is quite frankly nonsensical.” He said there also needs to be a review of the nation’s tax system among other things, saying if income tax is required, “let’s do it voluntarily”. “Let us reassess the tax structure of The Bahamas to meet the annual funding needs of the government. If it requires income tax, if it requires income tax, let’s do it voluntarily before somebody else makes us do it,” Dr Sands added. “Clearly, our tax system is inefficient
and predicated on ‘best case scenarios’. Clearly, we are underperforming relative to best practices of 15 to 18 percent of GDP as opposed to 22 to 25. “After 2021/2022, let us right size the contingency for climate change and other catastrophic events. There will be more Hurricane Irmas. There will be more Hurricane Matthews. There will be more Hurricane Dorians. They are going to become the norm unless the world gets a handle on climate change. Let us shift some of the expenditure from recurrent and focus more on capital.”
MURDERS UP BY 52%
NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames speaking yesterday. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net MURDERS and armed robberies jumped by 52 percent and 42 percent this year compared to the same period last year, National Security Minister Marvin Dames said yesterday. He added that this increase appears to be a global trend. Mr Dames also said major crimes such as murder, armed robbery and rape have collectively declined in the first three years of the Minnis administration compared with the first four years of the previous Christie administration. Police statistics, he said, show that between 2017 and 2020 there were 18,332 incidents of major crimes reported to the police, compared with 40,108 incidents reported from 2012 to 2016, a 54 percent difference. During the FNM’s threeyear period, there were 420 murders compared with 609 murders during the PLP’s four-year period, a difference of 29 percent. Armed robbery during these periods were 1,893 incidents under the current administration versus 4,798 incidents in the four years prior to 2017, a 61 percent difference.
There were 194 rape incidents during the FNM’s three-year period and 438 incidents during the PLP’s four-year period, a difference of 56 percent. For housebreaking, there were 4,021 incidents between 2017 and 2020 versus 9,226 between 2012 and 2016. Likewise, 1,250 firearms were seized between 2017 to 2020 while 2,019 firearms were seized during the previous four-year period. Mr Dames said from 2017 to 2020 there were 2,461 lbs of cocaine seized compared with 7,711 lbs seized from 2012 to 2016. Similarly, 38,110 lbs of marijuana were seized between 2017 and 2020 while 63,676 lbs of marijuana were seized during the previous fouryear period. Mr Dames said there were 223 road traffic fatalities between 2017 and 2020. Between 2012 and 2016, there were 228 traffic fatalities. Mr Dames said between 2017 to 2020 there were 1,229 migrant apprehensions and 4,747 apprehensions between 2012 to 2016, a decrease of 76 percent. He said this year there have been nine migrant interdictions so far, resulting in 85 people being apprehended, including 62
Cubans and 23 Haitians. He added that 21 vessels were apprehended between 2017 and 2020, resulting in the seizure of 138,750 lbs of assorted fisheries. By comparison, there were 18 poaching vessel seizures from 2012 to 2016, resulting in the confiscation of 76,600lbs of assorted fisheries. Mr Dames said the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services has seen a decline in the recidivism rate of prisoners. In 2020, the recidivism rate fell to 12 percent compared with 14 percent in 2019, he said. “This in itself is a testimony that the Department of Corrections is effecting correctional reform,” he said. Mr Dames said to date, the government has invested more than $44m in technology for law enforcement agencies, with another $6m in contracts scheduled for the upcoming fiscal period. Of this figure, $23m was invested in RBPF technologies like CCTV cameras, ShotSpotter and body worn cameras, while $20m was invested in technology for the Royal Bahamas Defence Force; this included investment on drones, a bridge stimulator
and AV integration system. Mr Dames said ShotSpotter has helped the government detect gunshots and allowed police to respond faster to incidents. He said the technology will be extended to additional areas throughout New Providence. “There have been 2,562 gunshot incidents, including 1,523 multiple, 690 single and 349 probable shots,” he said. “Robinson Road and East Street had the first and second highest repeated locations while Friday - Sundays were the most active days and 7pm - 4am were the most active times.” Mr Dames also said that 120 body-worn cameras are currently being used by front-line officers, noting that $688,561 was spent for 200 body-worn and 200 dash cameras in February. Mr Dames also revealed the government will not renew the current Electronic Monitoring System contract that expired in December but will instead choose another company to provide the service. “After an exhaustive process,” he said, “the Cabinet of The Bahamas has agreed to award a new contract in the amount of $2.5m to a vendor to be named sometime this month.”
CRIMINAL RECORDS OF 28 EXPUNGED - WITH 85 PENDING By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames said the Bahamas Rehabilitation of Offenders Committee has expunged the criminal records of 28 people to date, with 85 applications pending. Under the Rehabilitation
of Offenders Act (Amendment) 2015, people who have committed murder, manslaughter, treason, armed robbery, rape or possessed dangerous drugs with the intent to supply cannot have their records expunged. But after five years most of the others are eligible if they are first-time offenders or were younger than 21 at the time of their
first conviction. Mr Dames said the Rehabilitation of Offenders Committee has referred 24 cases to the Prerogative of Mercy Committee for its consideration. Mr Dames said under the Minnis administration, 209 inmates serving time at the Department of Correctional Services have been granted clemency.
“This is the largest number of clemencies ever given under any government,” he said. “Additionally, the POM Committee is preparing to meet in a month’s time to consider another 200 applications for requests for clemency. “Our government’s approach is simple as it relates to legislative
SEXIST TO LANISHA? NOT BY US
from page one
In a scathing contribution to the 2021/2022 budget debate on Tuesday, Mrs Rolle defended her conduct and record in office, denying any impropriety. She also discussed the sexism she says she experienced and lamented the Free National Movement’s decision to deny her a nomination in the next general election. “As far as we are aware within this ministry, certainly we do not subscribe to sexism and that sort of thing,” Mr Munnings said when contacted yesterday. “If she felt that was directed to her from this ministry then we are disappointed to hear that, but certainly we do not believe that to be the case at all. “I know the permanent secretary and all the senior officers in the ministry would have provided much support to her to the best of their capacity. Each minister, when they come in, they have their different styles and I guess we all try to adapt and accommodate the different styles that the
minister might bring. “In my experience some are laid back and some are much more rigid – they have a mission, and they want to accomplish it before being reassigned. Her style was different, and some people were able to adapt to it and some persons …. it was challenging.” The Tribune also contacted former Director of Youth Darron Turnquest for comment as he worked with Mrs Rolle before his departure from the ministry, but he declined to speak on the issue. “I cannot comment on that,” Mr Turnquest said. FNM chairman Carl Culmer also offered no comment on her criticism of the party. “I have no comment on the matter at this time,” Mr Culmer said. “In time I will comment, but not at this time.” Mrs Rolle said she intended to continue as MP for Seabreeze and expressed confidence that she would have won if renominated. She said after she was not ratified by March 12, she wrote to the FNM to say she will
not seek renomination and advised them to find the “best candidate that can top 3,500 votes.” Danny Sumner, chairman of the FNM’s Seabreeze constituency, was also contacted to find out if Mrs Rolle had the support she needed. “There are a lot of things still going on so I really do not want to comment on that right now,” Mr Sumner said. “I really do not want to comment right now. This is not a good time for me to make a comment on that right now to be honest. I will comment later on when I am in a better position to do so. I really would not want to comment right now because of a lot of reasons.” Before being assigned to the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, Mrs Rolle was minister of social services. Throughout her time as Cabinet minister, she had been the subject of public critique, and some had grumbled about her leadership style. A senior official from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, who worked closely with Mrs Rolle, spoke to The
Tribune on condition of anonymity. “I watched the House of Assembly yesterday (Tuesday) while shaking my head in disbelief,” the government official said yesterday. “It is tragic that the former minister can feel comfortable standing and looking in the eyes of her parliamentary colleagues and saying the things that she said. I am a woman, and, in my opinion, no one practised any form of sexism against her.” The source claimed morale is higher with Mrs Rolle out of her post. “Working with her was torturous to say the least and quite frankly I’ve not met anyone who is sorry that she has left,” the source said. “We have many talented people here and we’ve seen many leave because they could not deal with her. In my opinion her rope was much too long. The Prime Minister moved too slow on asking her to leave. And, in regard to him or whomever she suggested should defend her, one cannot defend the (indefensible).”
implementation. We are of the view that while laws are made to punish those in violation of society’s norms, for the most part, it should also take into consideration that with proper intervention and oversight, persons capable of redeeming themselves, do deserve a second chance. Mr Speaker, this Minnisled government, believes in
second-chances.” Former Police Commissioner Paul Farquharson heads the Rehabilitation of Offenders Committee. In 2019, he told The Tribune thousands could be eligible for clean records through the Rehabilitation of Offenders Committee, especially those convicted of crimes of drug possession.
