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VOLUME:116 No.117, JUNE 13TH, 2019

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Student loan debt could force govt to target salaries

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE Ministry of Education is seeking to garnish the wages of civil servants who have failed to repay the Education Loan Authority as it aims to recover over $83m in delinquent money.

While the overall sum owed to the ELA has been reduced from the $100m that was outstanding in January this year, Education Minister Jeffery Lloyd said yesterday this is still not enough to restart the programme.

When the Minnis administration took office in 2017, more than $150m in principal and interest had not been satisfied. In total, some 2,057 loans are delinquent and many of these include money granted to people in the public service.

“There is a default rate of over 90 percent and a

delinquency rate of almost one year - 275 days,” the minister told the House of Assembly yesterday.

“Because of this very high default rate the programme was suspended in 2009, ten years ago and we want to restart this programme, but we can’t because many of those 2,057 who owe money won’t pay and we are going to go after them as we have and seek to prosecute them and require them to pay.

“I am sad to say, Mr Speaker, some of those who don’t pay are public servants, they work for the government. We are going to seek the ways to have their salaries garnished.”

He continued: “When we came to office in 2017 and I credit the great work of the former chairman and present chair in bringing this where it is today, over $150m was owed to the

EDUCATION Minister Jeffery Lloyd wants the use of cell phone videos that expose minors in compromising positions to be made illegal and punishable by a prison sentence, saying these situations could lead to future reputational harm.

In recent months, several sensitive videos with minors have made the rounds on social media.

One such video showed a high school student pulling up her underwear behind an unfinished building as a

SEE PAGE SIX

SEE PAGE EIGHT

TURIN 2: NO TRACE OF DRUGS

NO drugs were found in the bodies of Alrae Ramsey and Blair John, Italian news media reported yesterday.

According to reports, only traces of alcohol were found in the blood of the two young men whose bodies were tragically found in the Po River in Turin last week.

These are the anticipated results of the outcome of the toxicological analysis, as SEE PAGE SEVEN

KNOWLES TO WALK FREE IN 6 YEARS

SEE PAGE FIVE

man - who appears to be in his late 20s - stood next to her fully clothed. Another man’s voice can be heard off camera stating the girl has been caught having sex.

He then began to pressure the girl to have sex with him, and threatened to post the video to social media if she did not comply.

The situation, Mr Lloyd said, almost sent the girl to Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre.

As he spoke during the budget debate in the House of Assembly yesterday, Mr Lloyd also outlined

MONSOONS SIGNAL DISASTER AHEAD FOR US

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

‘SOCIAL MEDIA DANGER MUST BE ADDRESSED’

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

STATESIDE

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

SUMMER’S ON THE WAY: Bria and Sevyn Beneby enjoy some time on the beach with their young puppy Envy.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

CONVICTED Bahamian drug smuggler Austin Knowles will spend just over six years in prison and forfeit $1m for his role in an international conspiracy and drug trafficking scheme in 2002.

Knowles pleaded guilty to four charges related to the scheme that saw him and 16 others netted in an international investigation, code-named “Operation Bluewater”.

SEE PAGE THREE

MOREE: WE NEED MAJOR REFORMS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

ADDRESSING delays in the legal system and a court backlog will be priorities for the country’s newest chief justice, Brian Moree, QC. He spoke to reporters shortly after he was sworn in as chief justice during a ceremony at Government House yesterday.

“It’s very humbling and I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to serve

BRIAN MOREE is sworn in as chief justice yesterday. my country through this appointment,” he said. “I am profoundly of the view

that we need in the private sector to be prepared to do some public service for our country. I see it as an opportunity in a small way to make a contribution to the ongoing development of the court system, the administration of justice and I would hope that at the end of it we would have left it just a little bit better than when we met it, but others would have to decide that at the appropriate time.”

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE THREE

RICHARD COULSON

SEBAS PLAYING TO CONTENTED CUSTOMERS

SEE PAGE TEN

PAGE 2, Thursday, June 13, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Controversy over CA Smith appointment ‘unfortunate’, admits Minnis C A SMITH at the swearing-in ceremony for Brian Moree as chief justice yesterday Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday called the controversy surrounding his pick for Governor General, C A Smith, “unfortunate,” insisting the circumstances of his gaffe would be taken into consideration by Buckingham Palace.

Dr Minnis, in addressing the issue on the sidelines of a swearing-in ceremony for the nation’s new Chief Justice Brian Moree, QC, said it was unfortunate the country had arrived at a point where private conversations cannot be held without individuals feeling the need to record them for social media.

“It’s unfortunate we’ve reached that degree in our society,” he told reporters, adding: “But that’s a matter Buckingham (Palace) will view.”

Last month, Mr Smith was captured on video detailing the circumstances behind his decision to resign as the non-resident ambassador to seven South American countries.

“As a result of Her Majesty the Queen appointing me to be Governor General I found it necessary to have to resign in the position,” Mr Smith said in the video, recorded at a farewell luncheon at the Passport Office in Freeport. “I had to be transited to another position. The swearing-in will take place

on the last Friday of June in Nassau.”

His comments came as a bit of surprise, as there were no formal indications of the government’s intent to replace the current Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling.

Mr Smith was first sworn in as deputy to Dame Marguerite last year.

Mr Smith has since issued an apology for the mishap.

Shortly after the blunder, Official Opposition Leader Philip Davis called it a shocking breach of protocol. He urged Dr Minnis to abandon Mr Smith’s appointment, asserting his break in protocol set a bad precedent for someone ascending to high office.

Meanwhile, Dr Minnis yesterday also confirmed that he is awaiting “correspondence” from Queen Elizabeth on his recommendation to have Mr Smith replace Dame Marguerite in the coming weeks.

Commenting on the status of the ongoing process, the Killarney MP said: “(Dame Marguerite) would’ve gone over to visit Her Majesty, after which I would’ve sent forth a recommendation for a replacement but that is not completed until it’s confirmed by the Queen, after which they would send that correspondence back so the process was really in train right now.”

Dame Marguerite was appointed Governor General on July 8, 2014, by the last Christie administration.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 13, 2019, PAGE 3

Knowles to walk free in six years from page one On Monday, US District judge Robin Rosenberg sentenced Knowles to 12 years in prison to be served concurrently for each charge, and knocked off about five years due to time served on remand in both the US and at home.

She further recommended Knowles be incarcerated at a facility in South Florida to facilitate visits from his family.

At sentencing, he paid $750,000 of his forfeiture order.

Knowles was extradited to the US in May 2018, ending a more than decade-long court battle fighting against removal from this country, and pleaded guilty in a South Florida court the following month.

The four counts include: conspiracy to import five or more kilograms of cocaine; attempting to import five or more kilograms of cocaine; importation of five or more kilograms of cocaine; and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine.

He faced a sentencing guideline range of 20 to 30 years imprisonment.

Knowles objected to the presentence investigation (PSI)

report, which suggested he be held accountable for 1,087 kilograms of cocaine - the quantity of drugs involved in the scheme.

Counsel for Knowles argued he was not extradited on charges that contemplated the quantity of the drugs; however, Assistant US Attorney Robin W Waugh insisted Knowles should be sentenced based on his admitted involvement in the conspiracy to transport the cocaine.

Ms Waugh wrote: “During the course of the conspiracy, from as early as June 2002 through November 13, 2002, Knowles and others were engaged in the trafficking of large quantities of cocaine from Jamaica to The Bahamas, then onward to the United States. Knowles was intercepted communicating with co-conspirators discussing the logistics of shipments of cocaine, including the quantity of drugs, seaworthiness of vessels, concealment of the cocaine, law enforcement activities on the high seas which may thwart successful transportation, and the distribution of cocaine.

“Simply put,” Ms Waugh added, “Knowles was involved in a conspiracy to transport three shipments of cocaine, totalling 1,087 kilograms of cocaine and

CONVICTED Bahamian drug smuggler Austin Knowles. charged and extradited accordingly. Therefore, he should be sentenced based on his involvement in a conspiracy to transport 1,087 kilograms of cocaine.”

Knowles was admitted to the Bahamas Department of

Correctional Services in December 2002, and released by the court in March 2005. He was readmitted in October 2017, and extradited to the United States last year.

He was accused alongside

Nathaniel Knowles, Edison Watson, Ian Bethel and Sean Bruey aka Shawn Saunders - who are still on remand at BDCS and facing extradition.

Knowles submitted 15 character references from relatives, religious leaders, and close friends, including his wife Cassandra Newton-Knowles; his pastor and former Central Eleuthera MP Phillip Bethel; Family Island Administrator Gilbert Kemp; his ex-wife, and the mother of his children.

The references by loved ones, most of whom purport to have known Knowles for most of his life, appealed for leniency and attested to his strong ties to the Eleuthera community and good moral character.

Upon release from prison, Knowles will be on supervised release for another five years.

Knowles will be deported after his sentence is completed, and will not need to report for his supervised release as long as he resides outside of the US. He will not be able to return without written permission from Border and Transportation Security, and will need to report to his probation officer if he reenters the US during the period of his supervised release.

