06202017 news

T HI SP I C T UREANDC AP T I ONHA VEB E E NRE MOVE DDUET OANE RROR. S E EWE DNE S DA Y’ ST RI B UNEF ORAC ORRE C T I ON.

PAGE 2, Tuesday, June 20, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Cheering on young achievers

PARENTS cheering on youngsters during the prize-giving ceremony for T A Thompson at Living Waters Kingdom Ministries under the theme “Working to achieve our goals for a brighter tomorrow.”.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

VALEDICTORIAN and head boy Garvon Bullard.

ACP Ashton Greenslade addresses students.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 20, 2017, PAGE 3

Speaker wants MPs to abide by rules amid row over claims

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net HOUSE Speaker Halson Moultrie said yesterday he is not pleased with the general conduct of some parliamentarians in the House of Assembly. He urged members to abide by House rules as questions remain about what MPs will be allowed to say in Parliament without tabling proof of their claims.

A row erupted last Thursday when Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar claimed that the board of the Nassau Airport Development (NAD) was fired after he learned that the “political directorate”

HOUSE speaker Halson Moultrie. instructed the board not to tenant. pursue millions owed by a Mr D’Aguilar provid-

ed no evidence to substantiate his controversial claim, and although members of the Official Opposition raised objections to the allegations, House Deputy Speaker Donald Saunders allowed his comments to remain on the record.

Anthony McKinney, the former chairman of the board of NAD, has since said he would take legal action against the minister if he were to repeat the comments outside Parliament where he won’t be protected with parliamentary privilege.

Mr Moultrie did not address this incident directly yesterday, but in a likely reference to the row that

erupted last week in his absence, he said he favours “exposure and disclosure” of information.

“Within the rules, the chair will permit members to speak and to have freedom of expression,” he said. “No attempt will be made by the chair to cause information that the public should be entitled to, to be suppressed. This is the freedom of information age. It is the chair’s position that it will permit, whether it be from the government or opposition side, exposure and disclosure.”

Mr Moultrie also said he watched House proceedings on TV last Thursday to see how those proceedings were playing out.

DAVIS DEFENDS $14M SPENDING ON CLINIC CONTRACTS from page one “The 80 people in Rum Cay, 72 in Ragged Island or the 700 in Berry Islands all have the same rights as those in New Providence.

They are all citizens. None has priority over the other,” Mr Davis said.

“Each has the right to live where he or she wishes and our right to them is to ensure that they have at minimum access to essential services and where possible access to enhanced services.

“Nothing is too good for any Bahamian. Nothing is too good for Cat Island, nothing too good for San Salvador, nothing too

PLP leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis. good for Rum Cay. What amazes me is that this posturing, this flippant referral

to these islands comes from the government that committed to the ‘Back-To-TheIsland’ campaign which is anticipated to become the largest migration of Bahamians back to the Family Islands.

“Why did they move in the first place? What incentive is there for them to return when something as basic as the construction of facilities to provide essential services becomes the subject of debate?”

Mr Davis was responding to Heath Minister Dr Duane Sands who revealed in the House of Assembly last week that before the election, the Progressive Liberal Party awarded con-

CUBAN MEN CLIMBED WALL AT DETENTION CENTRE

FROM left, Carlos Daniel Abreus, Roberto Azcorra Consuegra and Yoel Valerio Hurtado.

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net IMMIGRATION Director William Pratt yesterday called Saturday’s escape of three Cuban men from the Carmichael Road Detention Centre an “eye opener” and said his department is now looking into ways to “better secure the facility” to prevent future incidents.

In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Pratt said security footage revealed that the men “scaled the wall” to escape the facility and the Department of Immigration is still investigating whether the men received assistance from the inside.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force are still on the hunt for Carlos Daniel Abreus, Yoel Valerio Hurtado and Roberto Azcorra Consuegra who escaped between 3am and 4am early Saturday morning.

“We reviewed the cameras and they scaled the wall, they jumped or climbed over it, we aren’t sure, but they got over the wall,” Mr Pratt said.

“Police are still investigating, the men are still on the loose, the search is ongoing. The Coast Guard picked them up and brought them to us. They were trying to get to Miami, Florida

when they were intercepted.

We are going to repatriate them to Cuba this week. We are now looking to put some additional security measures in place. The building is too close to the wall but we will put extra measures in place. I cannot talk about them obviously but this was an eye opener. We will put some additional measures in place.”

In April 2016, five Cubans escaped from the Carmichael Road Detention Centre, but were recaptured two days later by armed forces.

Authorities found four of them hiding in the ceiling of an abandoned building in western New Providence while a fifth man was taken into custody when he was found wandering in the vicinity of the Detention Centre. He led officials to a dilapidated villa in western New Providence where the four other Cubans had been hiding.

Earlier this year, statistics from the Department of Immigration indicated the repatriations of Cubans had skyrocketed in 2016, which showed that total repatriations increased by some 80 per cent over 2015.

At the time, then Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell said the department believed that the more than 700 per cent rise in repatriations

of Cuban nationals in 2016 was driven by anticipation that the United States’ “wet foot/dry foot” policy was coming to an end.

The Department of Immigration repatriated 1,287 Cubans in 2016, a stark increase over the 153 persons repatriated in 2015.

tracts totalling $14m for three clinics in Cat Island, one in Rum Cay and one in San Salvador.

“I want to point to a particular constituency that would have received 13 per cent of the contracts, despite the fact that they only have 0.5 per cent of the population,” Dr Sands said last week.

“I speak about an island that has 1,200 residents, a cay with 70 residents and another island San Salvador, with 930 residents.

That comes to roughly 2,200 residents. All Baha-

mians are equally important, but a contract for Old Bight $2,349,000; Orange Creek Clinic $2,100,000; Smith’s Bay $6,600,000; Rum Cay $1.6m; San Salvador $300,000 for a total of under $14m. I have directed the National Health Insurance administration to revisit some of the decisions that have been made. We are going to review these contracts and if we can cancel some, we will cancel some, but we are going to set this right for the Bahamian people.”

“I can say that I wasn’t pleased with what I saw and as a consequence the chair has made a decision to enforce the rules…” he said.

“The Jack-in-the-box like point of order and point of privilege, pop up activity designed more to interrupt a member, refute, dispute and impute shall not be tolerated and shall be blocked pursuant to the provisions of Rule 33 (27) and Rule 88,” he added.

This reference was likely to Official Opposition member Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin who repeatedly interrupted Mr D’Aguilar during his contribution on Thursday.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, June 20, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

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

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No true democracy without true local government THE Bahamas often prides itself on being the oldest stable democracy in the Western Hemisphere with a Parliamentary history that dates back to 1729. We boast of never having a revolution. We pat ourselves on the back for how orderly our elections are even if international observers continue to advise us that the process is imperfect, antiquated and cumbersome with too much reliance on paper and too little use of available technology.

We congratulate ourselves heartily on how we govern even in the face of that fact that we are a flawed democracy. The problem goes far deeper than how we elect our national leaders.

There will be no true democracy in The Bahamas until there is true local government. True local government is not a local administrator appointed by central government, nor a few elected officials who have no power or authority.

True local government requires election followed by right to act, elected officials with local authority elected by people in the local community who want their voices heard, their priorities energized and their tax dollars used, at least in part, to meet their local needs. Anyone who thinks there is true local government now because candidates file and run for office is kidding themselves.

How does true local government differ from what currently exists? Simple.

Every major decision in this country is made by Cabinet and most of those decisions are made before they even reach Cabinet.

