WOMAN & HEALTH TUESDAY
THE
BTS MEAL HIGH 89ºF LOW 79ºF
i’m lovin’ it!
Monday,
February
CARS! CARS!
8, 2021
The Tribune Established
Being Bound To
Swear To The Dogmas
1903
Of No Master
The Tribune
Volume: 118 No.138, June 15, 2021
L A T E S T
N E W S
tise Call
To Adver
-2351
601-0007 or 502
Starting at
$33.60
Established 1903
O N
T R I B U N E 2 4 2 . C O M
Biggest And Best!
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$1
GROCERY BILL SET TO SOAR
Supermarket boss warns families face 8-10% price hikes By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
SUPER Value’s president yesterday warned that consumers will have “a big pill” to swallow by Christmas, as he predicted that grocery and meat prices will increase by eight percent and 10-12 percent respectively. Rupert Roberts told Tribune Business that a combination of increased
FACE-TO-FACE
INDEPENDENT VOICE ON A DIFFERENT PATH
SEE PAGE EIGHT
RESIDENCY AT A PRICE $1 MILLION
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Government is eyeing a $1m minimum for investors to qualify for economic permanent residency by making non-real estate investments in The Bahamas, a Cabinet minister revealed last night. Immigration Minister Elsworth Johnson said the Immigration (Amendment) Bill 2021 is designed to expand the routes through which high net worth individuals can qualify for permanent residency. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
demand, as the Bahamian and global economies continue to reflate following COVID-19, combined with soaring freight and trucking costs and other supply chain bottlenecks, were all feeding into increased food prices. “It looks like by Christmas it’s going to be at least 8 percent, and possibly a 10 percent, increase,” he disclosed. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
GOODMAN APPEAL IS REJECTED
PINTARD - OBAN WAS A ‘ROOKIE MISTAKE’ By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net MORE than three years after the controversial Oban deal was signed, Minister of Marine Resources and Agriculture Michael Pintard suggested yesterday the government made “a rookie mistake” with the billion-dollar project,
CLASSIFIEDS TRADER
ed
VAT includ
calling the deal “a clumsy execution of a ceremonial signing”. Mr Pintard made the remarks during his contribution to the 2021/2022 budget debate in the House of Assembly yesterday. While voicing his support for the 2021/2022 budget, Mr Pintard also made clear
By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
SEE PAGE THREE STERVANTE MOSS, who was shot dead yesterday near his home in Polhemus Street.
‘Y’ALL KILL MY SON - GOD GONNA DEAL WITH YOU’ By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
A 25-YEAR-OLD man was killed yesterday while approaching his Polhemus Street home in a brazen morning shooting. A relative identified
the deceased as Stervante Moss. His mother, Myrna Auguste, said her son was arrested a few years ago for drugs and was just released from prison in February this year. He also has a threemonth-old baby.
While on the scene, Assistant Superintendent Audley Peters told reporters that initial investigations revealed the victim was approaching his home when a vehicle stopped him.
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SEE PAGE TWO
THE Court of Appeal yesterday affirmed the 55-year prison sentence of Kofhe Goodman, the man convicted of the murder of 11-year-old Marco Archer, after ruling his appeal had no “prospects of success”. SEE PAGE FOUR
PETER YOUNG
G7 STILL HAS A VITAL GLOBAL ROLE
SEE PAGE NINE
PAGE 2, Tuesday, June 15, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
FIREFIGHTERS TACKLE SCRAP YARD BLAZE
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net FIREFIGHTERS struggled to contain a sizeable blaze that erupted near the New Providence Ecology Park last night. The blaze sent smoke billowing into the air and raised fears among nearby residents. Officials emphasized that the fire was started at
Manpower Scrap Metal, a private business that is not associated with the New Providence Ecology Park. Assistant Superintendent of Police Audley Peters said police officers responded to the scene shortly before 8pm and, after assessing the site, realised the fire equipment could not reach the fire, which was at the centre of the property. Heavy equipment operators tried to
contain the fire by erecting barriers around the flames on the western and northern sides. When he spoke to the press around 10.30, ASP Peters said firefighters were still determining whether to use their assets to extinguish the flames. He expected it to take hours to extinguish the fire. The cause of the fire was unclear up to press time, but ASP Peters said old vehicles were in the
area where the fire began. No damage to building structures were reported but ASP Peters could not rule out the possibility that the fire would spread to nearby communities. “I can’t say that I’m confident because you have a number of variables that you have to take into consideration, for instance the wind, ambers flying or a shift in the fire itself. What we will do is do our best to contain it
as much as possible.” Tall Pines MP Don Saunders said although the fire did not start at the landfill, it underscores the importance of regulating businesses in that area. “We have to have a discussion beyond they ecology park,” he said. “This is evident that we have to have a wider discussion about how we keep this general area safe because we can’t have a whole compound that not
only has the ecology park but also has other businesses and facilities. So I’m going to challenge my colleagues that we also have that discussion to ensure not only the ecology park does its part to stay safe because as you can see it isn’t enough for one facility to be putting in place all the mechanisms and protection they need but each and every business here has to play their part.” Photo: Racardo Thomas
‘Y’all kill my son - God gonna deal with you’ from page one Three occupants got out of the vehicle and discharged firearms in his direction, fatally wounding him. “We’re here this morning as a result of a shooting incident that occurred sometime before 10am when police were alerted to sounds of gunshots on Polhemus and Nassau Street. Our officers responded and on their arrival they were directed to a grey Honda Civic which was parked in an open lot,” ASP Peters added. “An examination of that vehicle revealed the lifeless body of a male (with what) appeared to be gunshot injuries. EMS was summoned and they then pronounced the body lifeless. “From what we gather, the victim was the only person in the vehicle.” Asked if it seemed the victim tried to flee
MYRNA AUGUSTE, the mother of the victim, speaking to the media yesterday. the vehicle after being approached by the assailants, he answered: “Not flee the vehicle, but to flee the scene itself.” Ms Auguste explained that Moss was using her car at the time and recalled seeing the assailants killing her son. The mother heard “many” gunshots, but could not keep count of how many were fired. She admitted she was “scared”
hearing the shots. “He was driving my car and he just went round the corner. When he was coming back, I heard the gunshots. When I looked outside, I see the person come out of the car and they still was shooting.” She had a warning for the killers. “God don’t sleep you know. Y’all killed my son, right? Y’all look at me good and I hope y’all watching this,” she said. “For the killers who kill him, God gonna deal with y’all you know. “Y’all gotta take life serious now. Y’all kill my only son... Y’all just take my heartstring from me.” She remembered Moss as “generous” and “caring”, adding that he was not a troublesome person. She said he spent a lot of time at home. “He might have some habits, but he is a loving person,” she said. “He liked to smoke and he was coming off that, but he’s a nice person. He is loved by
FAMILY members were in tears at the scene of yesterday’s shootimg. Photos: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff many.” driven off the scene and dead and two others injured Family members were back to the relatives. in hospital. visibly distraught and The front passenger seat Asked if Monday’s inciinconsolable at the scene. had shattered glass and dent was retaliation or if the Relatives were wailing and blood splatter. The back deceased was involved in some were seen past the window glass appeared to May’s killing, he answered: yellow police tape as the be completely shattered. “That may be possible, but body was taken away. ASP Peters noted noth- we can’t confirm that at the After the police had ing suggested the matter moment because we’re at completed assessing the was gang related. the early stages of the invesscene and the deceased was Last month, there was a tigation and everything has removed, the car Moss had shooting incident on Polhe- to be correlated to come to been shot in was seen being mus Street which left a man some conclusion.”
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, June 15, 2021, PAGE 3
Pintard Oban was a ‘rookie mistake’
MINISTER of Agriculture and Marine Resources Michael Pintard in Parliament yesterday. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff from page one decision his party has made and even noted earlier in his speech that more could have been done by the government in its response to certain events, such as Hurricane Dorian. However, the Marco City MP said it is still his belief that the Free National Movement is the better “choice” for the Bahamian people adding it would be “disingenuous” of him to say the Minnis administration has not made efforts to return the Bahamian people’s lives back to some normalcy. He told Parliament: “We have not got everything correct in this administration in how we’ve responded and I don’t believe anybody has made that case… but I’ve certainly, like others, raised concerns about certain approaches taken, but I would not be disingenuous
to say that we have not made the effort to transform some persons’ lives and bring them back to a place of normalcy.” He went on to comment on the many unfounded allegations made against the Minnis administration, labelling the critical remarks as “unfortunate”. “I’m not going to sit down in a Cabinet and hear a corrupt concoction and be party to it,” he said. “I find it offensive when certain charges are laid on matters that had to come to Cabinet and you presume, because you see we can’t be good friends but yet your allegations has the presumption that I could’ve been present when a deliberation was taking place that was not in the interest of the Bahamian people. That’s a problem.” He also referred to the proposed $5.5 billion deal the government made with Oban Energies in 2018 for an oil refinery and storage
facility for Grand Bahama. Questions were first raised in The Tribune about the people fronting Oban which was followed by a ceremonial Heads of Agreement signing that was considered one of the government’s most controversial points since winning office. Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has previously admitted his administration made mistakes with the billion-dollar project. The deal has yet to materialise. Yesterday, Mr Pintard said of the project: “The bottom line is Oban is a clumsy execution of a ceremonial signing, a signing that was done according to law but a simulation of it, that is a reproduction of it, it was clumsy. I don’t know what all my colleagues think about it, but I think it was a clumsy signing, a rookie’s mistake, but was there a concoction? Nonsense. Absolute nonsense.”
He then turned to criticism of a 2020 UN pledge conference for Hurricane Dorian assistance and allegations about the money pledged. He said: “I’ve heard the opposition say ‘You touted a large figure in terms of donation. You know all that wasn’t donation. Some of it was public private partnership. Some of it was them giving a loan at a preferential rate so what you got were pledges. So, what you got was a small amount.’ “How could it be over a year ago, we’re convinced it was a small amount but today when it is politically expedient, (you’re saying) that it was a large amount and you’re looking for the equivalent of where did the VAT money go and now it’s where did the donation money go? “It’s unfortunate. If the VAT allegation was incorrect, then condemn that but we don’t need to
create an equivalent which we know there is no basis in doing so. It’s a problem and in the same way, we ought not function in that way, it’s true for government.” The minister also called on parliamentarians to stop playing the blame game and instead do the work they were called to do. “We should stop the demonising of each other,” he said. “The reality is we’re not going to inspire Bahamians to be more selfreliant when we seek to convince them that every hurt and every inadequacy that they have is a result of the fellows who now hold power. Have we done it in the opposition, I’m sure we have. But I want to say to all that continue to make that case. That some of the unhappiness in some persons lives is not necessarily a result of good or bad governance. The bottom line is we also have to teach personal responsibility.”
