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Volume:114 No.163, JULY 18TH, 2017
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WOMAN: PHOTOGRAPHER PUTS THE FOCUS ON LIFE AFTER 40
Roker: Arrogant PLP face oblivion By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net IN the face of allegations of corruption while in office and a lack of unity on the way forward, former Progressive Liberal Party Cabinet minister Loftus Roker said yesterday the party was in “as worst a state as it has ever been.” The Pindling era politician said he has watched with great angst the “slow, but public” demise of the PLP, saying people have had enough of “arrogant, know it all attitudes” displayed by members for much of the last 10 to 12 years. He predicted this could be the end of the “great PLP” if the party does not return to its original message of 1967. “This is a new low, my friend,” Mr Roker told The Tribune when asked
for comment on the recent accusations levelled at the previous Christie administration. “There were days of gloom, but never days of this sort of doom. I don’t think we have ever been to this degree before, but it didn’t happen overnight. We have been creeping in this direction for some time now,” the former immigration minister added. Since losing the May 10 general election, the former administration has been dogged by allegations of misfeasance and wrongdoing. Of the ordeals, Mr Roker on Monday said the “pompous and condescending attitudes” by PLP officials had pushed the public to a point where it could no longer “suck it up and go ahead with business as usual.” SEE PAGE SIX
TWO ACCUSED OF MURDERS
AMID the Minnis administration’s crackdown on perceived wrongdoing, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday denied allegations the government was primarily concerned with “witch hunts” over executing plans to advance the course of the nation. “If you are discovered to do wrong, then so be it. That’s what they asked us to do,” Dr Minnis said when he was asked by reporters to respond to the criticism
By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net POLICE have a man in custody in connection with a late-nigh t shooting that left a man dead. The incident took place shortly after 10pm Sunday off Robinson Road and brough t the country’s murder count to 74 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records, which also show there were 62 murders this time last year. Police said the victim was walking on Third Street in Coconut Grove, off Robinson Road when a man approached him, armed with a handgun. The suspect shot the victim before fleeing the area in an unknown direction. SEE PAGE SIX
‘WE’LL TRY TO HELP CONTRACT WORKERS’ By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE public sector has been “burdened” with people with “legitimate expectations,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance K Peter Turnquest said yesterday, adding that his administration will “unfortunately” have to address the problem. His statement is the latest hint from the Minnis administration of what could be in store for some contract workers as the new administration tries to reduce the burden. “Our hope is to regularise as many of the contract workers as we can into the system,” he said. “It’s unfair for them to be hanging out there with no real safety and security as to their employment going forward.” SEE PAGE EIGHT
SETTLING SCORES NOT PART OF PM’S AGENDA By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
SUSPECT IS SEIZED AFTER NEW KILLING
from the Official Opposition. “We don’t witch hunt. If you do wrong and you are discovered, then ask the public if that’s (a) witch hunt. “(We) have turned the course from non-transparency to transparency,” Dr Minnis also said following his visit to the LJM Maritime Academy yesterday morning. Since the FNM took office following the May 10 general election, claims of wrongdoing allegedly
OVERSEAS STAFF SAVINGS NET $1M
SEE PAGE SIX JAMAL WALLACE, aged 33, of Union Village, who appeared in court yesterday accused of the 2013 murder of Remo Cox at a party. See page five for the full story. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
POLICE CHIEF URGED TO FIGHT REMOVAL By TANEKA THOMPSON Tribune News Editor tmthompson@tribunemedia.net FORMER Free National Movement Chairman Darron Cash has criticised his own party over reports that plans are underway to have Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade replaced as the head of the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Mr Cash said Minis-
ter of National Security Marvin Dames’ silence on Commissioner Greenslade’s fate is “troubling” to him. While adding he is not a fan of Commissioner Greenslade due to the way the RBPF treated him during an investigation into leaks of information relating to Bank of The Bahamas in 2014, Mr Cash suggested the optics of removing the police chief will
make it hard for his successor to appear to be politically neutral. On Monday, The Tribune reported that Commissioner Greenslade has been offered the post of high commissioner to London and is reportedly set to be replaced by Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ferguson as head of the RBPF.
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SEE PAGE SIX
By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
TWELVE “non-essential” persons have been recalled from tourism offices in the United States, according to Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar, who said the move will save the government $1m annually. Speaking to The Tribune, Mr D’Aguilar said the Washington and Los Angeles offices have been “amalgamated” into the New York and Houston offices respectively. He said the market has changed and the government cannot do business as usual. SEE PAGE EIGHT
PAGE 2, Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Protestors take to the streets in Bimini
THE TRIBUNE
ENVIRONMENTAL activists took their case to Bimini as they fought for restrictions on development there and preservation of the landscape. See today’s editorial for more on the Bimini developments.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, July 18, 2017, PAGE 3
Travellers ‘extremely aggravated’ by dry runs for new airport security By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Repo rter rwells@tribunemedia.net WITH heightened security measures set to take effect today, Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar Monday said he is certain airport officials across the country are “ready” to administer new screening techniques, but admitted waiting times could be an issue. Starting today, travellers heading to or through America will face increased screenings, with new policies calling for enhanced checks of electronic devices and better deployment of canines that detect explosives. On Monday, Mr D’Aguilar revealed “dryruns” of the new security measures yielded extensive waiting times for many persons, leaving a host of travellers “extremely aggravated.” The Free Town MP added that although “grossly time-consuming,” two separate practice runs were approved by American Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers present in The Bahamas. Mr D’Aguilar said the outcome of those rehearsals prompted local officials to encourage travellers to arrive at the airport at least one hour earlier than the normal two hours for international departures. When the new security measures were announced last month, Mr D’Aguilar suggested the move could lead to the need for more screening time. He, at the time, proposed the normal two-hour airport arrival time could expand to as much as three
LYNDEN Pindling International Airport. hours, or even more if need arose. “I have warned for weeks, this process will take a lot of time and patience and the time has arrived,” Mr D’Aguilar told The Tribune Monday. “We are looking at an extra hour, that on top of times tossed around in recent weeks. We had a run through on July 11 and Sunday (July 16). Based on those dry-runs, we can now say that travellers are in for long waiting times. “The new screening measures, some of them are time-consuming. For example, there were selective
pat-downs that had persons in line, waiting up to an hour to proceed. “When you take into consideration the pat-downs, screening of electronic devices and all the regular checks, we had persons in line that were extremely aggravated by the entire process, but this is what is mandated and we have to carry out these measures,” he added. In a statement last Tuesday, the Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) called for travellers to the US to arrive an estimated three hours ahead of their departure times and
said those travelling with electronics larger than a cell phone in carry on or checked luggage should expect more stringent screening measures. NAD’s statement read: “The Bahamas and 104 other countries globally are impacted by these new security measures. The enhanced security measures include but are not limited to: enhancing overall passenger screening; conducting heightened screening of personal electronic devices; increasing security protocols around aircraft and in passenger areas and deploying advanced
IMAGING SERVICES RESUME AT HOSPITAL AFTER POBLEMS CAUSED BY FLOODING IMAGING services have resumed at the Princess Margaret Hospital following a series of challenges at the main public health facility over the weekend. In a press release issued Monday, PMH said in view of recent flooding at the Radiology Department, which resulted in a backlog of patients requiring diagnostic services, management requests only urgent care patients to present themselves to the Accident & Emergency Department. All non-urgent care cases requiring diagnostic services this week can be accessed at the South Beach Clinic during the extended
hours of operation between 6pm and midnight until Friday, July 21, the hospital noted. Only persons with trauma and life-threatening cases should visit the Emergency Department. Non-urgent care can be accessed at PMH’s Family Medicine Clinic at Agape House, located 4th Terrace Centreville from 8am to 8pm weekdays and all community clinics: Elizabeth Estates, South Beach, Fleming Street, and Flamingo Gardens Clinic between the hours of 8am to 9pm weekdays. For more information regarding the extended hours
of care at public community clinics, health officials said to call 392-1773, 392-2123 or 392-1783. Clients may also contact the Trauma & Emergency Department of the Princess Margaret Hospital at 326-7014, hospital officials said. On Sunday, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said the problems at the hospital forced some patients to be relocated to the South Beach Clinic and others to wait for more than 24 hours in some cases. Dr Sands said flooding
from a broken pipe took the CAT scan and ultrasound machines out of commission causing significant delays to those needing diagnostics. In addition, he said, there were no available beds on the female medical ward and unfortunately some patients had to sleep on cots in the hallways because “there was just no room.” He said the “perfect storm” was caused by years of “dumb and inappropriate decisions” and he is “honestly not sure” when a solution to the “mess” will be found.
technology, expanding canine screening, and establishing additional preclearance locations globally.” Meanwhile, Mr D’Aguilar on Monday said aviation officials plan to have more staff on-hand to deal with expected back-ups and ease tensions if they do arise. He said procedures were in place at all international airports throughout the country, except the Treasure Cay International Airport in Abaco where the Minnis administration was still assessing the needs of heightened security measures.