Should there be any doubt about how highly concentrated and centralised power in The Bahamas is, take this challenge: Name one example of a Family Island that decided on its own how it wanted to develop and what culture it wanted to preserve or enhance.

Name one Family Island that made up its mind it wanted a certain type of development or industry, pursued the objective, sourced funding or a domestic or foreign investor, worked on making the plan a reality, collected the revenue, used the funds to build roads or improve other infrastructure or to enhance its cultural, educational, and historic attributes.

Name one local government that was able to accomplish something as locally critical as zoning.

Name one local government that was able to stand up for its members, the community, and say no to plans imposed upon it by central government when they announced a major development was going to take place. Yes, there is more public consultation now because civil society has demanded it, but authority still resides in the hands of a few and not in the palm of those who are the natural stakeholders.

So long as there remains a highly centralised government with much of that power concentrated in the office of the Prime Minister – as one radio personality put it under the former administration, everyone in the country drinking through one straw – the decisions that affect people in Exuma or Abaco or Bimini will be made by people who do not live with the consequences of those decisions.

This past week, we saw those consequences in Bimini when locals filled a town hall meeting. Native Biminites and fans of the island with its rich history and famed fishing grounds packed the school auditorium. Some had flown or boated in from Florida just for the meeting. The crowd was the largest that had ever gathered in Bimini for such an event. Outside, dozens of golf carts were lined up in between cars

and trucks of every era, a sign of the crosssection of the population inside.

The meeting was organized by a softspoken, environmentally passionate local woman who teaches yoga and conducts swims with wild dolphins. With the requested assistance of Save The Bays, the hostess and others shared their fears about what was happening to their home and to their waters in the face of the mammoth, gated 750-acre casino, hotel, marina and entertainment complex known as Resorts World Bimini and an adjoining residential component. The massive project with RAV as contractor and Genting, the Malaysian-based casino and tourism product developer, as operator is transforming the face of North Bimini. And Biminites had no say in its creation, presence or continuing expansion, no voice in what it was doing to their lives and livelihood. The voices of the few who said the resort was providing jobs were overpowered by those angry at what was happening to their economy and their waters.

The facts generating fear are indisputable.

During construction, massive heavy dredging equipment destroyed some of the world’s best-known and most beautiful dive sites dredging for a ferry dock that has since been abandoned. More than 150 acres of mangroves have been destroyed and more are being destroyed daily. Truckloads of dirt and concrete cover wetlands that are supposed to be protected by law. Equipment and trash are reportedly being disposed of underwater. Other trash is being burned on site with plumes of smoke and ash from plastics fouling the air. Shrimp that once lined the shoreline by the tens of thousands have vanished and the rare endangered sawtooth shark has not been seen in months. Mosquitoes are rampant.

Representatives from the casino resort project who participated in the meeting did not deny any of the claims, nor did they deny that the casino was losing millions of dollars a year. They did offer to sit with environmentalists and others concerned about the project that locals say is hurting their economy as well as their environment by steering visitor traffic into the gated complex.

Biminites are rightfully afraid they are going to lose even more of their environment. Developers want to build a golf course and are talking about a 100-acre water park. An artificial water park in a place known around the world for the beauty of its waters makes as much sense as air-conditioning on an Alaskan night. But that is not the issue. The issue is that only with true local government will Bahamians throughout the archipelago have a chance to chart their own future. And that is a right they deserve. Having decisions made by central government that impact the very land locals grow up on, build families, work in and play on is like allowing an outsider to order your living room furniture and telling you to live with it. You have no say. In the case of RWB, a compromise of some sort should be negotiated but it must be between locals and operators, not central government though representatives should be entitled to sit in the negotiations.

Bahamians are not stupid. They do not need to be treated as second-class citizens by their own government because those in power believe they know best. Central government certainly did not know best in the case of Bimini. Let that be a lesson.

It is time to transfer power to the people. It is their future.

Mercenary PLPs hurt the nation EDITOR, The Tribune.

HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands was mincing words when he revealed in his 2017/2018 budget contribution that “faithful PLPs” received $9,756,000 in contracts just weeks prior to May 10, while the PMH and the PHA faced critical needs, which can be attributed to slackness.

The most alarming revelation was the $424,000 and $500,000 monthly cleaning contracts for the Exuma mini hospital and the new clinic in Abaco respectively.

The clinic in Abaco is not yet opened, but that did not stop Christie and Co from taking good care of one of their cronies on that island.

Equally alarming was the revelation that nearly $14m in contracts for clinics in Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador, despite those sparsely populated islands having only a combined total population of 2,200 residents.

The $1 billion in VAT revenue was offset by the Christie government’s penchant for “pissing away” the Bahamian people’s hard earned tax dollars to benefit friends, lovers,

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net family, children and bastards.

Had the PLP won the election, none of these disturbing revelations would have been brought to light.

Had they won, they would have increased the VAT of 7.5 per cent to 15 per cent.

The FNM, after concluding its forensic audits of the various government agencies, must hand over all the evidence of malfeasance to the attorney general with the aim of prosecuting these PLP mercenaries who have crippled this country financially.

The FNM government must conjure up enough courage to name names.

Call the names of every last one of the PLPs who have leached off the treasury to the detriment of this country’s financial wellbeing.

For example, who received the monthly contract of $500,000 to clean the spanking brand new clinic in Abaco? Why was the contract so excessive?

Who are the principals of the consultant firms for

NHI that received a combined $750,000 in monthly contracts?

Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis must either confirm or deny newspaper reports that Mr Baltron Bethel received $600,000 in salaries and perks annually.

He must also confirm or deny reports that former PLP MP Agatha Marcelle was paid $120,000 to head the National Training Agency.

PLPs under PM Perry Christie were earning outrageous salaries while the economy was being downgraded four times.

The Bahamian dollar is probably a downgrade or two from being devalued by the IMF all because the PLP love its supporters more than this country, and appeared willing to grossly mismanage the treasury in order to aid its supporters who are nothing more than mercenaries.

Dr Sands, please desist from calling these PLPs who were milking the treasury “party faithfuls”. Call them PLP mercenaries instead.

THE WHISTLEBLOWER June 16, 2017.

Who authorised the payments?

EDITOR, The Tribune.

SINCE May 10th, 2017, and especially after the Budget Speech, we have constantly listened to a litany of how there were some questionable and extraordinary spending, at almost all the Ministries. However, one thing that has not been said is - who authorised the payments?

There is a process… cheques and balances, so if

all the talk from the Minister can be taken at face value, surely we have a larger problem than us kicking the previous Government out of office. We have seemingly a questionable senior civil service and managers of The People’s Money, in positions of responsibility but seemingly not accountable.

Whatever Ministry it is, a Minister cannot gallantly request a settlement, without the sign-off of the

Ministry’s Permanent Secretary. Every Ministry has a financial officer, who also has to sign-off.

It seems, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, you got a bigger problem than winning office. You have to reform and check the whole Civil Service, especially those who are in the authorising of payments as a Minister on their own, cannot cause a Treasury payment to happen.

Tourism – the good Minister had better check, that what seems to be superficial look. There are Event Managers, for every event there is a Budget. Financial Manager Officer, they have to approve a payment. Permanent Secretary – ultimately responsible, all have to sign-off before a payment is made.

Minister – the previous Minister is gone, but you might still have the mice that he left behind, multi-

plying and being hidden by the political agenda of the party. Expose the alleged corruption. Minister, a hint to you…check those vendor contracts, where only three vendors quote. Check how many times the “same names come up”, event after event.