We need major reforms, admits new chief justice

THE SWEARING-IN ceremony for Brian Moree yesterday at Government House.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

from page one Mr Moree was a senior partner at McKinney, Bancroft and Hughes. He did not specify his plans for the judiciary but foreshadowed significant reforms. “The judiciary is a co-equal branch of government,” he said.

“It’s not just another department. So we have got to see if we can get an allocation of resources which is consistent with the status of the judiciary under our constitution.

“We do need major reforms, we do need changes and we intend to address these challenges in the short term. I don’t think it’s going to be business as usual. We do have an agenda of items. We’re going to be working with all the stakeholders involved in the administration of justice to see if we could make some substantive changes

to the way we conduct business at the present time.

“The only other thing I would say at this early stage is we seriously need to address the various public registers of the courts, what I call the back offices of the court. They are in need of substantial upgrading. We’re going to have to address that in the first several months going forward and we hope we will be able to make changes to make it efficient, convenient for the Bahamian public and it will also help us with case management as we seek out how we are going to move all the files and the papers and processes. Also, the magistrate’s courts are in need of major reforms and so we’re going to be speaking to the chief magistrate and her colleagues and see what we could do in the short-term.

“We’ve got to look at the

delays and backlogs. Every court system in the world has a problem related to high volume and case load.

We have to try look at that with fresh eyes and we expect to look at that over the next several months, come up with some new ideas about how to better manage that in order to deliver services to the Bahamian public in a better and more efficient way.”

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Mr Moree said his team will assess the manpower needs of the judiciary.

“We’ll be assessing that and I’l be consulting with the chief magistrate, the judges and the various registrars to see whether we can come up with a proposal in terms of what resources and personal we need in order to improve our court system at the moment,” he said.

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THE TRIBUNE

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It’s a loan – you have to pay it back THERE will predictably be outrage from civil servants over just 12 words spoken yesterday by the Minister of Education, Jeffrey Lloyd.

“We are going to seek the ways to have their salaries garnished,” said the minister as he faced, once again, the dilemma over what to do about the delinquent bills from loans given out by the Education Loan Authority.

The problem is simple – the solution less so. People have borrowed money from the loan authority and not paid it back.

There is a default rate of more than nine in ten of the loans, and the whole programme has been suspended for a decade.

Simply put, without people paying money back into the pot, there’s none left to loan out for the next generation of students.

The ministry has tried incentives – as Mr Lloyd said yesterday, “If you come in I think we knock off almost 40 percent, no interest. So if you owe $10 you only have to pay $6 and they still wouldn’t come.”

And so the administration is

considering taking the debt – from loans that the individual agreed to – out of their wages if they work for government.

It is entirely possible this will add to the simmering summer of discontent the government is facing with various complaints from different unions – but on this issue, it’s hard to see what else the government can do.

It has given people time to repay the loans, it has offered incentives and discounts – but quite simply there has been no indication from people that they will pay what they owe.

Some of the defaulters refuse to even talk about it, snubbing settlement discussions completely.

For those who owe some money, this might be the last chance to take advantage of those discounts. That’s the carrot – the garnishing of wages is the stick the government will wave if need be.

So if there is dissent, if there are complaints, it is hard to have too much sympathy – after all, these defaulters are stopping that money from going to help young Bahamians from pursuing their own dreams of becoming a student.

It’s time to pay up.

Stop spreading the hurt SOCIAL media can be a wonderful thing. It can improve communication, spread the word about our success – but it can also be abused, and then it can be a terrible thing.

On too many occasions, videos are circulated of young people in compromising positions.

One video recently showed a student pulling up her underwear behind a building as she stood next to an older man, and the voice of another man could be heard claiming she had just been caught having sex and then pressuring her to have sex with him.

The girl involved was so upset by the situation that she nearly had to seek help at Sandilands Rehabilitiation Centre, said Education Minister Jeffrey Lloyd yesterday.

Another instance saw a picture posted to social media of a child’s bruised buttocks by a parent claiming he was disciplined by a school official at St Augustine’s College.

Mr Lloyd has suggested bringing in new laws to protect minors from having

their life, reputation, identity or character exposed to public contempt.

That can be a difficult area to legislate – but one thing is clear, there should be no need for children to carry around the burden of embarrassment for years over things that happen during their youth that get exposed to the public.

Every time you see such a video, think. Think about what it might mean to the child. Think what it might mean to their future. Before you share it, consider how you would feel if that were your own child.

Know that if you do share it, then you spread the hurt.

Our children’s futures are our nation’s future – don’t stifle them before they’ve had a chance to start.

The law only needs to get involved if we fail to recognise for ourselves what is right and what is wrong.

If we as a people cannot recognise it is wrong to humiliate children in public, then we do not deserve to claim to be a Christian nation.

Do the right thing.

So that’s how to lose weight EDITOR, The Tribune TOOK out my copy of the FNM preelection 2017 manifesto, now two plus years old and was looking at the photos of candidates in comparison with the real things today of the majority of MPs. Boy, being in Government is good for you - you all have gained a few pounds, some more.

Editor - why not a photo montage of preelection in 2017 to current photographs today, just two plus years gone?

Budget 2019-20 - seems in the House certainly the line item has increased as well as that of the office of the Prime Minister.

Let’s us laugh a little, Editor - put the full page on the front of your Health page with comments as to how to lose weight! The 2017 photo against 2019 - boy it is better in Government!

W THOMPSON Nassau, June 10, 2019.

Mr Johnson’s boxing clever EDITOR, The Tribune TOO many Bahamians have taken to the use of the conditional perfect, “would have” to refer, incorrectly, to action that was presumably taken. It has become a virus in our language.

“Would have” is a conditional perfect tense and refers to a missed opportunity in the past. It is quite wrong to use it in place of the simple past tense.

Words matter and our leaders in particular should mind not only their Ps-andQs but also their sentence construction and now, their conditional perfect.

In classic English grammar a conditional is sometimes called an “if clause”. These typically describe something that might have happened in the past but did not. An “if clause” is made using different English verb tenses.

Example: “If I had gone to bed early last night, I would have gotten to work on time.” The past perfect collides with the past participle.

Not to pick on any one user but Acting Financial Secretary Marlon Johnson has been in the news recently talking about the WTO. Said he: “The government would have committed over three years to bring down customs duties.”

The logical follow-up to

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net that is: “So why didn’t the government do it?”

But Mr Johnson was boxing clever in trying to explain to his audience something the government had in fact done. Better he said instead: “The government met its commitment over the past three years to bring down customs duties.”

Or take this one from National Security Minister Marvin Dames: “The Commodore would have taken into account what would have been said and is taking steps …”

What he meant to say is this: “The Commodore took into account what was said and is taking steps …”

The Minister and the Secretary are not alone. Every day we are assaulted by speakers at every level of our society – politicians and policemen, preachers and teachers– often in a slow, deliberate fashion as if to draw out their perceived educational superiority or enlightenment, telling us of a myriad of things that “would have” happened when, in fact, they did happen.

Grammar is important especially when children are listening. If they learn

incorrectly then it places them at a distinct disadvantage in the future. Good grammar is essential in everyday life to bring clarity of both meaning and intent.

It is important in politics, in diplomacy, in the administration of justice and in day-to-day transactions; otherwise we will descend into a modern Babel. But apparently our doctors of education have not noticed this virus because they have said nothing.

Just imagine a Bahamian government minister abroad at an important international conference saying something like this: “My country would have joined the United Nations in 1973, the year of our independence.”

His listeners would be waiting for him to say what prevented the Bahamas from joining in 1973.

Think about all this the next time a friend who speaks good English says he “would have” paid you back the $50 he borrowed.

He means he’s broke and can’t pay you.

But Mr. Johnson, Mr. Dames and a plethora of Bahamian speakers would interpret that to mean he paid the money back.

No big deal indeed. But you are still out $50.

THE GRADUATE Nassau, June 12, 2019

Healthcare is a basic human right EDITOR, The Tribune THE Tribune has a long and proud editorial history of speaking its mind and doing so with conviction and reason. It is therefore no surprise to me that, even in areas where we disagree (such as healthcare funding for Bahamians) such disagreement arises from genuine differences of perspective that merit honest discussion. By contrast, The Nassau Guardian (despite having some fine reporters) is editorially little more than an FNM propaganda pamphlet. Worse still, it consistently editorialises against publicly-funded healthcare without declaring its parent company’s vested interest in the private insurance industry.

It is therefore in a wholly constructive light that I must respectfully disagree with your Editorial of June 3, wherein you likened public health services to a business which, unless it charges customers at the point of sale, will soon go out of business.

To be truthful, that is not a fair analogy. Healthcare is a basic human right which every society, from the most basic tribes, instinctively applies collective energy to provide to its members. Responsible politicians in countries like The Bahamas, which is at the higher end of the economic scale (and whose population spends, per capita, more on healthcare than anyone else in the region) naturally seek to channel spending on the health of its citizenry in

a way that most benefits the population broadly.

