06132018 news

WEDNESDAY i’m lovin’ it!

HIGH 86ºF LOW 78ºF

The Tribune Established 1903

24/7 BREAKING NEWS ON TRIBUNE242.COM

Biggest And Best!

VOLUME:115 No.139, JUNE 13TH, 2018

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

SPORTS: BRIGHT FUTURE HAILED AS BASEBALL LEAGUES REUNITE

Minister met Smith accuser

Dames testifies that he spoke to woman ahead of investigation

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames yesterday admitted to meeting with the virtual complainant in Frank Smith’s bribery and extortion trial ahead of a police investigation into her claims, something counsel for the accused claimed amounted to “political interference”.

Mr Dames, pictured, taking the witness stand before Chief Magistrate

Joyann Ferguson-Pratt, said he met with Barbara Hanna at his constituency office between late May/ early June of last year, after she was referred to him by Health Minister Dr Duane Sands.

Mr Dames said Dr Sands approached him initially and informed him of Mrs Hanna’s desire to speak with him, as well as the nature of her concerns, which involved alleged corruption on Smith’s part.

SEE PAGE FIVE

SHOOTINGS LEAVE THREE MORE DEAD

ALTHOUGH the Minnis administration hopes Bahamians benefit from customs duty waivers off clothes and shoes for retailers, former government ministers say businesses have historically failed to pass savings from exemptions to consumers.

James Smith, former state minister for finance and Central Bank governor, said

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net GOLDEN Isles MP Vaughn Miller yesterday became the third Free National Movement member of Parliament to publicly oppose the government’s impending value added tax increase.

Mr Miller said he does not support VAT being raised to 12 percent, adding families across the country could not afford the tax hike. Mr Miller said his constituents have advised the increase is too high and should be implemented incrementally.

Mr Miller yesterday joined Centreville MP Reece Chipman and Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine, all members of the Free National Movement, who have opposed the move.

SEE PAGE SIX

‘WE WON’T BE BULLIED BY WEB SHOPS’

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

AS HE warned gaming house operators the Minnis administration will “dig up” any underground operations, Attorney General Carl Bethel said the government’s inalienable right to impose tax rates however it sees fit will be defended.

And in defending this right, Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest insisted the government will not be bullied by threats of legal action from operators.

The Cabinet ministers pushed back yesterday on the heels of instructions from the Bahamas Gaming Operators Association to their attorney Wayne Munroe, QC, to take the government to court over the new proposed sliding tax scale.

SEE PAGE SIX

‘DON’T EXPECT TO SAVE ON CLOTHES AFTER DUTY CUT’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

MILLER SAYS HE WILL VOTE AGAINST VAT INCREASE

Monday: “Politicians like to announce customs duty waivers to give good news with bad news. Though it’s good for a soundbite, when you look at the impact, it’s usually not significant.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest acknowledged the problem in an interview on Monday, saying the government will encourage aggressive SEE PAGE SIX

THE BODY of a murdered man is taken from the scene in Cox Street yesterday.

Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net LESS than 24 hours after National Security Minister Marvin Dames insisted Bahamians have absolutely no reason to feel unsafe, police are appealing to the public for help in solving three more homicides which occurred in less than 24 hours.

The latest incident

occurred just after 5pm at Cox Street in Fox Hill when a gunman from a silver-coloured car opened fire on a group sitting under a tent, wounding two men, one of whom died at the scene and the other is in hospital.

A few hours earlier, shortly after 4.30am, police said a security guard on duty at AF Adderley Junior High was accosted and then attacked by two armed assailants.

Police said at some point during this interaction, the security officer was shot in his body and died at the scene.

Police have identified the victim as 65-year-old Errol Williams.

At a press conference yesterday at police headquarters, Assistant Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander said

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE THREE

ALICIA WALLACE: FACING UP TO MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES

SEE PAGE EIGHT

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, June 13, 2018, PAGE 3

SHOOTINGS LEAVE THREE MORE DEAD

THE BODY of the victim of a shooting is wheeled away from the scene in Cox Street, Fox Hill, yesterday evening. police suspect this incident started out as an armed robbery and escalated at some point.

In a post to Facebook, the victim’s son-in-law, Michael Simmons, praised him as a “very soft spoken, kind hearted individual”.

Mr Simmons said Williams would be missed by all those who knew and loved him.

In another incident, which occurred less than eight hours earlier in the Step Street area of Fox Hill, police said a man was shot dead a few yards from his home.

Police yesterday identified the victim as 36-year-old Anthony Brice.

ACP Fernander said officers suspect Brice was attacked by persons

he knew.

According to witness accounts, ACP Fernander said the deceased talked with his killers for some time before he was shot as he walked away from the vehicle.

Police said they are investigating whether the two Fox Hill shootings are related.

Six people have been killed since Saturday.

On Monday, Mr Dames doubled down on the narrative of the Minnis administration winning its fight against crime.

He told reporters while the government has found some successes in the fight against crime - a more than 30 percent drop in murders along with overall crime trending downward

by double digits – officials do not see this as a time to pat themselves on the back.

However, he conceded that the most recent incidents and others prove there is still work to be done.

The latest killings pushed the murder count to 48 for the year.

Despite the spate of killings, murders are trending downwards compared to this time last year when more than 60 killings had already been recorded.

In reference to the killings in Fox Hill, police said they have increased patrols in the area.

Anyone with information on these shootings or any other crime is asked to call police at 502-9991 or the Crime Stoppers hotline at 328-TIPS.

THE SCENE of a shooting at AF Adderley Jr High School.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

Police insist public is safe despite spate of killings

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net AFTER a spate of murders and amid a heightened fear of crime, the senior command of the Royal Bahamas Police Force held a press conference yesterday to reassure the public the country is still safe.

Police said many of the recent killings were “senseless” acts of opportunity or motivated by robbery, adding increased police presence will be seen on the streets. The double homicide which killed two teen brothers on Saturday was likely due to gang activity and retaliation, police said.

Acting Commissioner of Police Emrick Seymour said despite the recent killings – six since Saturday according to this newspaper’s records – police are “working assiduously” to resolve these matters.

Hours after the press conference, police said a shooting at Cox Street off Grant Street in Fox Hill left one man dead and another in hospital.

Flanked by several of his colleagues, including Assistant Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander, the officer in charge of crime investigations, Acting Commissioner Seymour said members of the public can

ACTING Commissioner of Police Emrick Seymour at a press conference at Police Headquarters yesterday.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff “rest assured” that the country remains “a safe place.”

Of the recent killings, he said police have several significant leads, further contending the recent scourge in crime could be attributed to a “minute percentage” of the population.

He encouraged members of the public to continue to stand with police in its fight against crime.

The acting commissioner also rejected the notion that specific sectors of society were being targeted, namely taxi drivers and school campuses.

A day earlier, Bahamas Taxicab Union President Philip Watkins questioned if taxi drivers were being targeted after two taxi drivers were killed in the past

week.

Meanwhile a security guard was shot dead yesterday morning at A F Adderley School.

Acting Commissioner Seymour said there is no evidence to support either view, adding that recent trends suggest that a large percentage of recent crimes were being carried out due to opportunity.

He said police have heightened efforts against crime.

While he stopped short of going into specific details, he said the presence of the RBPF would be seen and felt by those responsible for crime.

For his part, ACP Fernander highlighted a nearly 50 percent reduction in

murders for 2018, when compared to the same period over last year. He told The Tribune earlier yesterday there have been 47 killings so far this year.

The double homicide last night in Fox Hill increased the count to 49.

Figures presented by the RBPF yesterday showed that at this point last year, the country had recorded 69 homicides.

“We are not boasting,” ACP Fernander said. “One homicide is too much.”

Addressing several of the recent killings, he added: “Some of the homicide are, as you see, you visit many of them, senseless killings.”

He continued: “After investigators came together and analysed all the matters that occurred over the weekend, we are pretty much satisfied, at this present time, that they are isolated matters.

“We don’t see a connection at this time,” he told reporters. “When you look at the double homicide that occurred on Saturday morning (at) Jerome Avenue, we are following some significant leads in this and the other matters as well.

“Based on our lines of inquiry this far into that matter, we suspect that it could be a gang related matter which resulted in some retaliation and we are following some significant

leads with respect to that matter.

“With the taxi driver that had arrived home with his family, we believe that armed robbery was the motive. Based on our lines of inquiry this far, we believe that armed robbery was the motive in that matter.

“The fourth matter that occurred last night in the Fox Hill Road area, we suspect that was something personal because we believe that the deceased person knew his attacker because he was comfortable, based on our lines of inquiry this far and eyewitnesses, that there was some communication and shortly after, he was shot as he walked away.

“So we believe that it was something personal and we are following some good lines of inquiry with respect to that matter as well.

“With the security

officer, based again on lines of inquiry, we believe that armed robbery may have been the motive and we are appealing to members of the public who have any information on any of the latest homicides from the communities where these incidents would have occurred, to please, as you usually do, assist the police in trying to advance these investigations,” he said.

Yesterday, police issued appeals to speak with nine men they think can help with open investigations ranging from murder to armed robbery.

The group includes Alfred George, Cordell Smith, Edward Colebrooke, Franklyn Dean, Kirby Pierre, Perry Pickering, Shellman McKinney and two unknown suspects captured by video footage in two separate incidents.

MARIJUANA FIELD FOUND

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A LARGE marijuana field, consisting of 1,000 plants valued more than half-a-million dollars, was discovered in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, on Tuesday, police reported.

