06272019 NEWS

THURSDAY i’m lovin’ it!

HIGH 88ºF LOW 78ºF

The Tribune Established 1903

24/7 BREAKING NEWS ON TRIBUNE242.COM

Biggest And Best!

VOLUME:116 No.127, JUNE 27TH, 2019

OBITS OFFICIA

$1

INSIDE

CLASSIFIED TRADER: CARS, CARS, CARS & MORE CARS

US woman dies in shark horror Snorkel trip to Rose Island ends in savage attack

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net AN American woman is dead after a shark attack near Rose Island yesterday.

Police said the woman was snorkeling around 2pm when she was attacked.

The victim, believed to be 21-year-old Jordan Lindsay from California, was taken to the shore and then to Doctors Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

A woman, who claimed to have witnessed the

victim being loaded into an ambulance, said it appeared the woman’s legs had been chewed off.

“Oh God, I saw her being lifted into the ambulance by Texaco on East Bay today,” the woman posted in a popular Facebook group. “She was limp. I said a silent prayer but it didn’t look good. Looks like her legs were off. May her soul rest in peace. These sharks are becoming more and more agitated and I don’t understand why. It was never this way before.”

SEE PAGE THREE

SARKIS Izmirlian is targeting a “substantial” jobs and GDP impact with a 333-acre mixed-use development at Clifton Bay that is focused on “sustainability” and environmental preservation.

Tribune Business can reveal that Baha Mar’s original developer is back in Bahamian real estate development via a proposed project called The Preserve, located in southwestern

New Providence near Jaws Beach.

Mr Izmirlian has teamed with Tom Dunlap, his former Baha Mar president, to produce a “very low density” development on land he is understood to have acquired last year.

While similar in size to the nearby 363-acre South Ocean resort, this newspaper was informed that the duo are aiming for a “live, work, play” concept that embraces traditional Bahamian living.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

BPL UNION: BLACKOUTS WORST IT’S EVER BEEN

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

AS key government facilities were among dozens of areas struck by power cuts yesterday, Bahamas Electrical Workers Union president Paul Maynard said the ongoing situation is at its “worst” as he suggested Bahamians needed to protest against this electricity crisis.

Bahamas Power and Light had little update to give consumers yesterday outside of its Facebook page, which only provided a running list of areas from east to west affected by widespread load shedding.

These included the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services, Sandilands Rehabilitation SEE PAGE SIX

BURGLAR SHOT AFTER STABBING OFFICER

SARKIS CONFIRMS NEW CLIFTON BAY PROJECT

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

L SOUR CE

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

MDEEZ SUSPECT

32-YEAR-OLD Shamano Cooper, above, was yesterday accused of killing Bahamian singer Devon “Mdeez” Knight last week. Full report - Page 3 Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

A FORMER police reservist yesterday testified how a 33-year-old shop breaking suspect was shot and killed after allegedly stabbing his former partner in the arm almost a decade ago.

Quincy Strachan, now employed with the General Post Office, said his former partner, Reserve Constable Shawn Butler was injured after allegedly clashing with Bradford “Mad Brad” Brown on May 28, 2010.

This, Mr Strachan said, was evidenced by him hearing Mr Butler issue the command “police, stop”, SEE PAGE FIVE

‘POLICE BEAT SUSPECTS? RIDICULOUS’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A FORMER police officer’s claim that for decades the Royal Bahamas Police Force has falsified reports, beaten suspects for confessions and sent innocent people to prison was denounced by National Security Minister Marvin Dames and Police Commissioner Anthony Ferguson.

Mr Dames said the former officer,

EX-OFFICER Bernard Swann Bernard Swann, was never an investigator and lacks the credibility to discuss the

investigative tactics of the RBPF. He said the man served in the 1980s to his knowledge. Commissioner Ferguson, insisting officers do not falsify reports, said he has nonetheless dispatched a team to investigate the matter.

Mr Swann made his comments in a recording which were circulated on WhatsApp and Facebook.

He told The Tribune he has received numerous threats

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE FIVE

STATESIDE SPORT’S SORRY TALE OF FAME AND INFAMY

SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Thursday, June 27, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

SPEAKERS at last night’s meeting Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

OPENING MARIJUANA TOWN HALL MEETING THE Bahamas Marijuana Commission held its first town hall in New Providence yesterday evening. The meeting was held at St John’s College.

The commission’s mandate is to codify the views of the Bahamian public on all things related to cannibis and make a recommendation to the government of the Bahamas on all things related to the plant. The commission has formed several subcommittees examining medical use,

8 PIECES OF CHICKEN 1 LARGE FRIES 4 BISCUITS

20

$

(INCL. VAT)

recreational use, industrial and economic use, ceremonial use and the regulatory issues around this plant. About 40 people attended the town hall.

CARICOM’s Regional Commission on Marijuana held a well-attended town hall discussing marijuana at the Holy Trinity Activity Centre last January. Attendees at such events have been mostly in favor of marijuana decriminalisation and legalisation.

Turnquest: Prepare for hurricanes

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net ALTHOUGH the Bahamas is predicted to have a “normal” hurricane season, Deputy Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest yesterday pointed out that it “only takes one storm to really cause devastation.”

He noted the major hurricanes of 2015, 2016, and 2017 cost the country approximately $820m.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Bahamas National Disaster Preparedness Baseline Assessment (NDPBA) workshop, Mr Turnquest said “it is not a matter of ‘if’, but ‘when’ we will face a major catastrophe,” as he stressed the importance of hurricane preparedness.

Financial measures the government already has in place include a credit-line with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and its participation in the Caribbean Catastrophic Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF), as well as a “self-funded” disaster relief fund, which the government hopes to grow to approximately $200m.

When asked about this fund, Mr Turnquest said: “It’s a part of our financial planning. When we revealed the budget, we indicated that we were going to set up a special fund for disaster relief, particularly to deal with the relief efforts that in the past has caused us to have to go and borrow.

“And the traceability of it is difficult, getting it at a good rate is (difficult). So we want to see if we can

LOOK out for The Tribune’s hurricane supplement with tomorrow’s paper help ourselves and build up this fund to an extent that we can take care of the most pressing and immediate needs in the event of an aftermath of a storm.

“So, last year we made a $1m deposit into that fund, this year we will do the same. Eventually once we start to turn a surplus, we want to dedicate one per cent or a minimum of 0.1 per cent of our GDP to this disaster fund so that we build it up to an eventual $200m, to which then we can invest it and it can become self-sustainable.

And again this is an effort, or one of the tools that we are putting into our bag, recognising that it is not a matter of if, but when we will face a major catastrophe, some natural disaster, in this country.

“Although we have had disasters, we have been relatively lucky because the storms have not hit Nassau directly. But again, if you follow the trends and

history, you know that the probability Is increasing, it’s not decreasing that we will have that, so we want to be prepared.”

Mr Turnquest also addressed preparations individuals and families should make.

“We’re faced with this challenge every year,” he said. “The Bahamas unfortunately sits in a disaster-prone, storm risk area. And so we should all already (have) begun our preparations, if not completed preparations for this upcoming season. The predictions seem that we will have a normal season, but you know again it only takes one storm to really cause devastation to an individual or family or to our country as a whole.”

He called for people to ensure they have a disaster relief kit and evacuation plan, adding the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has a “toolkit” on its website and Facebook page that lists all the items families need to ensure they are prepared for a national disaster.

NEMA Director Captain Stephen Russell yesterday described the workshop as an opportunity for stakeholders to engage in knowledge exchange and “further craft the way forward to strengthening our national disaster plan”.

“The partnership the University of Hawaii’s Pacific Disaster Centre (PDC) on the (NDPBA) programme will support NEMA’s efforts, to build a better-prepped and more resilient nation,” he continued.

EMERGENCY LANDING IN GB

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

AN American Eagle airplane made an emergency landing the airport in

Grand Bahama after experiencing difficulties in flight on Wednesday morning, police reported.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Terecita Pinder reported that shortly before 10am yesterday, police received information that American Eagle flight 1963, which departed from Charlotte, North Carolina, headed for Punta Cana in Dominican Republic, was experiencing some difficulties. According to reports,

there were 109 passengers and crew onboard at the time.

ASP Pinder said as a precautionary measure the aircraft made an emergency landing at the Grand Bahama International Airport, where all emergency personnel were on standby.

She stated that the plane landed safely, and there were no injuries or damage reported. Investigations are continuing into the incident.