Currently in The Bahamas, that spending is very badly channelled, in that for every dollar spent by Bahamians on their healthcare, a good portion goes into sustaining a wealthy insurance and medical industry. Some of it goes to reinsurers overseas. Governments can therefore do a lot to cut out some of the middlemen, by simply pooling the resources already being spent and applying economies of scale to the benefit of the public.

Moreover, although The Bahamas government operates on a revenue structure that is both regressive (it pressures the rich far less than the poor) and highly concessionary (you reported $1.3 billion in tax concessions to

investors just last week), it nonetheless collects around 2 billion dollars annually in operating revenues. The services it provides or fails to provide from that revenue reflect its priorities. However, by definition, none of them are ‘free’.

We all pay for them by our taxes, especially the poor.

In this regard, a far more poignant and appropriate analogy to our healthcare conundrum would be the operation of the police force, which is another area of public expenditure deemed critical to the most basic of our needs.

Imagine a citizen coming home one night to armed intruders, calling the police (who would naturally respond with the most advanced weaponry, manpower and equipment available), then,

as they are leaving with the culprits in handcuffs, produce an invoice and demand payment on the basis that the homeowner can clearly afford to pay for the use of public services.

That is the healthcare situation in The Bahamas today, and the only reason for it is because of the priorities of those who govern us. It is fiction to call something ‘free’ that is being funded by revenues from the public treasury, especially while the government fails to tax corporate or personal income and continues to give irrational tax concessions to wealthy investors.

ANDREW ALLEN Nassau, June 3, 2019.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 13, 2019, PAGE 5

Student loan debt could force govt to target salaries from page one Scholarship Loan Division, today it is $83m.

“And the thing about it is we have had in place now for a couple of years a very generous incentive programme. If you come in I think we knock off almost 40 percent, no interest. So if you owe

$10 you only have to pay $6 and they still wouldn’t come.

“So we are working to remedy this. We want to restart this programme. There are many who come to us for loans and we are going to do what we have to do in order to make this a success.”

In January Mr Lloyd told this newspaper that the delinquency

recovery rate needed to increase seven-fold as Bahamian taxpayers were “on the hook for $100m”.

At the time, he said, officials were about to hire a private collection agency “with the teeth” to pursue deadbeat borrowers after its staff found themselves “overwhelmed” by the sheer magnitude of the task.

With legal action the ultimate recourse, Mr Lloyd said the delinquency recovery rate needed to increase from the present $60,000-80,000 per month to $400,000-$500,000, or from $1m per year to $6-$7m, if the ELA is to “put a serious dent” in what it is owed.

Warning that his and the authority’s “patience has simply run out”,

the minister criticised the “stubborn and recalcitrant” defaulters who refused to enter even settlement discussions, adding that they faced having their credit standing “permanently tarnished” when The Bahamas’ first-ever Credit Bureau goes live within the next few years.

Editorial View - Page 4

Only 46% leave high school with a diploma

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net ONLY 46 percent of students who leave high school qualify for a diploma, Education Minister Jeff Lloyd revealed yesterday during his budget contribution in the House of Assembly.

Noting the country’s commitment to achieving an 85 percent graduate rate by 2030, Mr Lloyd regretted the current percentage, saying the “standards are as low as we can make them”.

With 70 percent of school leavers entering the workforce, Mr Lloyd underscored the importance of students meeting the requirements for graduation and the need for more parental oversight in this matter.

He also addressed the Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) statistics, noting that out of 6,720 candidates, only 76 received ‘A’ grades in five or more subjects. Seventeen scored an ‘A’ in eight or more subjects.

He said 80 percent of the grades awarded ranged from ‘A-E’, with the highest percentage of grades awarded being a ‘C’.

“I speak now, Mr Speaker, of an area which is causing a little bit of consternation in our Bahamian society, it’s called

the Bahamas high school diploma,” Mr Lloyd said.

“Since 2017, the criteria for graduation has been standardised across this country. And we want it to be standardised so that we can ensure that there are quality graduates that enter society. This country is committed that by 2030, 85 percent of those leaving the 12th grade will meet the minimum graduation standard.

“By 2030, in approximately 10 years, Mr Speaker, the commitment of this country, in concert with the Organisation of American States, the InterAmerican Development Bank and so on, is that we make it to 85 percent.

“Today, Mr Speaker, only 46 percent of our 12th graders leaving high school graduate—46 percent, less than half.”

Mr Lloyd noted there are eight criteria which must be met to graduate.

These include passing four Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) examinations - receiving a minimum grade of a ‘D’ in math, English, health or general science and social studies or religion.

Other criteria include a specific number of credits, annual parent-teacher conferences, and a certain grade point average.

“The data shows, Mr Speaker, that these four BJC’s is the most

challenging. A lot of students are not meeting it.

And the second most challenging is the number of credits that they need.

“Now let’s be straight up, Mr Speaker. Our students must graduate from high school. You need to have a high school diploma. Not a certificate of attendance.

We don’t need a ‘BTS’ certificate: ‘been to school’.

You need a diploma.”

Mr Lloyd also said there is a trend of many parents waiting until their student is in the 12th grade to “petition” the ministry for “some concessions (to) what we consider the minimum standard”.

“Students begin in grade 8 to prepare for their BJCs. My God, grade 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 – five years to pass four subjects. BJCs. And what do BJCs test, Mr Speaker?

The minimum standards.

“And why is this important? Every year, thousands of our students leave high school. Five, six thousand or thereabouts. What we now know statistically is that 70 percent of them go into the world of work. Thirty percent go onto tertiary education, approximately.

“What is it that an employer expects when he or she receives a graduate? That they will be able to function, make meaningful contributions in this very fast developing global society. As far as we are

EDUCATION Minister Jeff Lloyd is concerned with poor results in the Bahamas high school diploma Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff concerned, the standards as low as we can make them.

“Parents must become involved. They must work with their children, and not wait for the last minute to deal with this.”

Regarding BGCSEs, Mr Lloyd said the objective is that 80 percent of students should receive grades between ‘A-G’. “Well, we did have 76 candidates who received grade ‘A’ in five or more subjects. 76, out of the 6,000. And 17 out of the 76 scored ‘A’ in eight or more subjects.”

‘FREE TUITION IS STILL ON OFFER TO ALL STUDENTS WHO QUALIFY FOR IT’

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net

NEW and existing students who meet certain entry requirements to the University of the Bahamas will qualify for a free tuition grant, Education Minister Jeffrey Lloyd said yesterday.

The government will cover the cost of all qualified students’ tuition and mandatory course fees.

He said: “This is not an open university. The same acceptance that the university now prescribes nothing has changed. All we are saying is and we are committed to this in our manifesto that we will make tertiary education accessible for all qualified Bahamian students.”

He also said: “The programme does not cover non-instructional fees or security deposit, application fee, drop/add fees or books.

It does not cover courses taken during the summer, unless in extenuating circumstances as determined

by the university,” he told the House of Assembly.

“The government reserves the right to bond grant recipients in specific disciplines such as education and nursing.”

Mr Lloyd also announced that “qualifying students” from Family Islands will be given $500 per month as an accommodation allowance.

Last year, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis stated the government will provide free tuition for UB students who meet the entry requirements in September 2019.

Observers quickly noted the government has long given scholarships to Bahamians who meet certain criteria, however at the time Mr Lloyd said this assistance in the past has not covered the full cost of tuition while the government’s new initiative will.

Dr Minnis said previously: “I wish to announce at the outset that beginning in September 2019, all fulltime Bahamian students who meet certain entry requirements will receive

free tuition. The details of these requirements will be announced. Students will have to maintain a minimum GPA to maintain their grant. This requirement

will also be announced.

This major investment in education will help scores of young people to realise their dreams as we build a more equitable society.”

“The Bahamas is not the world,” Mr Lloyd added. “We cannot educate citizens only for this parochial setting. They must be equipped to engage

competitively, robustly, prosperously, profitably, and successfully, the universe around them. It doesn’t get any more basic than that.”

PAGE 6, Thursday, June 13, 2019 from page one the guidelines for the use of corporal punishment in schools, which he said is sanctioned by the Ministry of Education.

“As a country, as a government, we must find a way to sanction those who use social media as a platform for nefarious or weaponising features whether they realise it or not,” the South Beach MP said.

“I speak to our teachers in this country. I speak to our parents. I speak to our young children who are sitting in the gallery today. They do not have the maturity of mind to understand the dangers of this tool called social media that they have at their unfettered disposal. They may easily and innocently find themselves ensnared by the vortex of this technological entrapment.

“The Bahamas has a Computer Misuse Act, which deals with the manipulation of computers and data for criminal intent,” Mr Lloyd continued.

“I am suggesting, Mr Speaker that as a country, that as a Parliament that we seek to amend that law or to enact new ones to criminalise the use of any electronic device which exposes the life, reputation, identity or character of a minor to public contempt.

“Your life is young now and you have many years to go before expiration hopefully. Do not permit any exposure of your person or your child’s person by any means that one day may come back to haunt or embarrass.