One thing is for sure Minnis & Co, had better prove what they are alleging and what they allege in the campaign, as very quickly we

will be far more critical of you, as you will not be then the instrument of the People, but a party of flam.

Talk it - prove it - and we want to see folks walking to the Magistrate’s Court very, very soon.

We might be sweeping the past Ministers out, and still have a bunch of scoundrels left behind.

ABRAHAM MOSS Nassau,

T HI SP I C T UREANDC AP T I ONHA VEB E E NRE MOVE DDUET OANE RROR. S E EWE DNE S DA Y’ ST RI B UNEF ORAC ORRE C T I ON.

PAGE 6, Tuesday, June 20, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Davis defends consultant from ‘attempt to smear reputation’

THE Progressive Liberal Party’s leader has defended tourism consultant Ian Poitier from “an effort to smear” his reputation, saying the highly paid advisor “delivered exceptional value” to the country.

The defence came in a statement released by Official Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis after Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said in the House of Assembly last Thursday that he discovered that the consultant was paid over $400,000 a year, “more than the combined salary of over seven Cabinet ministers.”

Mr D’Aguilar said the issue “smells fishy” and that he has ordered that no fur-

ther payments be made to him. Mr Poitier was paid more than $1m for his consultancy.

“The minister made a number of comments and innuendo, which were wrong, incomplete and/or misleading, clearly in an effort to smear the reputation of the consultant, and to insinuate that something improper has taken place,” Mr Davis noted.

“He continues to show himself to be a person of poor judgment. For example, had he had the courtesy and the wisdom to meet with the consultant or anyone else familiar with the situation before making his remarks, the minister could at least have availed himself

of some of the basic facts.

The consultant he refers to has delivered exceptional value to the country. The minister could easily have determined this had he been interested in finding out.”

Mr Davis said in the PLP’s 2012 Charter for Governance, the party committed to a policy of recruiting Bahamians who were living abroad to return home to help with national development.

In the case of Mr Poitier, Mr Davis said he came to the Christie administration’s attention “because of the work which he had done under the previous FNM administrations.”

“At a presentation in

London in 2013, the (then) Prime Minister (Perry Christie), invited a room full of Bahamians living there to consider returning home,” Mr Davis continued. “He met with several of them the following day, and apart from shorter commitments made with other Bahamians, Mr Poitier was the only one who agreed to make a full-time commitment.”

The Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP also explained Mr Poitier’s work with the former administration.

“In his first year, Mr Poitier worked largely out of the Ministry of Tourism, and it is for this reason that his payment was generated

there,” he noted. “He also worked for the Office of the Prime Minister, and the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture. Since April 2016, he worked principally from the Office of the Prime Minister, as the (former) prime minister had asked him to work as his policy advisor. This was in addition to the work he was already engaged in. It is not surprising therefore, that members of staff at the Ministry of Tourism, were unaware of the additional work that Mr Poitier had been charged to undertake.

“Mr Poitier’s work covered six broad areas, each one of which is a separate career strand in itself. As the minister has sought

to question whether Mr Poitier delivered value for money, I would happily highlight them. However, I believe Mr Poitier has already given a full and detailed account of his skills and accomplishments in a separate statement. If we want to encourage Bahamians to come home and to stay home, if we want our brightest and our best to contribute to national development and not just on their own fortunes, we have to do better.”

On Sunday, Mr Poitier released a statement defending his reputation and rejected the suggestion of being involved in anything “crooked or underhanded”.

‘BUDGET HELPS THE RICH NOT THE POOR’ from page one supplies, sea vessels, salmon, caviar, asphalt and parts for washing and drying machines.

He also criticised the government for not extending the previous administration’s tax break on building materials for residential and commercial properties in inner-city communities even while it extends the previous administration’s concession on importing art into the country.

“Some people,” Mr Davis said in the House of Assembly, “those wealthy enough to own airlines, paint supply stores and wash houses, must now be extremely pleased that it is indeed ‘their time.’ This budget offers no relief for the ordinary person. Instead this budget washes you, presses you and cleans you out! It is indeed ‘the people’s time,’ but the identities of those people are coming into sharper focus as the days go by, and the fig leaf covering

this government’s true fiscal priorities are slowly lifted.”

The opposition has criticised the new government for granting tax breaks to businesses with a turnover of more than $50 million but not to businesses that make less money.

“One of these people (who benefits from this) identified himself by publicly bragging that his company will enjoy savings of some $444,000 as a result of this amendment to the Business License Act,” Mr Davis said. “We only need to ask ourselves how many businesses in the country have a turnover of $50 million per annum. One such company has identified itself––will others follow suit? I suspect that there are members in this House involved in such businesses.

Will they be honourable and declare their interests?

I remind them of the parliamentary rules as set out in Erskine May’s guide. Those rules require that members declare during our debates any pecuniary interest that

they may have in subject matters that would benefit that interest. That interest may be direct but also indirect as well.

“This means, for example, that if you plan to reduce taxes on paint supplies, and your children have major paint supply businesses, you should declare that interest.

“If the proverbial cupboards are bare as the member for East Grand Bahama said, then why is the government finding it necessary to offer such generous tax rebates to the wealthy and those most able to pay taxes?”

Mr Davis said the budget’s reduction on duty rates for paint and toilet paper will damage the respective industries in the country.

The PLP, he said, adjusted tariff rates on such items to compensate for the advantage foreign products have over locally manufactured goods. “…Unless consideration is given to these entrepreneurs who must compete

against all odds, this government will eliminate this sector of our economy,” he said. “I urge the government to rescind the recently tabled adjustment on the duty for all items that are manufactured locally. Is it not ‘the people’s time?’

They are people and they employ people unlike the foreign manufacturers who employ robots.”

Though some have urged the Progressive Liberal Party to move towards reform, Mr Davis embraced the Christie administration’s record during his first speech in Parliament as leader of the Official Opposition.

He highlighted the remobilisation of work at Baha Mar and negotiations to control the country’s airspace as successes of the previous administration.

As opposed to accepting blame for the election result on behalf of the PLP, he argued that the FNM won the election by perpetuating false narratives. In particular, he highlighted

LEADER of The Opposition Philip ‘Brave’ Davis. the FNM’s criticisms about value added tax and the Christie administration’s dealings with China as misleading. “.... These falsehoods essentially formed the foundational premise on which the FNM’s election campaign was built and it worked very well for the

FNM,” he said.

He insisted that the previous administration left the country on solid footing and that it left the country headed in a positive direction across multiple metrics, including tourism arrival numbers, consumer price inflation and the trade deficit.

D’AGUILAR REFUSES TO BACK DOWN OVER CLAIM AIRPORT DIRECTORS WERE FIRED from page one

Yesterday, when Mr D’Aguilar was questioned by the press over his account of the situation regarding PatMor Holdings and its $3.3 rental dispute with NAD, the minister was defiant.

Asked if he stood by the claims and maintained that the board was fired despite the former board chairman saying most, if not all, of the board members submitted letters of resignations on May 16, the minister re-

plied: “Everything I said is in the Hansard. I stand by what I said. I don’t budge an inch.”

Last week Mr D’Aguilar asserted that an airport tenant was allowed to rack up a rental debt over five years under the Christie administration and was allowed to remain delinquent due to “direct intervention by the political directorate.”

