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VOLUME:116 No.131, JULY 3RD, 2019

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

ALICIA WALLACE: NO-ONE IS SAFE FROM A STRAY BULLET

Brent admits talks ahead of Minnis coup SARKIS IN

‘But I told rebels not to go ahead’

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

ST ANNE’S MP Brent Symonette yesterday admitted he was involved in “some discussions” ahead of the coup that saw thenOpposition Leader Dr Hubert Minnis ousted as leader of the Official Opposition in Parliament last term – but ultimately told the “rebel seven” not to go through with it.

Dr Minnis was removed in late 2016 following a vote of no confidence by seven of his party’s 10 MPs on December 7.

Mr Symonette did not clarify his role in those discussions, but acknowledged he later went on to support

then-MP for Long Island Loretta Butler-Turner’s leadership bid.

Mr Symonette was responding to speculation that his decision to step down as minister financial services, trade and industry and immigration was part of a wider plot to unseat Dr Minnis, as a guest on radio talk show The Conversation with host Shenique Miller.

He insisted he has supported Dr Minnis “1,000 percent” since he was reelected leader of the FNM. “Once Hubert Minnis was elected leader of the FNM he had my full support and I continue to support him to this day,” he said.

SEE PAGE SIX

DEPUTY prime minister Peter Turnquest yesterday warned that following the IMF’s income tax call would likely result in “a significantly higher tax burden” for middle class Bahamians.

He told Tribune Business that there would likely be a major shift, or rebalancing, of the tax burden that would work against middle class and working Bahamians should The Bahamas

heed the International Monetary Fund’s oftrepeated suggestion that it consider switching to such a taxation system.

He added that The Bahamas’ relatively small 400,000 population was another factor working against the imposition of an income tax, and warned this nation had to guard against “complicated tax models” being pushed by external forces that took no account of practical realities.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

SARKIS Izmirlian’s $2.25bn fraud and breach of contract claim against Baha Mar’s main contractor was yesterday given full clearance to proceed by a New York court. The mega resort complex’s original developer scored another victory against China Construction America (CCA) and its affiliates in their legal battles as the court rejected all efforts to either dismiss the case or have it sent into arbitration.

This represents the second appeals ruling won

by Mr Izmirlian this year, as the same court also threw out the temporary “stay”, or injunction, CCA had obtained in a bid to stall legal proceedings until this latest matter was resolved.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

GG’S RENTAL EXPENSES ‘MONEY WE MUST SPEND’

By MORGAN ADDERLEY & RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporters

‘IMF TAX PLAN WOULD HIT MIDDLE CLASSES’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

NEW COURT VICTORY OVER CCA

ANOTHER FAMILY’S AGONY A FAMILY grieves after a man is shot dead yesterday afternoon on the corner of Ragged Island Street and Andros Avenue. Full story - Page 3 Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

TEENAGER DIES IN HIT AND RUN

BY FARRAH JOHNSON

TRAFFIC police in New Providence are investigating a hit-and-run incident that left a boy dead yesterday morning.

According to police, shortly after 9.30am, a boy was struck by what is believed to be a Ford F150 Truck, which was travelling south on Unison Road off Carmichael Road. Superintendent Marino Hynes, second officer-in-charge of

SUPERINTENDENT Mareno Hinds speaking with the parents of the deceased. the Traffic Division, said

paramedics responded and pronounced the boy dead at the scene. While police believe the driver was aware that he had struck an individual, the vehicle involved in the incident did not remain at the scene.

The driver of the fleeing vehicle is said to be a black man in his late thirties or early forties. Police said they believed he stopped, got out of his vehicle, checked on the young SEE PAGE THREE

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

DEPUTY Prime Minister Peter Turnquest yesterday stressed the importance of “comfort and security” in the wake of reports the government will spend $9,000 a month to rent a home for new Governor General CA Smith.

While Mr Turnquest declined to confirm the rental price, he noted the safety measures required

by Mr Smith “come with a cost” and called for maturity regarding this situation.

Mr Turnquest, who is serving as Acting Prime Minister while Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis is out SEE PAGE FIVE

TECHNOLOGY

NASA LAUNCHES NEW ORION CREW CAPSULE

SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Wednesday, July 3, 2019

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net AS he apologised on behalf of the government for Bahamas Power and Light’s failure to offer uninterrupted service, Acting Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest revealed that generators from Grand Bahama are on the way to Nassau to assist with the continuing generation shortfall.

According to Mr Turnquest, a fire in May at BPL’s Bimini facility that damaged two engines exacerbated challenges with the power provider.

When this happened, he said, two engines which were being utilised in the capital were sent to Bimini to assist with issues there.

He said equipment is now being sent from Freeport to New Providence amid continuous load shedding and power cuts.

The East Grand Bahama

THE TRIBUNE

Energy reinforcements coming from Freeport as load shedding continues MP’s comments came as an island wide blackout struck the island around 11.45am. By 12.20pm, the first engine was brought back online, restoring power to some consumers.

By 2pm, BPL reported that 85 percent of the network was up and running.

Initially, BPL said it would have taken three hours for the entire island to be reconnected. Despite this, people complained that they had no power well past 6 o’clock in the evening. The power provider did not say what led to the blackout, only that the matter was under investigation.

When he was contacted yesterday, BPL chairman Donovan Moxey would

not say much, but insisted yesterday’s incident was not connected to rolling power cuts which started two weekends ago. That situation prompted BPL to issue an apology over what it described as an anomaly.

Mr Turnquest said: “The good news is we do have a plan and an anticipated date when we will have a stable, reliable system.

“The unfortunate news is that between here and there, there will be some level of discomfort, but certainly BPL has a plan to try and minimise as much as possible those disruptions beginning with restoring the generation that has been lost as well as supplementing the rental generators

that continue to be put online. Of course when you have fires in Bimini that sort of throws the plans off a little bit because two engines had to be taken from here and sent to Bimini to supplement what’s happening there. There are another two generators I believe it is, that are coming out of Freeport to supplement what is here. Again they will be online as quickly as technically possible to get us over this hump while we wait for the final resolution, which we anticipate will be done in the early fall.

“This is not a situation that has occurred overnight and we’ve hit that critical phase now where we have to have significant

No place for corruption, says Johnson as he steps into new role

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net NEWLY sworn in Minister of Financial Services, Trade and Industry and Immigration Elsworth Johnson yesterday suggested there will be “no place for corruption” as he committed the Immigration Department to upholding the rule of law and equality under the law.

Mr Johnson takes over the substantive role following the shock resignation of former minister and St Anne’s MP Brent Symonette, who said he was in talks with Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis since November concerning his intention to resign before his 65th birthday.

Yesterday, Dr Minnis told ZNS News that he had informed Mr Johnson about the new post he was to take on about a week before the news was made public.

The portfolio represents 15 percent of direct GDP, as well as a significantly greater

percentage of the country’s overall economic contribution, according to Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest, who also underscored his confidence in the Yamacraw MP. “This is a tremendous responsibility for him, but we are very confident that he is capable and up to the task and we certainly congratulate him on this next step in his public career,” Mr Turnquest said.

For his part, Mr Johnson pledged to continue the ongoing digitisation and reformation of the Immigration Department, and for his wider portfolio, he outlined widespread consultation with industry stakeholders as he settled into the new post. “(In the area of financial services) I took the opportunity to have a brief conversation with some of the industry partners. We are at the cusp of the fourth industrial revolution and the intention is through partnership with the industry partners to build an industry that’s comparable

to the world,” Mr Johnson said.

“In terms of immigration, we’re dealing with human life. People emigrating to and from the Bahamas, the purpose there is to continue the work that was started

by Mr Symonette to fully digitise the Immigration Department.

“I would like to commend those officers who have been working tirelessly to protect the borders of the Bahamas, but it goes further than that, we have to properly organise the Department of Immigration so we can provide reasonable, fair service to the persons who find themselves coming to that institution.

“So at this stage I’m partnering with all of the bodies that I’m working with to do so in the spirit of servitude mentorship and succession.

Understanding that my stay on the stage in terms of life is not very long and so to create the capacity around me that there will be individuals, especially through young persons to

intervention,” Mr Turnquest also said.

“BPL has acquired several new generators that are going to help it solve the generation problem and at the same time beginning to address its distribution issue, which is equally a vexing problem. The fact of the matter is that our plant has been allowed to fall into some level of neglect.

“It is a very old plant and as a result we are finding that it’s difficult to maintain, it’s difficult to find parts and difficult to find people to operate it efficiently and again is a very manual plant and distribution system that is overworking the staff and not able to keep up with the demands.”

He said the government understands the inconvenience that no amount of words will be able to ease or soothe.

“It’s an unfortunate development that has happened as a result of years of accumulated problems that have come to a head and we recognise the inconvenience and we certainly want to express from the government side our regret that we have to go through this.

“The good news is there is light at the end of the tunnel and we expect to have the issues resolved as quickly as possible both in terms of the long term solution and the interim solution developing at the moment,” Mr Turnquest said.

ELSWORTH Johnson was sworn in as Minister of Financial Services, Trade & Industry and Immigration by Governor General CA Smith yesterday.

Photo: Letisha Henderson/BIS

sew them into the tapestry of the industry to take it on to higher heights.”