PAGE 4, Thursday, June 10, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
‘We’re emerging from third wave’ By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
AMID a decline of positive COVID-19 cases in the country, former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands says it appears the nation is “starting to come out” of its third wave of COVID19, adding he hopes virus numbers continue to trend downward. Since the start of the pandemic, The Bahamas has recorded more than 12,000 cases and 232 virus related deaths. Yesterday, Dr Sands told the House of Assembly the only way the country can move on from the pandemic – allowing for the country’s ailing economy to rebound — is to remain a COVID-19 free or COVID safe destination. He said the number of virus cases recorded in both April and May – when the country’s third wave was
confirmed — was more than double the number of infections reported in March and were also higher than those recorded in “December, January, February” combined. Since June, the number of new cases in the country has considerably declined, with only three new infections confirmed on Monday and 20 on Sunday. “It seems as if we’re starting to come out of the third wave and I hope that the numbers bear that out,” the Elizabeth MP said during his contribution to the 2021/2022 budget debate yesterday. “(But) if we are going to make it through this then The Bahamas has to claim that we are going to be the COVID safe country in the world. All of us have to understand how a low COVID environment is critical to our collective and individual survival. “So, we’ve got to test
TWO more people have died from COVID-19, pushing the nation’s death count to 234. The Ministry of Health also reported 25 new cases. The country now has had 12,052 confirmed infections. The latest deceased victims are a 64-year-old New
Providence woman and a 62-year-old Abaco man who died on June 2 and June 6, respectively. Twenty-eight other deaths are under investigation. Meanwhile, 41 people are in hospital with the virus, three of whom are in intensive care.
TWO MORE VIRUS DEATHS
more than we’re testing. We have to have good treatments but most importantly, we have to vaccinate. So far, we have been fortunate to have some 62,000 shots given; 48,000 plus have gotten their first shot and 13,000 plus have gotten their second shot. That’s only 4.7 percent of adults.” Noting that more people need to get vaccinated, the former health minister said it will take a national effort for The Bahamas to achieve herd immunity against the virus. Dr Sands has said at least “200,000 more people” need to be fully vaccinated to achieve this goal. He said The Bahamas is currently ranked 26 out of 35 countries in the Americas region for vaccinations, a situation some may attribute to vaccine hesitancy. Dr Sands described vaccine hesitancy as a worldwide problem and explained officials must tackle the issue by directly addressing the concerns Bahamians may have regarding coronavirus vaccines. He said: “Now, I get it that people are afraid of vaccinations. There’s been a lot of discussions back and forth about side effects, about whether this is an experiment, about whether black or brown people are going to get sterilised. There’s a conspiracy. I get it.
“Vaccine hesitancy is greater among black and brown people around the world for good reason and yet, this is an existential issue for The Bahamas and so what we now need to do is address people to understand their concerns and not be dismissive and not to suggest that they are crazy or dumb or stupid, but to be loving, compassionate and understanding about the various concerns that people have because they have real concerns. Let us engage our public, one by one we can increase the
number of people that are vaccinated. It will take a national effort in order to increase vaccinations.” Dr Sands also spoke about the existing nursing shortage in the country, describing it as “one of the single greatest threats to national security and safety.” He said many of the frontline workers have left the nation’s healthcare system, noting that in some units, they have lost as many as 50 percent of nurses. “We are losing our nurses
in droves,” he said. “They are leaving, they’re resigning. Some of them are dying. “You see nurses form the backbone of healthcare delivery in all countries including The Bahamas... In the private sector and intensive care units, we have lost up to 50 percent of our critical care nurses.” He said the situation has even affected services at Princess Margaret Hospital. “At PMH, we cannot open our ICU to full capacity because we don’t have enough nurses. This is a critical problem, Mr Speaker. You can have all the whistles and bells, you could have the biggest towers but if you don’t have the human capital, we are not going to be able to care for our people. “ He continued: “COVID has interfered with the practical training of all healthcare professionals, including doctors and nurses. Graduate nurses, in particular, in The Bahamas, have had their clinical training delayed because of COVID and despite the paucity of nurses. “Over the years, we have not provided the level of compensation of nurses that they deserve… We have not completed the revision of the nursing act and in the public sector, we had some shortage of 300 RNs and 102 TCNs.”
Minister Wells recently told the press The Bahamas is in line to receive some COVID-19 vaccines via the generosity of the United States directly. The United States is donating its excess to countries around the world through the World Health Organization’s COVAX programme. He also said he is expecting a COVAX shipment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine sometime this week. Dr Etienne thanked the United States for its generous donation to the world. “While it’s true that vaccines will eventually help us curb the spread of this virus, progress has been uneven,” Dr Etienne continued. “In fact, today we’re seeing the emergence of two worlds: one quickly returning to normal, and another where recovery remains a distant future. “And the differences are stark. Only one country— the United States—has
fully vaccinated more than 40 percent of its population. Just 10 percent of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean have been fully vaccinated. Even countries that have had vaccination campaigns for months, like Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, have still only managed to protect around 3 percent of their populations. “The situation is particularly acute in Central America and the Caribbean. We’re thankful for the US government’s decision to donate an initial six million doses to countries in Central and South America. Spain has also generously donated five million doses to Latin America and the Caribbean. And we’re grateful to Canada, which has committed $50 million Canadian dollars to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines in the region.” Dr Etienne said PAHO hopes other countries, particularly those with excess
doses, along with global financial institutions will follow in the US’s footsteps to provide the support the organisation needs to protect the 70 percent of various populations that will not be covered under the COVAX programme. She gave webinar participants the alarming regional COVID-19 infection numbers. “First, we urgently need to ramp up access to vaccines in the Americas,” she said. “While we need more doses everywhere. Countries at greatest risk, where vaccines have been slowest to arrive and even vulnerable populations have yet to be protected, urgently need more vaccines. “Last week there were almost 1.2 million new COVID-19 cases and over 34,000 new deaths reported in the Americas, and four of the five countries with the highest death counts in the world were right here in our region.
“While COVID-19 infections are slowing across North America, localised jumps in COVID-related deaths are being reported in some states in the US and Mexico, and in some provinces in Canada.” Dr Etienne also expressed concern about COVID-19 hospitalisations in the region. “In the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago reported the largest spike in COVID-19 infections and deaths over the past month, while hospitalisations in Haiti continue to stretch the country’s oxygen supplies,” she said. “While infections are finally coming down in Costa Rica after weeks of accelerating cases, other Central American countries like Panama and Guatemala are still reporting a rise in new infections.” The Bahamas has recorded more than 12,000 COVID-19 infections to date.
DR Duane Sands speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
LESS THAN THREE MILLION VACCINATED ACROSS CARIBBEAN By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
AS BAHAMIAN officials urge vaccination to push the country towards herd immunity, a Pan American Health Organization official revealed that less than three million of the Caribbean’s population has been vaccinated against the deadly COVID19 virus. Dr Carissa Etienne, PAHO’s director, made the revelation yesterday during PAHO’s weekly webinar updating the region on the fight against COVID-19. Health Minister Renward Wells feels that 120,000 fully vaccinated Bahamians will put the country “in a good place” in the fight against COVID, but this number is well below the number needed for herd immunity. As of June 5, 62,183 AstraZeneca doses had
been given to residents of The Bahamas. Of this figure, 48,434 have received one dose. Meanwhile 13,749 people have had two shots, meaning they are fully vaccinated. This represents roughly four percent of the country’s population. “Just two million people have been fully vaccinated in Central America and less than three million in the Caribbean,” Dr Etienne said. “Some countries like Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago and Honduras have yet to administer enough doses to protect just one percent of their populations. “The inequities in vaccination coverage are undeniable. Unfortunately, vaccine supply is concentrated in a few nations while most of the world waits for doses to trickle out. Although COVID-19 vaccines are new, this story isn’t—inequality has too often dictated who has the right to health.”