MILESTONE FOR ALIV

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net

ALIV celebrated a new milestone yesterday: the official launch of ‘Freedom Simplified’, its new prepaid packages inclusive of free and unlimited calling and texting between Aliv patrons.

Chief Alive Officer Damian Blackburn said this was the first time changes were made to the company’s prepaid plans since the telecommunications company launched two and a half years ago.

Mr Blackburn said: “It’s a great day here in Aliv, every day is a great day, but this is very special for us indeed. We’ve had absolutely amazing feedback from our customers.

“We’ve decided to do something based on feedback from our customers that we believe is fundamental relaunch of our prepaid plan. We really

love this because we believe it’s going to meet the customer’s needs.”

He added: “Freedom simplified: we’re simplifying the prepaid experience for all of our customers. We are launching prepaid plans today that include VAT. The price you see is simply the price you’ll pay. Gone are the days in Aliv when you had to (feel) for change in your pocket.”

Mr Blackburn said Aliv has also enhanced and relaunched its Freedom and Liberty plans.

He said: “We now have a $6 price point, $12 price point, $25 price point and $35 price point in our bestselling seven-day plan.

“We also have restructured our liberty range of plans our 30-day plans. We now have $30, $60, $90 and our unlimited $140.”

Officials have previously revealed that Aliv has a subscriber base of 150,000 customers based on a 60-day subscriber ‘churn’ cycle.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 27, 2019, PAGE 3

32-YEAR-OLD ACCUSED OF MURDERING MDEEZ

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

SHAMANO Cooper outside court yesterday.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

SHAMANO Cooper is responsible for murdering Bahamian singer Devon “Mdeez” Knight last week, police have alleged.

The 32-year-old Sandilands Village Road resident was arraigned in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a single murder charge stemming from the June 21 incident.

According to reports from police, on the date in question, Knight was involved in an altercation with someone who stabbed him.

An injured Knight reportedly tried to drive himself to the hospital but lost consciousness on the way and collided into another vehicle.

Given the nature of the charge, Cooper was not required to enter a plea to the charge and the matter was adjourned to August 16 for service of a voluntary bill

of indictment (VBI). Bail was denied and he was ordered to be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in the interim.

However, The Tribune understands Cooper will apply for bail in the Supreme Court to avoid being in custody ahead of the service of his VBI. He is represented by attorney Bjorn Ferguson.

Meanwhile, 28-year-old Whitney Johnson was charged with murdering Jareth Cartwright in the Pinewood Gardens area just hours after Knight was stabbed.

According to police reports, shortly after 11pm on Friday, a man was walking on Rosewood Street, Pinewood Gardens, when he was approached by a man who stabbed him in his body before running away.

The deceased was taken to hospital where he died a short time later.

Johnson was not require to enter a plea to the charge and the

CHARGED: Whitney Johnson matter was adjourned to a later date for service of a VBI. Bail was denied and he was remanded into custody in the interim. He has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

Horror as American tourist dies after she is attacked by sharks near Rose Island from page one According to reports on foreign media last night, three sharks were involved in the attack, and they bit her in the arms, legs and buttocks, and severed her right arm.

Family members, including her parents, were reported to have been with her during the snorkeling expedition. Family members saw the sharks and yelled a warning to her but she did not hear them in time.

Tourist Avery Holton wrote on his Twitter feed: “My sister was in the water today when a snorkeler was attacked and killed by a tiger shark in the Bahamas. My sister is a doctor and was with the family of the deceased. Terrible. My sister is okay.”

The Ministry of Tourism issued condolences to the woman’s family over the incident and said precautionary advisories had been issued by the Ministry of Agriculture.

“Details are still being gathered and confirmed, but preliminary reports indicate that the female visitor was snorkeling near Rose Island around 2pm when the incident occurred,” the ministry noted.

“She was brought to shore and transported to hospital in New Providence, where she was pronounced dead. Investigations into the incident are ongoing and further details will be released when available. In the meantime, the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources has

issued precautionary advisories to the public.”

Fatal shark attacks in The Bahamas are rare though the country has historically averaged several non-fatal attacks per year.

According to The Tribune’s records, the last confirmed fatal shark attack was on February 24, 2008 when Markus Groh, 49, died a day after a shark bit his leg. The lawyer from Vienna was in Bahamian waters.

On July 13, 2014 American chiropractor Dr John Petty, 63, of Longview, Texas, disappeared while diving with eight others from the Shear Water during a shark dive expedition at Tiger Beach, Grand Bahama. His camera and shredded dive gear were recovered from the water.

His body was never found.

Yesterday a diving expert, speaking anonymously, told The Tribune shark attacks are rare in the country because of the clear waters.

“Sharks can see the prey that they are going after,” he said. “Sharks in The Bahamas eat primarily fish, not mammals like seals or walrus and therefore usually have no interest in humans.”

He continued: “Shark attacks are usually survivable because sharks make investigatory bites and will circle around before deciding what they had just tasted was actually consumable. The time between the initial bite and making the decision to carry through with the attack often gives the person time to escape or be rescued.”

A TIGER SHARK The diving expert said circumstances change if the water is murky, if people are catching fish nearby, if someone cleaned fish in the area and the scent is in the water, if the person was spearfishing or if the shark was indiscriminately baited into the location.

“With any one of the above in place, the attack will be more direct and potentially more serious.

The more of the circumstances listed above that are in place add to the intentionality and severity of the attack,” he explained.

“Sharks in The Bahamas are typically not of a size to consume an entire person.

However, if the attack severs an artery, without advanced medical assistance the person can bleed out and die from blood loss.

“There is one species of shark in Bahamian waters that is aggressive enough and grows big enough to render an instantly fatal attack. The Tiger shark often grows to ten feet and females can grow to 16 feet.

Tiger sharks are known to have the widest food spectrum of all species of sharks and unprovoked attacks on humans have been reported. An intentional attack from a ten to 16-foot shark will usually not end well.”

The diver stated that The Bahamas realised the value of sharks to the environment and have taken steps to educate the public and implement measures to protect the animals.

He said: “The Bahamas Shark Sanctuary was created in July of 2011 by adding an amendment to the Fisheries Resources (Jurisdiction and Conservation) Act (Chapter 244). The amendment created shark protections

throughout all the territorial waters of The Bahamas, over 650,000 square kilometers of ocean. It was a major win for sharks, who already benefit from the long-line ban of 1992.”

According to the Florida Museum, the International Shark Attack File

investigated 130 incidents of alleged shark-human interactions occurring worldwide in 2018. Most reports acknowledge five fatal attacks in 2018.

The Bahamas National Trust has called the Bahamas the “shark diving capital” of the world.

PAGE 4, Thursday, June 27, 2019

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

Claims which can’t just be shrugged off THERE were two shocking statements yesterday – both detailed in today’s Tribune.

The first came from a voice note circulating on social media, recorded by a former police officer, Bernard Swann, number 1414 in the police force, who said “we beat people, force the confessions, go to court, lie and send them to jail”.

He said in the note: “When my partners dem wanted to send people to jail and they didn’t do their proper investigation, we lied to cover and people went to prison. You did it and I did it. Ain’t a single police officer today or in our history who didn’t do that.”

The comments, of course, are outrageous. More than anyone else, every single honest police officer should be outraged.

The other shocking statement was the lightness with which Minister of National Security Marvin Dames took the allegations.

He dismissed Mr Swann, saying: “As far as I’m aware, this person may have served sometime over the early 80s and certainly before my time in the organisation. I never knew of him and from speaking to persons (he wasn’t) any investigator. He cannot be speaking for the force I know and that many distinguished men and women who would’ve passed through it know.”

Let’s be clear about this – Mr Swann claimed that he would beat suspects, he would falsify reports, he would lie in court, and that he was not the only officer doing this. According to him, it was widespread.

These are serious allegations. And Mr Dames can only say he “may” have served “sometime” in the early 80s?

After such claims, we’d expect the minister to have Mr Swann’s personnel file on his desk the same day.

Given the sheer number of times that defendants in court even now claim they have been beaten by police, is it really so implausible that some of Mr Swann’s claims would have been true then – and that some officers might still think such behaviour might be acceptable now?

In the past months alone, The Tribune

has reported on a lawsuit filed by three people who claimed they were tortured by police in Eleuthera including having a fish bag put over their head until they could not breathe. We have reported on a lawyer releasing a video showing her client doubled up in distress as he was taken to an ambulance outside the Central Detective Unit after he was allegedly beaten. We have reported on people awarded damages by the courts for being beaten by police.

So we’d expect Mr Dames to show a little more concern rather than just dismissing it as something from the past.