ASP Terecita Pinder reported that police made the discovery shortly after 12pm in a bushy area south

of the Leonard Thompson International Airport. She said the plants range from two to eight feet in height, and has estimated street value $600,000.

Ms Pinder said no arrest was made and investigations are continuing into the matter.

In Grand Bahama, a man was arrested on Tuesday for possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

Ms Pinder reported that

shortly before 3pm, officers of the Central Detective Unit in Grand Bahama, while in the Lewis Yard area and acting on information, arrested a 37-year-old male resident of Lewis Yard, after officers found in possession of a .45 pistol and magazine containing seven live rounds of ammunition.

He is expected to be arraigned before the Magistrate Court this week.

WE INSTALL One year limited warranty on all of our products.

Tedder Street, Palmdale

326-4121

Colonial Shutters

Bahama Shutters

bahamasaluminum@hotmail.com Factory Hours Mon - Fri 8am - 5pm

PAGE 4, Wednesday, June 13, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

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

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

jrolle@tribunemedia.net

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

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

Published daily Monday to Friday

Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES

News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax

(242) 322-1986 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348

WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com

@tribune242

tribune news network

OAS could be key to Venezuela future THE Organization of American States is now in its 70th year. An organisation long and naturally dominated by the United States, the OAS has been criticised for that and for other things.

But whether they are speaking from the core of their conscience or playing to the TV cameras for points with viewers back home, Western Hemisphere heads of government and foreign ministers often make news when attending an OAS meeting.

The 48th OAS general assembly meeting was no exception. It was held earlier this month in Washington, DC, in the stately and elegant headquarters building just down the street from the Washington Monument. George Washington’s bust is featured along an ornate balcony decorating the Hall of Nations, along with commemorations of numerous other hemispheric and national heroes.

Prior to the first session of the assembly, over 100 demonstrators waved flags and placards outside the meeting venue and chanted in protest against the actions of Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega. Many carried simple white wooden crosses bearing the name of one of the numerous recent reported victims of Ortega’s increasingly militaristic regime. A few protesting the regime of Bolivian president Evo Morales waved flags in a neighbouring, smaller demonstration.

Inside the meeting hall, though, foreign ministers took to microphones and verbal sparring ensured in a predictably sharp edged debate over the big issue of this and many other days in this hemisphere: Venezuela. As the crisis in that country deepens and reports of insufficient food, water and medicine proliferate in the news, the outflow of refugees threatens to drag many more neighbouring countries into the regional emergency.

Venezuela has now been ruled for 30 years by Hugo Chavez and, since 2013,

by Chavez’ former foreign minister Nicolas Maduro. The oil rich Caribbean nation has not prospered under their leadership. While both Chavez and Maduro gained some admirers with their defiance of the United States and chummy relations with Castro’s Cuba and Morales’ Bolivia, their policies have despoiled what should be a vibrant economy. Political repression has constituted their response to resulting public restiveness.

As the OAS general assembly convened, a front-page Washington Post story detailed the accelerating “brain drain” from Venezuela, as those with marketable skills leave the country in droves. And during the general assembly’s early plenary sessions, it did not take long for debate battle lines to be drawn. Costa Rican foreign minister Epsy Campbell took the microphone

first, decrying both the “unfair, irregular and undemocratic” recent election in Venezuela and the rising death toll in Nicaraguan political strife.

Campbell, proudly describing herself as the first woman and first person of African heritage to serve in her current post, carried on as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo entered the hall trailed by a coterie of aides.

As Pompeo was settling himself and Campbell concluded her remarks, Venezuelan foreign minister Jorge Areaza spoke on a procedural point in rebuttal. Noting Pompeo’s arrival, Areaza noted acidly that Venezuela “seemed to have become the main topic of this conference,” and criticised the OAS as “a corporation created to attack (Venezuela).” But he cited Articles 19 and 20 of the OAS charter forbidding outside interference in the affairs of sovereign members.

The American secretary of state was next. After pushing basic elements of Donald Trump’s agenda such as “organisational burden sharing” (ie, lower US financial contributions), decrying “transnational crime” (drugs trade) and, of course, illegal immigration, Pompeo levelled his rhetorical guns at Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, the latter accused of “dismantling its democracy.” Pompeo criticised Maduro’s “alteration of the constitutional order and holding a sham election”. Pompeo threatened to pursue suspension of Venezuela from the OAS, further punitive economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation if matters did not improve.

Areaza again responded. The US, he charged, is perpetrating a “coup d’etat” against Venezuela, financing street violence in Caracas and withholding scarce urgently needed medicine. “We are not Panama in 1989,” Areaza said. “We are not the Dominican Republic in 1965.”

Areaza quoted Trump’s first secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, as saying “the Monroe Doctrine is current and valid”.

But the Venezuelans are swimming against the tide. Mexican foreign minister Luis Videgaray Caso said his nation “cannot ignore it when democracy implodes. It may be painful to (Venezuela), but we must speak out.”

Last month, the OAS released a report it had commissioned by three independent international legal experts, from Argentina, Canada and Costa Rica. OAS will submit the report to the International Criminal Court. The impressively detailed report essentially indicts the Maduro government for crimes against humanity and may help set the stage for ICC proceedings or even regional military intervention.

The situation in Venezuela is bad and getting worse. Its effects are already widespread but will almost certainly have broader effect, until change comes.

That change may come from the OAS.

Baseball stadium delay EDITOR, The Tribune.

BAHAMIANS should know by now who is politically genuine or not. No amount of pontificating or masquerading can change their minds if you mean them well or not. They have already marked the report cards and will show the results sooner than later.

The very, very vexing sight of millions of dollars waiting to rot at the proposed site for the new baseball stadium at the sports centre, just goes deep in my craw. It is unconscionable to say the least.

There can be no honest explanation for the one year delay in the continuation of the construction of the much needed stadium.

Minister of Youth & Sports Michael Pintard, the poet and actor, have not gotten the message that this is real life, the audience is not cheering and the lights

are dimmed. The patrons want their money back. He does not understand the far reaching implications that having a venue for our children to hone their skills and eventually being able to polish their talents, to not only represent the country, but better their personal lives, is desperately needed.

Why are we playing politics with their future?

If Pintard cannot appreciate that the sooner the stadium is finished the sooner more young men would find something to keep them positively busy.

How come, a government that pretended to be for the people, intentionally destroys young Bahamians dreams?

How come Pintard, seems to be so nonchalant about the stadium? Why disrespect himself by making statements that showed his naivety? We are stunned that even though there

must be some heavy cost to the taxpayer for the equipment that is on premises at the stadium, nothing satisfactory has been said.

So if Pintard has any integrity, or compassion for the people who need this baseball stadium to be completed forthwith, he should stop the acting and be real at least for once, cut the recitation and be real, say when this project will be reconvened.

Stop punishing our impressionable children.

They will remember you later.

Oh, I know you know this, but just a reminder from Shakespeare, As You Like It, “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances”.

IVOINE INGRAHAM Nassau, May 11, 2018.

Ordaining a homosexual pastor?

EDITOR, The Tribune.

THERE has been a lot of talk about a church in Nassau that recently ordained an alleged homosexual.

Connected to that discussion, a friend recently forwarded to me an audio clip of someone asking why I and other pastors have not spoken about it. Although I heard the allegation, I had no intention of speaking to it, but I’ve had a change of heart since the recent ordination continues to drive many conversations.

It is unquestionable that the biblical position on human sexuality exclusively recognizes the male and female sexes and is opposed to any and all sexual conduct outside the bonds of marriage between one consenting man and one consenting woman.

In short, Scripture teaches heterosexual sexuality; it condemns homosexual sexuality. Therefore, any church that knowingly ordains, or receives into membership, a person who practices homosexuality or identifies as a homosexual is not a faithful church.

In fact, it can be argued that such a church is not a church at all.

However, it is important to recognise that there are Christians who are tempted with same-sex attraction, and it is important to distinguish them from persons who profess to be Christians and practice homosexuality or identify as homosexual.

Scripture says it this way: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net The old has passed away; behold the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV).

Accordingly, people who formerly identified as homosexual are called to renounce that identity and embrace their new identity in Christ, even if they still face the temptation of same-sex attraction, which they must resist.

Those who have been born of the Holy Spirit are the children of God, and their identity in Christ by far surpasses all else. It is that singular identity that they are called to embrace.

All other identities are to be renounced, especially those that are contrary to Scripture. Therefore, a genuinely converted Christian who faces same-sex attraction can be ordained as a minister of the gospel or received as a member of a church. And they are called to live a holy life as are all who belong to Christ.

No doubt there are those who disagree with me. I would only remind them of the biblically supported fact that we live in a fallen world in which everything, including human sexuality, is broken, and we all experience broken sexuality in different ways and to varying degrees. For example, when a married man is tempted to lust after another woman, it is an expression of sexual brokenness. When a single woman is tempted to sleep with her boyfriend, it is

an expression of sexual brokenness. Homosexual temptations are also expressions of sexual brokenness.

And in all cases of immoral sexual desires, whether heterosexual or homosexual, we who are followers of Christ are called to resist them by God’s grace and pursue holiness.

Temptation is not sin; sin is sin. Therefore, it is spiritually harmful to tell a believer in Christ who is tempted with same-sex attraction (or any other sin) that he or she is not a Christian because of that temptation, even though that person, by God’s grace, does not yield to the temptation. And the spiritual harm is compounded when that person hears that unbiblical indictment from those who should know better: pastors.