While the minister did not name the tenant in the House of Assembly last week, he further claimed that she approached NAD’s board of directors two

months before the general election and was allowed to enter into an agreement to “write off” $1.2m of this debt on the condition that she give up one store and pay her balance. He suggested that this was done as a personal favour to the tenant because she was well-connected politically.

The minister explained that this was the reason NAD’s board was dismissed shortly after the Free National Movement won the May 10 general election.

While in the House, he did not refer to the addi-

Funeral Service For Mr. Larry Alton Roberts, 59

of Man O War Cay, Abaco, will be held on Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at New Life Bible Church, Man O War Cay, Abaco. Officiating will be Brother Robin Weatherford, assisted by Mr. Rich Roberts. Interment will follow at Man O War Public Cemetery, Man O War Cay, Abaco.

Precious memories will linger in the hearts of his wife: Sandra Roberts; sons: Tyler and Bronson Roberts; daughter: Hilarry Koenig; daughter-inlaw: Lynn Roberts; son-in-law: Travis Koenig; grandchildren: Sean and Maylee Koenig; parents-in-law: Patricia Albury; brothers: Gurney, Elliott, Buddy, and Errington; sister: Sharon Albury; sisters-in-laws: Karen Roberts, Effie Roberts, Tiffany Roberts and Ruby Albury; brothers-in-laws: David and Stan Albury; nephews: Dave Albury, Lee Roberts, Antonio Albury, Shane Albury and Shawn Roberts; nieces: Adele McDonald, Charlotte Sawyer, Christina Deavaux, Chelsea Sweeting and Abigail Albury and a host of other relatives and friends.

THERE WILL BE NO VIEWING

tional terms of the tenant’s write off neither did he go into the terms of PatMor’s settlement agreement.

Speaking during the start of the afternoon sitting of Parliament, Mr Davis sought to distance the former Progressive Liberal Party from certain parts of the agreement.

He said: “So the FNM government who granted to that tenant four outlets, that tenant having successfully complied with the request for proposal being awarded the four outlets by the FNM government. It was not offered as any one store. And so, it is very reckless in the observations.

“Further, Mr Speaker, she then again under the FNM government was asked to assume two more shops that was in the name of some other entity that she at their request assumed. She ended up with six (shops).

“But again, the PLP government had nothing to do with it.

“It was also said by the minister that she paid nothing under the PLP government. Again, not true and it is being repeated from the seat of members opposite.

“You who are in the vineyard of the law please hold your ministers accountable to tell the truth.”

Mr Davis continued: “Now when the FNM was relieved of their responsibilities as we were in 2007, the new board inherited the problems because the tenant had been making complaints and had joined in a dispute with NAD over two things.

“One she raised a point that she was being discriminated against. She raised a point that her assuming the two stores had a challenge with it that involved, and I’m going to let them find this out, perhaps a conflict of interest with an employee of NAD. “There was another issue and that was that NAD fees and rent were predicated upon their undertaking that 3.8m travellers would be

DIONISIO D’AGUILAR passing through the airport and that being the case the rent was pegged at 38 per cent. NAD acknowledged that they never met their undertaking, but yet still they continued to charge the 38 per cent and continued to charge others, 10 per cent. So that was a dispute that they were handling, they were dealing with it.

“And if the minister was responsible enough he would not have come in here to say that she paid nothing under the PLP administration.”

Mr Davis said the tenant had been paying 10 per cent as were other tenants.

“The write off in the circumstances of the case was not unfair because if you look at the whole circumstances of the case. I still think the tenant was hard done in the arrangement and the board of NAD perhaps ought to have done her better.

“But that’s the case and she has lived up to the arrangement despite what I would call onerous positions in which they took.

“And then he fired the board? Mr Speaker there was no firing of the board and the correspondence speaks to that,” Mr Davis also said.

On Sunday, former NAD and Airport Au-

thority Chairman Anthony McKinney released his resignation letter and other correspondence.

A letter dated May 16, 2017 and sent to both Mr D’Aguilar and Transport and Local Government Minister Frankie Campbell from Mr McKinney read: “As you are aware, I was first appointed for one year to act as chairman of the Airport Authority on July 1, 2012. This appointment, by inference, meant that I would also act as chair of the Nassau Airport Development Company Limited.

As of today, those appointments continue.

“Technically, my current term as chairman of the above boards is due to expire on June 30, 2017, however, protocol dictates that I should tender my resignation from both boards at this time as my appointments were made by another minister and executive.”

On May 17, Mr Campbell replied that he received Mr McKinney’s previous letter, adding that the matter was discussed with Mr D’Aguilar and they both agreed that he should continue as chairman of the board.

Later, on June 8, Mr McKinney tendered his resignation with immediate effect.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 20, 2017, PAGE 7

from page one

the Ministry of Works advised against this.

He said former Minister of Works Philip Davis was told in writing that: “The existing arrangement puts the project in jeopardy similar to what we have experienced to the BAMSI North Andros project.”

“Mr Speaker, members of the former administration need to pray that nothing goes wrong with this project because $6m is a lot of money for them to have to find to repay to the Bahamian people for their misfeasance and negligence (regarding) this project.”

Earlier in his contribution to the budget debate, Mr Bannister also outlined how his ministry had to stop a $22.8m public private partnership for a building in Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama.

He noted the hefty penalties the government will incur for breaking the agreement.

He said the government has given instructions to stop the work in Grand Bahama because the concrete used “was not of sufficient strength for the structure” as well as concerns that a geo-tech survey was not done. He said now subterranean carbons have been discovered at the job-site.

“At the end of the day, we may have wasted another $4m entirely as the result of irresponsibility of the former administration,” he said.

Ex-ministers to face the courts?

Referencing the recent stoppage of work on construction of a seawall at Smith’s Point in Grand Bahama, Mr Bannister said this was “one verifiable example of how members opposite put politics ahead of the interest of the people and in doing so they wasted our money and created the potential for great harm of the Bahamian people.”

He said the project was put out to tender and a highly experienced company had the best bid. He said professionals in the Ministry of Works recommended that Waugh Construction receive the work for a contract worth more than $4m.

“However, the former administration decided to ignore the professional advice and gave the contract to Smith’s Construction which had submitted a bid that was $75,000 higher,” Mr Bannister said. “A contract was signed on June 24, 2016 and the seawall was supposed to have been completed on February 22 of this year.”

He said the job is nowhere near complete and the contractor has “made a mess” of the job, prompting his ministry to stop the work.

He said the government has spent over $1.7m on this project and will move quickly to replace the contractor.

PARLIAMENTARY Secretary Iram Lewis visiting the Smith’s Point Sea Wall.

‘Misfeasance’ a contractor who does not wasted millions of dollars.

“We are now all aware of have the experience and abil“In this case, $1.7m has the decision of the Carib- ity to carry a job out when been spent on the termibean Court of Justice from someone with proven ability nated contract, the attorney 2011, that said that even if is available and has offered general will have to deterthe acts are not criminal in a better price for the job. mine whether they will have nature, former ministers can Members opposite are guilty to pay and they should not be sued and made to pay on this count, Mr Speaker. expect the government to damages for losses incurred “Misfeasance is when waste the people’s money by the state from their acts you expose the people of to represent them in court of misfeasance. It’s a sober- small, coastal communities as they did when they maing judgment for all of us to danger, as members op- liciously and deliberately to consider,” Mr Bannister posite did in this case. Mr disclosed the private inforsaid. “Misfeasance is when Speaker, they are guilty mation of people in public.” you ignore the advice of pro- and by their acts they have Mr Bannister also referred fessionals who are trained caused untold damage, but, to an ongoing $6.5m conto give you that advice, as sir, this is only one of many struction project at the Lowe members opposite did in this cases that I can cite where Sound Primary School in case. Misfeasance is when for the former administration Andros as a cause of concern. political reasons you hired endangered Bahamians and “They invited three of

their supporters in Lowe Sound to submit bids on building the school,” he said.