According to Mr D’Aguilar, the Abaco airport operates one international flight a day. As a result, the government was still weighing the cost-effectiveness of the move to add the needed screening technology. Mr D’Aguilar had previously said equipment upgrades could cost the country $50,000 to $75,000 per apparatus, per airport. In addition to New Providence, Abaco, Exuma, Grand Bahama and Eleuthera, there are occasional direct flights from the US into Long Island, San Salvador and Bimini.
PAGE 4, Tuesday, July 18, 2017
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History made in Bimini, government are you listening? ON July 14, history was made in North Bimini. On this sleepy little island with a total population of barely 3000, more than 200 people marched from Paradise Point to Resorts World Bimini, holding placards high and their heads even higher. Their demands were selfless and supported by experts, conservationists and those who care about the marine environment from around the world – stop the wanton destruction of Bimini’s fragile environment and put in place measures to protect what is left. To understand how significant and historic this was and what the people who participated are crying out for we need to first appreciate the extreme unlikeliness of an organised march in Bimini. First, the historic event that took equal doses of energy, organisation, frustration and anger took place on Bimini, a place where you would be hard-pressed to find any travel piece that did not describe the tiny island in the sun as sleepy or laidback. This is not a college town nor a city given to uprisings. The most organized type of event here is shark diving. Even the dolphins swim freely, unpenned, and if visitors want to swim along, that’s okay by them. Call it somnambulistic if you wish, but the reality is that radicalism, revolutions, uprisings and demonstrations in North Bimini are as rare as snowfall. If Bimini is hardly a setting that lends itself to this kind of unified resistance and demands, the second factor that sets this march apart is what it was – and was not – about. It was not about the usual causes that drive groups of people to unite and demonstrate, not about wages or benefits or overtime pay or poor working conditions. This was a march driven by a single unifying cry – to save the island that those who are fortunate enough to live there love, and those who visit on a regular basis think of as their second home. Biminites and visitors, including many who boat over from South Florida on a regular basis, have every right to be angry. They have watched as their island, its coral reefs, mangroves and wetlands have been carelessly destroyed in the name of development. For nearly 20 years, Biminites have waited for the enactment of legislation creating the North Bimini Marine Reserve. As the group that calls itself Save Our Home, Bimini, wrote in a letter published last week, “Despite environmental impact studies, investigations, committees, surveys, town meetings, talks from environmental agencies proving the dire need for a North Bimini Marine Reserve, petitions, lawyers, church leaders, scientists, heads of state, the Queen’s representative all stating facts, proof and reports that Bimini was the “highest priority in all of the Bahamas for an MPA” (Marine Protected Area) in 2000, still nothing has been forthcoming.” (Actually, there was a marine reserve declared but a declaration not backed by legislation is little more than an empty promise). That open letter addressed to Prime
Minister Dr Hubert Minnis days before the march begged for relief, stating “Over the past 20 years, Bimini has been systematically raped and pillaged at the hands of greedy foreign investors.” The Tribune is not opposed to development, nor are the good people of Bimini. What we are strongly opposed to and what Biminites have suffered from is reckless and unsustainable development. Hundreds of acres of mangroves have been covered and smothered. Mangroves are essential to any eco-system where they exist. They not only serve as the nurseries of baby fish, turtles, sharks, conch and crawfish but act as a buffer against storm surge, one of the critical barriers that protect the shore and people living close to the sea from oncoming waves. It has been reported that trash and concrete have been tossed onto vast mangrove areas. Natural rock that also protects the shoreline has been yanked out to create wider beaches, again leaving the coastline more vulnerable. Some of the world’s most precious and fragile coral reefs, thousands of years in the making, were churned up and smashed by heavy equipment during dredging for a 1,000-foot long pier that is no longer used. Biminites have seen the colour of their water change. They have seen the thousands of shrimp that used to line the shore vanish. They cannot find any more of the rare sawtooth shark that drew scientists and researchers to the island to track the endangered species of ray. What they see instead of the bountiful fish and the marine life they depended upon for centuries is plumes of toxic smoke as trash fires burn and construction workers, mostly foreign, battle air heavy with mosquitoes. So when they marched last Friday right through the gates of Resort World Bimini where Mr Gerado Capo, operating as RAV Bahamas, has reportedly repeatedly told people he could do whatever he wanted, the peaceful demonstrators strode right up to the front of the Hilton. The high-rise hotel visible for miles on the otherwise flat islands of North and South Bimini is so out of place that it is like wearing a ball gown to a ball game. Even inside the gates of Resort World unlikely supporters joined the march by golf cart, begging to save Bimini before it is too late. Surely, if it is the people’s time, the people of Bimini have made their case and now it is time for the government to act. Biminites do not deserve to have their water or power turned off so people in the casino can play at games that locals are not allowed to play, at enjoying the lights while locals are left in the dark, unable to run a fan or a light. Biminites do not need to forego showers so the guests of Resorts World Bimini can enjoy the water. Most importantly, the people of Bimini deserve the attention and the respect of any developer and of the government and all they are asking for is respect for the environment and the marine life they treasure.
The descent of cyber world EDITOR, The Tribune.
IN recent times especially during the previous election. Cyber world has descended to the lowest of the low. It’s like a floodgate of cesspool has erupted. There is no respect for another’s privacy or feelings. While I agree that when a person throws his hat into the political foray he is fair game for all darts hurled at him, I find it to be an act of terrorism and cowardice when one decides to attack the families of their opponents. Hopefully now that the election is over we can now return to some semblance
of normalcy. But the pink elephant in the room will not go away. Unscrupulous persons are continuously preying on innocent people via cyber world. These vile and despicable miscreants are penetrating the lives of trusting and caring people by posting many untruths that are causing so much hurt while destroying lives. When the former Prime Minister Mr Hubert Ingraham opened the airwaves he opened a Pandora’s box that paved the way for all and sundry to be able to call into talk shows and say what is on their minds. Unfortunately, in many
cases, a lot of these talk show hosts are less than professional and some of them should be more discerning in their representation. For the sake of ratings, they have allowed talk show to sink into smut. It was interesting to read that Mark Zuckerberg CEO of Facebook is now no longer an atheist and has found religion. Hopefully, his followers that abuses it will follow suit and use it for encouragement, enlightenment and motivation purposes. ANTHONY PRATT Nassau, June 16, 2017.
Assault on universal healthcare EDITOR, The Tribune. HEALTH Minister Duane Sands’ flippant and deeply ignorant observation that “nothing in life is free” in relation to universal healthcare gave me chills. It immediately brought to mind the thought that, one day, I could be robbed at gunpoint and, getting the attention of a passing policeman, I am saved from the prospect of gunshot injury and recover my goods, only to be told by the officer that my bill for his intervention is $250.00 plus VAT. That such an incredibly daft and insensitive statement could be made by a senior cabinet minister in relation to universal healthcare speaks volumes of the mind-set of this new government and the moneyed interests behind it. The fact that I (and all other residents and citizens of this country) are entitled to certain basics as taxpayers appears to be lost on them. For the record, in The Bahamas, our taxes are focused predominantly on consumption, rather than income. This means that it
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net is the poor (presumably the target of the minister’s condescending warning) who disproportionately shoulder the tax burden. This compounds both the arrogance and the ignorance of the statement. There is, of course, a well-worn playbook from which the minister drew this silly statement. It goes something like this: 1. Get into office (by any means); 2. Spend the first month or two feigning shock at the utter recklessness of PLP spending; 3. Malign and slander every PLP-built programme and institution; 4. Roll back any kind of progress that potentially complicates life for any of the special interests that got you elected. Dr Sands and those who parrot the nothing-in-lifeis-free criticism of universal healthcare have clearly not read anything about the subject from the most
respected sources, including those who have looked specifically at the Bahamian model and economy. There is among them almost universal agreement that one of the effects would be to boost economic growth, even in the short term. It seems that, in line with the playbook, this minister is intent on narrowing the focus of his consultation to the profit-motivated actors only. That is why, on the important questions (like funding and costs), only the BIA and medical professionals seem to have an input, with the minister then taking to the television and newspapers to announce a fait accompli. It is among these profitmotivated groups that the question of what is “free” naturally ignores payments (like taxes) that do not go directly to them. So the minister’s most unfortunate choice of words is merely a confirmation of just who he has been consulting with. ANDREW ALLEN Nassau, July 17, 2017.