Mr Johnson declined comment on allegations of corruption leveled against the department or the status of its anti-corruption unit on the sidelines of his swearing-in ceremony at Government House.

In its annual human trafficking report last month, the US State Department renewed concerns over reports of official involvement in protecting sex trafficking rings and corruption within the Immigration Department.

The department’s anti-corruption unit was established last year.

When asked how he planned to address the report, Mr Johnson underscored the country’s sovereignty.

“We are a sovereign country,” he said, “the

Immigration Department is going to work together under the spirit of the rule of law and equality before the law to ensure that everybody is treated fairly, and treating people fairly means we are going to have to continue to create a system that responds in a timely manner and to continue to create a system that is fair and just for all. And so if we start to speak about fairness justice equality before the law and the rule of law – there is no place for corruption.”

In a statement yesterday, Dr Minnis expressed pleasure over Mr Johnson’s acceptance of the post.

“I am confident that Mr Johnson will work diligently to help to secure and promote our financial services sector,” the statement read.

“He will also be responsible for helping to promote trade and industry as the

government continues to secure greater Bahamian and international investments in our economy, including throughout the Family Islands.

“This includes support for small business development and greater Bahamian entrepreneurship in a variety of sectors.

“Mr Johnson will also be responsible for the ongoing reform of the Department of Immigration, including speedier processing of immigration applications and addressing the backlog of applications.”

When asked to respond to speculation over whether he was qualified for the post, Mr Johnson said: “I started my contribution by inviting the wisdom and knowledge of the master and I’m going to allow him to continue to fill my sails and I’m going to continue to sail.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, July 3, 2019, PAGE 3

SHOTSPOTTER ISN’T HELPING US, SAYS DAVIS

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday slammed the government’s investment in the ShotSpotter technology following the mass shooting in Montel Heights on Sunday morning.

At the PLP’s monthly press conference, Mr Davis said the technology was a bad investment.

He said: “Fourteen persons were shot...how did the ShotSpotter programme aid in preventing that horrific event recently in Montel Heights?

“We need as a country to do a

better job keeping people safe. It’s just that simple. Here again, we need serious policies and investments, not propaganda. More investments in prevention rather than detection.”

Mr Davis extended prayers to the people wounded in the mass shooting and was thankful none of the injuries were fatal. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the victims and their families, who must be in great shock over this senseless and horrific violence,” he said.

Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson underscored, earlier this week, that the public should feel safe despite the mass shooting.

When asked if he believed the communities are still safe, Mr Davis said: “I don’t believe the communities are safe. I believe that the fear of crime is at an alarming rate and we all fear crime. What I would do is send an appeal to my brothers and sisters who are holding these grudges and having these conflicts to just pause and consider what their acts of violence is doing...not only to themselves but to our country.

“We are killing our brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers. Sisters and brothers are mourning and weeping, paining over these senseless acts. I’m calling upon them just to lay down (the weapons) and consider what they’re

doing not only to themselves but to our country.”

He added: “At the end of the day, we have to live here in a violent and peaceless country.

We will not advance and build a kind and gentle nation that we all desire where we can live in peace and harmony with one another.

Let us embrace each other with love and let us understand that it’s not the love of power that will carry us anywhere but the power of love that will heal.”

Earlier in the year, the government signed a $1.9m contract with a technology provider, ShotSpotter in an effort for law enforcement agencies to pinpoint the location of gunfire.

Prime Minister Hubert Minnis and National Security Minister Marvin Dames said the new programme highlighted their commitment to modernising crime fighting tools and equipping agencies with the latest technologies.

Gunshot detection systems work by deploying optical and acoustic wave sensors that detect impulsive noises atop rooftops or utility poles. The sensors locate the origin of gunshots and the information is quickly transmitted to law enforcement agencies.

Mr Dames said, at the time, said he had “completed sufficient research” and is satisfied the technology will help reduce the high gun related violence in The Bahamas.

Man shot dead and child, 5, injured as car flees the scene

By FARRAH JOHNSON

A MAN is dead after being shot shortly before 3pm yesterday on the corner of Ragged Island Street and Andros Avenue.

Police said a five-year-old child was hit by the shooter’s vehicle as it fled the crime scene. The child was taken to hospital.

The adult victim, believed to be between the ages of 25 and 30, was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Superintendent Shanta Knowles, the young man was standing on the corner when a grey vehicle pulled up and the passenger/s in that vehicle opened fire in his direction.

Although the victim was able to run a short distance, police said he was “hit about the body” and collapsed, eventually dying of his injuries.

Supt Knowles confirmed the victim is known to police.

While police did not release the identity of the victim on the scene, The Tribune understands that he was recently released from prison.

Speaking about the child who was injured by the fleeing vehicle, Supt Knowles said: “The child was taken from the scene to a medical facility and we will update you as to the child’s condition once we have that.”

When asked if police considered the incident to be gang related, she added: “We are working this case in isolation. At this time, we cannot say that it is connected to any of the recent matters, but we will continue to investigate.”

Supt Knowles said she also stood by the statements made by the commissioner of police in a press conference on Sunday, when he suggested the public has no

SUPERINTENDENT Shanta Knowles speaking to the media at the scene yesterday.

Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff need to fear moving about New Providence despite the spate of gun violence.

“We don’t want the public to feel afraid or held hostage in their homes because of incidents that are occurring,” Supt Knowles said.

“We have manpower on the streets, our operations have not ceased...so we’re confident to know that our teams of

officers are on the streets and are working.”

Yesterday’s incident came after 14 people were shot at a party in Montel Heights around midnight Sunday. There were no fatalities in that incident.

Also two men were shot dead in the front yard of a house on Prince Charles Drive on Friday.

The victims have been identified as Ian Porter, 48, of Stat Estate

and Raymond Adderley, 46, of Blue Hill Heights. Porter had been previously wanted by police for murder. On Thursday, a man was shot dead around 11pm while on Solider Road.

Anyone with information on these incidents is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 328-8477, the Central Detective Unit at 5029991/2, or the nearest police station.

TEENAGE BOY LEFT FOR DEAD IN HIT AND RUN

POLICE at the scene of the traffic fatality yesterday.

Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

from page one

victim and then got back in his truck and drove off. Speaking to reporters at the scene of the accident, Superintendent Hynes stated: “We appeal to members of the public in this area to assist us with our investigation and I’m pleased to announce that we are following significant leads.”

He added that police are “appealing to members of the public in the general vicinity” to come forward

with any information that can assist police with their investigation.

While police said it was “too early” to identify the victim or release the nature of his injuries, they confirmed that witnesses were assisting them in their investigation.

Superintendent Hynes also encouraged members of the public to drive with due diligence. “If someone is struck whether accidentally or otherwise, please remain on the scene and assist the police

with all of the details that we need to conclude our investigations,” he said.

He also asked drivers to avoid speeding or using their cell phones while on the road.

He added: “We’re saying to all of our citizenry that where there are darker streets, it is advisable to wear light coloured clothing, to walk with adults and to watch out for the vehicles because you cannot assume that a vehicle can see you.”

PAGE 4, Wednesday, July 3, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

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A shadow of its former self IT OUGHT to be the crown jewel of The Bahamas. Instead, it’s not fit enough for its new occupant to live in.

We’re talking of course about Government House, which should be the finest of surroundings to welcome dignitaries in the appropriate setting – and live up to being the biggest moment of some people’s lives in being recognised by the incumbent Governor General.

It should be. But it’s not.

The now former occupant, Dame Marguerite Pindling, lived in her own home outside of working hours, and the new person in the job, CA Smith, will live in a home rented for him by the government at a cost of $9,000 a month.

Opposition leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis was quickly on the attack of course. The government didn’t pay rent under his watch, he said – well, they didn’t need to as Dame Marguerite has a substantial home in New Providence, unlike the new man.

“Government House should (have) been repaired a long time ago and I’m advised that the roof is still leaking (and was leaking) for the last four years or

more,” he roared. Now, let us think, who was Minister of Works four years ago?

Clearly the words of Dame Marguerite at her farewell speech calling for unity didn’t sink in very far.

We also think he misses the point when he complains about the rent – now obviously it is something that would be better done without if Government House was up to scratch, but the fact that the premier venue in the land is looking a bit ramshackle is the real point.

CA Smith can smile all he wants, his smile won’t cover up the peeling paint, or that leaky roof, or the stained carpets or balconies that could do with a little refurbishment.

Should the refurbishment have been done earlier? Yes. Should we applaud that it is happening at last? Yes. That $9,000 a month is a relatively small budget item for the accommodation of the holder of the top office in the land – all the same, we’ll be glad when it’s no longer needed, and The Bahamas can be proud of Government House once more.

Jeff Lloyd is living in hope SPEAKING of repairs – we think Jeff Lloyd might be somewhat optimistic in thinking school repairs might all be completed within the tight six-week window of summer.

Already, he’s talking about people working “ 12, 14, 15-hour days and seven days a week, that’s just the nature of it because look here today is July 2”.

Not only does that not sound safe for workers but we wish him luck with that in a summer already shaping up to be one of power outages and load shedding. Why, just today there was another island-wide power outage – workers aren’t going to be using power tools in that.