“It is there in cyber library and it isn’t going anywhere and 20 and 30 and 50 years from now they

THE TRIBUNE

‘If adults want to expose their naked self across the social media landscape that’s their business, they’re adults. But not children, not minors. I think we should put people in jail who do that’ pull up something that you did when you were 14 or 16, that you said at 22 and they bring it back to show the kind of thinking you may have or the kind of person that you were in those

years. So be careful,” he warned.

“If adults want to expose their naked self across the social media landscape that’s their business, they’re adults. They should be

responsible and let them suffer the consequence of their action, but not children, not minors. I think we should put people in jail who do that.”

Regarding corporal

punishment in schools, the minister said Bahamian society must have its own discussions on how it is administered, if at all, in the future.

The topic was reignited

after a parent showed a photograph of his child’s bruised buttocks on social media after he was disciplined at St Augustine’s College by a school official.

“Most of us know it by the term, which begins with the word ‘cut,’” Mr Lloyd, pictured below, said. “It is officially defined by scientists as the use of physical force with the intent of causing the child to experience some kind of pain so as to correct their behaviour. Twenty years ago this became every topical in our country because of a certain circumstance and at that time crossed the Ministry of Education’s landscape there were wide ranging discussions about whether we as a school system should do away with corporal punishment.

“Let me say that the issue of corporal punishment is sanctioned by the Ministry of Education in what the school manuals describe as very grave situations and that it could only be administered by an administrator and never in the presence of another student or other students and as our policy that must be in the presence of another administrator or teacher and it is at the very end of all other avenues have been exhausted to seek remedy for the circumstances.”

He also said: “We are not going to be sucked into the conversation about corporal punishment unless or until the society decides how it wants to deal with corporal punishment. So you ain’t gonna put nothing on us while you half kill your child at home.”

Editorial View - Page 4

CAR CRASH CAUSES POWER OUTAGE IN GLADSTONE ROAD AREA

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

A VEHICULAR accident caused a power outage that affected portions of

western New Providence for more than an hour yesterday, Bahamas Power and Light officials said. According to BPL’s director of public relations, Quincy Parker, the collision significantly

impacted operations at the utility provider’s Clifton Pier Power Station, resulting in generation issues. A source close to the situation suggested the crash, which occurred in the Gladstone

Road area, severely damaged a major transmission line running from the Clifton Pier Power Plant.

The outage impacted Skyline Drive, Gladstone Road, Windsor Field, Lyford Cay, Old Fort Bay, Serenity, West Winds, Charlottesville, Cable Beach, Munnings Road, Golden Isles and Carmichael Road west, according to a social media post by the company.

Roughly 45 minutes after BPL first reported the outage, it said Lyford Cay and Adelaide supplies had been restored.

This comes as BPL pushes ahead with the installation of its new Wärtsilä multi-fuel engines at station A, Clifton Pier.

Last month, BPL’s Chairman Donovan Moxey said the acquisition of the seven engines represented the first step in BPL’s new strategy and strategic outlook.

He said one of the major components of this new direction would be BPL’s relationship with Shell North America, citing its arrangement to construct

a 220-megawatt gas power plant in the coming years.

Updating the status of the installation yesterday, Mr Parker said BPL was working hand-in hand with Wärtsilä to ensure the new engines are correctly installed and operated according best practices.

He insisted the installation process would “guard against” potential interruptions to the fragile New Providence grid.

He told The Tribune: “The preparatory work done by BPL at station A, has considered all aspects of the installation. We have prepared the area for the weight of the new engines and prepared it for all of the auxiliary work needed during at this time.”

According to Mr Parker, the new system was completely built in Finland, before being disassembled, labelled with what he termed as “exactitude” and transported to the new engine hall at Clifton Pier.

He said this process allows for the engine system to be rebuilt with exact

specifications at station A. “We know this setup will work because it has been outfitted and tested for this exact arrangement,” he contended. “I appreciate that there may be some concerns and apprehension over how these new engines will be incorporated into our new system, but I assure you that we will undertake commission and testing process ahead of incorporating these new engines.”

He added: “That process will ensure that there is no adverse effects when we bring the new engines online. We are going to be careful with this. These generators are vital to what we are preparing to do long term and we are confident that we have a plan in place to mitigate potential problems.”

BPL intends to formally incorporate the new generation system this fall.

Officials at the utility provider have long touted the new system as an end to load shedding, rental generators and longstanding generational woes.

Dividend Notice TO ALL SHAREHOLDERS The Board of Directors of Commonwealth Bank Limited has declared a Quarterly Dividend for Common and “E” Preference Shares, to all shareholders of record at June 21, 2019 as follows:Common

2¢ per share

“E” Preference

5¾% per annum payable quarterly

The payment will be made on June 28, 2019 through Bahamas Central Securities Depository, the Registrar & Transfer Agent, in the usual manner.

Charlene A. Bosfield Corporate Secretary

“Leader in Personal Banking Services”

www.combankltd.com

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 13, 2019, PAGE 7

Turin two: No trace of drugs found in the men who died

THE AREA in Turin, Italy where the men were found. from page one communicated by the Italian coroner to investigators, according to Italian news outlets. Further examinations are underway.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday reiterated his confidence in Italian authorities’ ability to investigate this case. Speaking on the sidelines of the

swearing in ceremony of Chief Justice Brian Moree, Dr Minnis told reporters: “They’ve been investigating deaths for umpteen years, before I was on this earth so why should I not have confidence in them today?

“The Italian people have always had confidence in them. This is something they’ve always done. They are a sovereign nation. I must respect their laws and their procedures.”

Earlier it was reported that the results of the autopsies conducted Monday confirmed both men died as a result of drowning.

However, John’s family has told The Tribune they have rejected the autopsy’s findings and are waiting for CCTV evidence that could give better insight into the situation.

“Traces of alcohol were found in the blood of (Ramsey) and (John), the

PUPILS FROM 24 PRIMARY SCHOOLS GIVEN LAPTOPS FOR EXCELLENT WORK

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net

PAUL Smith, owner of Electro Telecom, yesterday awarded students from 24 primary schools in New Providence, Exuma, San Salvador and Cat Island with laptops for their high academic achievements. The laptops were presented at the Paul Farquharson Centre at Police Headquarters. Mr Smith encouraged the students to uplift one another noting it will benefit them in the long run.

Mr Smith said: “Sometimes it’s not about having the greatest four-point average grade, it’s not about coming first. It’s about looking at your counterparts around you and ensuring that you as the top student take the opportunity to pull (everyone up.) …the greatest thing is to uplift each

other. Each one, pull one it will benefit you in the long run.

Marcellus Taylor, director of education, told the students the Ministry of Education cares about their development, learning and their formation as people.

Mr Taylor said: “We want you to be smart and have fun. We also expect somethings from you which include you would work hard every day, that you would be fair and honest which means you will have integrity.”

Mr Taylor highlighted Mr Smith’s generous and unsolicited contributions to the educational system.

“It’s not something that we asked him to do this is something he is doing from his heart. People will always (find negative things to say) but listen you talking, and Mr Smith is doing. He is in a tangible way showing students that we have an

expectation for them, that we believe in them and that we are here to support them in the particular ways that they can not only pass the finish line but burst through it so they can be winners,” he said.

Minister of National Security Marvin Dames commended Mr Smith’s donation and praised the students for their academic achievements.

Mr Dames said: “The (laptops) are very important but what’s more important is this demonstration of kindness and wanting to recognise and help our future. We must show them that we care, we must encourage them, we must build them, and we must give them a hand out.

We must guide them and help them to understand their significant, their value in life because one day many of us will be around to see them lead. ”

two friends from The Bahamas recovered lifeless in the Po river last week in Turin,” reports Italian news site Ansa Piedmonte. “It is an anticipation of the outcome of the toxicological analysis communicated by a coroner to investigators.

“The tests would have excluded the use of drugs and some drugs by the two young people.

“Further exams are in progress. The autopsy

carried out on Monday by the Coroner Paola Rapetti identified the cause of death in the drowning. The investigation into the deaths is conducted by the mobile squad of the police headquarters in Turin, coordinated by the deputy prosecutors Enzo Bucarelli and Giulia Rizzo.”

The tragic story of these two young men has gripped the nation.

Ramsey, a foreign service

officer on study leave in Vienna, was reportedly in Turin on a break. He and his friend, John, were staying at a bed and breakfast establishment at Via la Loggia 2 in Turin.

John, a 28-year-old Saint Mary’s University graduate student, was there to attend a psychology conference.

The men both attended the same high school, Saint Augustine’s College, in New Providence.

PAGE 8, Thursday, June 13, 2019

A

NOAH’S Ark situation is developing in the US midwest and the rest of the country is now starting to pay fairly close attention. Flooding from monsoon rains is plaguing agricultural and livestock farmers throughout the lower Mississippi and Arkansas River valleys, and thousands of other rural businesses are suffering. The month of May was the wettest ever in large parts of the US and the Mississippi River is reported to be cresting this week above St. Louis at its second highest level on record.

The situation is not good.

And the larger problem is that if the mighty Mississippi is flooding that far north, trouble is sure to follow as the watery, muddy mass moves south through Memphis and Baton Rouge and on to New Orleans.