I have no doubt that if the recently ordained pastor had a reputation of being an adulterer or a fornicator we would not even know he was being ordained. And that’s because many people make little of heterosexual sexual immorality and much of homosexual sexual immorality. But in Leviticus 18, the Lord abominates all sexual immorality — heterosexual, homosexual, and bestial. We would be wise to do the same. And our nation will be better for it.

May the Lord who created the gift of sex for the bonds of marriage help us towards this end.

PASTOR CEDRIC MOSS Nassau, June 12, 2018.

Gaskin a good choice EDITOR, The Tribune.

MR Garvin Gaskin is imminently qualified to be the first person appointed to the Constitutionally established post - Independent Director of Public Prosecutions. Indubitably, he has excellent academic qualifications and intellectual prowess. Importantly, he is a man of Christian values, which were deeply imbued in him by his parents.

He is a man of integrity and courage - fearless in his pursuit of justice. And, he understands the importance of enriching his team and of using modern methodologies in the execution of his responsibilities.

During my tenure as Attorney-General, the execution of my duties was made easier because of his competent and thoughtful advice rendered after research, attention to detail and prayer.

I have already given him my congratulations and regret that because I am out of the country I was unable to attend his swearing in ceremony.

I am confident that he will continue nobly to serve The Bahamas. As always, he enjoys my enthusiastic and prayerful support.

ALLYSON MAYNARDGIBSON, QC. Nassau, June 12, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, June 13, 2018, PAGE 5

Minister met Smith accuser from page one

And after meeting with Mrs Hanna, Mr Dames said he “immediately” referred the matter to Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle, the officer-in-charge of the Anti-Corruption Unit, as he wanted to remove himself from the matter.

However, Smith’s lead attorney, Keith Knight, QC, challenged Mr Dames on his actions at the time, stating that from the moment Dr Sands contacted him about Mrs Hanna’s concerns, Mr Dames should have told him to tell her to go to the police.

Mr Knight said since Mr Dames still opted to entertain Mrs Hanna’s allegations, he knowingly meddled in the investigation and was in breach of certain public statements he made last year.

It was also revealed Mr Dames had called Mrs Hanna more than ten times in June 2017, about a month before Smith’s arraignment.

According to Mr Dames’ evidence, he first heard Mrs Hanna’s name sometime in the latter part of May or the early part of June 2017.

He said the woman was initially referred to him by Dr Sands, who said she wished to speak to Mr Dames.

In response to questions put to him by the Jamaican attorney, Mr Dames admitted that based on the information Dr Sands had given him, the health minister was indeed referring to an allegation of corruption, and that the name of the public official in question, Smith, was given.

Mr Dames said about a week or two had passed after he spoke with Dr Sands, who then contacted him again and told him that Mrs Hanna was really trying to reach him. Mr Dames said it was during the election season and so much was going on, but he promised Dr Sands 4,that Thursday, January 11,

he would make an effort to reach out to the woman.

According to the evidence led, Mr Dames subsequently proceeded to call Mrs Hanna 13 times between June 6 and June 23, 2017. Mr Knight submitted that Mr Dames called Mrs Hanna three times on June 6; twice on both June 7 and 8; five times on June 9, and once on June 20.

Mr Dames, in response, stated that the majority of those calls were merely attempts to reach her, and that if a conversation was held between the two, it was very brief.

However, Mr Knight asked: “But why is a minister calling a potential complainant in a criminal matter 13 times in 17 days?”

Mr Dames insisted the majority of those calls were just attempts to reach Mrs Hanna.

“This is one minister who tries his utmost to live up to his promises,” he said, referring to his promise to Dr Sands and Mrs Hanna by extension to reach out to her.

Mr Dames further claimed that someone went to BTC and paid down on his personal cell phone bill to ascertain both his and his wife’s “personal” information.

“That’s a national security matter,” Mr Dames said, mentioning a particular receipt that was given to him which he intimated came from Mr Knight’s camp.

Nonetheless, Mr Dames said he eventually contacted the woman, and agreed with her to meet at a mutually convenient time and location, which he said ended up being his constituency office.

When the meeting took place, Mr Dames said Mrs Hanna was “visibly shaken” and “afraid”, so much so he had to ask her if she was okay.

He said as the meeting progressed, and that as soon as he found out the nature of Mrs Hanna’s 2018

reasons for wanting to meet with him, he asked her what she wanted to do, to which she said she wanted to lodge an official complaint.

Mr Dames said as he was desirous to remove himself from the mater, he referred the matter to ACP Rolle.

Mr Dames said he spoke with Mrs Hanna on at least one more occasion after she left his constituency office.

However, he said that came after ACP Rolle notified him that he had made several attempts to reach the woman to no avail.

Mr Dames said ACP Rolle later came to his office, and said after he gave the officer certain information, he contacted Mrs Hanna in ACP Rolle’s presence.

Mr Dames maintained that Mrs Hanna never made an official complaint to him during their meeting at the Mt Moriah Constituency Office. However, Mr Knight asked the minister that based on what he would have heard from Dr Sands, and what Mrs Hanna told him, wouldn’t that amount to a complaint.

“Well, I guess,” Mr Dames replied.

Mr Knight then referred to a Tribune article dated July 14, 2017, in which Mr Dames was quoted as saying: “Wherever it is found that public officials, while in office, are committing crimes, then they ought to be held responsible no matter where they sit or who they are connected to.

That doesn’t come before us. It ought not come before us.”

When Mr Knight asked if Mr Dames accepted that statement, the latter replied by saying: “Yes, that’s correct. And I stand firm by that statement.”

However, Mr Knight charged that in meeting with Mrs Hanna, Mr Dames “breached” what he publicly stated, and that he knowingly “meddled”

FRANK Smith outside court previously.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff the witness stand, said he and interfered in the Smith is facing 15 crimimatter beyond his jurisdic- first met with Mrs Hanna at nal charges concerning tion, assertions Mr Dames his office on July 3, 2017 as his alleged solicitation of a result of information he $65,000 in bribes from a denied.

Mr Dames also denied received from Mr Dames. woman he is said to have Mr Knight’s assertion that He said at the time, she assisted in getting a conhe failed to instruct Dr informed him about things tract. He is currently out on Sands to direct Mrs Hanna pertaining to her contract $50,000 bail. to the police at the incep- with the Public Hospitals It is alleged that Smith, Authority and also that between April 2016 and tion of the matter.

When asked by Mr when she went to Smith’s April 2017, former PHA Knight if he accepted that office to sign a particular chairman, demanded and it is “dangerous” for a cheque, he said she owed obtained $5,000 per month politician to “interface” him $5,000. from Mrs Hanna, knowing ACP Rolle also said that he was not lawfully authorwith the sole witness of fact in a court case, sometime in June 2017, he ised to do so.

Mr Dames replied by received instructions from He is also alleged to have saying it depends on the then-Deputy Commissioner attempted to extort another of Police Anthony Fergu- $5,000 from Mrs Hanna. circumstances.

And throughout yes- son to see Mr Dames.

Concerning the bribUpon doing so, he said ery charge, it is alleged terday’s proceedings, Mr Dames insisted that Mr Dames then gave him that he solicited $5,000 a his actions were not tan- certain information about month from Mrs Hanna tamount to political Mrs Hanna. ACP Rolle said for helping her to get a interference, as he referred he did not know Mrs Hanna Public Hospital Authority’s the matter to the police at all at the time. contract.

The senior officer said he immediately after hearing Smith pleaded not guilty the particulars from Mrs went to Mr Dames’ office, to all the allegations during following which Mr Dames his arraignment last July.

Hanna herself.

ACP Rolle, when he took contacted Mrs Hanna.

The case continues today.

A14MAIN

AMBASSADOR CANDIDATE MUST BEAMBASSADOR RENOMINATED NO CHANGE IN NOMINEE FOR BAHAMAS ROLEB

By KHRISNA RUSSELL SNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net tribunemedia.net

emailthat that were was also copied approval employees, I have attention, executives Menendez were Union-Tribune, “As conwith awaiting said: “In your The never Tribune reached to US President any action as toto sexual but noneversations was any company, were at the end Donald of each had Senate with thethere Senate out the terminated US Embassy Trump in February. It was misconduct, including U-T ever brought against me.” of harassment. session.to a Washing- TV,” he wrote Relations Commitin Nassau on Cory Tuesday for Foreignallegations in response by email, Fish, director of Every claim was invesDOUGLAS Manchesyou described a resources formal tee ton PostPresident reporter who Trump made thenominewspapercomment, said. “When but human whenstaff, tigated, thoroughly, The and ter, real estate hotelier who developer was inquiries about theManchester work egregious nated Doug for Bahamas as a protectorate statement received sexual miscon-was MrnotManchester owned appropriate actions were is still the environment at last U-T TV. edand tobillionaire, be United to my time. the newspaper, toldofthe as necessary.” the post May. duct was brought the taken United States. Is that up to press nominee to fill the post of “While I was chairman mbassador the United Statestoambassador It is not uncommon for a view you believe is part of Last August, Mr Manchesof the U-T San Diego, I to the Bahamas, will have to according be Senate ter caused controversy when our relationship?” became aware committees of egregious to send to Foreign Affairs the Minister ated after mistakes made by back staff for renominations Mr Manchester responded: DOUG MANCHESTER he said the Bahamas was Darren Henfield.

DOUG MANCHESTER members,” Mr Manchester ate The Committee on the his submission or for them to “Well certainly, for all intents “for all intents and purposes” government, committee hearings, but said in the email.