For some schools there is a reasonable excuse for time being so tight – no one could have foreseen the fire at Huntley G Christie school in Nichols Town,

Andros, last month, and the same holds true of the fire-damaged area in Anatol Rodgers Senior High School.

But if your plan starts with working 15-hour days seven days a week, then your plan is designed to fail.

Every year, the schools seem to face such a rush to be ready for the first day of term – is there really no smoother way to do this?

Mr Lloyd was also optimistic about reaching a deal with teachers over a new industrial agreement.

But as union leader Belinda Wilson said before she went on holiday that she would advocate for a 20 percent pay increase, we suspect his hopes of satisfying teacher demands are a long way short of reality yet.

Good luck, Mr Lloyd, on both counts.

Beauty and beast EDITOR, The Tribune THE natural beauty of the Montagu waterfront: The displays of shifting colours and shadows orchestrated by the setting sun. The gentle, refreshing breeze a welcome respite after a stifling hot day and BPL outages.

The families, especially the children splashing in the shallows, and others immersed up to their chests in the sea recapping the day and solving the country’s problems.

But, too, the ugliness: Loud music belting out explicit lyrics. Inebriated men emitting loud, vulgar language while leering at and making suggestive remarks to and about scantily clad women. The jet skis.Young showoffs barrelling along precariously close to the shoreline. And the abundant garbage; the indiscriminately discarded trash. And the rats. Always the rats.

Finally: how do these lithe, healthy-looking children scampering along the beach in games of tag and

in the shallows end up overweight? Perhaps the answer lies in the ubiquitous empty fast-food and takeout containers feebly fluttering in the gentle breeze. And in the ever-present phones that bewitchingly foster physical and mental inactivity. The phones precariously clutched above the water’s surface, even as nature soothes bodies and souls.

within the confines of the subdivisions regulations, they can invite whomever this wish and as many as they wish.

The problem here of course is this is a fundraiser inviting the general public. So all walks of life can attend, ankle bracelet and all.

It is absolutely insane that in this day and time some would seek to have such an event. I have not seen the flyer but I would be willing to bet, of all the days of the week, it is to be on a Sunday.

The question then arises who are the residents in this very peaceful neighbourhood to complain to?

If you go and complain to the police, they go to

the person holding the party and cite the specific neighbour making the complaint. Neighbours are not worried about that but how does naming the complainant become the issue?

Which agency should we complain to?

Quite frankly, if we are confused, we should rest this squarely on the table of the area’s representative and let him complain on our behalf. After all, does he not represent us?

At the same time, should the resident holding the party be a little more thoughtful and LAW ABIDING?

EVENING AMBLER Nassau July 2, 2019

An insane event EDITOR, The Tribune

I RECENTLY read in one of the dailies about an upcoming party to be held on Sassoon Drive in Winton Heights, which apparently advertises the event as “bare naked-The ultimate summer pool party. Apparently it is an economic event advertising general admission tickets as $25 and VIP tickets as $50.

According to the writer, one “Dotty Duck”. It is being held at Sassoon Mansion.

The alarm raised by the writer and is appreciated and well warranted.

Not to conflate the issues, homeowners can have social events at their homes and in a democracy and

UPSET IN WINTON Nassau June 27, 2019

PENGUINS swim in a pool in Belgrade Zoo, Serbia yesterday. Authorities have warned of extremely hot temperatures in Serbia and the rest of the Balkans as a heatwave that has hit western Europe moves towards the east of the continent.

PLP back in the running EDITOR, The Tribune WITH the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) securing only four seats in the 2017 general election, it seemed like a farfetched notion that the oldest political organisation in The Bahamas would be able to rebound and become a viable alternative to the incumbent Free National Movement (FNM) with its 35 seats. Consequently, with such an overwhelming mandate given to it by the Bahamian people, the FNM losing to Philip Brave Davis and his PLP in 2022 would be nothing short of an existential crisis. Yet here we are approximately 26 months into the tenure of the Minnis administration and that is now very much a possibility due to, among other things, Minister of Financial Services, Trade and Industry and Immigration Brent Symonette and the narrative that the FNM’s primary concern is looking out for wealthy FNM mucka-mucks who are descendants of the defunct United Bahamian Party.

The FNM top brass seems unwilling to examine Symonette’s short and long term costs to their party. The PLP will always harp on Bahamas Hot Mix getting hefty government contracts. In February 2009 former FNM Cabinet Minister Neko Grant told Parliament that the construction company had received $77 million in contracts between 1999-2009 -- under both the FNM and PLP. Notwithstanding this fact, however, the FNM under Hubert Ingraham would go on to suffer a devastating loss to the PLP under Perry Christie in 2012, in large part due THE IMF revealed this week that just one-third of insurance-eligible Bank of The Bahamas deposits would have been covered if the troubled BISX-listed institution had collapsed.

Readers gave their reaction on tribune242.com.

Well_mudda_take_sic posted this comment: “The bailouts by taxpayers plus the taxpayers’ cumulative share of the operating losses and resulting loss in market value of BoB’s publicly listed shares together total well over $500 million ($500,000,000) and

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net to Brent Symonette. The FNM was unable to overcome the optics of looking out for the Symonette family.

Fresh off the heels of gaining a $20 million contract from the Nassau Airport Development Company to repair runways at the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA), the Minnis administration has gifted Bahamas Hot Mix with three water supply contracts for Crooked Island and Long Island. I read that the Bahamian construction firm Apex Underground Utilities and Construction Co Ltd had placed lower bids yet failed to win any of the contracts due to its failure to meet requirements set by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

Whatever roles that the CDB and the Jamaican engineering firm Noel Whyte & Associates Ltd played in the procurement process, that will do precious little in quelling suspicions among low income Bahamian families that the FNM is only interested in looking out for the wealthy Symonette family.

Surely the Minnis administration could’ve at least circumvented CDB’s rigid requirements and give the losing bidder one of the projects, with the aim of saving face. But they opted instead to give Bahamas Hot Mix all of the contracts.

I was willing to accept Deputy Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest’s explanation for increasing VAT by 60 percent last year, despite

continue to increase with each and every day that BoB’s doors remain open for business.”

Zephyr said: “What a sad story . . . That’s why governments do not make good bank owners and principals.”

And after Minister of State for Grand Bahama Kwasi Thompson

it harming my family economically. I understood the FNM’s decision to cave in to the threat issued by the Lyford Cay Property Owners Association over the former’s amended Real Property Tax Act in 2018.

I accepted the explanation for the planned establishment of a credit bureau. I have accepted the explanation for the Education Loan Authority in going after delinquent Bahamian students who collectively owe the state $83 million in education loans.

I accepted the FNM explanation for moving the General Post Office into the Town Centre Mall, notwithstanding the appearance of a conflict of interest. I had also accepted the explanation given for rewarding Bahamas Hot Mix the $20 million LPIA contract. I have stated before that this FNM administration seems willing to risk losing the 2022 general election for Brent Symonette. I don’t know how the Minnis administration will manage to overcome this latest development with the Symonette clan, which further feeds into the narrative that the FNM is anti-small man and pro-mucka mucks.

Minnis ran on a populist platform. But his policies can hardly be considered populist. I will not question Symonette’s devotion to the FNM or The Bahamas. I think, however, that him not offering himself in the 2017 general election would’ve spared the FNM from all of the political backlash it has encountered due to him.

KEVIN EVANS Freeport Grand Bahama June 30, 2019 expressed sadness over lay-offs at Pharmachem Technologies in Grand Bahama, Proudloudandfnm had this to say: “. . . Still no hotel. Maritime still depressed, Tech companies are not swarming to GB. People are leaving the island in droves, companies can’t meet payroll. Basically we’ve gone further downwards since May 017.

We did maintain our less than stellar status quo for a few months the last year or so but that’s gone now as we descend further into nothingness . . .”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, July 3, 2019, PAGE 5

from page one

Turnquest defends renting a house for Governor General

of the country, highlighted this will be a “temporary” arrangement as Government House is currently undergoing a “major renovation”. He approximated these works will take a “couple of months” but did not provide a specific timeline.

“You know, I think the more important question is: what accommodations have been made for the comfort and security of the Governor General?” said Mr Turnquest.

“I think we all appreciate that as head of state, the Governor General is afforded and requires a certain level of safety, a certain level of comfort, (a) certain standard of living that will allow him to entertain as necessary and to live in a reasonably secure environment. The rental pool for that kind of accommodation is relatively limited.

And unfortunately it does come with a cost.

“This is a temporary situation,” Mr Turnquest continued. “Government House is undergoing a major renovation to bring it back to its lustre and splendour to be not only a residence but also to restore (it) to its historic prominence as a tourist destination and as a place that Bahamians can be proud of.

“That unfortunately is going to take a couple of months to be done and so there was a need to accommodate the Governor General. And so that is what the government has decided to do and again…I would ask us all to be mature about this, because again, this is the head of state.

“And there are considerations beyond just the cost that have to be taken into account. We tried to be as reasonable as we could with those accommodations and we think we’ve accomplished that as best we can.”

When pressed to confirm the $9,000/month price tag, Mr Turnquest replied: “To be honest with you I cannot confirm the terms. But I do know that the arrangements have been made and the governor general has taken residency in that house.”

