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Volume: 210 No. 117, Friday, September 25, 2026
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MUNROE: OUR LAWS MUST BE RESPECTED No reason for US officials to be “overly defensive” about govt concerns, says AG By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net ATTORNEY General Wayne Munroe yesterday defended the Davis administration’s complaint over undercover US Drug Enforcement Administration agents operating in The Bahamas, saying American authorities would not accept Bahamian officers conducting similar
operations on US soil without involving local law enforcement. Mr Munroe said every country has laws and procedures that must be respected and suggested there was no reason for US officials to be “overly defensive” about the government raising concerns with the US Justice Department. “We're a small country, MUNROE - SEE PAGE THREE
Attorney General Wayne Munroe
Judge stays murder prosecution after BACSWN PLEDGES AIRLINE CONSULTATION AS ‘extraordinary’ nine-year trial delay CARRIERS RAISE CONCERNS OVER CHARGES By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net A MURDER prosecution that has dragged through the courts for nearly a decade has been stopped after a Supreme Court judge condemned the unexplained eight-year wait
for a pathologist’s report and found that the delay had materially impaired the accused man’s prospects of receiving a fair trial. Justice Dale Fitzpatrick stayed the prosecution of Terry Sweeting, ruling that his constitutional right to a fair hearing within a reasonable time had been
breached after a net wait of about nine years and two months for trial — more than six years beyond the three years Parliament has deemed reasonable under the Bail Act. Sweeting was arrested on March 29, 2017 and charged DELAY - SEE PAGE FIVE
THE Bahamas Aviation, Climate and Severe Weather Network (BACSWN) has pledged that it is fully committed to a consultation process with airlines over proposed aviation charges. The company also confirmed that the level of fees to be charged is still being
finalised but reiterated that the widely-circulated figure of $775 is not valid. A spokesperson said: “We have, on a number occasions, pointed out that this figure is completely out of date. We are happy to reconfirm that fact and put the record straight.” BACSWN released
its statement following remarks issued by the America for Airlines (A4A) organisation, which represents companies including Delta, American, United, and JetBlue. The airline representative body did not specifically BACSWN - SEE PAGE FOUR
Family mourns 10-year-old after sudden beach collapse By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net A TEN-year-old boy who unexpectedly died in his father’s arms at Montague Beach on Wednesday had a serious heart condition, autism and suffered a frightening health episode just days before his collapse. Sidney Bain Jr’s paternal grandmother, Marguerite Taylor,
said Sidney was born with a heart condition, underwent his first heart surgery at five and was expected to need another operation in the future. His condition frequently kept him out of school, and last Saturday he spent hours at hospital after developing stomach pain and a bad cough, vomiting, shaking and turning blue in the hands. SUDDEN - SEE PAGE TWO
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SIDNEY BAIN JR
PAGE 2, Friday, September 25, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
Grandmother recalls final embrace with 10-year-old Sidney SUDDEN from page one Ms Taylor said Sidney was given oxygen and medication before being discharged. Days later, his father took him to Montague Beach, one of the boy’s favourite places. He never went into the water and did not drown, Ms Taylor stressed, adding that he was on the shoreline when he began complaining of stomach pain. His father, 37, picked him up and tried to get him to the car before realising his son appeared to be losing oxygen.
“He laid him down, and he started to, you know, do the resuscitation,” Ms Taylor said, adding that bystanders also tried to help. “But I think by then it was too late. I think he had gone from the stomach start, and his daddy noticed that he was losing oxygen. I think that was it for him right there.” Ms Taylor said her son and grandson regularly went to the beach together. “God take him to the place where he loved to be so much, because he loved the beach,” she said. “He always wanted to go to the
“God take him to the place where he loved to be so much, because he loved the beach. He always wanted to go to the beach.”
- Sidney Bain Jr’s grandmother
beach.” She said her son is heartbroken by the death of his only child, whom she described as his world and the person who made his life complete. The family had already endured another health scare days earlier. Ms Taylor said her son called her last Saturday night to say Sidney had a bad cough and stomach pain. The boy went to the bathroom to vomit before he began shaking. “He grabbed him, and he laid him down,” she said of her son’s reaction. “When he looked, his hands had already started to turn blue.” Sidney’s father tried to revive him until an ambulance arrived. Ms Taylor said the boy was subsequently given oxygen and medication at hospital before being sent home. Two days before his death, Sidney visited his grandmother. Ms Taylor said she became concerned when she saw that his face was swollen following the earlier health episode. Although her son
told her medication had reduced some of the swelling, she questioned why Sidney had been released from hospital. She described him as a
“sickly boy” whose health problems severely affected his ability to function. Despite those problems, Sidney wanted to spend time with his grandmother shortly before his death. “He spent like an hour and a half with me because he wanted to come to see his grandmother; you know they like their ice cream,” Ms Taylor said. Before he left, she said she
suddenly felt compelled to hold him. She hugged him, kissed him on the forehead and told him: “Grammy loves you.” Ms Taylor said she had a strange feeling that something was going to happen. Sidney was born on July 19 and attended Hampton Academy. His family described him as a quiet, reserved and wonderful child.
Munroe defends complaint over undercover DEA agents
THE TRIBUNE
MUNROE from page one and you know, all we say is just as it would say we can’t go and do that in the US,” he said. “We can’t go and do that in Turks and Caicos. We can’t go and do that in Jamaica without reference to their police resources. That’s all it said.” His defence came after US Ambassador Herschel Walker sharply rebuked Bahamian officials over their complaint, dismissing claims that undercover DEA agents operated illegally in the country as “fake news” and questioning why officials were concerned that the United States “helped to arrest a known drug trafficker.” The dispute stems from US court filings detailing a three-year undercover narcotics investigation in The Bahamas connected to the arrest of Jonathan Eric Gardiner. Among the most striking allegations in the filings is that undercover DEA agents posing as members of a drug cartel met an unnamed Bahamian politician inside Parliament in October 2024 to discuss a proposed cocaine transhipment operation through The Bahamas. Bahamas Ambassador to the United States Wendall Jones has confirmed meeting US Justice Department officials to express concerns over what the government believes were “rogue” DEA operators acting on Bahamian soil. Mr Jones accused
Friday, September 25, 2026, PAGE 3
undercover US agents of operating outside treaties and longstanding arrangements governing law enforcement cooperation between the two countries. Mr Munroe said yesterday that coordination between Bahamian and foreign law enforcement produces more effective results because local officers have knowledge that outsiders may not possess. He said informing Bahamian authorities could also prevent an undercover DEA agent involved in an apparent drug transaction from being arrested or charged by police unaware of the operation. “So that is why you don’t operate without reference to local law enforcement,” Mr Munroe said, “but nothing affects our working relationship with them.” He also rejected suggestions that the undercover operation demonstrated a lack of confidence by US authorities in the Bahamian government, saying the country’s drug enforcement officers are vetted, experienced and subjected to polygraph testing. However, the reliability of polygraph testing is disputed, with the American Psychological Association saying scientific evidence does not support it as a reliably accurate method of detecting deception. Asked about perceptions that the government was trying to hide something, Mr Munroe responded: “Trying to hide what?”
US AMBASSADOR TO THE BAHAMAS HERSCHEL WALKER He pointed to arrests and drug seizures since the Davis administration took office and said the government did not want The Bahamas used as a transhipment point for drugs destined for the United States. “We do not want our country to be used as a transhipment point to feed the drug habit of the American public that consumes the drug,” he said. “We do not want that.” Mr Walker, meanwhile, has urged the Davis administration to “do the hard work” of combating corruption and continue cooperating with the United States to stop the illicit flow of drugs through the region. Mr Munroe welcomed the call but said corruption associated with the drug
trade also exists in the United States. “The same things that can be said about corruption in The Bahamas can be mirrored about corruption in the US because it’s received there,” he said, “so we would be receptive to whatever steps the US takes to battle that sort of corruption on their soil.” “So, if there’s corruption that permits it to be transhipped through our country, then there must be corruption that permits it to land in the US, aye?” Mr Munroe said he did not doubt that US authorities had taken measures to combat corruption. He also said Bahamian law enforcement agencies have benefited from US training over the years and would welcome further anti-corruption initiatives.