We’d expect him to show concern for any cases that Mr Swann might have been involved in – and to have those case files on his desk too in short order.

Are there people in jail now whose cases Mr Swann was involved with?

We’d expect – in fairness – the reaction that was given by Commissioner Anthony Ferguson, pledging a team to investigate the claims and that he wanted to know the truth, though he too suggested there was no reasons anyone might falsify a report.

Too often, there are claims of abuse by police officers – and too often, it seems it is not taken seriously. The three people from Eleuthera who claimed they were tortured went through the proper police process to file a complaint – only to be told they’d run out of time for the police to act on it when the force did not respond quickly to their protest.

Mr Swann’s lawyer – while deflecting from the voice note itself – raised very good points when he asked why it is that CCTV can’t be set up throughout police stations to monitor interactions between officers and suspects. We wait too for the introduction of body cameras to record interactions on the streets.

It is past time for claims of police brutality to be taken seriously. They cannot be dismissed or shrugged off. Mr Swann’s allegations may be from years gone by – but it is not as if such claims aren’t being made here and now.

We agree with Commissioner Ferguson – we want to know the truth. And that calls for thorough investigation.

Starting now.

Lucky to live in this beautiful country EDITOR, The Tribune The Development Board, the predecessor of the Ministry of Tourism, once referred to the Bahamas as the “Isles of Perpetual June”. With the abundance of beautiful trees in flower at this time, I think we should refer to the Bahamas as the “Isles of Perpetual Bloom”.

The Royal Poinciana trees are ablaze with their different hues of red and orange and there is even an occasional yellow variety.

There is a beautiful example

of this rare Poinciana in a garden at the southern end of Gladstone Road.

There is a spectacular Shower of Gold tree (cassia fistula) in full bloom on the north side of Eastern Road, west of the Fox Hill Road. The clumps of purple bougainvillea are truly beautiful. It is not surprising that many Bahamians thought that the purple bougainvillea should have been the national flower of the Bahamas.

From my bedroom window this week, I could see five different red/orange

trees in full bloom. In addition to Poinciana and the bougainvillea, there was a red frangipani, a bauhinia (poor man’s orchid) and lots of red hibiscus.

We are lucky to live in this beautiful country and we should remember the people (warriors and citizens) who fought for our freedoms. Some of our brave warriors never returned to our Isles of Perpetual Bloom.

JOHN A WANKLYN Nassau June 20, 2019

Citizens must lead the fight against corruption EDITOR, The Tribune EDWARD Abbey, an American author said “a patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government”.

This statement expresses the reality about keeping corruption in any government in check. The desire for “more” is innate in human being and when a person is in government he or she has access to wealth and privileges galore.

Most persons that enter politics want power and the comfort money can buy.

Ministers in our system get well paid with extravagant benefits. The longer they are in politics the more entitled they get. To expect a politician to end corruption is like asking a gangster to stop crime.

Often to get elected some politicians engage in bribery. It can be through legitimate campaigning or through illegal

inducements. How can they be expected to act honorably when to ensure victory they had to do dishonorable deeds?

The fight against corruption must be led by a country’s citizenry or else it will be cosmetic or usef to target a politician political rivals.

BRIAN ELLIS PLUMMER Nassau June 24, 2019

Ambassadors represent us all EDITOR, The Tribune SUCCESSIVE governments have adopted the practice of appointing ambassadors plucked from the private sector who often have no formal training in diplomacy or even the public service.

The effect of this is beginning to show across the foreign service as was evidenced by the rather unfortunate diplomatic faux pas witnessed when our ambassador to Belgium called on the King to present her letter of credence.

If we are to be fair to the Ambassador, Maria O’Brien, and accept her eyebrow-raising choice of dress for this regal occasion, we would reveal yet another lapse at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

We have been in the business of direct diplomacy for nearly five decades and by now there must be a wealth of knowledge in protocol, etiquette and statecraft reposed in our foreign service establishment.

When a foreign ambassador presents letters of credence to our Governor General it is a high diplomatic event accompanied by pomp and circumstance with everyone in their Sunday best.

On the morning of the event, Royal Bahamas Police Force aides in full dress uniform proceed in an official state vehicle to pick up the new ambassador and, with outriders and country flag fluttering, escorts him or her to Government House for the formal ceremony.

The ambassador carries a formal letter of credence READERS on tribune242.com are still discussing the closure of Fusion Superplex due to power issues.

Truetruebahamian said: “It should be mandatory for buildings like the Fusion Superplex to supply their own solar power installations as they draw a huge amount of power which would be better used as available to remaining customers. Anyone who can should solarise their home or business and use the electric company as a backup source only.”

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net signed by his or her head of state and addressed to ours, Her Majesty the Queen.

The same protocol is afforded to our ambassadors when they present their credentials abroad.

In our case it is a formal diplomatic letter from the Queen to the receiving head of state. Her Majesty entrusted Maria O’Brien to present such a letter to His Majesty the King of Belgium who would then accept her at his royal court.

Royal protocol demanded that she observe a centuries-old implied dress code which is usually formal attire. The King came dressed to the nines in full military regalia accompanied by military equerries and aides similarly bedecked.

And how did our ambassador roll up into Le Palais Royal de Bruxelles? Why Her Excellency chose a rather elegant but quite inappropriate haute couture ensemble with a skirt that was way too high above the knee for the royal occasion.

By contrast, when Ed Bethel presented at the same Palace, he turned up in full morning suit with a very natty white tie. And he fit right in. Our last ambassador to Belgium, Rhoda Jackson, a career diplomat, dressed very conservatively, in a culturally sensitive but smart business suit.

Ms. Obrien’s resume says she studied international affairs. Well enough, but the briefing book on her

That prompted this reply from Dawes: “Sounds great, but I know of some businesses that are still waiting on URCA to say yes they can do this – after applying more then a year ago and meeting all the criteria. Government does not want those that pay their bills on time to go solar as they know they will then really have issues.”

new assignment that hopefully was supplied by the Foreign Ministry staff must have included a chapter on diplomatic etiquette.

Ambassadors assigned to the Court of St. James (as a diplomatic posting to London is called) have the benefit of the mandarins of Buckingham Palace to set them straight before they are received by any member of the royal family, much less by the Queen.

Any Bahamian ambassador need only ask the Palace’s office of diplomatic protocol to be advised on how to comport themselves at any diplomatic post anywhere in the world.

Failing that there is a 250-year-old UK company that publishes a book, Debrett’s, that is the definitive handbook on diplomatic etiquette and gives advice on everything from dress codes to proper forms of address all the way up to the modern-day art of correct styles for email communications in the diplomatic world.

In brief, there is no excuse for Ambassador O’Brien’s “short” sightedness.

We must not dismiss such slip-ups as nit-picking. In addition to representing the Queen, our ambassadors represent us all, and if it’s all the same to the Foreign Ministry, we would much prefer if they erred on the conservative side when putting their best foot forward overseas.

Their sartorial choices should never become the lead story from a credentialing ceremony.

THE GRADUATE Nassau, June 25, 2019 After Chamber of Commerce executives urged Bahamians not to view World Trade Organisation membership as the “end destination” but rather “one tool” for achieving essential reforms, The_Oracle said: “The Government has created the WTO ‘boogey man’ through not being transparent nor making available their (actually our!) position. Since 2001 information has been unobtainium! I’d still like a list of private sector companies or individuals consulted with.”

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 27, 2019, PAGE 5

BURGLAR SHOT AFTER STABBING POLICE OFFICER from page one

the subsequent sound of gunshots, and him later encountering Brown’s dead body on the ground with a knife in his hand.

According to Mr Strachan, sometime in the early morning hours of the date in question, he, Mr Butler and another officer received information of a shop breaking in progress at The Soup Cafe on Alexander Street.

Mr Strachan said when he and his former partners responded to the call, he said a woman who lived in

the area pointed out where the suspect ran.

That woman, based on the evidence, was Melissa Pearson, who lived on Alexander Street at the time. She had phoned police after noticing a male just at the side of her stairs while peeking through her window.

She said when the male looked up, she backed up from the window and called a friend who called the police. Meanwhile, she said the male left the stairs of her apartment and went across the road under another set of stairs.

When the police arrived shortly afterwards, she pointed out where the individual was.

Mr Strachan said after arriving in the area, he made his way onto Rosetta Street and headed west. He said when he got near the John’s Uniform Department, he said he saw someone. Mr Strachan said when he said “police, stop” to the person, the person fled.