Mr Pintard also called for political parties to be more sensitive when deciding the fate of their candidates and noted everyone should be treated equally. “I must tell you, seeing my colleagues, some of whom are now sitting on the back bench, it hurts me,” he said. “I sat here and saw one of my colleagues rise to his feet and made an intervention and it brought tears to my ears. “I was hurt for him because when you make a determination of (how) you see your future and the role you want to play in helping transform it and then another group makes a choice for you, that is painful and so all of us have to decide we going to be more sensitive to each other. “The same thing happened to me with Brother Picewell you see, it’s an equal opportunity thing. There has to be a difference in how we deal with each other.”
THE BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY OF IMPORTING FOOD By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas imports about $1bn worth of food products, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Michael Pintard told the House of Assembly yesterday. He said the country has the ability to reduce the bill by some $200m if it focuses more on local production and export. “Mr Speaker, we are importing today roughly $1bn worth of food, $600m or so fresh fruits, vegetables, proteins such as beef, pork, sheep and goat and poultry — both egg and meat. Another $400m in value added food products that are in our food stores, processed foods,” the minister said. “The studies we’ve conducted over time clearly indicate that we have the ability to grow many of the items that we presently consume. “They all in separate ways conclude that there are a number of items that we do have the ability to produce and through import substitutions, through producing locally and buying locally, we have the ability over the course of the next two to three years, with focus, to cut into the billion dollar food bill by not less than $200m.” He also explained that with the help of the private sector, the nation can save “additional funding”. Mr Pintard made the remarks while delivering his contribution to the 2021/2022 budget, where he also spoke on several ongoing initiatives at his ministry to improve services at the agency like its Agro-Village. “The Agro-Village is a cluster of smart farms, that is various productive systems, some persons producing fruit, some producing vegetables, seasonings, bush tea, etc... all of these productive
systems, processed food, processed drinks, all of them working in one village,” the minister said. “So, Cabinet has approved that we will produce six Agro-Villages on six different islands in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.” He also noted officials from the Marine Resources Department have also been working with relevant stakeholders on several new projects for data collection purposes and also to stamp out illegal fishing practices. Mr Pintard said: “One, we are now running a pilot that’s funded by our partners to put vessel monitoring systems on board small and larger vessels to determine which of the three we have works best and the goal really is that if a ship or vessel is in distress, we need to know where they are. “So, we need a vessel monitoring system. Also, we want to understand the pattern of behaviours of those persons, our licensed fishers, in terms of their movement. We want to make sure persons are not going into marine protected areas. “We’re also working on a marine action plan, again so that all of the enforcement agencies that are working in tandem with each other to make sure we’re sharing information and assisting in stamping out illegal, unregulated, unreported fishing.” In his speech, the Marco City MP also explained that next year, there will be “zero export of conch,” deeming the move as a precautionary measure. “We do not believe we have the quantity sufficient to secure us for the future unless we take action now,” he said. Mr Pintard also went on to refer to certain provisions made in the Fisheries Bill 2020 that excludes foreign spouses
of Bahamians from commercial fishing, again reiterating that the government wants to preserve an area of the economy exclusively for the benefit of Bahamians. Some have taken legal action against the provisions made in the Bill, with Mr Pintard calling recent court challenges against it “unsuccessful”. The FNM MP also welcomed “another action” which he says
the government knows is coming. He told the House of Assembly: “We made a determination that so important, so challenged and at risk is Bahamian patrimony that we needed to reserve it for Bahamians. That caused a bit of controversy. It is my understanding that a recent challenge was made in court that did not succeed relative to the position we took.
“We know that there is another action that’s coming and we certainly welcome that and we maintain that what we ought to do in this government system is speed up the process of anybody who applies to make sure that no family is disadvantaged in terms of their status.” Mr Pintard added: “However, we also reserve the right that in areas where there are scarce resources,
being exploited, persons pursuing loopholes, that we reserve to dedicate a sector for Bahamians. “We believe in an open economy. The Bahamas by and large is an open economy, but there are certain things we ought to carve out for us and we make no apologies for that dimension of it and so I wish to salute the Department of Marine Resources for the stellar work they have done.”
PAGE 4, Tuesday, June 15, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Goodman appeal is rejected from page one Archer, a student at Columbus Primary School, went missing from Brougham Street on September 23, 2011, and was found dead days later in bushes behind an apartment complex on Yorkshire Drive near to where Goodman lived. It is believed that he died from blunt force trauma to his head. The boy was reported missing by his family after failing to return home from a neighbourhood store where he went to purchase candy. His family begged for help in ensuring that he was returned home safely. In August 2013, Goodman, who is also known as Edwardo Ferguson, was convicted of the 2011 murder. When he first appealed his conviction, it was set aside and a retrial was ordered. Goodman was again convicted of Archer’s murder on May 30, 2017 and was sentenced to 55 years a year later on May 7, 2018. Less than 10 days later, Goodman attempted to appeal his conviction; however, the notice of appeal was not received by the court until November 26, 2018. Goodman then filed
an application for an extension of time to appeal his conviction and sentence on the grounds that “the conduct of the prosecution and defence counsel gave rise to a flaw in the trial process”. He further argued that the conduct of the trial judge failed to ensure the fairness of the trial, and contended that evidence was wrongly admitted and/or rejected during the proceedings. Nonetheless, yesterday Justices Sir Michael Barnett, Jon Isaacs and Roy Jones affirmed his conviction and sentence after refusing his application for an extension of time. In their judgement, delivered by Sir Michael, the panel concluded the 55-year sentence was not “unreasonable” in view of the circumstances of the case. “The proposed appeal has no prospects of success,” he stated. “There is simply no credible basis for accepting that the intended appellant’s counsel did not take adequate or proper instructions or gave him bad advice. The intended appellant cannot show that he was prejudiced in any way by the decisions made by his counsel on his behalf.” Sir Michael also said the appellate panel of justices
MURDER CONVICTION OVERTURNED By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net THE Court of Appeal has overturned the 2019 murder conviction of Tyrone James Francis and replaced it with manslaughter. The court, in a ruling posted on its website on Thursday, has remitted the matter to the trial judge for resentencing. It is alleged that on October 10, 2009, around 2am, Francis, while driving a silver Neon Dodge south on Blue Hill Road, struck three pedestrians. The men were hit from behind and one was killed. Johnathan Linden received the brute force of the collision and was carried away on the hood. Francis is said to have swerved off of the road and crashed his vehicle into a building with Linden still on top of the car. On July 17, 2019, Francis was convicted of murder for the death of Linden and two counts of causing harm for hitting the other two men, Elvardo Johnson and Jerome Charlton. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison on November 19, 2019, for murder and one year for the offence of causing harm. One month later, on December 10, his lawyer filed an appeal against his conviction and sentence on the grounds that, among other things, the case was weak and tenuous and there was no proven intent. Marianne Cadet, along with Brendalee Rae, appeared as counsel for Francis and argued that the judge erred when she directed the jury there was no evidence to raise the issue of manslaughter. They argued the verdict was unsafe and unsatisfactory. The Court of Appeal noted: “Appeal allowed. The conviction and sentence for murder is quashed and a conviction of manslaughter is substituted in its place. The matter is remitted to the
trial judge for resentencing. In The Bahamas, murder requires a specific intent to kill. Unlike other jurisdictions an intent to cause grievous bodily harm is not sufficient. Therefore, if on the evidence it is possible for a jury to conclude that the appellant acted unjustifiably but had no intent to kill but simply to injure, then manslaughter should have been left to the jury. “The judge fell into error in not leaving manslaughter to the jury. This is a material error that makes the verdict of murder unsafe. The jury should have been assisted by the judge in directing them that even if they rejected the appellant’s evidence that it was an accident, but were not satisfied that he intended to kill Linden, then an alternative verdict of manslaughter was one that they could properly reach.” During Francis’ trial the crown’s case was that this was “a deliberate attack” arising from an altercation earlier that morning when Linden, Johnson, Charlton and Francis were at a takeaway restaurant also located on Blue Hill Road. Francis and his legal team never denied the car he was driving hit the three pedestrians. He told police it was an accident and he lost control of his car after a rock was thrown at it. He said he never intended to kill anyone. Linden’s official cause of death is blunt force injuries to the head and the abdomen. The head injuries caused tissue disruption and bleeding to the brain and skull, leading to hemorrhage or bleeding or skull fracture. The injuries to his abdomen caused injuries to his intestine and to his kidney with bleeding into the abdomen. There were other injuries to his extremities to include his left lung. Justice Sir Michael Barnett, Justice Jon Isaacs and Justice Roy Jones presided.
HELP WANTED Beverage/Water Company seeking to fill the following positions
• • • •
Head Technician (2)Jr. Technician Salesman Marketing Please send Resume`s to
Resume-242@outlook.com
KOFHE GOODMAN, pictured outside court previously. disagreed with Goodman’s no merit to the criticism by the intended appellant. second ground of appeal. “As to the conduct of The intended appellant has prosecuting counsel, having not identified any evidence read the transcript of the which was wrongly admittrial in its entirety there is ted and has identified no
error in principle by the trial judge. “The term of 55 years is not unreasonable having regard to the particular circumstances of this
case and the established guidelines with respect to murder set out in the decision of Larry Raymond Jones and the court will not interfere.”
SEARCH FOR MISSING FIVE SUSPENDED AFTER CAPSIZE By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net SEARCH and rescue efforts have been suspended for the five people who were onboard a vessel that left Abaco and capsized off West End, Grand Bahama, last Thursday. A Bahamian, who was reportedly captaining the vessel, is believed to be among the missing. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force Search and Rescue Unit, the Royal Bahamas Police Marine Division, BASRA, United States Air Force and United States Coast Guard were involved in the search operation.