ATTORNEY GENERAL WAYNE MUNROE The escalating dispute drew criticism yesterday from the Free National Movement, with chairman Dr Duane Sands calling the government’s actions “bizarre” and party leader Michael Pintard questioning: “Who are they protecting?” Dr Sands said he found it strange that the government would send a delegation to the United States “not to thank the US for pointing out nefarious activity on our shores, but to stand on ceremony about whether or not they had jurisdiction.” He said the meeting raised questions about Gardiner’s political connections, including his ability to secure government contracts, whether senior members of the Davis administration
supported that, and whether his relationship with the Progressive Liberal Party influenced the government’s decision to raise concerns about the DEA operation. “We have seen explicit evidence that our government has done business with convicted drug traffickers, giving crown land,” Dr Sands said. “So you know, skip the protest.” “Clean up the place and then maybe we wouldn’t have these kinds of headlines. Are we a nation for sale again?” Dr Sands said he had no faith that the government would improve its handling of such matters, describing the Davis administration as the “least transparent administration” in the country’s history.
Two men die in Lyford Cay ground collapse TWO men reportedly died after the ground beneath them gave way at a construction site in Lyford Cay on Wednesday afternoon, trapping them beneath soil. Police said officers were alerted to the industrial accident shortly before 4pm and dispatched to the site in western New Providence. Police Crime Scene Investigators arrive at Lyford Cay after an industrial accident claimed the lives of two men at a construction site on Wednesday. Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
Disabled teen remains at elderly home months after mother left By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net AN 18-year-old with a physical disability has been living in a Grand Bahama elderly care home since May after his mother reportedly dropped him off for what was supposed to be less than a week and never returned. DeAngelo, known as “DJ”, is unable to walk, moves around by crawling and needs surgery in the United States that the home caring for him cannot afford. Irene Burrows, operator of Burrows Home for the Aged, said DJ’s mother brought him to the facility in May, telling her she was travelling to New Providence to look for work and would return within five days to a week. “She hasn't come back,” Ms Burrows said. “And that was from in May.” She said DJ’s mother has not provided money for his care and repeated efforts to get her to return
have produced little more than promises. “I tried and promises, promises, promises,” Ms Burrows said. She said the mother has at different times said she was in New Providence or would return the following summer, while often failing to answer the telephone. DJ, meanwhile, remains at a facility intended for elderly people. Burrows Home for the Aged has operated for 23 years, Ms Burrows said, but DJ is the first 18-yearold to live there. “He has nowhere to go, and we're keeping him because we got used to him,” she said. “And he likes it here. He’s quite happy, as you could see.” The teenager’s medical needs have now become another pressing concern. Ms Burrows said DJ cannot walk and has to crawl on the floor to get around. “He needs surgery for his legs,” she said. According to Ms
Burrows, DJ has been advised that the procedure must be performed in the United States because the operation required to correct his legs is not available locally. “They have to break the legs and reset it,” she said. She said DJ would also need about three months of therapy afterwards, putting the cost of treatment beyond the Home’s means. “That’s a lot of money, you know?” Ms Burrows said. “I just want to see if someone can help.” Despite being left at the home, DJ said he has grown attached to Ms Burrows and enjoys living there. “He loves it here,” Ms Burrows said. Asked how he felt about his mother not visiting him, DJ said: “She ain't been check on me.” He said it made him feel “a little bit sad.” Ms Burrows said DJ arrived without basic belongings before her friends helped provide some of the things he
needed. “He didn't have anything when he came here,” she said. “My friends got together and got him a little tablet now. He's happy with that.” The teenager has also received visitors since his circumstances became public. Ms Burrows said teachers from the Beacon School and representatives from the Children's Home, where DJ previously stayed, have visited him. She said no relatives have visited him. Despite the cost of caring for DJ and his medical needs, Ms Burrows said she will not turn him away. “I can't turn nobody away,” she said. The home is now appealing for financial assistance to help DJ obtain surgery and rehabilitation. “He needs surgery on his leg,” Ms Burrows said. “I just want to see if someone can help.”
Upon arrival, officers were directed to the construction site by security personnel, where they found two men unresponsive. Preliminary investigations revealed that the men were walking southward alongside a foundation wall when the ground beneath them collapsed, causing
them to fall and become trapped beneath soil. Other workers at the site immediately rushed to their assistance and eventually removed both men. Emergency Medical Services personnel examined the men and confirmed that they showed no vital signs. Police said investigations are ongoing.
PAGE 4, Friday, September 25, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
Davis unveils $25m plan to harness blue carbon THE Bahamas has committed $25m to a national blue carbon programme that Prime Minister Philip Davis said is expected, once scientific work and government review are completed, to show the country removes more greenhouse gases than it emits within the scope of its national inventory. Mr Davis made the announcement in New York yesterday as he formally presented The Bahamas Blue Carbon Programme, which aims to measure and protect the country’s vast seagrass resources and ultimately position The Bahamas to transfer internationally recognised emissions reductions under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. For the first time, he said, the government is incorporating the country’s seagrass biome into its assessment of national greenhouse gas emissions and removals as part of an updated Nationally Determined Contribution. The work includes mapping, field verification, ground-truthing and sampling, which are being combined with an enhanced national greenhouse gas inventory. Subject to completion, government review and technical validation, Mr Davis said the exercise will confirm that The Bahamas removes more greenhouse gases than it emits within the scope of that inventory. “The country you were told is drowning may be helping the world to breathe,” he said. However, Mr Davis stressed that the
government is not yet announcing carbon credits or mitigation outcomes available for sale or transfer. Instead, he said the government has enacted the necessary legislation, committed substantial resources and begun national-scale scientific work intended to establish the foundation for the programme. The $25m committed by the government will fund the first phase, including the scientific baseline, seagrass mapping, fieldwork, carbon inventory and systems required for implementation. Mr Davis said scientists and specialists in climate, oceans, data, economics, law, conservation and finance are involved, but their findings will not be released until the work has been completed, reviewed and technically validated. “I will not trade our credibility for a headline,” he said. The programme follows scientific work that used tiger sharks fitted with cameras and tracking devices to map previously undocumented expanses of seagrass across the Bahama Banks. Mr Davis said researchers following the sharks discovered what he described as one of the largest seagrass ecosystems ever recorded. He said those seagrass meadows store and sequester carbon, support biodiversity, fisheries and food security, protect coastlines and contribute to water quality and wider ocean health. The government now plans to use that resource
PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis speaks during the Rising Nations Gala this week. as part of a broader strategy linking environmental protection, climate finance, national resilience and sustainable development. Mr Davis said potential interventions under the programme include seagrass conservation and restoration, sustainable fisheries, maritime zoning, marine protection, improved water quality, pollution control, coastal resilience and community-based conservation. An econometric model has also been commissioned to assess proposed interventions and direct investment towards those expected to produce the strongest environmental and development results. The programme is also intended to move The Bahamas towards authorising and eventually transferring internationally
transferred mitigation outcomes, known as ITMOs, under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Mr Davis said Bahamian ITMOs are expected to become available only after the necessary scientific, technical and sovereign authorisation requirements have been met. He said each mitigation outcome would have to be measured and verified, transparently accounted for and protected against double counting. “We will not move ahead of the science,” Mr Davis said, “and we will not compromise environmental or regulatory integrity.” The government laid the legislative groundwork in 2022 with the Carbon Credit Trading Act and Climate Change and Carbon
Photo: OPM
Market Initiatives Act. Mr Davis said the laws allow The Bahamas to govern its carbon assets, participate in international carbon markets, protect its marine interests and cooperate with other countries under Article 6. He emphasised that the marine resources involved would remain under Bahamian control. “Hear me on sovereignty,” Mr Davis said. “What lies beneath Bahamian waters belongs to the Bahamian people, and it will remain under sovereign and regulated national control.” He said Article 6 cooperation would be based on credible governance, accounting safeguards and protection against double counting, with benefits serving the long-term
interests of the country and its people. Mr Davis also called on foreign governments to begin substantive Article 6 discussions with The Bahamas and invited investors and development partners to provide capital, scientific and technical cooperation, capacity-building and long-term investment. He said the programme is also intended to develop Bahamian expertise in marine science, environmental studies, data science and related fields so Bahamians can eventually lead the management of the resources. Mr Davis framed the programme as an attempt to change the international portrayal of The Bahamas and other small island states primarily as victims of climate change. The Bahamas contributes only a small share of global greenhouse gas emissions, he said, while its communities, coastlines, fisheries, tourism industry, public finances and infrastructure face significant climate pressures. “Today, with the full voice of my country behind me, I tell you that role is finished,” Mr Davis said. “We will no longer be victims in our own story.” He said the blue carbon programme would instead seek to quantify what the country’s marine ecosystems contribute to the global climate system. “For a generation, the world has looked at small islands and seen the first to fall,” Mr Davis said. “Look again. We may be the first to lead.”