Relations sent is The minister said yesterday, re-submission pro- “When hopefully they‘ll have them take longer than one sesand purposes we believe that a protectorate of the US. they were also hoping resolved and we could have ssion backMr to Manchester Pres- vision comes under a rulebrought siontoto During Mr Manches- it is a protectorate. We have myapprove attention, aI nominee, will take the post before the him in The Bahamas very onald Trump last that can send back to theimmediately took to appropriaccording The San Diego ter’s confirmation hearing, Coast Guard there, homeend of the year. soon.” ate action.”

White House nominations “I had a bilateral meeting Union-Tribune.

New Jersey Senator Bob land security; we are obviously Back in February, Mr According to the San in Washington last week at Manchester working with the Royal issued an Diego Union-Tribune, Mr the State Department and apology after he was (Bahamas) Police Force which Manchester did not offer the position remains the accused of having an any specifics but said: “I we want to infact continue same,” Mr Henfield said unsettling management am terribly hurt to learn yesterday outside Cabinet to support, who are doing a style that allegedly made of these allegations and in response to a question great job in the interdiction some female employees apologise to any employee from The Tribune. “We’re uncomfortable. in human trafficking, in drugs who felt uncomfortable or hoping to have the nomiThe allegations dated demeaned while employed nee Mr Manchester in and also gun running.” the Bahamas as soon as back to a time when Mr at the U-T San Diego Former Minister of Manchester owned The during my tenure.” possible.

Immigration and Foreign San Diego Union-Tribune In response to further “We hope (it’ll be within Affairs Fred Mitchell later the year),” the minister also Television, a now defunct questions from the Unionsaid. “It has to be within the TV station he launched Tribune, Mr Manchester year. We look forward to an as owner of the Union- said he has never been the ambassador being here in Tribune newspaper from subject of any complaints the Bahamas. We haven’t late 2011 to 2015, accord- himself. had one for more than ing to international news “In 55 years of business 10-11 years and he unfortu- reports. involving multiple businately had some hold ups in His apology came in an nesses and more than 6,000

By AVA TURNQUEST

ONE HURT IN P

Tribune Chief Reporter

PAGE 6, Wednesday, June 13, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

‘DON’T EXPECT TO SAVE ON CLOTHES AFTER DUTY CUT’ from page one

consumer activism from Bahamians to influence pricing.

“The duty reductions are intended to pass on to the consumer because this is a cushioning measure with respect to the increase in value added tax,” Mr Turnquest said. “It doesn’t work if the businesses themselves take it. It’s not intended for that.”

Any business that sells clothes, shoes or buys apparel, fabric, thread, zippers and buttons can benefit from duty waivers starting next month. It’s a move intended to soften the

blow of value added tax’s increase to 12 percent and is aimed toward helping the most vulnerable people in society.

But on a recent television programme, former State Ministers for Finance Zhivargo Laing and Michael Halkitis both expressed scepticism the move would accomplish its goal.

Mr Smith agreed, saying the issue is relevant as the country moves toward the World Trade Organisation (WTO) because declining duty rates won’t necessarily produce lower costs for consumers. As duty rates decrease, other taxes are expected to increase.

“When the duty is

removed there is a tendency for the businesses not to lower prices at the same amount but to keep the difference up,” Mr Smith said on Monday. “It’s very difficult to regulate it because the business will always justify it by saying there’s so many items in the overhead and that when they were selling stuff they were just breaking even or they were already giving a break to customers. It’s only the consumer himself who could put pressure on the stores as a group rather than an individual because if it’s just an individual they’ll only turn you around.”

Asked how the government will get businesses to

pass on their savings, Mr Turnquest said an education programme will be launched to promote consumer activism. He said social media is a useful medium for organising such activities.

“We want people to get involved in helping us to identify areas where we see price gouging or price taking,” he said. “It is not the intent for the government to pass these savings on to the businesses. At the end of the day VAT is not a tax on the business, it’s a tax on the consumer and we’re trying to protect and cushion the most vulnerable consumer that we have. It’s the most reasonable way for us to create a

progressive taxation that people talk about. We’re going to have a very aggressive consumer protection system and education.

“Historically we know how the pricing order works in The Bahamas.

It’s not very sophisticated.

For market forces to work it requires an informed consumer and for that information to be widely available so people know what competitive prices and forces are available to them.

The Ministry of Finance will be doing some things to try and help the consumer to be educated as to what the landed cost of a product is now and what it ought to be after these measures come

into effect so that they can have the power and knowledge to go out and challenge some of these things.”

Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants President Gowon Bowe said as opposed to relying on “moral suasion” to influence how businesses price their goods going forward, the government could have “surveyed a sample of businesses and sought pricing strategies confidentially and work out expected reductions”.

“If (there is) no duty,” Mr Bowe said, “businesses have to decide what additional costs of landing are incurred verses online price and landing for consumers.”

Miller says he will vote against VAT increase from page one On Monday, Long Island MP Adrian Gibson called on the government to delay the increase to give persons time to prepare.

Mr Miller said in Parliament: “Golden Isles cannot support this increase in VAT from 7.5 percent to 12 percent. It’s too aggressive, it is too much, it is too soon.

I am merely the conduit, I am merely the messenger, I have made a vow to speak as they asked me to speak. I am their servant.

“Personally, I think this form of taxation as has been stated before is regressive and repressive and the poor and middle class will have to carry this burden disproportionately. A more fair taxation to me would be a form of income tax or even payroll tax where you can exempt persons below a particular salary scale.

This is too burdensome on the poor and the middle class and small and medium sized businesses.”

Earlier yesterday, Attorney General Carl Bethel said the country is suffering

“fiscal illness,” adding it is better for all Bahamians to shoulder paying off the nation’s debt.

Mr Bethel said the VAT increase was in the government’s view “the most painless” way to arrest government debt.

He was responding to questions from the press on a recent Public Domain poll which found that 76 percent of respondents said they oppose the 2018-2019 budget.

Mr Bethel said: “We’ve reached a stage in the Bahamas fiscally in terms of where the government is in terms of its obligation and the fact that nearly $800m has to be used to pay either matured debt or interest on old money borrowed decades ago sometimes that’s already been spent. When you look at the traditional sources of revenue they are not enough to cover these obligations that have been incurred by previous governments including previous FNM governments.

“So we have to do what is right for the Bahamian people. We have to do what is right to restore financial

balance and sanity in budgeting in this country. We cannot continue to borrow our way out of debt. It is impossible to borrow your way out of debt and if you cannot borrow your way any further because every time you borrow you increase your debt then you have to find some other way to re-balance your expenditure.

“We think we found the most painless way, even though it is painful, there is no question the 12 percent VAT with this extra 4.5 percent. We all have to pay that including we who make the decisions,” Mr Bethel said.

“It’s painful but no one can get rid of the kind of fiscal illness affecting this country without some degree of pain and its better for all of us to shoulder our equal share of that pain since we’ve all over the decades enjoyed the benefits of government spending based on deficit financing by borrowing borrowing borrowing, to do all the things we have demanded governments to do.”

VAUGHN MILLER, Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Social Services and Community Development.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

‘WE WON’T BE BULLIED BY WEB SHOPS’ from page one

Mr Munroe told The Tribune yesterday attorneys are preparing if and when “the trigger is pulled.”

This is the latest development as tensions persist between the government and operators since Mr Turnquest on May 30 announced increased taxes will be imposed on the industry. Government officials have maintained the scale is set in stone.

In an interview with reporters yesterday, Mr Bethel said numbers bosses simply do not want to pay the proposed higher taxes, despite being capable of doing so.

He said the group believes money gives them status and political clout, adding “hog know where to rub” and suggested they have a difficulty because the “special deal” cut from 2015, the year the industry was legalized by the Christie administration, had come to an end.

According to Mr Bethel the industry is undertaxed as he defended the move to bring the web shop business up to international industry standards.

“Mouth could say anything and people could put anything on paper,” Mr Bethel said yesterday in response to questions from the media regarding the BGOA’s threat of legal action.

“They say they gonna sue, we’ll see. If they sue they’ll be fought in court. If they go underground they’ll be dug up.

“We have a whole arsenal

of new powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act to deal with persons who decide that they want to break the law so we’re not worried about whether they try and go underground, break the law or go to court.

“In any event we will defend the inalienable right of the government to determine through Parliament who bears taxation and for what reasons and what is necessary in the interest of the fiscal health of the country irrespective of persons.”

Asked whether the government was resolute on the rates of taxation of the proposed sliding scale, Mr Bethel said: “The government is resolute on its position that Parliament has the inalienable right to set tax rates and that what is passed in Parliament must be obeyed by all citizens and that those who seek to evade taxes will be dealt with according to law because it’s a criminal act, it’s an act of fraud for you to evade your taxes.

“But unfortunately, most of us don’t have the multimillions of the numbers boys to hire high-priced consultants to make a major pitch on social media to be in the newspapers voicing our pain,” Mr Bethel also said.

“Well their pain in terms of paying taxes, it seems to me that they don’t even want to pay taxes that are established as benchmark levels in other countries.

“They want this special deal they got cut in 2015, well those days are over those days are over.

Our tax rates have been

benchmarked against what the standard rates of taxing of gaming in other jurisdictions both in this region and internationally.

“You’ll notice that nothing they’ve said attacks that fact,” Mr Bethel said.

“They just saying that they don’t want to pay it and they have the money and evidently money they believe gives them status.

They believe money gives them political clout and we’ll find out but there is this old saying that ‘hog know where to rub.’ They don’t rub on the nail, they rub on the smooth board.”

When he spoke to the issue, Mr Turnquest said government officials have no difficulty meeting with gaming house operators.