As regards the timeframe for the completion of renovations, he said: “Leave that to the minister of works, in terms of the actual construction or renovation schedule, that would be outside my ability to

CA Smith is sworn in as the new Governor General respond to at the moment,” Mr Turnquest said on the sidelines of the first concrete pour for the Sterling’s Hurricane Hole development on Paradise Island.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

Yesterday Progressive Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis branded the expense as a “waste of money”.

At the PLP’s monthly

press conference yesterday, Mr Davis said the government didn’t pay rent for the previous Governor General and stated by now the repairs to Government

House should have been done.

Mr Davis said: “Government House should (have) been repaired a long time ago and I’m advised that the roof is still leaking (and was leaking) for the last four years or more. They ought to (have) been thinking about what was necessary.

Again, it is governance and they ought to…again it’s a waste of money...taxpayers’ money.

“Those works that they are doing now they could have been done some time ago because Government House was only being used over the last four years for ceremonial and state functions. The opportunity was there to repair it. We could have saved this $9,000 a month if they had done what they ought to have done when they ought to.”

The 2019/2020 Budget allocated $75,000 for all personal emoluments of the Governor General.

Editorial View - Page 4

You get less time for manslaughter What judge said as woman appeals against sentence for theft

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net APPELLATE judges yesterday questioned whether a Supreme Court judge was right in sentencing a former College of the Bahamas employee to potentially 20 years in prison for stealing over $700,000 from the institution over a sevenyear period.

Appellate President Sir Hartman Longley questioned if former COB accounts clerk Chimeka Gibbs is not effectively serving a “life sentence” for stealing $704,580 from the college, now the University of The Bahamas, between March 2008 and October 2015.

Though the 40-year-old was actually ordered to serve 15 years in prison, the sentence could jump to 20 years if she fails to pay back the $704,580 she stole from the college via annual instalments of $140,916 within the next five years.

Given that possibility, Justice Milton Evans questioned if the Crown wanted the court to “put her under the prison”.

“People have received less (time) for manslaughter—and the Crown has not appealed,” Justice Evans noted.

The questions were put forth during Gibbs’ appeal of the sentence passed down on her by Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson.

In February 2018, a ninemember jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on all 24 criminal counts— 16 counts of falsification of accounts and eight of stealing by reason of employment.

Prior to convicting Gibbs, who, according to court documents, served as both a senior clerk and a human resources assistant at the former college, the jury was told Gibbs falsified numerous COB direct deposit files, the result of which purported to show she was entitled to over $200,000 in salary payments.

Gibbs accomplished the latter feat by manipulating the information contained on certain documents to be submitted to the Bank of the Bahamas on behalf of COB.

In COB’s Great Plains system, she would alter the net direct deposit amount for one or more employees that would be captured in the “direct deposit AHC transmittal report”. She would then process the pay cycle in accordance to normal procedures and generate all the required reports for review. Those reports would be saved to the network, and some would be emailed to senior officials for review and vetting.

Gibbs was always careful never to alter the actual net direct deposit for her own account.

She would subsequently make adjustments to the net direct deposits for the same staff accounts by setting them back to their correct direct deposit amounts. Then, she would apply the difference to her own direct deposit accounts.

Gibbs would also prepare a salary difference report that showed the change in salaries from the prior month against the current pay cycle. That file would be sent to COB’s VP of finance for review, who would give the okay to proceed and send the pay data to the Bank of the Bahamas (BOB). And that file always contained the correct salary amounts for herself and other staff.

However, the VP of finance would never see the payroll direct deposit file that was ultimately sent to BOB. And as that file did not contain the same information that was in the salary difference report, the VP of finance would never have detected the difference.

As a result, Gibbs received up to $13,000 over and above her monthly net salary of $2,395 between 2008 and 2015. In total, Gibbs paid herself $640,000 extra between those seven years to various bank accounts at Commonwealth Bank, Scotiabank FirstCaribbean International Bank and the Royal Bank of Canada. And according to the Crown, the amount she stole increased every year.

In April of that year, Justice Grant-Thompson sentenced her to six years in prison on counts one, four,

FORMER College of the Bahamas employee Chimeka Gibbs seven and 10, and nine years on counts 13, 16, 19 and 22; those were the stealing by reason of employment charges.

Justice Grant-Thompson also sentenced Gibbs to nine years in prison on the remaining 16 counts of falsification of accounts—six years for eight and three years for another eight, that were also ordered to run consecutively. That made for a total of nine years on those counts.

However, Justice GrantThompson ordered that the sentences relative to the separate charges are ultimately to run concurrently, making for 15 years in total.

Gibbs was also ordered to pay back the money she stole from COB within the next five years, via annual installments of $140,916.

Failure to do so will result in an additional year in prison, Justice GrantThompson said, meaning Gibbs could end up serving 20 years behind bars if she defaults.

The judge also ordered that the $66,369.26 on Gibbs’ various bank accounts be forfeited to the Public Treasury.

Yesterday, Gibbs’ attorney Murrio Ducille submitted the sentence passed was “unduly severe”.

Especially that, in his view, his client was convicted on

inadmissible evidence that bore no relation to the 24 charges she was ultimately convicted on.

However, Crown prosecutor Al-Leecia Delancy submitted the sentence was not unduly severe and

adequately reflected the seriousness of the crimes committed.

However, Sir Michael Barnett noted the maximum sentence Gibbs could have received on the charges is 10 years. Thus, he said he could understand if the Crown was arguing for a sentence close to the max, say eight years for example.

However, Sir Michael said to “tack on” the consecutive sentences “so as to effectively punish her for more than the law would allow” seemed to be “wrong in principle”.

Sir Michael further asserted even if he and his fellow justices could justify Gibbs’ consecutive sentences, there is still the issue of the rationale behind Justice Grant-Thompson ordering “additional incarceration” in default of the annual payments, especially considering Gibbs is incarcerated.

The appellate judges have reserved their decision on the matter.

PAGE 6, Wednesday, July 3, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

‘MINNIS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR THE BAHAMAS’ from page one

“We have a saying, the worst day of the FNM will be a thousand times better than the best day of the PLP. I firmly believe that and I believe Dr Minnis and his Cabinet are the clear choice, the right choice to guide this Bahamas to the next three years and beyond.”

Seven of the 10 opposition members - Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins, Central and South Abaco MP Edison Key, North Eleuthera MP Theo Neilly, Mrs Butler-Turner, St Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman, Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn and Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant - submitted a letter of no

confidence in Dr Minnis to House Speaker Dr Kendal Major and to then Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling, revealing they have voted to be led in Parliament by Mrs Butler-Turner.

Then-Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest and Leader of Opposition Business in the House Renward Wells did not participate in this effort to oust Dr Minnis.

Formerly the FNM’s deputy leader, Mrs Butler-Turner’s appointment represented the climax to years of bitter infighting over the party’s leadership and the dissatisfaction of its parliamentary caucus with Dr Minnis.

The FNM later charged the “rebel seven” parliamentarians had brought the party into

“disrepute, division, rancor and dishonour,” and were given seven days to give a written response to the executive committee of the FNM, attempting to exculpate themselves. Expulsion from the party was threatened but never materialised, however the MPs did not receive nominations for the 2017 general election.

“Let’s bring this full and square on the table,” Mr Symonette said on the ZNS radio talk show yesterday. “One of the twice a week papers said the other day that I was involved in a coup, Papa (former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham) and I were involved in a coup to get rid of Minnis.

“Papa said he wasn’t involved, I said many times I wasn’t involved,

PRIME MINISTER HUBERT MINNIS matter of fact, Richard Lightbourn and those, I advised them at that time not to go ahead with

it, it was wrong they should support the leader.”

Mr Symonette said: “Yes subsequently I supported Loretta Butler to become leader of the FNM, yes.”

He was then asked by Ms Miller whether he participated in any private meetings to unseat Dr Minnis. Mr Symonette said: “I was involved in some discussions prior to that, my view as I said, when it came for the MPs to do what they did I was totally against that and I told the MPs at that time. Mr Ingraham and I know that about each other for a fact, we’ve discussed it.

“Dr Minnis got elected, he has my full support 1,000 percent,” he added.

I believe Dr Minnis and his Cabinet are the clear choice, the right choice to guide this Bahamas to the next three years and beyond, says Brent Symonette.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

Symonette had no conflict of interest, says Turnquest

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net DEPUTY Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest

yesterday defended St Anne’s MP Brent Symonette against conflict of interest claims he says are unfair and baseless.

Underscoring a lack of

maturity, Mr Turnquest said it was very unfortunate the country could not celebrate the advancement of successful people regardless of their background

Memorial Service for ALLAN ALEXANDER MAJOR “Hollie”, 71 of Avocado Road off Faith Avenue South, Carmichael Road and formerly of Berry’s, Long Island, will be held on Thursday, July 4th, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Gregory’s The Great Anglican Church, Carmichael Road. Officiating will be Rev’d Canon S. Sebastian Campbell.

Hollie is predeceased by: Father: Bruce Major; Mother: Gwendolyn Major; Son: Kevin Major; Grandson: Mandell Tarahn Joshua Curry; Brothers: Theodore & Jeffrey Major.

