08222018 NEWS

WEDNESDAY i’m lovin’ it!

The Tribune Established 1903

L1BACK TO SCHOOL

24/7 BREAKING NEWS ON TRIBUNE242.COM

HIGH 88ºF LOW 78ºF

Biggest And Best!

VOLUME:115 No.187, AUGUST 22ND, 2018

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

BACK TO SCHOOL: 16-PAGE SPECIAL TODAY

Ouch!

Bannister savages axed BPL chair with finance revelations • Lobbied for senior executive position on $300k

• Delayed equipment orders which caused power outages

• Wanted company • Submitted bill to pay for new home for make-up worth security cameras hundreds of dollars

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net WORKS Minister Desmond Bannister yesterday revealed he became involved with the operations of the Bahamas Power and Light board of directors in a bid to block the company from paying the personal bills of its former chairwoman, including make-up services and the installation of a home security system.

His rebuttal to claims of political interference in a statement penned by former chairwoman Darnell Osborne and two former board members is the latest in a string of allegations surrounding the shock dissolution of the board last week.

Mr Bannister told The

PATRICK ROLLINS, former vice-chairman, who got the job Osborne coveted.

Tribune yesterday he believed the discord between board members stemmed directly from Mrs Osborne’s

BPL CEO Whitney Heastie - attacks against him are wrong, insists Desmond Bannister. disenchantment over his decision to appoint his close friend Patrick Rollins to the executive director post after it was

vacated by Deepak Bhatnagar late last year.

The works minister insisted Mrs Osborne wanted the post and had gone as far as to offer a salary proposal of $300,000 - which he refused.

He further accused the former chair of repeatedly attempting to take on the functions of BPL’s CEO Whitney Heastie and engaging in a relentless attack on Mr Rollins, whom he stressed was professionally qualified for the post.

“I didn’t set out to attack Mrs Osborne,” he said. “They have been relentless in attacking Rollins, Heastie, and Ferron. I’m in public life, they can attack me.”

SEE PAGE FIVE AND BUSINESS SECTION

DISCLOSURE FILES WILL GO TO AG

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has instructed the chairman of the Public Disclosure Commission to give the Office of the Attorney General information on the officials who have failed to make their annual disclosure of assets and liabilities in accordance with the Public Disclosure Act, Press Secretary

Anthony Newbold said yesterday.

Anyone who fails to make their disclosures are liable to a $10,000 fine and/ or two years in prison. Only the Attorney General can initiate proceedings against such people, and only the prime minister or the leader of the opposition can prompt his involvement.

PDC chairman Myles Laroda said yesterday two senators have not yet filed their annual disclosures.

“There are two outstanding as of 10.15am today (Tuesday),” he said.

Asked how many people missed the March 31 deadline, he said: “There were a few people who had missed the March 31 deadline. The communication I shared with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition (Tuesday) morning was that there were two outstanding (senators) who had not

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE THREE

ALICIA WALLACE: SERVICE SECOND TO NONE? NO, SECOND RATE

SEE PAGE EIGHT

Summer in Mt Moriah

PAGE 2, Wednesday, August 22, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames surrounded by campers after they received their certificates of participation.

MARVIN Dames MP with campers enroute to Wetland Safari Adventure at Adventure Learning Centre and Camp.

THE Mount Moriah constituency’s summer camp held from August 13-17 at the Central Church of Christ in Yellow Elder, catered to more than 70 youngsters and teenagers.

Campers engaged in art and drama classes and were treated to a field trip at the Adventure Learning Centre.

They also received traffic and fire safety lessons from members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

Photos show National Security Minister Marvin Dames, area representative, onboard a “choo choo” train with campers en route to the Wetland Safari Adventure at the Adventure Learning Centre and Camp on a field day.

Sgt 1454 Crestanea Johnson of the Traffic Division is also pictured giving campers an opportunity to sit atop a police motorcycle.

W/Sgt 1454 Crestanea Johnson of the Traffic Division giving campers an opportunity to sit on a police motorcycle.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, August 22, 2018, PAGE 3

DISCLOSURE FILES WILL GO TO AG from page one

submitted their declaration of which he instructed me with regards to dealing with those two.”

Asked if he will also give the Attorney General information

about those who missed the March 31 deadline but have since filed their disclosures, he said he did not yet know.

“My instructions were particular,” Mr Laroda said. “I can’t give specifics on that because we won’t meet as a commission

until the first week in September so we’re going to have to go through probably some other communications with regards to the whole picture which includes some of the questions you’re asking me now. I can’t give a specific response because I don’t

have the answer for that yet.”

For his part, Official Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis said the PDC should provide information to the Attorney General’s Office about all officials who missed the deadline for disclosures,

not just those with outstanding disclosures as of yesterday.

“I think in keeping with the promises made during the campaign by the prime minister the information given to the Attorney General should include persons who did

not meet the deadline,” Mr Davis said.

In opposition, Dr Minnis often criticised then-Prime Minister Perry Christie for not holding officials who failed to make disclosures accountable.

In 2014, he called for such people to be arrested.

Cyber criminals posing as public figures net thousands

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames yesterday warned the public not to give money to people posing as politicians online as police revealed Bahamians have lost more than $100,000 to cyber criminals this year.

Mr Dames said an individual was recently defrauded of $14,000 after they were solicited for a charity by someone

purporting to be him on Facebook.

He told reporters outside Cabinet police had uncovered up to 19 fake profiles on the social media platform some months ago, adding the figure was likely much higher now.

“This is something we have been dealing with now since we came into government more than a year ago,” he said.

“A number of ministers, including myself, persons have been creating false Facebook accounts for me.

I think a week ago, an individual went to the Central Detective Unit to report being defrauded of some $14,000. The individual assumed at the time that they were donating funds to a good cause started by myself, only coming to find out that it had nothing to do with me.”

He continued: “I want to take this opportunity to advise members of the public that we have no such Facebook account out there asking persons to donate money to a cause, and a

number of persons have fallen victim to this. This is of grave concern, the police have been investigating and have been working with Facebook to try to mitigate this issue, but it seems to be growing.

“I was just informed just yesterday that my actual account now, that someone has a picture up of me and is responding on my behalf so it is a serious problem this is the world we are living in today and all I would say here is to advise members of the public to be extremely

careful and do not commit funds to anything online having to do with any politician or any member of Parliament or any Cabinet ministers because chances are they are all fake.”

In a press statement, police warned of an increase in fraudulent accounts of public figures on Facebook with impersonators asking for favours and money from connected friends.

“According to our Digital Forensic Investigation Unit, unsuspecting Bahamians have lost in excess of

FIVE YEARS IN JAIL FOR RINGLEADER IN HOUSEBREAKING AND THEFT GROUP

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

A 35-YEAR-OLD man was convicted and sentenced yesterday to five years in prison in connection with a five-month long housebreaking and theft ring which netted an estimated $13,916 in stolen property.

Tiffalo Johnson, of Native Yard, East Street North, the alleged ringleader in the plot, sat through two witness testimonies before reversing his not guilty pleas before Magistrate Samuel McKinney yesterday.

Moments into testimony by the case’s investigating officers, Johnson requested an opportunity to have his initial pleas of not guilty reconsidered and officially accept guilty pleas for all counts.

It was alleged that between February 7 and June 26, Johnson, while concerned with others, broke into at least four

homes, stealing thousands of dollars in household appliances and causing property damage to at least one.

In the first incident, it was alleged that between February 7 and February 10, Johnson while concerned with others broke into a home in Garden Hills #2, where he stole a refrigerator valued at $1,099, one General Electric 30-inch range valued at $499.99, a microwave valued at $149 and a clothes dryer valued at $499.

He was sentenced to five years on the charge of housebreaking and two years on the charge of stealing.

In the second incident, it was alleged that between April 29 and May 3, Johnson while concerned with others, stole one white Whirlpool duet washer valued at $1,446, one white Whirlpool duet dryer valued at $1,318, a stove valued at $989, a cordless drill worth $405.71, three toilets valued $1,081.02,

among other items from a Malcolm Road West property.

Additionally, it was alleged that during the same period at the same location, Johnson damaged one mahogany door valued at $1,073.93 and one deadlock valued at $34.35.