BACSWN: Aviation fees will be ‘considerably lower’ BACSWN from page one reference the $775 figure but it is widely believed it lay at the heart of their statement. They said: “A4A member airlines have long questioned the legitimacy of overflight charges imposed by the Bahamas Air Navigation Services Authority (BANSA) for air navigation services that are already provided by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). We now have strong objections to a new unjustified fee the Bahamas Aviation, Climate and Severe Weather Network Ltd (BACSWN) proposes to charge carriers for a service
that is not being provided. “Aviation charges should only be paid for services actually provided to users. The charges should be non-discriminatory, transparent and cover the true cost of providing the service.” Without quoting any figure, A4A described proposed charges as “astronomical”. In reply BACSWN said: “BACSWN agrees with Airlines for America (A4A) that aviation charges must be fair, transparent and tied to services provided. The proposed charging methodology is being developed around Article 15 of the Convention on
International Civil Aviation and the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) associated policies. “BACSWN is committed to ICAO’s four key charging principles: non-discrimination, cost-relatedness, transparency and consultation with users. Before any charge for aviation meteorological services is introduced, BACSWN will consult airspace users and provide details of the proposed services, their costs and expected benefits, including potential operational efficiencies. “BACSWN’s proposed aviation meteorological services are intended to provide timely, reliable weather AN AIRLINE flies over the waters of The Bahamaas. information that helps aircraft operators make informed decisions across approximately 174,000 square miles of Bahamian airspace. The aim is to enhance aviation safety and efficiency while ensuring that any charge is consistent with ICAO policy and the Civil Aviation Authority – Bahamas (CAA-B) regulations. On the question of fees, they added: “We reiterate that the exact level of fees has not been finalised. Considerable movement in market conditions, rescoping the project, cost modelling
and business projections mean that previously circulated figures, including one of $775, are no longer relevant. For the record, we expect the number to be considerably lower and we will provide more detail on this in due course. “We welcome a constructive discussion with airlines and other airspace users. Our goal is to improve the weather information available to pilots and operators, with a charging approach that is fair, transparent and open to scrutiny.” Addressing the United Nations General Assembly
in New York earlier this week, Sebas Bastian, Minister of Innovation and National Development called for advances in forecasting, satellite imagery, risk mapping and early-warning systems to become more accessible to small states, with countries also given the capacity to deploy and maintain them over time. He also advocated stronger regional cooperation that would allow Caribbean countries to pool technical expertise and resources while retaining national control over critical decisions and accountability.
THE TRIBUNE
Eight-year pathology delay helps derail murder prosecution DELAY from page one two days later with the murder of Leslie Rolle Jr, who prosecutors allege was killed in the context of the illegal drug trade in New Providence. His trial was most recently scheduled for February 27, 2027, just under ten years after his arrest. However, Justice Fitzpatrick found there was no evidence that the case was unusually complex or otherwise justified taking longer than the three-year benchmark. The judge placed particular weight on the prosecution’s failure to provide the pathologist’s report for Rolle until June 11, 2025, more than eight years after Sweeting was arrested. “The delay in providing the pathologist’s report in this case is without explanation and completely unacceptable,” Justice Fitzpatrick said. He said the prosecution had been stalled for the eight years it took to produce the report, followed by additional time while prosecutors decided whether they would continue the
case. He also said the failure to provide pathology reports on time has been a recurring source of delay in criminal cases in The Bahamas. The case had repeatedly been scheduled for trial only to be postponed while the report remained outstanding. An August 2019 trial date was vacated for that reason. The report was still outstanding when subsequent trial dates in 2022, 2023 and 2024 were abandoned. In September 2024, then-Justice Hilton fixed May 26, 2025 as a new trial date and made it peremptory against the prosecution. When the case came before Justice Fitzpatrick in April 2025, prosecutors acknowledged that the report remained outstanding and was necessary for the trial to proceed. It was still unavailable during court appearances on May 1, May 8 and May 23. The May 26 trial was ultimately vacated after Sweeting’s lawyer advised the court that he intended to bring a constitutional challenge. The prosecution later argued that the case could
proceed without the report because Sweeting denied involvement in the murder and prosecutors could rely on Rolle’s death certificate. Justice Fitzpatrick rejected the suggestion that the report was irrelevant, saying it could contain information important to Sweeting’s defence, including the location and number of injuries, the force used, their direction and the proximity of the assailant. “Simply said,” the judge said, “the detailed information provided in the Pathologist’s Report could be used by counsel for an accused to challenge the narrative and memory of prosecution witnesses.” He said that potential relevance becomes more significant as time passes and witnesses’ memories fade. Justice Fitzpatrick found that Sweeting had been diligent in trying to have the case heard. He retained counsel without delay, attended the numerous court dates with few exceptions and accepted the trial dates offered by the court. “There is not one instance,” the judge said, “where the
Applicant objected to an otherwise available trial date or where a set trial date was adjourned at the behest of the Applicant.” Justice Fitzpatrick deducted about nine months from the overall period because of the time Sweeting took to file his constitutional application, reducing the gross period of nine years and 11 months to a net period of nine years and two months. Although Sweeting has been on bail since 2018, the judge found that the prolonged proceedings had caused him real prejudice. Sweeting had repeatedly been required to attend court and pay his lawyer, while his family, social and work life were disrupted. Justice Fitzpatrick said he had also carried the allegation of murder and the uncertainty surrounding the case for years, as well as the stigma of being accused of murder in New Providence. The passage of time also raised concerns about the prosecution’s witnesses. Prosecutors have 17 witnesses, including Godfrey Dean, who gave police a statement on March 30, 2017 alleging that he
Friday, September 25, 2026, PAGE 5 witnessed the murder and Sweeting’s involvement. Justice Fitzpatrick said there was no current statement from Mr Dean or other material before the court showing that prosecutors had recently contacted him to confirm he was willing to participate in a trial or could still recall the events of 2017. The judge said it was common sense that memories deteriorate over time and found that proceedings lasting more than nine years gave rise to a presumption of prejudice. “There is no meaningful doubt,” he said, “that the memories of all 17 of the prosecution witnesses, including the respondent’s primary witness Mr Godfrey, will have frayed, at least to some degree, over the past decade.” Two men originally charged alongside Sweeting also died while the case remained before the courts. Kenrick Riley died on June 30, 2020, while Philano Williams died on August 23, 2023. Prosecutors had alleged that Sweeting acted in concert with the two men in Rolle’s murder. Despite the delays and deaths, prosecutors maintained that they had a viable case and intended to rely on Dean’s eyewitness identification evidence. Justice Fitzpatrick said the prosecution offered no evidentiary basis for its assertion that Sweeting could still receive a fair trial. “A timely trial that takes
place while evidence is available and undiminished, including the memory of witnesses, is the foundation of a fair trial,” he said. “The Applicant’s trial has been anything but timely.” The judge found that the prosecution’s delay had “materially impaired” Sweeting’s prospects of receiving a fair trial and described the net nine-year timeframe and six-year delay as extraordinary. “The extraordinary delay and absence of explanation direct that a stay be granted,” Justice Fitzpatrick said. After weighing the public interest in having the murder allegation tested at trial against Sweeting’s constitutional right to a hearing within a reasonable time, he found that no lesser remedy would be appropriate. The ruling does not amount to a finding that Sweeting is innocent. Justice Fitzpatrick rejected a separate argument that there had not been reasonable suspicion to support the murder charge when it was brought in 2017. He found that prosecutors had sufficient material at the outset, including Dean’s eyewitness statement, to establish reasonable suspicion. Whether the prosecution ultimately had enough evidence to prove the murder would ordinarily have been determined at trial after the evidence was tested. That trial will now not take place.
Eleuthera residents battle recurring water, power outages By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net RESIDENTS across Eleuthera say unreliable water and electricity have become part of daily life, forcing some households to store water, rely on generators and organise basic routines around recurring outages. The Water and Sewerage Corporation yesterday acknowledged water supply problems affecting North Eleuthera, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells/Russell Island, while Bahamas Power and Light said electricity had been restored to North and Central Eleuthera after a mechanical failure at the Hatchet Bay Power Station triggered rotational outages. Residents told The Tribune the latest disruptions were part of a broader pattern stretching back weeks and, in some cases, months. WSC said customers in Lower Bogue, Current, Upper Bogue, The Bluff, Oleander Gardens, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells/Russell Island had experienced periods of low water pressure or no supply over the past several days.