“One was a plumber, the second had never been involved in construction, and the third had been involved in several small projects. All of the bids were rejected as being unsatisfactory . . . but instead of engaging serious contractors to do the job, the former administration told those same inexperienced men to get together, work as a team and they awarded a $6.5m contract to those three men to build the Lowe Sound Primary School.”

He said professionals at

BAMSI BUILDINGS RELOCATED DUE TO SINKHOLES ON SITE from page one

He also deplored the fact that the Christie administration did not take legal action against the contractor for the uninsured male dormitory at BAMSI, which was destroyed by fire in January 2015. He said the government has paid out more than $2m to the contractor—Audley Hanna of Paradigm Construction.

Mr Bannister also revealed that Mr Hanna, whose name he did not call in the House, claimed to the government that he owed subcontractors nearly $300,000 more than what these companies said were due to them. In a case of “misfeasance,” he said the former administration offered to pay more than $200,000 to these subcontractors.

“The BAMSI project has been a sore spot for the Bahamian people,” Mr Bannister said last night. “ . . . I am advised that all contractors for buildings signed contracts and started work together in February 2014. No competitive bidding was done, so we cannot say that the most suitable or qualified contractors were selected, and we know that the Bahamian people did not get value for money with respect to the pricing of contracts.

“The former administration failed to authorise a geo-tech survey, which ought to have been standard for this type of construction. As a result, it was not until after excavation for foundations had commenced that sinkholes were found. At that time, almost all of the major buildings had to be relocated, in-

cluding the now infamous male dormitory that later burned, the administration building, the cafeteria— moved twice— and the cluster of classrooms.

“The locations planned for the male and female dormitories were moved very slightly and small buildings remained where they were originally sited. One of the two-story villas was also located on a sinkhole, but the foundation details were adjusted to go deeper.”

He said there was initially no electricity on the construction site and work ended at sundown for some time.

He continued: “I am advised that project (had) cash flow difficulties and other complaints began in September of 2014, just months after the project had started.

“I am advised that monies were ‘running out.’ That is, most of the contractors were having difficulties producing what the authority wanted with the money contracted to do the work. It seemed that most contractors had cash flow problems much of which the professionals attribute to their entirely unacceptable method of selection.

“By June 2015, for a variety of reasons, construction had either altogether halted or slowed to an extremely slow pace on all but the cluster of classrooms and the cafeteria buildings, which themselves were not without their challenges.

“I am advised that the administration building, one of the two-story faculty villas and one of the singlestory villas had come to a complete stop. The male dormitory had been burned in a fire and the female

dormitory’s contractor had suddenly stopped work due to alleged financial difficulties and both contracts had been determined by the ministry.

“I await advice as to why we have not taken legal action against the contractor who built the ill-fated male dormitory, who I understand has been paid $2,535,769.17 on a $2,600,000.00 contract prior to the fire.

“The lecture theatre had run into design difficulties because a review by the client indicated the need for a redesign of some services and possible consequences for the whole structure.

“It was also during the second quarter of 2015 that the ministry reviewed all contracts and applied for additional funding at the expense of the Bahamian people. This free for all was a fiasco that all of the Bahamian people are now being forced to pay for.”

Mr Bannister also said in the aftermath of the male dorm being destroyed by fire, 51 subcontractors submitted claims of $551,967.53 in allegedly unpaid bills.

“Strangely enough, Mr Speaker, the contractor claimed that he owed more money to subcontractors and suppliers than they themselves claim,” Mr Bannister said. “He claimed that he owed them $828,793.03.

In several cases, contractors and suppliers submitted claims for what they said was owed to them and the contractor told the ministry that he owed more money than they were claiming.

“Mr Speaker, in an amazing case of misfeasance, the former administration offered to pay $220,040.91 to these people. One company

PARLIAMENTARIANS RESPOND AS DEADLINE LOOMS FOR DISCLOSURES from page one He noted an uptick in the frequency of calls from former and sitting politicians on how they can become compliant with the law.

“Basically, with questions with regards to their information and assistance in simple things,” Mr Laroda said of the calls his office has received. “Like if you have more information than they allow in a slot, or what the timeline on disclosing is, and if they don’t have a certain document what they should do.

“I’m hearing it on both sides, individuals want to get their stuff in. Asking, what all they have to do.

Some of the actual politicians, there were those who believe they were compliant because they filed for election but that ain’t got nothing to do with us.”

Mr Laroda stressed that disclosures made to the Parliamentary Registration Department were completely separate from the Public Disclosure Commission, with the latter requiring detailed financial documents to support filings.

He suggested that moving forward there should be an amendment to the Parliamentary Registration Act to ensure stricter accountability measures for financial statements made.

The government has set a June 30 deadline for former

and sitting parliamentarians to file disclosures or face prosecution, according to Press Secretary Anthony Newbold.

Once passed, the government has instructed Mr Laroda to send his finalised list of delinquent parliamentarians to Attorney General Carl Bethel by Monday, July 3.

When contacted by The Tribune last month, Mr Laroda would not disclose the list of delinquent politicians but noted that they included members of both the former governing party, the Progressive Liberal Party, and the Free National Movement, which served as the Official Opposition until the May 10 general election.

that did not even make a claim to the ministry was offered $28,078.50.”

He said another subcontractor that did not make a claim was offered more than $24,000.

He said ultimately, the former administration “sought to soften the blow” by offering many of these sub-contractors 60 per cent on the claims that they submitted.

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He said to top it off, the Bahamian people spent $157,515 to demolish and cart away debris from the burnt male dorm.

“To date no legal action has been taken against the contractor. . . Mr Speaker as I said before, the honourable attorney general will have to decide whether to take legal action against ministers in the outgoing administration who made

Top 10

the outrageous decisions to waste the people’s money.

Decisions that were not justified at the time and are not justified now. And if anyone disagrees with me, I have a burnt down male dormitory to sell them.”

He said the chaos of BAMSI’s origin is now behind it as the Minnis administration seeks to get the construction project on track.

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PAGE 8, Tuesday, June 20, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

ANTI-government demonstrators face off with security forces in Caracas, Venezuela, on Monday. Nearly 70 people have died, hundreds more have been injured and thousands have been detained in months of almost daily protests against President Nicolas Maduro as the nation battles triple-digit inflation, crippling food and medical shortages and rising crime.

Photo: Fernando Llano/AP

The challenges posed by Venezuelan government YOUR SAY

By LISA JOHNSON Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy THE Bahamas and the United States share a deep democratic tradition. With the most recent election in the Bahamas, I witnessed first-hand the power of that democracy and the dedication of the Bahamian people to that tradition.

With nearly 90 per cent voter turnout, there is no doubt Bahamians enjoy their democratic freedoms.

After a hard fought campaign, there was a gracious and peaceful transfer of power. Unfortunately, the situation Venezuelans face today is polar opposite. The Maduro government relentlessly and intentionally undermines the other constitutional branches of government from the inside.

Since opposition parties

won a majority of seats in 2015, Venezuela’s National Assembly has been systematically smothered by the Maduro government.