He was sentenced to two years on the charge of stealing and one year on the charge of damage.

In the third incident, it was alleged that Johnson, while being concerned with others between Monday, May 7 and Tuesday, May 8, broke into an Elegance Estates home with intent to steal. While inside, court dockets alleged that Johnson and others stole a garbage disposal valued at $98.88, a gas stove valued at $379.88, an electric washer/ dryer combination valued at $589.76, among other items.

He was sentenced to five years on the charge of housebreaking and two years on the charge of stealing.

In the fourth incident, it was alleged that between June 10 and 11, Johnson broke into a South Beach home, stealing two toilet bowls and two face bowls valued at $866.56 and two doors valued at $990.54.

He was sentenced to five years on the charge of housebreaking and two years on the charge of stealing.

In the last incident, it was alleged that Johnson, while concerned with others, on Tuesday, June 26 between 3am and 5pm broke into a Sir Lynden Pindling estates home where he stole 30 cases of white tiles valued at $786.90.

He was sentenced to five years on the charge of housebreaking and two years on the charge of stealing.

The sentences are to run concurrently.

Johnson was not represented by an attorney.

The case was prosecuted

by Police Sergeant 3272 Tamika Gibson.

$100,000 from these cyber criminals for the period January 1, 2018 to present,” read the police statement.

“One of the best ways to avoid becoming a victim of these online scams is to contact the account holder outside of the app or social media platform to verify that he or she is the originator of any requests.”

People who believe they have been victimised by an online scam or cyber fraud are asked to contact the Digital Forensic Investigation Unit at 502-9991/2.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, August 22, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

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

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

jrolle@tribunemedia.net

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-

Published daily Monday to Friday

Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES

News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax

(242) 322-1986 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348

WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com

@tribune242

tribune news network

Who is going to fill vast chasms left by those who leave us?

SENATOR Telator Strachan. Dr Patricia Bazard. Dr Cecil Bethel.

Cleophas Adderley. Bobby Symonette. E Clement Bethel. Ronnie Butler.

James Catalyn. Sir Clifford Darling.

Paul Adderley. Sir Clement Maynard.

Norman Solomon. Basil Sands. Harry B Sands. David Johnson. Sir Durward Knowles.

The names read like a Who’s Who of a funeral march across the years, a litany of legacy makers. Each time we lose one, we remember the value they brought. This year, the numbers seem higher than ever before as age catches up with the leaders who helped create the modern Bahamas. Other wise men among us will go one day in the not too distant future, much as we may wish to keep them with us longer.

How do you replace a Ronnie Butler or a James Catalyn, both of whom made The Bahamas a happier, better place by their voices and their extraordinary talent? How do you find someone so dedicated to bringing out children’s talent as Dr Patricia Bazard or as steadfast as Senator Telator Strachan who understood that weaving straw helped you weave a better life for your family and was proud of the work she did until her strong, gnarled fingers could no longer plait the silver thatch?

With every passing, there are floods of tears and long ceremonies. Preachers extol the virtues of the member of their church whose life is no more. Families and friends weep over the loss. But what about the nation as a whole? How will we replace them when they leave us? What are we doing to ensure that behind those who carved a culture for The Bahamas will come those who will build it, refine it, redefine it when need be?

This is a serious question in a country where we lack strong leadership and when we discuss leaders who make a difference we are inevitably speaking about the dead or near-dead.

That is a tragic reality. It is harsh.

And it is true. There are few leaders among us now who are willing to stand up for what is right regardless of political or personal cost, leaders who have the courage of a Norman Solomon who sat on a beach in cocaine-riddled Exuma facing off against Colombians armed with assault rifles who said No Bahamians Allowed Onshore, daring them to attack him.

Still shaking but undaunted, Solomon went to international media

seeking an investigation, helping to bring the most shameful and embarrassing period of Bahamian history to a close.

Who in our midst today would stand up to a country whose hooligans hoisted their flag over a Bahamian island, made it their headquarters for the lucrative cocaine wars, storing and dealing drugs and collecting money so fast they could not count it, but had to weigh it?

Who among us today would do what a Norman Solomon did?

Where are the leaders we desperately need, those who have the courage to stand up for what is right and just and not just politically expedient?

We see signs of courageous men and women in a few bright spots and we worry for their safety. In one case, an outspoken individual is surrounded by secret bodyguards. Living that way is not easy. Looking over your shoulder with every move is not living a normal life and it takes almost superhuman strength to agree to do it especially in a society that rewards corruption more than it celebrates honesty.

The question we must ask ourselves is, why? How did we go down a path that discouraged youth from taking a road to front line politics or cultural development or nation-building? The current governing party is younger than past parties on average and while that could be an encouraging sign, it is only a good thing if those with promise stand up for what they believe in.

They are told to toe the party line if they want to get anywhere, meaning a Cabinet appointment or other position with power, and so they toe the line because power is more important than principle.

We lost our way somewhere along the way. We forgot to celebrate doing the right thing for the right reason.

Instead, we celebrated the dress and costume of power. We accepted bad decisions because they were made by people we elected. We did not train for leadership. We failed to ask the right questions. We remained fearful of victimisation. If I speak out, will I be left out?

Until victimisation is erased, the chance of breeding strong leaders for the future who will fill the chasm left by those who leave us will remain a Sisyphean task, an uphill battle without a chance for success.

End victimisation and give leadership a chance to breathe. The Bahamas needs the fresh air.

Lloyd not asleep at the wheel EDITOR, The Tribune.

EDUCATION Minister Jeff Lloyd has been one of the more productive ministers in the Minnis Cabinet.

Education is a massive challenge to any government in this country.

Yet Lloyd has grabbed his portfolio by the horns and, by all appearances, has performed as good as can be expected under the circumstances.

Critics of the Free National Movement (FNM) government have made Lloyd the butt of their jokes in recent days.

Several photos of the education minister dozing off at official events have been widely circulated on Facebook and other social media outlets.

In one of the photos, Lloyd is seated next to Governor General Dame

Marguerite Pindling at an event with his head slumped forward.

Judging from the photo, the minister appeared to have dozed off. For what it’s worth, critics of Lloyd are nitpicking, seeing that they have no allegations of maladministration involving the good minister.

As a Cabinet minister, he has kept his nose clean, as his critics are certainly aware. Lloyd dozing off is simply an indication that he may be exhausted.

He is juggling multiple responsibilities as MP for the South Beach constituency and as Cabinet minister.

This current incident reminds me of former Prime Minister Perry Christie, who himself was often photoed napping at public events. FNMs made fun of Christie.

Now the shoe is on the other foot, I guess. Tit-fortat. I am not condoning the behaviour of Christie. But his FNM critics should’ve had some perspective regarding the former prime minister napping.

He was a 70-plus-yearold politician who was extremely busy, with very little opportunity for leisure.

The lack of rest would take a tremendous toll on any person, especially an elderly one.

Christie is only a fallible human being. The same can be argued for Lloyd.

Lloyd may want to avoid the pitfall of busy politicians and take some much needed time off to recuperate.

KEVIN EVANS Freeport, GB August 19, 2018.

Drama over shanty towns EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE furor surrounding the shantytowns has created a whole lot of drama in the country. Threats of civil unrest. Courtroom showdown looms. Family members and friends on opposing sides of human kindness. One side being sympathetic and the other without compassion with both sides standing their grounds. No compromise.

While we delve into what is happening let us review the plight of the sojourners who will be left in limbo if their homes are demolished. Who are only trying to survive. Who have risked their lives fleeing an impoverished country by braving raging seas on unseaworthy boats in hope of finding a better life for their families. Have we ever stopped to think that we are so blessed while others are risking their lives trying to get here. Has it ever occurred to us that God blessed us for this purpose. I fervently pray we are not jeopardising that blessing.

Deuteronomy 27:19 “ Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.” I challenge every Bahamian what would we do, heaven forbid, if we were to be faced with the same dilemma. Wait, let us ponder this. How many of us visit families that resides in Florida who went on the contract to pick oranges in Vero Beach, Belle Glade, and Fort Pierce, more than seventy years ago. Jumped the contract and never came back to live in the Bahamas. Some who now reside mostly in Liberty City, and Fort Pierce, are still not properly documented and unable to return to The Bahamas.