Meanwhile, even farther to the north, above the many flooded fields and desperate farmers of Iowa, Illinois and Missouri, rivers are also full. In and around Minneapolis, for instance, just a few hundred miles from the Mississippi’s source, the three rivers which are its principal early tributaries are all full. The Minnesota River is at or close to flood stage as it joins the Mississippi at Minneapolis. The St. Croix and Wisconsin Rivers are swollen also, and they also feed the Mississippi near Minneapolis. This summer will bring real hardship to those who make their living in the American centre.

But while much of the rest of the Mississippi valley and watershed may suffer, the river remains benign for Minnesota’s largest city.

In Minneapolis itself and in neighbouring St. Paul, the Mississippi surges powerfully through the 19th Century spillway designed to tame the river’s only cataract, St Anthony Falls.

The river courses around a couple of dozen of Minnesota’s famous 10,000 lakes on its way through the

THE TRIBUNE

Midwest monsoons signal disaster ahead Why you should be keeping an eye on Klobuchar

KEVIN JONES, assistant chief of the Prairie du Rocher Volunteer Fire Department, takes a break after joining volunteers dealing with flooding problems along the Mississippi River.

STATESIDE

with Charlie Harper

Twin Cities, dark and swirling below the dam despite a width of only about 150 yards. The river flows through a wooded gorge for several miles of some of the priciest real estate in the state of Minnesota.

But in these early days of summer and with months ahead of relief from the harsh winter which surely awaits them after Halloween, Minnesotans are enjoying June sunshine. In what locals and advertisers call the Northland, dawn breaks not long after 4.0am and the skies are often

brilliantly clear. The heat and humidity will come later.

For now, it’s all good. The baseball Twins are winning far more regularly than anyone thought possible before the season began, and the football Vikings have just re-signed their talisman, a tight end who has anchored their offensive line for several years.

People are seriously out and about, whether on scooters or bicycles, running or walking, pushing a stroller or just texting in the warmth.

Even the self-proclaimed world’s largest shopping mall, the Mall of America, is not overcrowded, and most of its customers are tourists. This giant shopping mecca offers glass-topped relief from the elements outside, whatever the season. At its core is an impressive indoor amusement park featuring everything from bumper cars to several different opportunities to get flipped upside down. Located just off a major airport runway and near the spreading Minnesota River, the mall

also features a variegated aquarium called Sea Life where admission is $26 for adults. It’s not Atlantis, but it’s comparable in some respects.

Cottonwood seed fluff turns the grassy areas white as thin early season snow now, and a sleek, curving, muscular new I-35 bridge slices through the air. The new span replaces an older, but not yet old, bridge carrying the busy interstate highway across the Mississippi.

The shocking collapse of that bridge, in August 2007, was an early warning thunderclap highlighting the urgent need to upgrade America’s road and transportation infrastructure.

It was that need that remained unmet last week as President Trump and the Democratic Congress again failed to agree on funding for America’s roads and bridges.

MINNESOTA won’t play the critical role of Midwest neighbours Wisconsin and Michigan in next year’s national US election, but it won’t be an afterthought, either. This is primarily because of its senior senator, Amy Klobuchar.

Daughter of a legendary Minneapolis newspaper columnist and educated at Yale and the University of Chicago, Klobuchar stands out among national American politicians because of her evident commonsense and obvious sense of humour. Both qualities seem at times to be in rather short supply in the current Democratic field of nearly two dozen.

Because Minnesota is certain to support whomever wins the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, interest in the state will centre on Klobuchar’s nomination prospects, either for president or, as now seems considerably more likely, as vice president on a ticket headed by a male candidate. There’s a long way to go until next November, but Klobuchar might stay close to the front all the way to the end. Her presence in the race will keep Minnesotans engaged, from the promise of spring to the cold harshness of the winter.

Canine agility trials have dogs and owners in step IN THE green Wisconsin hills and swales 40 miles east of Minneapolis and across the St Croix River sits the Cedar Lake Speedway, a banked dirt track and giant earth-floored indoor arena which is home to a satellite NASCAR race series for sports cars, as well as other race series for motorcycles, monster trucks and virtually whatever other tricked-out specialty vehicles that enough people want to race. The speedway is a bustling commercial enterprise that provides both entertainment and employment for a region mostly looking west to the Twin Cities for both.

In the sunshine of early June, though, Cedar Lake has been taken over by a completely different type of competition, the kind that gives rise to the exclamation “Is this a great country, or what?”

For four days, the speedway was home to the 19th annual national CPE canine agility trials – not to be confused with the better-known fancy dog shows. Readers, especially dog-lovers, may be familiar with the

televised Westminster Dog Show which appears on television every year. The dogs are often groomed to the eyeballs, trained to prance around the show ring at Madison Square Garden in New York City while their well-groomed handlers trot to keep up with them.

The TV commentators try to keep things light while respecting the passion of their committed viewers.

Agility competition is different. The dogs aren’t bred or trained or groomed for show. Their task is to navigate a steeplechase-type circuit of hurdles, tunnels and weave poles within a certain prescribed time and without clipping the plastic hurdles or otherwise committing a foul. Neither the dogs nor the handlers are dressed for success in this competition.

It’s all about speed and not missing one of the obstacles on the prescribed course.

The CPE (Canine Performance Events) nationals normally attract from 500 – 700 dogs and handlers.

Sometimes the events are held at county fairgrounds, sometimes at speedways, sometimes at other venues.

The key for the organising club is to locate a venue capable of providing indoor ring space and daytime residential accommodations – usually a soft-sided crate – for the dog, and space for the owner to while away the hours between events.

To describe agility dog owners as passionate and committed would be to understate their attachment to this fringe sport. This national event attracted participants from California and Maine, Florida and Idaho, Wisconsin and especially Texas, which was represented by several clubs willing to drive up I-35 for two days or more for the competition.

It’s generally unabashed fun for all, particularly given that dogs and handlers are only competing against themselves and everyone, theoretically, could take home several winners ribbons.

And on the subject of competition, the event culture was notable for its lack of testosterone: A mutually supportive culture has arisen around the predominantly female demographic, and the few male competitors are quickly socialised.

THE TRIBUNE

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net AS HE rebuked Official Opposition members, House Speaker Halson Moultrie said he is willing to “risk everything” to maintain order and decorum in the lower chamber.

Speaker Moultrie yesterday took issue with what he called a “number of insulting” remarks from Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP Philip “Brave” Davis and Exuma and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper after he refused to allow greetings from them to a group visiting in the gallery.

The Speaker said neither member had given notice of this intention as is parliamentary procedure.

However, the Speaker did not mention his distaste for the opposition’s actions until Education Minister Jeffery Lloyd was well into his contribution to the budget debate. A seated opposition MP had been heckling the South Beach MP over government’s stipulations for those who wish to receive free tertiary education.

At one point Mr Cooper suggested those on the governing side had swayed the Speaker’s position.

The rebuke was also extended to Free National Movement Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine who

Thursday, June 13, 2019, PAGE 9

Speaker willing to ‘risk everything’ to keep order also joined in with the Official Opposition.

“Honourable member let me put you on notice because I was going to do this a bit later, but let me do it now,” Speaker Moultrie said, referring to Mr Cooper. “Earlier this morning when I advised the House that we had a group of persons here from various Family Islands and I called on the minister of education and the member for South Beach who the chair had already recognised, I heard a number of insulting remarks from both you the member for Exuma and Ragged Island and the member for Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador being hurled at the chair.

“Now I am putting you and the member for Pineridge, in the absence of the member for Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador, that the chair is not going to tolerate that kind of behaviour from any member,” he added.

The Official Opposition leader had briefly left the chamber when

MITCHELL’S CONCERN OVER CASUAL WORKING

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Senator Fred Mitchell has said casual employment in the hotel sector is a concern and his party, if elected, will commit to addressing the issue and others that provide no benefits to Bahamian workers in the country.

Casual employment has been a major issue of concern for unions, particularly in Grand Bahama in both the public and private sectors.

In Grand Bahama last week, Senator Mitchell said: “I have been very concerned about that in the hotel sector in particular because I thought that these employers were using that as a mechanism to get around industrial relations agreements because nobody would have permanent benefits.

“So, one of the reasons we have been talking

about, this new memorandum of understanding between the union and ourselves, is we want to commit ourselves to a legislative agenda to deal with this, and a whole set of other issues,” he said.

The PLP senator lamented that casual workers have no health insurance, severance pay, and vacation pay.

Mr Mitchell stated that liveable wages is another issue the PLP has been talking about. A living wage is the minimum income necessary for a worker to meet their basic needs.

“This would certainly be something to add to that list as well,” he said.

“We have been talking about things like portable pensions so it doesn’t matter which employer you are with your pension travels with you. That is one other thing. Maybe we have to look at amending the law that somehow deals with this break off point at six months,” he said.

SPEAKER of the House, Halson Moultrie Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/ Tribune Staff

Speaker Moultrie made the remarks. “The chair believes in the independence and the autonomy of

the Parliament,” Speaker Moultrie continued. “I take it as an insult when any member suggests that

the chair and the presiding officer are being directed by any other member.