Last Friday, nine Haitian migrants, including a six-month-old baby, were rescued from waters near Memory Rock. The bodies of two migrants – an adult female and juvenile male – were also recovered from inside the capsized vessel. The survivors were taken to Police Marine Base in Lucaya where their conditions were assessed by a doctor and nurses of the Disease Surveillance Unit of the Public Hospital’s Authority. According to RBDF officials, a massive search for the unaccounted for individuals was conducted on Friday and Saturday before the search was called off on
Sunday afternoon. The survivors told authorities that the 24ft white vessel, with two outboard Mercury engines, left Crown Haven, Abaco, at about 9pm on Thursday for Florida. Commander William Sturrup, Search and Rescue Coordinator, said the decision to call off the search is always a difficult one and is made after careful consideration of all of the facts surrounding the case. He said the suspension of the search is in keeping with the probability of finding survivors without life vests in the prevailing conditions. “Deepest sympathies are offered to the friends and
families of those involved during this difficult time,” he said. “The Royal Bahamas Defence Force is strongly urging people to refrain from dangerous voyages at sea. When embarking on a voyage, vessels are to be seaworthy, weather conditions are to be monitored and warnings adhered to and the proper safety precautions such as appropriate life vests, life rafts, firefighting equipment, as well as distress signals, flares, and EPIRBs are to be readily available on the vessel. These safeguards are to be strictly observed to when travelling by sea to mitigate such tragic loss.”
GOLFERS GET IN THE SWING FOR FATHER’S DAY
ANTHONY HINSEY, left, vice-president of the Bahamas Golf Federation, with Jim Wilson, vice-president of investments at RF. LOCAL amateur golfers are to participate in the RF National Amateur Golf Championships for Father’s Day this weekend. The annual competition, sponsored by RF Bank and Trust, starts on Thursday, and ends on Sunday. The competition is organized by the Bahamas Golf Federation (BGF) and is open to all golfers. It will be held across three golf courses, Albany, Ocean Club and Royal Blue. The championships will also feature several divisions and tee boxes. As in
previous years, the President’s Cup will be held during the final two days at Ocean Club and Royal Blue. The best male and female golfers emerging from the overall competition will go on to compete in the 65th Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship later this year. Jim Wilson, investment banking vice-president at RF, said he anticipates an exciting competition given the wealth of talent at previous events. “This is the third year that RF has been the title sponsor of the National
Amateur Golf Championships,” he said. “The BGF has been integral in the development of the sport in the country, evidenced in the young golfers who will participate in this weekend’s competition, as young as 15. We are happy to partner with the BGF in creating opportunities for local athletes.” Prizes will be awarded by division. A minimum of five players is required to complete a division. For more details, visit www.bahamasgolffederation.com.
HUMES: NO OFFERS, AND I WON’T GO INDEPENDENT By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
FORT Charlotte MP Mark Humes said he has not accepted any election offers from a political party and will not run as an independent candidate. However, during his contribution to the budget debate in the House of Assembly yesterday, he admitted to being “somewhat disappointed” by the Free National Movement’s decision to deny him a nomination in the next general election, saying: “For some reason unknown to me, my party has selected
not to renominate me. “I have not made any deals with or accepted any offers from the FNM, PLP, DNA, or any other political party. And I hope that I do not mess up anybody’s good story with the truth, but no, I will not be running as an independent, at least not on this day.” Anticipation grew for Mr Humes’ speech after he interrupted Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis earlier this month to say it was disrespectful for the Killarney MP to refer to the FNM’s new candidate for Fort Charlotte, Drumeco Archer, in the House of Assembly.
Yesterday, he said Dr Minnis called him after the exchange. “I appreciate that,” he said. “It was the right gesture. You know what, even if the Prime Minister, member of Killarney didn’t call or reach out, that wouldn’t have changed the situation or wouldn’t have meant that my life was over. “So what if I didn’t get a nomination for the next general election, that doesn’t mean that my life will be over; these things are just a part of life – circumstances that are out of our control, that come our way from the minute
we leave the womb to the minute we close your eyes on this earth for the final time. No need to be ashamed; I wasn’t. No need for anyone to feel sorry for me; I’m not. No need for me or anyone to worry – particularly about what other people may think. I won’t and you don’t have to either. This is just life.” Mr Humes said he is excited for the next chapter in his life. He also offered some criticism of the Minnis administration’s latest budget, saying it doesn’t go far enough in “bringing discipline to a culture of overspending.”
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, June 15, 2021, PAGE 5
Moree: Be careful about criticism of the judiciary By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net DAYS after Deputy Prime Minister Desmond Bannister criticised a Supreme Court ruling, Chief Justice Sir Brian Moree said officials must be careful about denigrating judges to avoid eroding public trust in the judicial system. Sir Brian — who stressed he did not want to comment on the matter specifically — said while people are entitled to disagree with a judgement, the comments have to be “tempered”, “measured” and “respectful”. He added that the country has “to be careful that one branch of government doesn’t denigrate another branch.” Last week, Mr Bannister called Justice Cheryl GrantThompson’s ruling on a shanty town case “a flawed decision” and “wrong in law”. The ruling banned the government from further
THE OATH of allegiance and judicial oath being administered by Governor General CA Smith yesterday for new Supreme Court Justice Neil Brathwaite. demolishing shanty town structures across Abaco pending the outcome of a judicial review.
Mr Bannister also said the ruling “doesn’t make sense” and is not “worth the paper it is written on,”
suggesting it set a “dangerous” precedent that has “usurped” the power of the Ministry of Works. Attorney and activist Fred Smith, who represents the applicants in the case, later told The Tribune that Mr Bannister’s response was “scandalous” and brought the administration of justice into disrepute. When asked for a reaction yesterday, Sir Brian said: “I don’t want to respond to that specific matter but I would say this: everyone is entitled to criticise a judgement or to disagree with a judgement. “It’s just a question of how you do it and I think that we do have to be careful that when commenting on a judgement or a judge, that one has to be tempered and measured and respectful in one’s comments. We have to be careful that we don’t denigrate the judge or the judgement and so I think we have to be careful not to erode the public trust that exists in the judiciary
and that sometimes can happen if you have public figures criticising in a way which is inappropriate or which is intemperate.” He later said: “I don’t want to say more about it than that or address the specific comments. I just think we have to be careful that one branch of government doesn’t denigrate another branch and that we address these matters with respect and with temperance.” The chief justice argued the proper process is to appeal a judgement if an individual thinks it is wrong. Attorney General Carl Bethel has noted the government’s intent to appeal the ruling. Sir Brian spoke on the sidelines of a ceremony where Neil Brathwaite was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice. Mr Brathwaite was among the five appointments that were announced by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission recently to be appointed to the Supreme Court.
Mr Brathwaite said he expects initially to be assigned to civil matters and expects, having regard to his years of experience, to eventually be assigned to criminal matters. He said the honour means “a great deal”. “I have always felt that the Supreme Court bench is the apex of the legal profession. So to have been selected after a rigorous process it certainly to me is a fitting reward and a culmination for the many years of work that I’ve put in and hopefully I will justify the faith that has been placed in me by those who selected me. “With respect to the backlog my intention is to simply work as hard as possible to deal with whatever matter is brought before me and to try to do so in an expeditious manner,” Mr Braithwaite said. The chief justice said previously that he hoped these appointments will help to tackle the backlog of cases in the judicial system.
FOUR NEW MAGISTRATES SWORN IN BY CHIEF JUSTICE
By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
FOUR stipendiary and circuit magistrates were sworn in before Chief Justice Sir Brian Moree yesterday, bringing the total number of magistrates for the district of New Providence to 13. Algernon Allen Jr, Kendra Kelly, Shaka Serville and Ian-Marie Darville-Miller were sworn in at courtroom two of the Supreme Court on Bank Lane. Sir Brian wished them well in their transition from lawyers to magistrates and outlined the responsibilities they now hold. “I commend you for your public service in taking up your post as a stipendiary and circuit magistrate and wish you much success as you transition from lawyer to judicial officer,” Sir Brian said. “You now leave advocacy behind and take up the mantle of decision making in cases in your court as you dispense justice to all who are before you in a manner which is consistent with the oaths which you have taken this morning. “You are no longer in the arena representing a
PICTURED with Chief Justice Sir Brian Moree, centre front, and Chief Magistrate Joyann FergusonPratt, front row, right, are the four new magistrates, Shaka Serville; Algernon Allen Jr; Kendra Kelly; and Ian Marie Darville-Miller. Photos: Kristaan Ingraham/BIS client but must now adjust your judicial duties as the country and interact to presiding over that arena you navigate the waters with more people than any with impartiality and fair- of transition. I am confi- other court,” he continued. ness with complete fidelity dent that each of you will “For many of the persons to justice according to law. successfully complete this who have cases in the MagAs a magistrate, your deci- journey and discharge your istrates Court, their view sions will touch thousands judicial duties with distinc- of the administration of of lives over the course of tion, courage, integrity and justice is based primarily, if not solely, on their dealings your time in the magistracy. independence.” He told the new magis- with those courts. This only You will carry the weight of that responsibility every trates their assumption of underscores the importance day as you deal with cases duties is anticipated and of the work which is carthey will find a full calendar ried out in the Magistrates before you. “You will find that the of cases waiting for them. In Courts. “As a group of four new journey from lawyer to essence, Sir Brian advised judicial officer is not seam- there is no honeymoon magistrates, with a fifth magistrate scheduled to be less. It is a process which period as work starts now. “The Magistrates Courts sworn in early next month, requires you to remain astute and focused on are the busiest courts in you have the potential to
make a significant impact on the magistracy and it is my hope – I might say even my expectation – that individually and collectively, you will make an enduring contribution to the advancement of that institution. “I know that you will bring to the magistracy your energy, your alacrity, your scholarship, your work ethic, your competence and your integrity as you settle into the high calling of a judicial officer in The Bahamas. You are joining the judiciary at an exciting time as we are engaged in a programme of modernisation and reform in the courts.” He told the new magistrates that the courts will be introducing electronic payment systems, digitised court records, automated bail procedures, digital recording of court proceedings, active case management through a new court wide software application, e-filing of court documents, e-scheduling and many other innovations. He said he looks forward to their involvement in those initiatives and also to deploying their skill sets during the implementation period. “I am committed to replacing the pen and
paper in the courtroom with the laptop and scanner as we move to overhaul the court system to bring it into the 21st century,” he also said. “In conclusion, I congratulate you on your appointment as a stipendiary and circuit magistrate and I look forward to working with each of you. “Remember, that you can call on your judicial colleagues for assistance at any time. The life of a judicial officer is lonelier than that of a lawyer and you will learn to value the collegiality which exists between members of the bench. “I can do no better than to leave with you the iconic description of the essential qualities of a good judge by Socrates. He stated: ‘Four things belong to a judge: to hear courteously; to answer wisely; to consider soberly; and to decide impartially.’ “You would do well to engage those qualities in conjunction with integrity and courage as you take on the office of magistrate.” One of the newly sworn in magistrates, Mrs IanMarie Darville-Miller, is the daughter of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bowe-Darville. Mrs Bowe-Darville was on hand to witness the proud moment of her daughter being sworn in.