The following is an excerpt from “The Contract” available on line by Jessica Dawson &Tracey Thompson, “World War II brought to city-based Bahamians high levels of unemployment and poverty as the community’s seasonal tourism industry

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net collapsed. By 1942 the prospect of a decline in the construction sector threatened workers with further hardship. Meanwhile, in the United States a shortage of labour gripped every sector of the economy. (Americans off to war ).There the need for people who would work on farms grew especially dire. Nineteen forty-three brought The Bahamas and the United States together in a mutually agreeable arrangement.

Under ‘The Contract”, from 1943 to 1965 an estimated 30,000 Bahamians, both men and women, migrated to the United States to work on shortterm contracts.”Wow”can you believe that really happened to us ? Now let’s look at it from another perspective.

“During the 1920s” Barbadians, Trinidadians and Jamaicans were recruited to work in the Bahamas some joined The Bahamas Royal Police Force and some worked in tourism never returning to their country of birth.

Started families and made the Bahamas their home .Our first Prime Minister’s father a Jamaican was one that joined the force as a constable and lived in East Street.Shouldn’t empathy be relevant ? Even just a tiny bit.

Oh by the way just for the record I’m not a Haitian, born here, Ma and Pa born and bred here. Bahamian wife and children born here. I expect to be beaten up for this, but it’s ok. As I move about I hear and read of so many callous comments coming from persons who profess to be Christians in a Christian nation regarding the Haitian community. But what is so contradictory is the way we celebrate the foreign/ Bahamian athletes who represents us here and abroad while embracing those skilful enough to improve their living conditions. And we can’t forget the gardener who is often referred to

as “my Haitian”.We look forward to his monthly grass cutting. “All people are equally entitled to the respect of their fellowmen.”

- HG Wells We are displeased with the way Mr Trump, the President of the United States is treating the immigrants in America, but are comfortable with the way we treat others here in The Bahamas. Like all other countries, The Bahamas has immigration policies that must be maintained at all times. Those in breach should be held accountable and face consequences to the full extent of the law. Illegal immigrants are breaking the law and should be treated accordingly. I agree with Bishop Hall that the government should not do anything special for the shantytown dwellers that it won’t do for others. No free land, etc. But in the meantime, while solutions are being sought shouldn’t we be as compassionate as we possibly can? It is because of man’s inhumanity to man the downtrodden will be buried in so many unmarked graves. Illegal immigrants tend to be a burden on most countries, especially small countries such as The Bahamas. But does that absolve us from being humane ? God wants us to love others through genuine and sincere kindness and compassion.

This means that we should not be critical or judgmental of others. We should not be hurtful or take advantage of others.

Likewise,we should also not treat others with indifference. We should help those who need help. And when we are wronged, we should forgive. If we love God, we will do these things daily. Constantly. Not just to those who are close to us like family and friends, but to everyone.

And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” – Mathew 25:40 ANTHONY PRATT Victoria Boulevard, East Street South, Nassau.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, August 22, 2018, PAGE 5

FROM left, Patrick Rollins, Darnell Osborne, Carson B Harreld, Whitney Heastie, and Nicola Thompson.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Ouch! Bannister savages axed BPL chair with finance revelations from page one

“What I was really trying to do this morning is tell them leave Rollins, leave (board member) Ferron (Bethel), leave Heastie, stop the nonsense. I’m fair game, but these things coming out are wrong, they’re attacking people who are giving service.

“If I had agreed to this $300,000, none of this would have come up,” he continued.

“Up to almost the last meeting I met with her in December. She personally said that to me, she said I promised her the executive director post.”

Mr Bannister added: “All this confusion, so much problems, all the board had to do is sit and deal with policy issues and not try to get involved in the BPL day-to-day operations.”

The works minister said he was acting within his ministerial remit when he appointed Mr Rollins and confirmed the salary package for the post is the same as was offered to Mr Bhatnagar.

When asked whether his friendship with Mr Rollins influenced the appointment, Mr Bannister said: “We are good friends but what has influenced me was the CEO indicated he needed someone like Rollins. Those two worked well together.”

Mr Rollins confirmed to The Tribune his annual salary was $180,000 and when paired with his annual

bonus, had a total value of $207,000.

The Tribune reached out to Mrs Osborne and former members Nicola Thompson and Nick Dean; however, they all declined further comment.

In their joint statement issued on Sunday, the former BPL board members defended their tenure and said Mrs Osborne in particular was “continually disrespected and undermined”, suggesting chauvinism was at play.

The former board members said outside forces undermined its functionality and emboldened “certain factions” to “run amok”.

Defence Outside Cabinet yesterday, Mr Bannister defended his character and tenure in public life, and underscored he was “brutally honesty” when it came to his ministerial portfolio.

He said he was disappointed by the allegations and found subsequent public commentary “very nasty and very dangerous”.

He sarcastically admitted to political interference in the board, but said it was only in the interest of course correction.

“I admit to political interference because it is my duty to ensure that what happens in BPL, and what happened in BPL under the former administration, does not happen again,” Mr Bannister said.

“And so when issues that

came up to me were important for me to deal with and advise the board that they could not continue in that direction.”

Personal bills submitted to BPL detailed by Mr Bannister outside Cabinet include: the installation of a security system at Mrs Osborne’s home and a bill for “hundreds of dollars” in make-up services.

“The chairman, Mrs Darnell Osborne getting security system for her house and getting BPL to pay for it,” he said, “that type of thing is wrong. It cannot be condoned as a member of Parliament, as a minister I cannot accept that type of thing.

“Mrs Osborne to get someone to do her make-up and to give the bill to BPL in hundreds of dollars and ask BPL to pay for it, and in some instances BPL has paid for it and BPL is going to account to me for why they have paid to go to her house and do her make-up and there are many more bills that she has submitted, personal bills.”

The Tribune understands one invoice - which was not progressed - was for a $20,000 donation by BPL to Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants of which Mrs Osborne is a recent past president.

Mr Bannister said Mrs Osborne and Mrs Thompson presented the proposal for the former chairwoman to be paid $300,000 for the executive director post, adding he

still had the emails.

“These are the type of personal things that I have to admit political interference with,” he said, “because I told them what the salary would be for her, and it was not going to be anything close to that. I’m not going to pay the Bahamian people’s money for that type of thing so I want everybody to be aware that when they make allegations of political interference it is political interference of that nature that I described.

“I’m not going to let the money of the Bahamian people, the funds of BPL, to be wasted and be used in those circumstances. I regret that I have to say these types of things but that is my public duty to the Bahamian people.”

Mr Bannister said he advised Mr Heastie to release all personal bills submitted by Mrs Osborne to the media in a bid to “set the record straight”, adding he has demanded an explanation from the company as some bills have already been paid.

The Tribune understands

there was a make-up bill submitted for services rendered in connection with a company branding photoshoot, which included scores of other employees.

However, Mr Bannister last night contended he was referring to a different bill which totalled $700 and reflected make-up services for only Mrs Osborne.

It was also alleged by sources close to the matter that the security system was agreed by the board after Mr Rollins shared an experience of having his car destroyed by fire as chairman of Nassau Flight Services.

Mr Rollins yesterday acknowledged he shared the story with the former chair and confirmed the security system was agreed by the board.

“On getting board approval,” Mr Rollins said, “the chair invited all other board members present to also install security cameras at BPL’s expense if they so desire. No other board member accepted the offer either because they didn’t feel that expense was

justified or warranted.”

Yesterday, Mr Bannister said: “When I say political interference, obviously I’m being sarcastic.”

When asked if he had interfered in any other way, he said: “Absolutely not, and I’m not going to go back and forth with this.

But BPL is (subsidiary of) a public corporation owned by the Bahamian people and the minister must ensure that he looks after your interests. So when things are going on I must know. There is a chair for BPL and there is a CEO.” Mr Bannister added: “The CEO is responsible for operations in that organisation. It cannot be that the chair seeks to take over the job of the CEO as Mrs Osborne has tried for time and time again, that cannot be. Mr Whitney Heastie is very capable of doing what he is assigned to do, and Mr Heastie is doing a great job.

He is to report to the board and the manner in which he has done his job is to be evaluated by the board. The chair does not take over the duties of the CEO.”