Left to cherish his fond memories are his Devoted Wife: Valdarene Major; Four Daughters: Tasha Major, Tarah Curry, Italia Robinson-Perez and Krista Major; Fourteen Grandchildren: Allan, Whitney, Cameron, Holly, Koda, Gia, Greer, Mandela,Trevor “TJ”, Hailey, Benicio, Stalia, Israel and Jace; Two Greatgrandchildren: Allan & Kourtney; Two Sons-in-Law: Mandell Curry and Jenny Perez; Two Sisters: Felice Major Cartwright-Watson & Rose Major Mcphee; Six Brothers-in-Law: Rodger Dean (Julie) & family, Leslie Dean (Annette) & family, Colin Dean & family, Edward Dean (Theola); Four Sisters-in-Law: Jacqueline Burrows (Eurick) & family, Joycelyn Riviere &family, Eurydice Dean & family and Sandra Dean & family; Nieces: Cindy, Katherina, Pauline, Monique, Charlene, Opal; Nephews: Jeffrey, Kenny, and Lamont; Close Cousins: The Honorable Frank Watson, Brendon, Harold, Warren, and Agatha Watson, Alice, Shirley, Christine, Sydney, Pam, Bern and Joseph Watson and Family in Virginia Beach, Ola, Maria, Raynell, Philip, and Rudy; Special Friends and Family: George Rahming, Vincent and Patricia Curry and Maria Dorsett; Adopted Daughter: Dr. Ivette Saba Valez and Family, Tiffany Barrett and Family, Pat Musgrove, Roby Robinson, Trevor and Sarah Ferguson and Starlin Rodriquez.

as speculation over Mr Symonette’s shock Cabinet resignation went viral.

“As far as I am aware,” Mr Turnquest said, “there was never any instance where former minister Symonette made any intervention or asked for any favourable consideration with respect to any project that has been awarded.

“I think that is a very, very unfair label that has been put on him. It is not backed up by any shred of fact, and again it is very unfortunate that we as a community have not grown or matured to the point where we can see successful people advancing and celebrate that success, regardless of the background is.”

Mr Symonette resigned two weeks after it was announced that a company with ties to his family - Bahamas Hot Mix - was awarded a contract to upgrade runways at Lynden Pindling International Airport.

LPIA’s announcement set off a social media firestorm, and renewed longstanding claims of self-dealing leveled by the Official Opposition.

It follows the

government’s decision to rent the Town Centre Mall at a cost of around $900,000 per year to house the General Post Office. The building is partly owned by Mr Symonette.

Mr Turnquest continued: “The fact of the matter is, these companies employ Bahamians and the suggestion that because he has decided to enter public life, that his family ought to suffer, or the employees of these entities ought to suffer, I think is a very disingenuous and a dangerous position for people to take.

“Again as far as I am aware, never once has former minister Symonette asked any minister or prevailed on any decision with respect to any of these contracts.

They’ve won them as far as I understand, fair and square.”

Mr Turnquest spoke with reporters on the sidelines of Yamacraw MP Elsworth Johnson’s swearing-in ceremony as the new minister of financial services, trade and industry and immigration.

The East Grand Bahama MP said Mr Symonette spoke often about his plans to retire at the age of 65 in personal conversations, adding he wished more

Host of other Relatives and Friends too many to mention.

DEPUTY Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest

Bahamians would think about succession in this manner.

He thanked Mr Symonette for his “tremendous contribution” to the government and people of the Bahamas.

“His record of service is certainly one that is marked by advancement and process, innovative and creative ideas,” Mr Turnquest said.

“Certainly, he and his entire family have a made a tremendous contribution to the development of this Bahamas and I think, certainly on behalf of myself, we are grateful for that service and the sacrifice.

He continued: “Being in public life is not easy.

You are subject to so much unfair attacks and criticism, which I think in his case, is the epitome of what can happen and is unfortunate.

“But be that as it may, he has remained dignified and above the fray and I think that’s to his credit and to his family’s credit.

“We certainly wish him well as he continues to represent the people of St Anne’s and contribute to the public life and private sector of this country,” he added.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, July 3, 2019, PAGE 7

‘We want teachers to be satisfied with deal’

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Jeff Lloyd

$7.2m to repair nine schools

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Jeff Lloyd said yesterday nine schools are in need of critical repair at a cost of $7.2m.

With about six weeks until administrators and teachers are expected to report to work, Mr Lloyd said school repairs have already begun.

“We have schools that are in critical need of repairs (costing) $7.2m, those are indispensable. There is no option. We have to address those,” Mr Lloyd said yesterday as he left Cabinet.

“Just recently Government High School had a circumstance where concrete was falling from one of the columns, so that’s

the critical nature. We are talking about safety for our students and teachers, administrators so we have to address it.”

He also said: “That is why it’s so important that those who receive those contracts are people who will get the job done, which means it’s not banking hours. You are working from nine to five. These tasks require that you expend the time required. That is you’re going to be working 12, 14, 15-hour days and seven days a week, that’s just the nature of it because look here today is July 2. Naturally you are looking at school being ready.”

Mr Lloyd said education officials will also have to redirect money in the budget to address issues left at two public schools

after separate fires caused damage.

Fire completely destroyed four single-storey classrooms at the Huntley G Christie School in Nichols Town, Andros last month.

Unfortunately, Mr Lloyd said a new block of classrooms will not be ready for the start of school in September and officials are in the process of assessing what it will cost for the construction.

In the meantime, officials are considering alternative accommodations for students.

As for Anatol Rodgers Senior High School, Mr Lloyd said the task will be somewhat easier as the size of the school provides alternatives.

A portion of that school

GAMING BOARD REGULATIONS COULD BE FINALISED THIS WEEK

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

GAMING Board regulations that will tack down the legal taxation framework for the industry could be enforced today.

Attorney General Carl Bethel told reporters yesterday draft amendments to the Gaming Act were also being reviewed by Cabinet and, if approved, will be tabled in Parliament for passage this week.

Reforms will create an investigative agency at the Gaming Board and strengthen the regulatory body’s capacity for enforcement, he said.

“It will be an amendment to the Gaming Act and also some regulations that will be tabled - if Cabinet approves - (today) in the House of Assembly,” he said, “which will bring in the new structure.

“I anticipate that by time as Cabinet ends (Tuesday), we will have the Gaming Amendment Bill which will greatly increase the powers of the Gaming Board to enforce not only against

licenced operators who may infringe but against unlicenced operators.

“It would create a whole new investigating agency of the Gaming Board with the powers of peace officer subject to court ordered warrants and search warrants etc and so it’s a very farsighted legislation. Then there will be regulations as well that will capture the agreed legal taxation framework for the gaming industry.”

Mr Bethel told reporters that Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar - who are both out of the country - have authorised the tabling of draft amendments and regulations in the House of Assembly today.

“There were some directions that I had to give in terms of the drafts, to clean up some areas and to make sure it clearly stated what we intended. Those instructions have been given,” Mr Bethel said.

“All of that should be approved by Cabinet (Tuesday). If so we have instructions and the

AG CARL BETHEL authority from prime minister to table the legislation and bring them into force tomorrow and also to table the Gaming Bill and pass it on Thursday,” he added.

The Attorney General was speaking on the sidelines of Elsworth Johnson’s swearing-in ceremony as Minister of Immigration, Trade and Financial Services at Government House.

He noted the enforcement of the tax regulations represented the end of a long and dynamic negotiation process.

Yesterday, Mr Bethel reiterated the government’s estimation that it will collect $50m in taxes from the web shop sector annually.

In the 2019-2020 Budget, total gaming taxes are pegged slightly above $36m.

TWO ARRESTS AS POLICE FIND MARIJUANA

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama police were able to recover a container with more than 250 packages of suspected marijuana which resulted in the arrest of two men on Monday. According to reports, officers of the Rapid Response Unit were on routine patrol shortly

after 9pm in the area of East Sunrise Highway and Seahorse Road when they attempted to pull over a grey Honda Accord for a traffic infraction.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Terecita Pinder reported that the vehicle refused to stop and officers observed a container being thrown out of the vehicle.

She said that officers retrieved the container and

pulled the vehicle over, which was occupied by two Freeport men.

The container had 268 packages of suspected marijuana inside, weighing an estimated 1.16 pounds, with a street value of over $1,000. Officers also confiscated $625 cash in Bahamian and American currencies which are believed to be the result of criminal proceeds.

was damaged by fire in June. Officials said at the time they believe arsonists were to blame for a blaze in the woodwork room. There was also an attempt to set fire to the school’s tuck shop.

“We are going to have to rearrange our budget to accommodate those circumstances,” Mr Lloyd said. “It sets you back. It causes you to have to arrange your priorities,” he added.

Editorial View - Page 4

THE Ministry of Education is aiming to ensure teachers are satisfied with the outcome of negotiations over a new industrial agreement.

This is according to Education Minister Jeff Lloyd, who told The Tribune yesterday he was happy with the progress of discussions between his ministry and the Bahamas Union of Teachers.

Mr Lloyd did not indicate when the negotiations will be complete, noting BUT President Belinda Wilson was now on summer break.

Asked whether teachers were set to receive a salary increase as was outlined in the BUT’s proposal to the government over a year ago, the South Beach MP said: “We are looking at everything that is on the table.