Mr Strachan said the person ran east on Rosetta Street, and he gave chase.

He said shortly thereafter, he heard Mr Butler say “police, stop”, then

gunshots. Mr Strachan said he ultimately ended up in the rear of a complex.

Mr Strachan said when he went into an alley nearby, he noticed a dead male lying on the floor with a knife in his hand.

Mr Strachan said he also heard Mr Butler say he was injured, and said his former partner was clutching his arm. He said police control room was subsequently contacted and informed of the situation.

Mr Strachan said an ambulance ultimately arrived on scene, and took Mr Butler away.

Meanwhile, Brown’s

mother Ruth Hanna testified how she didn’t even know her son was dead until four days later.

She said she was only made aware of his death by two police officers on June 1, 2010 who came to her house and asked if she had a birth certificate and identification for her son.

Ms Hanna said she replied by saying: “What happen, he dead ay?” She said she did so because she had a “gut feeling” that’s what it was about, and that she found it interesting that they would ask for those documents.

However, she said the officers merely instructed her to go to the morgue to identify her son’s body.

Ms Hanna said the last time she saw her son was about a week prior, and that he was calm.

She added that her son would “come and go” from her house, and would often stay by relatives for days at a time.

Nonetheless, she said she felt “really bad” that she had to find out about her son’s death four days after the fact.

Robin Lynes represents the family of the deceased.

The matter continues.

Police officers lie and send people to jail all the time. We beat people, force the confessions, go to court, lie and send them to jail, claims former policeman LEFT, Former police officer Bernard Swann; right, National Security Minister Marvin Dames

Ridiculous, says Dames from page one since the recording went viral and he referred this newspaper to his lawyer, Wayne Munroe, rather than elaborate on the claims himself.

He said in the recording: “. . . Let me be straight up with you, you and I are both former police officers. Don’t try to tell none of these naive people in this chat that your hands clean because that’s (expletive) nonsense. You send people to jail because you fix reports, I know I did.

“When my partners wanted to send people to jail and they didn’t do their proper investigation, we lied to cover and people went to prison,” he claimed.

“You did it and I did it and ain’ a single police officer in this job today or in our history who didn’t do that.

Don’t come here talking that nonsense ‘bout your integrity…what integrity?

“Where you get integrity from? Ain’ no police officer get no integrity. They lie and send people to jail all the time. We do it all the time. We beat people, force the confessions, go to court lie and send them to jail. I don’t know who you think you talking to but 1414 was my number, Bernard Swann is my name, I used to work in radio and transport in the echoes, every shift we had competition among ourselves, somebody got to go to jail.”

Mr Dames called the allegation of continuous falsifying of reports “ridiculous” and said the voice note shows the danger of social media.

“As far as I’m aware this person may have served sometime over the early ‘80s and certainly before my time in the organisation,” he told reporters. “I never knew of him and from speaking to persons (he wasn’t) any investigator.

He cannot be speaking for the force I know and that many distinguished men and women who would’ve passed through it know. He

may have been speaking for himself. To make such a general statement like that really speaks to maybe the person that he is.”

Commissioner Ferguson said: “I heard the voice note and I’ve intended to dispatch a team to conduct an investigation into it. I’d be interested in knowing what it is that he really is saying to see if there is any truth to it. There’s no reason that you would find a sensible individual falsifying a report to send someone to prison.

“Don’t get carried away by someone waking up one morning and making a statement. Investigations that come from the Royal Bahamas Police Force are very thorough. A lot of those investigations comes from police and goes to the Attorney General’s Office and the evidence is overwhelming and you would see the results from court. A person in defence of themselves is free to make any allegation they want to make, you cannot stop them, but the police is very thorough in their investigations.”

Not only are allegations of forced confessions common but courts have also sometimes found them to be merited. Just last month the Court of Appeal overturned a man’s armed robbery conviction and sentencing after appellate judges determined that police beat the man to force a confession, making the evidence acquired because of that confession inadmissible.

Justice Jon Isaacs wrote in the ruling that the trial judge could have “harboured no doubt about the reliability of the appellant’s allegations of abuse” because there was “ample evidence of injuries he received while in custody.”

In February, The Tribune reported on the lawsuit of three people in Eleuthera who claim they were tortured for armed robbery confessions before they were released without charge. The trio claim they

were ‘fish bagged’ until they could not breathe. One of them claims police poured hot sauce into his eye for which he continues to suffer debilitating effects. Their lawsuits are pending.

Also in February, Shavar Bain, a man whose son was kidnapped, alleged police tortured him to confess that he played a role in his own son’s kidnapping. Mr Bain was released from custody without charge.

In March, attorney Christina Galanos recorded and released a four-second video showing her client bent over in distress and being taken into an ambulance outside the Central Detective Unit after he was allegedly beaten to force a confession. Many defence lawyers, and even some top legal officials in previous administrations, have told The Tribune in the last six months that torture for confessions is a genuine

problem in the Bahamian justice system.

For his part, Mr Munroe said rather than be treated as compelling news, Mr Swann’s voice note should spark a conversation about authorities’ failure to adequately protect the public from police misconduct.

“We’ve had judgements to say that police beat confessions out of people so why is someone saying they do it so surprising?” he said. “We’ve gotten judgements with damages for people who say police have beaten them. We’ve had cases where Supreme Court judges have rejected police evidence as concocted, same thing at the Court of Appeal, same thing with the Privy Council, so why is this surprising, unless we’ve been asleep all this time?

“If we want to focus on beatings, the important questions are how far along are they with their

RECENT headlines from The Tribune body cameras and are we using technology the way they should be used? If you want to address beatings for confessions, I wouldn’t be focusing on what Swann said, I would be asking the minister why is it that we don’t videotape all interviews in custody?”

Police often interview suspects on camera but much to the chagrin of defence lawyers, the interrogation process prior to the interview is not filmed.

Mr Swann’s comment prompted activist group Rights Bahamas to demand an investigation even if it means establishing a Commission of Inquiry.

“If even some of the claims by the former officer in question are true, the consequences are truly terrifying,” the group said in a statement.

“Furthermore, considering his insistence that such grossly fraudulent policing

has been the norm for years, the officer in question should be extensively interrogated by the Attorney General’s Office and the director of public prosecutions with a view to identifying other officers who may have also committed such heinous acts.

“We stress that this is a matter of grave significance; the officer is taking about a widespread conspiracy to deprive innocent people of their liberty by officers of the state.

“This must be investigated vigorously and comprehensively and the chips must be allowed to fall where they may. If it means bringing in foreign investigators to ensure objective, so be it. If what this officer says is true, the matter easily qualifies as worthy of a Commission of Inquiry.”

Editorial View - Page 4

PAGE 6, Thursday, June 27, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

I HAD NO POWER FOR EIGHT HOURS, CLAIMS ONE RESIDENT

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net AS MANY New Providence residents criticised Bahamas Power and Light for load shedding, one man claimed power failures left him without electricity for more than eight hours on Tuesday.

The resident, who did not want to be named, said: “I got home after 6pm and it came on after

3am for about an hour then went back off again. That heat in the night is no joke. The only thing BPL saying is load shedding... they need to do better man. I think we deserve some kind of compensation because this is ridiculous.”

Other customers took to Facebook to complain and called for compensation.

One person complained: “Don’t just apologise, cut people light bill in half this

month as compensation for what you call ‘unacceptable power conditions.’ This is grossly unacceptable.”

Another customer said: “Firstly, you didn’t even apologise for totally not keeping to your fool-hardy promise of no load shedding this summer so secondly, everything in this long-winded empty missive is moot.”

Another added: “Ok so you apologised, now what? No form of deduction or compensation

offered? Nothing? So y’all just expect us to accept y’all meaningless apology?

“I need compensation for cruel and unfair treatment. I don’t owe (BPL) a penny and to get this type of treatment is unacceptable.”

Earlier this week, BPL executives urged consumers to submit claims in instances where they believe frequent disruptions might have damaged appliances.

And as load shedding is expected

to continue for several more days, the company is also making an appeal for consumers to save energy.

Acting chief operating officer Ian Pratt said consumers may find the claims process tedious but said it must be followed in order to determine whether appliances can be fixed or replaced.

BPL chairman Donovan Moxey further apologised for such occurrences.

Current blackouts are the worst ever, says Maynard

BAHAMAS Electrical Workers Union president Paul Maynard from page one Centre (SRC), Simpson Penn School for Boys, private healthcare facilities, Queen Elizabeth

Sports Centre, dozens of residential areas and some small and medium sized businesses.