The corporation blamed lower-than-normal production at the Bogue Desalination Plant, heavy rainfall affecting the Bogue Wellfields and “other related utility issues”. WSC said it was working with its desalination contractor and other utility partners and expected water production to increase this weekend. At the same time, residents have been dealing with recurring electricity outages dating back to last month. BPL said a mechanical failure at the Hatchet Bay Power Station this week left it without enough generation capacity to continuously supply North and Central Eleuthera. Power was restored to all affected areas yesterday afternoon following rotational outages, according to the utility. However, residents said repeated breakdowns had made interruptions a routine feature of life on the island. Pastor Tavar Major, 50, a lifelong Harbour Island resident, said his household went about 21 hours without water between the previous day and yesterday morning. He said water is sometimes shut off around 6pm
and does not return until about 7am, a pattern he said has persisted for several months. Pastor Major said the problem was particularly frustrating given the pace of development on Harbour Island. As a property manager, he said he oversees private homes with swimming pools and large water tanks and understands the demands some properties place on the system. His understanding is that Harbour Island now uses about 300,000 gallons of water a day. “You have swimming pools being built every month-I kid you not-in Harbour Island,” Pastor Major said. He said the government had also failed to keep pace with electricity demand. “On the infrastructure side, the government’s not keeping up with the demand,” he said, “and that’s why we’re having these problems and they call them growing painsbut growing pains that should have been alleviated 10, 20 years ago.” Pastor Major said residents have been forced to organise daily routines around when water is available, recalling people
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rushing home to bathe before scheduled shut-offs. Michael Sweeting, 61, also blamed Eleuthera’s utility problems in part on the pace of development, pointing to new homes, rental properties and businesses coming on stream while existing infrastructure struggles to keep up. “I honestly don’t see an end in sight simply because I don’t think BPL have the capacity for the construction boom and the number of new houses and constructions going on,” he said. Mr Sweeting said electricity had gone on and off repeatedly over the previous three days. His generator spared his household from the worst of the disruption, but he said the cost of fuel remained an inconvenience and residents without backup power faced greater hardship. Although his area had experienced more stable electricity for nearly 24 hours, he said communities including Blackwood, The Bluff and Bogue continued to experience interruptions. “It is so bad that people should not have to get used to not having power, and every day its like that,” he said.
Mr Sweeting called for stronger generation infrastructure across Eleuthera, saying simply adding equipment to the existing system would not be enough. Samantha Butler, 36, said electricity had been going off repeatedly for two to three days, including one outage from shortly after 1am until about 8am and another that lasted almost the entire day. Recurring water interruptions have also forced her family to keep supplies stored for basic needs. “Every time I wake up to get my kids ready for school, no water,” Ms Butler said. “If you don’t have no water in jugs, the children have no water to be able to go to school.” She said residents generally receive notices through WhatsApp groups about load-shedding, expected restoration times or damaged lines. “It’s been going on so long now, we accustomed to it, so we put the water and stuff aside,” she said. Judy Roberts, 52, of Harbour Island, said water service in her area had become so unreliable that residents were sometimes left without supply for days. Her section of the
island, which sits on higher ground, had been without water for about three days when she spoke to The Tribune. “It still goes every day,” Ms Roberts said. “It goes off now every day. They cut it on for a few hours, and it turns off by night. It’s off by 6 o’clock.” She also criticised WSC’s communication, saying notices sometimes arrive only after the supply has already been interrupted. “When they do send out the notice, the water’s already off,” she said. Ms Roberts said residents had previously been told the problem would be fixed, only for interruptions to resume. “They said they’re gonna fix the problem,” she said, “but they said they fix it, and like two days after that, it went back to the same thing.” WSC said its desalination contractor is carrying out work at the Bogue Desalination Plant and again said increased production is expected this weekend. The corporation urged residents and businesses to conserve water where possible and report leaks or wastage.
PAGE 6, Friday, September 25, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
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Cross-border cooperation must respect sovereignty THE Bahamas and the United States have worked together against drug trafficking for more than four decades. That partnership has intercepted enormous quantities of narcotics, disrupted criminal networks and helped protect people in both countries. It remains indispensable to the security of our borders and the wider region. The present disagreement over the activities of undercover United States Drug Enforcement Administration personnel should therefore be approached with care. Bahamas Ambassador to the United States Wendall Jones says American agents operated here without the permission required under Bahamian law and existing agreements. US officials maintain that American agencies work alongside Bahamian authorities through longstanding arrangements, including Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos. The facts surrounding the particular operation have not yet been fully established publicly. What should not be in dispute is the need for effective cross-border collaboration. Drug-trafficking organisations do not respect national boundaries. Their operations stretch across countries, waters and jurisdictions. No small island nation, regardless of its determination, can dismantle sophisticated international networks without intelligence-sharing, surveillance support and cooperation from regional partners. The Bahamas has benefited considerably from its security partnership with the United States. American agencies have provided aircraft, maritime resources, intelligence and technical assistance that would be difficult and expensive for this country to reproduce independently. That cooperation should continue. However, cooperation must operate within an agreed framework. The Bahamas is a sovereign country, and the presence of foreign law-enforcement personnel conducting operations on Bahamian soil carries serious legal, diplomatic and security implications. If foreign agents conduct undercover activities without notifying or obtaining approval from the appropriate authorities, the host government may be unaware of surveillance operations or encounters that could place its citizens and law-enforcement officers at risk. A Bahamian police officer could unknowingly interrupt an undercover operation. Two agencies could pursue the same target without knowing of each other’s presence. An operation could be mistaken for criminal activity, creating the possibility of confrontation or injury. The public will also reasonably want to know whether the investigation involved the interception of telephone calls, access to private messages, location tracking or other forms of electronic surveillance. There is presently no publicly established evidence that unlawful wiretapping occurred. It would
therefore be irresponsible to claim that it did. But the absence of clear information inevitably creates concern. Bahamian citizens should be assured that neither a domestic nor foreign agency can listen to their calls, monitor their communications or track their movements without lawful authority and appropriate oversight. If surveillance was conducted, the public is entitled to know—without compromising sensitive operational details—whether the necessary warrants or approvals were obtained and which country authorised them. Notification is therefore not merely diplomatic courtesy. It is an essential safeguard for national security, personal privacy and the rule of law. There are circumstances in which information about a sensitive investigation cannot be widely shared. Where corruption is suspected within institutions, informing too many people may compromise an operation, expose confidential sources or allow suspects to escape. Those risks are real. But the answer cannot be to abandon coordination entirely. The two governments should maintain a secure procedure through which sensitive operations can be disclosed to a small number of designated and properly vetted officials. Where advance notification is impossible because of an immediate threat, the host government should be informed as soon as it is safe to do so. Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos has provided a formal framework for joint counter-narcotics operations since 1982. What remains unclear is whether the disputed activities formed part of an authorised OPBAT operation, were approved under another agreement or occurred outside the established framework. That question should be resolved through a joint legal and operational review. The review should determine what authorisation existed, which agencies were informed, whether agents or cooperating sources were involved, what surveillance methods were used and whether all interceptions or monitoring complied with Bahamian law and applicable agreements. This should not become a public quarrel between close allies. Neither should it distract from the extremely serious allegations contained in the American prosecution, including claims involving an unnamed Bahamian politician. Those allegations have not been tested at trial, but they deserve proper investigation. Bahamian sovereignty and international cooperation are not competing principles. The Bahamas should remain a committed partner in the fight against drug trafficking. The United States should remain one of our most important security partners. But lasting cooperation depends upon trust—and trust requires clear rules protecting our borders, institutions and private communications.
The AI question for the National Insurance Board EDITOR, The Tribune. THERE is one number every Bahamian household should know before joining the argument about artificial intelligence (AI) and jobs—and surprisingly, it is not a number about jobs. When the National Insurance Board (NIB) was founded, there were roughly seven working contributors for every retiree. In January, the Director of the NIB told the Bahamas Business Outlook that the ratio is now about three to one. Seven has become three in half a century. On that shrinking base, the Board pays out more than thirty million dollars a month in pension benefits to tens of thousands of Bahamians. That is where the AI debate actually lands in this country. It is also where our greatest opportunity lies, if we have the foresight to ask the right question early. The argument dominating the papers is about whether machines will take jobs. That is the wrong question for The Bahamas, largely because of how this country pays for itself. We have no tax on income. The largest sources of government revenue—VAT, Customs duties, and the Business Licence fee charged on turnover—all rise when a business sells more. Crucially, none of them rise simply because a business hires more. If a Bahamian company uses these new AI tools to double its output with the exact same staff, the Public Treasury does just fine. National Insurance, however, is built differently. Its contribution income comes from one place: a share of what working people earn, up to a ceiling. When corporate output rises but the payroll does not, the Treasury gets more, but the National Insurance Fund gets absolutely nothing extra. Some will argue that wages naturally follow output. Sometimes they do. But what these new technological tools make
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net possible is precisely the opposite: output can rise exponentially while the wage bill remains completely flat. A national pension fund should never be planned on the fragile hope that wages will eventually catch up. I am not predicting a sudden wave of mass unemployment. The likelier picture is much quieter. A company earns more. It lays no one off. It simply does not hire the next five people it normally would have hired to achieve that growth. That phenomenon shows up nowhere in the immediate unemployment figures. It shows up, years later, in a pool of contributing wages that stopped growing while the broader economy continued to expand. If you are forty years old today, you are the contributor now, but you will be the retiree in the exact year this arithmetic matures and the bill comes due. None of this is cause for alarm. It is, however, cause for a better question than the one we have been asking, and the country has a natural moment approaching to ask it: the next NIB actuarial review. The review presented in 2022 tested the Fund against forecast population change, which is the correct test for a demographic problem. The next review must test the Fund against this technological shift. So, here is a concrete proposal: When the Board sets the terms for its next actuarial review, it should add one specific scenario: model a future where national output grows, but the wages on which contributions are charged do not. It costs the government nothing to model this scenario, and it will tell us exactly whether this AI threat is real before anyone is forced into a panic to act on it.