PAGE 6, Tuesday, June 15, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH,
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,
jamaaltheartist@gmail.com
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991
EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,
C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-
Published daily Monday to Friday
Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES
News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax
(242) 322-1986 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348
WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com
@tribune242
tribune news network
Watchout, your food bill is going up IF there’s anything that COVID-19 has taught us, it is how global events can cause local effects. So it was with a virus first spotted in China, so it is with the economic effects that go with its aftermath. Rupert Roberts has sounded a warning bell for the prospect of an increase in your supermarket bill. It’s not because he’s trying to make more money over at Super Value – it’s just the increased costs that look like they’re coming in the wake of the pandemic. That includes inflation – or reflation you might say given how the world’s economies collapsed. There are also increases in freight and trucking costs. In some cases, it’s simply a surge in supply and not being able to meet the demand. Mr Roberts has warned of around a ten percent increase, maybe 12 percent. Beef prices, for example, are up by 12 percent. Grits are up by as much as 20 percent. It’s not because of events on our doorstep, it’s because of events around the world – and especially in the United States. As we said, global events, local effects. It likely won’t be isolated to food businesses either, of course – and other companies that depend on foreign supply chains would do well to follow Mr Roberts’ advice of locking in prices as much as you can before they go even higher. Can we do anything to change that in the future? Well, Minister of Agriculture Michael Pintard was in Parliament yesterday highlighting that The Bahamas imports around $1bn worth of food products. He wants to reduce that by around $200m, with that demand being met by local products. His solutions are in the early stages, too early to make an impact in a hurry, but reducing our dependency on foreign imports would be a good thing – keeping money in the country rather than seeing it go to foreign banks. For now, though, be prepared for a more expensive end to the year. It’s been a rollercoaster getting through this pandemic and its effects – and it’s not over yet.
Oban errors
Remember the Oban deal? It’s more than three years since the $5.5bn deal was done with the goal of revolutionising the Grand Bahama landscape. You’ll notice no such revolution has
taken place. Even at the time, it looked a mess. The Tribune did the due diligence that the government seemed to neglect. For example, the non-executive chairman, Peter Krieger, had been accused of misappropriating more than $3.7m of investor’s money by US government regulators and was also a defendant in a legal action by a Bahamas-based manager for a sister company of the insolvent CLICO. Others involved also raised questions over the experience claimed by Oban’s senior vice-president, while another individual listed as a member of the leadership team came as a surprise to his chief executive at another company. Then with the signing of the deal itself there were questions over who actually signed the documents, with Mr Krieger signing someone else’s name on the document. It was, in short, a mess. Minister of Agriculture Michael Pintard yesterday described the Oban deal as a “rookie mistake”, with reference to the ceremonial signing. He said it was “a clumsy execution of a ceremonial signing, a signing that was done according to law but a simulation of it, that is a reproduction of it, it was clumsy… I think it was a clumsy signing, a rookie’s mistake, but was there a concoction? Nonsense. Absolute nonsense.” The thing with mistakes is that you have to learn from them, and take corrective action, or you’re doomed to repeat them. Was it also a mistake to seemingly not thoroughly check out the credentials of the company being entered into an agreement with? If so, what changed? Who was responsible for the mistakes, and what action was taken to prevent them from happening again? When asked in 2019 about the Oban deal, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said he “ain’t talking nonsense today” which showed how far away from a multi-billion dollar deal we had gone. There was even a police investigation into a missing Oban Energies file, but that trundled on for more than a year without anything happening and we’ve heard little since then Commissioner Anthony Ferguson’s shrug in March 2019. Rookie mistakes are one thing. Rookie mistakes when it comes to $5.5bn deals are another. Oban burned the FNM badly early in its term. But shouldn’t we know more by now about what went wrong – and what has changed?
How solvent is the NIB pension fund? EDITOR, The Tribune. NATIONAL Insurance Minister Brensil Rolle’s recent statement regarding the $263m the National Insurance Board (NIB) has given to Bahamians in assistance and jobless benefits raises the question as to how solvent is the NIB pension fund. Over a quarter of a billion dollars is a massive amount of money to disburse in the two year timeframe Rolle mentioned, especially with the unemployment assistance continuing at least until the Fall. With so many thousands of Bahamians either being furloughed or outright terminated since the advent of COVID-19, the Free National Movement (FNM) government has been left with virtually
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net no alternative, other than to facilitate the biggest government funded social assistance programme in the history of The Bahamas. And for the most part, the government has turned to NIB, which is perhaps the most lucrative government agency, to fund this initiative. While I support the move to help struggling Bahamians, I am becoming concerned that, in the event this COVID-19 recession drags on into 2022 and beyond, the FNM or whichever party is in power, might be forced to tap into the pension fund, which could place it in jeopardy of
being depleted. This could lead to pensions being drastically reduced or contributions being increased to replenish the fund. Personally, I would prefer the latter option, as social security benefits for retirees allows them to live with some semblance of dignity in their twilight years. Still, with the hundreds of millions doled out in less than two years, Bahamian pensioners are probably becoming jittery. The FNM has no short term alternative, other than to continue the unemployment benefits scheme, especially with an election looming. KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama, June 13, 2021.
Readers speak up on news stories READERS have been having their say on issues in the news on www.tribune242.com. After Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said when it comes to improving the lives of Bahamians through concessions, he isn’t “doing enough”, readers gave their views. John said: “Minnis is correct. It is very difficult for young professionals to get a start in this country and even much more difficult for the average and less than average young person. Not only do they have to deal with the economic part of it but they must deal with crime and the social part of the situation. Recently young people have started to move to Canada, after Trump closed the
To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394
doors to that country to certain people. Well several persons who use to work in the hotel industry here are working in the restaurant business in Canada. They lived in the inner city here because even though their job paid well here, other family members were not so fortunate. So in Canada several of them get together and rent houses, no, not apartments, upscale houses, with all the amenities. But they could not do it here because of the scarcity of housing and limited jobs. Even middle income families have a difficult time making ends meet.. surprising to know the number of homes that have disconnected their cable and internet and even have to go from time to time without electricity. and expect the cost of living to climb even more as what is described as ‘the worst drought since 1976’ hits the western US.
Farmers are losing millions of acres of crops and having to scale down herds because of high temperatures and water shortages.” ThisisOurs replied: “Youve struck the nail on the head. They successfully identified a problem in the country, “ land ownership” but they failed abysmally in identifying the criteria for selection. “young” is too narrow and exclusionary. There are more factors that should have been considered. But they dont care about land ownership . Do you know what problem needs the sole narrow criteria of “young”? Voting. Thats all that Minnis cares about. getting young wide eyed people to vote for him everything else could go to crap like it has.” FrustratedBusinessman added: “This FNM administration has probably been the biggest disappointment recorded in recent memory. No one ever expected them to work miracles, God knows that the grave was half dug before they even came into office, but they have run around like chickens with their heads cut off for 4 years with nothing to show for it. “I remember former PM Ingraham warning them at the start
of their term not to get cocky because they had such a large caucus....they really should have listened as they are now staring down the barrel of an electoral wipeout. I would not be surprised if the PLP pulls 35 seats of their own when the bell is rung. At the very least, they will demolish the FNM into single digits.” Meanwhile, after Dr Minnis suggested expanded benefits for those who are fully vaccinated, TheOracle said: “When a prime minister shows such remedial contempt for the Bahamian public we must really question our whole premise. Government coercion by hook or by crook. A national disgrace as we watch them squirm under the back lash of the very mistrust of government they have created. Were it not so serious it would be laughable.” Ondrap4 added: “Even if I were vaccinated, I would not attend such a gathering. “Every person I know who died or contracted Covid had a history of attending gatherings. “What is next? Only vaccinated will vote?” BennieSun said: “What is next? Just peruse all available worldwide info and project it to
its logical conclusion. We are a Commonwealth nation under the Crown, so it is logical that what is implemented in the larger Commonwealth nations will be extended to us. Presently, we are being enticed to voluntarily take the kool-aid; so the next step is to force the kool-aid on us involuntarily. The involuntary phase will be done by foreign troops not the locals, as the foreigners will have no loyalty nor sympathy for us. This means that all persons even officials and persons of financial means will eventually be targeted and inoculated. The voluntary phase we are in is designed to inoculate the low hanging fruit.” Hrysippus added: “This is a very good move. Incentives are preferable to legally enforced mandates.” Meanwhile, TheMessenger said: Look what we got with twenty five years of Pindling and what came after. As Winston Churchill once said “ these people aren’t fit to run a welk (conch) stand.” That goes for both of our mainstream party’s. Election coming, which is the lesser of two weevils???” • Join the debate and have your say at www.tribune242.com.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, June 15, 2021, PAGE 7
Marine says he hid behind desk to avoid being shot By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribu ne Staff Reporter fjohnso n@tri bunemedia.net MARINE Seaman Calvin Hanna hid behind an office desk in Government House’s guardroom to avoid being shot by another marine who is accused of killing their superior in 2019, a jury heard. Able Seaman Jevon Seymour is charged with the shooting death of Petty Officer Percival Perpall, along with the attempted murders of Marine Seaman Hanna and Ellis Rahming. According to police reports, the three officers were attacked while on duty at Government House. They were said to be in a guardroom when an assailant entered and opened fire on them around 2.30am Sunday, April 28, 2019. Seymour has maintained his not guilty plea during his trial before Senior Justice Bernard Turner. When Marine Seaman Hanna took the stand yesterday, he said he was posted to Government House at the time of the incident. He said after 2am on April 28, he began his patrol by heading east to ensure the eastern gate of the property was locked and secured. After this, he said, he made his way around the western portion of the property before heading upstairs to the guardroom where PO Perpall and Marine Seaman Rahming were. He said PO Perpall was sitting on a couch that was stationed on the left side
of the guardroom. He said after he wrote in the log book, he stood up and conversed with Officer Perpall for about five minutes. A short time later, Marine Seaman Hanna said he heard the “cocking of a gun” and when he looked through the guardroom’s door, he saw Seymour. “He stood by the doorway, pulled a gun from his waist — it was a 9mm. He pointed it at Perpall and began firing,” he stated. “He was outside when I first saw him, the door had a glass panel you can see through.” The marine said when he first heard the cocking of the gun he was not alarmed because marines usually conducted safety checks of their weapons before entering the guardroom. However, he claimed when Seymour came inside he drew his .9mm pistol. “Once he came inside, he pointed it at Perpall and began firing, then he pointed it at me (and) I threw myself to the floor behind the office desk to the right. I saw his face for about five seconds when he first entered. He fired the gun about four to five times at Perpall...He did not hit me when he fired at me. I think he fired two shots at me.” Marine Seaman Hanna said when Seymour pointed the gun in his direction, he saw his face for a few seconds before he took cover. He said Seymour then ran out of the guardroom in an eastern direction and was chased by another marine named Gaitor, who was also
on duty at the time. He added that at that point, Perpall was gasping for air and Seaman Rahming came out and called the EMS and other RBDF officers for help. He said when the police arrived at the scene, they also tested for gun residue and he and Officer Gaitor told them they did not fire a weapon. On April 29, Mr Hanna said he went to the Central Detective Unit where he identified Seymour in a 12-man photo line up. Seymour is represented by attorney Murrio Ducille. During his crossexamination, Mr Hanna told him when Seymour first pulled the gun out of his waist, he “did nothing”. He also said when the first shot was fired he was in “shock and stood still.” Mr Ducille also referred to a photograph of the office desk that Mr Hanna claimed to take cover behind and noted the desk appeared to be “well-organised”. Given the relatively small space displayed in the photograph exhibit, he also suggested “there was no way” Mr Hanna could get himself behind the chair of the desk. In response, Mr Hanna said he had a “small frame” and noted the seat was a rolling chair. Yesterday, Sergeant Antwoine Hamilton also testified. He said on April 28,2019, he was on duty when he received information from the police control room which prompted him to proceed to a location off Carmichael Road. He said after searching the area “extensively” for
EIGHT people accused of illegal embarkation pictured outside court yesterday.