He said Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar conducted a number of analysis studies, which compared other jurisdictions and their taxation levels.

He said: “We are at this point firm on our position with respect to the increase in the taxation. We believe that it is fair. There is a lot of misinformation that is going on out there with respect to how we are taxing and what we have contemplated.

“The reality is this is not a 50 percent tax as they are putting out there.

“This is in fact a very graduated tax that most of the industry will see no more than a nine percent increase in their taxation.

There are a few big players that may see a bit more of a tax. But again, when you look at what this industry is taking from the communities that they operate in.

“You have to appreciate that there is an inequity in what has been allowed to happen from the beginning and so we are at this point and as I continue to say only trying to create equity in the system between the players the operators as well as the government because it cannot be right that seven operators benefit significantly to the expense of the government and the people.”

In response to claims the Bahamas could be blacklisted if operators revert to doing business underground, Mr Turnquest said the country has worked too hard to allow any group to engage in nefarious activity.

“We are not going to permit any kind of illegal activity in this jurisdiction.

We have worked too hard to come this far to clear our names with respect to any kind of nefarious activity particularly as it relates to financial transactions to allow any group or any individual to circumvent the established regulations that we have in place,” Mr Turnquest said.

“It is important and I think it is an unfortunate situation that people would even suggest that they would take their business underground knowing the potential effect that it will have, not just on the government but on this whole entire country and what it represents to us in terms of the future of other activities that we are involved in, legitimate businesses that we are involved in and we are trying to promote as a jurisdiction,” Mr Turnquest said.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, June 13, 2018, PAGE 7

Aragonite value ‘still unknown’

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net THE worth, marketability and sustainability of aragonite is still unknown, Deputy Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest said yesterday.

While speaking to reporters outside Cabinet, Mr Turnquest was asked what the government is doing to generate revenue through natural resources such as aragonite.

“The fact of the matter is we don’t know what it’s worth,” he replied.

“The previous administration had promised to do a study to determine what it’s worth in the quantities and all the rest of it.”

Mr Turnquest said he had “sight” of a scientific study that was done, which told him what aragonite is and where it generally is found.

“But it doesn’t tell me the marketability of it,” he added. “It doesn’t tell me anything about the value of it, nor does it say about the sustainability of it.

“And so, one of the

DEPUTY Prime Minister Peter Turnquest yesterday. things that we are going to be doing in this budget, when we talk about the blue economy, is looking at things like aragonite, salt, and all the rest of it, to see what the commodity value is of this product.

“If it is not traded on things like this, Chicago

Commodity Exchange, seeing if we can maybe create a market for it.

“If we can’t, then we have to make a judgment call analysis to see what in fact the real value is of this resource to ensure that we are pricing it correctly in terms of the royalties that

the government gets.”

Mr Turnquest said the government has to make sure it understands where the resource is, how it is formed, the sustainability of harvesting it, and the best way to harvest it to avoid damaging the ecosystem.

“We have to make sure that (we’ve) derived as much value from the resource, either through first stage raw material, or whether we ought to do some processing over here, in second and third stage raw material, where we create more value for ourselves.

“So, this is a research project that needs to happen, not from necessarily a scientific point, because we have some data with respect to the scientific, but we need some more of a commercial analysis of this, to determine what exactly this is in terms of worldwide value, to make sure that we’re getting what we get.”

Mr Turnquest said a lot of public reaction to this topic has to do with “emotion” rather than fact.

He added that in regard

to aragonite, his stance is not that the resource has a low value, but that “we don’t have the economic data behind that to determine if it is in fact undervalued”.

“And a lot of things, value is determined really by a buyer and seller and market demand and supply,” he added.

“And so sometimes you have to create the market for it, so that you drive the price up. Because if it’s only one buyer, then it’s only worth what the buy is willing to pay for it. So, we have to create a market.”

Mr Turnquest added that there are “other things” in the blue economy that can be taken advantage of, such as a yacht registry.

“Maybe we can set up this yacht registry, have these big charter yachts stationed, based in The Bahamas, have people fly to The Bahamas and start their cruising experience from The Bahamas. And derive fees from that.”

Mr Turnquest used this is an example of the versatility of the blue economy,

which is more than just the “mining aspect,” but a potential source of many “commercial opportunities” that the country is not taking advantage of as yet.

“And we intend on doing that this year,” he said.

“There is money in the budget for us to do that.”

During his budget address last month, Mr Turnquest said the government has secured a $500,000 non-reimbursable grant from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to finance a “three-year technical cooperation project with a particular focus on the digital economy and the blue economy.”

The deputy prime minister broadly defined the blue economy as an “economic activity that directly or indirectly uses the sea as an input.”

Mr Turnquest said this project would allow the country to move beyond the traditional industries such as fisheries to sectors like marine biotechnology, ocean renewable energy, and deep-sea oil and gas production.

DEPUTY PM TO SPEAK TO JOHNSON OVER SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net DEPUTY Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest said he will talk to Acting Financial Secretary Marlon Johnson about his social media posts that stir controversy, although he suggested critics are making a big deal about nothing.

His statement came in the House of Assembly yesterday after Official Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis criticised Mr Johnson for making politically charged statements, possibly in contravention of civil service rules.

“For the acting financial secretary to be engaged in political rhetoric surrounding this exercise is contrary to the rules of the public service,” Mr Davis said during the budget debate.

“He either ought to give up the post and get into the political arena with us to discuss this or stay quiet.

I am going to call on the minister of finance, and I’ll present him with the information I have, and to the minister of public service to determine what should happen to him in the circumstance.”

Mr Turnquest said in response: “I will have a conversation with the financial secretary about his private posts because again obviously people are looking into and trying to

make things out of personal posts but with respect to official posts and official engagements where you’re speaking to the public it is in his capacity as financial secretary (to speak).”

Mr Turnquest said the willingness of politicians and technocrats to engage the public on the budget is part of what makes this year’s budget process a “landmark.” Depending on what officials are asked, he said, unflattering comments about previous administrations may be made to provide context for what the current administration is doing.

“I think it’s interesting you would go to someone’s Facebook page to talk about what they might have said in the private confines of whatever sphere they are in,” he said. “We have to be careful of that because all of us have a right and this is where you get into data protection and these kinds of things.”

Mr Davis pointed out that Mr Johnson makes Facebook posts that are visible even to users who are not his Facebook friends.

“I am not taking any issue with the government seeking to inform and educate the Bahamian people on what they are doing and intend to do,” Mr Davis said. “The issue is when that exercise crosses the line.”

Amid the back and forth, House of

Assembly Speaker Halson Moultrie said Parliament is not the forum to resolve such matters. “If indeed a civil servant is engaging in political matters I understand that point and that can perhaps be addressed in a different forum,” he said.

Mr Johnson’s initial appointment as acting financial secretary was not without controversy. Critics note that while the role is not historically given to political appointees, he was not selected from within the ranks of the Ministry of Finance and the Minnis administration never advertised a vacancy before appointing him to the position.

He had served as chief sales marketing officer for a Belizean telecommunications company, Belize Telemedia Ltd, before his appointment. He had worked in the Ministry of Finance years ago but left to work in the business community. The Tribune understands that when he was in the service, he was considered a peer and equal of Simon Wilson, the former financial secretary who he replaced last year.

Mr Johnson attracted the ire of his critics when, in a recent Facebook post, he responded to a user who suggested the Free National Movement won the election based on misinformation by criticising the PLP. He wrote: “Misinformation? It has nothing to do

COMPANY TO HIRE 60 IN GRAND BAHAMA

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net QUALITY Services Limited in Grand Bahama has been awarded a major contract for work on the $180m expansion project at Pharmachem Technologies and is looking to hire 60 people.

A job fair will be held at QSL on Saturday between 9am to 1pm in search of industrial electricians, instrumentation workers, pipe-fitters, welders, safety officers and helpers.

Minister of State for Grand Bahama Senator Kwasi Thompson said that the 60 additional jobs are significant for Grand Bahama and will directly impact the island’s economy.

“We believe QSL will have no difficulties in filling these positions in GB. In addition, we are also pleased that the company will be hosting a job fair to allow the widest participation as possible from persons here,” he said.

“These are important jobs that will directly impact the economy,” said Mr Thompson.

Barry Malcolm, a consultant for QSL, did not disclose the amount of the awarded contract, but indicated that the company had secured two very significant areas of the project – the entire building/

facility, and the mechanical process piping – in addition to serving as the general contractor for that area of work.

“We will be doing the exterior cladding of the whole plant, much of the mechanical piping and mechanical work. We are in the process of looking to the market to find persons with the requisite skills for various jobs required,” Mr Malcolm said.

He noted that both carbon steel and stainless steel welders are needed.

The project, he said, will run for one year.

When asked whether foreign workers would also be hired for those jobs, Mr Malcolm said it was anticipated.

“The chances are we will need foreign workers, but we don’t know the exact number because it will be determined by the uptake we get from the job fair.

The big areas of activity will be carbon steel and stainless steel welding, and much of stainless steel welding will be engaged overseas,” he said.

Mr Malcolm noted that with all projects, the company will look for skilled craftsmen here first. He said the company will also run advertisements in Grand Bahama and nationwide and expects a good response.

QSL has had a long, rich history in the industrial

sector of Grand Bahama having been in operation for over 40 years offering services to all industrial companies.

Mr Thompson said the industrial sector in Grand Bahama continues to remain strong, despite the challenges in the economy.

He noted that Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis recently toured the $180m expansion project at Pharmachem.