If the scenario proves the problem is real, the review should look in three places before it lazily reaches to hike the contribution rate again. First, look at who is not contributing at all; widening the net of contributors is far fairer than extracting more from those already burdened. Second, examine whether the Fund’s income can be structurally redesigned to follow what the economy produces, and not just what it pays in wages, because a base tied to only one is dangerously exposed when the two-part ways. Third, ask whether the very same AI tools that make this stagnation possible can actually help the Board collect what it is already owed and track down contributors it has never reached. A problem that technology creates is often one that technology can best help solve. None of these requires a new institution or a new law. It simply requires one scenario in one review, and a Board and a Ministry willing to read the result and act on it. Employers and unions have just as much at stake in that result as the Government does, making the National Tripartite Council the natural place for all three to take this up together. I have every confidence in the leadership tasked with this charge. The Board and the responsible Ministry successfully carried this Fund through a pandemic that cut deep into its reserves, keeping every single pension paid. Whatever they bring forward from this will, I expect, serve the country well. All I ask is that the question be put to the actuaries now, while the answer is still cheap— rather than in a future year when a later review tells us it was the question we should have been asking all along. Son of The Bahamas. M J ARNETT Nassau, September 23, 2026.
Why the rise in domestic violence in The Bahamas? EDITOR, The Tribune. GRATEFUL for the opportunity to write and to be able to release into the atmosphere for examination this essay and trust that it is received in the same spirit in which it has been given, substance for the betterment of all Bahamians? I draw, reference the Tribune article entitled: domestic violence up more than 125%, and calculating, envisioned that it carries a maze of confusing connotation, reasoning, just # what do I mean, you might be asking? Very glad to shed light on how I arrived at such a crossroads? In my daily jitney bus commutes, I encounter all kinds of confrontations, these have convinced me that the people are mad, very mad. I might venture to paint an accurate picture. One day on the bus this teenager was on a cellular telephone call, but very loud and making use of obscenities, I became annoyed, indicating to her that with all these old people, me, on the bus and you cussing like that? This is my motherfu.....g phone and I can say what I want’ old man, don’t let me have to send someone for you? Send them I said knowing full well that Father God has me so protected that the veil cannot be broken? When she was getting off, the bus driver told her that I was his friend and that she should apologise? As
I started to say ‘yes, the driver is**shut up old man she insisted, then I started to pray mercy for her. Editor, do you know that I was challenged yet again the same way, and I figure that I perhaps looked like an easy target? I have seen situation where people came to blows over mere words that they didn’t like, and always threatening to get their gun and shoot them under the ground, one young man called this other guys mother something that he didn’t like, my mother you don’t diss my old lady, stay there till I come back, yes he came back with a cutlass, but the other guy also went somewhere on a scooter before the cutlass wielding man return, and as he pulled out the cutlass heading toward the person was around the store front, I heard a single gunshot, then the cutlass wielding man retreated, the police got the complaint. There is something driving this lack of tolerance by many Bahamians who generally are broke, unable to afford a $1.00 bottle of water, even to pay the bus fares. Now, I do believe that those people merely earning minimum wages does mean little to nothing and no matter what in the grocery store the prices of goods that money has no power, $100.00 you would be lucky if that sum fetch 10-items? Editor, the
problem that presents itself is that you have to work eight hours per day, for a week but in a single trip that money vanishes, leaving you with another week before paycheck, we have the same problem with pensions, and people are wondering why all of the crime, people are challenged to find food, to pay bills. Editor, domestic violence is up to more than 125% because of the hardships, Bahamians cannot survive on what they get paid, or those ones not working trying to live doing crime. Another thing we don’t hear about is just how many people on bail were out roaming the streets, and not working? To the powers that be, if the public treasury of the Bahamas, and the consolidated fund contents belonged to the Bahamian people, why is it that the people were not being considered in a way that they would be able to live, to pay their bills? I and the other NIB pensioners got a raise, just what it was? Just $13.00, is the level of contempt they have for the Bahamian people. Thank you, editor, for I know that many of the politicians don’t want to hear this, truth does cut like a knife said God Most High has spoken it. Lord, for behold your words are forever settled in the Heavens. FRANK GILBERT Nassau, September 23, 2026.
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THE TRIBUNE
Friday, September 25, 2026, PAGE 7
Animal Control closes investigation into disturbing dog incident amid resource challenges By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net ANIMAL Control has closed its investigation into a video that appeared to show a woman grabbing a dog from a porch and throwing it to the ground after officers were unable to identify where the incident occurred or the people involved. Director of Agriculture Dr Jason Sands said the initial investigation went nowhere and officers moved on as Animal Control struggles to investigate a growing number of complaints with limited resources. “If there was an identification or a way to identify that location or that person, that matter will be investigated,” Dr Sands said. “It was sent to Animal Control, but the initial investigation went nowhere, so they had to move on from that case.” The footage appeared to show the woman handling the dog roughly
during a confrontation with members of the Bahamas Alliance for Animal Rights and Kindness (BAARK). Dr Sands said Animal Control is dealing with more complaints than its resources allow. “We have so many of these calls coming in at the moment at Animal Control,” he said, “and they are doing their best with very limited resources to investigate all of them and to work along with the police when the police call them in for calls that they receive.” Outgoing Bahamas Humane Society president Kim Aranha previously said the footage left her “sick to my stomach” and argued that the apparent incident, which BAARK said occurred on August 7, should result in prosecution. In footage of the confrontation, a woman could be heard repeatedly shouting, “I don’t give a (expletive) you record,” as a man told her: “You have to spay your animals.”
The man later asked: “You gonna take care of that dog?” The woman then walked towards a home and said, “carry him back with you,” before appearing to grab a dog from the porch and throw it. BAARK described the incident as “horrific and deeply disturbing” and said it happened after its team returned dogs to the area following a spay and neuter exercise. The organisation said the events stemmed from an August 5 spay and neuter exercise, when a man asked it to collect two dogs from his St Charles Vincent Street property. While there, workers noticed another dog underneath a parked car on the roadway. BAARK said the animal had no collar and was not on anyone’s property, so its team took it to the clinic with the other two animals. The dogs underwent procedures and were returned to the area on August 7.
The Prime Minister of The Bahamas is Philip “Brave” Davis, along with the outgoing president of the Bahamas Humane Society, Kim Aranha.
New leadership at Bahamas Humane Society: Lissa McComb Pinder takes over, promises enhanced animal care and community engagement By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net LISSA McComb Pinder has taken over as president of the Bahamas Humane Society, promising to expand veterinary services, improve facilities and bring spay and neuter services back to the organisation. Mrs McComb Pinder succeeds Kim Aranha, who stepped down on September 23 after 19 years as president, alongside long-serving vice president Charlotte Albury. Mrs McComb Pinder, a prominent animal welfare advocate and one of the
leaders of the Bahamas Alliance for Animal Rights and Kindness (BAARK), said the BHS can do more to reduce animal suffering in The Bahamas. “Caring for animals isn’t a hobby for me, it’s a way of life, and I am choosing to take on this role because I believe we can do even more to end the suffering in this country,” she said. Her priorities include facility and animal welfare improvements, expanded veterinary services, evening clinics for the community, the return of spay and neuter services to BHS and increased community involvement and adoptions.