COVID RULE FINES BRING IN $1M By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
VIOLATORS of COVID-19 rules have paid the government $1,020,550 in fines, according to National Security Minister Marvin Dames. Speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday, he said there have been 1,940 Emergency Order violations to date. “As it relates to statistics from this area, there were a total of 62 persons — 27 adult males, 33 adult females, one juvenile female, one juvenile male — arrested with reference to fraudulent COVID-19 test results. Fifty-two of these persons were convicted and fined totalling $117,500,” he said. “The airport ambassadors remained focused and vigilant in enforcing the Emergency Orders, as it relates to inter-island travel. Five hundred and twenty-three persons attempted to travel without proper documents and were denied by COVID ambassadors at their various checkpoints. COVID ambassadors were also posted at beaches during holidays and special operations to ensure that beach goers were following COVID Beach protocols. Periodic checks were made at all parks and a total of 1,346 beach visits were
conducted during the period in review.” Mr Dames said officers and COVID-19 ambassadors conducted 39,363 business establishment visits and found 331 businesses in breach of emergency orders for operating a prohibited business. Mr Dames said: “The COVID-19 Enforcement Unit (CEU) at the Cable Beach Police Station forms the basis of the COVID Command Centre and was established on August 3, 2020 and consists of civilian monitors, dispatchers and ambassadors who work along with police officers. The programme is operational on New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco, Eleuthera, Exuma and Bimini. The unit is responsible for coordinating national activities, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, to ensure that both Bahamians and visitors adhere to the health and safety protocols of the Emergency Orders.” Mr Dames, who is responsible for the Parliamentary Registration Department, said 190,157 people are currently registered to vote in the next general election. This includes 131,743 people in New Providence, 30,412 in Grand Bahama and 28,002 in the Family Islands.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 10, 2021, PAGE 5
Smith: Bannister comments on court are ‘scandalous’
By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net ATTORNEY and activist Fred Smith has come out hard against a Cabinet minister’s criticism of a Supreme Court’s ban on demolishing shanty towns in Abaco pending the outcome of a judicial review, saying the remarks were “scandalous”. Mr Smith has called on Minister of Works Desmond Bannister to apologise to the courts, retract his words and wait for the matter to be resolved in the legal system. He spoke to this newspaper a day after Mr Bannister criticised a Supreme Court ruling that banned the government from further demolishing shanty town structures across Abaco. Mr Bannister said the ruling sets a “dangerous” precedent that has “usurped” the power of the Ministry of Works. The Deputy Prime Minister also said the decision would create “open season” for anyone to illegally build on land that they do not own. He added that the ruling “doesn’t make sense” and is not “worth the paper it is written on”. Earlier this week, Supreme Court Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson ordered an extension of an injunction already in place
DESMOND Bannister speaking to the media this week. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff to include all unregulated also stops the government opportunity to comment communities in Abaco. The from demolishing struc- on the Deputy Prime Mininjunction prohibits the tures without first getting ister’s comments which are scandalous and they bring government from evicting approval from the court. Mr Bannister referred to the administration of jusshanty town residents and disconnecting services in Justice Grant-Thompson’s tice into disrepute,” he said. ruling as “a flawed deci- “The fact that the Deputy their communities. Prime Minister of The The government also has sion” and “wrong in law”. Mr Smith, who repre- Bahamas can actually say to “cease and desist” from “any further interference” sents the applicants in the that a judgement written with the respective commu- matter, defended the jus- by a justice of the Supreme Court is, and I quote, ‘not nities until the outcome of a tice’s ruling. judicial review. The ruling “Thank you for the worth the paper it’s written
on’, unquote, is a slap in the face of the judiciary. “It is a disgrace to our democracy. It’s shocking. I want the Deputy Prime Minister to remember that when the FNM is not in government they will need to rely on an independent judiciary to determine cases. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. “How can our Deputy Prime Minister expect anybody to respect the judges when this is the kind of rubbish and abuse that rolls off the FNM’s tongue against a judge of the Supreme Court? This is not the party that Sir Cecil Wallace Whitfield died creating; having fought to create a party that respects the rule of law. That many FNMs from childhood served. This is shameful and I hope he is reconsidering what he said.” He also indicated that the judgement’s meaning was skewered by the minister. “I cry shame on Minister Bannister for saying such things about the judiciary,” he continued. “I hope it was a momentary loss of sanity for him to say that. I hope he apologises to the judiciary for scandalising it, for bringing it into disrepute. “We as lawyers must protect the judiciary, not undermine it, devalue it and subject it to criticism and trivialise its judgements. It doesn’t matter how offended we are or
how badly we think we have been treated by a judgement, the courts of The Bahamas, the Supreme Court of The Bahamas deserves respect. And, furthermore, the minister is (not being truthful) politically about the meaning of the judgement. “The judge has not given free licence for open season for building illegally. The judge was very clear, ‘I gave an injunction’. All she is asking the government to do is to respect the process. You don’t demolish first and then ask for forgiveness later. As the judge said, if there is somebody who is disobeying the order, if someone is building illegally, put the facts before the court, make your case and let the judge decide.” He also said: “I urge the Deputy Prime Minister of a party that I have unreservedly supported for decades to apologise. I have supported the FNM for over 40 years. “The judge has not usurped the power of the minister of works, the judge has not given license to everybody in The Bahamas to go and build without the respect for the relevant laws. This is very simple, there is a judicial review and constitutional challenge before the court to respect the process. It’s very simple. In the rule of law, first and foremost you respect the process.”
REEF WORKING WITH GOVT ON AIRPORT HANDOVER By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net THE Revitalization and Economic Expansion of Freeport (REEF) Committee is working with the government on completing the handover of the Grand Bahama International Airport, among other critical short-term objectives to bolster the island’s economy. The committee was launched by the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) in 2020 following Hurricane Dorian and during the ongoing pandemic. It consists of a wide representation of Freeport business owners and Port Authority representatives. An action plan with short, medium, and long-term solutions was developed to meet key objectives necessary to strengthen the
economy through a diverse range of initiatives. In addition to working with the government to complete the airport turnover, the other short-term objectives include finalising the extension of the real property tax exemption to all GBPA licensees and residents and updating the Freeport bylaws to enhance the appearance of the city. Other objectives include supporting the work of public health officials amid the pandemic, progressing the new Carnival Cruise port project to mobilisation, expansion of Freeport Harbour Cruise facility with Royal Caribbean Cruise International, and repairing social infrastructure in the port area. The committee is also collaborating with business owners and entrepreneurs to enhance the ease of doing business in Freeport.
REEF has held a consultation process and conducted a public survey of residents to identify their concerns regarding the local economy and the environment. “We were pleased to see about 3,200 responses from residents during the exercise who shared their concerns about hurricane preparation and protection, the revitalisation of healthcare facilities, and diversification of the economy – all areas of priority to the committee,” said committee lead Robert Adams. REEF’s action plan is available for viewing on the website at https://reef.gbpa. com. In phase two, REEF will continue its collaboration with the government to advance further goals. There are plans to create jobs through policy and legislative changes
and assisting in digitising administrative and government processes. There is also interest and plans in developing
an agency to promote investment in Freeport, creating opportunities for more Bahamian-made products and services,
exploring new opportunities presented by the ‘“blue economy,” and expanding existing opportunities in the maritime industry.
Career Opportunity Scotia Wealth Management is seeking the services of a
Senior Manager, Corporate and Business Support Position Summary: Leads and oversees the Corporate and Business Support department of The Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Company (Bahamas) Limited ensuring business strategies, plans, and initiatives are executed / delivered in compliance with governing regulations and internal policies and procedures.
Key Accountabilities for this role: w Leads and drives a customer focused culture throughout the team to deepen client relationships and leverage broader Bank relationships, systems and knowledge. w Acquires knowledge and understanding of business operations and objectives by partnering with appropriate cross-functional teams. w Identifies opportunities for service and workflow improvements; reviews, designs and optimizes processes; seeks buy-in from stakeholders on proposals; works in partnership to continually improve service levels and efficiency. w Works with cross-functional teams to influence the support and delivery of initiatives. w Oversees the delivery of centralized core corporate and administrative services to support The Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Company (Bahamas) Limited, including the provision of corporate secretary functions for all structures. w Oversees the provision of Regulatory Information Exchange (AEOI), including the documentation and reporting requirements for QI, FATCA, CRS, Beneficial Ownership, and any future regulatory regimes, in accordance with the requirements of the Bahamas and any other applicable jurisdiction. w Provides support for new account openings, account remediation reviews and audit requests. w Understands how the Bank’s risk appetite and risk culture should be considered in day-to-day activities and decisions. w Creates an environment in which his/her team pursues effective and efficient operations of his/her respective areas, while ensuring the adequacy, adherence to and effectiveness of day-to-day business controls to meet obligations with respect to operational risk, regulatory compliance risk, AML/ATF risk and conduct risk, including but not limited to responsibilities under the Operational Risk Management Framework, Regulatory Compliance Risk Management Framework, AML/ATF Global Handbook and the Guidelines for Business Conduct. w Builds a high performance environment and implements a people strategy that attracts, retains, develops and motivates their team by fostering an inclusive work environment; communicating vison/ values/business strategy and managing succession and development planning for the team.