“It should be noted that Pharmachem is the only pharmaceutical company in The Bahamas offering this kind of service, and so the continuation of their investment shows the confidence that it has in the future on GB and the local talent here,” Mr Thompson said.

Mr Thompson also noted that the Grand Bahama economy continues to make progress and is showing some positive signs.

In tourism, he said, officials have seen improvements with the addition of a second Bahamas Paradise Cruise ship, Grand Classica, and the additional airlift from Vacation Express, as well as improvement for taxi drivers at the harbour.

He noted that significant investment was announced on Friday by an investor who is restarting the Ginn Project in West End, which will include construction of a 100-room hotel in the first 20 months.

with the actual performance of the previous administration? The four downgrades?

The massive run up of debt after VAT? The inability to get Baha Mar open? The persistent scandals? In your view it was misinformation that caused the defeat of the former administration?

Interesting.”

After another recent controversy, Mr Johnson apologised for comments he made on ILTV’s programme “Beyond the Headlines” with Clint Watson.

Asked if the government is concerned about possible job losses in the gaming sector because of a planned tax increase, he said job opportunities are available at places like Baha

Mar which is “still looking for housekeepers” at a time when the economy is growing.

He responded to the backlash on Facebook, saying: “I apologise if it came across that I was suggesting the persons losing a job in the industry should become housekeepers. That was not my intent. It was a point I was attempting to make about the broader economy in summary form during a fluid interview.

I understand though, the inference it could reasonably lead to. Hence, I do apologise to those I may have offended due to my own lack of clarity on the matter.”

Yesterday, the PLP circulated excerpts from General

Orders, a collection of rules for public officers, which show impartiality from those in the civil service is demanded.

One rule says: “In joining the public service, a public officer voluntarily enters a profession in which his service to the public will take a nonpolitical form; and whatever may be his political inclination his impartiality in the performance of his duty must be beyond suspicion. It follows therefore that a public officer should not normally take any active part in matters of public or political controversy and particularly if the matter is one with which he is officially concerned.”

Career Opportunity Scotia Wealth Management is seeking the services of a

Manager Fiduciary Investment Services Position Summary: A key member of Fiduciary Investment Services which: a.) reviews the portfolios of asset holding structures involving trusts, foundations, insurance, companies, agencies and private funds created by high net worth individuals, and the enterprise groups that they control, and; b.) Tracks the performance of portfolios of relationships where responsibility for investment decision making is outside of International Wealth

Key Accountabilities for this role: • • •

• •

Understand the nature of the investment relationship.

Where IWS has overall responsibility, manage on a continuous basis portfolios within established firm guidelines.

Recommend an appropriate asset mix model, review and propose outside investment managers, and approved securities that fulfill objectives, regularly monitoring the portfolio to ensure it is meeting objectives against benchmarks, and rebalancing as appropriate.

Work with Relationship Managers to ensure that all investment strategies, policies and principles are applied appropriately and that a communication plan for each relationship is developed and followed.

Meet Regulatory Compliance, Anti-Money Laundering/Anti-Terrorist Financing and Bank Policies and procedures for Customer transactions.

Educational/Competency Requirements: Musts: • An understanding of financial markets and investments.

• University Degree (with courses in Economics, Accounting and Finance); Enrolment in the CFA program; CSC; Series 7 or equivalent designation • Minimum 3 years direct experience with investment vehicles and interaction with beneficiaries, beneficial owners, and principles. This understanding must include expertise in investment returns, potential risks and structuring portfolios, • Understanding of financial analysis, portfolio structuring.

• Global market perspective.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

• Client driven, deeply customer focused and results driven • Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) is a plus.

Qualified candidates should submit C.V. via email to: hrbahamas@scotiabank.com on or before June 18th, 2018. 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 8, Wednesday, June 13, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Facing up to mental health challenges I

By Alicia Wallace

KNOW people with mental health challenges, some of whom are getting professional help and others who cannot afford it, do not want anyone else to know what they are going through, or do not think it would help. I have received phone calls Bourdain was found dead and in-person visits from in his hotel room in Straspeople who needed imme- bourg, France. The host of diate assistance. During the award-winning CNN and after university, I was series Parts Unknown who a live-in youth worker for had publicly talked about at-risk women and girls. his mental health strugBefore that job, I harshly gles died by suicide. Many judged people living in pov- people, so accustomed to erty, drug-addicted people, watching Bourdain explore teenage parents, and any new places and food with number of other people. I acerbic wit, feel like they had decided that we all get have lost a friend. They to choose what we do with were attracted to the contaour lives, and our ability gious curiosity that led him to succeed is completely to ask people within our what they ‘As large as the control. liked to cook Coming sun is, clouds can and what face-to-face they liked to completely obscure with my eat, and the own igno- our view of it. We honesty that rance and may know it is delivered his hypocrisy unfiltered still there, but that in a matter thoughts.

Bourof days was knowledge does nothing to replace dain was nowhere not without near easy, the light. At night, success and but it was did not lack the most when darkness money. He life-changing comes, there is no was a worldexperience sign that the sun renowned I have ever will rise again.’ chef and had. Among bestselling other opportunities and challenges, I author. In Kitchen Conficompleted suicide interven- dential: Adventures in the tion training with a group of Culinary Underbelly, Boursocial workers. It was long, dain went beyond food, intense, transformative, and telling stories about his unexpectedly emotional. It abuse of drugs and sex. He reminded me of previous consistently proved himself experiences, made me ques- to be a real, multidimention the way I responded to sional person, but that he situations in the past, and could suffer from deprescommitted me to paying sion and exit the world by attention, asking questions, suicide is still a shock. We and listening for what is not have certain expectations of the rich and the famous. being said.

Don’t they have everyOn June 8, Anthony thing they could possibly

want and more? Can’t they afford to pay every problem to get lost? And what is there to be depressed about?

Bourdain’s partner, Asia Argento, described him as her love, her rock, and her protector. He stood by her side when she went public with accusations against Harvey Weinstein and spoke out in support of the women of the #MeToo movement.

Bourdain is an example of a person who managed to support other people, but did not manage to save himself.

Are we supposed to save ourselves?

Just days before Bourdain’s death, fashion designer Kate Valentine (previously known as Kate Space) died of suicide in her apartment in Manhattan. Though she had not had a hand in the brand still bearing her name, many people responded to the news of her death with stories of their first Kate Spade handbag purchase.

Both Bourdain and Spade had what most of us are still trying to achieve. They found their passions and ways to share them with the world, and got more than pay cheques in return.

They each had a fan base. They had families and friends. They were

household names. Still, something else they had in common overshadows all of their achievements and possessions and the love in their lives. That may be what is most difficult to understand about depression. It does not match itself to the good in our lives. As large as the sun is, clouds can completely obscure our view of it. We may know it is still there, but that knowledge does nothing to replace the light. At night, when darkness comes, there is no sign that the sun will rise again.

As a child, I heard people talk about suicide. I learned that people saw it as a dishonorable act. A selfish act. A cowardly act. I heard people talk about depression too. I learned that people saw it as a weakness.

A demon. A punishment for wrongdoing. A clear instruction to turn to God. Good, god-fearing people, then, did not have depression. Brave, selfless people did not attempt suicide.

To prove I was living my life in the best possible way, I had to ensure that there was never a sign of depression, or even sadness. Even if I experienced them, no one could know.

This dictated countless thoughts and actions. This knowledge made it so that I never admitted to anything being wrong, and whenever anything was wrong, I suffered alone. I know that I am not the only one.

There are other people who go to battle with parts of themselves that want to be vulnerable and honest, and allow someone else to help. They fight those parts because we are taught that it is better to be strong, smiling, and satisfied with whatever we have.

It has taken me a long time to realise that

THE SUICIDES of Kate Spade, top, and Anthony Bourdain have left many distraught - and wondering what they can do to reach out to those around them who may be in need. vulnerability is not weak- can maintain anonymness, and having challenges ity, and that the person on does not mean we are, in the other end is a trained some way, deficient. It is professional. To see a psystill difficult for me to treat chologist, we need money. myself with the same kind- And not a small amount ness I extend to my loved of money. To ask for help, ones. Maybe it is because we have to admit that we I came to my understand- do not always have it all ing of mental health issues together, we are not always through as happy as my role as ‘It has taken me a we look, and carer for our strength others that long time to realise sometimes it is easier that vulnerability is wavers. to acknowl- not weakness, and We have a edge, affirm, great deal of and attend to having challenges work to do. the needs of does not mean we We have to others than are, in some way, earn the trust it is to even of the people sit with my deficient. It is still around us. own.

Part difficult for me to We need of it too, of treat myself with to undercourse, is the stand mental way I heard the same kindness health and people talk I extend to my recognise about mental loved ones.’ that it is just health chalas imporlenges when tant as I was growing up. It is hard physical health. Depresto trust people with per- sion and anxiety are public sonal information when it health issues and should be feels safer to keep it secret, treated as such. Health care even from the closest needs to include mental people to us. The people health care. who are, perhaps, the most We have to do more than judgmental of them all. pray. As family members, After reports of sui- friends, coworkers, and cide or attempted suicide, club members, we need to there is always an influx of pay attention, be willing positive messaging around to listen, and hear what is mental health.