“Naturally, we are going to make sure that our teachers are satisfied and you know finances are a critical feature of any discussion.

So obviously we have to ensure that our teachers are satisfied and we are going to work towards making sure that that is the case.”

He added: “Negotiations are going very good.

Our team and their team are working assiduously to effect what is in the best interest of our teachers, which you know is the most important resources that we have in the execution of our education mandate.”

BUT’S Belinda Wilson In January, Mrs Wilson said her organisation would advocate for a 20 percent pay increase over three years, among other things.

Teachers, Mrs Wilson insisted, deserved this raise as they serve in a profession that requires a bachelor’s degree prior to permanent employment at entry level.

The union leader said a higher cost of living is another reason why teachers need a raise.

At the time, Mr Lloyd confirmed his ministry was working on a counter proposal to the union’s demands, but he said the demands had to be contextualised with the requests of other unions, adding that for too long issues like these have been one-sided.

He said the country needed to move to a point where accountability is also factored into union negotiations. Nonetheless, he said, the raise could only be considered as far as the country’s finances allow.

The pay raise for educators was featured in a proposed industrial agreement presented to Mr Lloyd on June 20, 2018.

PAGE 8, Wednesday, July 3, 2019

F

OLLOWING the shooting of 15 people at a party in Montel Heights where the intended target ran into the crowd, the Commissioner of Police said: “I feel safe and I think you feel safe.” This is a puzzling statement, particularly given the incident being discussed.

How did he arrive at the conclusion that we feel safe? We have been expected to believe that criminals are killing each other, and as long as the rest of us keep our hands clean and away from bad company, we will be fine.

Unfortunately, that is not the way crime works.

Sometimes innocent people are hurt, whether or not it is intentional. What are we going to do about that?

The Commissioner of Police and the Minister of National Security said the shooters did not plan to shoot multiple people.

This suggests the other 14 people were simply collateral damage, so we should all feel safe, right?

We have been further warned by the Commissioner to watch the company we keep, all while being encouraged to go about our “normal daily business”. The intended target ran into a crowd, resulting in multiple people being shot, but watching the company we keep will protect us? How can we

THE TRIBUNE

None of us is safe from a stray bullet, vulnerable amid illusions of safety The

as we go on as usual, we remember what happened on the weekend. The victims were are at a party, and we go parties without knowing everyone present all the time.

What does it mean to carry on as usual and to watch the company we keep? What does it mean to feel safe, especially in a place with so few degrees of separation between people, inability to reach emergency services when one phone company’s system goes down, and too many guns (coming from somewhere, because we do not manufacture them here) in the hands of people who use them to solve problems?

The Ministry of National Security needs to focus on getting guns off the street and stopping them from entering the country. Figure out what it is happens at ports of entry and deal with it. Spare us the positive spins on statistics and illusions of safety. Deal with the gun problem.

Alicia Wallace

column

read about people enjoying themselves at a party in one moment, and being on the ground with gunshot wounds in the next, yet believe that we are safe?

None of us are safe from a stray bullet if we ever dare to step outside.

We do not want to create a society in which people are unable to go anywhere or do anything because they fear an untimely death by a semi-automatic weapon, whether because someone wants the contents of their bags and pockets, or because they are in the vicinity of a target. We like to believe we are immune because we are good

people, our family members and friends are good people, we live in good areas or in close-knit communities and we imagine we know exactly what to do if approached by a criminal.

That is what we think until we hear about people at a party being shot, unable to make sense of it.

The truth is we are particularly vulnerable in certain settings. We cannot predict what will happen.

We tend to assume, in many cases, we will be safe. We go about our daily business - and for some of us that includes particular precautions - without expecting harm to come to us. Even

POLICE out in Montel Heights on Sunday.

The Bahamas is in a real place and we have work to do if we want it to work for us

THE BAHAMAS is a real place when Shaunae Miller wins a medal or when Sir Sidney Poitier is on the big screen.

HASHTAGS that say a particular country “is not a real place” have become quite popular. It usually accompanies the story, photo or video of a ridiculous experience. It is often used to bring humour to an otherwise sad state of affairs, but is sometimes a sign of frustration or disappointment. There is very little to connect the broad range of experiences the hashtag connects except for the sentiment that the people participating in its use are not impressed.

Whether it is a joke or a protest, it reduces the place to a particular deficiency and does not directly challenge systems or the people within them to do better, nor does it offer solutions.

We can all think of situations that made us wonder where we are and why whatever was happening seemed to be acceptable.

Take a minute to think of your own recent example.

As I write this, the electricity is off for the second time in a 15-hour period.

I know there are people in Nassau who have been having a worse experience, suffering through outages for long periods of time and with greater frequency.

Does anything rile us up more than this? It is hot and there is very little breeze.

Households with babies and elderly people become especially miserable when everyone is hot, no one can do what they want to do and essential functions are more difficult to access. Traffic is a disaster near certain intersections. Many businesses cannot operate, or the cost increases because they have to run on generators. Other utilities are affected. We do not just lose the lights, but the ability to function. Feeling the heat becomes even more frustrating because its source, the sun, laughs at us and our refusal to acknowledge its ability to give us power. It just doesn’t make

sense. Is The Bahamas a real place?

Days ago, I observed as people went back and forth, arguing about the announcement that scholarships would be made available for students with GPAs of 2.0 or higher to attend University of The Bahamas. Some said the standard was too low, and would ultimately lead to the devaluation of the degree.

Some said students with less than a 3.0 GPA did not deserve scholarships. These were the two main arguments and they are terribly flawed.

Education is not just for the individual, but for the society we form together.

It does not lose its value.

The real issue is that some people derive their own value from the resources they are able to access that others cannot. They build a sense of self on the privilege — nothing they have earned — to access, use and control resources like information and services. Mobile devices do not lose their value when more people have them, but it sure feels great to have the latest model while everyone else is “behind”.

It is strange to see people argue against wider access to education, particularly for those who would otherwise be locked out due to financial need. We want stronger leadership, better customer service, deeper public dialogue and improvements allaround, but oppose access to tertiary education for a student with a 2.5?

It is important to note our school system is imperfect, does not adequately respond to student needs and misses opportunities to recognise learning differences and mental health issues, and does not account for this in curricula or examination design.

We look at examination results and GPAs as if they

are separate from other systems, practices, and circumstance. We do not agree that financial difficulty should not keep anyone from pursuing tertiary education. Is The Bahamas a real place?

A man convicted of rape had his sentence reduced because he is a first-time rapist. Is The Bahamas a real place? We are paying $9000 for the Governor General’s housing rental. Is The Bahamas a real place?

BTC systems were down and it was impossible to reach emergency services.

Is The Bahamas a real place?

The Bahamas is a real place when Shaunae Miller wins a medal or breaks a record. The Bahamas is a real place when Sir Sidney Poitier is on the big screen.

The Bahamas is a real place when anyone outside of it says the wrong thing about it and faces the online abuse many Bahamians unleash.

It has produced people who make Bahamians proud.

It drew over a half million people to its shores just in the month of May. It may have a certain magic, blessing, or favour, but it cannot be great in the ways we want if we do not turn our lamentations into demands. If we do not turn our demands into actions. If we do not act collectively. If our collective actions does not have vision. If our vision is not stated, understood, shared and consistently used to drive us forward.

The Bahamas is a real place and Bahamians are real people. We have the opportunity to not only identify the challenges we are facing, but to create and implement solutions.

Where is the hashtag for that? Before climate change takes us seriously and makes The Bahamas history, let’s understand we are in a real place and have work to do if we want it to work for us.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, July 3, 2019, PAGE 9

TECHTALK

THE ORION test capsule, bottom left, and a Minotaur 4 booster rocket, centre, fall to the Earth, Tuesday, as NASA conducts a full-stress launch abort test in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for the capsule designed to carry astronauts to the moon.

The capsule was empty for the morning demo, which officials said appeared to be successful.

(Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)

NASA LAUNCHES ORION CREW CAPSULE TO TEST ABORT SYSTEM A NASA Orion spacecraft lifts off from pad 46 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Tuesday in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA conducted a fullstress launch abort test Tuesday for the Orion capsules designed to carry astronauts to the moon.

The capsule was empty for the morning demo, which officials said appeared to be successful.

Barely a minute after liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the abort motor fired, pulling the capsule from the booster about 6 miles (10 kilometres) up. The capsule continued upward another 2 miles (3 kilometres), then flipped to jettison the abort tower.

Recorders NASA chose not to use parachutes to keep this test version of the capsule simple and thus save time, and so it crashed into the Atlantic at 300 mph (480 kph) as planned, the three-minute test complete. Twelve data recorders popped off in bright orange canisters before impact, for ocean retrieval.

“By all accounts, it was magnificent,” said programme

FACEBOOK RESPONDS TO AD COMPLAINT

BOSTON (AP) — Facebook is responding to a complaint about age, race gender and other forms of discrimination when it comes to certain ads it runs.

The social network says it now plans to make ads for U.S. jobs and loans and credit card offers searchable for all users.

That’s in addition to having such ads customised for individuals based on data that is harvested from the digital activity.