A Public Hospitals Authority official said computers, printers and light

BPL chairman Donovon Moxey fixtures at SRC sustained damage from power surges.

Power issues also hit Abaco and Bimini.

In an interview yesterday Mr Maynard likened BPL spending almost $2m each

month on rental Aggreko generators to putting a bandage on a festering wound.

He said when the generators are returned to service, issues will remain because the same antiquated equipment is in large part still in use.

Earlier this week, BPL executives said the rental units were delayed, but predicted they would be in place by yesterday and the weekend to address its generation shortfall.

This comes as Works Minister Desmond Bannister told The Nassau Guardian on Tuesday that BPL was currently performing better than it had been under the former PLP government.

“He talking fool,” Mr Maynard told The Tribune. “This is the worst it’s ever been and I told him he shouldn’t say that. You can’t take the public for fools.

“Until Bahamians get together and stop this red and yellow and green and say we ain’t taking this bull, we going to Bay Street and when they see 50,000 people downtown, they’ll say they serious now.”

Mr Maynard also noted the BPL CEO Whitney Heastie has been absent throughout this situation.

Asked whether the rentals were a sure way to fix the issues Mr Maynard said: “The point is you will always have this problem because we are operating on ancient equipment, I always say that.

“Those rental generators ain’t gonna fix a goddamn thing. It will remedy the problem yes, but fix it, no.

“Let’s do some math here. They say that you have 130 megawatts coming online whenever. Now when it comes we have 125 of rental engines right now.

“The plan is to send the rental engines back. So now we send them back so if that was 125, when next summer comes you have 130 megawatts but then you still have the same problem because you don’t have additional power. So what’s going to happen? The same thing, you will be load shedding.”

He continued: “What I am telling them is you can do what you want, but tell the public the truth. Until Shell North America gets in here, if they coming, the only thing you have to rely on is this same situation because you sending Aggreko back home because it’s costing too much.”

On Monday, BPL chairman Donovan Moxey

blamed this month’s adverse weather conditions for the power provider’s inability to receive rental generators earlier, which rendered it unable to fulfil electricity demands over the weekend when two of its units went offline.

Although this was an “anomaly”, according to Mr Moxey, he apologised for the “unacceptable” widespread load shedding, which grossly inconvenienced thousands of customers.

The chairman explained that BPL took measures to avoid a situation like the one encountered at the weekend. He said the company did anticipate elevated summer demand and had planned to have rental generators in place by June 18. However rainy weather created a delay in their delivery.

As for when the situation is expected to get better, Mr Moxey said realistically not until fall 2019 when the new power plant is expected to be fully functional. Officials said load shedding would continue this week in three to four hour intervals.

Despite this, BPL has no plans to relax disconnections and the company continued to urge consumers to pay their bills or work out payment plans.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 27, 2019, PAGE 7

PLP leader Philip Davis spoke with vendors on Potter’s Cay Dock on Monday when Dwain ‘Tall Boy’ Bastian, President of The Bahama Dock Allied Venue Vendors Association, talked to the media.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

We want to work with vendors, says ministry

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net THE government has reportedly considered partnering with a vendor-backed entity for the development of Potter’s Cay Dock, the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources has revealed.

In a statement addressing concerns raised by vendor associations attached to Potter’s Cay, the ministry said it has met with vendors and their associations to discuss development plans for the area, including the recommendation that the groups form themselves into an entity that could submit a proposal to government as a partner.

The statement noted that while the criteria for participation at Potter’s Cay under a public-private partnership (PPP) has yet to be determined, there remains a strong likelihood that the government would give preference to vendors “who

have a well-established tenure at Potter’s Cay and are financially current.”

On Tuesday, heads of vendor associations called for a reversal of a security strategy which envisioned barricades erected under the Paradise Island bridge to prevent customers from parking in front of stalls, claiming the move has negatively affected sales at Potter’s Cay. Progressive Liberal Party leader Philip Davis has asked for vendors’ rent to be waived due to a reported slowdown in business.

On the issue of parking and police harassment, the ministry contended: “Vendor participation is critical to the consultative process as it relates to the proposed project to revitalise Potter’s Cay. That is why the ministry has taken purposeful steps to restore order to that area. Loading zones are designated for the specific purpose of offloading supplies and services and were never intended

to be utilised as parking spaces. This is not unique to Potter’s Cay.” The statement added: “The police have long expressed concerns that parking in front of the stalls poses grave safety and security challenges. The misuse of the loading zones prohibits access of delivery vehicles and impedes the regular flow of traffic. The foregoing concerns were communicated to vendors earlier this year.”

The ministry insisted the parking lots east and west of the bridge have been equipped with lights and are routinely patrolled by the police.

The ministry said it recognises that small business and entrepreneurship are keys to a stable economy, and as such, has undertaken a number of plans to spark renewed public confidence in Potter’s Cay while working to support vendors in the same.

“Vendors have been encouraged to make

repairs to and maintain their properties. The ministry has also been working with BPL and the Port Department to bring resolution to the issue of power supply on the dock and other improvements,” the statement read.

On the request to waive lease fees, the ministry added: “We continue to encourage vendors to pay the very modest fee of less than $50 per month to assist with the proper maintenance of Potter’s Cay. This will create an environment that will ultimately grow their businesses.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with The Tribune yesterday, National Security Minister Marvin Dames maintained that police activity at Potter’s Cay has not exceeded any “normal practice”.

He said while he is concerned with claims made by the vendors, he doesn’t see the correlation between the new traffic policy and the loss of business.

PAGE 8, Thursday, June 27, 2019

O

BERLIN College is one of the most liberal institutions of higher learning in the United States. It has a rich tradition of historical tolerance of race and openness to women. The college, located in a leafy small town around 35 miles southwest of Cleveland, Ohio, is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the US, and second oldest in the world.

Founded in 1833 by utopian abolitionists steadfastly opposed to slavery, the college adopted a policy two years later to admit students without regard to race. Black students have thus been welcomed at Oberlin for 184 years.

The school, with 2,800 students and boasting perhaps the finest music conservatory programme in the US, has evolved over the years into almost a caricature of an academic hotbed of liberalism.

All of this makes the events of November 2016 and since all the more astonishing. No one familiar with the school or its reputation can believe any of this happened.

But it did.

THE TRIBUNE

Wrongly accused of racism, one family fought to clear its name Three black Oberlin students were arrested 31 months ago after one of them used a fake ID and stole merchandise from Gibson’s, a family-owned bakery and store catering for decades to townspeople and students from the college. The white son of the owner chased the students out of the store, fought with them and had the students arrested.

The campus and the town erupted. Students strongly protested, believing young Gibson’s actions to be racially motivated.

Oberlin’s vice president and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo was present at several protest rallies and was accused of handing out inflammatory flyers and using a bullhorn to incite the protesters.

The college twice suspended doing business

with Gibson’s, which put the future of the business in question. Attempts were made to broker a settlement between the college and the bakery. The three black students pled guilty to a misdemeanour charge in August 2017 and acknowledged the younger Gibson’s actions were not racist. No settlement was reached, however, and as a result, Gibson’s sued Oberlin in November 2017.

A jury this month awarded Gibson’s $33 million in punitive damages and another $11 million in actual damages. The trial was one of the longest in the history of Lorain County, where the school and the store are located.

Presumably the awards will be reduced on appeal.

But the damage to Oberlin’s stellar reputation may be hard to overcome.

THE STOREFRONT of Gibson’s Bakery in Oberlin, Ohio. A jury awarded the owners of the bakery $33m in punitive damages in its lawsuit against Oberlin College.

STATESIDE

with Charlie Harper

Sport’s sorry tale of fame and infamy

O J SIMPSON, now nearly 72

TWO recent unrelated developments involving American sports heroes offer a new cautionary tale of the occasionally tragic coincidence of fame and infamy.

The first involves O J Simpson, now approaching his 72nd birthday. OJ, who was released from a Nevada prison recently after a nine-year stretch on robbery and kidnapping charges, is a Hall of Fame running back with the University of Southern California and the Buffalo Bills who was acquitted of murdering his wife and her friend almost exactly 25 years ago.

The Los Angeles trial of Simpson held Americans in suspense as it ultimately turned on whether a bloody glove fitted his large hand.

The trial and verdict were especially significant for African Americans who, notwithstanding OJ’s real guilt or innocence,

saw the proceedings as evidence, at last, that a black man could manage to beat the legal system as whites with wealth had done for many generations.