Mrs McComb Pinder said the organisation carries a significant animal welfare burden in New Providence, caring for hundreds of animals each day while also working beyond the shelter. “This is a task that will take the combined effort of all of us to make the improvements that our animals and our community deserve,” she said. She said BHS staff regularly face difficult and heartbreaking situations and that she intends to provide support, listen to staff and introduce greater structure. Dr Dan Katz was recently appointed managing
LISSA McComb Pinder, new president of the Bahamas Humane Society.
director and medical director, bringing the society’s veterinary and animal welfare operations under one coordinated leadership structure. Alicia Curry has also been appointed animal care supervisor. Mrs McComb Pinder said she, Dr Katz and Ms Curry have worked closely together in animal welfare for the past three years. Joining Mrs McComb Pinder on the new executive are first vice president Annabeth Maura and second vice president Dr Valentino Grant of Caves Village Animal Hospital. Amanda Meyers will serve as treasurer and Joanne Symonette as secretary. Mrs Aranha described her departure after nearly two decades as “a changing of the guard”. “Frankly, nobody should be president of anything for 19 years,” she said with a smile.
Mrs Aranha said it had taken time to find someone both willing and able to assume the responsibility of leading the organisation. “We are extremely fortunate to have found that person in Lissa,” she said. Mrs Albury served alongside Mrs Aranha as vice president for more than 15 years, with the pair described as a “true power team”. Mrs Aranha said she has confidence in the incoming executive. “The new executive has got this,” she said. “They bring a wealth of experience, energy and commitment to animal welfare.” Although stepping down from their executive positions, Mrs Aranha and Mrs Albury will remain involved through an advisory board, allowing the new leadership to draw on their institutional knowledge and experience.
PAGE 8, Friday, September 25, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
Straw vendors face income loss during Bay Street Market closure, urge better communication for future maintenance By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net STRAW vendors say the two-day closure of the Bay Street Straw Market is costing them badly needed income during an already slow sales period, with some losing additional working days as they prepared their stalls for the annual cleaning exercise. Straw Business Persons Society president Rebecca Small-Morley said vendors were given about a month’s notice that the market would close yesterday and today, but said the timing remained difficult for people who depend on daily sales. The Straw Market Authority said the 48-hour closure was necessary for annual deep cleaning, repairs and maintenance that could not be carried out while the market was open. The market is expected to reopen at 7am tomorrow. Executive Chairman Joseph Johnson said in a statement that the closure would allow teams to carry out “essential work” to maintain a safe and clean environment for vendors, staff and visitors. Ms Small-Morley said vendors did not object to the need for cleaning, but want future maintenance organised to limit disruption to their income. She said vendors were initially asked to remove their merchandise from the market altogether, but she and the Straw Advancements Association objected. Ms Small-Morley recalled an earlier incident in which a vendor removed her products, and heavy rain affected some, leaving her with additional transportation and labour costs. Vendors instead agreed to remove merchandise from the floor and place it inside their stalls. Ms Small-Morley said future cleaning could be carried out after vendors leave for the day or during quieter evening hours, with
specialised work scheduled separately when necessary. “I'm hoping that they could hire people going forward who could come in and do cleaning at a certain point where we wouldn't have to be disrupted any longer from any income, especially during the low season,” she said. Ms Small-Morley said vendors had agreed to the two-day closure, but hoped future arrangements could be made around their operating hours. Even small amounts of daily income matter during the slow period, she said. “I got a vendor who said I made $30 one day. The next day, I made $40,” Ms Small-Morley said. “I'm just saying, if she needed to buy lunch, she still could buy lunch. That may not be much, but it's something coming in.” She said the closure is particularly difficult for vendors without substantial savings. Straw Market on Bay Street
“Let's face it, an average person doesn't have $1,000 in their savings account to say, we have a week off; that's not an average person,” Ms Small-Morley said. The Straw Market Authority said the closure also forms part of a broader effort to support vendors. The Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage is scheduled to hold its inaugural vendor empowerment session today, with sessions from 10am to 1pm and 5pm to 8pm. Ms Small-Morley said vendors who attend will receive a one-week rent discount. She said the listening session will also allow vendors to raise concerns and make suggestions about the market’s future. However, she said communication between vendors and the newly appointed Straw Market Authority board remains a concern. Ms Small-Morley said vendors have heard the
names of board members but have not been formally introduced to them or told about their plans for the market. “You don't know who is who, and that's a problem because I feel that you should introduce yourself to the two leaders of the market,” she said. “Give us your game plan, ask us what we are expecting or looking forward to from the new board, but nothing of that nature has happened.” Ms Small-Morley said she could not say when the new board was appointed and described communication at the market as a problem. She said she hopes the board will establish better communication with vendors and their representatives. Ms Small-Morley also dismissed speculation that the closure was connected to the upcoming visit of King Charles III, saying she had received no indication that it was.
15-yearold girl charged after allegedly threatening officer with handgun By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A 15-YEAR-OLD girl was accused of threatening a police officer with a handgun on Dunmore Street last week. Prosecutors allege the girl, whose name is being withheld because she is a minor, assaulted Corporal 4092 Mackey with a handgun at about 10.20am on September 20. During the same incident, she allegedly behaved disorderly, assaulted Corporal Mackey and Police Constable 109 Minnis, resisted arrest and used obscene language to the annoyance of the officers.
She was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, disorderly behaviour, obscene language and two counts of assaulting a police officer. The girl pleaded not guilty to assault with a deadly weapon before Magistrate Abigail Farrington, but pleaded guilty to the remaining charges. Her mother was present for the arraignment. The girl was remanded to the Willie Mae Pratt Centre for Girls until February 3, when she is due to return to court for sentencing and trial. Reserve Inspector Deveaux prosecuted the case.
18-year-old charged with stabbing 15-yearold girl, trial set for february By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN was accused of stabbing a 15-year-old girl in the arm on Peter Street last week. Yashai Swann, 18, pleaded not guilty to causing harm before Magistrate Abigail Farrington after electing to have the case heard in the Magistrate’s Court. Prosecutors allege Swann injured the girl at
about 11.20pm on September 19. Swann was granted $3,500 bail with one or two sureties. He must sign in at the Grove Police Station by 7pm on the last Sunday of every month. He was also warned not to contact witnesses or risk having his bail revoked. His trial is set for February 2. Reserve Inspector Deveaux prosecuted the case.
Individual fined $100 for sending unsolicited nude photo to ex-girlfriend By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN was fined $100 after admitting he sent an unsolicited nude photograph to his ex-girlfriend in Acklins over the summer. Kipling Bullard, 42, pleaded guilty to indecent exposure before Magistrate Abigail Farrington. The court heard that Bullard sent a photograph
of his erect genitalia to the woman’s phone on July 23 with intent to insult her. Bullard accepted the facts and apologised for his actions. He was ordered to pay a $100 fine or serve one month in prison. Wallace Rolle represented Bullard. Reserve Inspector Deveaux prosecuted the case.
21-Year-old woman pleads not guilty to $660 fraud charges By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A WOMAN has denied defrauding another person of $660 earlier this month. Pedranique Newbold, 21, pleaded not guilty to two counts of fraud by false pretences before Senior Magistrate Kendra Kelly Burrows yesterday.
Prosecutors allege Newbold obtained $660 from Malronique Paul by false pretences on September 11. Newbold was granted $2,000 bail with one or two sureties. She was warned not to interfere with witnesses or risk having her bail revoked. Her trial is set for December 10. Corporal Moultrie prosecuted the case.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, September 25, 2026, PAGE 9
Diane Phillips
These boots were made for walking . . . but not on a sloping roof!