Facebook’s customised ad placements to targeted users had been the subject of a lawsuit claiming age, race, gender and other discrimination. As part of that settlement, Facebook agreed to make its U.S. housing ads searchable by location and advertiser.

manager Mark Kirasich. It will take a few months to go through all the data collected by the hundreds of vehicle sensors, he said.

NASA aims to put astronauts back on the moon by 2024 using its still-in-development Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket.

Tuesday’s test represents “a really great, great step forward today for the team,” Kirasich said.

This was the second abort test for Orion, conducted at a speed of more than 800 mph (1,300 kph). The first, in New Mexico in 2010, was lower and slower.

A launch abort system on a Russian rocket saved the lives of two astronauts last October.

They launched again in December, this time making it to the International Space Station, where they’re still working.

“It had been 35 years since anyone on the planet had had to exercise their launch abort system,” NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik told reporters Monday.

“That was definitely a good message to all of us that, ‘Hey, this is serious stuff. This isn’t just an OK, it probably won’t happen.’

“We need to be ready.”

• FACEBOOK CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the company is evaluating how it should handle “deepfake” videos created with artificial intelligence and high-tech tools to yield false but realistic clips.

In an interview at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado on Wednesday, Zuckerberg said it might make sense to treat such videos differently from other misinformation such as false news. Facebook has long held that it should not decide what is and isn’t true, leaving such calls instead to outside fact-checkers.

But Zuckerberg says it’s worth asking whether deepfakes are a “completely different category” from regular false statements.

He says developing a policy on these videos is “really important” as AI technology grows more sophisticated.

Facebook, like other social media companies, does not have a specific policy against deepfakes, whose potential threat has emerged only in the last couple of years.

Company executives have said in the past that it makes sense to look at them under the broader umbrella of false or misleading information.

But Zuckerberg is signaling that this view might be changing, leaving open the possibility that Facebook might ban deepfakes altogether.

Doing so, of course, could get complicated. Satire, art and political dissent could be swept up in any overly broad ban, creating more headaches from Facebook.

Other false videos could still get a pass.

For instance, the recent altered video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that made her sound like she was slurring her words does not meet the definition of a deepfake.

• APPLE has bought a struggling self-driving car startup as the iPhone maker continues to explore the potential market for robotic vehicles, despite recently curtailing its work on the technology.

The Cupertino, California, company confirmed its acquisition of Drive.ai last week without disclosing the price. A recent filing with California labour regulators disclosed that Drive. ai planned to close its doors last Friday, laying off 90 workers.

Apple didn’t say whether its deal included the engineers who were set to lose their jobs with Drive.ai.

Apple trimmed the size of its own self-driving car division in January when it reportedly eliminated more than 200 jobs in the division.

The deal gives Apple the rights to Drive.ai technology deployed in self-driving vans that had been giving shortdistance rides in two Texas cities, Arlington and Frisco.

Uber, meanwhile, confirmed last week that it acquired a self-driving technology company called Mighty AI. As part of that deal, 40 employees from Mighty AI’s Seattle office will work at the ride-hailing giant’s Seattle engineering facility.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, July 3, 2019

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A MAN who was charged as a 15-yearold has lost his bid to appeal a judge’s decision not to permanently stay the criminal proceedings against him because he had already become a legal adult before the trial could get off the ground, thus losing the benefit his youth could have granted him.

The appellate court dismissed Raymond Bain’s appeal of Justice Bernard Turner’s decision that he could still receive a fair trial despite his claims that a trial by jury, which would have happened after his 18th birthday, would be prejudicial to him because of his “now adult-like appearance”.

Bain and his co-accused, an adult, were charged with being involved in an armed robbery and leading police on a high-speed chase while engaging in a shootout with them. Bain and his co-accused ended up being shot, with Bain receiving three gunshot injuries. He was 15 at the time.

On November 25, 2014, Bain and his co-accused were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt for multiple offences. In March 2015, a voluntary bill of indictment was presented containing one count of armed robbery, one count of receiving and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

On April 10, 2015, Bain

THE TRIBUNE

Man can still have fair trial even though he’s no longer a juvenile and his co-accused were formally arraigned before Justice Bernard Turner, and the matter was subsequently sent to Senior Justice Vera Watkins for trial. They appeared before Senior Justice Watkins and preparations were set in train for the trial. At some point, the matter was sent back to Justice Turner for trial.

During a case management hearing on June 30, 2015, Bain’s lawyers requested the Crown provide them with certain items. Various case management hearings were subsequently held between June 30, 2015 and December 5, 2016, during which time some of the items requested were provided.

On June 15, 2018, during a case management hearing, the Crown informed the court it would effectively withdraw the charge of receiving against Bain, and that the two firearm

charges be quashed and remitted to the Juvenile Tribunal in Magistrate’s Court for their disposal.

At that time, Bain was still awaiting trial on the armed robbery charge.

Bain, in an affidavit filed on June 18, 2018, thus asserted the court should permanently stay the firearm charges since he had already lost the benefit of being treated as a juvenile if convicted before the Juvenile Panel. He further charged that even if he was convicted of those two offences before the Juvenile Tribunal, the two years and five months he spent in custody exceeds any sentence the Juvenile Tribunal could pass.

Also on that same date, Bain filed a notice of motion seeking a declaration that his constitutional rights had been infringed and further sought constitutional relief. Bain also sought to have the proceedings permanently stayed

or, in the alternative, the Crown not be permitted to lead any evidence not disclosed.

Bain blamed the delay in his trial on the prosecutor who failed to disclose “critical and vital” evidence that would prove his innocence. He further noted that since he was a juvenile at the time of his arrest and arraignment, he was entitled to a quick and speedy trial pursuant to Article 40 of the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and Sections 3 and 4 of the Child Protection Act. However, in a ruling on December 3, 2018, the trial judge refused to grant the stay because he formed the view that both Bain and the Crown were blameworthy in creating the delay. The trial judge further found Bain could still receive a fair trial and the trial itself would have been sufficient to deal with all of the issues pertaining to the delay,

including him coming of age.

Bain appealed that decision, asserting that a fair minded and informed observer, having considered the facts, would conclude there was a real possibility Bain had suffered “extreme” delay and/ or would not receive a fair trial for numerous reasons.

One of those reasons was the trial judge appeared to have misunderstood his case, which was that due to the passage of time, he no longer had the appearance of a juvenile and as such, his “now adult-like appearance” before a jury would be prejudicial to his case.

Bain’s lawyers further asserted there was an “apparent breach” of their client’s “fundamental right to a fair hearing by an independent and impartial judge, within a reasonable time”.

However, the appellate judges said despite the multiple grounds of appeal, the

appeal revolved around one simple question: was the judge correct to find Bain could still receive a fair trial despite the passage of time, and then process it into two sub-questions: what effect did Bain being a juvenile have on the trial process and was the constitution properly engaged in the circumstances.

The appellate judges said it is “regrettable” that Bain’s case was not afforded a speedier trial because he was only 15 when he was charged, and further noted the fact he was charged with an adult “did not absolve the state from abiding by its obligations so readily entered into at the United Nations”.

However, the appellate court said it saw “no reason” to differ from the trial judge’s view that he could still have a fair trial in the Supreme Court and the juvenile court, thus negating the need for a stay of prosecution.

Rangers pass out in style

Photos: Ranger Cadet Mona Toussaint

A TOTAL of 54 students became fullfledged Rangers on the island of Eleuthera after they were inducted into the Royal Bahamas Defence Force’s (RBDF) Rangers Program. Held on the school grounds of the North Eleuthera High School, Lower Bogue, relatives and friends assembled to witness the induction of the young students who successfully completed the training. The students represented three high schools on the island, namely; North Eleuthera High School, Harbour Island All-Age School and Samuel Guy Pinder All-Age School, Spanish Wells.

In attendance at the ceremony was the Member of Parliament for North Eleuthera, Howard Mackey, as well as the Commander Defence Force, Commodore Tellis Bethel.

Commodore Bethel congratulated and commended the graduates on behalf of the Minister of National Security, Marvin Dames, for successfully completing eight months of vigorous training in preparation for this day.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, July 3, 2019, PAGE 11

2020 US CENSUS BEING PRINTED WITHOUT CITIZENSHIP QUESTION WASHINGTON Associated Press

DAYS after the US Supreme Court halted the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, the US Census Bureau yesterday started printing the questionnaire without the controversial query. Trump administration attorneys notified parties in lawsuits challenging the question that the printing of the hundreds of millions of documents for the 2020 counts had started, said Kristen Clarke, executive director of the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Justice

Department spokeswoman Kelly Laco confirmed there would be “no citizenship question on 2020 census.”

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said that while he respected the Supreme Court’s decision, he strongly disagreed with it. “The Census Bureau has started the process of printing the decennial questionnaires without the question,” Ross said in a statement.

“My focus, and that of the Bureau and the entire Department is to conduct a complete and accurate census.”

President Donald Trump had said after the high court’s decision last week that he would ask his

attorneys about possibly delaying next spring’s decennial census, raising questions about whether printing of the census materials would start as planned this month.

“The Supreme Court’s ruling left little opportunity for the administration to cure the defects with its decision to add a citizenship question and, most importantly, they were simply out of time given the deadline for printing forms,” Clarke said in an email.