“I have taken all risks

over being even removed from this chair to fight for the independence of the Parliament. I have asked the clerk to point out my seat in case I am removed…where I will sit and I will continue to advocate for the autonomy and independence of the Parliament because that is what the constitution calls for whether it be from this chair or the back bench.

“So I want you to know that I am prepared to risk everything to maintain order and decorum and respect for the rules and procedure of this Parliament and I am not tolerating, while I am in this chair, any disrespect from any member that could bring this institution into disrepute.”

PAGE 10, Thursday, June 13, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

W Sebas happy playing to

HEN I visited the East Bay Street head office of Investar Securities at 10am on Monday June 3, a dozen citizens were already there waiting to subscribe to either of the two Titan Mutual Funds being launched. They had been attracted by the intensive publicity campaign that started ten days earlier when over 2,000 people gathered at the Baha Mar Convention Centre to hear Sebas Bastian and his team tell Bahamians why to consider investing in the Funds, followed by a second-bysecond countdown clock shown on print and digital media leading up to Monday’s 9am kick-off moment.

This marketing effort had its gestation years ago, when in 2009 imaginative young entrepreneur Sebastian Bastian founded the Island Luck gaming venture (or “web shop”), which in 2014 became a legally recognised operation regulated by the Bahamas Gaming Board. Government granted licences for eight gaming houses, with premises throughout the country. Barred from our hotel casinos, Bahamians could now satisfy their itch to “play the numbers” on hundreds of screens showing on-line results of US state lotteries. Island Luck (under its corporate name Playtech Systems Limited) soon became the dominant web shop, recruiting and training good managers and technicians to handle the largest number of players— and naturally collecting the highest fee revenues from punters risking their cash against the odds of a pay-off.

The current Fund offering is a classic example of “cross-selling” practised by any sales organisation: if one product sells well, that creates a captive market of contented customers willing to try another product.

The 40,000 account holders of Island Luck have found that its easy-to-play games give them fair odds, win or lose. Naturally, they are favourably inclined to consider an investment product offered by Mr Bastian.

Island Luck’s success has enabled him to create

contented customers other ventures, in mortgage finance, property and construction development, television production and also to found charities. It is in good standing with the Treasury, having resolved financial issues after last year’s increase in taxation rates for gaming companies, with all assessments duly paid.

A sound underlying structure was created for the Titan Funds, which were approved after close scrutiny by the Bahamas Securities Commission.

Over-all management responsibility lies with their Boards of Directors and with the sponsoring firm Investar, a licenced securities dealer. Its principals in addition to Mr. Bastian, include such stalwarts as Hillary Deveaux, former Executive Director of the Commission, Lowell Mortimer, attorney and shipping executive, and Felix Stubbs, long-time head of IBM Bahamas. The task of implementing the Funds’ objectives by selecting specific investments has been contracted to Leno Corporate Services, another licenced securities dealer and member of BISX. The crucial position of Evaluation Agent has been assigned to the BDO international accounting firm, whose local unit is headed by senior practitioner Clifford Culmer. The Evaluation Agent will determine the continuing Net Asset Value (NAV) of the Funds and their underlying holdings, thus setting the price for monthly buying and

redeeming of Fund shares.

Although this appointment was not named in the initial offering documents, in my interview with Mr. Bastian he assured me it would be confirmed to Fund shareholders.

It’s too early to predict total Fund subscriptions during the initial monthlong offering period, or how they will be split between the two Funds. There will probably be no shortage of investors attracted to this offering; the challenge will be to quickly turn their cash into appropriate investments. The Fixed Income Fund, with a minimum $1,000 subscription, authorised for Government Bonds and other interest-bearing securities, may initially grow more rapidly, given Bahamians’ traditional preference for current yield over capital gain.

However, the Balanced Fund, available for only $500, has special features that will appeal to more adventurous investors. It can invest up to 50 percent of its portfolio in equities and special situations, including 35 percent in Playtech Systems (Island Luck) . This investment cannot exceed five percent of Playtech’s issued shares, subject to increase approved by the Gaming Board. Although no financial statements are available, Island Luck is generally assumed to be very profitable, and its fair value in the Fund will be determined by the Valuation Agent.

While our two established investment banks,

SEBAS BASTIAN, of Island Luck.

Royal Fidelity and CFAL, already continuously offer an assortment of wellstructured bond and equity mutual funds to Bahamian investors, the special features of the Titan Funds and the more aggressive marketing to smaller investors and Family Island residents may result in a substantial increase in the quantity of mutual funds

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff outstanding. This will be a welcome development, since we sorely need more “economic democracy” evidenced by wider ownership of growth-oriented investment securities rather than bank deposits.

The success of the Titan Funds will be grounded on the reputation of Mr Bastian and The Bahamas gaming industry, which

are now beyond doubt.

While there will always be citizens and religious groups who object to monetary games of chance on moral or spiritual grounds—that is their privilege—it’s clear our economy benefits from the financial contributions and educated employment opportunities. The gaming industry is here to stay.

Downtown: A memorial to Olde Nassau ON A hectic downtown corner, where busses and tourists jostle for passage, there still operates a wellpreserved relic of our past: A Baker & Sons, Established 1894. This traditional haberdashery makes no concessions to the trendy fashions of today, but a savvy customer can find well-made shirts, pullovers, underwear, handkerchiefs, pyjamas, socks and ties

stuffed in glass cabinets along the narrow corridor or lining the walls. The styles are yesterday’s, but so are the prices. Straws and fedoras for men of an earlier generation are featured, plus one front window devoted to classics for pre-teen young ladies.

Other than hand-written sizes and prices, no publicity is on display, but a friendly bustling lady can

find anything requested. It will be a cash-only purchase, which will be tucked away in a box from which change will be produced.

There has been no need to up-date the commercial practices followed for many years by Elizabeth and Mary, the white-haired sisters who kept store into their 80s, daughters of the late George Baker.

He was known in his

day as the country’s largest property owner, with holdings scattered throughout the islands. The store is tucked into the ground floor of the edifice owned

by Mr Baker looming over the intersection of Bay and Frederick Streets. It was once home of the longclosed Windsor Hotel, whose two storeys of balconied terraces facing Bay provided the best view of the Junkanoo Parade while the bar and restaurant on the Frederick Street entrance welcomed New Year’s revellers.

Years ago Mr Baker, in his 90s but still presiding in his Bakco Buiding office on East Shirley Street, told me he was “thinking about” developing the building for

some profitable venture, but clearly he expired first.

Now, it seems the venerable structure, still looking solid as a rock, has been given a fresh coat of pink paint. Perhaps Mr Baker’s descendants are at long last considering how to earn a return on their inherited asset. With downtown

stimulation soon coming from the new cruise port, the economic anomaly of a huge centrally located vacancy in the heart of our capital city cannot last for ever.

Whatever happens, I hope I can still shop in A Baker & Sons, a memorial to Olde Nassau.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 13, 2019, PAGE 11

JUDGE CALLS FOR PSYCHIATRIC REPORT OVER APPEAL

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE Court of Appeal has requested an updated psychiatric report for a man seeking to challenge his life sentence for murdering another man over 20 years ago.

Ervin Livingston Brown appeared before the Court of Appeal in a bid to contest his sentence for murdering Adras Mortimer on January 26, 1996.

While in the prisoner’s dock, he sat stooped over, staring at the

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A CONVICTED rapist is seeking to appeal his conviction and quarter-century sentence for raping a 40-year-old woman at gunpoint and robbing her of almost $200 after burglarising her West Bay Street home nearly eight years ago.

With his legal documents secured in a makeshift binder made out of a Raisin Bran cereal box, Oscar Ingraham pleaded his own case before appellate Justices Stella Crane Scott, Roy Jones and Milton Evans as to why he is innocent of the October 28, 2011 incident.

Ingraham maintains that the DNA report the Crown used in support of its case was inconclusive and contained no evidence that linked him to the crime.

And for that reason, he asserts that the case should have never went to the jury, but should have ended at the no-case submission stage.

The matter is adjourned to June 18.

According to the evidence led at trial, around 10.30pm on October 27, 2011, the victim arrived at her home after coming from a friend’s house. She subsequently secured her home by locking her doors, and decided to watch television. Around 11.40pm, she went to bed.

Around 4.30 the next morning, she said she was awakened because she could sense the presence of someone in her bedroom.

She said when she opened her eyes, she could make out the figure of a man standing next to her bed.

The woman said she began to scream and asked the intruder what he was doing in her house, but the only response she got was a blow to the head with an object.

She said the man told her he had a gun and that if she screamed he would kill her. She said he also told her that he was only there for the money and that he wouldn’t do anything to

floor, and repeatedly poked himself in the forehead with his right index finger.

The matter was adjourned to September 11 for the court to entertain Brown’s application to appeal, but not before Justice Stella Crane-Scott noted that Brown, who had previously been said to be suffering from some mental disability, might require an update psychiatric report.

On January 7, 1998, Brown and another man, Jason Brown, were convicted of murdering Mortimer, and attempting to murder and

causing a wound to both George Collins and Patrick Daxon.