Social not being said. We need to media is flooded with posts advocate for policy change. encouraging people to We need to check on our seek the help they need. people, and not always Talk to someone. Call a expect them to ask for the hotline. Text a friend. See help they need. Suicide is a psychologist. There are not a choice, and it is not numerous barriers to what selfish. Limiting lifesaving seems like a quick and easy options through stigma, solution. To talk to some- however, is a choice. Give one, we have to trust them your loved ones the chance and be reasonably certain to cope, to overcome, that they will only do what and to live. Do research, is in our best interest. To start conversation, and call a hotline, we probably demand mental health care want to be assured that we services.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, June 13, 2018, PAGE 9

Nintendo unveils Super Smash Bros Ultimate at E3 LOS ANGELES Associated Press NINTENDO opened its activities for the annual E3 2018 video game trade show with a bang – and a smash.

Showing world-first footage of Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Nintendo shared details about the latest entry in a series with sales of more than 40 million units worldwide. A new game built for the Nintendo Switch system, Super Smash Bros Ultimate lets up to eight players square off in actionpacked battles that are all about smashing beloved video game characters off the screen.

“At E3, we’re showing how Nintendo Switch continues to redefine play, with the broadest range of games people can enjoy together anytime, anywhere,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s president and COO. “Fans who’ve debated which Super Smash Bros fighter is the best now have the chance to settle their differences once and

SUPER Smash Bros Ultimate combines many stages and new items, with gameplay that makes it easy for players of all skill levels to jump in.

Photo: Business Wire/AP for all, pitting familiar faces against fresh challengers on stages both new and old.

Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!, and the arrival of Epic’s Fortnite on Nintendo Switch demonstrate the strong momentum Nintendo Switch continues to have through 2018 and

beyond.”

Super Smash Bros Ultimate will include every single fighter ever featured in the series’ nearly twodecade run, making it one of the biggest crossover events in gaming history.

Fans can enjoy returning favourites like Ice Climbers and Pokémon Trainer, as well as newly announced

fighters like Ridley from the Metroid series and Inkling from the Splatoon series.

The game supports a variety of controller options, including Nintendo GameCube controllers (original or newly designed), JoyCon controllers or the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.

With Nintendo Switch, players can throw

down whenever and wherever they like in Handheld or Tabletop mode while enjoying online play.

Nintendo also announced that Fortnite, the Battle Royale phenomenon from Epic Games, is available for Nintendo Switch – now.

Players can download it for free from the Nintendo eShop, then test their mettle in thrilling crucibles of combat.

New “Fallout” video game based in West Virginia Bethesda Game Studios has announced that the next installment in its postapocalyptic “Fallout” video game series will be a prequel based in the Mountain State.

The Herald-Dispatch reports Director and Executive Producer Todd Howard announced “Fallout 76” Sunday at the Xbox Microsoft E3 2018. The most recent game in the series generated more than $750m within the first 24 hours of its retail launch in 2015.

“Fallout 76” is being touted as the largest world created in the universe.

Internet use could change as ‘net neutrality’ ends NEW YORK Associated Press THE ability to watch and use apps and services could start to change in the US — though not right away — following the official demise Monday of Obamaera internet protections.

Any changes are likely to happen slowly, as companies assess how much consumers will tolerate.

The repeal of “net neutrality” took effect six months after the Federal Communications Commission voted to undo the rules, which had barred broadband and cellphone companies from favouring their own services and discriminating against rivals such as Netflix.

Internet providers such as AT&T, Verizon and Comcast had to treat all traffic equally. They couldn’t slow down or block websites and apps of their choosing. Nor could they charge Netflix and other video services extra to reach viewers more smoothly. The rules also barred a broadband provider from, say, slowing down Amazon’s shopping site to extract business concessions.

Now, all that is legal as long as companies post their policies online.

DEMONSTRATORS rally in support of net neutrality in 2017 outside a Verizon store in New York.

Consumers aren’t likely to see immediate changes following Monday’s formal repeal of Obama-era internet rules that had ensured equal treatment for all. Rather, any changes are likely to happen slowly, and companies will try to make sure that consumers are on board with the moves, experts say.

Photo: Mary Altaffer/AP The change comes as broadband and cellphone providers expand their efforts to deliver video and other content to consumers.

With net neutrality rules gone, AT&T and Verizon can give priority to their own movies and TV shows, while hurting rivals such as Amazon, YouTube and startups yet to be born.

The battle isn’t entirely over, though. Some states are moving to restore net neutrality, and lawsuits are pending. Also, the Senate

voted to save net neutrality, though that effort isn’t likely to become law.

For now, broadband providers insist they won’t do anything that would harm the “internet experience” for consumers. Most currently have service terms that specify they won’t give preferential treatment to certain websites and services, including their own.

However, companies are likely to drop these self-imposed restrictions; they will just wait until people aren’t paying a lot

of attention, said Marc Martin, a former FCC staffer who is now chairman of communications practice at the law firm Perkins Coie. Any changes now, while the spotlight is on net neutrality, could lead to a public relations backlash.

Companies are likely to start testing the boundaries over the next six months to a year. Expect to see more offers like AT&T’s exemption of its DirecTV Now streaming TV service from customers’ mobile data

limits. Rival services like Sling TV and Netflix count video against data caps, essentially making them more expensive to watch.

Although the FCC issued a report in January 2017 saying such arrangements, known as “zero rating”, are probably anti-consumer, the agency did not require companies to change their practices right away. After President Donald Trump appointed a new chairman to the FCC, the agency reversed its stance on zero rating and proceeded to kill net neutrality.

Critics of net neutrality, including the Trump administration, say such rules impeded companies’ ability to adapt to a quickly evolving internet.

But consumer advocates say that the repeal is just pandering to big business and that cable and phone giants will now be free to block access to services they don’t like. They can also set up “fast lanes” for preferred services — in turn, relegating everyone else to “slow lanes”. Tech companies such as Netflix, Spotify and Snap echoed similar concerns in regulatory filings.

Martin said broadband providers probably won’t mess with existing services like Netflix, as that could alienate consumers.

• WORLD Cup referees must ensure all the time used for video review is played at the end of each half — even if a stoppage takes ten minutes.

FIFA’s instructions to more than 100 match officials in Russia were outlined yesterday, two days ahead of the often-contentious technology making its World Cup debut.

“All the minutes, all the seconds, lost by VAR (video assistant referees) will be added at the end,” Massimo Busacca, FIFA head of refereeing, said at a news conference. “We don’t want to lose any seconds lost by any interruption.”

The process for reviewing one of the most complex incidents that can be reviewed — a running confrontation involving all players — will take as long as needed.

“We will take all the possible time to see if there is a clear red card,” said Busacca, who was a 2010 World Cup referee. “When it is related to match confrontation and not respecting the image (of football), we can even stay ten minutes at the video to see exactly what happened.”

The first referee in the spotlight is Nestor Pitana of Argentina, who handles the Russia-Saudi Arabia match in Moscow on tomorrow.

FIFA picked Pitana for duty, with Massimiliano Irrati of Italy leading a four-man video review team. They will work at a FIFA control centre in the Moscow suburbs, several miles from the Luzhniki Stadium.

Referees can call for reviews of possible clear errors and serious incidents missed in game-changing situations: goals scored, red cards, and penalty awards, plus mistaken identity.

• GOOGLE pledged last week that it will not use artificial intelligence in applications related to weapons, surveillance that violates international norms, or that works in ways that go against human rights. It planted its ethical flag on use of AI just days confirming it would not renew a contract with the US military to use its AI technology to analyse drone footage.

The principles, spelled out by Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a blog post, commit the company to building AI applications that are “socially beneficial”, that avoid creating or reinforcing bias and that are accountable to people.

The search giant had been formulating a patchwork of policies around these ethical questions for years, but finally put them in writing.

Aside from making the principles public, Pichai didn’t specify how Google or its parent Alphabet would be accountable for conforming to them. He also said Google would continue working with governments and the military on noncombat applications involving such things as veterans’ health care and search and rescue.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, June 13, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

BNT DISMISSES FEAR OVER ‘COBRA’ CLAIM THE Bahamas National Trust has refuted reports circulating on social media yesterday of a “cobra” lurking around the Seabreeze area, saying there have been no confirmed sightings of this venomous snake in The Bahamas.

A photo of a snake, which some speculated was a “cobra,” was widely shared on Facebook yesterday.

The BNT said it received information from the original photographer that the snake in the photograph was taken two weeks ago.

“While the image in the photo is quite blurred, from what we can discern, we believe this to be

a Bahamian racer,” the BNT said in a statement posted to its Facebook page.

“This small snake is found throughout The Bahamas.

The racer can flatten its neck to make it appear larger, and to ward off potential predators. When it flattens the skin, it could appear similar to a cobra hood. Racers are non-aggressive and not a threat to humans.

“There has never been a confirmed sighting of cobras, or any other snakes considered dangerous to humans in The Bahamas.

We reiterate that it is our belief that the snake in the photo is a harmless native Bahamian racer.”

A BAHAMIAN racer in threat display, flattening its throat skin. The BNT believes this kind of snake was mistaken on social media as a cobra.

Photo: BNT Facebook page

Concerns raised over living conditions for police officers

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net PINERIDGE MP Rev Frederick McAlpine has expressed concern over the “substandard” living conditions of police officers on Grand Bahama, calling for

improved conditions at the police housing compound in Freeport.

He complained that the homes the officers are living in at Tripp Circle are unacceptable, and described it as a miniature “ghetto”.

Mr McAlpine noted that the facility, which is in the

Pineridge constituency, does not fare well for officers’ morale.

“The conditions that our officers are living in the homes are deplorable,” he said. “Sad to say, the living conditions that our officers are subjected to is substandard. We need to find

a way to improve living conditions for our police officers on the island. Their area alone is a ghetto all by itself. This should not be for our officers who serve and protect.”