Educational/Competency Requirements: w TEP and Compliance Designation, Licensing/ College Degree in Business Related Studies w Proficient written and verbal communication skills w Proficient in documenting and designing processes with appropriate controls w Proficient knowledge of change management methodologies w Thorough knowledge of Offshore Trust System (OTS) functionality w Thorough knowledge of computer based productivity tools w Working knowledge of Bank technology & tools w Working knowledge of Bank Accounting w Thorough knowledge of Bank controls, including AML/ATF and sanctions w Thorough knowledge of key responsibilities/processes in each Scotiatrust Bahamas/Cayman functional area; Fiduciary Services / Operations Qualified candidates should submit C.V. via email to: hrbahamas@scotiawealth.com on or before June 14th, 2021. Please note that only those individuals short-listed for an interview will be contacted.
™Trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence (where applicable).
PAGE 6, Thursday, June 10, 2021
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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We shouldn’t hide from our economic problems WHEN Dr Duane Sands gave his assessment of how many more people need to get vaccinated to benefit the nation – a number very different from that given by his successor as Health Minister – we saluted him for being a plain talker. It’s very easy to come out and say the things that people want to hear. It’s very different to come out and say the things that people need to hear. In today’s Tribune, you can read his words as he once again tells us what we need to hear, this time on the issue of our country’s debt crisis. There’s no secret about the situation we are in. We were in debt even before the twin blows of Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19 hit the nation. As Dr Sands put it yesterday of our current situation, “We have a sovereign debt crisis.” What he warned us against is what we should always avoid doing – putting our heads in the ground and pretending the problem doesn’t exist. He said: “Let us, as the old people say, ‘claim it’. Find where the bodies are buried at BMC (Bahamas Mortgage Corporation), BOB (Bank of The Bahamas), BDB (Bahamas Development Bank), BA (Bahamasair), BPL (Bahamas Power and Light). “Let us look at our unbooked pension liabilities, write it down. All of our accrued vacation leave. Let us speak openly about the state of the NIB fund and the challenged ability to provide benefits beyond 2028-2033 as the most recent actuarial reviews confirm.” What Dr Sands says makes sense. We can’t talk about fixing a problem until we actually look at the extent of it. We need to stop turning a blind eye to the bills being run up by state-owned enterprises, we need to stop the pot being drained by favours to the politically connected, and we need to get our house in order. Many of these problems were in place before Dorian and COVID-19 – those calamities simply exposed how fragile our systems are. That’s the first part of the equation – figuring out where the problems are. The second one is what to do about it.
You know yourself from your household finances that when you’re in a hole, you can either cut your costs or try to raise more funds, and it’s no different for public finances. To raise more, we’re talking taxes. Dr Sands raises the question himself, saying we may even have to implement an income tax. As he says: “Let us reassess the tax structure of The Bahamas to meet the annual funding needs of the government. If it requires income tax… let’s do it voluntarily before somebody else makes us do it.” What the solution to the second part is remains up in the air – there are certainly pressures on us internationally for tax reform. But the first part is perhaps more important still. We cannot know how much money we need to raise until we know how much money we are losing. We need to stop it draining out of our leaky systems, and build a more robust society. It’s your money that’s draining away, it’s your money that will disappear from your pocket to replace it in taxes. Let’s find out where it’s going – and not stick our head in the sand any longer.
Fly, fly, fly
Just when we need tourists to start coming back, what do we have? Prices of flights are apparently so high that they could be putting people off. We have more demand for flights than there is availability, which in one sense is good that the demand is there, as Robert Sands, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association head, notes is “a good problem to have.” But it doesn’t help in bringing more people here to spend that money in our stores, our bars and with our vendors. If the demand is there, let’s meet it with increased supply. Put on more flights. Get people here. We’ve waited long enough for this opportunity, let’s not waste it by having overpriced flights because there aren’t enough planes in the air.
The great smoking debate EDITOR, The Tribune. THE Minnis regime in complicity with the so-called Marijuana Commission, co-chaired by a prominent bishop and a former Assistant Commissioner of Police is set to introduce legislation to approve and regulate the so-called medical marijuana industry. At the get go I am against any sort of laws that open the door to recreational ganja as will happen under the proposed law. A doctor will be able to prescribe for his/her patients. Bahamians, by and large, are very innovation people. What will legitimately stop some of them from seeking and obtaining a prescription from his/her family or personal physician? Nothing, except perhaps the costs of a medical visit and the dispensing of the prescription? I am not suggesting that possible fraud may be deployed in obtaining such a prescription, but most have abused the
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net celebrated “sick slip” for decades to avoid going to work. To obtain a sick slip is as easy as apple pie. So I may qualify under the proposed law to purchase 30 days worth of ganja from my favorite pharmacist. I may have some juvenile associates who are pure dope heads. What is to stop me from selling or giving them a bit of my allocated supply? Nothing. They say that there will be five initial licences. Who will decide who the lucky five are? Who all will be on the licensing board? Will members be from the major political parties and who will appoint them? Will members be paid a stipend and just how much? What will happen to the criminal records of tens of thousands of Bahamians who were convicted; fined and even jailed over the years? Will the Act be
retroactive? The administration is desperate to find all sorts of revenue alternatives. To go this route, however, makes no sense when one considers the collateral damage both materially and mental. I do not subscribe to this cruel and cockeyed scheme to further enhance the growth of marijuana groupies. What is the position of The Bahamas Christian Council on all of this? The silence is deafening. There are hundreds of alternatives for revenue enhancement. Marijuana is an easy long hanging fruit which is tempting Minnis. I do not agree or support this scheme by the regime. It is mere political posturing and is akin to the Great Smoke Debate. This was not one of the numerous campaign pledges made by the FNM while in opposition. To God then in all things be the glory. Jr
ORTLAND H BODIE, Nassau, May 24, 2021.
End this slaughter EDITOR, The Tribune. The Tribune’s front page photo – June 7 – entitled “Sport or Slaughter” has sickened me. In this day and age where our oceans and continents are under the siege of pollution and visible climate
change, why do we allow the slaughter of a fish such as the 508 lb Blue Marlin pictured . This is not a case of people needing food and fishing for their supper, but rather people out for a day of pleasure and leaving our seas with one less beautiful
creature in its habitat. I agree with Sam Duncombe in her call for ending these “bloody tournaments”. Let’s grow up. HEATHER WHITE Nassau, June 8, 2021.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 10, 2021, PAGE 7
A RAY OF SUNSHINE FOR FIRE VICTIMS AFTER a fire ripped through ten structures on Jennie Street, leaving several families displaced, staff at Sunshine Holdings Limited Group of Companies decided they had to help. The group, which includes; Arawak Homes, Sunshine Insurance, Sunshine Finance and others, started a recovery drive encouraging staff to donate funds to help the families recover. After four weeks of donations, Urban Renewal was contacted to reach the families and both Urban Renewal representatives and representatives of the families were invited to a presentation on Thursday last week to receive the donations. President Franon Wilson closed the presentation with an offer to donate $7,500 to any family member who wanted to build a two-bedroom home and $10,000 to any family member who wanted to build a threebedroom home or duplex with Arawak Homes.
THE PRESENTATION last Thursday for those affected by the Jennie Street fire.