Simpson was in the news since his prison release with some ominous-sounding tweets that he had “some paying back to do”. The family of the woman he was accused of killing hit back with news conferences and some wondered if the whole sordid scene would be repeated a generation later. The furore on both sides seems to have diminished, but another difficult story is replacing it.

While O.J. grew up in poor conditions in Northern California, Kellen Winslow Jr lived a privileged life as the son of Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Sr in Southern California. Winslow

Jr, who is now 35, was convicted recently of the rape of a 59-yearold woman and will be held in jail pending retrial on eight other charges including rapes of other women, rape of an unconscious woman and abuse and assault of an elderly person.

Junior was the sixth overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns, who still rue the choice, since Steelers Hall of Fame to be quarterback Ben Rothlisberger, a lifelong Browns fan, was available to them with that selection.

Winslow’s pro career never really lived up to his high draft status.

But it is the dark side of his personality that has led reporters

down a sensational and highly salacious path.

If Winslow, pictured left, is convicted only of the one rape offence, he faces nine years in jail – the same time Simpson served.

If a future jury convicts him on all of the other charges, he could be imprisoned for the rest of his life.

Sports analysts will defend football and the NFL with the abundant evidence of good deeds and staunch community outreach by its players. But, 25 years apart, the cases of two star players reveal how close are fame and infamy in big-time American sports.

UNITED States captain Megan Rapinoe, front, celebrates after the US beats Spain 2-1 earlier this week.

THERE’S a World Cup soccer tournament going on at the moment. Has anyone noticed?

The question arises because it’s the Women’s World Cup, presently in the knockout stages at various venues in France. The French men’s team won the World Cup last year in Moscow.

Such is the state of women’s soccer in comparison with the men’s game that the favoured American women’s team has filed suit in the US seeking equal pay and benefits with their male counterparts.

(US soccer and the women have agreed to go to arbitration, partly to avoid distractions this summer.)

The women’s game isn’t in much better shape in Europe and observers have long bemoaned the status of the women’s game in South America.

Tough French test for US women’s team Title IX to the US code 47 years ago mandated equal access for men and women to sports and all other activities at American schools and universities that receive federal funding assistance, and the resulting rise in women’s sports like soccer, basketball and softball has been striking.

But the professional ranks have proven difficult in the search for pay and other benefits equivalent to what the men receive.

Meanwhile, on the fields of France, the American

women have been moving methodically through the early tournament rounds, yielding just one goal in four matches so far. Their path gets rougher from here, as the host French women lie in wait in Paris tomorrow, hoping to give France the reigning men’s and women’s championships. The French knocked off Brazil on Sunday and will be a tough nut to crack. Germany and England are potential future opponents for the American team should they dispatch the French tomorrow.

D-DAYS FOR THE DEMOCRATS

LAST night was the first of two widely-anticipated debates featuring ten of the two dozen Democrats jostling for the right to their party’s nomination as Donald Trump’s opponent next year. Tonight will be the second debate, featuring another ten contestants. The missing four were excluded on the basis of weak poll and financing progress in the campaign so far.

Last night’s line-up was widely regarded as the one less likely to include the

eventual nominee. The most prominent of those who appeared were Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, along with former Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas and New York mayor Bill de Blasio.

Tonight’s debate features front-running former senator and vice president Joe Biden, Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Kamala Harris of

California and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, and South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg. Everyone is hoping for a special breakthrough moment that will distinguish them from everyone else. Will anyone catch lightning in a bottle?

The debates, which are being held in Miami, start at 9.0 each night. If you don’t want to stay up and watch or forget to tune in, The Tribune will have a special report on both debates in Monday’s paper.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 27, 2019, PAGE 9

Dames warns against complacency despite retaining Tier 1 status

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of National Security Marvin Dames

THE Bahamas must avoid complacency despite strides made in the fight against human trafficking, Minister of National Security Marvin Dames said yesterday.

Last week it was reported The Bahamas retained its Tier 1 placement in the US State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which signals the continuation of efforts to combat human trafficking.

Mr Dames and officials from the US Embassy held a press conference yesterday at Police Headquarters to discuss the ranking.

He and US Charge d’Affairs Stephanie Bowers, pictured right, applauded the efforts of the local TIP committee.

However, Mr Dames also stressed the fact perpetrators have continued to advance their efforts and practices to evade capture and prosecution.

Mr Dames said his ministry remains committed to improving the country’s reach in the area and its level of intelligence.

“We must be cognisant of the fact that we cannot be complacent in our efforts,” Mr Dames said. “… The bar moves every year, and so the expectation is therefore… that we must raise the bar, including us as a government.

“Criminals are very, very smart. They are very well sourced. And they would continue to look at ways to circumvent the system. So (in) recognising that as a government, we too must be cognisant.

PASSENGER ARRESTED AFTER $17,550 FOUND CONCEALED IN LUGGAGE

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama police arrested a man at Freeport Harbour on Tuesday afternoon when a large amount of US currency was discovered hidden in a carry-on luggage.

According to police reports, shortly around

noon a male resident of Eleuthera Drive, Hawksbill, who had travelled on board the M/V Balearia from Fort Lauderdale to Freeport, was arrested after authorities allegedly discovered $17,550 concealed in the lining of his carry-on luggage.

The suspect failed to declare the cash to Bahamas Department of

Customs officials and was unable to give a satisfactory account of how the money was obtained.

The discovery was the result of a joint operation between officers of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and customs officials. The suspect is expected to be arraigned later this week.

“So, whether that means amending legislation, whether that means working through the police and the defence force and other agencies and improving on enforcement, or whether it be providing more effort and care into taking care of our victims, and whether it means creating and improving partnerships, not only locally, but also regionally and internationally; then that’s what we intend to do.

“We don’t intend to be complacent here,” he asserted. “Complacency has no place in this instance.”

According to the TIP report, the Bahamas met the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, with the government being credited with demonstrating “serious and sustained efforts” to adhere to its anti-trafficking in persons mandate during the reporting period.

The efforts noted by the report include the passing of a national action plan, the increase in funding for victim assistance and antitrafficking prevention, the elevation of the national anti-trafficking planning committee to the Office of the Prime Minister, and inclusion of an anti-trafficking course in the training curriculum of the Immigration Department.

Over the course of the reporting period, the Bahamas reportedly spent $125,710 on trafficking victims’ care and prevention activities, an increase from $82,060 Bahamian dollars in 2017.

According to figure presented by the report, the government also provided $240,000, the same as 2017

to four non-governmental organisations that provide services to trafficking victims, among other vulnerable groups.

Despite these positive steps however, the US State Department did highlight reduction in investigations related to the offence.

The report said significantly fewer investigations and inconsistently applied screening procedures to vulnerable populations, combined with credible allegations of corruption raise concerns over the vulnerabilities of potential trafficking victims in the Bahamas during the reporting period.

In line with this, the US State Department in its report called on the Bahamas to prioritise the proactive screening for trafficking indicators and the identification of victims in vulnerable populations, namely children and migrants.

Additionally, the report called for more vigorous investigations, prosecutions and convictions of traffickers, with the application of more “adequate” sentencing.

The report also called for more adequate accommodations with trauma-informed service providers for potential and identified trafficking victims.

When asked by reporters about the decrease in investigations over the reporting period, Mr Dames, while conceding that the trend gave cause

for concern, did note that stakeholders in the sector have stepped up in other efforts which have directly affected the need for investigations.

He said: “… Most of our focus ought to be around education and presentation, but we recognise too that this is a business and in any business (where) persons are determined to carryout their acts. And so, therefore it means that we must be more cognisant of this… we must be more proactive and we will be. We will be putting a tremendous amount of effort, certainly coming this year on the enforcement aspect.”

He added: “But, this is a very intricate business and recognising that the police and the other enforcement officers will continue to work to ensure that the Bahamas remains safe and free from trafficking in persons. This is extremely important to us. It is a very, very bad business, a very humiliating enterprise and we cannot be in the business (of) and cannot allow for our country to be used as a nation where others can procure this enterprise.”

The Bahamas has maintained a Tier-1 ranking since 2015 — a year which saw three new prosecutions, the adoption of a four-year national anti-trafficking strategy and the implementation of an action plan that provided anti-trafficking training to officials, and continued to implement a victim-centred assistance protocol for identified trafficking victims.

PAGE 10, Thursday, June 27, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

WORKSHOP AIMED AT ENDING EXPLOITATION OF BAHAMAS

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology (BEST) Commission yesterday launched the Access Benefit Sharing (ABS) Inception Workshop, an initiative to ensure the country benefits from scientific discoveries made using local resources.