Democratic nations have the responsibility to collectively defend democracy in Venezuela. In 2001, the OAS adopted the InterAmerican Democratic Charter. Not only did we affirm the right of every citizen across the hemisphere to democracy, we obligated our governments to defend that right.

When a government breaks with democracy, we must join in solidarity with its people. Not through intervention or interference, but with diplomacy and mediation among all parties to help find a peaceful, democratic, and comprehensive solution.

June 16-20, at the General Assembly of the Organisation of American States,

democratic nations have opportunity to discuss the death spiral of democracy in Venezuela. Historically, the OAS has responded effectively to military coups, which usurped democratically-elected governments.

Today, we are witness to something insidious in Caracas. Citing vague, unproven claims of electoral fraud, allegedly committed by three legislators, the government has denied the legislative branch the right to pass laws and the captive judiciary has declared Venezuela’s Congress “in contempt,” stripping it of all legislative authority.

Faced with a crumbling economy and massive popular dissatisfaction, the Maduro regime is now destroying the last vestiges of the democratic order. The government has called for a constituent assembly to abandon the 1999 Bolivar-

ian Constitution spearheaded by Hugo Chavez. My government certainly had strong disagreements with the late President Chavez, but Maduro is trying to instantly wipe away the current National Assembly, the attorney general, and other existing institutions. This would trample on popular suffrage and rob the people of their clearly expressed democratic wishes from 2015.

Both our countries can appreciate our strong, respected and apolitical militaries. Yet Maduro constantly undermines the Venezuela’s military, increasing his reliance on them to control the economy, intimidate opponents, and suppress popular discontent. More than 331 Venezuelan civilians are being held and prosecuted by military courts in secret trials. Venezuela’s

own attorney general, appointed by Chavez in 2007, has condemned the trials and the military has refused her access to the prisoners.

The Bahamas and the United States have a long history of collaboration against the trafficking of drugs, arms, and humans, but Maduro threatens to undermine our hard work.

The spillover effects from Venezuela’s crisis are serious and growing, whether it is irregular migrant flows to countries in our region or the increasing flows of arms and criminal activity that affect the Caribbean in particular. All our countries have a direct stake in finding a negotiated solution that restores the rule of law and economic prosperity to our troubled neighbour.

I call on the citizens of the Bahamas to ask them-

selves: if this were happening here, what would you want your democratic friends and neighbours to do? I know from my three years of listening and watching political debates on radio and newspapers and peaceful protests in your streets, you would expect, even demand, that our American family of nations speak out, and reach out, to help restore fundamental democratic freedoms.

The General Assembly of the Organisation of American States is the venue for us to unify as a region and act to foster negotiations in Caracas to return to a respect for democracy, end the polarising violence, and help the Venezuelan people reclaim their democratic rights and their power.

• Lisa Johnson is chargé d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Nassau.

‘THE US WITHDRAWAL FROM THE PARIS AGREEMENT: IMPLICATIONS FOR SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES’

By LISA BENJAMIN and DR ADELLE THOMAS PRESIDENT Trump’s announcement that the US will withdraw from the Paris Agreement has dire implications for small island developing states such as the Bahamas.

The Paris Agreement contains within it long-term global temperatures goals which are critical to the survival of small island de-

veloping states (SIDS). The parties to the Paris Agreement agreed to keep global temperature increases to “well below 2°C,” and included an historic, but only aspirational, goal to strive to keep global temperature increases below 1.5°C. Although the difference between 1.5⁰C and 2⁰C of warming may seem small, in reality this difference has dire consequences for SIDS. At 2⁰C of warming, there will be higher levels

of coastal erosion, more intense hurricanes, greater damage from flooding and more serious implications for human health and livelihoods. Coral reefs, which are essential to protecting islands from storm surges, would likely be unable to survive the increased temperature of oceans. Perhaps most important for lowelevation islands such as the Bahamas, sea level rise can threaten the very existence of many coastal areas.

These significant differences in impacts between 1.5⁰C and 2⁰C of warming have led many SIDS to adopt the slogan: “1.5⁰C to Stay Alive,” highlighting the existential threat that increased temperatures have for island states. However, even with US participation, the Paris Agreement currently puts the world on a trajectory for a 3°C, or higher, of warming.

While these temperature goals in the Paris Agree-

ment were historic, the agreement fails to set out the speed at which these goals are to be achieved.

The architecture of the Paris Agreement was purposefully made to be flexible, with parties having quasi-voluntary obligations in terms of emissions reductions. While parties have legally binding obligations to submit nationally determined contributions to emissions reductions, the contents, and ambition, of those contributions are voluntary, as they remain entirely up to nation states to determine. The nationally determined contribution of the US was a pledge to cut 26 per cent to 28 per cent of domestic emissions by 2025. The US is a large emitter, responsible for approximately 1/5th of global emissions. While the country has a decentralised system, it is not clear that individual states and companies within the US could make up any short-fall in the absence of federal policies.

In addition, it seems likely that the US administration will cut funding to renewable energy innovation programmes, and has already started to roll back the previous administration’s clean energy plans. Without US domestic emission reductions, it is even more likely that the world will surpass

not only the 1.5°C, but even 2°C temperature goals, signalling difficult times ahead for SIDS. In terms of governance, these decisions have removed the US from global leadership on climate change. Leadership on climate change is now likely to remain firmly with the EU, and also shift dramatically to large developing countries such as China, India and Brazil. The withdrawal process will also take several years, and will not be completed until 2020 at the earliest. It is not clear whether, during this period, the US will remain at the negotiating table. If they do, this change in US policy towards climate change may mean that a potentially obstinate party will be involved in the negotiations to agree the ‘Paris rule book’; the rules and guidance that parties are now negotiating which will be critical to the full implementation of the Paris Agreement. These developments create new and unwelcome hurdles for SIDS in what are already complex and difficult negotiations.

• Lisa Benjamin and Dr Adelle Thomas are assistant professors at The University of The Bahamas, and co-founders of the Climate Change Initiative (www.climatechangebahamas.org).

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 20, 2017, PAGE 9

COLLEGE OPERATING WITHOUT REGISTRATION STATUS FOR A YEAR

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

SOJOURNER-Douglass College was operating its Nassau campus without registration status with the Ministry of Education Science and Technology for a full academic year before it closed offices on East Bay Street.

SDC’s registration with the Ministry of Education was a central element used by officials to justify the decision to keep the satellite campus open in correspondence to students, and in interviews conducted by The Tribune.

However, Dr Iva Dahl, executive director of the National Accreditation and Equivalency Council of The Bahamas (NAECOB),

confirmed to The Tribune that the Nassau campus’ registration status became invalid once its main campus lost its accreditation.

“Sojourner Douglass College’s main campus in Baltimore, Maryland lost its accreditation June 2015,” the email read.

As a consequence of the main campus losing its accreditation, the Nassau campus’ registration status with the Ministry of Education Science and Technology became invalid.

The email continued: “The Ministry of Public Service terminated the approval of Sojourner Douglass programmes for government purposes on June 30, 2015.

“Sojourner Douglass is neither registered nor is it accredited by NAECOB.

Those institutions whose registration is current are grand-fathered with NAECOB for a two-year period ending June 2018.”

Dr Dahl added that all educational providers: primary, secondary and tertiary/post-secondary are required to register with NAECOB. She was responding to questions asked by The Tribune via email. It was unclear up to press time whether the agency was also responsible for monitoring and compliance.

Yesterday, Minister of Education Jeffrey Lloyd declined comment on the ministry’s role, stating only that it was a private matter and that former students should take the institution to court.