DAVIS: WHY DID BANNISTER REAPPOINT OSBORNE IF THERE WERE PROBLEMS?

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis has said revelations Works Minister Desmond Bannister made yesterday about former Bahamas Power & Light Chairwoman Darnell Osborne are “disingenuous,” questioning why Mr Bannister reappointed her to the board in July if he felt her conduct had been egregious.

Mr Bannister told the press before Cabinet he intervened at BPL to block alleged directives to pay the personal bills of Mrs Osborne.

His was responding to Mrs Osborne and two other former BPL board members, Nicola Thompson and Nick Dean, who said in a statement on Sunday that Mrs Osborne was “continually disrespected and undermined” while certain factions in the board were allowed to “run amok”.

Mr Davis said: “I think it’s unbecoming of the minister to have sunk to the level he did, to get so personal with the chairperson.

“The reasons (Mr Bannister) gave are disingenuous for one reason: if he knew those things and that’s now why he removed her, why did they reappoint her in July? All these things

he spoke about I would’ve heard about some time ago but they reappointed her in July. If they were so egregious warranting the action he’s now taken, doesn’t it smack of (being disingenuous) that he reappointed her in July, now he’s removing her for factors that he knew about before that?”

He added: “The interference that she was talking about related to interference on the part of board members and management and he never addressed that. It would appear by all accounts that he and the prime minister were siding with one component of the board and management to whom allegations of... undermining of the chairman and (other things) were made against.

“The statements of Mrs Osborne and the other two board members relate to the board having made a decision with respect to Shell North America and that these other board members along with management sought to undermine that decision and when it was uncovered she tried to right the ship and I understand she spoke to the prime minister, she spoke to the minister and she said it was improper yet they dismissed her in all of this.”

Since last week, the PLP has been calling on the government to address the

BPL board debacle.

Yesterday, Mr Bannister called Mr Davis “clueless”.

“Y’all have a whole Ernst and Young report on what happened during Mr Davis’ tenure,” Mr Bannister said.

“He’s totally clueless about BPL and all you have to do is go back and look at what happened under their tenure and you will see the manner in which they governed this country and the manner in which BPL was run under his watch.”

All Saints Anglican Church Anglican Church Men

Raffle Winners

(1) Harry ticket # 01711 2012 Nissan March (2) Michael Collie ticket #01200 55" TV (3) Cain Palacious ticket #00396 Sail-Away Flying Cloud (4) Shammond Knowles ticket #01286 Cel Phone (5) Ranrick Adderley ticket #01981 40" TV (6) Anthony Rolle ticket #00766 Toaster Oven (7) Devon Paul ticket #01177 $100.00 Gift Certificate Gas (8) Anthony M. Butler ticket #01505 $100.00 Gift Certificate Gas (9) Gina Pratt ticket #01836 100lb. LP Gas Central Gas (10) Kristorf Ryan ticket #00689 Toaster & Iron

PAGE 6, Wednesday, August 22, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

1,000 SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE AT BTVI THE government, through the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute, is offering 1,000 scholarships to students enrolled in full-time programmes inclusive of preparatory, certificate, diploma and associate degrees.

Named The Bahamas Be Your Own Boss (BYOB) Scholarship, it is

geared towards providing students mainly between the ages of 18-25 with the requisite technical and vocational skills to start businesses and/or secure employment.

Persons wishing to be considered for BYOB Scholarship must meet the following guidelines.

New student criteria: must gain acceptance into

BTVI; must be a Bahamian citizen; and be enrolled as a full-time student (ie taking four courses or 12 credits).

Returning student criteria: must have and maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or above; must be a Bahamian citizen; must be enrolled as a fulltime student (i.e. taking 4 courses or 12 credits); and

must settle all outstanding/ past due balances.

BTVI said 80 percent to 85 percent of the scholarships will be awarded to students ages 18-25 years old who meet the criteria. Special consideration will be given to Family Island students where full-time programmes are not available on the given island. The remaining

scholarships will be awarded to persons over the age of 25 years old on a case-by-case basis.

Students who are registered for four courses or 12 credits and meet the criteria for the scholarship will automatically be included in the pool for consideration, based on the date of their registration.

Scholarship

applicants will be processed on a first come, first served basis. Once the quota of 1,000 scholarships has been met, all other candidates should reapply for the next academic year (ie 2019/2020).

A further announcement regarding collection of scholarship letters will be made later this week, BTVI said.

ROSHANEE DAONARINE, the winner of the 2018 Kettering University AIM programme.

PROGRAMME AIMS TO ENCOURAGE PATH INTO STEM STUDIES ROSHANEE Daonarine, a 15-year-old 11th grade student of Huntley Christie High School, North Andros was the winner of the 2018 Kettering University (Flint, MI) Academically Interested Minds (AIM) programme,

and has received a full academic scholarship to attend the prestigious university.

Roshanee is the first Family Island student to ever attend this program, and has become the first Bahamian female to ever recieve a full scholarship

to place first in the programme.

Roshanee plans to attend Kettering University in the fall of 2019 to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering.

Roshanee was afforded the opportunity to

attend the AIM program through sponsorship by the Bahamas Collegiate Advancement Society (BCAS).

BCAS is an organisation made up of former and current Kettering University students who desire to give back to the wider Bahamian community via education.

The focus of BCAS is to aid in educating young Bahamian students about, and exposing them to, the benefits of pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Between 1996 and 2018, a total of 59 students from The Bahamas have been sponsored to attend the Kettering University AIM program, primarily due to

the efforts of Freeport’s Rotary Club of Lucaya, and various Rotary clubs throughout Nassau.

More impressively however, during this 22-year period, these students have excelled academically within the programme, and as a result have earned more than $1m total in merit-based scholarships to attend the prestigious university.

Three additional students, sponsored by Freeport’s Rotary Club of Lucaya received partial academic scholarships to attend Kettering University Lavonne Mack (Bishop Michael Eldon High School) finished fourth place overall and received an $8,500 per year

scholarship.

Dwight Malcolm II (Mary Star of the Sea High SChool) received the highest score in physics, finished seventh overall and received an $8,500 per year scholarship. Salasha McBride (St George’s High School) received a $5,000 per year scholarship.

BCAS would like to thank the Cable Bahamas Cares Foundation for their public support and sponsorship. In order to continue to make opportunities such as this available to Bahamians, the BCAS relies on financial support from the wider community. To donate and learn more about BCAS and Kettering University, visit https://www.mybcas. com.

POLICE HUNT FOR ROBBERS AFTER TWO RAIDS POLICE in New Providence are investigating two armed robberies which occurred on Monday.

Shortly after 9am, a man was in the parking lot of a local bank on Prince Charles Drive when he was

approached by a gunman who robbed him of a bag containing cash.

The thief escaped in a silver Honda.

About an hour later, two men were answering a request for a service call at

PUBLIC NOTICE Due to the amount of calls received, the Family of the late Franklyn Donaldson advises the public that persons and business houses wishing to make payment for newspapers already received, can do so by contacting his Mother, Sylvia Sands at 323-4787, 556- 3925 or 455-0278.

We take this time to thank all those persons for their act of kindness during this most difficult time.

May God continue to bless you all.

Franklyn’s Family!

Nicholls Court in Yellow Elder Gardens when they were approached by a gunman who robbed them of cash and other items before running away.

Investigations are ongoing.

MAN GUILTY OF DRUG POSSESSION

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net A 23-YEAR-OLD man yesterday pleaded guilty to one count of drug possession with intent to supply.

Kevin Rolle, of Sugar Hill Road, Fox Hill, appearing before Deputy Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain, admitted to possessing 3.875 ounces of suspected marijuana with intent to supply.

According to court dockets, Rolle was found in possession of the drugs on August 18.

He was fined $1,250 or one year in prison.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, August 22, 2018, PAGE 7

THE GRAND LUCAYAN RESORT

‘Govt purchase of hotel will help union members’

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net THE Commonwealth Union of Hotel Services and Allied Workers believes the decision by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis to purchase the Grand Lucayan Resort in Grand Bahama is good news for the union and its hundreds of members.