BEST Commission acting Director Rochelle Newbold yesterday discussed the goals of the event, which include studying how genetic resources found

in The Bahamas are being used in “research and commercialised for profits”, preventing the exploitation of Bahamian resources, and launching a public education and awareness campaign and developing legislation.

“Today we’re implementing a workshop on access benefit sharing, and (ABS) is as it relates to genetic resources that are found in The Bahamas and how these genetic resources are being utilised in research and commercialised for profits,” said Ms Newbold.

“So The Bahamas a

part of a project called Access and Benefit Sharing Strengthening for The Bahamas, in which we are in the process of developing legislation to assist the country in ensuring that any medical, industrial - any sort of scientific discoveries that are made utilising our marine resources or plants and animals - that the country can receive benefits from that.”

While she did not give specifics, Ms Newbold said one of the first marine chemicals that went into commercialisation was found in The Bahamas.

“We have several products that are out there that were made from discoveries in The Bahamas. But what has The Bahamas gotten?

Nothing.

“And so the whole process - and it’s a global thing that’s happening right now - it’s where countries like ourselves are seeking to get some benefit.”

When asked to provide examples of products people come and take from The Bahamas, Ms Newbold cited ‘bush medicine’.

“It’s a plethora of things that we as Bahamians just take our granted because

it’s just part of our cultural heritage,” she said. “But there is a reason these things can function in that way. And scientists want to know what that is. And once they find out then they want to know ‘how can we make money from that?’

And so it’s important for us. “(Scientists) make medical discoveries, and they make pharmaceutical drugs, and we buy them (out) the store and nobody never knew that was because your grammy had said ‘drink this bush when you have a bellyache,’” she said.

When asked if the goal of

the workshop is to prevent The Bahamas from being exploited, Ms Newbold said “most definitely” and added it’s the start of the commission’s public education and awareness initiative.

She added the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Marine Resources, Office of the Attorney General, Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the University of the Bahamas are all participants of the workshop.

The workshop, held at the Hilton, continues today.

Seven glasses to toast the summer

A SERIES of seven drinking glasses celebrating Bahamian pride has been launced by the The Caribbean Bottling Company. The glasses feature Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Abaco, Long Island, Andros, New Providence, and The Bahamas, as a whole.

“This summer, Coca-Cola Bahamas wanted to celebrate all things Bahamian” noted CBC’s Nikia Wells. “Our team got together, and decided to create a series

of glasses that featured imagery that was synonymous with the Bahamian islands.

These included Rawson Square in New Providence, St. Peter’s & St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Long Island, the iconic land crab of Andros, the pineapples of Eleuthera, the sea grapes of Grand Bahama, the lighthouse of Hope Town, Abaco as well as the full range of islands in our beautiful Bahamaland for The Bahamas glass.”

ECUADORIAN FACES JAIL AFTER SELLING TOURIST SOUVENIRS

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

AN Ecuadorian national who was discovered illegally selling souvenir items brought from his home country at the Port Lucaya Marketplace in Grand Bahama was arraigned in the court this week.

Jose Luis Lema Santillan, 30, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Debbye Ferguson in Freeport. He was charged with working illegally.

Santillan, who claimed to be a travelling salesman from Ecuador, pleaded guilty to the charge.

On Monday, June 24, immigration officers, acting on information received, went to the Port Lucaya Marketplace where they observed Santillan with souvenir items in a clear plastic bag.

Officers McIntosh and Pierce approached him and asked him to produce proof of his legal status.

The accused showed them an Ecuadorian passport, which indicated he’d landed in The Bahamas on June 10 as a visitor, and was granted a stay of three weeks.

The officers cautioned Santillan, and asked him what he was doing with the items. He told them he was selling the items to clients in the marketplace.

With the assistance of a Spanish interpreter, the judge asked Santillan who were his clients that he was selling the items to.

He said that they were vendors at the Port Lucaya Marketplace.

“You brought them (the items) from Ecuador?” the judge asked.

“Yes,” replied Santillan.

The prosecutor told the court that on making checks they learned that Santillan had applied for a work permit as a handyman which was still in the initial stages of processing. He further added Santillan has made regular trips to The Bahamas since November.

He made one trip per month as a visitor, staying for three weeks.

When asked if he wanted to address the court, Santillan said customers had paid him money for the items and that he only had a small bag of items with him.

The judge told Santillan that although he had applied for a work permit, it was still being processed and he could not engage in any work until the permit was granted.

When asked if he speaks English, Santillan said he speaks a little of the language. He said he travelled to The Bahamas a tourist to Nassau in April and May. It was discovered that Santillan flew to Freeport with other Ecuadorians.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Ferguson convicted Santillan and ordered him to pay a fine of $2,500 or serve 18 consecutive months in prison. She also ordered that once the fine is paid, he is to be deported from The Bahamas immediately.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 27, 2019, PAGE 11

• DAME Marguerite Pindling presented awards to several notable Bahamians at a ceremony for the R E Cooper Sr National Meritorious Service Awards at Government House last Friday.

Among those honored was former Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes.

The R E Cooper Sr National Meritorious Service Awards started in 1985 in memory of the late pastor, who believed the Bahamian people needed more educational opportunities to advance the nation. He awarded hundreds of scholarships to deserving Bahamians to study abroad and at home.

Some 19 of the country’s leading citizens were recognised. They included: Mark Holowesko, Ruth Millar, Llewelyn Astwood, Thelma Grimes, Rev C B Moss, Leonard “Skeeter” Dames, Janet Brown, Francis Crothers, Terry Tsavoussis, Marisa Mason-Smith, Chris Tsavoussis, Darold Miller, Darrell Rolle, Rev Dr Phillip Rahming, Rev Timothy Stewart, Susan Roberts, Kirk Williams and Franklyn Butler who was unable to attend the event.

FORMER Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes received his medal from Dame Marguerite Pindling while Dr R E Cooper Jr and former Senator Rubyann Cooper-Darling look on. Right: Dame Marguerite with Cancer Society founder Susan Roberts.

Photos: Patrick Hanna/BIS

Murder conviction quashed because dying man’s words dismissed as weak evidence

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A MAN has had his murder conviction overturned after Court of Appeal judges found a dying man’s declaration that the accused had shot him was weak evidence.

The Court of Appeal quashed Jermaine Missick’s conviction and 35-year sentence concerning Marcus Miller’s death at Gibson’s Bar in 2014.

The reason for doing so, the appellate judges said, was because while there was evidence against Missick, it was of a “tenuous” nature.

This, they said, was evident in Miller, in his dying declaration, telling police officers Missick and another man shot him, though the evidence was that he was only shot once.

The appellate judges further found that the circumstances of the incident mitigated against the accuracy of Miller’s identification of Missick as the one, or one of the persons who killed him.

According to the ruling, on 6 January 2014, Miller was shot to the face at the rear of Gibson’s Bar located on Carmichael Road, next to Checker’s Café. With the assistance of friends who were present at the time of the incident, Miller was subsequently transported to the hospital.

Later that evening he was visited by his father, Marcus Miller Sr, who asked him if he knew who shot him. Miller replied: “A man named Blue shoot me.” The reference to “Blue” was

to Missick’s co-accused, Garvin Adderley. In his written statement, Miller said sometime around 8pm on the date in question, he left his residence and went to Gibson’s Bar. Present at the bar were a number of his friends with whom he socialised that evening. While there, Adderley approached Miller and told him to leave the bar because he was talking too loud. Miller said he knew Adderley to be troublesome and so he walked away and leaned on a friend’s truck.

Adderley followed Miller however, and placed his hand in Miller’s face while continuing to argue with him. Miller again walked away and sat on a stool, only to be confronted a third time by Adderley who continued to argue with him. Miller said he refused to answer Adderley because he knew he was looking for a reason to fight him.

Miller said while that was happening, his friend Orlyn Young showed up and managed to calm Adderley down. A short while later, Adderley left the scene with another male in a silver Suzuki Swift.

Miller, meanwhile, remained at the bar with several of his friends, eating at the rear of the establishment. While doing so, he said he heard a bang that sounded like a gun went off. He tried to run away because of how close it sounded, but realised that he could not move. He instead fell to the ground.

Miller said when he lifted his head, he saw Adderley holding a handgun in his hand. He said he also saw

Missick, who he referred to as “Bats” with a black and silver shotgun advancing towards him.

Miller said he became afraid and played possum.