INDUSTRIAL accidents aren’t like spilled milk. You can’t just wipe them up, gripe for a minute about the mess and move on. They can change a life or steal it. And yet, every day we see men trying to prove they can defy gravity and work on sloping roofs 30 or 40 feet in the air without a single harness, rope, or piece of hardware tying them to anything other than hope. Every day we see trucks packed with workers hanging on to a piece of metal or sitting on a truck bed railing dreading the next pothole that will force them to breathe deeply and hold on for dear life. Did they not watch the news the night before and hear about an industrial accident that turned into a fatality? Have they not heard that in America 5,000 people die every year on the job or from injuries they got while working? Are they blind to the fact that every year between 2.5 and four million men and women in the US are injured on the job? Every one of those millions has a mother, a father, brother, sister, husband or wife. Maybe they had a baby on the way. Incidents change families forever Death and injuries don’t just hurt the one who is hurt or killed. The incidents can change a family dynamic forever. They happen in a split second that can never be reversed. The physically fit young man who a day before was running in the morning before work or playing hoops with his young son when he got home is now paralyzed, confined to a wheelchair, angry with himself and bitter toward the world, eventually resorting to drugs to relieve his pain, unable to work to put food on the table. Mommy has to take a second job or work longer hours. Sis might have to forsake her dreams of college. No, industrial accidents are not like spilled milk. Two more people in The Bahamas died this week because of one. How many more do we have to lose before we say ‘enough!’ and get serious about enforcement? The Department of Labour is trying. I’ll give them credit for that. Just walk into the building on Rosetta Street and you will see OSHA posters and signs everywhere. What’s an inspector to do? But how many inspectors are there to enforce the rules and regulations, and what does it take to make them look the other way? I’m not implying that any individual is on the take, but let’s face it. This is The Bahamas and we’re kind, accommodating people, who want to be helpful. So, when the construction chief says, “I been tellin’ de men dey gotta do better. ‘Yes, sir,’ dey promise. Den dey gets up dere and does the same thing again we just got done tellin’ em about. We done give ‘em rope and tings. We say dey gotta have hard hats and construction boots and we give ‘em hard hats if dey don’t have der own. We tell ‘em you gotta tie on the rope and they tell us dey can’t get da’ job done fast like we want if dey have to worry ‘bout dat rope getting all caught up and ting. ‘We can’t move
like we wanna move, dey tell us, with that ting hangin all over
hard isn’t working at all because YOU shut his ability
to earn money for formula down? What then? It’s not like the people who are doing foolishness on
toddler into a car seat, kissed her on her tiny forehead and waved Mom and little one bye that very morning, watching them drive off to pre-school. Maybe he took all the precautions he thought he should as a responsible person and parent, praying, getting that car seat and using it, and maybe the pressure to be one of the guys – unencumbered and strutting their manhood on the roof four stories in the air was just a bow to peer pressure. He figured he could handle the slope. It was, after all, just another day on the job that he would manage like the day before, hanging with the Worker safety guys who -- two specks think they in the air, up on are invinthe roof no harcible. Only ness, no rope, we are not no common invincible.
Photos: Diane Phillips
us.’ And what we s’posed to do?” Here’s exactly what you are supposed to do. Your job’s on the line Tell them no rope, no harness, no job. You can tell them that and more, like “carry your behind somewhere else and take your foolishness with you.” That’s what you’re supposed to do. But if the inspector looks the other way, trying to be a nice guy, and keep the job open cause the guys need to earn a living and the super or boss promises to do better and invites you to come back next week and you can see the improvement for yourself. Now what are you supposed to do? People have to earn a living. Suppose someone goes hungry because you closed down a job? Suppose a baby needs formula and the mama was counting on the pay from the baby daddy and now the daddy who was just working
the job, taking unnecessary risks, are bad people. That’s the irony. They’re working. Maybe that same fella who is strolling on the roof, hammer on hip, stack of shingles or next 4x8 sheet of plywood at his feet, knelt by his little girl’s bedside the night before as she said her prayers. Maybe he buckled a
Manhood isn’t only muscle It’s made of accepting responsibility, even when it’s uncomfortable. Even when, instead of being one of the guys, you’re the one warning the guys. If you ever read the horror stories of what happens to the injured, to the ones scalded by fire who would be better off dead, or who lose an eye or arm or leg or the ability to walk because the machinery they were operating was faulty and they kept using it anyway, or they were blinded by welding because pulling the shield down on the facial protective gear seemed like no big deal since it was just a tiny spot that you had missed before. Not every industrial accident causes life-changing injuries or circumstances, but enough do to wake us from a dangerous slumber. We must take the potential
for industrial accidents far more seriously than we do. Many businesses do and to them goes the credit. Manufacturing plants keep records of accident-free days or weeks. Publicly-held companies post on-the-job accident rates in their annual reports. But only a handful of companies in The Bahamas take it as seriously as they should, looking at enforcement (especially in construction, landscaping and transportation) as critical to the work routine as showing up for a contract. Luck has its limits We need to stop pretending that luck will continue to carry us where common sense leaves off. We need to stop believing there is no best-by date for piling into the back of a truck with nothing to hold onto but dreams as the overloaded vehicle speeds along bumpy roads
and the next deep pothole it drops into could toss a rider overboard, where his head crashes into the tarmac and the tarmac wins. The Bahamas is advanced and progressive in so many ways. We punch above our weight in AI, in humanoids and robotics, in automation and digitalization. We are the first country in the world of more than 200 nations to have Central Bankbacked digital currency. Yet we are years, maybe decades, behind in basic safety enforcement on the job. It’s time to give the working population the respect it deserves and do more to ensure protection, even if they go fighting and screaming that the rope around their waist while working on a roof is a deterrent to speed. A slow day today is far better than no day tomorrow.
PAGE 10, Friday, September 25, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
World News
Middle East wars loom over UN General Assembly, and other Mideast developments THE Middle East is taking center stage at the United Nations General Assembly in New York as three years of wars across the region show no signs of letting up. The conflict between the United States and Iran, fighting in Yemen and Israel's wars with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon are high on speakers' agendas. U.S. President Donald
"annihilate" the Islamic Republic if a deal isn't reached soon to end the war. Trump told reporters that the talks took place but gave no details beyond describing "a very good meeting." Separately, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump is open to meeting with Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, while he's in New York for the General Assembly. Iran's joint military com-
the U.N., King Abdullah II of Jordan decried an "expansionist appetite" by Israel that he called "a regional threat." Abdullah equated the "destruction in Gaza and the de facto annexation of lands in the West Bank" to an "attempt to erase the Palestinian presence" and said Israel's goal was to make a Palestinian state "impossible."
ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at his Likud party New Year event in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. AP Photo/Ariel Schalit
Pezeshkian struck a defiant note as he boarded a plane from Tehran to New York for the General Assembly, accusing the U.S. of doing "everything they can to block every possible route in order to force our nation and our people to surrender, because they were unable to do that through military means." Pezeshkian added that Iran is wary of another round of talks, having twice been attacked by the U.S. and Israel during active negotiations. Gulf states call for Iran to end attacks
PEOPLE pose as they arrive for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN headquarters, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP
Trump, who has struggled to find an endgame to the Iran war after more than six months, said representatives of the two countries met after he issued a brash threat in his U.N. speech. Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Tuesday. Trump says US and Iran met after warning at UN Trump said U.S. and Iranian officials met shortly after he warned in his U.N. address that he may
mand responded to Trump's threat in a statement, calling it "domestic propaganda" rather than reflecting realities on the ground. It said repeated U.S. threats showed "strategic desperation," and warned that Iran is prepared to "inflict even more severe, crushing, and unpredictable blows" to the U.S. and Israel. Opening speeches take aim at Israel, decry Gaza suffering As an opening day of speeches got underway at
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called a decision to deny Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a U.S. visa to attend the General Assembly an "injustice." Erdogan urged all UN members to recognize Palestinian statehood. He called Gaza "the world's largest graveyard for children" and the "most shameful concentration camp of our time." Iran's president strikes defiant note as he heads to General Assembly
The regional Gulf Cooperation Council called for Iran and its allied groups to cease attacks on Arab Gulf states and allow free transit through two crucial maritime checkpoints. Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, the council's head, said disruptions to traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait have rattled oil markets and supply chains worldwide, triggering "worldwide fallout." Iran has said it attacked U.S. bases in the region as part of its response to U.S.-Israeli strikes. AlBudaiwi made the comments in a meeting with Swiss officials on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. Trump is expected to meet representatives from the council on Tuesday in New York.
Iranian military official says Bab el-Mandeb won't return to normal Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, said Tuesday that the situation in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait would not return to its previous normal amid the conflict involving Yemen's Houthi rebels and shipping in the Red Sea. Safavi made the remarks in an interview with Iran's state broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. "The Americans not only couldn't achieve their objective regarding the Strait of Hormuz, but they now face a new problem called the Bab el-Mandeb Strait," Safavi said. He said reopening the Strait of Hormuz was contingent on the United States accepting Iran's conditions, adding that it would not be reopened through U.S. military pressure. Netanyahu is not expected to meet with Trump while in New York Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who launched the Iran war along with the U.S. on Feb. 28, is also heading to New York for a brief trip, but is not expected to meet with Trump. Netanyahu will be in New York for less than 24 hours, during which time Trump is scheduled to be in Washington for a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Netanyahu is up for reelection at the end of October. In the past, he has boasted of his close ties with Trump, but that relationship appears to be deteriorating as the war drags on. A meeting with Trump could have bolstered Netanyahu's image ahead of the vote. Netanyahu's speech at the U.N. on Thursday is expected to garner protests, both inside and outside of the U.N. Palestinians voice frustration, urge action As world leaders gathered at the U.N., some Palestinians in Gaza voiced frustration. "The General Assembly, the United Nations, those have all our respect, but they should stop the bombing," said Rami Al Bowboa, a displaced resident of Gaza City. "At least let us bring in lighters; let us have food, let us have water." Ahmed Lubad, displaced from northern Gaza, said he expected the assembly "to be serious about our issue, to set clear boundaries, and to pressure Israel." "We are exhausted, tired, and have lost everything," Lubad said. Another displaced resident, Imad Dawas, said UN meetings often produced "conditions, initiatives, and proposals, but not meaningful" action.