Keep Montagu clean EDITOR, The Tribune. MONTAGU is the only remaining public beach on the eastern end of the island. It’s used by a wide cross section of Bahamians, particularly from the Montagu and Free Town districts. It’s within walking distance of communities of diverse economic groupings and it provides recreation for many families, especially those without transport. Visitors also use the beach. Visit Montagu any morning and you’ll find people exercising, swimming and enjoying a quiet moment of meditation and prayer. People use the area for a quiet lunch hour and in the evening, to exercise, “catch the cool” and unwind. I agree with your editorial of July 11. Montagu must be respected as a park and public beach and not subjected to crass commercialisation. There are so very few places left on the island where the people can enjoy the natural beauty we are blessed with - a soothing refuge removed from the haggling hustle of this
congested island. A place where people can breathe the fresh sea air and recharge their life battered batteries. The commercialisation of the area and the loud music at events is an assault on both the environment and the people’s right to enjoy the beauty and peace of the area. The litter situation is even worse. Snorkel off the beach and enjoy the garbage that litters the seabed. Watch the little girl retrieve an empty potato chip bag from the piles of litter strewn seaweed on the beach and turn it into a toy water vessel. Listen to the comments of visitors after they’ve snorkeled off the beach and sat in the dirty sand. “You have such a beautiful island. Why is it so filthy?” Look at the vacant lot across the street (owned by the Numbers Boys?) with the disgusting carpet of bottles, cans and styrofoam containers. Is this The Bahamas we want to live in? Is this The Bahamas we deserve? Every year, the Ministry
of Tourism pumps huge sums of money into promoting The Bahamas. It is a Bahamas of undeveloped pristine beaches and water in exquisite shades of blues and turquoise. Why are there two classes of beaches - the beautiful, peaceful stretches of clean sand for visitors and the dirty, squalid beaches for Bahamians? Why are people allowed to litter without consequences? Are we unable to manage our own beaches and enforce our litter laws? I sincerely hope the new government will get a handle on the unregulated development of this small strip of prized beachfront property called Montagu and help create a beach the tourist brochures are made of. It’s time to show some respect to the people and particularly the residents of Montagu and Free Town whose constituencies host this beach park. ATHENA DAMIANOS Nassau, July 16 2017
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, July 18, 2017, PAGE 5
Man guilty of shooting man dead as he sat on bench By LAMECH JO HNS ON Tribune Staff Repo rter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was convicted of murder by a Supreme Court jury yesterday afternoon. Jason Simmons, 21, stood trial before Justice Bernard Turner for more than three weeks for the April 27, 2014, fatal shooting of Neko Lloyd at Gibbs Corner. Shortly after midnight on the day in question, Lloyd was sitting on a bench near a woman friend’s home when a gunman approached him and opened fire. Lloyd was hit multiple times in the upper body as well as in his lower extremities. While the gunman fled on foot, Lloyd ran to the front of his friend’s home where he collapsed. A short time
later, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Crown’s key witness, who gave evidence through live television-link to ensure her safety, told a Supreme Court jury the accused was one of three to four men who ran into a yard moments after about seven shots rang out in the area. The witness claimed she was sitting on the porch with her boyfriend at the time, and said she could clearly see the men, who were about five to ten feet away. She said due to the set-up of the porch, she was able to see Simmons, but he could not see her. She also claimed that Simmons was carrying a small gun. She said she witnessed Simmons trying to stuff the gun into his waist to conceal it shortly after he
and the other men ran into the yard. However, the witness later said she did not see Simmons shoot and kill anyone with this gun at the time of the incident in question. Before excusing the jury at 2.30pm to deliberate on the evidence, the judge cautioned the 12-member panel concerning circumstantial evidence presented by the Crown. The panel took a little more than two hours to deliberate on the evidence and returned a unanimous guilty verdict. Simmons is scheduled to return to the Supreme Court on September 14 for sentencing. He was represented by attorney Moses Bain while Darell Taylor prosecuted the case.
DEMETRI MAYCOCK, 25, an officer from the Department of Correctional Services, arraigned yesterday for drug possesion. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
FORMER PRISON OFFICER FINED FOR ILLEGAL SHOTGUN AND DRUGS By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net A FORMER correctional services officer was spared an immediate prison sentence yesterday after he pleaded guilty to drug and firearm related offences in the Magistrate’s Court. Demetri Maycock, 25, of Sunset Park appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes facing two counts of possession of dangerous drugs and a count each of possession of an unlicensed shotgun and possession of ammunition concerning an arrest on Friday, July 14. It is alleged that on two occasions, Maycock was found in possession of a quantity of dangerous drugs, Indian hemp. It is further alleged that he was found in possession of a black Escort Magnum 12-gauge shotgun and 13 rounds of ammunition for the weapon without being the holder of a gun licence. Maycock pleaded guilty to all four charges. According to police reports, around 1pm on the date in question, Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) officers executed a search warrant at the former cor-
rectional services officer’s home in Sunset Park. Upon doing so, officers found in a safe just over two ounces of marijuana and the shotgun. His lawyer, Jomo Campbell, in a mitigation plea on his behalf, said Maycock was gainfully employed as a prison officer up until the time of his arrest. “He has zero pending matters before the court or any previous convictions,” Mr Campbell stressed. He said his client was not on duty when he was found with the drugs. “The contraband had been there for some two and a half years. It was untouched for that long,” the attorney added. Mr Campbell further noted the firearm charge was not a typical one as up until 2015, his client had a licence for the weapon. “He appears before you for falling down on renewing his licence. The firearm was a gift for his employment as a corrections officer. The firearm was locked away safely and there is zero indication that there was any intention to use the firearm to inflict violence,” Mr Campbell said. The attorney said his client was “extremely re-
morseful” for his actions and was not desirous of wasting the court’s time or resources with a trial. “We humbly submit the court need not impose a custodial sentence to get its point across. Being a former corrections officer, he knows the condition of the prison. He is redeemable. The licence for the shotgun had expired for two years and he’s already lost his job and whatever pension he was entitled to. He apologises to his family for his mistake and to the Bahamian public for disappointing them,” the lawyer added. The deputy chief magistrate, after convicting Maycock of the four offences, said it was alarming that those “charged with housing persons who break the law do so themselves.” The judge said there was no excuse for not getting the shotgun licence renewed. He imposed a $1,000 fine for the shotgun and another $1,000 penalty for the ammunition. In default of paying the fine, Maycock would serve 12 months at the Department of Correctional Services. As for the drugs, the magistrate fined him $600 or six months imprisonment.
MAN REMANDED OVER ILLEGAL FIREARM By LAMECH JO HNS ON Tribune Staff Repo rter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was remanded to prison yesterday after he was arraigned on firearms related offences. Ashano Knowles, 25, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann FergusonPratt facing a count each of possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of
ammunition. It is alleged that on Sunday, July 9, he was found in possession of a black Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol and one live round of ammunition for the weapon without being the holder of a licence or certificate to possess the items. Knowles pleaded not guilty to both charges and was told that the case would be transferred to Magistrate Derence Rolle-Davis
for trial. He is scheduled to appear before the presiding magistrate on July 31. Knowles was remanded to the Department of Correctional Services in the interim. However, he has the right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail. He has retained attorney Ian Cargill to represent him.
DINO SMITH, who is accused of murder.
Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
TWO FACE COURT OVER SEPARATE MURDERS By LAMECH JO HNS ON Tribune Staff Repo rter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
TWO men were remanded to prison yesterday after being arraigned in connection with two separate murders. Dino Smith, 23, of Windsor Lane was brought before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt accused of being concerned with others and intentionally causing the death of Levardo Sherman Deveaux on July 10. The murder charge was brought under Section 291(1)(B) of the Penal Code. A charge under this section does not attract the discretionary death penalty if a conviction is reached at the end of trial. According to initial police reports, shortly after noon, Deveaux was on Fowler Street, off East Street sitting in an open yard with a group of people when a black Nissan Teana drove past in a westerly di-
rection. The car turned around, heading east, and a gunman got out of the vehicle on the rear passenger side and shot Deveaux before getting back into the vehicle and speeding off in an unknown direction. Deveaux was taken to hospital in a private vehicle, where he died of his injuries shortly after his arrival. Chief Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt informed the accused that he would not be allowed to enter a plea because his case would be fast-tracked to the Supreme Court. This would occur through service of a voluntary bill of indictment, scheduled for August 25. However, due to the nature of the charge, Smith was denied bail and remanded to the Department of Correctional Services. He was advised of his right to apply for bail in the Supreme Court. Smith has retained attorney Ian Cargill to represent him against the allegation.
In the second murder arraignment before Chief Magistrate FergusonPratt, 33-year-old Jamal Wallace of Union Village was accused of intentionally causing the death Remo Cox on August 5, 2013. According to police reports, around 8.30pm on the date in question, Cox was attending a party when he got into an argument with two other men. One of the men pulled out a firearm and shot him in the chest. Both men fled the area on foot in an unknown direction. Cox was taken to hospital where he died of his injuries. Wallace was also told that his case would be fasttracked to the Supreme Court for trial on August 25. He too was denied bail and remanded into custody because of the nature of the charge. He has retained attorney Murrio Ducille to represent him.
PAGE 6, Tuesday, July 18, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
Roker: Arrogant PLP face oblivion from page one “Are you kidding me, there were candidates going to persons and asking them for support, the same persons who in years past would seek and get support just to look at the people and tell them, ‘Settle down, I know what is best for you, you don’t.’ You can’t be serious. “To a man hurting every day, that kind of attitude is hurtful. To a man hurting every day, that kind of attitude comes across as disrespect and a shove in the face. That is what it was, and after years and years of that, it pushed the party’s base as far away from the party as it had ever been. “Check the record,” Mr Roker continued. “When this party got started, it was done so on the back of the common people. They had the idea that the movement was their movement and the fight was their fight, because it was. “This group over the last dozen or so years, flipped that. It became a movement of, ‘Leave it to us, we know how to govern, leave us to it because we know what is best.’” According to Mr Roker, this shift in “political values” disenfranchised many of the country’s working class and inner-city voters — sections of the country that often supported the PLP. Mr Roker said that this, when added to the country’s bleak economic outlook,
FORMER PLP Cabinet minister Loftus Roker. high crime and education issues gave voters very little to “admire when headed to the polls”. “They had nothing to vote for, nothing positive at least, and the one thing you could have depended on, the PLP being the party of the people, you took that flipped it completely. By the time we got to May 10, it became, ‘the PLP, the party
against Bahamians.’” The Free National Movement won 35 out of 39 seats in the House of Assembly on May 10, wiping out the incumbent Christie administration. The PLP only captured one seat in New Providence and was driven out of many of its strongholds including Centreville, which was represented by former Prime
Minister Perry Christie for 40 years. “Look at the results, my friend, people who loved and revered this party all of their lives pushed to a point of no return,” Mr Roker told The Tribune. “You had mothers who were raised in the PLP way, tell their children not to vote for the party. You had fathers who earned a living
under the PLP, encourage their kids to look for a better option. “To top it off, you had people that were sure in their minds that the FNM had little to nothing to offer say, ‘I rather go with the unknown before I give the PLP another chance.’ “So when I listen and look at what is happening today, I’m concerned by the state
of the party because you have members who are still refusing to come around on their failures; they are refusing to make amends and some are refusing to make the necessary corrections. “The PLP has to get back to the party’s original message, that 1967 message and regain the faith of the people; if not, I hate to say it, but this could be the end of the once great PLP.” Earlier this month, George Smith, another former Pindling era Cabinet minister suggested the “cocky, arrogant and dismissive” attitudes of the Christie administration MPs were to blame for their defeat on May 10. Mr Smith said he believes the PLP should seek forgiveness from the Bahamian people, and not continue to make excuses and blame others for the party’s loss at the polls. His comments were in line with those by Exuma and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper, who in a recent speech before the PLP’s National Progressive Institute, said the party lost the recent election because it ignored scandals and condoned behaviour it should not have. Mr Cooper also said the party lost touch with the people it sought to help. According to The Tribune’s analysis of the official election results, the PLP received 37 per cent of votes counted in the 2017 election, at least 11 per cent fewer than what it received in 2012.
SETTLING SCORES NOT PART OF PM’S AGENDA from p age one
committed under the former Christie administration have continued to surface. The Royal Bahamas Police Force’s (RBPF) AntiCorruption Unit last month was said to be investigating 11 files from various government departments and public corporations. In this regard, Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade previously said he was “not surprised” over allegations of misconduct in the civil service, suggesting that accounts provided by “well-meaning citizens” gave cause for concern. The government has also announced plans to table legislation in the House of Assembly to set up an anti-corruption commission
shortly after Parliament’s summer recess. Minister of National Security Marvin Dames has told The Tribune Attorney General Carl Bethel, QC, and his team are “working assiduously” to complete anti-corruption legislation. This, he said, will ensure those sitting in the highest offices are held accountable. Press Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister Anthony Newbold has said the government will table this legislation in the House of Assembly shortly after Parliament’s summer recess. “The public has the responsibility of bringing the matters to the attention of the police and as we see matters during our audits within our own depart-
ments and throughout government we will certainly bring to the attention of the police,” Mr Dames said last month after the Royal Bahamas Defence Force’s change of command ceremony. “Wherever there are allegations of improprieties then we have to investigate it. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. “Bahamians are concerned with how the affairs of this country have been managed over the last five years and we will be doing a disservice if we ignore it as if nothing happened. It cannot be and so we are determined to do whatever is necessary within the framework of the law to ensure that we provide a full accounting to the people of this nation.
“When we say ‘it’s the people’s time’ we’re not just saying that for fluff, we mean it and we have to be as transparent as possible. We pledged that while on the campaign trail and we don’t intend to buckle at this time. “So the unit that has been formed internally within the police force is addressing these matters while we work on bringing the bill to Parliament that will establish an autonomous anticorruption agency whose responsibility will be to take on these matters and other matters in future.” Mr Dames continued: “The attorney general and (his) team they are working assiduously now. They are looking at best practices because we want to make certain that when we do in-
troduce an anti-corruption bill to Parliament (that) it is a bill that Bahamians will be pleased with (and that) it is a bill that will certainly cover all of the issues that are currently out there.” In keeping with its campaign promise to wipe out malfeasance in government and increase transparency, the Free National Movement administration pledged in the Speech from the Throne to create and enforce anti-corruption legislation for parliamentarians and public officers. “My government will ensure that its ministers are held to the highest standards of constitutional and personal conduct. Consequently, my government will enact and enforce anticorruption legislation for
all parliamentarians and public officers,” the speech, read by in May by Governor General Dame Marguerite, noted. “My government is proud of the capabilities of the team that you have entrusted with your mandate. As has been noted publicly already, we will ensure that all members of Parliament and all of the senior members of the public service are familiar with all of the practices, principles and tools of good governance as we get to work on your behalf,” the speech continued. For several months before the general election, stamping out acts of corruption was a common theme upon which now Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis capitalised.
POLICE CHIEF URGED TO FIGHT REMOVAL from p age one
On Monday, Mr Cash noted he does not think Commissioner Greenslade should leave his post quietly and should instead force the government to fire him. He added if there is justifiable cause for the commissioner to be removed, the government must inform the public. “The Tribune’s story about the Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade’s silence about his impending firing and the ‘mums the word’ response from his chief executioner, the minister of national security, is troubling,” Mr Cash posted to his Facebook page. “This habit of sending the commissioner of police out to pasture in some foreign land because the new government wants its own commissioner in place should
be stopped. I am no fan of COP Greenslade after his (alleged) misfeasance or nonfeasance in my real life ‘witch hunt.’ But is the nature of his job as COP such that the person has to be loved by the government of the day? So, if or when the PLP comes into office they get to appoint a commissioner they like? “Since when is the COP a traditional political appointee? How will the new guy –- in this toxic political environment – be seen as anything other than a compromised political puppet? In my opinion, the current COP was too much of a politician and that no doubt contributed to the perception that he is, as Shakespeare would say, a time pleaser. “Nevertheless, Greenslade has security of tenure thanks to the past PLP government. He
should take that provision in the law out for a spin and not go quietly into that good night. Do a Preet and get fired,” he wrote, referring to a US attorney general who was fired by US President Trump this year after refusing to resign. “If on the other hand Greenslade is being dismissed for cause, the public deserves to know chapter and verse why the new government thinks so. The country would not be well served if he simply shuffles off to some foreign land – no questions asked or answered. At some point this vicious cycle of political barbarism must be broken,” Mr Cash added. Commissioner Greenslade was appointed the sixth commissioner of police on January 4, 2010 after serving as the acting deputy commissioner of police from January 1, 2009
upon completion of a one year secondment with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Canada. Mr Dames also took part in this training in Canada when he was a member of the RBPF. In January 2009, Mr Dames, then senior assistant commissioner of police, was appointed commander for Grand Bahama. Mr Dames was later promoted to deputy commissioner while Commissioner Greenslade ascended to the RBPF’s top post. Mr Dames quit the RBPF in May 2011 to take up a post at the Baha Mar resort. He won the Mount Moriah seat in the House of Assembly in the May 10 general election. Mr Dames did not comment on Commissioner Greenslade’s future when asked about the speculation on Sunday.