He was later taken to the hospital.

In his statement, Miller provided the police with the physical descriptions of Adderley as well as Missick. Four other witnesses also provided statements to the police, however, none of them were able to identify any of the shooters, although at least one of them knew Missick prior to that evening.

The following day, Miller was visited by two police officers, one from the Central Detective Unit (CDU), who recorded a written statement from him. At the time, Miller told the officers that Missick and Adderley were responsible for his injuries.

Miller died days later on January 14, 2014. The day he died, his brother Tyrone Miller was with him when he was visited by two police officers. One of the officers asked Miller: “So it was Bats and Blue who shot you?”

In response, Miller replied: “Yes sir.”

At the trial, Missick never denied knowing Miller, or that he answered to the alias “Bats”. Furthermore, in his record of interview, he admitted to getting in a physical fight with Miller in 2012. This admission was never challenged by defence counsel at the trial.

Missick was sentenced to 35 years in December 2017.

However, the appellate judges said the trial should have ended at the no-case

submission stage, due to the “tenuous” nature of the evidence.

“The issue of how the judge treated Miller’s written statement and his reply to the police officer’s question is not without difficulty because the reply is inconsistent with the evidence relating to the shooting,” the appellate judges said.

“The evidence adduced by the Crown suggests Miller was shot only once. So both (Missick and Adderley) could not have shot him.

This apparent error is at odds with the rationale for the admission of dying declarations, that is, they are

likely to be true; and should have given the judge pause before allowing the Crown to rely upon it. This was perhaps a case where the judge ought to have exercised his judicial discretion to exclude this statement as unreliable.”

The appellate judges added: “This was a case where there was evidence against the appellant but it was of a tenuous nature.

The quality of the identifying evidence was not good.

Miller’s evidence had to be examined in view of all of the circumstances surrounding the event and those circumstances

militated against the accuracy of his identification.

His evidence could not rise to the level of support of the Crown’s case against the appellant. At the close of the Crown’s case there was insufficient admissible evidence disclosed for the appellant to be called upon to present a case. The judge ought to have acceded to the submission of no case to answer.”

Thus, the appellate judges set aside Missick’s sentence, and made no order for a re-trial.

Attorney Nathan Smith represented Missick on appeal.

PAGE 12, Thursday, June 27, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

DUTCH RAILWAY COMPANY TO PAY HOLOCAUST REPARATIONS

NOTRE DAME FIRE: NO SIGN OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

THE HAGUE Associated Press

PARIS Associated Press A PRELIMINARY investigation has found no evidence to suggest that the fire that gutted Notre Dame Cathedral was criminal. In the initial investigations, police have examined more than 1,200 clues and heard testimony from around 100 people.

The costs of the renovating the monument won’t be known until Spring 2020, but Bernard Arnault, his family and luxury giant LVMH Group have made an initial payment of 10 million euros on a pledge of 200 million as have Francois and Francois-Henri Pinault who pledged 100 million.

PRELIMINARY work gets underway inside Notre Dame in Paris.

Senate agrees $4.6bn deal to help migrant families WASHINGTON Associated Press The GOP-held Senate yesterday passed a bipartisan $4.6 bn measure to deliver aid to the southern border before the government runs out of money to care for thousands of migrant families and unaccompanied children.

The sweeping 84-8 vote came less than 24 hours after the Democratic-controlled House approved a companion measure backed by party liberals that was weighed down by a White House veto threat and bipartisan rejection by the Senate.

Republicans and the White House far prefer the Senate measure but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pressing for quick negotiations to merge the bills — promising that Democrats won’t knuckle under to demands to send the Senate bill directly to President Donald Trump without changes.

The Senate vote sent the must-pass legislation measure back the Democratic-controlled House.

Next steps are unclear, but Pelosi quickly dismissed speculation that the Democratic-controlled House will simply accept the Senate

measure, which cleared a key committee last week with just one dissenting vote. Asked if the House would pass the Senate bill and send it to Trump, Pelosi said, “No.” Pelosi called Trump yesterday afternoon to discuss the measure. “There’s some improvements that we think can be reconciled,” Pelosi told reporters.

Trump said passing the legislation was urgent as he left the White House for Japan and he appeared to leave the door open for negotiations.

“We are moving along very well with a bipartisan

bill in the Senate,” Trump said. “It’s very far along and I believe the House is also going to also be getting together with the Senate to get something done. It’s humanitarian aid. It’s very important.”

The final outcome isn’t clear. An impasse could imperil passage of the measure, which is needed soon before federal agencies caring for migrants are hamstrung by lack of money.

Congress plans to leave Washington in a few days for a weeklong July 4 recess, and pressure is intense to wrap up the legislation before then. Failure to act could bring a swift political rebuke and accusations of ignoring the plight of innocent immigrant children who are living in overcrowded, often inadequate federal facilities.

The Senate vote comes less than 24 hours after the House passed its version along party lines after Pelosi quelled a mini-revolt

THE Dutch national railway company said yesterday it will pay reparations to Jews, Roma and Sinti whom it transported to camps in the Netherlands during World War II — from where they were sent to Nazi concentration camps.

NS said its role in transporting Jews and other minorities to camps on orders of Nazi occupiers during WWII is a “black page in the history of the company.”

Job Cohen, a respected former mayor of Amsterdam who led a commission that proposed the reparations, called the payments a moral gesture.

“It is not possible to name a reasonable and fitting amount of money that can compensate even a bit of the suffering of those involved,” Cohen said in a statement.

NS chief executive Roger van Boxtel said the decision will affect thousands of Holocaust survivors and direct relatives of victims, costing the company tens of millions of dollars.

DEFENCE TESTIMONY IN NAVY SEAL MURDER CASE SAN DIEGO Associated Press

SPEAKER of the House Nancy Pelosi by progressives and Hispanic lawmakers who won relatively modest changes to the legislation. The funding is needed to prevent the humanitarian emergency on the US-Mexico border from worsening.

Caves Village Premium Office Space for Lease

1,081 sq.ft. 2 offices, 1 open plan area, reception, conference room, kitchenette and bathroom, IT closet $4,233.92 pm. Inc. CAM + VAT

Contact Mr. Simon Chappell on 327 1575 or 477-7610 Email: simon@cavesvillage.com

DEFENCE lawyers went on the offensive yesterday in the murder trial of a decorated Navy SEAL charged with killing a wounded Islamic State prisoner in Iraq and shooting at civilians.

The prosecution rested its case a day earlier in the San Diego court-martial of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, a Bronze Star recipient. Also on Tuesday, the judge in the case rejected a defence request to issue a summary judgment finding Gallagher not guilty of murder and attempted murder.

Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Joshua Vanderpool testified for the defence that he never heard Gallagher talk about hurting civilians or stabbing anyone. He said Gallagher had an intense style and would get on his SEAL teammates for not cleaning their guns and not understanding their weapons equipment. Some fellow SEALs didn’t share Gallagher’s aggressive attitude, and Vanderpool said he sensed the team was starting to “fracture.”

The defence also planned to show jurors videotaped testimony from an Iraqi general who handed over the fighter to Gallagher for medical treatment after the adolescent was wounded in an airstrike.

PAGE 14, Thursday, June 27, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Police to investigate town centre accident

By FARRAH JOHNSON

POLICE are investigating a traffic accident that occurred on Shirley Street yesterday afternoon.

Jeremiah Rahming and Jefferson Bodie, employees of John Bull, Bay Street, were riding in the company’s grey Nissan van when a large truck from Johnson Trucking ran into the rear of their vehicle and forced them to crash into a palm tree in front of The Tribune’s entrance.

Speaking to reporters at the scene, Mr Rahming said he and Mr Bodie, who was driving the vehicle, were attempting to turn into The Tribune’s parking lot, when the truck ran into them forcing them to hit the tree.

“We were on Shirley Street coming in to turn in The Tribune. The driver had on his right signal for

turning but I guess the guy in the semi-automatic truck didn’t see us in time and then he just slam into the back of us and we end up like this,” he said. “...I don’t know how much speed he was coming with, but I guess he didn’t see us and he slammed into the back of us.”

Mr Rahming told The Tribune that he was fine, but said Mr Bodie was a little shaken up by the incident.

“The driver has just said his leg is hurting. He hit his leg and his head, that’s why he’s starting to have a headache so that’s all I know so far.”

Still, neither passenger sustained any major injuries and Mr Bodie was cleared by EMS personnel once they arrived on the scene.

The driver of the Johnson Trucking vehicle would not speak to our reporter.