EIGHT ADMIT ILLEGAL SAILING By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmayc ock@tri bunemedia.net
SEVEN Haitians and one Jamaican were charged with illegal embarkation in Freeport yesterday. THE foreign nationals appeared before Magistrate LaQuay Laing. According to the prosecution, on Friday, June 11, they were found on a vessel
in waters off West End, Grand Bahama, embarked in the country and planning to exit the jurisdiction without leave of an immigration officer. They all pleaded guilty to the charge. Magistrate Laing ordered the foreign nationals be held in the custody of immigration officials for deportation to their home country.
This comes after a group of Haitian migrants were rescued from waters off West End last Friday after the boat that they were on capsized near Memory Rock. Two of the migrants drowned and five others are still missing. It is suspected the group was involved in an illegal smuggling operation to the United States.
UNIVERSITY LINKS UP WITH ELMIRA COLLEGE UNIVERSITY of The Bahamas and Elmira College marked a milestone yesterday with the signing of a memorandum of understanding that will allow collaboration on student exchange, research activities and initiatives. Dr Rodney Smith, UB president, welcomed the “generous” and “noble” partnership-agreement, which is designed to expedite a full semester student exchange/study abroad experience-programme.
Dr Smith said UB remains “steadfast” and “resilient” in its efforts to provide unprecedented opportunities for students despite the global challenges due to COVID-19. “Students will be offered academic credits from the host institution toward their respective degrees. Students from both institutions will have the opportunity for international exposure and real life experiences. Students will be exposed to seeing things objectively, enhancing
their appreciation for multiculturalism and diversity. “Benefits, of course, include opportunities to work and engage with students and professors from different backgrounds. Such experiences help to shape student development as scholars, in preparation for entry into the domestic and global job markets,” said Dr Smith. Elmira College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in Elmira, New York.
a Kia Optima, they found the vehicle parked in the front of a white apartment complex where they later discovered Seymour. Sgt Hamilton said when
he spoke with the accused, he told him he got home 10-15 minutes earlier and had just left a Junkanoo party. He said when he left there, he dropped a
colleague home before returning to his own residence. Sgt Hamilton is expected to continue his testimony today at 10am.
PAGE 8, Tuesday, June 15, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
An independent voice on a different path within Christianity
RELIGION in The Bahamas has been dominated by Christian denominations; in fact, about 90 percent of the population ascribes to some form of Christianity. About 30 percent are Baptist, 23 percent are Pentecostal, 14 percent Catholic, 10 percent Anglican, five percent Seventh-Day Adventist, and four percent Methodist. The remainder includes various Christian and non-Christian religions like Greek Orthodox, Rastafari, Baha’i, Jehovah Witness, Muslim, Obeah and Hinduism. With such a large percentage of the population following one of the mainstream denominations, the country has long been referred to as a Christian nation. But there is one form of Christianity that did not emerge from Colonialism, and is standing on its own as an example of what Christianity could be. The Holy Qubtic Church of The Black Messiah is 11-years-old and more than 50 members strong, anchored in the Bain Town community. Its members are a part of a global congregation with branches in Liberia, London, South Carolina, New England, Texas, California, Georgia, Trinidad and Tobago, and other parts of the world. The theology of the church is based on the African Theology of Atonism. According to the churches Ka-Hun, or head priest Anku Sa Ra, Atonism is the “true Christianity established before that of Greco-Roman traditions and theology”. In keeping with its Ancient African Theology, the Holy Qubtic Church is hosting a virtual “International Culture Day” this
coming Saturday. The goal is to combine education with entertainment with roughly five hours of nonstop global engagement with the church locations throughout the world. Those who participate will have the opportunity to understand this faith better and meet people from around the world who share this belief in what they consider ABOVE LEFT: Anku Sa Ra holds the statue of Mother Mir-i-am (African Mary) while reading from Revelations 12:14 (KJV). ABOVE: Anku blows the Qubtic Ram’s Horn called Shu-Faru. FAR LEFT: Ka-Hun: Anku Sa Ra alongside The High Priest of The Holy Qubtic Church Worldwide Ba Sesh: Haru Hotep-Tar (Rev Dr A.J Varmah) and Emissary: Mesu Ti Tamer (Head Builder - Bahamas Branch). LEFT: Time for the Eu-Karast at The Holy Qubtic Church of the Black Messiah.
an unadulterated form of Ka-Rastian (Christian) way of life. It’s a perfect opportunity for Bahamians interested in learning more of what the church is all about to find out. Church members have been able to combine solid Christian values on which they grew up, with a deeper understanding of themselves, the history of religion and lessons that empower them as opposed to limiting their knowledge as colonialism is said to
THE CHURCH is thriving with its youth members.
ANKU, his wife Amunet and children Ayodele, Amina, Adisa and Atun all flanked around his father, Cleveland Eneas II.
have done. The day will also be marked with the opening of “The Tree of Eternal Life Q Mini Mart” around the globe as some 10 locations including The Bahamas are scheduled to have grand openings on June 19. These stores will focus on health food products, self mastery books, and everyday products centred around Atonism. Anku Sa Ra is well known for speaking at events, schools and on radio, bringing these new concepts of self-identity to the public. “We are the Original African Nazarites (Numbers 6 KJV) that strive to be At-One with the Divinity within (Luke 17:21 & John 17:21-23 KJV) like the Real and Living Messiah: Ya-Shu-a Ka-Rast - The Black Messiah (Revelation 1:14-15 KJV),” he said. “We live by nine sacred rites as outlined in “The Covenant of The Bow” (Genesis 9:13 KJV) as found in our scriptures - the original Books of The Bible based on the ancient African laws of Ma’at (Matthew 5:17 KJV).” Anku, also known as Cleveland Eneas III, comes from a rich heritage of nation builders whose contributions to The Bahamas have been outstanding. However, rather than stand in the shoes of his forefathers and simply repeat the process, Anku has created a path of his own. It has gained him respect and has allowed him to honohr his forefathers in his own unique way. It was in March of 1973 that the late Dr Cleveland W Eneas Sr delivered a riveting and memorable speech at the Church of God Convention, Yamacraw Tabernacle. The title of the speech was: “Let the Church Roll On!”