SUSPECT IS SEIZED AFTER NEW KILLING from p age one The victim was taken to hospital in a private vehicle, where he was initially listed in serious condition. However, he died of his injuries early Monday morning. Police have not identified the victim, but The Tribune understands he is Kalif Adderley. The fatal shooting came one day after a 32-year-old
man was shot multiple times and killed Saturday night during a drive by shooting in front of his home. That murder took place shortly after 9pm in Fox Hill. Police said the victim was getting out of his car shortly after arriving home when persons in a vehicle opened fire on him before speeding off in an unknown direction. The victim died at the scene. Police have not identified the man from Saturday’s
shooting, but The Tribune understands he is Raquino Huyler, of Johnson Terrance. In late May, when asked about concerns over violent crime, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said “there is a sense of calmness” hovering over the country after his party’s crippling defeat of the Progressive Liberal Party. However, at the time he said he is sure National Security Minister Marvin
Dames will be aggressive in rolling out the party’s crime plan. There have been 21 murders since the Free National Movement’s win on May 10, according to The Tribune’s records. Anyone with information on any of these homicides is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS. Investigations continue.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, July 18, 2017, PAGE 7
CCA has questions to answer during PM’s tour YOUR SAY By MALCOLM STRACHAN WE HOPE that as our new Prime Minister gazes upon Baha Mar’s unfinished buildings this week — alongside representatives from China Construction America (CCA) — that he remembers the Bahamian construction workers and hospitality professionals who remain at home, unemployed, as a result of CCA not being held to fair standards. Anyone who drives by the resort can see that there is much to be done before Baha Mar is complete — green fencing and balconies needing repair are in plain view of the road. We urge the new Prime Minister to take this opportunity to stroll through the entire resort, not merely the parts that are presentable to the
press, and address the many questions that Bahamians still have for CCA given their work on Baha Mar. First and foremost: What, Prime Minister Minnis might ask his CCA tour guides, has been done to remedy the thousands of defects in CCA’s construction work at Baha Mar, which have been documented both through the media and by third-party observers? Have they been fixed and inspected by an outside inspector? It’s not a doubt that they will find a convenient excuse. CCA has used the tactic of pinning its failures on someone else before — two weeks ago, they suggested that an order of lounge chairs might cause them to miss yet another invented deadline for opening Baha Mar. Next, what has been done to ensure the struc-
tural integrity of the resort following significant wear-and-tear from Hurricane Matthew and standing idle over the last two-and-a-half years? Because of the previous PLP government, CCA has rested easy in Nassau for far too long and secured a position of power for itself—controlling the construction of not only Baha Mar but also The Pointe, two crucial destinations for The Bahamas’ tourism industry. Throughout their time in our country, CCA has consistently shown their disrespect for The Bahamas. On Baha Mar, they have directly cost the Bahamian people hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tax revenue from delaying the opening of the resort to more than three years after their original deadline. Now, CCA has put construction at The
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Pointe on hold, blaming the change of government for the delay—a convenient excuse since former Deputy Prime Minister Brave Davis has already revealed that CCA didn’t even submit construction plans to the PLP for the project! The November 2018 completion date of The Pointe’s second phase is already looking like another false deadline. Bahamians wo uld be wise to study an event that occurred in Kenya earlier this summer. An important bridge—a po tential economic sparkplug to Kenya—being built by a China-o wned construction company and funded by a Chinese bank, collapsed just before it was finished. The bridge was being rushed to be completed before a large national election with the hopes that the go vernment in po wer co uld take credit. No w,
Kenya must start from scratch with a significant economic effect. Ho w will the Chinese be punished for their role in this catastrophe? Since they are also building an important new railway in Kenya, the Kenyan go vernment is unable to do anything. This all seems too familiar. It was just two years ago — a month after CCA had previously scheduled the completion of Baha Mar — that Mr Davis flew to CCA’s new office in Panama for a photo opportunity. “We are grateful for the contribution of CCA in our efforts to improve our economy,” Mr Davis exclaimed in a CCA press release. Two years later, what does The Bahamas have to show for the efforts of Mr Davis’ friends? A parking garage at The Pointe and a partially-opened Baha Mar riddled with unresolved
work defects. Our new Prime Minister’s tour of Baha Mar is an opportunity to take a long, hard look and hold CCA accountable for its work on the resort. The PM should not be led on a cherrypicked tour of Baha Mar but on a real walkthrough to see what work truly has completed and what needs to be done. Have the structural and other deficiencies of two years ago been cured? Is the work that is being done of the quality that will enable Baha Mar to be the originallyenvisioned, world-class vacation destination? CCA’s poor record to date on this project puts all involved at risk — Baha Mar’s owners, our new government, the future of our economy. This tour hopefully should help our new PM to make sound decisions regarding Baha Mar.
PAGE 8, Tuesday, July 18, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
Grand Lucayan sale still under way as govt aims to boost Grand Bahama By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tri bunemedia.net WHILE negotiations to sell the Grand Lucayan Resort in the nation’s second city continue, Deputy Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest suggested on Monday that the Minnis administration is in the process of implementing strategies to temporarily boost Grand Bahama’s struggling economy moving forward. Speaking to reporters, the finance minister said although “intense negotiations”, including discussions with a buyer are underway, the government is looking at “a number of initiatives” to benefit Grand Bahama. However, he stopped short of revealing what these were only saying Bahamians will hear about them in a few days. “(The) sale has not been
THE GRAND Lucayan resort. finalised,” Mr Turnquest said following the launch of a Public Financial Management & Performance Monitoring Reform Project (PFM) at the British Colonial Hilton. “We are hoping to bring resolution to that quickly.” He said the “Wynn Group is at the table” as a potential buyer, but “a number of other people” have expressed
interest. He said the government was waiting to see what they are proposing. “We know it’s in the best interest of the country and of Grand Bahama particularly to conclude this matter as quickly as possible,” Mr Turnquest continued. “We are also beginning to make arrangements ourselves to try and provide some temporary benefit or
resolution or assistance to the industry and we’re doing that through a number of initiatives you’ll hear about in a couple of days.” Earlier this month, a leading resort executive warned that the Grand Lucayan must be sold within “the next two-three weeks to save” Freeport as a tourist destination and its upcoming winter season. Carey Leonard, the Grand Bahama Port Authority’s (GBPA) former inhouse counsel, told Tribune Business that Hutchison Whampoa needed to “stop playing games” and commit to the property’s sale to a bona fide buyer who could meet its purchase price. Now an attorney at Callenders & Co, Mr Leonard said the Grand Lucayan’s sale and re-opening were “the critical first step” towards reviving the Freeport economy and fulfilling the
PROJECT AIMS TO REFORM PUBLIC FINANCE SECTOR By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net EFFORTS to improve how the government manages its affairs gained a boost yesterday with the launch of the Public Financial Management & Performance Monitoring Reform Project, an ambitious project funded by a $33m loan from the Inter-American Development Bank that aims to transform a sector often resistant to change. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister K Peter Turnquest, anticipating some resistance within the civil service, said the IDB project will affect public service workers the most. “This project is one which will impact your usual processes and your day-to-day activities,” he said. “It will create new institutions, new rules and new routines. It will also create new responsibilities. However, it will also institute improved clarity upon processes and procedures and create a renewed sense of ownership in your work as you will see the fruits of your labour as more projects deliver results. “This project in all its elements requires a strong change mindset.” “This is not easy work and those of you who are in the public sector know that
change does not come easy and there is tremendous resistance whenever you talk about moving my cheese.” Parliament approved the IDB loan for Public Financial Management (PFM) in February 2016. Yesterday’s launch of the project could give Moody’s some insight into the government’s fiscal consolidation plans, though Mr Turnquest emphasised that the project is for Bahamians, not international credit rating agencies. “We are not necessarily focused on managing for the rating agencies, but for the Bahamian people,” he said. “Through these efforts, intense review of expenditures, enhancing and shoring revenue collection tools, we could provide growth in government revenue collection and reduce costs of doing business.” Among the benefits of the project, The Bahamas could save $13.1m a year through public procurement improvements, IDB country representative Maria Florencia Attademo Hirt said at the Hilton Hotel where the project was launched. The public procurement process has been so decentralised, different government ministries have paid different prices for the same product, IDB statistics have found; and