DEFENCE FORCE RAPE CASE DROPPED OVER ‘INCONSISTENCIES’ By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
A RAPE case against a Royal Bahamas Defence Force officer was dropped due to “inconsistent evidence,” according to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Meanwhile, the RBDF woman marine who was the complainant in the case has expressed disappointment that she was not informed beforehand that the case was going to be withdrawn. A junior officer was charged on February 15 with the alleged rape of the woman marine which prosecutors claim took place on February 5 at the RBDF base in Matthew Town, Inagua. The accused was not required to enter a plea to the charge when he appeared before Chief
Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt. He was out on $9,000 bail and suspended from his duties when Director of Public Prosecutions Garvin Gaskin dropped the charges against him last week, claiming insufficient evidence to hold a rape charge. The case was dropped under Section 125 of the Penal Code. The 32-year-old woman marine, who spoke with The Tribune this week, is upset at the handling of the matter. “I spoke with the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) and his whole reasoning was that he felt the case wasn’t strong enough to present to the grand jury,” the woman marine said. “So he decided not to pursue it. Basically I was disappointed and upset from when this whole ordeal began. I did not hear
anything from the prosecution’s office and to find out that they withdrew the case without even informing me as the complainant, was like a slap in my face. I felt that my cries went unheard... So where does that leave me? Asked what’s next for her now that the charges have been dropped, the woman marine was uncertain, but said the backlash she received for telling her story was overwhelming. “I am still trying to heal from this whole ordeal because going through this, this really opened up my eyes. Dealing with this ordeal, the backlash that I received... was like a crushing blow to me. “I mean I got some support, but those who were more vocal against me were females. Even when I initially reported it, the female police officers were making sport of me to the point
where I had to complain to the head of the CDU which is a female. She apologised on their behalf. “Now I don’t have much faith in the system... In the public’s opinion, it looks as though I lied. “I am now starting to regret that I even made
a report initially as this is what I was trying to avoid… this whole backlash. Then to open up myself to the process of being humiliated in terms of doing a rape kit and having to tell the story to multiple people and people looking down on you and making you feel
like you’re less than.” The Tribune reached out to Mr Gaskin for a comment as to why the case was dropped. “The evidence was strikingly inconsistent,” said Mr Gaskin. “When something is brought to my attention, I have to act appropriately.”
www.ub.edu.bs
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES University of The Bahamas invites suitably qualified candidates to submit applications for the following positions: Associate Vice President of Development and Grants responsible for establishing, cultivating and sustaining relationships with individual, corporate and foundation prospects, managing a portfolio of prospects and working in close partnership with university leadership, academic units and programmes to develop and implement strategies to secure funding in alignment with the university’s strategic plan. The Associate Vice President participates as an active member of the Institutional Advancement team, serves on and leads the Major Gifts Team and Grants Team, and reports directly to the Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Alumni Affairs. Further details are outlined in the position announcement available at https://www. ub.edu.bs/about-us/career-opportunities/ . Executive Director, Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Research Centre responsible for providing strategic direction for the centre and leading research, policy engagement, education and outreach in addition to managing a team of researchers. The successful candidate will be expected to build a strong, externally funded research programme and develop collaborations and synergistic activities at UB and with regional and international partners. The Executive Director will lead, contribute to and ensure fulfillment of awarded research grants and consultancies; effectively represent and promote the CCARR Centre nationally, regionally and internationally; and lead research teams over multiple projects. Further details are outlined in the position announcement available at https://www.ub.edu.bs/about-us/career-opportunities/. Director of University Police/Security responsible for developing and recommending systems, policies and procedures expected to control access to and from the grounds and buildings of The University and its satellite properties. The Director will also develop and implement systems and procedures pertaining to safety measures for students, faculty and staff; supervise all security and university police personnel; and enforce strict safety practices in accordance with the university’s safety standards. Further details area outlined in the position announcement available at https://www.ub.edu.bs/ about-us/career-opportunities/. Assistant Director, Office of Information Technology with supervisory responsibility for computer technicians at the UB-North Campus in Grand Bahama as well as oversight for team planning. The Assistant Director is also responsible for support and maintenance of mobile devices, desktop and laptop computers, printers, scanners and multifunction devices, software, network components (LAN, WAN, Wi-Fi), audiovisual and lighting equipment, tools and accessories; establishing policies and procedures necessary for the department to provide stable enterprise mission-critical services; and serving as project manager for multiple projects which require collaboration. Further details are available at https://www.ub.edu.bs/about-us/ career-opportunities/ . Interested applicants should submit the following information electronically to hrapply@ub.edu.bs by the deadline of Wednesday 23rd June 2021: • A letter of interest (highlighting work experience and accomplishments relevant to the position); • Current Curriculum Vitae/Resume; • Copies of all academic qualifications with transcripts (original transcripts will be required upon employment), certificates; and • At least three (3) written professional references.
PAGE 8, Thursday, June 10, 2021
KENDALL Isaacs and Orville Turnquest
IN THE last election, the Free National Movement (FNM) presented a slate of many new candidates and got most of them elected, negating the specious argument that new political parties are needed to get new blood in Parliament. Indeed, there is some criticism that the generational change in the FNM might have been too sweeping, hence robbing the Government of the benefit of experience and institutional knowledge. There is general agreement that more women should be in Parliament. The problem is not that the political parties do not want women. Many qualified women have sat in the Senate and accepted other high public offices by appointment but are unwilling to offer as candidates for election. It was not until 1982, two and a half centuries after the establishment of the House of Assembly that a woman was elected to that chamber. It was the FNM which shattered the glass ceiling, successfully running Dame Janet Bostwick. With the FNM’s 1992 victory, three women were appointed to cabinet posts with portfolio assignments in health, social services,
national insurance, transport and the public service. After a cabinet shuffle during that term, women were appointed to portfolios dealing with education, foreign affairs and that of the Attorney General. The FNM irrevocably shattered many glass ceilings for women, including in the judiciary and Mount Fitzwilliam. Following the 1997 election, both the Speaker of the House, Italia Johnson, and the President of the Senate, Lynn Holowesko, were female. A mid-term change of senators resulted in 50 percent of the Senate being female. Today, many have forgotten this history and fewer know of the origins of the FNM. In October 1971, Prime Minister Lynden Pindling boldly declared on radio that other political parties in the country were “out of the ball game”. Just a few days later on 20 October 1971, the Council of the Free PLP, which comprised the Dissident Eight, who left the PLP a year earlier, and other early supporters including Sir Kendal
THE TRIBUNE
Remembering the legacy of those who really fought for our future
Isaacs and Sir Orville Turnquest, met at Dissident James (Jimmy) Shepherd’s residence at Spring Hill Farm in Fox Hill. Sir Orville up to that time had been a member of the NDP. After a marathon session that began in the evening and continued into the morning, the dissidents cum founders of the emerging
Career Opportunity Scotia Wealth Management is seeking the services of an
Associate Manager, Relationship Management Position Summary: Provide quality service to assigned trust, foundation, insurance, fund, company and agency structures/ relationships in a manner that deepens connectivity and enhances profitability, and contributes to the effective operation of Relationship Management through the maintenance of management controls.
Key Accountabilities for this role: w Champions a customer focused culture to deepen client relationships and leverage broader Bank relationships, systems and knowledge. w Ensure a high standard of relationship management, including by team, is being maintained. w Ensuring that regular and routine aspects are diarized and achieved promptly, e.g., preparation of annual financial statements, regular payments to relationships, renewal of insurance policies, and that all statements and reports are supplied in a timely manner. w Conducting interviews with Designated Persons and/or their advisors in respect of assigned relationships w Contribute to the efficient day-to-day operation of the team. Following procedures governing approval of payments, disbursements, overdrafts, loans and bookkeeping entries. Reviewing, revising if necessary, and executing documents. w Contribute to the growth of business and profitability of Scotiatrust. w Contribute to the development of team by: • Providing on-the-job training, guidance and counsel to assist team in enlarging their knowledge, skills and experience. • Participating in in-house training programs. w Professionally service structures/relationships. w Meet Regulatory Compliance, Anti-Money Laundering/Anti-Terrorist Financing and Bank Policies and procedures for Customer transactions. w Assist with such other duties as may be designated or delegated by the Associate Director, or Director. w Actively pursues effective and efficient operations of his/her respective areas, while ensuring the adequacy, adherence to and effectiveness of day-to-day business controls to meet obligations with respect to operational risk, regulatory compliance risk, AML/ATF risk and conduct risk, including but not limited to responsibilities under the Operational Risk Management Framework, Regulatory Compliance Risk Management Framework, AML/ATF Global Handbook and the Gidelines for Business Conduct. w Champions a high performance environment and implements a people strategy that attracts, retains, develops and motivates their team by fostering an inclusive work environment; communicating vison/ values/business strategy and managing succession and development planning for the team.
Educational/Competency Requirements: w Membership in the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners is a requirement of this role. w Formal training such as the London Institute of Bankers Trustees Diploma or other comparable qualifications together with 10-12 years growth experience in the fiduciary and financial services industry, including 3 -5 years in supervisory leadership roles is required. w It is beneficial for the incumbent to maintain a good working knowledge of the major investment markets and be able to demonstrate that knowledge to relationships or prospective relationships. w A legal background and foreign language capabilities are desirable for this position, especially Spanish and European languages. Qualified candidates should submit C.V. via email to: hrbahamas@scotiawealth.com on or before June 14th, 2021. Please note that only those individuals short-listed for an interview will be contacted.
™Trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence (where applicable).
FNM issued a resolution, creating a new political party after a series of momentous events which led to the birth of the new viable party. At the time there were two other opposition parties in the country: the United Bahamian Party headed by the late Sir Geoffrey Johnstone and the National Democratic Party (NDP) headed by the late Paul Adderley. The previous year, in 1970, in the House of Assembly, eight PLP Members of Parliament voted no confidence in the leadership of Pindling. After the vote, the eight walked out of the chamber into Parliament Square protected by a police cordon. They were heckled and booed by a large crowd, some of whom were out for blood. A knife-wielding assailant attempted to stab Wallace Whitfield. The blade of the weapon was caught in the palm of a supporter of Sir Cecil’s, the latter narrowly escaping injury or something worse. Quite early in the PLP’s tenure in office there were mounting concerns about the increasing lack of collegiality and the growing cult of personality surrounding Sir Lynden. There was alarm over a number of policy decisions and betrayals at odds with the party’s once progressive philosophy. There were originally more dissidents than the eight who left to form the Free PLP and then the Free National Movement. For different reasons they decided not to support the no confidence vote, but some later also left the PLP and joined the FNM. The eight dissidents courageously opposed Sir Lynden at the height of his power. Some of them were to pay a heavy price for their convictions as Sir Lynden set out to destroy them. They were branded and targeted as traitors as they opposed Sir Lynden’s court and cult of personality, greed and power. The brothers who helped secure the Second Emancipation of majority rule were treated as outcasts and enemies, one of the greater shames of the PLP and of that era. It is a shame and a disgrace which the PLP has never fully acknowledged. While entreaties were made to some dissidents to return to the PLP, with promises of favours and financial rewards, Sir Lynden and his political hatchet men made it impossible for some to find work and to access other benefits such as scholarships for their children. Still, they did not buckle. One dissident captured the convictions of some of the others: “We were prepared to die rather than return to Pindling’s PLP.” Because of this brand of courage and sacrifice our democracy is secured through a vibrant two-party system. The PLP continued to promote that mob mentality in order to silence critics and to protect Pindling’s leadership. Lewis Yard, Grand Bahama: In 1970, a group of senior PLPs decided to hold a meeting one Sunday afternoon. They were alarmed by the cult of personality around Sir Lynden and the metastasizing corruption in and direction of the party and the country, the very
same culture of corruption an impending General that survived in subsequent Election imminent, the PLP administrations. Free-PLP views with alarm The delegation included the prospect of several Cecil Wallace Whitfield, political parties all of whom Arthur Foulkes, Maurice are opposed to the ineffecMoore, Dr Curtis McMil- tive and downhill direction lan, Garnett Levarity of the present government, (Warren’s father) and now engaged in an election conGovernor General CA test in which they would Smith, all veterans in the be competing against each fight for majority rule. other and possibly thereby The meeting was held in causing the present governa school room, with a raised ment to be returned; platform for the speakers “Be it therefore resolved and rows of folding chairs that the Free-PLP hereby for attendees. Having just declares its grave concern invoked the Lord’s name in over the continued fragprayer, a goon squad sprang mentation of the political from the front row. Once forces in the Bahamas who on their feet they grabbed are opposed to the present the chairs, folding them into government and seeks to bludgeons. take any necessary steps Then they viciously set to implement a solidificaupon their targets. They tion of such of the political drew blood from Sir Cecil, forces as ought immediately bashing him in his head, and to be united; bruising others. On the way “Be it further resolved out of Lewis Yard, a close that in pursuance thereof associate of Sir Lynden was the Free-PLP has re-dediobserved in a trench coat, cated itself to the creation of standing in a drizzling rain. an all-embracing National To ensure that those who political party and to this disagreed with Sir Lynden end hereby reconstitutes and his court got the mes- itself under the name and sage intended at Lewis style of the Free National Yard, PLP MP the late Movement and invites into Henry Bowen went on ZNS its ranks all Bahamians who to denounce the dissidents are opposed to the corrupas traitors. The charges tion, tyranny and reckless were replayed on state folly of the present govradio in a barrage and loop ernment and who seek to of intimidation. establish good government These events preceded dedicated to serve the best the October interests of our resolution. The country and all resolution is a ‘The eight its people.” refutation of the dissidents Facts are historical revi- courageously stubborn. As sionism that the one writer FNM merged opposed Sir noted: “The Lynden at the with the UBP. Free National There were height of his Movement was no UBP politi[not] created as cians present at power. Some a result of the the birth of the of them were amalgamation party, founded to pay a heavy or merger of by the courathe Free-PLP geous men who price for their and the United fought within the convictions Bahamian Party PLP for majority as Sir Lynden (UBP). rule and against “[The FNM] the racist poli- set out to was a black-led cies of the white destroy them.’ alternative to oligarchy. the monolithic The resoluPLP.” Like the tion stated: “Whereas the PLP, its creation was rooted Free-PLP has witnessed the “in the depths of the hisgross misdirection of the tory of the development progressive movement in of multi-party democracy The Bahamas and the willful in the modern Bahamas, abandonment of the ideals which commenced in 1953.” upon which that movement Sir Geoffrey Johnstone, was launched and the conse- then Leader of the UBP, quent peril and destructive courageously stood up to course on which our beloved some strong internal oppocountry and its people are sition and presided over the now being led by the PLP dissolution of that party. Government; Paul Adderley, Leader of “And whereas, in order the NDP, refused to disto restore and maintain solve his party but some of the purity of purpose upon his members, most notawhich the Bahamian people bly Sir Orville Turnquest, have placed their hopes, the joined the FNM. Free-PLP was created and The Dissident Eight and dedicated itself to estab- their supporters were as lish a government which opposed to the policies and will truly reflect the politi- mindset of the UBP as were cal, social and economic many of the other leaders aspirations of the people of who remained in the PLP. the Commonwealth of the In subsequent years it Bahama Islands; was FNM governments that “And whereas the Free- rekindled the progressive PLP has become increasingly ideals abandoned by the concerned over the scattered PLP including: freeing the direction in which varying broadcast media, greater political groups in the coun- gender equality, a slew try have been heading and of social advancements, the continuous emergence an insistence on a multiof new and additional fac- racial society and other tions amongst citizens of our achievements. country who have common To forget or negate this aspirations for the good gov- rich history through ignoernment of the country and rance or malicious intent who ought logically to com- is to diminish or destroy bine their energy, resources the legacy of those couand political aims for the rageous freedom fighters benefit of a unified and who gave their lives to help single cause; entrench a viable two-party “And whereas with democracy.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 10, 2021, PAGE 9
PUTIN WON’T FIND BIDEN AS EASY TO HANDLE BUT DON’T EXPECT IT TO MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE US PRESIDENT Joe Biden, who has been in office for five months, is now busy preparing for his first summit meeting with Vladimir Putin next week. Putin has been President of Russia for 18 of the past 22 years and was only nominally out of the office for those missing four years. Very often during the 45-year Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union during the last century, American officials would confront and negotiate with Soviet counterparts who had been in office far longer, sometimes for decades. Few failed to acknowledge this fact put the Americans at a comparative disadvantage. Nonetheless, the US eventually prevailed and celebrated the collapse of the USSR after President Ronald Reagan goaded the Soviets into a military spending contest their tottering, inefficient economy couldn’t sustain. Just about a decade after the resulting fall of the Berlin Wall, Putin took over in Moscow and he has been in charge at the Kremlin ever since. He has seen American Presidents come and go, from gullible George W. Bush to aloof Barack Obama to the astounding Donald Trump. You may recall Trump’s first formal summit meeting with Putin. It took place in Helsinki, Finland, still less than three years ago. America, the NATO alliance and indeed most of the world was still smarting then from the brazen Russian seizure of the Crimea from Ukraine four years earlier. The Russians followed up that aggression by steadily increasing the heat on a long-simmering dispute along part of Ukraine’s extensive eastern border with Russia.
STATESIDE
with Charlie Harper
PRESIDENT Joe Biden during a news conference in the White House last month. Photo: Evan Vucci/AP That dispute continues to be stoked by Putin today, in defiance of resolute Western criticism and intermittent imposition of economic sanctions on Russia. When Trump and Putin met in Helsinki in July 2018, many observers and Trump’s own national security staff expected him to lodge protests with Putin against the Crimean invasion, as well as to remonstrate with the Russian President against alleged interference by Moscow in the 2016 American election. There is no convincing evidence that either happened.