President Michelle Dorsett met with union members at the Taxi Union Hall last week to update them on the way forward for the union as the government seeks to

purchase the resort property in Lucaya.

In a statement issued on Monday, Ms Dorsett commended the government for its decision to take over the resort to ensure that hotel workers are employed.

Once the hotel sale is complete, she said that workers should receive all of the benefits to which they are entitled.

According to the statement, the union’s attorney and accountant updated union members on the union’s position in view of the pending sale.

The union has now

retained attorney Pleasant Bridgewater, former Progressive Liberal Party MP, for all its legal matters concerning members’ benefits.

Ms Dorsett is very optimistic about the government stepping in to purchase the hotel after the pullout by the Wynn Group.

“We suffered from 2004…it is not just about the workers, but about Grand Bahama,” she said, referring to the closure of the Royal Oasis resort which left the island’s economy in a slump. “It is not just about the hotel or

restoration of the island.”

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and his Cabinet are due to be in Grand Bahama today to tour the Grand Lucayan property.

Press secretary Anthony Newbold said yesterday the trip will allow the government to get a first hand look at the problems on the ground.

“Let me talk about Grand Bahama,” Mr Newbold said at his weekly press briefing.

“The prime minister is going to take his entire Cabinet to Grand Bahama and the idea is to view first hand what is happening on the ground.. so all of these ministers... can have first hand knowledge of what is happening down there. They will have an opportunity to inspect the property, they will also have an opportunity to speak to the staff at Lighthouse Point.

“They will also speak with the vendors in the area, again, speaking to the people on the ground.

They know when they sit in that Cabinet room and make a decision, these are the people they are thinking about. The delegation travelling will also include some staffing from the Attorney General’s Office. In fact the permanent secretary there, Mr Marco Rolle, is going to be part of that team. Again, we’re talking about the government saying to the people of Grand Bahama look, we got you. We are concerned about what’s happening and this is another example of how serious we take what’s going on down there.”

The government’s decision to purchase the hotel has been met with mixed views.

Mr Lewis, who supports the government’s decision, said the hotel’s closure

would further affect the people of Grand Bahama.

“The decision is by no means an easy one. However, a decision has to be made. And as we have seen with the Royal Oasis Resort, we cannot allow the Grand Lucayan to fall into a state of disrepair,” he said.

Royal Oasis closed after hurricanes ripped through the island in 2004.

The MP believes that same operation model of the Bahamas Princess Resort should be adopted at the Grand Lucayan.

It was “one of the best examples of a successful Grand Bahamian resort operation” and was “an economic anchor in Grand Bahama,” he stated.

Mr Lewis gave several important factors that must be considered when purchasing the hotel in Lucaya.

He said that once the hotel is purchased, he thinks an immediate renovation of the resort must be done to make it fully operational.

“The government will then assume the added cost of the day-to-day operations of the resort as well as paying salaries, insurances, etc. This additional costs will possibly exceed the cost of the purchase based on the length of time the government remains in ownership of the resort,” according to Mr Lewis.

He said that proper management and branding is important. He said that the casino must be branded by an operator with the ability to attract their own players as well as manage and operate one of the hotel properties in order to facilitate their own guests.

“One of the things that made that Princess Casino

the workers. It is about the people, the entire island – the taxi drivers, the straw vendors, those that work in the food stores, the restaurants, the garbage collectors – all over. We have to think about them as well.”

At last week’s meeting, she urged the 100 members that turned out to remain positive and assured them that the union is working diligently to get what is owed to them.

“Their benefits will be given to them and that they will have options when the times comes. We will let them know when that

would be, but at the same time those that want to depart and those that wish to stay, can put their names down,” she said.

Ms Dorsett thanked the public for its support.

“We are pleased that the public is supporting us, that is the key thing… because they know if the hotel fails, they fail also,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ms Bridgewater provided members the opportunity to view the financial report of the list of severance pay and back pay owed and increases over the years with names, amounts, and dates.

“Nothing is hidden – everything is open and transparent; no one is trying to outsmart anyone or keep anyone out of anything.

Severance, back pay, and increases are all included in the itemized list. The only thing not included is the gratuities, and those have been submitted already to the hotel, for their consideration,” she said.

She said that if there are discrepancies, the union will address the matter. The Commonwealth Union of Hotel Services and Allied Workers, which represents line staff workers, has 400 members.

TREAT GRAND BAHAMA AS A SPECIAL CASE - LEWIS

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

MEMBER of Parliament for Central Grand Bahama Iram Lewis said yesterday Grand Bahama has to be viewed “as a special needs case” by the government and the Grand Bahama Port Authority.

“Business, as usual, does not exist in Grand Bahama presently and more than likely will not for some time to come. Thought must be given and a concerted effort must be made in order to jumpstart Grand Bahama’s economy,” he said.

Mr Lewis noted the trending topic in The Bahamas, particularly Grand Bahama, is the government’s decision to purchase the Grand Lucayan resort.

He said the hotel purchase is a key factor in the restoration of Grand Bahama, but believes it alone will not fix the island’s economy.

Mr Lewis said that socioeconomic projects need to be part of the mandate for Grand Bahama holistically.

“In order for Grand Bahama to truly take advantage of all the available opportunities, we, the citizens, along with the government of the Bahamas and the Grand Bahama Port Authority have to look at Grand Bahama holistically and create sustainable solutions,” he said.

“If asked am I in agreement with the government’s decision to purchase the Grand Lucayan resort, my answer would be yes. Do I believe this will fix the Grand Bahama economy?

No, not by a long shot.

However, it is a key component in bringing about the

IRAM LEWIS, MP for Central Grand Bahama. a success was the Princess Towers and its ability to provide rooms for their players without having to buy their rooms from another entity,” he explained.

He stated that government must strive to recoup all monies spent on deciding

Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff

to sell the resort and find buyer that has the capacity to carry its own weight and pay its own bills.

Former successive governments have contributed millions annually in subsidies to the hotel.

Mr Lewis noted that

proper airlift would be needed, and said that international carrier Sunwing and other carriers would be necessary. He also suggested that Bahamasair could also serve as a junket similar to how the Princess used Laker Airways.

PAGE 8, Wednesday, August 22, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Service second to none?

More like second rate

By Alicia Wallace

W

E all need service and we want it to be fast and inexpensive. Some of us want it to be friendly too and responsive to our every need. For any given service in The Bahamas - and in Nassau in particular - we would be fortunate to get two out of four.

I spent the last three days trying to complete two tasks — switching my phone number from one service provider to another and tracking down my complete immunisation record.

After the first day of failed attempts, I asked myself why I had thought it would be easy in the first place.

Government service Government offices are notorious for many things, from failure to answer phones to losing all of the information they ask us to provide. We all, at some point, have to go to a government office as part of a process we cannot avoid.

We need passports, business licenses, birth certificates, and national insurance cards. Depending on the documentation we already have and the number of times we have gone through the process before, we may need to visit multiple offices to get one item.

For me, the elusive document is my complete immunisation record. My paediatrician had most of the information, but most does not cut it for my current purpose. I visited the schools I attended and, while they did their best to assist, I have not found all the information.

Inquiry after inquiry, all roads lead to the Baillou Hill Road Clinic. Some people say the clinic will only have my records if I visited clinics before, but others say private doctors submitted their records to the clinic, so it is all there.

They all said even if the Baillou Hill Road Clinic did not have my records, it would be the only place to give me the vaccines missing from the document I have.

I have been advised to

be in line at the clinic by 7am today if I want to get it done. I am sure I had every vaccine required as a child and I know it was needed for enrolment in school, but I do not have the evidence.

I will definitely be getting a few vaccines today, just to move things along.

In talking about this with friends and family members, I heard several stories about long, difficult processes that could be shorter and easier with the help of technology. From having to report a stolen vehicle twice, to multiple visits to make an application due to misinformation on requirements, we waste too much time.