the US, in its annual country reports, has repeatedly criticised the system as opaque and susceptible to corruption. “You’ve seen over the last couple of weeks the overspending that has occurred because of the lack of transparency in the procurement process,” Mr Turnquest said, adding a new e-tender service and supplier registration system will be introduced. Additionally, the project aims to create an autonomous Department of Statistics that is better resourced and capable of providing “timely economic and fiscal data,” Mr Turnquest said. The project’s largest component will be its strengthening of the public financial management system, a process that will involve transitioning to accrual based accounting. This would provide more comprehensive and accurate information about the country’s financial position and, Mr Turnquest said, prevent new administrations from entering into office and discovering new bills piling up from throughout the public sector. Eugenia Cartwright, Bahamas treasurer and member of the PFM’s steering committee, said it should not be difficult getting government departments to ap-
ply some accrual accounting principles. In 1995, she said, a system was established allowing departments to account for revenue and expenses before cash is received or paid. Though all departments are linked to this system and can put financial data through it, she said: “The government has a tendency to go out and commit without putting (commitments) into the financial system.” “If you go and negotiate a contract and you didn’t put it in the system, that still becomes an obligation to the government,” she said. “It will take a mindset change to make sure people are utilising the system fully.” The most challenging part of transitioning to accrual based accounting will be accounting for the assets of the country, Ms Cartwright said. “Bringing those on the books is going to be a tremendous amount of work and cost in terms of assessing them and determining where and what they are.” The accounting system would prevent administrations from transferring assets such as land without revealing the financial implications of such moves. Ms Cartwright said it will take about five years to complete the transfer to accrual based accounting.
Minnis administration’s ambitions for Grand Bahama. Ahead of the May 10 general election, during a PLP rally in Grand Bahama, former Prime Minister Perry Christie told supporters a letter of intent for the sale and reopening of the Grand Lucayan Resort has been signed with a new purchaser, whose plans will significantly transform the hotel and the tourism product in Lucaya. At the time, he said then Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe would be leading a team to Canada to negotiate a heads of agreement to facilitate “an early completion of the sale.” “It is really a privilege for me to say I have some good news for you,” he told jubilant PLP supporters at a rally in Freeport at the party’s headquarters on Beachway Drive. “We have been working
‘WE’LL TRY TO HELP CONTRACT WORKERS’ from page one
“By the same token, we recognise that we will have to rationalise the public service. We cannot burden the Bahamian people with resources that we already have and that we may not need. That’s all part of this process we are going through, (finding the) right size of government. We have to figure out how we can reallocate some of that human resource. To the extent that we have excess capacity then we are going to have to deal with that.” Mr Turnquest said while the government is “certainly not interested in putting anybody out of work,” particularly with respect to the lead up to the recent election where people were hired “indiscriminately,” his government will “look critically to ensure that these people were in fact necessary and where they weren’t we’ll see how we can best assist them to find employment within the service or externally.” Mr Turnquest’s comments came during and after an event at the Hilton yesterday marking the launch of the Public Financial Management & Performance Monitoring Reform Project (PFM) which aims to reform public sector management to increase
transparency and accountability and ensure value for money. John Pinder, president of the Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU), conceded yesterday that some contracted workers may have to leave the service, many of them already finding their positions precarious. “If you had been working for the government for less than 12 months and they wish to terminate you because they don’t need your services or you don’t meet requirements for unemployment they can do that without scrutiny,” he said. “I would recommend that the government look at them to see if they can work in the public sector in other ways. They can be recruited as police officers, prison officers, teacher assistants, etc.” Most contracted workers––up to 90 per cent of them––are low level workers such as security guards and janitorial staff, he said. During the budget debate, Minister of State for the Public Service Brensil Rolle revealed the government’s payroll increased by $10m as new employees were hired in the final five months of the Christie administration. That administration, during its tenure, hired 6,500 new public service workers, he said.
OVERSEAS STAFF SAVINGS NET $1M
fro m page o ne
NASSAU, The Bahamas - Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland QC paid a courtesy call on Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Senator Carl Bethel QC at the Office of the Attorney General yesterday. Baroness Scotland is on an official visit to The Bahamas and will visit the Commonwealth Youth Games this week. Photo: Raymond A. Bethel Sr/BIS
hard, and I want the FNM to hear this. Just as we never gave up on Baha Mar, just as we worked around the clock to get Baha Mar open, we have been working very hard on hotel development on this island,” the former prime minister said. Mr Christie noted during the event his administration was painfully aware of the impact Hurricane Matthew has had in Grand Bahama, particularly regarding the extended closure of the Memories and Grand Lucayan hotels. The island lost 40 per cent of its room inventory, its only casino and 1,100 jobs in the tourism industry following last October’s storm. The Hutchison Whampoa Group of Hong Kong, owners of the Grand Lucayan Resort, had also put the property up for sale over a year ago.
“Okay, so let’s be clear, the offices have not been closed, they have been amalgamated into other offices,” Mr D’Aguilar said. “When we came in, it was my mandate to look throughout the system and see where it is we can save money. So in the United States, we have recalled 12 persons we considered to be non-essential. “What they were doing can be done here at a cheaper rate because we will not have to pay for housing and travel. So those persons are being brought back to Nassau. We haven’t looked at the offices outside of the US yet but in the US, there was a review and this is what happened. “We reviewed the functions of those persons and then considered our mandate, which is to sell The Bahamas and grow stop over visitors and some persons did not fit into what we need.” Mr D’Aguilar said the model of tourism has changed therefore the Ministry of Tourism cannot continue to “maintain the status quo.”
“In some instances we had to decide the purpose of these offices, we know what they did in the past, but what is the purpose now. We had to make tough decisions,” he said. “In the past, we were dealing with travel agents. Persons used agents to book trips and so we had relationships with agents but that model has changed. People purchase their vacations online and so if you are going to market the nation, you do not need to physically have those persons in the US. Times are changing so we cannot maintain the status quo, we cannot spend the people’s money frivolously. Now with this move, we can save on allowances.” In an earlier interview with Tribune Business, Mr D’Aguilar warned that there will be “some casualties” and Bahamians will have to suffer “some pain before gain” as the Minnis administration tries to combat the growing fiscal crisis. He said the government has no choice but to “right size the ship” following the Christie administration’s “orgy of spending” prior to the May 10 general election.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, July 18, 2017, PAGE 9
Boat theft suspects arrested
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net TWO suspected boat thieves from Grand Bahama were caught by police in Great Harbour Cay over the weekend aboard a 30ft Rybo runner vessel stolen from a residence in Freeport. The two men were in the process of taking the vessel apart and stripping off the tower when police officers were able to find them at a location, with the help of a tracker installed by the boat’s owner. “If they had another hour, I would never see my boat again because they had taken off half of the bolts of the tower,” said boat owner Larry Nelson of Freeport. The thieves had already stripped the vessel of its outriggers and control box which they threw overboard while en route to Great Harbour Cay
where they were eventually tracked and caught. “They would have ditched that (the tower), and then they would have been off. So, I was very fortunate that the police were so quick in getting to it,” Mr Nelson said. The men – one of whom is a resident of Hawksbill in Grand Bahama - are in police custody and are expected to be charged in court this week. Sometime around 4.08am on Saturday while the Nelsons were asleep, thieves stole their 30ft Rybo Runner Awesome Fisherman vessel, with two 250hp Yamaha engines, docked at their home near the Xanadu Hotel. According to information gathered from the tracker, the boat arrived in Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands around 5.38am. Sometime around 10.30am police were able to discover the vessel’s location and make the arrest. While it is the first time
this has happened to Mr Nelson, he said that boat theft is a “serious” problem in The Bahamas. Two weeks ago, while in Hope Town, Abaco, Mr Nelson claimed his friend’s 29ft boat was one of four vessels stolen on the night of June 24. His friend’s boat was found that morning, and another - a 35ft Jupiter was found a week later in Jamaica, he claimed. Mr Nelson - who found himself in the same predicament two weeks later – said he did not hear anything because his windows were shut and his air-conditioner was on that night. “I live near Xanadu, and they just shot right out to the ocean, but I had a tracker on my boat, thank goodness,” he said. “Before I walk out of my house in the mornings, I look to make sure the boat is out there, and it was gone.” After reporting his vessel stolen, Mr Nelson went up
in a private plane searching for the boat. He got within 10 miles of Great Harbour Cay but decided to return to Grand Bahama. “I just miss seeing it over there,” he said. Mr Nelson believes the boat thefts will hurt tourism and stressed that stiffer penalties should be handed down on perpetrators. “It is not only bad for the boating community here, but it is bad publicity for the island. Boaters from the United States would not want to come over here in their boat and to have to worry about it getting stolen. It just hurts tourism drastically. “So, the judges need to start doing something serious when these guys get caught; they need to start serving some time. “I am not a rich man, so my second biggest investment is my boat; and If I had lost that I would never have owned a boat again in my life,” he said.