Commenting on the new fire station in the constituency, the MP said the absence of furniture is prolonging the opening even though the facility was completed almost two years ago by the former Christie administration.

“Hopefully, the furniture will come from heaven shortly. The fire station, again located in Pineridge, is a first-class model that any officer would be more than happy to work from,” he said in a recent speech to Parliament.

He said the nation is still waiting on the widespread installation of CCTV cameras to help capture criminals and deter crime.

The MP also highlighted an issue concerning the public outcry over a recent police shooting that resulted in the death of a young man in Nassau. He said answers are needed.

“One thing is certain in my mind, like many Bahamians, whatever the alleged crime, the death of

the young man by police officers is considered overkill, causing an outcry naturally.

“The country needs answers and awaits a report on this matter sooner rather than later,” he stated.

Rev McAlpine believes that the deployment of body-cams for police officers would help to avoid future speculation and fallout between the police force and the community.

The project was launched in the test pilot phase several months ago.

The outspoken MP also addressed issues related to the industrial sector in Grand Bahama concerning the difference in the employment of Bahamians and foreigners.

He reported that one industrial company that has been in operation for the past 18 years in Grand Bahama employs thousands of workers – with a workforce ratio of 30 percent Bahamian and 70 percent foreign.

“Government has a responsibility to the people of Grand Bahama to see to it that more training is given and made available for the good of our people, in conjunction with the partnering

of these industries.

“I comprehend what we are doing, and I commend the government for its subvention with BTVI, but we must find out what these industrial companies need and bring in the persons that can technically train and certify our people to do the tasks at hand for the workforce,” he said.

He stressed that one of the responsibilities of the major industrial companies should be to expose Bahamian workers to relevant, specialised training, to enable them to become certified maintenance workers, technicians, supervisors, and managers.

“Whereas it’s accepted that some jobs require the attention of highly skilled professionals in particular areas, the industrial community must make a greater effort to limit the number of import workers,” the MP said.

“Many workers are also discouraged by their belief that, in some cases, qualified Bahamians are overlooked in favour of foreign labour.”

Mr McAlpine said that the relevant authorities must monitor the situation very closely.

FYRE FESTIVAL PROMOTER ARRESTED AGAIN NEW YORK Associated Press

YOUR

CHOICE FOR THE FAMILY WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JOYFM1019

THE promoter of a failed music festival in The Bahamas has been arrested again on fraud charges as he awaits sentencing in the earlier case.

Billy McFarland was arrested yesterday on charges that he conducted

a sham ticket scheme, selling fraudulent tickets to fashion, music and sporting events. His lawyer did not immediately comment.

William F Sweeney Jr., head of New York’s FBI office, says new charges show that McFarland didn’t stop committing crimes after pleading guilty in March to defrauding

investors and vendors in the Fyre Festival. He says the 26-year-old McFarland went on to sell fraudulent tickets totaling almost $100,000 to various events.

Investors in the festival scheduled for spring 2017 lost more than $26m in what was advertised as “the cultural experience of the decade”.

READERS REACT OVER SAFETY CLAIM

Call to make your reservation

DESPITE a recent spate of homicides, National Security Minister Marvin Dames said Bahamians have absolutely no reason to feel unsafe - prompting a lively response from readers on tribune242.com.

Ashley14 said: “Unfortunately words are cheap!

I read about people getting shot just leaving their houses, and I don’t know any of the situations but it happens too often. What’s being done about this? I don’t see anything. It’s not a simple solution. There’s rebuilding the family, education and JOBS. Hungry people aren’t happy people. People have to have hopes and dreams.

Too many young men have died needlessly. Start with your family, It has to start somewhere.”

John suggested re-establishing communities: “New Providence needs to be segmented into districts. At least four. And all the infrastructure to sustain everyday life should be put into those areas. Post offices, places to renew drivers licenses and passports, recreational centres for the youth, bill payment centres for various government fees and the creation of regular jobs in that area so the regular ordinary resident does not have to

travel across the island to go to work. So you reestablish a community like an environment, where everyone knows everyone and strangers are easily identified.

“This can be even more enforced by giving license plates that identify the general area a person resides.

So if the police spot a vehicle registered in the eastern area of the island driving in the southwest after hours, then they have a reason to stop the vehicle. The need to have everyone in a wild frenzy all over the island every day, to work, to drop off or pick up children to and from school, to go to the hospital, the passport office. So in essence you spend most of your time in the area where you live.”

Proudloudandfnm criticised the minister: “Stop taking credit for cycles.

The police are incapable of dealing with our incredibly severe crime problem.

Get help! Bring in experts and LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY.” DDK said: “Admitting

there is a problem is the first step to solving the problem, Mr. Minister! PEOPLE DO NOT FEEL SAFE!” There was this from Aegeaon: “Well, we’re going to be a narco-state at this point. Why doesn’t Dames or any other National Security minister realise that they’re under a Drug War, with gangs using superior tactics and equipment that outshine the police and Defense Force?

And Porcupine called for an end to the “war on drugs”: Those who have been paying attention for the last 50 years fully understand how the war on drugs has merely enabled crooked governments and smugglers to make all the money. There is no logical reason to keep drugs illegal.

Did we really not learn any lessons from prohibition?

Crime would go down. And, then we could start cracking down on real crime. There are some law enforcement holdouts from another era who still advocate for a drug war. Mostly so that they can tighten their own grip on power. The thinkers in law enforcement realised quite a few years ago that the war on drugs was a failure for society.”

• Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, June 13, 2018, PAGE 11

POKER RUN GOES ALL IN TO RAISE $10,000 A RECREATIONAL boating event has raised a large sum of money to aid in the further development of a local sea park in Exuma.

The Bahamas Poker Run, an annual event where boaters engage in water activities throughout the northern Exuma Cays, has donated $10,000 to the Bahamas National Trust in support of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park (ECLSP).

The BNT was the sole charity recipient of the proceeds, and a cheque was presented to Janet Johnson, president of the BNT, and Eric Carey, BNT’s executive director.

In a press release, BPR’s co-founders Jordan Lampkin and Shane Freedman revealed they were “elated at the turn out and support” for the event, asserting the third edition was a “huge success”.

BPR 2018 took place on May 12 and included more than 400 participants and 60 boats, “riding in caravan” between the northern Exuma cays and New

Providence.

Warderick Wells, where the ECLSP headquarters and visitors centre are located, was the first stop of the poker run. This allowed a number of Bahamians to visit their national park for the first time.

Shane Freedman, cofounder of BPR, said: “Our charitable donation to the BNT is an important part of this event. We are proud to do our small part towards the awareness, education, protection, and conservation of these most beautiful Bahamian parks.”

The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is 176-square miles and world renowned for its “pristine beauty, outstanding anchorages, and breathtaking marine environment.”

According to the press release, the park was the first protected area of its kind globally, created in 1959 by the same legislation that established the BNT. In response to BPR’S generosity, Mr Carey said: “BNT deeply appreciates the much-needed contribution that the Bahamas

Poker Run provides to support the Exuma Park, but we also are grateful that the event provides an opportunity for so many Bahamians to get to come and visit, and enjoy this incredible national park.”

Mr Carey added it costs nearly $500,000 to operate a park of such magnitude, also asserting that it cannot be done without corporate support.

The “seafaring event” has amassed support from local partners who recognise the immense value of the local marine economy.

The event’s organisers were “thrilled” with this year’s success, and reported that they look forward to future BPR events to come.

PAGE 12, Wednesday, June 13, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

THE COMBINED unit of Bahamian security forces currently taking part in Tradewinds Exercise Phase 1 in St Kitts. Also shown are some members of the United States forces.

Preparing to defend THE combined unit of Bahamian security forces under the command of Platoon Commander Senior Lieutenant Shawn Adderley are currently in St Kitts taking part in Tradewinds Exercise Phase 1. The unit consists of members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and Royal Bahamas Police Force.

The aim of the exercise is to enhance regional security and disaster response capabilities and to ensure partner nations can work as a cohesive unit to achieve a common goal during an emergency situation, the RBDF said in a press release.

The Bahamian contingent of 45 (33 RBDF officers and 12 RBPF officers) departed New Providence on Sunday, June 3 and are expected to return to the capital on June 13 for Phase 2 of the exercise, of which the Bahamas is the host nation.

A total of 22 participating nations are taking part in the exercise, which is intended to improve tactical skills for maritime interdiction and inter-agencies information sharing,

and also to neutralise transnational elicit narcotics and drugs and weapons smuggling.

Some of the exercises conducted thus far include range work, advance marksmanship, close quarter battle, military operations in urban terrain, maritime interdiction, disaster preparedness, counter terrorism, vehicle check point and platoon and company raids.

Prior to returning to the capital, the Bahamian contingent is expected to participate in a community relations programme with the other participating nations at Beach Allen Primary School in Basseterre, St Kitts.

Phase 2 of the Tradewinds Exercise begins in New Providence on Thursday June 14 and culminates on June 21 at HMBS Coral Harbour.

THE COMBINED unit of Bahamian security forces taking part in Tradewinds Exercise Phase 1 in St Kitts.

A ROYAL Bahamas Defence Force marine taking part in marksmanship on the shooting range during Phase 1 of Tradewinds 2018 Exercise in St Kitts. A United States marine is overseeing the demonstrations.

Photos: US NORTHCOM and Royal Bahamas Defence Force

A ROYAL Bahamas Police Force officer providing security as a Royal Bahamas Defence Force marine searches an individual during a simulated exercise.