“It was not only the title of a speech,” Anku said, “but also a book, statement, command or charge if you will - a profound statement of what, not only the Eneas family has been doing for over 100 years now as a family; but also what the church in The Bahamas has been doing to ‘find themselves’ in this country.” Anku is the great grandson of the late Bishop W V Eneas, the first Bishop of the Church of God in The Bahamas. Bishop Eneas and his wife, Arabella Ferguson-Eneas, originally “rolled” from the Methodist Church and Baptist Church respectively, to the Church of God in The Bahamas, where they worshipped until they “went on to glory”. The late Dr Cleveland W Eneas Sr, their son, “rolled” from the Church of God Bahamas to the Presbyterian Kirk with his wife, Muriel Eneas. Their son, the late Dr. Cleveland W Eneas Jr and Anku’s mother, Laurie Saunders, have supported their son in his spiritual journey and in establishing the Holy Qubtic Church in The Bahamas. As a testament to the faith he has in his son, Dr Eneas was baptised and given the new name (Ab Nawur Meduty Re) on September 10, 2015. He joined his son. Pastor Dr Cleveland Eneas III (Ka-Hun: Anku Sa Ra) in his mission to reshape the identity of Christianity in The Bahamas to a new and liberated concept that allows members to seek their own true Divinity within and express it in their daily life. Dr Eneas, a well known and popular dentist, musician and community builder passed away on August 3, 2019. As fate would have it, the Holy Qubtic Church of The Black Messiah is now located in the exact vicinity where the Church of God Bahamas was originally founded 111 years ago. It is located on Meadow Street and was founded in 1910 at the original residence of Bishop Wilmore Venable Eneas and his wife Arabella and was fondly referred to as “camp ground” right in the heart of historic Bain Town. Today, Anku and his wife, Emissary Amunet Hika Ra (Tesha Fritz-Eneas) and their children Tafari, Ayodele, Amina, Adisa and Atun serve as a shining example of a family maintaining strong roots while creating new branches of ideas and thoughts about the way we live. They run a popular health food restaurant and also sell wholesale items such as healthy breads, veggie burgers, organic grains and natural drinks. This has brought the community and
THE STATUE of the black Mary sits on the church grounds on Meadow Street. interested members of the public to Bain Town and to the church, supporting a number of annual events. They call their eating habits “agrarian”, meaning they aim to eat what they grow. Anku explained: “We recognize that the shelf bought, processed foods are slowly killing us as a people and in order to maintain our bodies, which are divine temples of the Most High, we must eat what has been prescribed by the Most High Heavenly One An-Naay-Re by way of Nature in order to fulfil our purpose of controlling our destiny on all fronts of RELSELWEP (Religion, Economics, Labour, Sex and Gender, Education, Law, War and Security, Entertainment and Politics”. May 8 marked the 11th year of service to the Bain Town community for the Holy Qubtic Church. Revival of the church of Ankh-An-Aton (The Holy Qubtic) began in the early 2000s. Anku called his spiritual journey a “gradual progression”. “I went from asking questions about the Bible and church late in my high school years and through University at Tuskegee
until I eventually decided to enter the Qubtic Seminary a few years after I graduated university,” he explained. “It wasn’t an overnight decision at all. I learned about Atonism through friends who had read about it and those grew up in the True-Faith.” Newly-baptised member Jannifer Thurstoin has received the new name Kha-N-Yis-Wa: Bebti. She shared her journey: “It was a little over a year ago that I received an invite from Steven Matthews to listen to the teachings of his Ba Sesh: Haru Hotep-Tar ( aka Dr AJ Varmah). I tuned in, and was amazed. I had never heard such a detailed methodical analysis of the scriptures. Line upon line, precept upon precept using etymology, geography, geology, biology, chemistry, physics - and all the original languages that the Bible was written in, Hebrew, Arabic, Latin, and Greek. “Needless to say, my lifelong search for truth has brought and kept me in the Holy Qubtic Church of the Black Messiah, as I am now a newly baptised member.” For more information on International Culture Day, call 242-426-1148 or find The Holy Qubtic Church Bahamas Branch or Tree of Eternal Life - Bahamas on Facebook.
* Since this column was submitted, the Holy Qubtic Church suffered a fire during the early morning hours on Monday. Anku says the International Culture Day will still be held and services will continue in a temporary location. They will also have virtual services and Anku says they refuse to be held down by this devastating setback.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, June 15, 2021, PAGE 9
Outdated - by no means as the G7 has a vital role still to play tackling global issues FOR a few days last week it could reasonably have been claimed the centre of international affairs and diplomacy was in England’s southwestern county of Cornwall. Under the annual rotating presidency system of the G7 – the world’s largest advanced economies and wealthiest liberal democracies – the UK had organised the group’s first face-to-face meeting since the beginning of the pandemic 18 months ago. The venue was the well-known summer holiday resort of Carbis Bay on Cornwall’s northern coast that is famed for its fine beaches and surfing against an attractive rural landscape background. The famous Eden Project, which is a futuristic botanical garden, housed inside domes that features the world’s largest indoor rainforest, is in the vicinity. The meetings were based at the impressive Tregenna Castle resort in the nearby seaside town of St Ives where the world leaders stayed; and the notoriously fickle British weather produced constant sunshine throughout. The G7 comprises the UK, US, Canada, Germany, Italy, France and Japan. A delegation of EU leaders attended the meeting and representatives of India, South Africa, Australia were also invited. Russia is now excluded after being expelled from its earlier membership of the then G8 because of its annexation of Crimea in 2014. Inevitably, the issue that dominated discussion was how to recover from the pandemic, with the hope wealthy democracies would commit to sharing large numbers of vaccine shots with struggling poorer countries. But, overall, an important purpose of the meeting was to show the world the richest and advanced democracies can offer an alternative to China’s growing dominance as a leading global power with its military might and as the world’s second-largest economy, as well as being a leader in a range of new technologies. In seeking to promote peace, prosperity, security and openness, the G7 supports democratic values, the rules-based liberal world order and multilateralism. For Britain, which is trying
The Peter Young column to reassert its position as an influential global actor following its departure from the European Union, the G7 presidency has provided an opportunity to take the lead on key objectives like tackling climate change as a top priority, supporting sustainable economic recovery following the pandemic and ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. During the course of his remarks at the end of the summit, Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed the G7 had indeed agreed to donate a billion COVID vaccine doses to poorer countries in need, with leaders pledging a combination of jabs and the money to pay for them. The UK had undertaken to provide 100 million doses and the US 500 million. In his words, this was a ‘big step to vaccinating the world’ by the end of next year, though critics say it is still not enough. He also spoke about the global infrastructure plan unveiled during the meeting by President Biden called ‘build back better for the world’ which was designed to counter China’s ‘belt and road’ initiative. This US plan would bring together G7 nations in developing financing for vital infrastructure in developing countries. As regards climate change, the Prime Minister stated ‘protecting our planet is the most important thing we as leaders can do for our people’ and that there was a direct relationship between reducing emissions, restoring nature, creating jobs and ensuring economic growth. He spoke specifically about a commitment by
BRITISH Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives for a NATO summit at NATO headquarters in Brussels yesterday. Photo: Olivier Hoslet/AP
G7 countries to halve their emissions by 2030 on a 2010 base, with the UK already going further by pledging to cut emissions by at least 68 per cent by 2030 on 1990 levels (equal to a 58 per cent reduction on the 2010 level). He also launched a UK ‘blue planet fund’ to protect the world’s oceans and marine life. He spoke of offering financial support to Pacific Island states to restore coastal ecosystems like mangroves and coral reefs; but, without looking at the detail, it is not clear whether this might also be extended to the Caribbean. Overall, this G7 summit seems to have been the most significant and successful meeting of its kind for years. Reportedly, an official Chinese spokesman has commented that the days when a small group of nations could decide issues of concern to the world are long gone. But, given the economic power of the G7 - with some 60 percent of global net worth - most people will consider such an observation can be largely discounted. It remains to be seen to what extent the various commitments by countries will be implemented. But, with the next summit on climate change to be held in Scotland as early as November, focus on this issue - together with the momentum for action by governments - is likely to be maintained. Meanwhile, according to reports, US officials consider President Biden’s time spent renewing ties with European allies and restoring multilateral alliances to show that in his words ‘America is back’ - while also pushing them to challenge China’s economic might - has been worth the effort. One aspect of the G7 that seems to have attracted little publicity is the meeting of the group’s finance ministers in London that preceded the summit. In a lengthy communique, there was, in particular, reference to the need to adopt a global minimum tax and that global implementation of FATF (Financial Action Task Force) standards for combatting money laundering and terrorist financing is ‘uneven’. This was followed by a commitment to support the role of ‘FATF-Style Regional Bodies’ in assessing and supporting implementation of FATF standards around the world. As far as The Bahamas is concerned, the conclusion from this must surely be that - despite earlier arguments about sovereignty and resisting demands from the OECD and other inquisitors - there is now really no alternative to abiding by global rules in the financial services sector and that external pressure on international financial centres to comply with global standards will inevitably continue to grow.
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR IN TV LAND? IN THIS column two weeks ago, I mentioned a proposed new anti-woke television channel in Britain to be called GB News that promised to deliver unbiased news and opinion with an emphasis on free speech and honest debate. It had been described as an antidote to the “woke agenda”. So, what a pleasure it is today to note this new 24-hour news channel was duly launched in London on Sunday evening followed by a breakfast show yesterday morning. It is, of course, too early to pass judgement on it, but the immediate public reaction has been positive with some viewers already calling it “a breath of fresh air”. GB News is the first network of its kind to be established in Britain since
1997. Andrew Neil, the veteran broadcaster, who was one of the most respected political interviewers on the BBC before leaving the organisation last year, is the face and chairman of the new channel. In a short introduction at Sunday’s launch he said it would concentrate on the “stories that matter to you and which the others are neglecting”, covering what he termed the people’s agenda in order to embrace the mood of communities in Britain that feel their voices are not being heard in the mainstream media. He also pledged to “tackle the cancel culture” that was a threat to free speech and democracy, since it was no longer about social justice but about conformity of thinking and stigmatising people.
It is said GB News will shake up the TV news landscape in the UK which is currently dominated by Sky and by the BBC, which increasing numbers of people consider to be biased. But, although it will be a nonstop, opinionated US-style current affairs channel, those in charge of it have gone out of their way to emphasize they do not want it to be compared to Fox News – with Andrew Neil himself saying such comparisons are no more than an “easy shorthand for what we are trying to do” because GB News will not indulge in fake news and conspiracy theories. This bold new channel is bound to be controversial and there can be no predictions about how it will turn out. But it is, indeed, likely to be a much-needed breath of fresh air.