PRIME MINISTER TOURS MARITIME ACADEMY
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday toured the Lowell J Mortimer Maritime Academy, inspecting the premises and those studying there. Photos: Peter Ramsay/BIS
“The judges need to realise that this is a very serious matter. It isn’t like stealing something from a grocery store. It is very serious stuff, and people can be shot over this.” Mr Nelson estimates the damage to his boat to be around $10,000. “They took my outriggers off and ditched them somewhere, so they are completely gone; they took my control box from the tower that has the steering wheel and throttle in it, and they cut all the cables and took the box off and threw it overboard.” With his tracker, Mr Nelson was able to locate and retrieve the control box on Monday. “I went to the last place my tracker showed where it was and dived up the box and the controls, but the controls are all messed up, and I would have to get a new one. But at least I got the box that was custom-made for the tower that would have cost me a fortune.
“So I got some of the things back, but if it were another hour they would have taken the whole top off, and they would have been gone,” Nelson said. Boat thefts are prevalent in the northern Bahamas, especially in Abaco, Grand Bahama, and Bimini. The stolen vessels are said to be used for either human or drug smuggling. The thefts are particularly prevalent during March through the second week in August when boaters visit. There is a lull during the third week in August through November, The Tribune was told. In Abaco, the residents are very concerned about the issue because the island is dependent on tourism. Abaconians feel that the current legislation in place does not address the problem. They believe that penalty of a $300 and a $600 fine is not a deterrent and have called for stiffer penalties.
CONFERENCE TO DEBATE THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY THE University of The Bahamas (UB) is calling all Bahamians to contemplate the state of Bahamian democracy with the return of its muchlauded Future of Democracy Conference, to be held this weekend. The conference, back for its second year, is free to the public and features a line-up of panelists from academia, civil society, law, and politics. This year’s conference will feature expert panels on democracy and governance in Bahamas, creating systemic change, and bringing power to the people. A diverse lineup of speakers will talk on timely topics such as: representation vs participation, raising the next generation of citizen activists, electoral reform and an analysis of Election 2017. The speaker line-up includes: Brenda Harris, Nicolette Bethel, Loretta ButlerTurner, Terneille Burrows, Stephen Aranha, Zhivargo Laing, Bridget Hogg, Nantino Thompson, Llewelyn Curling, Lemarque Campbell, Steffon Josey, Erin Greene, Lynden Nairn, Niambi Hall-Campbell, William Fielding, Alicia Wallace, Arvis Mortimer, Matt Aubry, Ian Bethel-Bennett, Leyvon Miller, and Youri Kemp. A central feature of the conference is the citizen workshops where attendees are invited to work together to build advocacy skills and generate solutions in key topics such as creating a virtual people’s Parliament, immigration reform, constitutional reform, public disclosure and gender equality.
Conference founder and UB professor Ian Strachan states that these workshops are integral to the purpose of the conference. “The Future of Democracy Conference is intended to help mobilise citizens and build their capacity to participate as change agents and builders in our society,” said Mr Strachan. “Most agree we need political reform but we too often place our hope in politicians. A key part of the solution to so many of our governance issues - whether it’s environmental concerns, rights, or mismanagement - is citizen leaders emerging across race, class and party lines and helping to introduce the new models we need. This conference is dedicated to creating the spaces where we start that work.” Last year, the inaugural conference attracted hundreds of attendees looking for more sober analysis of the state of the nation, and this year the planning committee expects an even greater turnout. Referencing the attendance, Mr Strachan said there is a demonstrated need for these spaces. “UB has a crucial role to play as an institution that can help frame national dialogues and debates in a neutral and analytical manner. The nation sorely needs trustworthy and unbiased analysis. That’s one of the things we’re here for as faculty,” Mr Strachan said. The conference, which has no entry fee, will be held Friday, July 21, and Saturday, July 22, at UB’s Harry C Moore Library Auditorium.
READERS HAVE THEIR SAY ON PROBLEMS AT PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL THE Accident and Emergency department at the Princess Margaret Hospital experienced a series of challenges over the weekend – with Heath Minister Dr Duane Sands describing the hospital as the Bahamas Power and Light of healthcare. Readers gave their reaction on tribune242.com. Observer2 said: “As long as we have politicians running hospitals (or anything else for that matter) it not will get better.” Tell_it_like_it_is had this to say: “Definitely sounds like the former administration left a mess. However, Dr Sands, you’re in power now. What are your proposed solutions to fix it? No sense just crying about it now. What is your plan?” Dr Sands was also in news after he pledged to “maximise value for the Bahamian public”, revealing the former administration’s planned $11m investment in new Cat Island clinics would benefit just six patients per day. There was this from TalRussell: “Comrade Dr. Duane reads from the same blame script as ‘KP’. Listenup doc: Why is it challenging if you honestly think the funds would be better deployed for the greater benefit healthcare seekers? Don’t complain, don’t explain - when you can just pull the damn plug.” OMG asked: “Why not centralise specialist medi-
be aware that OUR successive governments have allowed the Bahamas to decline, basically due to the lack of sufficient good
cal facilities in Nassau and establish a reliable flight transportation service? For all this talk about mini hospitals, most serious/complicated procedures will still have to be carried out in Nassau.” Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar has warned there will be “some casualties” and “some pain before there’s gain” as the government tries to combat the growing fiscal crisis. John2 responded with this suggestion: “The government can immediately take $70m of the $722m it intends to borrow if it sells the Aliv shares and includes retail clients, and individuals in the sales for true broadest distribution. With the cutbacks taking place, Moody’s will be impressed and cancel the downgrade and maintain our rating until the economy improves because the cutbacks already announced are already saving millions.” And DDK said: “The global economy is a mess, the 1% getting richer and richer to the detriment of the 99% is unsustainable. We need to learn to deal with this fact of life. We should also by now
governance and an abundance of avarice, corruption and slackness straight on through the entire system. This may be the last
opportunity to correct the system before we plunge into the abyss. Now is the time to stop playing the blame game and FIX THE
COUNTRY!!!”
• Don’s miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.