What if the Elizabeth Estates Clinic could see the Baillou Hill Road Clinic’s records? What if perthe passport office could form access the registrar gen- transeral’s records? What if they actions digitally archived records and access serthe first time they receive public them? We would not have vices in-person, to drive or take the bus to online, and by multiple locations in search phone while reducing of one document. We would the number of front line not have to make requests, staff at various ministries. wait, and pay for the same This new agency, Service documents every few years. Bahamas, would have a list We can simplify these of services it provides and processes. Lines could be the National Development shorter, and citizens could Plan specifically mentions health insurance, drivers’ be less stressed. licence, and All we need house permits. to do is cenThe needs are tralise the I can not help detailed, from buy wonder information, staff trainproperly train what the service ing on service front line staff, delivery to maintain the — public and system and private — would appropriate legislation. teach citizens look like if we The how to access National public services were all treated Development in the new, easy like tourists.

Plan is now in way. its second draft and over 600 pages long. The docuIs Service Bahamas ment is the product of years coming?

When going through a of work by a competent process like applying for a team. It is linked to the passport renewal in 2018, it Sustainable Development can feel like the one-stop- Goals and not only outlines shop is decades away, but actions, by outlines the it does not have to be. The outputs and expected outNational Development Plan comes. It responds to many — Vision 2040 — has a sec- of the concerns we, citizens tion called “One Window and residents, raise on a Approach for Govern- daily basis.

Unfortunately, it has not ment”. It proposes the creation of a new agency to been discussed in a long make it easier for citizens to time. It is unclear whether

?

?

?

? ? ? ? ? ? ?

or not this administration is remotely interested in the plan, much less committed to any part of it. Is it going to be like the hundreds of proposals we hear about that were submitted to the government over the past few decades, only to collect dust? Fortunately, we know the National Development Plan exists. The plan, however, is nothing without action. We have to demand that action. We have to demand better service, just as we demand it of private entities.

Private sector service While abroad, I did not use my Bahamian cell phone service. It has never worked anywhere else, and I have SIM cards I use for travel. Managing multiple SIM cards is easier and less expensive than spending hours arguing about roaming and associated charges.

To ensure I did not lose my Bahamian cell number, I continued to top-up online.

On my arrival, I tried to make a call to confirm that my Bahamasair flight was on time and I would be ready for pickup soon. No network. No matter what I did, I could not get a call out.

When I got to a landline, I called the company to explain the situation. The representative told me my phone was inactive. I gave

YOUR

her the dates of my top-ups and she informed me that if the phone was not in use, I would have needed to top it up with a phone card to keep the service.

Even speaking with her and providing all of my information was not enough. She insisted that I needed to buy a phone card and apply it in order to restore service. I reminded her that phone cards have been harder to come by since the company started phasing them out and I have no idea where to get one. She told me she did not know where I could get one either. I told her that was unacceptable, so she asked what area I was in. I said I was in the east, and she started directing me to a store on JFK. That was day one of a seven-day saga.

Other representatives have since dismissed some of the claims made by the first person I spoke with on the phone, but there is clearly a problem with communication and understanding of company policy and knowledge of services and locations.

At one of the locations, someone tried to convince me that I needed to buy a phone card to replace my SIM card, and because they only had $20 cards and combo cards, I should buy the combo card and pay

VAT on its value. I expressed my doubt that the combo card would even work.

Representatives insisted that it would work, but would not commit to giving me a refund if it did not work. I was later told, at another location, the card would not have worked.

Tired of the back and forth, carting around a SIM card that did not work, I decided to switch companies. Unfortunately, I still had to go through the SIM card replacement process because the new company needed it to send a text message for porting. What I really wanted to do was tell them to forget it.

Service industry I remember people bragging about the service industry in The Bahamas.

“Second to none,” they used to say. We do not believe it any more. We are often fed up before we even begin.

Have you ever left your house already frustrated by the experience you assume you are going to have? Poor service is expected. Sadly, it is also accepted. We convince ourselves that there is nothing we can do about it aside from getting loud on the line or complaining on Facebook. Business do not even try to retain customers. Government services are even less bothered.

I can not help buy wonder what the service — public and private — would look like if we were all treated like tourists. One day we will love ourselves enough to demand and give each other better.

CHOICE FOR THE FAMILY WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JOYFM1019

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, August 22, 2018, PAGE 9

A dog’s life: fitness trackers help put fat pets on a diet PRAGUE Associated Press WHEN Czech entrepreneur Robert Hasek began jogging with his dog, Darwin, the three-mile runs were making the bull terrier sick with fatigue.

Hasek was surprised, thinking his dog led a healthy lifestyle. To solve the mystery, he strapped a Fitbit to Darwin and discovered he was actually only active in his presence.

Otherwise, Hasek says, “he is lying, sleeping and doing nothing. He’s lazy!”

The businessman sensed an opportunity and developed one of the world’s first dog fitness trackers. His product is part of a growing industry of gadgets for pets that includes GPS trackers, automatic feeders, ball throwing machines for dogs to fetch, and self-cleaning litter boxes for cats.

People in the US will spend $72.1bn this year on pet products and care, up 3.6 percent on the year in an industry that has grown steadily since the mid-90’s, according to the American Pet Products Association.

Worldwide spending in 2017 was $109bn dollars, according to Euromonitor International.

Hasek first sought funding on Kickstarter and then reached out to private investors. He moved to San Francisco for three months,

CZECH entrepreneur Robert Hasek attaches a doggy fitness tracker to the collar of his pet bull terrier, during a demonstration in Prague, Czech Republic. The Actijoy fitness tracker system not only tracks activity but also how rigorous it is, and comes with a internet-connected bowl that monitors food and water consumption, to make sure the dog has a healthy lifestyle.

Photo: Petr David Josek/AP tracked down Czech manufacturers and a customer service subcontractor.

Two years later, production and sales of the Actijoy fitness trackers have begun, with one unit costing about $300. On top of the GPS tracking device that a variety of pet collars already offer, it tracks the intensity of the dog’s activity and comes with a internet-connected bowl that monitors food and water consumption.

It faces competition from a range of products, from the more basic fitness monitors to more advanced technologies. The Wagz, for example, is also able to record and stream HD video from the collar. It sells for $495 a piece.

That may be a lot for a collar, but some pet owners are willing to splurge.

Among them are Millennials who put off having kids or decided against having any and have the extra

income to spend, says Harrison Forbes, a dog trainer and pet products expert.

“Pet tech has been a hugely explosive part of the industry the past five or six years,” he said while attending the Superzoo industry conference on pet products in Las Vegas.

Technology for pets has tended to follow innovations that were meant for humans and this is an example of that, he says.

Actijoy’s COO, Jana

Rosenfelderova, says they are marketing these collars not only to people who have overweight pets, but also to those who want to avoid health problems in the first place. Monitoring water consumption, for example, can reveal if a pet is drinking unusually large amounts, a sign of kidney problems or diabetes.

“Our (ideal) customer is a dog owner that wants to prevent,” she says.

Robotic-assisted surgeries on the way MOUNT VERNON Associated Press USING two tiny mechanical claws, community members tested out Skagit Regional Health’s new robotic surgery system by unwrapping Starburst candies and moving around mini-rubber rings.

Skagit Regional Health will begin offering surgeries aided by the robotic system in September.

“With this instrument, I can do really complex surgeries and stay minimally invasive,” surgeon Joel Dean said.

The system is so precise, users can write their names on a grain of rice with it, director of marketing and communications Kari Ranten said.

It also offers other perks, such as the ability to check organs for blood flow during surgery, Dean said.

Skagit Regional Health bought the system in May for $2m, Ranten said.

Dean completed a yearlong fellowship in Salt Lake City, where he learned to use the system.

Before the training, Dean said the system’s hefty price tag made him sceptical

CUSTOMER representative Abby Finnegan watching the screen as a person operates the da Vinci Surgical System, a robotic surgery tool system that was being demonstrated to the public at Skagit Regional Health’s hospital lobby in Mount Vernon, Wash.

Photo: Scott Terrell /AP of its necessity.

Less recovery time, “Some people won’t even trained to use the system, “Because its ability to do shorter hospital stays and consider having a surgery at Dean said, with the hope of detailed, fine movements in a lower chance of infection a hospital that doesn’t have transitioning the technolsurgery are so advanced, I are all advantages of using a system like this,” he said. ogy to additional specialties quickly became a fan,” he the system, CEO Brian Ivie A handful of general such as urology and gynesaid. said. practice surgeons are being cology in the near future.