Can pineapples thrive in Africa's Sahel? A Burkina Faso farmer says yes! By ELIA BORRAS Associated Press
BOBO-DIOULASSO, Burkina Faso (AP) — The soil beneath Oumarou Compaoré's boots is sandy and stony. It's hardly the lush setting usually needed to support growing pineapples. But this farm in landlocked Burkina Faso is part of national efforts to reduce overall reliance on imports and adapt to an everharsher climate in the dry heat of Africa's Sahel region. Pineapples have long been seen as exotic fruit grown by richer coastal neighbors, and more expensive than the mangoes that grow outside many Burkinabe homes. "People told us that here we could only grow cotton, maize or sorghum," Compaoré said at the farm he founded in 2018 outside the western city of Bobo-Dioulasso, where he drives around in a van with an inscription that reads, "Pioneer in pineapple production in the Sahel." His pineapple initiative, inspired in part by border closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, is one of the more unusual projects challenging the idea that people in Burkina Faso must rely on neighbors for much of what they eat. "Because the fruit was in short supply, we were able to sell it easily," said Compaoré, who also had been growing papayas with little profit. Now his pineapple field has grown to about 50 hectares (124 acres). The country's military leaders have taken note. Their economic growth plan is tied heavily to agriculture. Pineapples are now part of
the government's formal development plan as it seeks to boost food self-sufficiency for the country of 24 million people. While there are no available government data on pineapple production, farmers say more of them are venturing into it.
100 farmers are now getting into production. Food production is called a sovereignty issue Under Capt. Ibrahim Traoré, who took power after a coup in 2022, Burkina Faso has presented food production as a sovereignty issue. It suspended rice imports in April this year with a stated goal of facilitating local production. It inaugurated two fac-
tories for tomato paste, a local staple, Farmer Oumarou Compaoré speaks to the in 2024. Associated Press at Djoda Farm in Matourkou, And near Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, Thursday, May 7, 2026. at a AP Photo/Elia Borras major supermarket in the capital, As of November, pineapple Ouagadougou, there is a section fields had expanded to around dedicated to locally grown food — 100 hectares (248 acres) in the like shea butter, corn and cassava administrative region that includes flour and drinks like mango juice Compaoré's farm, the regional — labeled, "Let's consume what we director of agriculture, Adanabou produce." All are steps toward shaking off Eric Pascal, told local media at the time. Kola Jean, the agricul- the dependence on imports that for tural engineer at Compaoré's farm decades has exposed millions of who helps to train others on pine- people to shifting transport costs apple farming, estimated that over and other price shocks.
Hunger remains widespread. A decadelong security crisis that has left jihadis in control of large swathes of territory has disrupted access to farmland and markets. Many people have been displaced. U.N. agencies have said some 2.7 million people face acute food insecurity during the annual lean season when stocks from the previous harvest run low and market prices peak. Other farmers are being inspired Mdme Kaba Séré, a pineapple farmer in Houet Province, said she used to work in the nonprofit sector but switched to farming in 2023 following international aid cuts. She recalled being told at a young age that pineapples cannot grow in the Sahel, the dry strip of land south of the Sahara. Then she was trained on pineapple cultivation by Compaoré. "We saw what Oumarou was doing and thought: It is possible, why not?" said Séré, who has expanded her farm to about 60,000 seedlings. "With pineapple, there is profit," she said. "It has impacted my entire
family because thanks to this I have been able to support them." Because pineapples had long been seen as rare in Burkina Faso, farmers say the business is lucrative because it's easy to find buyers even before the fruit hits the market. But hurdles include investments in everything from fertilizer to irrigation and reliable transport. Pineapples require a lengthy growing period of up to two years, plus reliable access to water. Compaoré said he irrigates part of his land from a well, but digging wells is an investment many farmers cannot afford. The climate can be problematic, too. Farmers are finding ways to adapt, including by irrigating with cool water in the evening during intense heat, said Pascal Bazongo, a professor of soil science and natural resource management at Burkina Faso's University of Fada N'Gourma and an expert involved with Compaoré's farm. Compaoré is upbeat about future innovations and better yields. On recently acquired plots, about 30 workers moved through the field as music played from a loudspeaker. Their goal that day, he said, was to plant roughly 60,000 pineapple seedlings. He expects the new fields to produce between 60 and 75 metric tons (66-83 tons) of pineapples, with a projected revenue of about 35 million CFA francs, or roughly $62,000. "We could even make the country self-sufficient in this fruit," he said.
PAGE 12, Friday, September 25, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
RBDF Marines recognized for outstanding performance The CDF’s DRIVER OF THE QUARTER awardees were Able Seaman Kashun Richardson, recognized for the 3rd Quarter, July to September 2025; Leading Seaman Michael Kelly, recognized for the 4th Quarter, October to December 2025; Able Seaman Tamiko Gilbert, recognized for the 1st Quarter, January to March 2026; and Able Seaman Kashun Richardson, recognized for the 2nd Quarter, April to June 2026. Captain Henry Daxon, Executive Staff Officer, presented the awards to the recognized Marines. The recognition celebrates the dedication,
professionalism, and exceptional service demonstrated by Marines who distinguish themselves through exemplary performance and commitment to duty. Under the leadership of Commander Defence Force, Commodore Floyd Moxey, the RBDF is optimizing excellence by bridging generations and embracing modernization. As such, we remain committed to acknowledging the hard work and commitment of our personnel who excel in their duties, discipline, dedication, and embody the RBDF’s Core Values.
RBDF Photos: Marine Seaman Rickey Sealey
THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) recognized three Marines for their outstanding performance and dedication to duty as Drivers assigned to the Office of the Commander Defence Force (CDF). The recognition occurred on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, at RBDF Headquarters. The recognition highlights the professionalism, reliability and commitment demonstrated by the Marines as they carrying out responsibilities that support the operational requirements of the CDF’s Office.
GB POWER DONATES INSTRUMENTS TO URBAN RENEWAL MARCHING BAND By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
Photos by Vandyke Hepburn
GRAND Bahama Power Company has donated musical instruments to the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s Urban Renewal Marching Band in Grand Bahama, strengthening the programme as it continues to expand. The presentation marks one of the largest instrument donations to date by a corporate citizen to the local band. Assistant Commissioner of Police Robert Goodman, newly appointed police chief for Grand Bahama and the northern Bahamas, was present. ASP Lee Capron, officer in charge of Police Urban Renewal, praised GB Power for supporting the band and encouraged other corporate citizens to follow suit. “It’s a great day for the marching band, and it’s a great day for corporate social responsibility,” ASP Capron said. He said the band was formed in August and has already made the community proud through its performances and commitment to regular practices.
ASP Capron commended parents for supporting the young musicians, thanking them for ensuring that their children attend practices, arrive on time and remain involved in the programme. He said the band has the potential to represent Grand Bahama at competitions and other events and called on the public for its continued support. Mr Capron said the band initially received approximately 100 uniforms but now has about 150 members, creating an additional need for corporate assistance. “We’re going to need that help, that support. So, I am also reaching out to corporate Grand Bahama, corporate Bahamas to join us in assisting this band," he said. Mr Grant, a representative of Urban Renewal, described the contribution as a transformative investment in young people and thanked GB Power and others involved in supporting the programme. The representative said investments in programmes such as the marching band can have a lasting impact on children and their future. He also highlighted the educational opportunities that can emerge from musical
development, pointing to his own family’s experience with the trumpet. “I saw my son got a 100% scholarship because of how well he played the trumpet,” he said. Mr Grant said he hopes members of the Grand Bahama Urban Renewal Marching Band will also use their musical abilities to pursue educational opportunities locally and abroad. He stressed that participation in a marching band provides young people with more than musical skills, teaching discipline and other qualities that can benefit them throughout their lives. “Marching Band is a very serious thing. It teaches them discipline. It teaches them There's a whole plethora of things that they learn through this marching band, and so I want us to continue to encourage them,” he said. The donation was described as the largest gift of instruments received by the programme to date. The Urban Renewal representative also issued a challenge to other businesses and corporate citizens to support the band.