What did happen was that the following exchange occurred at the joint USRussia press conference following a two-hour private meeting between Trump and Putin: Jonathan Lemire, Associated Press: “President Trump, you first. Just now, President Putin denied having anything to do with the election interference in 2016. Every US intelligence agency has concluded that Russia did interfere. My first question for you sir is, who do you believe? My second question is would you now, with the whole world watching, tell President Putin, would you denounce what happened
ALL ALONE - BUT ARE WE? PRIOR to Trump’s presidency, Republicans and Democrats bipartisanly supported American Presidents in their summit meetings with the Soviets/ Russians. We’ll see how that plays out next week. But one odd thing both parties now may agree about is unidentified aerial phenomena. Still popularly better known as UFOs, these mysterious aerial craft continue to baffle observers and convince skeptics across the political spectrum in America. From Fox pundit Tucker Carlson and Florida senator Marco Rubio to former
President Obama and several ex-CIA directors and military spokesmen, more Americans are wondering about the reported appearance of alien spacecraft in our skies. The US government has just ordered the declassification and release of a Defence Department study of UFOs that has stimulated renewed popular interest. The Pentagon study reportedly says that many objects observed by American military pilots and others are not US military craft, but concedes they could belong to another nation such as Russia or China. Both nations have
reportedly experimented with vehicles that can move at five times the speed of sound or faster. But the suddenness with which the observed objects change speeds and the length of time some of them remain in flight goes beyond what conventional physics and fuel technology could explain. Polls show one-third of Americans think at least some UFOs are alien spacecraft. Almost 75 percent also believe the US government knows more than it is telling. Perhaps the new report will help satisfy them when it is released later this month.
in 2016 and would you want him never to do it again?” TRUMP: “My people came to me, to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, they came to me and some others, they said they think it’s Russia. I have President Putin here. He just said it’s not Russia. “I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be (Russia). I have great confidence in my intelligence people but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial.” In the wake of that summit meeting, Trump’s own national security staff confessed to reporters that they couldn’t figure out how to respond to press questions because no notes were retained after the Presidents’ private discourse. Lemire, the AP reporter who asked the question of Trump, has meantime become practically a cast member for MSNBC’s popular “Morning Joe” programme that remains one of ex-President Trump’s most strident and consistent critics. At the time of the 2019 summit, few could fathom Trump’s astonishing fealty to Putin. Many observers speculated the wily Russian must possess damaging evidence of Trump’s supposed indiscretions on his numerous trips to Moscow to promote a grandiose hotel development project there by the Trump Organization. Trump actually responded to reporters on this rumour once. “Well,
if Putin does have any evidence, it must have been from a long time ago,” Trump said. Not a particularly convincing denial. That whole sorry summit meeting farce from three years ago still plays an inordinate role in establishing the context for next week’s presidential summit meeting, at which Joe Biden will wish to demonstrate again that he is not Donald Trump. Putin will wish to show, like all Russian autocrats do on such a stage with the world watching, that he is not some kind of junior partner to the Americans. Both sides have accordingly tried to limit expectations that anything dramatic will result from this latest summit meeting. As if to emphasise the unlikelihood of any real progress, Putin chose to gratuitously offer last week his assessment of the January 6 riots at the US capitol building during which Trump’s supporters marched from a rally at which he spoke to Capitol Hill and invaded the legislative home of the United States. Responding to a question at an international economic conference in St. Petersburg, Putin criticised American prosecutors for their pursuit of the January 6 rioters. “These (rioters) are not looters or thieves,” Putin opined. “These people came with political requests. I’m not giving any evaluations of the actual event. I’m talking about what followed after.” Biden is drawing on earlier summit scenarios. In a carefully orchestrated sequence leading up to the meeting, Biden will try to demonstrate American and allied strength and unity. As he wrote in the Washington Post, Biden “will advance that agenda at every stop”.
“In the United Kingdom, I will affirm the special relationship between our countries. Then I will participate in the G-7 summit (of the world’s leading economies). In Brussels at the NATO summit, I will affirm the US unwavering commitment to the alliance. I’ll also meet with the president of the European Commission and the president of the European Council to ensure that market democracies write the 21st Century rules around trade and technology.” The list of current American grievances with Russia is actually pretty impressive. Russian-based hackers have been implicated in economic disruptions in the US ranging from mischievous to downright malevolent, culminating in the recent interruption of petroleum deliveries in much of the US. Crimea is still illegally occupied by Russia. Americans of both political parties generally acknowledge Putin’s operatives did interfere in the 2016 elections. The Russians continue to make mischief and worse for Western interests in the Middle East. Biden will push the American human rights agenda along the lines set out by President Jimmy Carter nearly 50 years ago at the height of the Cold War. Putin may respond with criticism of American interference in Russian internal affairs. And both Presidents – ex-KGB agent Putin and ex-hawkish senator Biden – will find themselves on eerily familiar ground from Cold War days. Perhaps from that familiar comfort the two leaders can find a path to significant progress. But don’t bet too much on it.
PAGE 10, Thursday, June 10, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
WE MUST WORK TOGETHER TO FIGHT A POLITICAL VIRUS By H.E. Dai Qingli Ambassador of China to The Bahamas WHEN China reported cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology to the China office of the World Health Organisation on December 31, 2019, little did the world anticipate that a deadly pandemic unseen in a century was in the making. Totally caught by surprise, China did its best to fight this invisible enemy and alert the world about it at the same time. From Jan 3, 2020, China started to provide regular briefings to WHO and to countries around the world and we shared the genome sequencing of the virus on Jan 12, a vital step that contributed to the unprecedented speed in which vaccines were developed. China made painstaking efforts to fight the virus and sustained enormous sacrifices. We locked down Wuhan, a city of
11 million people, for 76 As scientists around the days. Since then, China has world tried to explain, tracseen a string of sporadic ing the origin of any virus cases in different parts of is a strictly scientific prothe country. Each time, cess which needs to run its China applied with success course. what has since become a Humanity’s response to well-established protocol, this pandemic so far has involving manbeen marked datory mask ‘Humanity’s by a lack of wearing, allglobal cooperaround testing, response to tion and marred technology-ena- this pandemic by a blame bled contact so far has been game aimed tracing and isoat scapegoatlation, and free marked by a ing particular treatment of lack of global countries. patients. This cooperation China has enabled China taken the lead to reopen and marred in working with its economy by a blame WHO on origin step-by-step. of the game aimed at tracing Faced with virus in an open, such a pan- scapegoating transparent demic, it is only particular and responsible natural that manner. China countries.’ people want invited interto know what national expert exactly happened and why. teams assembled by the To begin with, an important WHO to China twice and distinction must be made provided full support and between the country who assistance. reported first cases and the In a joint study in July actual origin of the virus. last year, hundreds of
Chinese scientists did their best to collect and sort out data, and jointly analyzed the cases with WHO experts. Earlier this year, experts from a dozen countries, including the US, the UK, Japan and Australia, conducted a 28-day joint research in China with Chinese experts. During the joint study, China arranged visits to institutes such as Centre for Disease Controls of Hubei Province and Wuhan city, Wuhan Institute of Virology and different bio-safety laboratories, where the expert team had candid and science-based communications with local experts. The findings of the joint-expert team suggest the introduction of the virus through an intermediary host species is the most likely pathway, and there is the possibility of a direct spill-over from an original animal source into the human population
H.E. DAI QINGLI, Ambassador of China to The Bahamas. and the possibility of transmission through the trade of frozen cold-chain products. The report described the lab leak hypothesis as “extremely unlikely”. This is an authoritative, official and scientific conclusion that should be respected by all parties. Unfortunately, such scientific work has come under undue political interference. Even before the joint expert group released their report, some countries were already challenging their findings. The lab leak theorists were apparently unhappy with the WHO expert team for not following their cue or finding evidence to support their claim. They went so far as to question the WHO’s ties with China and the integrity of its officials. Similar political pressure was apparently also imposed on other scientists who dared to suggest a different cause. Yet the lab leak theorists never produced any concrete evidence to support their assertions, other than claiming that researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were already sick before December 2019. This was refuted in a statement made by the Institute suggesting that they never came into contact with COVID-19 before the end of 2019 and that all their staff were healthy throughout the period. As the executive director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme lamented, the origin investigation is being “poisoned by politics”. He sounded the alarm at a news briefing, “It puts us, frankly, in an impossible position to deliver the answers that the world wants.” Such political manoeuvring was unfortunate, harmful and irresponsible. Just as humanity needs solidarity and partnership the most, our world became divided and some are infected with a dangerous
political virus that seeks to shift blame and deflect criticism away from their handling of the pandemic. This is totally unhelpful for saving lives or helping humanity avoid a repeat of the disaster. The work of identifying the origin of the virus should be left to scientists, not politicians, or even intelligence communities. Any investigation with foregone conclusions or based on the presumption of guilt is not a serious one and will not have any credibility. We echo the WHO’s plea to conduct research in other parts of the world where the virus may have existed. China urges all countries who have seen early cases to cooperate with WHO and follow China’s example by inviting WHO teams to make on-site visits. China will continue to work closely with WHO in a scientific and responsible manner to promote origin investigation worldwide. As vaccination gathers pace around the world, global recovery is showing a stronger momentum. We are at last seeing light at the end of the tunnel, but eliminating the virus remains an uphill battle. Saving lives and livelihoods and restoring growth should remain the top priority of the international community. China will continue to provide more vaccines to the world on top of the 300 million that were already offered. And China has agreed to waive intellectual property protection of vaccine patents. China will remain a leading engine for the world economy in the post-COVID era. This pandemic is not the first humanity has suffered from, nor will it be the last. It may strike any country any time. At the end of the day, only solidarity and cooperation will see humanity through. Just like COVID-19, the political virus has no place in our world - and must be defeated.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 10, 2021, PAGE 11
17 DEAD AS BUS AND VAN CRASH IN INDIA LUCKNOW, India Associated Press
ONLOOKERS gather near the wreckage after a bus carrying migrant workers after the lifting of coronavirus restrictions hit a delivery van near Kanpur, India.