• AT A time when bigbox retailers are trying to offer the same conveniences as their online competitors, the biggest US grocery chain is testing the use of driverless cars to deliver groceries in a Phoenix suburb.

Kroger’s pilot programme launched last Thursday morning with a robotic vehicle parked outside one of its own Fry’s supermarkets in Scottsdale. A store clerk loaded the back seat with full grocery bags. A man was in the driver’s seat and another was in the front passenger seat with a laptop.

Both were there to monitor the car’s performance.

Under the self-driving service, shoppers can order same-day or next-day delivery online or on a mobile app for a flat rate of about $6. After the order is placed, a driverless vehicle will deliver the groceries curbside, requiring customers to be present to fetch them.

The vehicles will probably be opened with a numeric code.

Currently, Kroger is operating with Toyota Prius vehicles. During the next phase of testing in the fall, deliveries will be made by a completely autonomous vehicle with no human aboard.

Cincinnati-based Kroger Co, is partnering with Nuro, a Silicon Valley startup founded by two engineers who worked on autonomous vehicles at Google.

“Our goal is to save people time, while operating safely and learning how we can further improve the experience,” Nuro cofounder Dave Ferguson said in a statement.

• WHEN the blades of its 800-kilowatt wind turbine start turning, the small Greek island of Tilos will become the first in the Mediterranean to run exclusively on wind and solar power.

The sea horse-shaped Greek island between Rhodes and Kos has a winter population of 400.

But that swells to as many as 3,000 people in the summer, putting an impossible strain on its dilapidated power supply.

This summer, technicians are conducting the final tests on a renewable replacement system that will be fully rolled out later this year. It will allow Tilos to run exclusively on high-tech batteries recharged by a wind turbine and a solar park.

The European Commission says Tilos will be the first autonomous renewable green island in the Mediterranean. It plans to use the project as a blueprint for other small islands across the European Union that have limited grid connection to the mainland. The EU has largely funded the project, providing 11 million euros ($12.5m) of the total 13.7 million euro ($15.7m) cost.

“The innovation of this programme and its funding lies in the batteries — the energy storage — that’s what’s innovative,” project manager Spyros Aliferis said.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, August 22, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

GUILTY

MANAFORT CONVICTED AS COHEN PLEADS

WASHINGTON Associated Press

PRESIDENT Donald Trump confronted one of the most perilous moments of his presidency yesterday after two one-time members of his inner circle simultaneously were labeled “guilty” of criminal charges. Although Trump largely ignored the jarring back-to-back blows at a campaign rally in West Virginia, questions mounted about his possible legal exposure and political future.

In a split screen for the history books, Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, pictured above left, was convicted of financial crimes at nearly the same moment Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen pictured above right, pleaded guilty to a series of felonies, including campaign finance violations that the lawyer said he carried out in coordination with Trump.

With two men who played prominent roles on the president’s campaign convicted of multiple criminal charges, the investigations circled ever closer to Trump. But for all that, Trump spent more than an hour at a rally in Charleston on Tuesday night painting a rosy view of his accomplishments in office.

“What we’re doing is winning,” Trump told cheering supporters.

“Where is the collusion?” he demanded, underscoring that Manafort’s crimes had

occurred before he became involved with the Trump campaign.

The president did say he felt “badly for both” men, but he largely ignored Cohen’s guilty pleas to eight felonies.

Manafort was convicted in Virginia on charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential obstruction of justice. Cohen pleaded guilty in New York, saying he and Trump had arranged the payment of hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels and a former Playboy model to influence the election.

It is the Cohen case that places Trump in the most jeopardy, legal experts said, as the longtime personal “fixer” acknowledged his role in a scheme to pay off women who accused the future president of sexual misconduct.

“It’s going to be hard for the president to try to discredit all this. It’s circling him,” said David Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor who is not involved in the case.

Trump has shown an uncanny ability to shake off a relentless stream of accusations and jolting statements that provoked outrage. His loyal base of supporters has stayed with him despite his effort to blame “both sides” for the deadly violence between white nationalists and anti-racist protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, for one, and his refusal to

side with the US intelligence services over Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Helsinki last month, among other controversies.

Case in point, the crowd in West Virginia loudly chanted Trump’s campaign staples “Drain the swamp!” and “Lock her up!” despite the fresh corruption convictions and looming prison sentences for his former advisers.

Manafort’s conviction served as a vindication of Mueller’s work as investigators continue to probe potential misdeeds by the president and those in his orbit. Mueller’s team also had referred evidence in the Cohen case to federal prosecutors in New York.

Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani sought to cast the blame solely on Cohen in a Tuesday statement, saying: “There is no allegation of any wrongdoing against the President in the government’s charges against Mr Cohen.”

Trump’s legal team has also been engaged in a months-long negotiation with Mueller’s team about a potential sit-down with the president, but has objected to the scope of the questions.

In a separate courtroom yesterday, prosecutors and defence attorneys for former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn agreed to postpone his sentencing after he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with a Russian official, in a sign his cooperation was still needed in the Mueller probe.

Manafort was found guilty of eight financial crimes - with a judge declaring a mistrial on ten other counts the jury could not agree on.

The jury returned the decision after deliberating four days on tax and bank fraud charges against Manafort.

Manafort, who appeared jovial earlier in the day amid signs the jury was struggling in its deliberations, focused intently as the clerk read off the charges.

He stared down blankly at the defence table, then looked up, expressionless, as the judge finished thanking the jury.

His lawyer, Kevin Downing, said Manafort was disappointed at “not getting acquittals all the way through a complete hung jury on all counts”. He said Manafort was evaluating all of his options.

The jury found Manafort guilty of five counts of filing false tax returns on tens of millions of dollars in Ukrainian political consulting income. He was also convicted of failing to report foreign bank accounts in 2012 and of two bank fraud charges that accused him of lying to obtain millions of dollars in loans after his consulting income dried up.

The jury couldn’t reach a verdict on three other foreign bank account charges, and the remaining bank fraud and conspiracy counts.

No sentencing date has been set. Prosecutors have until August 29 to decide

whether they will seek a retrial on the ten counts where the jury hung.

The outcome, though not the across-the-board guilty verdicts prosecutors sought, almost certainly guarantees years of prison for Manafort, who faces another trial this autumn in Washington.

The president called the outcome a “disgrace” and said the case “has nothing to do with Russia collusion”.

Meanwhile, Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer, pleaded guilty to campaign-finance violations and other charges, saying Trump directed him to arrange the payment of hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels and a former Playboy model to fend off damage to his White House bid.

Cohen’s extraordinary account marks the first time that any Trump associate has gone into open court and implicated Trump himself in a crime, though whether — or when — a president can be prosecuted remains a matter of legal dispute.

In a deal reached with federal prosecutors, Cohen, 51, pleaded guilty to eight counts, including tax evasion. He could get about four to five years in prison at sentencing on December 12.

In entering the plea, Cohen did not name the two women or even Trump, recounting instead that he worked with an “unnamed candidate” to influence the election.

But the amounts and the dates all lined up with the $130,000 paid to Daniels and the $150,000 that went to Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal to buy their silence in the weeks and months leading up to the 2016 presidential election. Both women claimed to have had affairs with Trump, which he denies.

Cohen, his voice shaky as he answered questions from a federal judge, said one payment was “in coordination and at the direction of a candidate for federal office”, and the other was made “under direction of the same candidate”.

However, in the charging documents, a news release and comments outside the courthouse, prosecutors did not go as far as Cohen did in open court in pointing the finger at the president.

Prosecutors said Cohen acted “in coordination with a candidate or campaign for federal office for purposes of influencing the election”.

Daniel Petalas, a former prosecutor in the Justice Department’s public integrity section, said, “This brings President Trump closer into the criminal conduct.”

After the court hearing, which ended with Cohen released on $500,000 bail, the lawyer wiped away tears as he gazed out a courthouse window.

“If those payments were a crime for Michael Cohen, then why wouldn’t they be a crime for Donald Trump?”

Cohen’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, tweeted.

US REPRESENTATIVE ON CORRUPTION CHARGES SAN DIEGO Associated Press US Rep Duncan Hunter and his wife were charged Tuesday with using more than $250,000 in campaign funds to finance family trips to Italy and Hawaii, golf outings, school tuition, theatre tickets — even fast food purchases — and attempting to disguise the illegal spending in federal records, prosecutors said.