Ervin Brown was said to have shot or participated in shooting a young man at the time, albeit in circumstances where they may have been a hint of provocation due to a previous altercation.

Ervin Brown was sentenced to death for the murder conviction; 14 years for the two counts of attempted murder; and six months for causing a wound to run concurrently with the attempted murder sentence.

Both men appealed their respective sentences. On October

2, 1999, the Court of Appeal allowed Jason Brown’s appeal, quashed his conviction and set aside his sentence, but dismissed Ervin Brown’s appeal.

At the time, hanging was the only penalty for murder. In 2006, however, the London-based Privy Council ruled that the Bahamas’ mandatory death sentence for convicted murderers was unconstitutional.

As a result, all convicts on death row had to be resentenced.

On March 13, 2012, then-Senior Justice Jon Isaacs, now an appellate judge, resentenced Ervin

Brown to life in prison from the date of his conviction.

At that time, the suggestion was that the convict was suffering from a psychiatric disorder.

Thus, Justice Isaacs ordered that he receive the “appropriate” treatment for his mental disability.

“It is hoped that you will receive the treatment and benefit from it so that at some point in the future, consideration may be made for your release back into society,” Justice Isaacs said at the time.

Brown is represented on appeal by attorney Roberto Reckley.

No DNA evidence, says rapist who is defending himself her. However, she said the intruder pulled her out of her bed and held her by her neck. She said she subsequently felt a cold object pressing against her neck.

She said he ordered her to get money, which she told him was in her bag. She said he asked her how much money she had, to which she said roughly $500.

After the man led the woman throughout her house and to her car in search of her purse, she ultimately found her bag in a room upstairs. She said she subsequently emptied its contents on her bed.

She said the intruder didn’t touch the bag, but instead told her to count the money.

She said there was a $100 bill, a $50 bill, two $20 bills, a $5 and some $1 bills. She said she told the intruder that she didn’t have any more money because she had paid all of her bills, and because “you guys had robbed me two weeks ago”.

The woman said she tried to give the intruder European currency, as well as clothes and shoes, but said the man didn’t want them. The woman said the intruder kept asking for more money, to which she replied by saying she had none because she didn’t work.

The woman said the man subsequently ordered her to lay on the bed. She said she then informed him that she was sick and that if he

raped her he would get sick as well and die.

The woman said she asked the intruder why he hurts people, and said he replied: “It’s always a first time.”

Despite her pleas, the intruder raped her and did not use a condom.

She said she tried to see or feel if the man still had the gun or object in his possession, but said he hit her with it in her head. Afterwards, she said he ordered her to put her hands behind her head and continued to rape her.

At one point during the attack, the woman’s dog began to bark, forcing her assailant to stop and order her to lock the animal in a bathroom before continuing his assault.

The woman said when he was done, her assailant pulled her from the bed.

She said she grabbed her robe, put it on, and made her way to the bathroom where she noticed blood on her face. By that time, she said her assailant was outside the bathroom behind the door.

The woman said her assailant asked her if she was bleeding, to which she answered yes. She said he also asked her what she was going to do, and she said, “absolutely nothing”.

She said she also told him that she didn’t see his face, to which the man replied: “Smart girl”.

The woman said her assailant stood by the door and said nothing. After a while, she said she opened the door, and after not hearing or seeing anyone, she ran to her bedroom, grabbed her cell phone, darted back to the bathroom and locked the door.

Afterwards, she dialed 919 and reported what had happened.

On December 21, 2015, Ingraham was unanimously convicted of rape, armed robbery and burglary. On March 1, 2016, he was sentenced to 25 years for rape, 14 for armed robbery and seven for burglary, to run concurrently.

Regarding other court

matters, in 2014 Ingraham was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the separate home invasions, gunpoint robbery and sexual assaults of two women in 2012. The sentence was reduced to 28 years after taking into account his time on remand.

For the first attack, which took place on February 28, 2012, Ingraham received 10 years for burglary, 15 years for each of the two counts of armed robbery and 25 years for rape.

Regarding the second incident, which happened between 11pm on May 29 and 5am on May 30, 2012, Ingraham received 15 years for burglary, 20 years for the single count of armed

robbery and 30 years for rape.

All of the sentences were ordered to run concurrently.

In February of 2017 however, the appellate court quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial concerning the February 2012 incident, after it was determined the trial judge misdirected the jury during summation that if they had reasonable doubt that they should convict him.

And in August 2017, Ingraham was acquitted of the May 30, 2012 incident after finding that the forensic evidence in that case was not sufficient to have been left to the jury for deliberation.

PAGE 12, Thursday, June 13, 2019

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JOB WELL DONE!

THE TRIBUNE

Why losing a dog can be harder than losing a relative or a friend

By FRANK MCANDREW Professor of Psychology, Knox College RECENTLY, my wife and I went through one of the more excruciating experiences of our lives – the euthanasia of our beloved dog, Murphy. I remember making eye contact with Murphy moments before she took her last breath – she flashed me a look that was an endearing blend of confusion and the reassurance that everyone was ok because we were both by her side.

When people who have never had a dog see their dog-owning friends mourn the loss of a pet, they probably think it’s all a bit of an overreaction; after all, it’s “just a dog”.

However, those who have loved a dog know the truth: Your own pet is never “just a dog”.

Many times, I’ve had friends guiltily confide to me that they grieved more over the loss of a dog than over the loss of friends or relatives. Research has confirmed that for most people, the loss of a dog is, in almost every way,

comparable with the loss of a human loved one. Unfortunately, there’s little in our cultural playbook – no grief rituals, no obituary in the local newspaper, no religious service – to help us get through the loss of a pet, which can make us feel more than a bit embarrassed to show too much public grief over our dead dogs.

Perhaps if people realised just how strong and intense the bond is between people and their dogs, such grief would become more widely accepted.

This would greatly help dog owners to integrate the death into their lives and help them move forward.

What is it about dogs, exactly, that make humans bond so closely with them?

For starters, dogs have had to adapt to living with humans over the past 10,000 years. And they’ve done it very well: They’re the only animal to have evolved specifically to be our companions and friends.

Anthropologist Brian Hare has developed the “Domestication Hypothesis” to explain how dogs morphed from their grey wolf ancestors into the socially skilled animals that we now interact with in very much the same way as we interact with other people.

Perhaps one reason our relationships with dogs can be even more satisfying than our human relationships is that dogs provide us with such unconditional, uncritical positive feedback.

(As the old saying goes,

“May I become the kind of person that my dog thinks I already am.”)

This is no accident. They have been selectively bred through generations to pay attention to people, and MRI scans show that dog brains respond to praise from their owners just as strongly as they do to food (and for some dogs, praise is an even more effective incentive than food). Dogs recognise people and can learn to interpret human emotional states from facial expression alone. Scientific studies also indicate dogs can understand human intentions, try to help their owners and even avoid people who don’t cooperate with their owners or treat them well.

Not surprisingly, humans respond positively to such unqualified affection, assistance and loyalty. Just looking at dogs can make people smile. Dog owners score higher on measures of well-being and they are happier, on average, than people who own cats or no pets at all.

Like a member of the family Our strong attachment to dogs was subtly revealed in a recent study of “misnaming.” Misnaming happens when you call someone by the wrong name, like when parents mistakenly call one of their kids by a sibling’s name. It turns out the name of the family dog also gets confused with human family members, indicating the dog’s name is being pulled from the same cognitive pool that contains other members of the

family. (Curiously, the same thing rarely happens with cat names.)

It’s no wonder dog owners miss them so much when they’re gone.

Psychologist Julie Axelrod has pointed out the loss of a dog is so painful because owners aren’t just losing the pet. It could mean the loss of a source of unconditional love, a primary companion who provides security and comfort, and maybe even a protégé that’s been mentored like a child.

The loss of a dog can also seriously disrupt an owner’s daily routine more profoundly than the loss of most friends and relatives. For owners, their daily schedules – even their vacation plans – can revolve around the needs of their pets. Changes in lifestyle and routine are some of the primary sources of stress.

According to a survey, many bereaved pet owners will even mistakenly interpret ambiguous sights and sounds as the movements, pants and whimpers of the deceased pet. This is most likely to happen shortly after the death of the pet, especially among owners who had very high levels of attachment to their pets.

While the death of a dog is horrible, dog owners have become so accustomed to the reassuring and nonjudgmental presence of their canine companions that, more often than not, they’ll eventually get a new one.

So yes, I miss my dog. But I’m sure that I’ll be putting myself through this ordeal again in the years to come. theconversation.com

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 13, 2019, PAGE 13

Rangers on Parade

RANGERS cadets during their passing out ceremony at the government complex, Marsh Harbour, Abaco.

Photo: Petty Officer Mark Armbrister

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force’s (RBDF) Rangers Program on the island of Abaco was recently strengthened with the addition of 21 students during a Passing out Parade ceremony.