“That is a private matter,

Sojourner-Douglass. Take them to court, take them to court,” Mr Lloyd told The Tribune.

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) revoked the SDC’s accreditation in 2014, citing the school’s financial struggles at the time, and denied SDC’s appeal of the revocation in June 2015.

The US campus closed its doors after it could not afford to reopen without the federal funding that was hinged on accreditation.

Students in Baltimore scrambled to obtain transcripts from the embattled institution following the announcement; however, its Bahamas campus did not close until July 2016, when students were told that there would be no registra-

tion for the fall semester, and were advised to settle their accounts in order to receive official transcripts.

At the time of its closing, there were reportedly 130 active students; however, documents obtained by The Tribune indicate that the college intended to continue operations until 2019.

SDC President Dr Charles W Simmons wrote to former Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald, in a letter dated August 22, 2016, advising the minister that former Dean Theresa Moxey-Ingraham had been replaced by Dr Kevin Rolle.

In the letter, Dr Simmons states that the Marylandbased institution intended to continue the operation of its Nassau branch, underscoring that the campus was registered and approved by

the Ministry of Education to operate until 2019.

Dr Simmons notes that the college was actively working to restore its accreditation, adding that the process would likely last another year.

Last week, Dr Rolle told The Tribune that although he was appointed as dean of the Nassau campus in August 2016, when he arrived he found out that the offices had been shuttered the previous month.

According to the Baltimore Sun, SDC is currently offering online courses to Maryland students through a partnership with Bethune-Cookman under the name Global Education Service Inc. Courses reportedly started on May 15.

Child custody case set for international court date

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

merits stage, Mr Rondon addressed a letter to newlyelected Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis indicating A PARENTAL custody that an “efficient, time oridispute is now set to be heard ented and smooth friendly in an international court, settlement brokered by the The Tribune has learned.

IACHR” was in the best inDavid A Rondon, Esq, terest of all parties involved. an international human “In July 2010, my client, a rights attorney, informed Bahamian custodial father, The Tribune on Friday of in representation of himself his client’s successful appli- and his three minor daughcation to have his petition ters, filed a human rights peheard on merit by the Inter- tition with the Inter-AmeriAmerican Commission on can Commission on Human Human Rights Rights (IACHR) (IACHR), which The basis against the govwas filed in 2010. ernment of The On June 2, Ana- of our Bahamas,” Mr lia Banfi of the IA- international Rondon said.

CHR wrote to Mr case is that “Since the Rondon indicating filing of that that: “According we believe original petition to this resolution, that the and subsequent the IACHR will amendments to Bahamian apply Article 36.3 that petition by of its rules to a courts did not my firm, the IAnumber of peti- take binding CHR has sent tions currently numerous cominternational pending an admismunications to law into sibility decision. the Bahamas “Among them account when government are those petistarting in Februtions in which ruling, on ary 2013 requestthe state has not more than ing a response to responded and one occasion, our petition and a follow-up reamendments. quest has been that my However, acsent. This is the custodial cording to the case of P-1090- father client IACHR, no an10. Therefore, in swers have ever the coming weeks could not been submitted you will receive receive child by the Bahamas an official notifi- support from government to cation indicating their assortment that the IACHR the children’s of communicahas opened a case mother. tions. and deferred its “From my letreatment of adgal analysis, one missibility until the debate of the reasons why I believe and decision on the merits. that the former government This means that the petition of The Bahamas did not will move forward from the respond to the myriad of admissibility to the merits inquiries made by the IAstage without an admissibil- CHR in regard to our case, ity report.” is because they were allowOn June 12, 10 days af- ing the case to get to the ter the petition was fast- merits stages—where the tracked for hearing to the case has now progressed—

and then seek an amicable resolution to our case.

“The basis of our international case is that we believe that the Bahamian courts did not take binding international law into account when ruling, on more than one occasion, that my custodial father client could not receive child support from the children’s mother. For example, the courts fail to consider the principles enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man. My firm has submitted to the IACHR that in international family law cases, judgments are rendered in the best interest of the children. As such, denying these girls maintenance payments was not in their best interest.

“In addition, the contempt of court warning levered against my custodial father client in 2008 by the Bahamian courts, effectively prohibiting him from speaking in relations to matters about his children, for nearly 10 years now, brings into question international laws pertaining to freedom of expression.

“At present, I have communicated to Prime Minister Minnis of the Bahamas, through his permanent secretary at this office, to inquire if his new government has interest in an amicable solution to this case through Article 40 of the IACHR Rules of Procedure. My firm has not yet received a reply. Without an amicable solution, we anticipate an IACHR hearing on the matter within a few months.

“Rondon Legal is very committed, and very hopeful in bring justice to my custodial father client and his three daughters through the IACHR process and international law,” Mr Rondon stressed.

FNM chairman Sidney Collie.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS DUE IN COMING WEEKS - COLLIE THE Minnis administration intends to appoint an estimated 6,200 persons across 108 government boards in the coming weeks, Free National Movement chairman Sidney Collie revealed yesterday.

In an interview with The Tribune on Monday, Mr Collie, a member of the administration’s transition team, said the party had concluded the partial selection of 17 of the 108 boards, with a view to finalising the list in the coming days.

“We on the transition team are well on our way, but I continue to call for patience because these are very important decisions that take some time to complete,” Mr Collie said.

“Our job is not to select and appoint completed boards, rather, we are tasked with putting together partial lists of names for each board, which will then be passed on to the Cabinet for review, completion and approval.

“Our transition team is

trying to go through every aspect of these boards and assure that we are not only choosing the good people, but selecting persons that could really improve their respective areas once appointed,” he continued.

Party sources have maintained that the party wants to have “most, if not all” boards filled and working

by July 3, the first business day of the new fiscal year.

According to Mr Collie, there are five distinct classification of boards, the first three of which will be comprised of paid members.

These three classifications of boards are structured with a wage scale that varies from one classification to the other.

When asked to further clarify those wage scales, Mr Collie said he would be unable to do so at the moment because he was not in possession of the documents that referred to that aspect.

The remaining two classifications of boards will

be composed of non-paid members.

The FNM’s six-member transition team is made up of Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, Deputy Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest, Attorney General Carl Bethel, former parliamentarian Cornelius A Smith and former Ambassador to the United States Joshua Sears.

In 2012, the former Christie administration announced its full appointments to statutory boards and committees in early July after the May general election. However, former Prime Minister Perry Christie was criticised for failing to appoint people to boards in time for the start of that fiscal year, July 1.

PLP chairman Bradley Roberts noted at the time that the former Ingraham administration appointed people to statutory boards on July 8, 2007, and that some board appointments were made prior to that date.

READERS RESPOND TO POITIER DEFENCE OF $1M TOURISM CONTRACT AFTER consultant Ian Poitier responded to criticism of his $1m contract with the Ministry of Tourism under the Christie administration, readers gave their reaction on tribune242.com.

Sheeprunner12 had this to say: “Well, if he is so ‘hurt’ about being mischaracterised by DD, then publish his $1m contract and his detailed records of income collected from the Treasury and his expenditures to the vendors and show us where you got paid from the PLP to showcase

their convention.”

Banker agreed: “Right on – let’s see the body of his work. It could have been sent out to tender, and done for a fraction of the price.

I laughed out loud when it was reported that he had written that he is not an employee but a consultant and needed the money to

support his activities. How about a work breakdown structure (WBS) of the things that he claims to have done with milestone and milestone payments. That is how truly professional consultants operate. Show us the Gantt charts, milestones and work breakdown structures. Are they part of the 11 pages? I doubt it !!”