BRITAIN’S Queen Elizabeth II and US President Joe Biden at Windsor Castle on Sunday. Photo: Chris Jackson/Pool via AP
A BUSY WEEKEND, YOUR MAJESTY? LAST weekend was a busy one for The Queen. On Friday, she travelled to Cornwall to host a reception for representatives of the G7 nations and those from other countries invited to the summit meeting. The next day she was at Windsor Castle for Trooping the Colour to celebrate her official birthday, and on Sunday she welcomed President Biden and his wife to tea, also at Windsor Castle. Commentators have been saying Her Majesty ‘stole the show’ at the G7 gathering, having put all concerned at their ease with her charm and ready wit and then participated in an official ‘team photograph’. On Saturday morning, in bright summer sunshine she marked her first official birthday without Prince Philip by watching a ‘mini’ Trooping the Colour parade of the Household Cavalry which was held at Windsor Castle for the second successive year instead of on Horse Guards Parade in central London where it normally takes place. Historically, the British monarch’s official birthday is an occasion for the Army’s most prestigious regiments to show their loyalty to the Crown. A parade is held in the monarch’s honour in June because the weather is more likely to be good in the summer than on a monarch’s actual birthday if that happened to be during the winter. This is said to go back to the year 1748 during the reign of George II who was born in November when the weather was considered unlikely to be suitable for a parade – and this tradition has been maintained. The Queen’s real birthday is on 21 April. She was accompanied on Saturday by her cousin the Duke of Kent who, in his role as Colonel of The Scots Guards, joined her on a dais in the castle’s quadrangle. In a display of military pomp
and pageantry, the Guardsmen in their scarlet tunics and bearskins and the Household Cavalry in their breast plates and plumed helmets were on parade on the same lawns as for the military ceremony at the time of the funeral service for Prince Philip in April. To conclude the proceedings, the Red Arrows conducted a flypast. Then, on Sunday, The Queen received President Biden and his wife for afternoon tea. On his first foreign trip since being elected president he had earlier attended the G7 summit in Cornwall. After inspecting a Guard of Honour, he shared a cup of tea with the world’s longest serving head of state and the longest serving British monarch in history, who acceded to the throne on the death of her father King George VI in 1952. This meeting with the representative of the world’s leading superpower will be seen as a symbolic token of a friendship that has been the cornerstone of Britain’s foreign policy for many years – what Boris Johnson describes as an ‘indestructible’ rather than a ‘special’ relationship. Given The Queen’s long 69-year-old reign, it is perhaps no surprise she has met no less than 12 American presidents before Mr Biden, including John F Kennedy in the 1960s and, twenty years later, Ronald Reagan with whom she shared a love of horses – and they went riding together in the grounds of Windsor Great Park. Speaking to the press later, President Biden lavished praise on Her Majesty, calling her very gracious and announcing that he had invited her to visit the White House. This was clearly a memorable meeting which had gone particularly well. So is it any wonder that people hail The Queen, in modern parlance, as the government’s ‘secret weapon’ in exercising Britain’s so-called soft power – and all will hope that this may long continue.
Death Notice for MRS. ALTHEA CLEOMIE TINKER 91 of Huyler Street formerly of Georgetown, Exuma, passed away her residence on Thursday, June 10, 2021. She is survived by, 4 daughters: Mrs. Hazel Knowles, Mrs. Verdie Duncombe, Mrs. Agatha Meadows & Mrs. Lonnie Simmons; Rudolph,Vincent & Gregory Tinker & Reno Johnson; 1 sister: Marjorie Cleare; 17 grandchildren, 20 great grand; 2 nephews: Phillip & Kendal Micklewhyte; 2 nieces: Deborah Marche & Brenda Powell along with a host of other relatives and friends. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.
PAGE 10, Tuesday, June 15, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
HAVE WE MADE MISTAKES IN HANDLING THIS CRISIS? COVID-19 is notoriously hard to control, and political leaders are only part of the calculus when it comes to pandemic management. But some current and former world leaders have made little effort to combat outbreaks in their country, whether by downplaying the pandemic’s severity, disregarding science or ignoring critical health interventions like social distancing and masks. All of the men on this list committed at least one of those mistakes, and some committed all of them – with deadly consequences.
Narendra Modi of India by Sumit Ganguly, Indiana University Last month, India was the new epicentre of the global pandemic, recording some 400,000 new cases per day. However grim, this statistic failed to capture the sheer horror which unfolded there. COVID-19 patients were dying in hospitals because doctors had no oxygen to give and no lifesaving drugs like remdesivir. The sick were turned away from clinics that had no free beds. Many Indians blame one man for the country’s tragedy: Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In January 2021, Modi declared at a global forum that India had “saved humanity… by containing corona effectively.” In March, his Health Minister proclaimed the pandemic was reaching an “endgame”. COVID-19 was actually gaining strength in India and worldwide – but his government made no preparations for possible contingencies, such as the emergence of a deadlier and more contagious COVID-19 variant. Even as significant pockets of the country had not fully suppressed the virus, Modi and other members of his party held jam-packed outdoor campaign rallies before April elections. Few attendees wore masks. Modi also allowed a religious festival that draws millions to proceed from January to March. As Modi touted his successes last year, India – the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer – sent over ten million vaccine doses to neighbouring countries – including The Bahamas. Yet just 1.9 percent of India’s 1.3 billion people had been fully inoculated against COVID-19 by early May. Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil By Elize Massard da Fonseca, Fundação Getulio Vargas and Scott L Greer, University of Michigan BRAZILIAN President Jair Bolsonaro did not just fail to respond to COVID19 – which he derides as a “little flu” – he actively worsened the crisis. Bolsonaro used his constitutional powers to interfere in Health Ministry matters, such as clinical protocols, data disclosure and vaccine procurement. He vetoed legislation that would have both mandated the use of masks in religious sites and compensated health professionals permanently harmed by the pandemic, for example. And he obstructed state government efforts to promote social distancing and used his decree power to allow many businesses to remain open as “essential,” including spas and gyms. Bolsonaro also aggressively promoted unproven medicines, notably hydroxychloroquine. Bolsonaro used his public profile as President to shape the debate around the coronavirus crisis, fostering a false dilemma between economic catastrophe and social distancing and misrepresenting science. He blamed Brazilian state governments, China and the World Health Organization for the crisis, and has never taken responsibility. In December, Bolsonaro declared he would not take the vaccine because of side effects. “If you turn into a crocodile, it’s your problem,” he said. Bolsonaro’s pandemic mismanagement created conflict within his government. Brazil cycled through four health
LOOK HOW THESE WORLD LEADERS PERFORMED ministers in less than a year. Brazil’s uncontrolled outbreak gave rise to several new coronavirus variants, including the P.1 variant, which appears more contagious. Brazil’s COVID-19 transmission rate is finally starting to drop, but the situation is still worrisome.
– which included such racial epithets as calling the virus the “kung flu” – immediately preceded a nearly twofold increase in attacks on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the past year. This disturbing trend shows no signs of abating. The Trump administration supported the country’s initial development of the vaccine, an achievement few world leaders can claim. But the misinformation and anti-science rhetoric he broadcast continues to compromise America’s path out of the pandemic. Latest polling suggests 24 percent of all Americans and 41 percent of Republicans say they will not get vaccinated.
Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus by Elizabeth J. King and Scott L. Greer, University of Michigan MANY countries around the world have responded to COVID-19 with tragically inadequate policies. However, we argue the worse pandemic leaders are those who chose total denialism over ineffective action. AlexanderLukashenko, the long-time Andrés Manuel authoritarian López Obrador leader of Belaof Mexico rus, has never by Salvador acknowledged Vázquez del the threat of Mercado, COVID-19. As Centro de other countries Investigación were enforcy Docencia ing lockdowns, Económicas Lukashenko With 9.2 opted not to percent of implement its COVIDany restric19 patients tive measures dying from to prevent the the disease, spread. Instead, Mexico has the he claimed the highest case virus could fatality rate be prevented in the world. by drinking Recent estivodka, visiting mates show the sauna and that it has working in the likely suffered fields. 617,000 deaths Over the – on par with summer the US and of 2020, India, both Lukashenko countries with stated he had much larger been diagnosed populations. with COVIDA combina19 but that he tion of factors was asympto- FROM top, Brazil president contributed to matic, which Jair Bolosonaro, Indian Mexico’s proallowed him Prime Minister Narenlonged, extreme to continue dra Modi with then US COVID-19 insisting the President Donald Trump, outbreaks. And virus was not a and Belarusian President inadequate serious threat. Alexander Lukashenko. national leaderAllegedly ship was one of thwarting the disease and them. visiting COVID-19 hospiThroughout the pantals without a mask also demic, Mexican President supported his desired image Andrés Manuel López of a strong man. Obrador sought to miniBelarus has just started mize the gravity of the vaccination efforts, but situation in Mexico. In the Lukashenko says he won’t very beginning, he resisted get vaccinated. calls to enact a nationwide lockdown and continued Donald Trump of the holding rallies nationwide United States before eventually, on March by Dorothy Chin, Uni23, 2020, Mexico shuttered versity of California, Los for two months. He freAngeles quently refused to wear a Trump is out of office, mask. but his mishandling of the Having inherited an pandemic continues to have underfunded patchwork devastating long-term con- of health services when sequences on the United he took office in 2018, States – particularly on the López Obrador increased health and welfare of com- health-related expendimunities of colour. tures during the pandemic Trump’s early denial of only slightly. Experts said the pandemic, active propa- hospital budgets are insufgation of misinformation ficient to the enormous about mask-wearing and task facing them. treatments and incoherEven before the panent leadership harmed the demic broke out, López country as a whole – but Obrador’s policy of extreme the outcome was much fiscal austerity – in place worse for some groups than since 2018 – had made others. Communities of tackling a health crisis colour suffered dispropor- much more difficult by tionate illness and deaths. significantly limiting the Although African Ameri- COVID-19 financial aid cans and Latinos make available to citizens and up only 31 percent of the businesses. That, in turn, US population, for exam- aggravated the economic ple, they account for over shock caused by the pan55 percent of COVID-19 demic in Mexico, feeding cases. Indigenous Ameri- the need to keep the econcans were hospitalised 3.5 omy open all last year, well times more and suffered 2.4 into the ferocious winter times the mortality rate of second wave, from which whites. Mexico is only beginning to Unemployment rates emerge. are also disproportionate. Eventually, another lockDuring the worst of the down became inevitable. US pandemic, they soared Mexico shut down again to 17.6 percent for Latino briefly in December 2020. Americans, 16.8 percent Today, mask-wearing is for African Americans up and Mexico has fully and 15 percent for Asian vaccinated 10 percent of its Americans, compared population, compared with with 12.4 percent for white one percent in neighbourAmericans. ing Guatemala. Things are Finally, Trump’s blame improving, but Mexico’s of China for COVID-19 road to recovery is long.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, June 15, 2021, PAGE 11