PAGE 10, Tuesday, July 18, 2017
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CHECHEN LEADER: NO GAY MEN HERE - IF THERE ARE ANY, TAKE THEM TO CANADA MOSCOW Associated Press
CHECHNYA’S strongman leader has harshly denounced claims that his southern Russian republic has tortured and even killed gay men, denying that there even are any homosexual men in his region. Kremlin-backed Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has faced wide international criticism since a Russian newspaper reported this spring that his security forces had detained some 100 gay men, torturing or killing some of them. “This is nonsense. We don’t have those kinds of
people here. We don’t have any gays. If there are any, take them to Canada,” Kadyrov says in an interview with HBO Real Sports cable television show. HBO released excerpts of the June 30 interview on Friday. Kadyrov also called those making the allegations “devils”. “God damn them for what they are accusing us of,” he said. Chechnya, a predominantly Muslim region in southern Russia, was devastated by two wars between separatists and Russian forces in the past quartercentury. Kadyrov, a former rebel who switched his loy-
alties to Moscow, has been the dominant figure there since the 2004 assassination of his president father, Akhmad Kadyrov. Kadyrov’s security forces have been widely accused of extensive human-rights abuses including abductions and killings in Chechnya. A former officer of his security forces has been convicted of the 2015 assassination of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. He has strongly promoted Chechnya’s Islamic culture, including opening what is claimed to be Europe’s largest mosque in the capital, Grozny. An avid boxer, he has promoted mixed
martial arts and other fighting sports in the republic. HBO says its show, which airs on Tuesday, examines Kadyrov’s sports initiatives. In the interview excerpts, Kadyrov claimed the United States “is conducting an anti-Russian policy against the country’s leadership” but then dismisses the country. “America is not really a strong enough state for us to regard it as an enemy of Russia. We have a strong government and are a nuclear state. Even if our government were completely destroyed, our nuclear missiles would be automatically deployed,” he said.
CHECHEN President Ramzan Kadyrov.
IN this April 13, 2017, file photo, Yemenis present documents in order to receive food rations provided by a local charity, in Sanaa, Yemen.
Photo: Hani Mohammed/AP
Clooney and aid groups unite to tackle famine in Africa SEATTLE Associated Press EIGHT of the world’s biggest aid groups are joining together in a new campaign to get more attention in the US for what the United Nations calls the world’s largest humanitarian crisis in more than 70 years. More than 20 million people are at risk of famine in nine African nations and Yemen, according to the United Nations. But Richard Stearns, president of Federal Way, Washington-based World Vision, says the situation has been overshadowed amid the controversies surrounding President Donald Trump’s administration. “We have seen that America is very distracted, and I think you have another phenomena — that some Americans are just so fed up with the news,” Stearns told The Seattle Times . Instead of competing for
donations, the organisations — US-based groups or the US arms of international charities — are banding together in a fundraising appeal launching this week. The Global Emergency Response Coalition’s effort is backed by $1m in matching donations each from the PepsiCo Foundation and the investment firm BlackRock, with additional corporate sponsors that include Twitter and Google. Actor George Clooney narrated a video pitch for the campaign. Conflicts have disrupted farming and driven millions of people from their homes in some of the affected countries, while drought is a factor elsewhere. The hardest hit countries are Yemen, Somalia, Nigeria and South Sudan. Cattle carcasses littered the land and children were dying of hunger when Stearns visited nomadic herders in northern Kenya
last month. A World Vision nutrition center had only two nurses trying to offer supplemental feeding to hundreds of malnourished children. “I don’t often feel helpless as a World Visions president, but I am feeling kind of helpless right now,” Stearns said in a video report, choking back tears. Early this month, the United States, the world’s largest donor of humanitarian assistance, announced it would send $630m in aid to the four hardest-hit countries. That brought the total US assistance to the four countries to more than $1.8bn this fiscal year, according to the US Agency for International Development. But hunger-relief advocates noted that the newly announced aid had been approved by Congress months ago before being held up by the Trump administration. Trump’s proposed deep cuts to foreign
IN this Sept 12, 2016, file photo, actors George Clooney, left, and Don Cheadle listen during a news conference to discuss an investigation about corruption in South Sudan at the National Press Club in Washington. Eight of the largest US-based aid groups are joining together in a new campaign to address what the United Nations calls the world’s largest humanitarian crisis in more than 70 years. The Global Emergency Response Coalition counts Twitter and Google among its sponsors. Clooney narrated a video pitch for the campaign. Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP aid — more than 30 percent tor for Oregon-based Mer- day. “My message will be, — have caused widespread cy Corps, said she plans to call for increasing the aid “People are dying, this is concern. Deepmala Mahla, the when she testifies before a not the time to talk about South Sudan country direc- Senate subcommittee Tues- aid cuts,’” Mahla said.
TRUMP ALLY SAYS GETTING RUSSIAN OPPOSITION RESEARCH PROBABLY ILLEGAL GLADSTONE, New Jersey Associated Press
IN a Wednesday, March 29, 2017 file photo, President Donald Trump shakes hands with New Jersey Gov Chris Christie.
REPUBLICAN Gov Chris Christie on Monday addressed Donald Trump Jr’s 2016 meeting with a Russian attorney, saying it’s “probably against the law” to get opposition research for his father’s presidential campaign from a foreign country. But Christie, a friend and adviser to President Donald Trump, also said that it’s too early be “jumping to conclusions” and that there’s no evidence the campaign obtained such research. “I think, quite frankly, it’s probably against the law in addition to being inappropriate,” Christie said. “I think the thing that bothers me the most is that we seem to have a frenzy of people jumping to conclusions.” Christie, a former US attorney, spoke Monday at an unrelated event in his first public appear-
ance since he ended a three-day government shutdown earlier this month. He was widely criticised after an NJ.com photographer snapped photos of him on a state beach closed to the public during the shutdown. He traveled to Monday’s news conference by state helicopter from another stay at Island Beach State Park. Christie’s comments come a day after the Republican president’s attorney insisted there was nothing illegal in the meeting that Trump’s eldest son attended during last year’s presidential campaign. The president’s attorney, Jay Sekulow, defended Trump and his son in a series of appearances Sunday on five television networks. “Nothing in that meeting that would have taken place, even if it was about the topic of an opposition research paper from a Russian lawyer, is illegal or a violation of the law,” Sekulow said.
He said the president did not attend the meeting and was not aware of it. The president himself tweeted Monday: “Most politicians would have gone to a meeting like the one Don jr attended in order to get info on an opponent. That’s politics!” Trump Jr initially said the June 2016 meeting was about a Russian adoption program. Then The New York Times reported the meeting was actually to hear information about his father’s opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton. Finally, under pressure from The Times, which had obtained email correspondence, Trump Jr. was compelled to release emails that revealed he had told an associate that he would “love” Russia’s help in obtaining incriminating information about Clinton. Christie served as campaign transition chairman and now leads an anti-opioid commission for the White House.
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Tuesday, July 18, 2017, PAGE 11
US Charge d’Affaires Lisa Johnson with youth ambassadors and chaperone Clive Ferguson, Kareem Minnis, Sky Cartwright, Tranique Brown, Wynter Curtis and Waydero Rolle and Latrell Bethel.
Exuma students take up role in youth ambassador scheme SIX students from LN Coakley High School in Exuma have been selected by the US Embassy in Nassau to participate in the prestigious Youth Ambassadors Leadership Programme sponsored by the US Department of State through the embassy and implemented by World Learning. World Learning is a global not-for-profit organisation with educational and international development operations in more than 75 countries. It fosters global citizen-activism by connecting over 100,000 participants. The Youth Ambassadors Programme brings together talented Caribbean students who are committed to improving the communities and able to represent their countries as citizen diplomats. The Youth Ambassadors Programme with the Caribbean will be held August 7-28, in the US. The participants include Clive Ferguson, Kareem Minnis, Sky Cartwright, Tranique Brown, Wynter Curtis and
Waydero Rolle. Latrell Bethel will accompany the group as the adult chaperone. From July 12-13, the youth ambassadors visited Nassau as part of their predeparture orientation. The visit included a courtesy call with US Charge d’Affaires Lisa Johnson at the US Embassy, participation in a community service project with Bahamas National Trust and a welcome dinner where they got an opportunity to meet with US State Department alumnus and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism Travis Robinson who gave a presentation on “What It Means to be a Youth Ambassador.” The students also learned about higher education opportunities and the services offered by the State Department’s Education USA programme. The Youth Ambassadors Programme encompasses three segments in the US: First, a visit to Brattleboro, Vermont for a week-long
leadership camp, then they will be divided into groups and travel to Kansas, Missouri; Tulsa, Oklahoma or Seattle Washington for a ten-day home stay programme. While there, they will reside with a designated American family for a cross-cultural exchange. The programme will conclude in Washington, DC with a week-long civic education and workshop. Upon their return home to Exuma, the youth ambassadors implement a community service project based on their leadership experiences in the United States. The Youth Ambassadors Programme started in Brazil 15 years ago and now includes 26 countries from throughout the Western Hemisphere. This year’s programme will include 42 participants from the Bahamas, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica and Grenada.
US State Department alumnus, member of Parliament and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism Travis Robinson with the youth ambassadors and chaperone Latrell Bethel.
YOUTH ambassadors participate in a community service project at the Bahamas National Trust.