As did Yari: “I couldn’t have said it better. We want to know what work he did and not see a list of his accomplishments and achievements which might have nothing to do with his

consultancy.”

Gbgal said: “The lessons learned here: ensure the paperwork is in place to leave the legitimate paper trail. Act like a businessman as well as a creative consultant!”

But CatIslandBoy defended Mr Poitier: “I don’t understand why everyone is upset with Mr Poitier. The anger, if necessary, should be directed at the PLP government who made the arrangements with him, and paid the money to him.

Come on Bahamians, we are better than that. In my professional experience,

most creative artist are not very good businessmen.

They are usually too consumed in their work. I have never had the good fortune of meeting Mr Poitier, but I have seen his work, and would readily attest to it being first-class, on par with anything I have seen in the US or Europe.

Only for Jackbnimble to respond with: “‘Most creative artist’??? I do believe he said he had a law degree.

Surely he was taught in law school to cross his ‘t’s’ and dot his ‘i’s’. Because the big wigs in the Government

did not find it fitting to put a proper contract in place which detailed what nearly half a million of taxpayers’ dollars was being spent on, does not in any way exempt him just because he didn’t see fit to insist on it.”

In The Tribune’s latest online poll, we asked readers if they agreed with the decision to disband the National Intelligence Agency.

In the final results, 91 per cent of those voting backed the decision.

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

PAGE 10, Tuesday, June 20, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Student chosen to be summit representative on future of medicine BRANDEIS University has announced that Bahamian student Lauryn Rolle will represent their high school and Ontario, Canada, at the Global Youth Summit on the Future of Medicine.

“The next generation of health care providers will practice in an environment hard to imagine just a few years ago. Leading-edge science is rapidly changing the daily practice of health care,” said Steven Goldstein, chairman of the Global Youth Summit at Brandeis University and dean of the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago.

“We are in the midst of the most significant and fundamental change in

health care delivery in our lifetime and young people who start now will be the future leaders in the field of medicine.”

Aligned with Brandeis’ elite admissions standards, only students with exceptional academic records and test scores as well as documented interest in a medical or health career were invited to apply, a press release noted. Out of the hundreds of outstanding applicants, Ms Rolle is one of only 230 delegates selected for the programme. According to Andrew Flagel, senior vice president for students and enrollment at Brandeis, “The delegation comes from across the country and around the world. I am very proud to be welcoming this

incredibly talented, diverse, and passionate group of young leaders to Brandeis.”

Delegates to the summit will gain unique, behindthe-scenes insight into the dynamic world of health care through experiential learning, guest lectures and networking opportunities with leaders and innovators in the global medical community in order to build upon their already significant abilities and chart their path to becoming leaders in medicine.

“Soon it will be routine to order the complete map of each patient’s genome, and the staggering potential of truly personalised medical treatments for both chronic and acute illnesses will be in our hands, as will be the responsibility for handling

this powerful information in an ethical manner,” Mr Goldstein explained.

“Brandeis is at the forefront of exploring these issues, and part of its distinctive mission is to produce leaders to repair the world.”

Delegates will hear from prominent Brandeis faculty members including fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and medical researchers and innovators.

The summit’s keynote addresses will be delivered

by Dr David Roberts, MD, dean of external education at Harvard Medical School.

Ms Rolle was selected as the Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year in 2013. She is the daughter of Pia and Herman Rolle.

LAURYN ROLLE

‘Stunned’ Rolle receives Pompey scholarship A SENIOR at L N Coakley High School in Exuma recently became the second recipient of The Pompey Scholarship, with ambitious plans to study in Canada this fall and return to Exuma as a primary school educator.

Demi Rolle, whose favourite subjects include English and history, will join her friend Troyann Forbes, the first winner of this scholarship, at Acadia University on the Canadian east coast.

“I was really just stunned.

Me? Really? When they called my name, I couldn’t believe it. It was really exciting,” Ms Rolle said, who picked up her over-sized cheque at L N Coakley’s graduation ceremony, held at Sandals Emerald Bay last Tuesday.

“I plan to come back home [to Exuma], but I want to get that experience abroad as well and then perhaps open up my own pre-school when I return. I heard it is very nice in Canada and I have friends over there.”

Ms Rolle’s big win is the end result of last year’s Run for Pompey, the second installment in an annual event that is rapidly becoming a fixture on the sports tourism calendar.

The next Run for Pompey, taking place over National Heroes Day Weekend from October 6 to October 8 in Exuma, promises to be largest yet, featuring a new collaboration with the National Family Island Regatta. On October 7, or race day, runners from the Bahamas and abroad will be treated to a

SCHOLARSHIP recipient Demi Rolle collected more than her diploma when she attended graduation ceremonies for LN Coakley High in Exuma recently. She learned she was the 2017 winner of a $5,000 scholarship, proceeds from the 2nd Run for Pompey held last October in Exuma. She is pictured with her parents; Lynmore Taylor (right of Ms Rolle), administrative assistant at GIV Bahamas Inc; Exuma MP Chester Cooper and Cecelia Cooper. festival atmosphere in the park with a full bar, food stalls, Bahamians entertainment and a “mini-regatta” in Elizabeth Harbour.

Run for Pompey is also thrilled to announce two new sponsors of the event.

Atabey, the much anticipated development on the islands of William’s Cay and Children’s Bay Cay, will become a valued supporter, along with Aliv, the

emerging telecommunications company.

The event is led by title sponsor BAF Financial & Insurance (Bahamas) Limited and MRI Nassau.

GIV Bahamas Inc., the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Grand Isle Resort, Sands Beer, Caribbean and Bottling Company, Ty’s Sunset Bar & Grill, Catch A Fire, Chat N’ Chill, BahamasLocal.com, SuperClubs

Breezes and Diane Phillips & Associates round out Run for Pompey’s strong network of sponsors.

Legendary “Golden Girl” Pauline Davis-Thompson will serve as Run for Pompey’s patron for the third consecutive time, draping medals around each neck at the finish line. She also provides a special keynote address at Grand Isle’s pasta night for runners the

night before the race.

“The level of support for this event has been outstanding,” said Jeff Todd, director of communications at GIV Bahamas Inc, who founded the race with Kevin Taylor, the owner of DreamKatcher Media.

“With the race as its centrepiece, Pompey is growing into a weekend-long celebration of Bahamian history and culture. The fact

it takes place on National Heroes Day weekend only makes Run for Pompey more poignant. Registration is already very strong and we expect a huge turnout in our third year.”

In 1830, Pompey, a 32-year-old slave, defied a transfer order on Exuma that would have separated 77 men, women and children from their families.

While his rebellion was eventually quashed, it is widely seen as a key moment in the Bahamian fight for freedom.

Don Barr, the principal of L N Coakley High School, believes the history of Pompey is an essential ingredient in the event and the educational process.

“From the historical aspect of it, students know of Pompey, and the fact there is a whole committee and event surrounding it all, that in itself deserves praise,” he explained. “These scholarships means a lot to us. I believe it will inspire more students to do the same thing and follow in Demi’s footsteps.”

With two Pompey Scholarship winners now at Acadia University, the approach appears to be working, as students from Exuma continue to write their own page in the Pompey history books.

The donation will be paid directly to Acadia University on Ms Rolle’s behalf by the Exuma Foundation of Canada.

To learn more about the Run for Pompey and sign up for the 2017 event, you can visit its website at http:// runforpompey.com/.