Racial gaps persist in death tolls as US hits 600,000 mark By the Associated Press JERRY Ramos spent his final days in a California hospital, hooked to an oxygen machine with blood clots in his lungs from COVID-19, his threeyear-old daughter in his thoughts. “I have to be here to watch my princess grow up,” the Mexican American restaurant worker wrote on Facebook. “My heart feels broken into pieces.” Ramos didn’t live to see it. He died February 15 at age 32, becoming not just one of the nearly 600,000 Americans who have now perished in the coronavirus outbreak but another example of the outbreak’s strikingly uneven and evershifting toll on the nation’s racial and ethnic groups. The approaching 600,000 mark, as tracked by Johns Hopkins University, is greater than the population of Baltimore or Milwaukee. It is about equal to the number of Americans who died of cancer in 2019. And as bad as that is, the true toll is believed to be significantly higher. President Joe Biden acknowledged the milestone Monday during his visit to Europe, saying that while new cases and deaths are dropping dramatically in the US, “there’s still too many lives being lost,” and “now is not the time to let our guard down.” On the way to the latest round-number milestone, the virus has proved adept at exploiting inequalities in the US. In the first wave of fatalities, in April 2020, Black people were slammed, dying at rates higher than those of other ethnic or racial groups as the virus rampaged through the urban Northeast and heavily African American cities like Detroit and New Orleans. Last summer, during a second surge, Hispanics
IN this April 22, 2020, photo, pallbearers, who were among only ten allowed mourners, walk the casket at the funeral for Larry Hammond, who died from the coronavirus, at Mount Olivet Cemetery in New Orleans. Government health officials say Native Americans, Latinos and Black people are two to three times more likely than whites to die of COVID-19. Photo: Gerald Herbert/AP were hit the hardest, suffering an outsize share of deaths, driven by infections in Texas and Florida. By winter, during the third and most lethal stage, the virus had gripped the entire nation, and racial gaps in weekly death rates had narrowed so much that whites were the worst off, followed closely by Hispanics. Now, even as the outbreak ebbs and more people get vaccinated, a racial gap appears to be emerging again, with Black Americans dying at higher rates than other groups. Overall, Black and Hispanic Americans have less access to medical care and are in poorer health, with higher rates of conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. They are also more likely to have jobs deemed essential, less able to work from home and more likely to live in crowded, multigenerational households, where working family members are apt to
expose others to the virus. Black people account for 15 percent of all COVID-19 deaths where race is known, while Hispanics represent 19 percent, whites 61 percent and Asian Americans 4 percent. Those figures are close to the groups’ share of the US population — Black people at 12 percent, Hispanics 18 percent, whites 60 percent and Asians 6 percent — but adjusting for age yields a clearer picture of the unequal burden. Because Blacks and Hispanics are younger on average than whites, it would stand to reason that they would be less likely to die from a disease that has been brutal to the elderly. But that’s not what is happening. Instead, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adjusting for population age differences, estimates that Native Americans, Latinos and Blacks are two to three times more likely than white people to
die of COVID-19. Also, the AP analysis found that Latinos are dying at much younger ages than other groups. Thirty-seven percent of Hispanic deaths were of those under 65, versus 12 percent for white Americans and 30 percent for Black people. Hispanic people between 30 and 39 — like Ramos — have died at five times the rate of white people in the same age group. Public health experts see these disparities as a loud message that the nation needs to address deeprooted inequities. “If we want to respect the dear price that 600,000 people have paid, don’t return to normal. Return to something that is better than what was,” said Dr. Clyde Yancy, vice dean for diversity and inclusion at Northwestern University’s medical school in Chicago. He added: “It will be an epic fail if we simply go
back to whatever we call normal.” Ramos had asthma and diabetes and had quit his job as a chef at Red Lobster before the pandemic because of diabetes-related trouble with his feet. He died during the devastating winter surge that hit Latinos hard, and the rest of his household of seven in Watsonville, an agricultural city of around 54,000 people about 90 miles south of San Francisco, also got sick. That included his toddler daughter; the family matriarch, 70-year-old Mercedes Ramos; and his girlfriend, who was the only one in the household working and the first to get infected, bringing home the virus from her job managing a marijuana dispensary, according to family members. Mother and son were admitted to the same hospital, their rooms nearby. They would video chat or call each other every day. “He would tell me he
WARNING OF VIOLENCE RISK FROM QANON
loved me very much and that he wanted me to get better and that he was doing fine, but he was telling me that so I wouldn’t worry,” Mercedes Ramos said in Spanish, her voice breaking. She has since returned to her job picking strawberries. Gaps in vaccination rates in the US also persist, with Blacks and Hispanics lagging behind, said Samantha Artiga of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health-policy research organisation. Experts say several factors could be at work, including deep distrust of the medical establishment among Black Americans because of a history of discriminatory treatment, and fears of deportation among Latinos, as well as a language barrier in many cases. The US was averaging about 870,000 injections per day in early June, down sharply from a high of about 3.3 million a day on average in mid-April, according to the CDC. Initial vaccine eligibility policies, set by states, favored older Americans, a group more likely to be white. Now, everyone over 12 is eligible, but obstacles remain, such as concerns about missing work because of side effects from the shot. “Eligibility certainly does not equal access,” Artiga said. “Losing a day or two of wages can have real consequences for your family. People are facing tough decisions like that.” It’s less clear who is dying now, but the stillincomplete data suggests a gap has emerged again. In Michigan, Black people are 14 percent of the population but accounted for 25 percent of the 1,064 deaths reported in the past four weeks, according to the most recent available state data. Similar gaps were seen in Florida and Pennsylvania.
WASHINGTON Associated Press
EX-CONTRACTOR GUILTY OF LEAK IS RELEASED
A NEW federal intelligence report warns that adherents of QAnon, the conspiracy theory embraced by some in the mob that stormed the US Capitol, could target Democrats and other political opponents for more violence as the movement’s false prophecies don’t come true. Many QAnon followers believe former President Donald Trump was fighting enemies within the so-called “deep state” to expose a cabal of Satan-worshipping cannibals operating a child sex trafficking ring. Trump’s loss to President Joe Biden disillusioned some believers in “The Storm”, a supposed reckoning in which Trump’s enemies would be tried and executed. Some adherents have now pivoted to believing Trump is the “shadow president” or Biden’s victory was an illusion. The report was compiled by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security and released Monday by Sen Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat. It predicts that while some QAnon adherents will pull back, others “likely will begin to believe they can no longer ‘trust the plan’ referenced in QAnon posts and that they have an obligation to change from serving as ‘digital soldiers’ towards engaging in real world violence”. As major social media companies suspend or remove QAnon-themed accounts, many followers have moved to less well-known platforms and discussed how to radicalise new users on them, the report says. The report says several factors will contribute to QAnon’s long-term durability, including the COVID-19 pandemic, some social media companies allowing posts about the theories, societal polarization in the US, and the “frequency and content of pro-QAnon statements by public individuals who feature prominently in core QAnon narratives”. The report does not identify any of those public individuals. But Trump, who while in office praised QAnon followers as “people that love our country,” has repeatedly refused to acknowledge the election is over and spoken baselessly
A FORMER government contractor who was given the longest federal prison sentence imposed for leaks to the news media has been released from prison to home confinement, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press yesterday. Reality Winner, 29, has been moved to home confinement and remains in the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons, the person said. She pleaded guilty in 2018 to a single count of transmitting national security information. Winner was sentenced to five years and three months in prison, which prosecutors said at the time was the longest ever imposed for leaking government information to the news media. Her release was hailed as a cause for celebration after advocates had spent years fighting for her release or a pardon. Her lawyer, Alison Grinter Allen, said in a statement that Winner and her family are working to “heal the trauma of incarceration and build back the years lost.” She said they are “relieved and hopeful” after her release from prison. The former Air Force translator worked as a contractor at a National Security Agency office in Augusta, Georgia, when she printed a classified report and left the building with it tucked into her pantyhose. Winner told the FBI she mailed the document to an online news outlet. Authorities never identified the news organisation. But the Justice Department announced Winner’s June 2017 arrest the same day The Intercept reported on a secret NSA document.
WASHINGTON Associated Press
IN this January 6, 2021, photo rioters break into the Capitol in Washington. of his victory being “stolen,” despite multiple court rulings and a finding by his own Justice Department upholding the integrity of the election. One long-time ally told The Associated Press that Trump has given credence to a conspiracy theory that he could somehow be reinstated into the presidency in August. Heinrich pressed FBI Director Chris Wray in April to release an assessment of how the government views QAnon. “The public deserves to know how the government assesses the threat to our country from those who would act violently on such beliefs,” he said then. The movement around QAnon has already been linked to political violence, notably during the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection in which some rioters believed they would reverse Trump’s defeat. At least 20 QAnon followers have been charged with federal crimes related to Jan. 6, according to an Associated Press review of court records. Some charged in the riot wore attire bearing the telltale letter
“Q” when they stormed the Capitol. One of the defendants, Jacob Chansley, calls himself the “QAnon Shaman” and famously wore a furry hat with horns, face paint and no shirt that day. Others had posted about QAnon on social media before the riot. The Justice Department has arrested more than 400 people in the insurrection, where pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol, did about $1.5m in damage and sent lawmakers running for their lives. Five people died and dozens of police officers were wounded. Defendants have argued that Trump himself spurred them on, or they were just following the crowd, or law enforcement allowed them in, or they were the victims of disinformation stoked by right-wing media. Lawyers for some of the defendants have argued their clients were specifically misguided by QAnon. Defence attorney Christopher Davis argued that his client, Douglas Jensen, is a victim of internet-driven conspiracy promoted by “very clever people, who were
Photo: John Minchillo/AP uniquely equipped with slight, if any, moral or social consciousness”. Jensen now realises that he “bought into a pack of lies,” his lawyer maintains. “For reasons he does not even understand today, he became a ‘true believer’ and was convinced he doing a noble service by becoming a digital soldier for ‘Q’. Maybe it was mid-life crisis, the pandemic, or perhaps the message just seemed to elevate him from his ordinary life to an exalted status with an honorable goal,” Davis wrote. A witness told the FBI that another defendant, Kevin Strong, expressed a belief that January 6 would usher in “World War 3” and the military would be involved. Strong, who was a Federal Aviation Administration employee in San Bernardino, California, had a flag with a QAnon slogan on his house and has declared that he had “Q clearance,” an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit. “He had recently purchased a new truck and believed that QAnon would cover the debt,” the agent wrote.