Opponents of the citizenship question said it would discourage participation by immigrants and residents who are in the country illegally, potentially providing

inaccurate figures for a count that determines the distribution of some $675 billion in federal spending and how many congressional districts each state gets.

“Everyone in America counts in the census, and today’s decision means we all will,” said Dale Ho, who argued the Supreme Court case as director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Voting Rights Project.

• PRESIDENT Trump tweeted yesterday that people are moving out of New York “like never before” — but the reality of population changes in the president’s home state is more complicated.

In a series of tweets, Trump

blamed high taxes and the state’s leaders for prompting people to move.

“People are fleeing New York like never before,” he wrote. “If they own a business, they are twice as likely to flee.”

While it’s true that New York has led the nation recently in the number of residents moving to other states, the number was far bigger in the 1970s, according to E.J. McMahon, of the Albanybased Empire Center for Public Policy, a conservative think tank.

Even if the numbers do not constitute a record, McMahon said New York is experiencing a worrying trend.

ABRUPT END TO FESTIVAL OVER SECURITY AND FRAUD SUSPICION

THOUSANDS SEE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE LA SERENA, Chile Associated Press

BRUSSELS Associated Press

TENS of thousands of tourists and locals gaped skyward yesterday as a total eclipse of the sun darkened the heavens over Chile and Argentina. Tourists gathered to witness the cosmic spectacle, which began at 10.24am local time, crossing over a tiny atoll in the South Pacific. Chile and Argentina were the only inhabited places where the total eclipse could be seen.

The eclipse made its first landfall in Chile at 3.22pm in La Serena, a city of 200,000 where the arrival of more than 300,000 visitors forced the water company to increase output and service gas stations to store extra fuel. Police and health services were also reinforced.

THE MOON blocks the Sun during a total solar eclipse in La Higuera, Chile yesterday.

A MUSIC festival in Belgium featuring major stars like rapper Cardi B came to a chaotic end before it had even started. Security concerns were ostensibly the reason behind the cancellation of the VestiVille festival in Belgium on Friday, though officials have launched a fraud investigation.

That’s added a further layer of confusion and rekindled memories of the Fyre Festival, the failed music bash in the Bahamas in 2017.

Videos posted on Twitter show an elaborate stage apparently ready for the three-day music fest on a campsite in Lommel, in Belgium’s Flemish region.

But thousands of festivalgoers got a shock as police moved in to try to keep them out of the grounds.

Belgium’s RTBF network said the Limbourg prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation on suspicion of fraud over payments and quoted spokesman Jeroen Swijssen as saying three of the festival organisers were questioned on Friday night.

The three were not identified. An investigating judge was said to be questioning them further over the weekend on an array of suspicions including fraud, laundering and breach of trust.

VestiVille wrote on Facebook and Twitter on Friday that Lommel Mayor Bob Nijs stopped the festival on security grounds. The posts said that after consulting security services and security for star rapper A$AP Rocky, “it was decided that the safety of the artist and the public could not be guaranteed.”

However, security issues were not currently included in the investigation.

Rapper Ja Rule, a cofounder of Fyre Festival, was to perform on Saturday at VestiVille. He has denied any involvement in any fraud and has never been charged with any wrongdoing related to the failed enterprise.

Navy SEAL acquitted of murdering captive in Iraq SAN DIEGO Associated Press A MILITARY jury acquitted a decorated Navy SEAL of premeditated murder yesterday in the killing of a wounded Islamic State captive under his care in Iraq in 2017. Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher was cleared of all charges except for posing for photos with the dead body of the captive in a verdict that is a major blow to military prosecutors. It took the jury less than two days of deliberations to reach its verdict.

Gallagher reacted with “tears of joy, emotion, freedom and absolute euphoria,” defense lawyer Marc Mukasey said.

“Suffice it to say this is a huge victory,” Mukasey said outside court. “It’s a huge weight off the Gallaghers.”

Defense lawyers said Gallagher was framed by disgruntled platoon members who fabricated the allegations to oust their chief. They said

CLEARED: Edward Gallagher, right there was no physical evidence to support the allegations.

The prosecution said Gallagher’s own text messages and photos incriminated him. They included photos of Gallagher holding the dead militant up by the hair and clutching a knife in his other hand.

A text message Gallagher sent while deployed said “got him with my hunting knife.”

The prosecution asserted the proof of Gallagher’s guilt was in his own words, his own photos and the testimony of his fellow troops, while defense lawyers called the case a “mutiny” by entitled, junior SEALs trying to oust a demanding chief and repeatedly told the jury that there was no body, no forensic evidence and no blood found on the knife.

The case gave a rare public view of a deep division in the insular and revered SEAL community. Both sides told jurors that witnesses had lied on the stand and it was their duty to push through the evidence to find the truth. Gallagher, 40, did not take the stand.

The panel of five Marines and two sailors, including a SEAL, had to weigh whether Gallagher, a 19-year veteran on his eighth deployment, went off the rails and fatally stabbed the war prisoner on May 3, 2017, as a kind of trophy kill, or was the victim of allegations fabricated after the platoon returned to San Diego to stop him from

getting a Silver Star and being promoted. Under the military system, two-thirds of a jury needs to agree to convict. In Gallagher’s case, that meant five of seven jurors. Military juries also have the option to convict on lesser charges, such as attempted murder.

The two-week trial included the testimonies of nearly a dozen SEALs, including Special Operator Corey Scott, a medic like Gallagher, who told the court that he saw the chief stab the Islamic State militant in the neck but stunned the court when he said he was the one who ultimately killed the prisoner by plugging his breathing tube with his thumb as an act of mercy.

Seven SEALs said Gallagher unexpectedly stabbed the captive moments after he and the other SEAL medics treated the detainee who was wounded in an airstrike that morning outside Mosul. Two, including Scott, testified they saw Gallagher plunge his knife into the prisoner’s neck.

MEXICO BUSES HOME DOZENS OF FIRE KILLS 14 RUSSIAN SAILORS ASYLUM SEEKERS RETURNED BY US ABOARD DEEP-SEA SUBMERSIBLE MEXICO CITY Associated Press

MOSCOW Associated Press

DOZENS of Central Americans who had been returned to the border city of Juarez to await the outcome of their US asylum claims were being bused back to their countries yesterday by Mexican authorities, a first for that size group in the program commonly known as “remain in Mexico”.

In a statement, the Foreign Relations Department described it as the beginning of a “temporary program of voluntary return” for migrants in northern Mexico who wish to go home. It said 69 people — 40 Hondurans, 22 Guatemalans and seven Salvadorans — were involved, and 66 of those were returnees under the US program.

Officials said the bus left Ciudad Juarez at 9am and that all aboard wanted to be repatriated to their native countries in Central America’s Northern Triangle, the source of a surge of

FIRE broke out on one of the Russian navy’s deep-sea research submersibles, and toxic fumes from the blaze killed 14 sailors aboard, Russia’s Defense Ministry said yesterday, although it released few details about the disaster or the vessel involved.

The Defense Ministry did not say how many sailors were aboard the vessel during Monday’s fire, whether there were any survivors or if it was submerged at the time. But Russian media reported it was the country’s most secret submersible, a nuclear-powered vessel designed for sensitive missions at great depths.

President Vladimir Putin, who came under criticism for his handling of the Kursk nuclear submarine disaster in 2000 that killed 118 sailors, cancelled a scheduled appearance and immediately summoned Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for a briefing on

CENTRAL American migrants prepare to board a bus as they voluntarily return to their countries, migration in recent months, many of them families with children. It’s at least a day and a half journey overland from the city to Mexico’s southern border.

Transportation and assistance were coordinated by the International Organization for Migration, the Foreign Relations Department, Mexico’s National Immigration Institute and two non-governmental groups.

The Immigration Institute said the program would soon be rolled out

in Tijuana and Mexicali as well, two other cities that have been taking in returnees from the United States under the program that began in January. The institute added that the 69 had normalised migratory status in Mexico.

It was not clear what impact there could be on the asylum-seekers’ cases in the United States, whether going home meant giving up their claims or whether it would be possible to continue from Central America.

PRESIDENT PUTIN the blaze, which was under investigation.

“Fourteen submariners have died of poisoning by fumes from the fire,” Shoigu told Putin during a televised meeting.

“The fire was extinguished thanks to the crew’s resolute action.”

Putin ordered Shoigu to fly to the Arctic port of Severomorsk, the main base for Russia’s Northern Fleet where the vessel was brought, to oversee the investigation and report back to him personally.

“It’s a huge loss for the navy,” Putin said. “I offer my sincere condolences to the families of the victims.”

He added that the vessel had a special mission and an elite crew. “It’s isn’t a regular vessel. It’s a research vessel with a highly professional crew,” Putin said, adding that seven of the dead had the rank of captain and two were awarded the nation’s highest medal, the Hero of Russia.

The fire occurred while the submersible was measuring sea depths in Russia’s territorial waters, the ministry said, adding that the vessel also is used for studying the seabed.

Russia’s RBC online news outlet and the Novaya Gazeta newspaper identified it as the nuclearpowered AS-12 Losharik.

The vessel is the most advanced Russian submersible, under a heavy veil of secrecy, and it is believed to have entered service in 2010. It is named after a Soviet-era animated cartoon horse that is made up of small spheres.