A 48-page federal grand jury indictment depicts the couple as binge spenders

who over eight years pocketed a steady stream of dollars intended for campaign purposes, while their household budget was awash in red ink.

Prosecutors said the couple tried to conceal the spending, which ranged from the banal to lavish, by falsifying records.

In March 2015, Hunter told his wife he wanted to buy “Hawaii shorts” but ran out of money, the indictment said. She told him he should buy them at a golf pro shop so they could later

describe the purchase as “some (golf) balls for the wounded warriors”, according to court documents.

“The Hunters spent substantially more than they earned,” the indictment said. “They overdrew their bank account more than 1,100 times in a sevenyear period resulting in approximately $37,761 in ‘overdraft’ and ‘insufficient funds’ bank fees.”

Hunter was among the earliest Republican members of Congress to endorse President Donald Trump.

US Rep Duncan Hunter, centre.

EARTHQUAKE ROCKS VENEZUELA - BUT LITTLE DAMAGE CARACAS, Venezuela Associated Press

A POWERFUL earthquake shook Venezuela’s northeastern coast on Tuesday, forcing residents in the capital to evacuate buildings and interrupting a pro-government rally in support of controversial economic reforms.

The 7.3 quake was the largest to strike Venezuela since 1900, according to the US Geological Survey.

But at a depth of some 76 miles (123km) it appeared to have caused only limited damage even near its

epicenter a few miles off the sparsely populated Cariaco peninsula stretching into the eastern Caribbean.

In Cumana, the biggest city near the quake’s center, supermarket shelves came crashing down. At a shopping centre, a woman caught in the panic of people rushing out of the building fell on an escalator and injured herself.

In downtown Caracas, concrete from the top floors of the unfinished Tower of David skyscraper fell to the sidewalk, forcing firefighters to close off traffic.

A block away, children

wearing surgical masks stretched their neck toward the 620ft building after having fled a nearby foundation for poor children suffering from cancer.

“We felt something strong and they told everyone to run,” said Marisela Lopez, who was at the foundation with her sevenyear-old daughter when the quake struck.

Construction of the Tower of David began in 1990 as a symbol to the OPEC nation’s ambitions of becoming a regional finance center. But it was abandoned after a banking crisis

and in the past two decades of socialist rule has become a symbol of urban blight, having been occupied by squatters until 2015.

The quake was felt as far away as Colombia’s capital of Bogota, where authorities briefly closed the international airport to inspect for runway damage.

The confusing moments after the quake were captured live on state television as Diosdado Cabello, the head of the all-powerful constitutional assembly, was delivering a speech at a march in support of the socialist government’s

recent package of reforms to rescue an economy beset by hyperinflation and widespread shortages.

“Quake!” people yelled as Cabello and others looked from side to side with a mixture of laughter and concern. “It’s the Bolivarian revolution speaking to the world,” Cabello thundered to applause.

Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said that disaster relief teams had been activated but so far there were no reports of fatalities.

“We ask for the greatest patience and tranquility from the

Venezuelan people,” he said in a televised address.

“These situations require prudence.”

Power outages were reported across nearby Trinidad, where people ran into the street and gasped as large glass panes at one supermarket shattered and falling concrete smashed several cars. The quake also cracked walls and thousands of goods fell off supermarket shelves.

No injuries or deaths were immediately reported.

The earthquake also was felt in Guyana, Trinidad, Barbados and Grenada.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, August 22, 2018, PAGE 11

SOME of the debris and diesel oil at Exuma with a containment boom in place.

BNT: Impact of diesel leak in Exuma marina ‘small’

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

THE impact from the diesel fuel leak in Exuma over the weekend is going to be “small”, Bahamas National Trust Executive Director Eric Carey estimated yesterday.

In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Carey said while the accident had the potential to be a “real tragedy,” because diesel is a “light” fuel, it is likely to evaporate before it has any effect on the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park

(ECLSP), a protected marine area.

However, he added those working with fuel near sensitive environments should exercise extreme caution.

On Monday, port officials in George Town, Exuma reported a diesel leak occurred at the Emerald Bay Marina, located in Farmers Hill, Exuma.

A diesel fuel storage tank line managed by Sun Oil sprung a leak on Sunday, resulting in approximately 3,600 to 3,800 gallons of diesel fuel escaping into the waters of the marina.

Containment booms were placed to prevent any further impact on the neighbouring environment or marine life.

“Fuel or any pollutant that spills into the marine environment is of concern… Diesel is a fairly light fuel, so it would likely evaporate long before it would reach the (ECLSP),” Mr Carey said. “(The marina is) far enough away from the Exuma park, and due to the fact that diesel is light, it breaks up and evaporates quicker than say a heavy fuel oil, that it would

likely not have a significant negative impact on the (ECLSP).’’

When asked if he had any suggestions for how such incidents could be prevented in the future, Mr Carey suggested more caution.

“Folks that are operating fuel near to sensitive environments, whether they are marine (environments) or blue holes or other wetlands, should certainly exercise a lot of care (and) extreme caution.

“Because if this would have been a more dangerous chemical, then, of

course, you could have had more impact. At the site of the spill there probably would be animals that are impacted, and some would die.

“But generally…. this could’ve been a real tragedy…we could have had more of an impact, more than just the localised impact that will probably result from this diesel spill.”

Mr Carey also said the volume of the spill plays a role in the effect it had, as well as a quick response time.

“Relatively speaking, that impact is going to be

small. If the volume was larger, then it’s a bigger issue. Fortunately, it is in a marina, so that if the spill containment booms…were put in place early enough where they could stop a lot of it from actually getting out to open sea — you know, if they were able to block the marina mouth as an example, or to isolate it otherwise, then a lot of it could actually be recovered without getting out into the open ocean. Thereby limiting impact to a very small area, and certainly preventing it from going further.”

PAGE 12, Wednesday, August 22, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

THE GRAND Bahama Children’s Home received a $5,000 donation raised by the Dog Days Marathon event. Pictured are Jean Hivert (centre), Grand Bahama Children’s Home treasurer, receiving a donation cheque from the Dogs Day team as well as title sponsor, Grand Bahama Port Authority executive director Henry St George.

Photos: Dogs Day for Barefoot Marketing

DOG DAYS RACE RAISES $22,000 THE fourth annual Dog Days Marathon held in late March raised thousands of dollars for the Grand Bahama Humane Society and the Grand Bahama Children’s Home.

The animal shelter received $17,000 while the children’s home received $5,000.

This year’s event was organised by good friends Nikki Waugh and Siobhan Antoni-Bates and featured several races including a one mile, 5k, 10k and a half-marathon.

“Every year, our event grows and this year we actually doubled our

participation levels,” said Siobhan Antoni-Bates, codirector of the Dog Days Marathon.

“We hope to one day make the event a destination running event for Grand Bahama. We put this event on 100 percent on our own and we are so grateful for the continued support of our corporate partners as well.”

This year’s races attracted over 600 runners, the largest group to date.

Tip Burrows, GBHS director, said the shelter was shocked by the large donation.

“When Nikki and

Siobhan started this we were expecting them to help us buy some extra food each year and maybe some needed beds – now they are helping us with much needed medicines for the animals and the spay and neuter programme.

We cannot thank them, the Grand Bahama Port Authority, and all sponsors enough.”

The Grand Bahama Port Authority was the title sponsor of the event.

To learn more about the Dogs Day Marathon, visit the group on Instagram, Facebook, or visit their website.

REPRESENTATIVES from the Dog Days Marathon team present a $17,000 donation cheque to the Grand Bahama Humane Society team.

BACK

OFF

TO

SCHOOL

the spot for SAVINGS OUT OF THIS WORLD!

• school bags • geometry sets • lunch kits • pencil cases • supplies & more

Offer good while supplies last.

Items shown may not be exact items on sale.

PALMDALE

SOLDIER ROAD

HARBOUR BAY

SOUTHWEST PLAZA

322-8594 or 7430

394-6312 or 14

393-4813 or 6

396-7024

8am-5:30pm

8am-8pm/Sun 9-5

8am-8pm/Sun 9-5

8am-8pm/Sun 9-5