The Passing Out Parade ceremony took place at the government complex, Marsh Harbour. Attending the ceremony was Maxine Duncombe, Island Senior Administrator. Also in attendance were the Rangers Senior Supervisor, Petty Officer David Turner, and the Rangers supervisor for Abaco, Leading Seaman Michael Wring, and Rangers Parents in Action Group (PIAG) President, Telanna Newbold.

Bringing remarks on behalf of Commodore Bethel for the occasion was Lieutenant Commander Clinton Johnson, the Executive Officer for Northern

Command. He congratulated the newly graduated Cadets, and encouraged them to take advantage of the many opportunities afforded them through the program.

Following an inspection of the new Rangers Cadets by Lieutenant Commander Johnson, he congratulated them for successfully completing the intensive ninemonth training program and highlighted some of the activities and achievements of the Defence Force Rangers.

“I urge you Rangers to remember that you reflect what our nation’s future should represent, you are the next generation of doctors, lawyers and parliamentarians. You are the next generations of engineers, carpenters, plumbers and farmers. You make up our communities, churches and eventually our law enforcement personnel,” he said.

Career Opportunity INTERNAL AUDITOR Commonwealth Bank is the premier Bahamian Bank with branches located in New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and Eleuthera. We are committed to delivering superior quality service, to training and developing our employees, to creating value for our shareholders and to promoting economic growth and stability in the community.

ROLE OVERVIEW The Internal Auditor is an important role within the Bank, responsible for the day-to-day execution of internal audit projects, while ensuring quality reporting standards are maintained and adhered to in accordance with Commonwealth Bank’s Internal Audit Methodology.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES The Internal Auditor performs a key role in the execution of Internal Audit functions; including Audit Execution, Audit Reporting, Issues Management, and Remediation.

QUALIFICATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE • Bachelor’s Degree in Finance or Accounting or equivalent qualification from a recognized tertiary institution • Willingness to pursue internal audit professional certification or related qualifications (CIA, CPA) • At least two (2) years external/internal audit experience or internal audit experience within similar/related industry KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

Knowledge: The incumbent must have proficiency in the following areas: • Strong understanding of business ethics concepts and demonstration of integrity, credibility and confidentiality • Good knowledge of data analytics • Awareness of Central Bank Securities and Insurance Commission guidelines, Bahamas regulations, Financial Services best practices Skills: The incumbent must demonstrate the following skills: • Organizational skills • Good verbal/written communication and presentation skills • Effective time management skills • Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel • Sound problem-solving, analytical and decision making skills REMUNERATION PACKAGE: Commonwealth Bank is a Great place to work! We offer an exciting work environment with the opportunity for growth and development. We also offer a competitive compensation package, reflecting the successful applicant’s experience and qualifications, including a performance based incentive plan, health, vision, dental and life insurances and a pension plan.

Qualified individuals should submit their resumes

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“ Commonwealth Bank sincerely thanks all applicants for their interest in becoming a part of our team, however, only those applications being considered will be contacted.”

PAGE 14, Thursday, June 13, 2019

FORMER UN CHIEF SAYS RISKS OF NUCLEAR CONFLICT ‘ARE HIGHER’ UNITED NATIONS Associated Press FORMER UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned yesterday that the risks of nuclear conflict “are higher than they have been in several decades” and said it is past time for the five nuclear powers to take steps toward disarmament.

Ban told the Security Council the failure of the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France to make progress on disarmament risks undermining the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the world’s single most important pact on nuclear arms.

The treaty is credited with preventing the spread of nuclear weapons to dozens of nations since entering into force in 1970 and it has succeeded in doing this via a grand global bargain. Under the treaty, nations without nuclear weapons committed not to acquire them, those with nuclear weapons committed to move toward their elimination, and all nations endorsed everyone’s right to develop peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Treaty members include every nation but India, Pakistan and North Korea, all of which possess nuclear weapons, as well as Israel, which is believed to be a nuclear power but has never acknowledged it.

Ban said the five nuclear powers need “to get serious about disarmament if they wish to maintain commitment to preventing nuclear proliferation”.

THE TRIBUNE

Hong Kong protesters vow to keep fighting extradition law HONG KONG Associated Press FOLLOWING a day of sit-ins, tear gas and clashes with police, Hong Kong students and civil rights activists vowed yesterday to keep protesting a proposed extradition bill that has become a lightning rod for concerns over greater Chinese control and erosion of civil liberties in the former British colony.

The violence marked a major escalation of the biggest political crisis in years for the semi-autonomous Chinese territory and forced the delay of legislative debate on the contentious bill.

College student Louis Wong said he considered the blockade of government headquarters and the Legislative Council a success because it appeared to prevent Beijing loyalists from advancing amendments to a pair of laws that would make it easier to send suspected criminals to China.

“This is a public space and the police have no right to block us from staying here,” Wong said, surveying a garbage-strewn intersection in the Admiralty neighborhood that had been blocked off by security forces after protesters broke through a police cordon and entered the government complex.

“We’ll stay until the government drops this law and (Chinese President) Xi Jinping gives up on trying to turn Hong Kong into just another city in China like Beijing and Shanghai,” he said.

Protesters who had massed outside the government building overnight Tuesday began pressing against the police early Wednesday, leading to police firing tear gast and pepper spray.

The overwhelmingly young crowd overflowed onto a major

DEMONSTRATORS react to a cloud of tear gas near the Legislative Council in Hong Kong yesterday. downtown road as they overturned barriers and tussled with police. When some appeared to have breached a cordon around the building, the police launched their response.

A weekend protest of the extradition measure drew hundreds of thousands of people, and Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said in a statement early Thursday that the peaceful rally had become a “blatant, organized riot.”

At a brief news conference held as the chaos swirled outside yesterday afternoon, Police Commissioner Stephen Lo Wai-chung said the “serious clashes” forced police to use pepper spray, bean

bag rounds, rubber bullets, and tear gas. Officers also were hurt, some seriously, by rocks, bottles, traffic cones, metal barricades and other items thrown by protesters. Police spokesman Gong Weng Chun defended the use of tear gas and other nonlethal weapons, saying officers wouldn’t have had to do so if they weren’t facing a threat that could lead to serious injury or death.

As of 10 pm last night, at least 72 people were brought to seven hospitals, with two in serious condition, the Hong Kong Hospital Authority said. Of those, 41 were later released, it added.

Lo also called the demonstration

a riot, which could mean long jail terms for anyone arrested, adding to fears that Hong Kong’s government is using public disturbance laws to intimidate protesters.

“We condemn such irresponsible behavior,” Lo said. “There’s no need to hurt innocent people to express your opinions,” he said, adding that people should not “do anything they will regret for the rest of their lives.”

A curt government statement said a scheduled 11 am legislative session would be “changed to a later time.” Officials gave no indication of when that would be, and Lam cancelled a news briefing.

FIVE-YEAR-OLD DIES OF EBOLA AS OUTBREAK CROSSES CONGO BORDER

PEOPLE crossing the border have their temperature taken to check for symptoms of Ebola near Kasindi, eastern Congo yesterday, across the border from the Ugandan town of Bwera.

KASINDI, Congo Associated Press A FIVE-YEAR-OLD boy vomiting blood became the first cross-border victim in the current Ebola outbreakyesterday, while his three-year-old brother and grandmother tested positive for the disease that has killed nearly 1,400 people in Congo.

The outbreak’s spread into Uganda prompted the World Health Organization to revisit whether the second-largest Ebola epidemic in history should be declared a global health emergency. A WHO expert committee meets tomorrow.

Such declarations almost always boost attention and donor funding.

The boy’s mother had taken him and his brother from Uganda into Congo, where her father was ill.

WHO said he died of Ebola, and officials believe those who mourned him became infected, too.

The family then crossed back into Uganda via an unguarded foot path, bypassing official border crossings where health workers have been screening millions of travelers since the outbreak was declared in August.

Authorities in both countries now vow to step up border security.

Experts have long feared Ebola could spread to neighboring countries because of rebel attacks and community resistance hampering containment work in eastern Congo, one of the world’s most turbulent regions. The virus can spread quickly via close contact with bodily fluids of

those infected and can be fatal in up to 90% of cases.

The five-year-old boy’s mother and grandmother, along with several other children, were stopped at a border post before crossing into Uganda. A dozen of them already showed symptoms of Ebola.

Congo’s health ministry said those 12 were put in an isolation center, but in fact they were told to remain where they were staying until transport was found to an Ebola treatment unit, Dr Dominique Kabongo, a local coordinator of response teams, told The Associated Press.

Instead, six family members quietly crossed into Uganda. “Many people are evading (border) customs and using small footpaths and it is difficult for us to follow the contacts,” Kabongo said.

On arrival in Uganda, where authorities had been alerted by Congolese colleagues, the boy received treatment while relatives were isolated and tested.

The boy’s uncle is among seven suspected cases now identified in Uganda.

On the Congo side, five family members who did not cross into Uganda have tested positive for Ebola, the health ministry said.

Health teams in Uganda “are not panicking,” Henry Mwebesa, the national director of health services, told the AP. He cited the East African nation’s experience battling previous outbreaks of Ebola and other hemorrhagic fevers.

This outbreak “is not going to go beyond” the boy’s family in Uganda, he added.