Africa short of vaccine CAPE TOWN, South Africa IN the global race to vaccinate people against COVID-19, Africa is at the back of the pack. In fact, it has barely gotten out of the starting blocks. In South Africa, which has the continent’s most robust economy and its biggest coronavirus caseload, just 0.8 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, according to a worldwide tracker kept by Johns Hopkins University. And hundreds of thousands of the country’s health workers, many of whom come face-to-face with the virus every day, are still waiting for their shots. In Nigeria, Africa’s biggest country with more than 200 million people, only 0.1 percent are fully protected. Kenya, with 50 million people, is even lower. Uganda has recalled doses from rural areas because it doesn’t have nearly enough to fight outbreaks in big cities. Chad didn’t administer its first vaccine shots until this past weekend. And there are at least five other countries in Africa where not one dose has been put into an arm, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The World Health Organization says the continent of 1.3 billion people is facing a severe shortage of vaccine at the same time a new wave of infections is rising across Africa. The shortfall is estimated at 700 million doses. And vaccine shipments to the continent have ground to a “near halt,” WHO said last week. “It is extremely concerning and at times frustrating,” said Africa CDC director Dr John Nkengasong, a Cameroonian virologist who is trying to ensure some of the world’s poorest nations get a fair share of vaccines in a marketplace where they can’t possibly compete. The United States and Britain, in contrast, have fully vaccinated more than 40 percent of their populations, with higher rates for
adults and high-risk people. Countries in Europe are near or past 20 percent coverage, and their citizens are starting to think about where their vaccine certificates might take them on their summer vacations. The US, France and Germany are even offering shots to youngsters, who are at very low risk of serious illness from COVID-19. Poorer countries had warned as far back as last year of this impending vaccine inequality, fearful that rich nations would hoard doses. In an interview, Nkengasong called on the leaders of wealthy nations meeting this week at the Group of Seven summit to share spare vaccines — something the United States has already agreed to do — and avert a “moral catastrophe”. “I’d like to believe that the G-7 countries, most of them having kept excess doses of vaccines, want to be on the right side of history,” Nkengasong said. “Distribute those vaccines. We need to actually see these vaccines, not just... promises and goodwill.” Others are not so patient, nor so diplomatic. “People are dying. Time is against us. This IS INSANE,” South African human rights lawyer Fatima Hasan, an activist for equal access to health care, wrote in a series of text messages. The Biden administration made its first major move to ease the crisis last week, announcing it would share an initial batch of 25 million spare doses with desperate countries in South and Central America, Asia and Africa. Then, on Wednesday, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that the US will buy 500 million more doses of the Pfizer vaccine that will be donated through the UN-backed COVAX programme to 92 lower-income countries and the African Union over the next year. President Joe Biden was set to make the announcement Thursday before the start of the G-7 summit. Billionaire British
philanthropist Mo Ibrahim, who was born in Sudan, added his voice to the issue Tuesday, saying the pandemic-era phrase “Nobody is safe until everybody is safe” — often repeated by leaders of wealthy nations — will be meaningless until they share their excess vaccine. “They say that while they are hoarding the vaccine,” Ibrahim said. “Can you walk the talk? Stop just talking like parrots, you know, and do you really mean what you said?” Uganda just released a batch of 3,000 vaccine doses in the capital, Kampala — a minuscule amount for a city of two million — to keep its programme barely alive. There and elsewhere, the fear is that the luck that somehow enabled parts of Africa to escape the worst of previous waves of COVID-19 infections and deaths might not hold this time. “The first COVID was a joke, but this one is for real. It kills,” said Danstan Nsamba, a taxi driver in Uganda who has lost numerous people he knew to the virus. In Zimbabwe, Chipo Dzimba embarked on a quest for a vaccine after witnessing COVID-19 deaths in her community. She walked miles to a church mission hospital, where there were none, and miles again to a district hospital, where nurses also had nothing and told her to go to the region’s main government hospital. That was too far away. “I am giving up,” Dzimba said. “I don’t have the bus fare.” South African health workers faced similar disappointment when they crowded into a parking garage last month, hoping for vaccinations and ignoring in their desperation the social distancing protocols. Many came away without a shot. Femada Shamam, who is in charge of a group of old-age homes in the South African city of Durban, has seen only around half of the 1,600 elderly and frail people she looks after vaccinated.
PROBE SAYS PROTEST WAS NOT BROKEN UP FOR TRUMP PHOTO OP WASHINGTON Associated Press
AN INTERNAL government investigation has determined that the decision to forcibly clear racial justice protesters from an area in front of the White House last summer was not influenced by thenPresident Donald Trump’s plan to stage a Bible-toting photo opportunity at that spot. The report released yesterday by the Interior Department’s inspector general concludes that the protesters were cleared by US Park Police last June 1 so a contractor could get started installing new fencing. The demonstrators were protesting the death of George Floyd, who died after a then-Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck and pinned him to the ground for about 9 1/2
minutes. A half-hour after the Washington protesters were forced from the area with pepper pellets and flash-bangs, Trump walked across Lafayette Park amid the lingering scent of pepper spray and delivered a short speech while holding a Bible in front of St John’s Church. Park Police officials had already planned to clear the area and “had begun implementing the operational plan several hours before they knew of a potential Presidential visit to the park,” Inspector General Mark Lee Greenblatt said in a statement accompanying the report. The report documents Trump’s attorney general, William Barr, encouraging commanders shortly before the push to clear the protesters because of Trump, but being dismissed. In a remarkable exchange, the report
recounts the testimony of an unnamed Park Police operations commander: “The Attorney General asked him, ‘Are these people still going to be here when POTUS (President of the United States) comes out?’ The USPP operations commander told us he had not known until then that the President would be coming out of the White House and into Lafayette Park. He said he replied to the Attorney General, ‘Are you freaking kidding me?’ and then hung his head and walked away. The Attorney General then left Lafayette Park.” The report determined that the decision to clear the protesters was justified, but that law enforcement agencies on the scene failed to effectively communicate with each other and failed to communicate warnings to the protesters about the impending crackdown.
A BUS carrying migrant workers after the lifting of coronavirus restrictions hit a delivery van on a highway in northern India, killing at least 17 people and injuring 18, police said yesterday. The bus overturned after colliding with the van coming from the opposite direction on Tuesday night near Kanpur, a city 50 miles southwest of Lucknow, the
Uttar Pradesh state capital, said police officer Mohit Agarwal. The migrant workers were heading to Ahmedabad, a city in western Gujarat state, to resume work with industries reopening after the lifting of lockdown restrictions. The van was transporting workers home from a biscuits manufacturing unit and most of the dead were among them, Agarwal said. Sixteen people were
killed on the spot and one died in a hospital, where the injured were being treated, he said. “The passengers complained that the bus driver was going very fast,” Agarwal said. More than 110,000 people are killed every year in road accidents across India, according to police. Most crashes are blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles.