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VOLUME:114 No.225, OCTOBER 16TH, 2017

HO US E & 16 THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

INSIGHT: ‘THE OLDEST TRICK IN THE POLITICAL PLAYBOOK’

PAGES

Girl, 8, dies in cruise horror

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

AN EIGHT-YEAROLD Bahamian girl has died after falling from an interior balcony on a Carnival cruise ship docked at the port of Miami.

Investigators said the girl, whom The Tribune understands is Zion Smith, was on the deck of the Carnival Glory’s interior atrium, located two floors above the lobby, when she fell two storeys to a lower deck.

Emergency medical units responded and provided first aid to the child before rushing her to the Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Centre in “extremely critical

FOOD FESTIVAL SERVES UP A TREAT

A DANCER entertains the crowds at the 22nd Annual International Culture Wine and Food Festival at the weekend. The two-day event featured food, drink and cultural displays at the Botanical Gardens.

See page three for more.

PHOTO: Derek Smith.

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE his Cabinet post, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands has been voluntarily performing surgeries at the RAND Memorial hospital in Grand Bahama to assist medical professionals there amid staff vacancies.

He confirmed this to The Tribune yesterday after Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts released a press statement suggesting impropriety on Dr Sands’

BAHAMIANS of Haitian descent in Abaco sent a strong warning to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis over the new immigration deadline: “Five years will come again”.

Residents of the country’s largest and oldest shanty towns, the Mud and Pigeon Peas, voiced extreme disappointment over the tone struck by Dr Minnis, whom they

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

SEE PAGE FIVE

SEE PAGE 12

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

GREENSLADE ASSURED HIS FULL PENSION

condition”. She later died of her injuries.

The circumstances surrounding the child’s fatal fall remain unclear.

part. Mr Roberts said Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, who came to power on a promise to punish ministers who have conflictof-interest issues, has been looking “the other way” as Dr Sands performs surgical procedures “at the Princess Margaret Hospital after his appointment as a Cabinet minister.”

“If these reports are true,” Mr Roberts said, “Dr Sands in the capacity of Health Minister is in direct violation of established and longstanding cabinet code

HAITIANS WARN PM OVER EXIT DEADLINE

SEE PAGE SIX

EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Zion Smith.

ROBERTS ACCUSES SANDS OF ETHICS CODE BREACH

HOME

US TARGETS SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Department of Homeland Security will begin monitoring the social media accounts of Caribbean nationals and residents planning to visit the United States this week.

The new policy also covers immigrants who have obtained a green card and naturalized citizens,

and will take effect on Oct 18.

The announcement from the Trump regime was published in the Federal Register last month. It will allow DHS to collect information about an immigrant’s Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts, but also mentions all “search results.”

It’s not immediately clear if that means the agency will have access to things such as Google search

histories nor is it clear how that would be obtained.

A DHS document published on September 18, says the government will “expand the categories of records” collected “to include ... social media handles, aliases, associated identifiable information and will “update record source categories to include publicly available information obtained from the internet and information obtained and disclosed pursuant to SEE PAGE 11

PLEDGE TO PROTECT WHISTLEBLOWERS

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

to “aggressively” reviewing the bill and consulting with the private and public sector on whatever changes need to be made.

THE MINNIS administration is The former Christie adminseeking to immediately implement istration passed a FOIA in protections for whistleblowers in Parliament in February. However, the Freedom of Information Act, only part one and sections of part despite not having a date as to five and eight of the legislation when the entire legislation will be have been enacted, allowing for ATTORNEY General revised and fully enacted, accordthe appointment of an information Carl Bethel. ing to Attorney General Carl commissioner and repealing the Bethel.

2012 FOIA. In an interview with reporters, Mr Bethel Since then, various civil society organisasaid the AG’s office received the Freedom tions (CSOs) have pressed the government of Information Act (FOIA) files last Thurs- to pick up recommendations to amend the day and his team has dedicated this week SEE PAGE FIVE

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

ALTHOUGH he served in the police force for fewer than 40 years and as Commissioner of Police for fewer than ten years, outgoing Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade will receive maximum pension benefits because the Minnis Administration intends to amend the Pension Act, Attorney General Carl Bethel confirmed yesterday.

“We are bringing legislation to amend the Pensions Act to capture SEE PAGE 11

SHOOTINGS LEAVE TWO DEAD, FOUR INJURED

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A MAN is dead after a shooting late last night on West Street near Meadows Street.

Earlier in the weekend, police in Grand Bahama launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a man shot to death in a vacant yard in Freeport.

According to reports, shortly after 9pm on Saturday police responded to reports of the lifeless SEE PAGE FIVE

PAGE 2, Monday, October 16, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

MARCUS Laing and Carlos Hepburn with former Managing Director of the Public Hospitals Authority Herbert Brown. Photo: Zhivago McPhee – Head of Audio/Visual Department PHA

Tributes paid to retiring PHA Managing Director Herbert Brown

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Managing Director of the Public Hospitals Authority Herbert Brown is a “visionary

leader” who made health care development a “priority” during his near 50 year career in the public health care system, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands has said.

Speaking during a special retirement luncheon for Mr Brown at the Balmoral Club on Friday, Dr Sands heralded Mr Brown’s 47 years in the public healthcare system, calling it a “story that celebrates the value of individual human potential, as well as the merits of teamwork and mentorship.”

Dr Sands especially credited the Abraham’s Bay, Mayaguana native for his devotion to the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre, noting that Mr Brown’s initial entrance into public healthcare via that facility in the 1970s came amidst a widespread stigma against the centre as the “Crazy Hill.”

“This stigma could reflect not only on patients of the institution but on its staff

“I believe if we were to look back over Mr Brown’s many visits to his beloved Sandilands over the years as managing director, we would be hard-pressed to find subjects he refers to more frequently than combating stigma against the mentally ill and offering service with compassion and care to the patents in our charge.”

Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands and volunteers as well,” Dr Sands said.

“Yet, a young, determined Herbert Brown dedicated himself to serving Sandilands and its patients with compassion and vigour.

“Indeed, I believe if we were to look back over Mr Brown’s many visits to his beloved Sandilands over the years as managing director, we would be hard-pressed to find subjects he refers to more frequently than combating stigma against the mentally ill and offering service with compassion and care to the patents in our charge.

“I am positive that this is no coincidence, but rather a reflection of the years he spent as part of the nursing support services interacting with staff and patients on a daily basis.”

Dr Sands said Mr Brown’s “faithful service” carried over as he ascended to the rank of either assistant and/ or deputy hospital administrator in all three of the nation’s public hospitals, and eventually to the hospital administrator for the Rand Memorial Hospital in Grand Bahama, Sandilands, and then the Chief hospital administrator for the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH).

That was followed by his appointment as PHA Managing Director in 2002, after some 32 years of service up to that point. Subsequent

to that appointment, Mr Brown oversaw a number of key healthcare initiatives, such as the official launch of the Critical Care Block, the Child and Adolescent and Robert Smith (CARS) Complex at Sandilands, as well as the expansion of the Rand Memorial Hospital.

“However, if we were to simply focus on the many infrastructural and capital improvements undertaken at public hospitals and agencies across the PHA we would miss the very soul of Herbert Brown’s service to this nation,” Dr Sands continued. “One of his greatest contributions to public healthcare is an unflagging insistence upon excellence.

“At every level of our public health facilities, quality and excellence should be the watchwords of our efforts. To put it most simply, Herbert Brown is convinced that there is no good reason there should be a differentiation in standards and quality of care between public health facilities and private.”

Mr Brown, in his remarks, reflected on the 15 years he spent as PHA Managing Director and thanked the various “colleagues, mentors and friends” who helped him “grow into the best job I could have dreamed of.”

“Together, we have built a legacy of which we can all be proud,” he said. “For nearly a decade the (PHA) has enjoyed a period of unprecedented growth and modernization which crescendoed with the construction of a 21st-century hospital facility - the Critical Care Block at the Princess Margaret Hospital campus.

Challenges “We have also overcome significant challenges to expand and improve the physical footprints of the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre and Rand Memorial Hospital.

Medical, diagnostic, pharmacy and laboratory services have all been upgraded across the (PHA), with increased investments in state-of-theart equipment, and training.

“Progress has been made modernizing and upgrading the ambulance fleet in New Providence and Grand Bahama, and every day we are a little bit further along in the implementation of the new Integrated Health Information Management System, set to go live in the very near future. “… None of these accomplishments could have been executed without the full support of employees, partners, vendors and volunteers,” he added. “To quote the former chief executive of Microsoft, ‘it is not about one person; it’s about the company.’ In our context, I believe I can paraphrase by saying, ‘it is not about one person, it is about our PHA family.’”

Last week, Dr Sands told The Tribune Mr Brown’s seemingly abrupt retirement coincided with the upcoming completion of his contract with the government. When asked whether Mr Brown was asked to demit office, Dr Sands said his retirement was voluntary.

However, he noted the former managing director had accumulated some 20 weeks of vacation time, and had been mandated to take it.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, October 16, 2017, PAGE 3

22ND ANNUAL

INTERNATIONAL CULTURE WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS from the weekend’s event held at the Botanical Gardens.

Photos: Terrel W Carey/Tribune staff

Death Notice For

Retired Trained Clinical Nurse

Yvonne Cecile Guillaume-McPhee-Pratt, RN, 73

of Hollywood, Florida, formerly of Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas, died at her residence on Wednesday, October 11, 2017.

Yvonne was pre-deceased by her mother and father: Madge Antonio Wood-Guillaume and Francois A Guillaume; brother: Francois Frank C. Guillaume.

She is survived by her daughters: Presleith Y. McPhee, Renee G. McPhee, RN of Hollywood Fl, La-von McPhee-Lopez, RN of Brandon, Fl and Geranette Bartlett, RN of Hollywood Fl; Son-in-law: Juan Lopez of Brandon, Fl; Six Grandchildren; Nine Great-Grandchildren; brother: Herbert W. Guillaume; Sisters: her twin-Marie Antoinette Guillaume-Taylor, Hadassah R. Guillaume (Thompson) and Margaret Rose Guillaume; Three Nephews and Four Nieces; Numerous Relatives and Friends including: Preston McPhee, Willard Taylor, the Rollins, Antonio and Wood Families, Craig Morris of Hollywood, Fl and her Caregivers.

Funeral Service will be held at Hillview Seventh-day Adventist Church, Tonique Darling Highway on Sunday October 22, 2017 at 11:00 a.m.

Jamaicas Attorney General Marlene

PAGE 4, Monday, October 16, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

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And where has the $43 million gone?

LAST WEEK Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis mocked the Minnis administration’s inability to trace $42 million of the $150 million borrowed by the Christie administration for hurricane recovery. Mr Davis had the audacity to call it the “height of incompetence” on the part of the new government for failing to trace these funds.

Did he ever pause for a moment to think that if the money, which was probably a line item in the consolidated fund, had been properly accounted for by his own government as it was spent, no one would now be playing “find the rabbit”?

“Money doesn’t just walk out of the treasury,” said Mr Davis. We agree, someone with authority and a pen in hand had to transfer it from one account to another, but was that transfer to do with hurricane relief? Only the PLP can answer that question. So far Finance Minister Peter Turnquest can only account for $108 million having been spent as it should have been — exclusively on hurricane relief. But what of the remaining $42 million? Was that spent on hurricane related projects?

Only the Christie government can answer that question. Mr Turnquest cannot explain this, nor should he be expected to.

This was the failing of a PLP government that seemed not to understand that when a sum of money is borrowed in the name of the Bahamian people for a specific purpose it has to be spent exclusively for that purpose. If unable to do so, the government has to return to the people, give an accounting for what it has spent and explain why the remainder should be diverted to another cause.

This is the people’s money they are trifling with. Bahamians would like Mr Davis, who now represents his former government, to step up to the plate and give an explanation for the decisions of a government of which he was once a very large part. Finance Minister Turnquest has done his job. He says he can confirm that $108 million, borrowed by the Christie government, was spent on the projects for which it was earmarked — hurricane relief. But he cannot trace the spending of the remaining $42 million.

In other words, he cannot say whether it was spent, as it should have been, exclusively on hurricane recovery. What say you, Mr Davis? The ball is now in your court.

It would seems that persons in the PLP government, either forgot, or did not learn from the angry outburst of the late Sir Jack Hayward when he discovered that his $1 million donated exclusively for hurricane repairs in Freeport in 2005 was diverted to the general fund — none of it finding its way to Freeport.

When Sir Jack, and his late partner Edward St George, decided to donate a million dollars to NEMA for hurricane reconstruction, the two men wrote to

Prime Minister Christie on October 12, 2004 informing him of their decision, specifying that 50 per cent of the funds were to be spent in Freeport, and the remaining 50 in west Grand Bahama.

The funds were specifically earmarked for “restoring the educational facilities on Grand Bahama” after the hurricane of that year.

When the YMCA, included in Sir Jack’s description as an “educational facility”, was refused help by NEMA – having been told that NEMA had no money in Freeport, but had sent it all to Nassau – the Y returned to Sir Jack for help. Sir Jack phoned to find out what had happened to his Freeport donation, only to be treated with contempt by civil servants. Well, that put the fire to the wick. NEMA, without any reference to the Freeport investors had diverted the Hayward/St George donation to the general fund in Nassau.

The attitude of government agents that they owed Sir Jack no explanation caused Sir Jack to agree with the late Sir Albert Miller, president of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, who bluntly told him: “You were very silly to give that money to the government, you should have earmarked it for what you said and spent it yourselves – see that it gets there yourselves.”

“I think this is one of the biggest scandals the Bahamas had in years,” protested Sir Jack. He said he did not know how much of his and St George’s money had been spent, nor on what it had been spent.

What those handling the money did not seem to realise was that NEMA could have been sued for diverting that money from Freeport to the general account in Nassau. Prime Minister Christie, who had received the donation immediately understood as a lawyer the problem they were facing. He said that they had to make a “special position” for that donation and as the donors wanted it to go to education “government must find a way to oblige them.”

It would be well for all those who handle public money to be reminded of the case of Barclays v Quistclose, 1970, which involved the payment of dividends.

The House of Lords decided that where money, advanced for . a specific purpose, cannot be used for that purpose it takes on the character of a fiduciary trust and there is an implied obligation that the money must be returned to the donor.

The Law Lords said that this principle had been recognised in a series of cases for more than 150 years before the Barclays v Quistclose, 1970 case.

Instead of sitting back with a smug smile on his face, Mr Davis might do himself a favour by trying to help government account for the unexplained $43 million, which was a part of a $150 million loan borrowed by the PLP government on behalf of the Bahamian people for hurricane relief.

GOVERNMENT OVERLOOKING CORE PROBLEM EDITOR, The Tribune.

IT is interesting that in its efforts to create the appearance of an illegal immigrant crackdown, the government conveniently overlooks the core problem.

For many years, persons have come to the Bahamas illegally and have had children, called anchor babies, that have been defined as stateless.

Illegal migrants had their children in government hospitals, were immunised in government clinics and educated and fed in government schools without any major intervention by government.

There was never an effort to ‘encourage’ those parents to have those children registered as citizens

with their country of origin or to repatriate these parents with their children to discourage this behaviour.

As as result we have approximately one quarter of our population as either illegals or the offspring of illegal immigrants.

One wonders why, with Parliament being the law factory that it is, hasn’t one law been passed to simply state that the children of illegal immigrants will be denied the ability to apply for Bahamian residency or citizenship and upon discovery of these children the parents and child will be repatriated to the parents’ country of origin.

Might seem harsh, but isn’t the breaking of laws generally associated with penalties?

As a sovereign country shouldn’t we have clearly stated laws with real consequences to discourage breaking our laws?

Instead, we have rewarded illegal migrants and their offspring with the best that this land has to offer while marginalised Bahamian taxpayers pay for it all. Apart from interdicting migrant ships and repatriating some migrants, there has been no real deterrent in place for illegal immigrants?

This country’s stance on illegal immigration is hypocritical and duplicitous.

It shows that the Bahamas is not a country of laws, but of laws of convenience.

JB Nassau, October 13, 2017.

Hanna Martin represents the status quo EDITOR, The Tribune.

As the race for leader of the PLP heats up it is comical that Glenys Hanna-Martin would claim that she is uprooting the status quo.

In my opinion, more than the other three PLP Members of Parliament she definitely represents the status quo. I am not fully sold on Philip “Brave” Davis, but Ms. Martin is surely not the answer if the PLP intends to move in a new direction.

Firstly, Ms. HannaMartin is the only present PLP parliamentarian who has been a member of two Christie cabinets.

Both times she held the same portfolio and her performance and impact was average at best.

She is a former Chairman of the PLP and was not effective in that role.

In fact many seem to forget why the Party leadership had to get rid of her and call for the return of Bradley Roberts as Chairman because the party was falling apart under Ms. Martin’s leadership.

She was not an effective Chairman. In fact, she was a liability and it was widely agreed that she had to go.

She held power as Chairman for over two years to change the way the PLP operated but failed to do anything. There is nothing that anyone can point to during her time as Chairman that was progressive or served to better the PLP! Also, it’s as if she and her team have failed to realize why the PLP lost the last election so badly.

She is travelling with and has several campaign posters with many of the personalities whose actions and behaviour contributed significantly

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net

to the fall of the PLP. They represent everything that is wrong with the status quo in the PLP. Their old style bully politics is outdated and a turn off.

Many people also believe that Ms. HannaMartin is only fronting for the leadership ambitions of Obie Wilchcombe. Had Mr. Wilchcombe won his seat there is no doubt that he would be running for leader and she would not even be in the race.

That is not a sign of true leadership on her part.

Wilchcombe is no longer popular.

The Bahamian people are not interested in him leading the PLP or the country either directly or through Hanna-Martin.

Mr. Wilchcombe seems stuck in the past and continues to talk about the UBP etc.

He does not seem to realize that the Bahamas has moved on and there are new challenges facing the country and his party. He represents the old guard. Ms. HannaMartin’s closeness to Wilchcombe and his perceived influence over her signals that the status quo would remain under her leadership.

Ms. Hanna-Martin has failed to outline any real plans to move the PLP forward and rescue the party from this low point.

Her campaign seems more focused on Philip Brave Davis and that “it’s time for a woman to lead” than anything substantive. Emotive politics is very much the politics of the past. Does Ms. HannaMartin have any plans or

does she just want to be leader?

Her aunt, Ms. Barbara Pierre, is the Secretary General of the PLP. She has served the party well but many believe it is time for her to move on in the interest of renewing and rebuilding the PLP. This position of Secretary General is appointed by the Party Leader. It would seem likely that Barbara Pierre would remain as Secretary General should Ms. Hanna-Martin be elected PLP leader. How is that uprooting the status quo?

What is most amazing is that at the last PLP convention in January of this year, when Alfred Sears offered for Leader, that Ms. Hanna-Martin was one of the biggest cheerleaders for maintaining the status quo and reelecting Perry Christie.

Several of the persons who are now included in her social media ads were very vocal and vicious as they jeered Alfred Sears and his quest to change the status quo in the PLP. Now these people want to uproot it?

Yeah right! Many PLPs have not forgotten those ugly scenes. She did not defend Sears nor his right to run for the top post. Where was principle and conviction when it counted?

To me, Glenys Hanna Martin is the status quo in the PLP. She represents and is too close to all that needs to be uprooted and changed. She is not the answer. Philip Brave Davis is not necessarily the long term solution for the PLP, however at this time by default he appears to be the only real option.

CONCERNED PLP Nassau, October 14, 2017.

THE TRIBUNE

GIRL, 8, DIES IN CRUISE HORROR FROM PAGE ONE Investigators are said to be working closely with the cruise line to try to establish exactly how the tragedy happened.

Miami Fire Rescue Captain Ignatius Carroll said while the exact distance the girl fell had not been determined, it could have been anywhere between six and 15 meters, or 20 to 50 feet.

“All we know right now is that an eight-year-old girl was injured on the ship, life saving efforts were performed by Miami Dade Fire Rescue, and when the City arrived we assisted and we brought her here to the trauma centre in extremely critical condition,” Capt

Carroll said in an interview with Local 10 WPLG. Carnival released a brief statement expressing condolences to the girl’s family, stating: “Our most heartfelt care and concern is with the family at this very difficult time.”

Traumatic Various cruise ship passengers described the initial incident and the frantic rush to try and save Zion as very traumatic and frantic.

Tyrone McKelvey told 7 News that when the tragedy happened “people started screaming, people started running everywhere.”

“When we got down we saw the body on the ground and all the blood and what not,” he added. “It was very traumatizing and devastating.”

Another passenger, Raymond Kissim told 7 News: “You heard ‘Oh my baby, oh my baby’ and when you look she was down at the bottom.”

“It happened so fast. She just fell over, that’s all I see.”

“If she had landed on the couch, she probably would’ve had a chance,” passenger Vickie Lewis said. “But she didn’t.

My heart goes out to the family.”

Bob Dorr, a retired emergency management

technician (EMT), who was among the first to perform CPR on Zion until the doctor arrived, said she had “severe injuries” as a result of the fall.

“She had severe injuries, that’s all I want to say,” he said. “I started doing CPR until the doctor showed up and then the doctor took over.”

According to reports, Zion’s family had just completed a seven-day cruise aboard the Carnival Glory when it arrived in Port Miami around 8.15am when the tragedy occurred.

The ship was reportedly scheduled to depart from Florida at 4pm on Saturday and travel to the Bahamas.

MITCHELL ‘LIKELY TO BE NOMINATED FOR PLP CHAIRMAN ON CONVENTION FLOOR’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Fred Mitchell is being drafted to compete in the chairmanship race at the Progressive Liberal Party’s national convention next week, with sources in the party saying it is likely he will be nominated on the floor of the convention.

Asked yesterday how he would respond if this happens, Mr Mitchell told The Tribune: “I consider the PLP’s election to be an internal matter so I don’t have any public discussions about it at all.”

Contested

SENATOR Fred Mitchell

The chairmanship race may be the most tightly contested race at the convention, as it features several people who have held prominent positions in the party recently.

They include former Parliamentarian and Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe, former deputy chairman Alex Storr, former Exuma candidate Glendon Rolle and former State Minister for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez.

Attorney Wayne Munroe is said to still be considering a run for chairmanship.

So far, only one person has revealed an intention to run for Deputy Leader in the party: Exuma and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper. Mr Cooper appears to have aligned himself with interim party leader Philip “Brave” Davis and has frequently appeared by Mr Davis’ side as they travelled throughout the country campaigning.

Challenge Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin is the only person to reveal an intention to challenge Mr Davis at the convention.

Supporters of Mrs Hanna Martin have highlighted her communication skills as reason they support her, telling The Tribune they admire her outspokeness.

Supporters of Mr Davis in the senior ranks of the PLP, on the other hand, have often highlighted his fundraising prowess in discussions about why he is best to lead the party.

Former Prime Minister Perry Christie has said he will not intervene in the race and won’t endorse a candidate for any position.

SHOOTINGS LEAVE TWO DEAD, FOUR INJURED

FROM PAGE ONE

body of a male in the vicinity of Forbisher Drive and Weddel Avenue in Freeport.

Upon arrival at the scene, police discovered a deceased male suffering from apparent gun shot wounds to the head and body.

Police in Grand Bahama are appealing to anyone with information regarding the incident in question to

contact their nearest police station.

Also in Grand Bahama over the weekend police were investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting of a 26-year-old male at the International Bazaar.

According to reports, responding officers discovered the victim suffering from apparent multiple gunshot wounds about the body. He is currently

detained in serious condition at the Rand Memorial Hospital.

Investigations into both matters continue.

Meanwhile in New Providence two men were hospitalized, one in serious condition and the other stable following a shooting incident off Bougainvillea Boulevard, South Beach yesterday lunchtime.

According to police reports, a group of people

were standing in front of a residence when the occupants of a vehicle pulled up and opened fire on them before speeding off.

Police inquiries are continuing.

Monday, October 16, 2017, PAGE 5

PLEDGE TO PROTECT WHISTLEBLOWERS FROM PAGE ONE

FOIA, calling on the Minnis administration to not only look to the timely enactment of the FOIA, but to also take the opportunity to make revisions to strengthen it.

Shortly after the general election in May, State Minister for Legal Affairs Elsworth Johnson confirmed the government is considering amendments to the FOIA. “We have just within a few days ago been given the portfolio with responsibility for the Freedom of Information Act, it has been returned to this office and the file just got on my desk quite literally yesterday (Thursday) afternoon.

“So over the course of this week, I with my senior officials, will be sitting down to determine how to proceed from here,” Mr Bethel said.

Question “One thing we are committed to as a matter of policy to doing almost immediately is to, at an appointed day’s notice, see if we can bring into force those provisions of the act that deal with the protection of whistleblowers but we don’t want to just have a single step approach we want to immediately look at the broader question of implementing the entire act as quickly as possible and also having an ongoing dialogue with civil society and others who wish to suggest further ways in which we can improve the operations of FOIA. He said: “It is a specific policy of this government and we intend to aggressively seek to bring it into force as quickly as possible and improve it where necessary.”

Part one and sections of part five and eight of the legislation were enacted on April 21, bringing the legislation into force allowing for the appointment of an information commissioner and repealing the 2012 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

As for whistle-blowers, the Act states: “No person may be subject to any legal, administrative

or employment related sanction, regardless of any breach of a legal or employment related obligation, for releasing information on wrongdoing, or that which would disclose a serious threat to health, safety or the environment, as long as he acted in good faith and in the reasonable belief that the information was substantially true and disclosed evidence of wrong-doing or a serious threat to health, safety or the environment.”

Wrongdoing was said to include, but is not limited to: commission of a criminal offence; failure to comply with legal obligation; miscarriage of justice; or corruption, dishonest, or serious maladministration.

The act specifies between “minister,” which refers to the minister with responsibility for government information, and “responsible minister,” which is used in relation to a public authority, and refers to the government minister who has ministerial responsibility for the public authority that holds the record.

Under the previous administration, responsibility for the act was vested in the Ministry of Education Science and Technology, under then Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald.

Enactment The previous Ingraham administration passed a FOIA shortly before the 2012 general election, however there was no date for enactment. The incoming Christie administration then overhauled the legislation, and conducted an extensive public consultation process.

However, the bill was only partially enacted ahead of the May 10 general election.

Activists have expressed concern over the stalled pace of the bill, and a collective of 20 civil society organisations issued a statement calling for the government to consider recommendations for revisions but ultimately move ahead with full enactment.

PAGE 6, Monday, October 16, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

Residents of the Mud and Pigeon Peas speak out on immigration ultimatum

‘The oldest trick in the political playbook’

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net AS A war of words erupts between human rights activists and the government about the impact and intent of its new immigration ultimatum, it’s business as usual for residents in one of the country’s oldest and largest shanty town settlements.

The Tribune combed through the streets of the Mud and its sister settlement Pigeon Peas to find out from residents - most of Haitian descent - how Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ declaration has reverberated among those most affected.

Some noted an uptick in the undercurrent of fear and anxiety common to people without legal status in the country, but most expressed disgust and exasperation that the “oldest trick in the Bahamian political handbook” has been pulled so soon after a general election.

People without status, or those awaiting confirmation, were reluctant to share their views on the issue of

RESIDENTS of the Mud and Pigeon Peas – the country’s oldest and largest shanty town settlements.

ALL Photos: Terrel W Carey/Tribune staff

immigration and the treatment of migrants.

However, Bahamians of Haitian descent and long-term work permit holders spoke strongly about concerns that farreaching and complex immigration challenges were not being addressed

in lieu of increased deportation.

Linda Thervill, a Bahamian resident of Pigeon Peas, said: “I know someone who did apply for a work permit and they still ain’t give it, they were born here and applied so they’d be able to work. They told him he has to apply for citizenship instead before he can get the permit but that don’t make no sense. You don’t want them work?

Cycle “It’s a cycle, the process of asking for stuff from Haiti, it takes forever and it’s very costly. So you don’t have any way to work, so how are they going to get the money to apply? They

want to help themselves, they go through the process.

You need money, he only applied for a work permit for year so he could save for the citizenship application.

“And what about the kids who were born here and whose parents were sent back home? They need to do a faster process to help them. Those kids gotta come back on the boat or something. If your parents went back with you when you were eight or nine and now you’re 20-plus you have to try and smuggle yourself back here, and they still don’t want to give them nothing.

“If you were born here and you have all the documents, (Immigration officials) they still gonna send you to Nassau when

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they pick you up in a raid.

So the little bit of money you get to eat and take care of yourself, you have to go pay a ticket to come back (to Abaco).

Ms Thervill, 40, continued: “There’s one woman every time they come through they catch her. Why would you keep sending her to Nassau, three times, she born here, she have all her documents. Her name

should be in the system, if you catch her three times obviously Nassau is letting her go.

“My process didn’t take too long, I was here and did it exactly at 18. A lot of them in the Peas are not straight, once you go past 18 it gets a lot harder. But it’s because of money, or their parents are in Haiti so they have to send for CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE documents, try to find documents, something holding them back, they become 19.

Or if your parents are dead in Haiti, sometimes the documents do come and they say it’s not good enough.

All that is time. I know a lot of people right now in there 30s late 20s and they still don’t have a passport.

You can’t work, a lot of kids born here they want to work but can’t. They can’t get a real job.”

For some, the repeated assurances that applicants who can prove they have started the regularization process will not be impacted by increased enforcement measures, have fallen on deaf ears.

While officials have stressed that the new deadline would affect migrants of all nationalities, shanty town residents yesterday highlighted the coded language made it clear Haitians were the target given historic prejudices as the largest migrant group in the country.

Horrible “November 1, 2014 we will not forget that day,” said Bahamian activist Manishka Desinord, “That was horrible. As long as they do it (this time) with respect, and at the end of the day it’s all about this country. It’s about the protection of this country, we all understand the job has to get done but do it as humanely as possible and according to the laws of the land.

“People think it’s a party thing, it is not a party thing, and people also think only Haitians are migrants. We have so many different nationalities here, the Mexicans, the Nigerians, the Jamaicans, the Filipinos.

How are they going to get these people? They usually target the Haitians because they live in the shanty

towns, they’re easy targets. How about the people working in the bank, the expats, how are you going to know they’re illegal? It’s mind boggling sometimes and it becomes racist. Once they target the Haitians the Bahamians are happy.”

Ms Desinord continued: “Crime is sky high and they’re not doing anything about it, they need to do something with crime first of all and then do something with this immigration issue.

“It has to be done as humanely as possible, do your job, do the round ups, do the pick ups, do the proper paperwork do the proper processing as humanely as possible,” she said.

“People think it’s a party thing, it is not a party thing, and people also think only Haitians are migrants. We have so many different nationalities here, the Mexicans, the Nigerians, the Jamaicans, the Filipinos. How are they going to get these people? They usually target the Haitians because they live in the shanty towns, they’re easy targets.”

Bahamian activist Manishka Desinord For Ms Desinord, and many others, reducing the backlog at the Department of Immigration should preempt a ramped up schedule of mass deportations - which she noted were not supported by Bahamian law.

FROM PAGE ONE feel betrayed members of the Haitian community after pandering for their vote ahead of the general elections.

“We as Haitian,” said Bahamian Anne-Rose Jean, “we don’t have no problem with him (Dr Minnis), because we know that five years coming again. We put him there, remember Dr Minnis, we put you where you are today.

You reach after four months and we are the same people you throw the rock at, but another five years will come again.

“We don’t put you there forever, after five years you will see what’s going on because Haitian is a nation who don’t scared suffering.

“We used to that, we used to suffering, and so we will wait another five years because we sure you coming again.”

Although the deadline will not affect her, Ms Jean, 40, said she took strong exception to Dr Minnis’ statement because it signaled that there would be no real change to the government’s futile,

INSIGHT

MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017 PAGE 7

THE Tribune spoke to residents in the Mud and Pigeon Peas settlements about the government’s immigration ultimatum.

Bahamian Manishka Desinord, an activist of Haitian descent, said: “Respectfully in my opinion I think the department should get rid of all of their backlogs.

Even if they would hire people on contracts, hire a certain about for three or six months, get rid of the people who been waiting for citizenship work permit permanent residency for 10 years, clean house. Get the department organized and then when you’re able to process these people, come strong. Dr Minnis gave them a deadline. He said who’s not regularized go up there and get yourself regularized. The department cannot handle this, because they have too much stuff in there already.

“People been waiting ten to 15 years - get rid of those papers first and then do what you have to do. It could be done but the department cannot handle it at the moment in my opinion. They are still doing paper work, hand work ruler work. We are in a different age, use the computer, put these things in the system. Get the people names in the system when we go to the window to check they don’t have to go swim all through in the back there.”

Bahamian Frankie Fleuridor, an activist and promoter, said: “The situation is that a lot of kids that are born here and have all their documents inside (Department of Immigration) but those people still haven’t received their status or passport. I feel like they should regularize everybody who have their documents in, work on the inside first before they come on the outside. To me when they do this it is just a show, to me every time a government change their agenda is be immigration its easy.

“They struggling. The Bahamian public was outraged that Dominicans was coming here for school and people here still struggling and don’t have no space in the classes. Kids who are born here and don’t have their status yet, they aren’t in school. A child born here can’t go to school, then you trying to bring other kids for them to go to school so I guess that’s what really causing him to say ok if you not regularized you got to go so he making it seem like he’s tough on immigration.”

Mr Fleuridor said: “People feel threat all over.

It’s terrorizing. It’s not law to come in and kick door and break in the houses, they don’t do it like that in

Abaco they normally come like three or four in the morning, but people are scared.”

“The Haitian made the Bahamas what it is today,” said Rose-Ann Jean, who latched on to Dr Minnis’ appeal for empathy from Bahamians towards storm displaced Dominicans. Dr Minnis, and several Cabinet minister, went to great lengths to admonish Bahamians critical of his charity.

Strength Ms Jean, a life-long resident of the Mud, continued: “Haitians, all their strength, they help the country. The PM just reach four months ago and he feel like the Haitian is the problem, the Haitian is not the problem of the Bahamas. It makes me feel like what he see Trump doing, that’s what he’s doing too, he following Trump.”

“While he pushing Haitians,” she said, “he calling the people from Dominica to come to the Bahamas.

He have something to give to them?

“Dr Minnis we ask you to remember when you been here election time, you promised us so much, is this what the promises is? Haitians need to leave before December 31st? And you call the Bahamas a Christian nation?

“He don’t show no heart, no pity,” Ms Jean said, “to say well they are there, there is no work, let them stay there, let me see those who been there long enough let me see if I can give them something. I can see if you just come four years or five years yeah you gotta go but what about those who been there 40 years, 50 years, 60 years? My mom been there 40 years and still with work permit, still paying work permit, what about these people? When they talking about the Mud and the Peas, do they have

somewhere else for us, any low cost houses?”

Ms Jean questioned why there has not been a move to funnel Haitian labourers desperate for opportunity into farming projects given the country’s struggle with food security.

Permit “I thought Dr Minnis could have done it in a better fashion way call those who have been here 10 years and say ok I will give you some type of work permit for one year, I will require $1,000. You will see how much Haitian come in to take it, how much money the country will make.

When you calling about deportation every week

HAITIANS WARN PM OVER EXIT DEADLINE

costly, and inhumane approach to immigration.

The Tribune canvassed the Mud and its adjacent sister settlement Pigeon Peas to get reaction to Dr Minnis’ deadline on Saturday.

Residents stressed that they were not against the enforcement of immigration laws but against unlawful deportations and detention, irregular processing and subsequent backlogs, and a complete lack of political will to provide meaningful solutions.

A frequent suggestion made to The Tribune was for the Department of Immigration to modernize and clear its backlog before setting off on a crusade similar to the one that became an international spectacle and human rights disaster on November 1, 2014.

Other residents questioned how the new deadline would affect the scores of students unable to attend school due to the existing requirements for school permits under the November 2014 policy.

Last month, Ministers of Immigration and Education Brent Symonette and Jeffrey Lloyd suggested that the policy would be relaxed to allow all school-aged children to be registered in compliance with both Bahamian and international law.

However, Education Direct Lionel Sands confirmed to The Tribune on Friday that the department has not yet received the authorization needed from the Cabinet to direct changes.

Sandra, 16, told The Tribune that she plans to stay with friends if her parents get deported along with her two younger siblings.

She will complete her studies next year and hopes to become a business woman after she applies for her citizenship at 18.

However, she said it was heartbreaking watching other children languish in the community because they cannot attend classes.

Stephanie, Sandra’s younger sister, will turn five next month. It

is not expected that she will be able to enter grade 1.

“I don’t feel no type of way (about the deadline), but I feel bad for the kids who aren’t going to school,” Sandra said tearfully.

“I’m graduating next year, I don’t have my passport (but still allowed to go to school). It’s affecting (migrant children) them badly. Some of them don’t know how to count, don’t know their alphabet, don’t know their colours and it’s sad.

“I wanted to be a business woman, have my own business.

My mommy is scared and my dad, I don’t know how he feels about it.

While officials have stressed that the new deadline would affect migrants of all nationalities, shanty town residents yesterday highlighted that the coded language made it clear that Haitians were the target given historic prejudices as the largest migrant group in the country.

deportation that’s bringing the country down that’s money wasting. When you send 100 Haitian Monday, Friday 200 Haitian come because that’s Haitian road, the Bahamas has become Haitian road.

“Adapt, do something that can work, to bring a solution. Abaco don’t have no company what makes food or grow food. everything gotta be exported from the States. All this labour all these people who been here for all these years, make farm do something that is not the solution all these islands. since the Bahamas star closed nothing major happening on the farm. Dr Minnis I thought you were going to do better than that, but I’m very disappointed in you, very.”

Many surmised that the move was a desperate attempt to revive plummeting approval ratings for the Minnis administration, and expressed outrage that the Haitian community was still being scapegoated for the nation’s ills.

Ms Jean continued: “I want this message to go into the government’s ears, the Prime Minster, because he spoke to me at the rally here before the election. (Dr Minnis) He said where you from, I said Farm Road, he said you know me well, I said yeah I know you well.

“That Prime Minister job is not Minnis position, Minnis should have stayed where he was, you’re a doctor stay right there.

“They don’t give no chance to nobody else, the pot only boiling one side some get, some don’t get none, some are dying. Dr Minis catch your sense because you’re dealing with Haitians, remember, that’s a nation that’s not scared of suffering.

“We will have an answer for you in the next five years,” Ms Jean added, “put that to your head and thank you very much.”

PAGE 8, Monday, October 16, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

PAGE 8 MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017

INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

New Immigration policy is nothing but a political snow job

By MALCOLM J. STRACHAN LAST week the country was thrown into a frenzy by another distraction from this Minnis administration; the announcement of an immigration crackdown to take place at the end of this year.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said those persons living in the Bahamas illegally have until December 31 to leave the country before immigration raids commence.

The words barely left his mouth before we began to laugh.

This, like so many other pronouncements of late, is one of the most tired and well-worn distractions used by politicians over the decades to raise the blood of Bahamians.

Nothing will come of it, save for a few weeks of headlines and grandstanding that we have become accustomed to.

To truly fix our immigration problem, the Government could do two things: first by clearing out our bloated backlog of immigration applications and expedite those cases currently in the system. Then they could move into properly securing our borders with new and innovative technologies including oversight of Immigration officers who have gladly turned a blind eye to this problem for decades. These “fixes” aren’t rocket science, and we know the various Immigration Ministers over the years have heard the same advice before, which tells us the issue of corruption is far bigger than we could possibly imagine.

Sadly, when the conversation around illegal immigration in the Bahamas begins, it is often times only focused on one group of persons – Haitian migrants.

Granted, they do make up the largest number of illegal migrants every year for our Immigration Department.

For the past few decades the number of Haitian

“Despite the bluster and bravado displayed by Prime Minister Minnis, we’re not buying that he and the government are going to be as staunch on immigration as he attempted to make us believe last week.”

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis speaks in the House of Assembly last week. migrants that have entered the country has been of stupefying proportions. Some believe the unofficial numbers of Haitian migrants living in The Bahamas has crept into the hundreds of thousands right under our noses, and in most cases, with the help and under the protection of Bahamians who are profiting from this illicit trade.

Timing However, despite the bluster and bravado displayed by Prime Minister Minnis, we’re not buying that he and the government are going to be as staunch on immigration as he attempted to make us believe last week. There’s a few reasons why, but most importantly, the timing is too tight of a window to ensure such a mammoth task can be undertaken in any realistic, or strategic way.

We must also consider this from a diplomatic standpoint, as our bilateral agreement with Haiti dictates our countries share the cost of deportations of any undocumented Haitian citizen. This is surely an operation that should be planned out and not just sprang on the Haitian government. Have they or their diplomatic mission in The Bahamas been advised of these policies prior to what seems as Prime Minister Minnis shooting from the hip?

Undoubtedly, a major concern for the Haitian government would be the fact that many of these individuals who would theoretically be deported would have never lived in, nor even visited Haiti before in their lives. Where will they live, or work? Has a dialogue even begun to this end? And if so, why are we, the Bahamian people, just being made aware?

Further, how is this effort carried out on the ground?

Immigration Minister Symonette, alluded to the possibility of immigration round-ups being undertaken

by January 2, 2018, but again, the questions still remain.

Currently, Bahamians aren’t required to keep identification on their person at all times so unless the government is relying on the expertise of physical anthropologists leading this exercise, we’re afraid that its execution will meet the same fate as previous ones. And we can only imagine the lawsuits that will be forthcoming when Bahamian citizens are mistakenly rounded up and

do well has been the continued exposure of malfeasance under the former administration - at least up until last week.

Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest revealed the government cannot find $42 million of the $150 million borrowed for Hurricane Matthew expenses. We all know how that worked out for him.

While we knew that governance under Minnis’ leadership would be an uphill battle, there is still much left to be desired. They seem as if they have no clue on how to truly affect the issues they exploited as they sailed into government on May 10.

Despite their election victory being largely recognized as a referendum on Perry Christie’s inept leadership, many people in the country had high hopes for Prime Minister Minnis. Needless to say, thus far, it has been disappointing – especially with this latest show of desperation.

As noted, there are many questions on the table for this government.

Where are the plans to truly pull us out of the economic canyon that we’re in? What is the plan to stem crime and make our communities safer? How do they intend to protect our borders and curtail illegal immigration, as opposed to only addressing symptoms of the broader issue?

Where is this Government’s promise to curtail our over-dependency on China and their advances on our sovereignty?

Rumour MINISTER of Finance Peter Turnquest revealed last week that the government cannot find $42 million of the $150 million borrowed for Hurricane Matthew expenses. housed at the Detention Centre in this new exercise.

How much cost, and political capital will this hurt the Government before the entire operation is shelved and another distraction found?

It seems as if the government is not even six months into their term and is already reaching into their bag of tricks to pull out this poorly planned smoke and mirrors exercise to deflect from what has been their ineffectiveness thus far.

The government has not even slightly moved the needle on issues they campaigned on and have the ability to fix. Aside from their management of Hurricane Irma, which mother nature greatly aided in, the only thing they have been able to

We’ve already seen this administration cowardly walk back their pledges on Baha Mar, and now rumour has it the same CCA company they hounded in the lead up to the last general election is poised to get even more work in the Bahamas with the redevelopment of Bay Street.

Surely, this is a job that Bahamian contractors can do! Just like the completion of Baha Mar, Bahamians should be given first preference in their country –that is what the FNM campaigned on and were voted into office on.

Likewise, the public’s outrage over the PLP’s ‘Spy Bill’.

Without an ounce of shame, we see our “new” Attorney General parading this bill before the people as something we should be pleased about when we just voted an entire Government out of office for this very same reason! The disrespect and tone deafness of this administration is astounding.

As we unpack these issues, we should first look at the economy. Our economy has never rebounded from the recession. With many of our hopes hinged to the success of Baha Mar, which has gone through its fair-share of welldocumented drama, we are some ways away from hitting any sort of stride in this regard.

Our economic prospects are hitched to a wagon that has effectively left us depending on the Chinese for survival. Their ownership of hotel inventory in the country and known interests in other facets of our economic offering has left us in an unfavourable bargaining position.

We will remind the public it was Prime Minister Minnis who stood on the campaign trail and linked the Chinese with the PLP and former Prime Minister Perry Christie. He said the Chinese were taking advantage of a “weak Christie” and his soft tone with China was jeopardizing the sovereignty of our nation.

Well, a few short months later, and you look from Christie to Minnis and from Minnis to Christie and you

ELLISON Greenslade has been appointed High Commissioner in London. cannot see a difference in their leadership when it comes to this issue.

Grand Bahama is another area where our Prime Minister expressed a special interest. He pledged his government would lead the charge in reviving the nation’s second city. This, like so many other promises turned out to be nothing more than empty rhetoric.

We are nearly six months in and the people of Grand Bahama have had not even the promise of better days ahead.

Additionally, this Government’s handling of crime is yet another area that has left a sour taste in the mouths of the electorate. Expectations for the Minnis-led government were especially high with Minister of National Security Marvin Dames having such a decorated history on the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Many were looking forward to Dames and former COP Ellison Greenslade putting their past issues aside and working together to eradicate the crime wave.

Unfortunately, instead this became a bizarre game of “where’s Greenslade?” while the murder count continued to rise. Now we see that Greenslade is being jetted off to London as our new High Commissioner while Dames

SEE PAGE NINE

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, October 16, 2017, PAGE 9 INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017 PAGE 9

Transforming the minds of our children

By SERGEANT 3150 NATHALIE RANGER WHEN a child is born, they are born into a world of sin.

Despite their innocence, they immediately become prisoners of their environment and the many influences around them. For some kids, these influences can lead them to a life of progress and success; however, not all kids are blessed with this type of situation. Every day, countless kids are brought into this world amidst broken homes, disrespectful adults, and neighbourhood gangs, all of which play a huge role in negatively influencing these young and very impressionable minds. These unfortunate circumstances tend to mould our youth into very disrespectful, rebellious, and possibly violent individuals.

Is this a definite outcome for youths in these situations, no, however, environments such as these aren’t easy for our youths to deal with, causing

matured mind, we need to focus our efforts on the minds of our children starting at the primary school level; the boys and girls of our country who are lost, and need guidance from positive individuals in an effort to save their future.

Conflicts many of them to fall victim to such a lifestyle.

I believe that it is now time that we citizens and residents of this country reassess our approach to this country’s crime issue; we must now seriously consider addressing our crime issue at the root by taking a more active role in the lives of our nation’s children.

We are all quite aware of the issues that this country E3SPORTS is experiencing as it relates to crime. My solution to this is that we continue to rehabilitate, but instead of only rehabilitating an already

Children find themselves in situations that often lead to escalated conflicts with their peers. Many children act out their emotions in the form of teasing, gossiping, and physical aggression. If left unchecked, these same behavioural patterns will transfer over to the teenage years and some of these kids will pick up a weapon such as a gun because they feel as if that is the only way to solve a conflict. So it is important thatFriday, we September teach the children 30, 2016, PAGE 3 of this country how to deal with conflicts and have ongoing projects and seminars in all

schools and throughout the community.

These kids are crying out for help by being rebellious, turning to gangs and violence,

“By talking with each parent and listening to the issues that they are facing with their child, we will be better equipped to encourage them to be more present in the lives of their children.” and also turning to negative adults for attention.

In conjunction with the Ministry of Education, I propose that we as a country work along with the schools and each community in an effort to point out the troubled kids; not only the ones

who may be bullies and/or known gangsters, but also kids who may seems to possibly be heading in those directions.

Utilizing that we can create a comfortable setting where there will be an opportunity to sit down and have real conversations with these troubled kids. Instead of threatening their actions with harsh consequences like death and imprisonment, we instead take a more passive approach by creating rapport with these youths.

We do this by listening to their stories and understanding what they may be going through, while suggesting an alternative to dealing with their unfortunate circumstances. Although the obvious consequences of death and imprisonment are a harsh reality for a lot of our troubled youths, I believe that it would help if we listen and help to encourage these children as this is what they may be lacking at home.

By talking with each parent and listening to the issues that they are facing with their child, we will be better equipped to encourage them to be more present in the lives of their children.

Suggestions Also provided suggestions to them on how they can help to turn the lives of their kids around for the better.

There is no Government, organization or person that can do this alone.

It takes the effort of all citizens and residents to join hands in the fight against crime in order to save our future which is the children and make the Bahamas a safe place for all.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT THE NATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION OFFICE AT 302-8430, 3028431, 3028154.

Kristin learns the value of education GAIN AN EDGE A NATIONAL DIALOGUE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Life for Kristin Bethel has not been without its challenges. He grew up with no father in the home, and had a lot of built up frustration and unmanaged anger.

Back at Doris Johnson Senior High, his behaviour was less than desirable: cocky, stubborn and disrespectful with a nonchalant attitude to match. But what a difference maturity can make.

Today, you sit with this 21-yearold and he is clearly focused. He credits his turnaround to Apostle King David McPhee, whose family he lived with for 10 months.

“He did in those 10 months what my parents were trying to do in 20 years. He broke me, molded me and the person I am today, evolved over that period,” said the grateful young man, who is back home.

Meanwhile, Kristin knew from his days in school that he wanted to work in the information technology (IT) field. However, he admitted that what he learned there does not compare with his experience as an IT Management

student at the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI).

“At BTVI, you have to think on your feet and think quickly. Trouble shooting is major along with analyzing. There is a lot of trial NATIONALAn DIALOGUE ON HIGHER EDUCATION and Aerror. instructor would say, ‘This is the code’ and we are challenged to experiment,” he said.

Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, Leroy Sumner said technical vocational education and training (TVET) builds on students’ secondary school experience.

GAIN AN EDGE

Learning “What they receive at the secondary level is rudimentary. Here, at the tertiary level, our students are exposed to the reading of machines, literally pitching a roof or even making repairs to vehicles that were in accidents. It is not rote learning. It is applied. It is about what you can do, applying the knowledge,” said Mr. Sumner.

“Here, it is more problem solving. Critical thinking is required.

Here, you are responsible for your own learning. You manage your own destiny,” he underscored.

FROM PAGE EIGHT is left here in Nassau to carry on with a police force that appears incapable of getting our crime problem under control.

Most certainly, the government may try to lean on its reintroduction of the Interception of Communications Bill, as a necessary evil to fight this crime. However, widespread scepticism remains over the purpose of this bill and the lack of controls therein which leaves it open to rank abuse by politicians.

Be mindful this is the same government, previously in opposition, that took the PLP administration to task for trying to pass their version of what they called the “spy bill” during election season.

Oddly, a very similar bill that was vehemently railed against by members of the FNM was tabled in the House of Assembly just weeks ago.

Attorney General Carl Bethel has since tried to clean up this fumbling on the government’s part, but still is missing the mark.

Citizens of this country are not comfortable with any political powers having the ability to snoop into their private affairs.

Whether or not they are being suspected of committing “serious offences”, or if the

BTVI Information Technology Management student Kristin Bethel.

Kristin has proven this to be true.

“There’s no ‘Take the notes off the board.’ I have to realize what the instructor is saying is new information that is valuable and take the initiative to write it down,” said Kristin, who often uses his mother’s laptop to programme.

“Paying for myself made me more responsible. It made me appreciate what my parents were trying to do from high school, but

NEW IMMIGRATION POLICY IS NOTHING BUT A POLITICAL SNOW JOB National Security Minister no longer has the power to wiretap their phones is of little consequence to an electorate that have their own suspicions of the government after this bill has resurfaced.

Surely a Government that campaigned on transparency and accountability should have come forward with a Freedom of Information Act first before introducing a Spy Bill. But, to the victor goes the spoils, and public support we imagine, is not as important any longer to the FNM. But this Government will learn, as the PLP did, that five years is a short, short time.

No one may have more to lose with regards to political capital than the prime minister himself. He represented change. He promised change. He said it was our time – the people’s time. Prime Minister Minnis and his government need to put an end to the pandering and begin the people’s work. His legacy, though in its infancy stages, depends greatly on the results his government can produce.

The clock is ticking.

there’s no space to feel sorry for myself. I won’t beat myself up over the past. I now see the value in an education,” stated the 21-year-old.

Additionally, Kristin is presently a work study student in BTVI’s Technical Services department; it helps him pay for school and gain further experience.

He has also had the opportunity to work as an IT assistant at Baha Mar for six months in 2015 – an experience that took his interest to another level.

Ignited “From setting up intermediate data frames to fibre patching and running uplinks, configuring switches etc., it was gas on the fire for me. It ignited. I loved it,” he exclaimed.

After being made redundant at Baha Mar, Kristin faced the unemployment line again. Although he had work experience, he quickly

realized the importance of having qualifications as well.

According to a 2015 Pennsylvania Department of Education report, while entering the workforce immediately after high school remains a viable option for many (TVET) students, data suggests their lifetime earning potential increases if they were to obtain post-secondary education and training. I n fact, the Center for Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University also projects that nearly two thirds of jobs created in the United States by the year 2018 will require some form of post-secondary education.

Kristin said he now sees the value of not only post-secondary education, but high school as a gateway to a smoother transition.

“My transition wasn’t easy, but I now value education and see my degree opening doors in the future,” he said.

“Gain An Edge” is a biweekly collaboration of the Lyford Cay Foundations, the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute and The University of The Bahamas aimed at promoting a national dialogue on higher education.

PAGE 10, Monday, October 16, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

PAGE 10 MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017

INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

Rise up against this licence to spy

By FREDERICK R. SMITH, QC

WHEN the PLP was obliged to back down from an earlier version of the ‘Spy Bill,’ it was a huge victory for civil society and an important boost for fundamental human rights in The Bahamas.

Unfortunately, the recent decision by the FNM to reintroduce this dangerous legislation – or rather, a more extreme and far-reaching version – is an equally staggering blow.

It would seem we have been knocked back to square one in the fight to protect a citizen’s right to privacy in The Bahamas.

What does it say about this new government, which promised to balance power with accountability, that the public still have no Freedom of Information Act with which to monitor their behavior in office, yet our leaders are equipping themselves to invade every aspect of our private lives with impunity?

Can it be a mere four months after coming to office the FNM is already bereft of ideas and feels forced to rely on the same tired, tattered playbook as their predecessors?

GRASPING AT STRAWS The government contends the Bill is needed in the fight against crime, yet it is difficult to see how it can be of any material benefit in this regard.

Violence, in particular gun violence, is by far the most significant factor in our crime dilemma. Until the roots of this phenomenon – the drug trade and a gangland culture created by poverty and social degeneration – are tackled, little will change regardless of how many suspects are arrested or what new assets, Spy Bill included, are brought to bear.

At best, the Minnis administration may be seeking to merely create the impression of action in the short term, with regard to what they know is actually a long-term problem.

At worst, they are simply grasping at straws, at their wit’s end when it comes to crime. Neither, quite frankly, is acceptable.

Meanwhile, they are proposing to pass a Bill goes far beyond violent crime, allowing them to tap your phone, read your emails, break into your home and install secret cameras in connection with a list of suspected activities so long, vague and varied as to be virtually limitless.

A LICENSE TO SPY ‘Sedition’ is a particularly dangerous category for surveillance under the Bill.

A terrifying throwback to less democratic times, this obsolete charge was designed specifically to shield unjust rulers from criticism. It is also at odds with the right to freedom of expression as enshrined in the Bahamas Constitution.

Under this Bill, it is conceivable, and indeed highly likely, that in the short term some Bahamians will be spied on for making critical comments about the authorities. This means everyone from journalists to activists to political

“We must use our newfound power to unite against this frightening Spy Bill and force the government to revoke it. We must convince them to pass a Freedom of Information Act, as promised, immediately.” opponents will be in the crosshairs.

Over time, it will inevitably become standard practice to secretly watch and gather embarrassing information about political rivals and critics of the regime, to be used against them later.

This pattern has asserted itself repeatedly throughout history in countries where systems of domestic surveillance were

TOP: Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ administration has reintroduced the ‘Spy Bill’ legislation.

ABOVE: Former Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald.

originally justified as being in the public interest.

Giving any government such a licence to spy on its citizens inevitably leads to abuse of the system in the interest of retaining power, thereby challenging the very foundations of democracy.

WORSE THAN THE PLP BILL All this could be said of the Bill brought by the PLP just before the May 1 election. This new version goes much further.

For example, under the old Bill, all interception of communications had to be sanctioned by a warrant from a Supreme Court judge. In this version, however, a “designated person” – the Cabinet Minister overseeing the Spy Program or someone they appoint – may order the intercept your personal data on their own, without judicial oversight.

Even worse, the criteria for spying need only be the designated person deems it to be in the interest of “public order,” “public morality,” or “public health” – terms so vague they could easily be made to cover virtually any behaviour deemed offensive by authorities. Nor are these terms defined anywhere in the law.

Essentially, under the FNM’s Bill, a Cabinet Minister or his representative could spy on anyone they wish, at any time, and for as long as they see fit, with no judicial oversight to keep them in check.

The potential for abuse here is immense.

Especially because this designated person will be able to operate under the cloak of darkness, having to report to no-one about their activities.

Meanwhile, the Bill would make it a crime for anyone involved to disclose the existence of such a spy campaign, even if only to report a misuse of the system.

The FNM would create an untouchable Spy Boss – a KGB style secret police chief that is a law and power unto himself or herself.

RULED BY FEAR It is said whenever a government fears the people, there is liberty, and whenever the people fear the government, the result is tyranny.

Unbridled surveillance of the population breeds a frightened public, and the road from government spying to a society ruled by fear is a short one.

Totalitarian regimes have long understood what keeps a citizen in check is not so much the fear his true crimes will be revealed through surveillance, but rather false accusations can be constructed from the stolen pieces of even a blameless life.

The selective use of information can justify virtually anything and citizens quickly learn to be silent about their government’s shortcomings to avoid being targeted in this way.

Ironically, many governments seek to spy on the public, not so much to uncover the transgressions of citizens, but rather to avoid being criticized for their own.

Such a scenario may seem far-fetched and alien to our experience in The Bahamas, but consider what the environmental group Save The Bays was subjected to by Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald last year.

Members suffered a wholesale rape of their privacy at the hands of a hostile government. A fake conspiracy narrative was then created through the selective disclosure of harmless emails, in order to threaten activists with prosecution.

It was a textbook example of what victimization looks like in a mass surveillance society where fear is used to silence critics.

Just imagine the potential for this kind of abuse and intimidation when such invasions of privacy are actually sanctioned by the law.

THREAT TO A WEAK OPPOSITION If this Bill is allowed to pass, activists will certainly

suffer. Journalists will definitely be targeted, as will their confidential sources.

It will only be a matter of time. Without question, however, the principal victims will always be those who happen to be vying with the government of the day for political power at any given time.

In the run up to each future election, the private information of opposition candidates will be mined for every embarrassing little secret, every sensitive family matter or personal tragedy. These will be broadcast anonymously on social media for all the world to see, in an effort to shame or humiliate the candidate in the eyes of the public, or worse – falsely accuse them of wrongdoing.

In this regard, the FNM would do well to consider the other side of this coin, as they cannot remain in office forever. At the moment though, the opposition happens to be a very weak Progressive Liberal Party and they are very much in the crosshairs of this Bill.

A tiny opposition, facing a government that came to power in a huge landslide victory and which is now equipping itself with formidable new powers capable of neutralizing all opponents – the danger to our democracy should be clear for all to see.

CIVIL SOCIETY MUST UNITE The Chinese say that every crisis is also an opportunity.

The enormous challenge to our fundamental rights represented by the Spy Bill comes at a time when civil society in The Bahamas is stronger than ever before.

place them at an unfair disadvantage politically.

Even for those of us who disagree with them politically, it is of crucial importance we defend the right to privacy of every single PLP and vocally

“In the run up to each future election, the private information of opposition candidates will be mined for every embarrassing little secret, every sensitive family matter or personal tragedy. These will be broadcast anonymously on social media for all the world to see, in an effort to shame or humiliate the candidate in the eyes of the public, or worse – falsely accuse them of wrongdoing.” oppose every effort to victimize them through the abuse of their personal information.

What is at stake is nothing less that the integrity of our democracy.

So, if you are a person who cares about fundamental human rights, if you believe privacy is important, if you care about the Constitution of The Bahamas, if you care about the preservation of democracy, I urge you to join us in opposing this Bill. I urge the PLP to join this fight as well, if for no

THE ‘WE MARCH’ PROTEST EARLIER THIS YEAR: ‘A significant factor in the downfall of the Christie administration.’

Under the last PLP government, activists of all stripes joined together to fight for freedom, transparency, accountability and other public interest goals.

Culminating in the powerful symbol of thousands of Bahamians occupying Bay Street in the ‘We March’ protest, this effort was a significant factor in the downfall of the Christie administration.

Civil society is now a force to be reckoned with in The Bahamas.

We must use our newfound power to unite against this frightening Spy Bill and force the government to revoke it. We must convince them to pass a Freedom of Information Act, as promised, immediately.

Above all, we must protect the opposition from any and all attempts to

other reason than in the name of self-interest.

Together, we can demonstrate the power of citizen action is something that can traverse political regimes.

Let us show the powers that be that civil society is here to stay and we will no tolerate any encroachment on the social principles which safeguard our liberty and democracy. * Last Friday, the government announced certain changes to the Spy Bill are afoot. I will continue to discuss the document in its present form unless and until these changes become reality. We have heard such promises before. Nor would the foreshadowed amendments be sufficient to make this Bill palatable from a human rights perspective. - FS

THE TRIBUNE

GREENSLADE ASSURED HIS FULL PENSION FROM PAGE ONE

and formalize what occurred in the 1980s where Richard Demeritte, the auditor general at the time, was permitted to complete his pensionable time while serving as High Commissioner to the Court of St James (United Kingdom). That practice allowed him to complete his pensionable years in that capacity.”

Under current law, Mr Greenslade would not be entitled to maximum benefits, a fact former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham suggested in The Nassau Guardian several weeks ago was a point of dispute between him and the Minnis administration even after he had agreed to step down as Commissioner.

“The commissioner of police is not now entitled to the maximum pension which a commissioner of police who served for 10 years would receive, as he will not be in office for 10 years for another three years,” Mr Ingraham told National Review.

“Secondly, he does not yet have 40 years of service as a policeman, which would also have given him the maximum pension which he would get as ten years of service as commissioner. And I understand that he is quite willing to step down, if the government honours what they promised him, which was that he will receive his full benefits as a commissioner of police as a retirement benefit, and that hasn’t happened yet. I think the law needs to be amended for it to happen. Under current law, he is not entitled to it.

He would be foolish––and I use that word advisedly––to retire without receiving his maximum benefit.”

Retirement The Pensions Act says powerful appointees like the Commissioner of Police who have served in the public service for a minimum of 40 years or in the public service for a minimum of 25 years and at least 10 years in a Permanent Secretarylike position are, upon retirement, entitled to a “pension at a rate of one seven hundred and twentieth of that person’s pensionable emoluments in respect of each completed month of pensionable service as if that person had served for a period of 40 years, save that the pension payable to that person pursuant to this subsection shall not exceed two thirds of the highest pensionable emoluments paid to that person during his period of service in the public service.”

Last week, the Minnis Administration announced that Mr Greenslade has been appointed High Commissioner of the Bahamas to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and as Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization.

He was referred to in the press release as “former commissioner” although the government had not previously announced his resignation.

Some in the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the Free National Movement (FNM) have privately expressed concern about the handling of his departure. It has not yet been accompanied with the pomp and pageantry typical for departing commissioners and, some senior PLPs contend, the Minnis Administration hasn’t duly explained why it wants Mr Greenslade removed. The PLP has not been characteristically vocal about Mr Greenslade’s treatment, however, because sources in the party say the former commissioner has asked its representatives not to do so.

Mr Greenslade’s appointment to the High Commissioner’s post came after months of speculation and concerns about the effect questions on his future had on the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF).

Monday, October 16, 2017, PAGE 11

SON: SEARCH FOR MISSING US COUPLE IS STILL ALIVE

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE a nightmarish past two and a half weeks, Brandon Simmons said the search for his mother and her husband – Forrest and Donna Sanco – is still alive as he encouraged fishermen and boaters at sea to keep an eye out for anything that could lead to the safe return of the American couple.

It’s been 20 days now since the Sancos were last heard from and Mr Simmons told The Tribune on Friday the entire ordeal has been “surreal like a bad dream”.

Donna – a nurse by profession is originally from Tahlequah, Oklahoma. She recently relocated to Fort Worth, Texas where Forrest, an aeronautical engineer military contractor, lives.

Aviation He was also described as “very intelligent” when it comes to aviation, heightening relatives beliefs they are still alive and could be stranded on a Bahamian cay.

“We are trying to stay hopeful so any information that we get is helpful,” Mr Simmons said in an interview. He and his wife Erin flew into New Providence on Thursday to be closer to where the search for the couple continues.

He also said: “We understand that everyone is stretched thin with all the hurricane relief, but any local fisherman that’s out that way just kinda keep a look out.

“Any little help is valuable for us”.

The pair lost contact and haven’t been heard from since September 26.

On that day Mr Sanco officially closed his flight plan at 4.58pm on September 26, signalling to air traffic controllers that he was nearing his destination.

However, according to his family members and caretakers in Rum Cay, the pair never arrived.

On Friday it was reported that the hopes of finding the Sancos appeared to be dashed after an aircraft wheel was recovered in the sea off Eleuthera.

And a pilot who has been engaged in the search for the couple told The Tribune he was “99 per cent” certain the wheel is off the Cessna aircraft they were flying when the couple vanished nearly three weeks ago.

Last night, close friend of the couple Andrew Wilkinson revealed he had been in contact with a mechanic in Texas who had done some work on Forrest Sanco’s plane before it took off for

“We are trying to stay hopeful so any information that we get is helpful.”

MISSING US couple Forrest and Donna Sanco.

Brandon Simmons the Bahamas.

Significantly the mechanic, Kevin Logue said he had put air in the plane’s tyres and that he remembered one tyre had a yellow cap on its air valve.

The wheel recovered from the ocean off Eleuthera had a yellow cap, said Mr Wilkinson.

“The caps on the valve are black, one was yellow.

This combined with the fact it’s a 6.00-6 model... it has to be his. So sadly this is confirmation,” he added.

On Thursday Royal Bahamas Defence Force press liaison Desi Corneile told The Tribune the police force had the lead on the investigation because the couple were last seen on land. However, she noted that all active RBDF planes and vessels have been put on alert concerning the missing couple.

CLOSE friend of the couple Andrew Wilkinson said a mechanic in Texas, who had done some work on Forrest Sanco’s plane before it took off for the Bahamas, told him he remembered one tyre had a yellow cap on its air valve - similar to the wheel that was found last week (above).

US TARGETS SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

FROM PAGE ONE

information sharing agreements.” Homeland Security has further stated this collection of data will continue with all immigrant groups and monitoring will stop once a person becomes a citizen.

For those looking to apply, are in process of applying, or currently have immigrant status, the DHS statement read, you should be mindful of what you put out on the world wide web.

US monitoring in the Bahamas became a contentious issue in 2014 when a leaked cache of documents revealed the American government was monitoring mobile phone calls in the Bahamas.

The revelations emerged in an article posted on website Firstlook.org., gleaned from a series of documents leaked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

According to the leaked documents, the NSA was using a system called

SOMALGET to collect and store cell phone data, and had been “secretly intercepting, recording and archiving” the audio of every cell phone conversation in the Bahamas and storing these calls for up to 30 days.

Firstlook.org also posted claims that the NSA used a programme called MYSTIC to carry out phone snooping.

The codename used for the Bahamas in the documents is Basecoat.

Those documents further claimed the majority of the

phone calls were monitored and intercepted shortly before the 2012 general election, during the Ingraham administration’s term in office.

In the wake of those claims, former National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest denied giving any consent to the NSA to record cell phone conversations in the Bahamas and the FNM party has maintained that it knew nothing of the reported NSA spying.

Nearly a year later, then-Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell told parliamentarians that America had agreed to use the “lawful” authority to obtain surveillance information from this country.

It was reportedly agreed information gathering would only be used for interdiction purposes.

This included information that helps in the clampdown of illegal activity.

PAGE 12, Monday, October 16, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

50 GALLONS OF FUEL DUMPED AFTER BARGE RUNS AGROUND IN LONG ISLAND

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

LONG Island MP Adrian Gibson posted these pictures of the grounded barge on his Facebook page.

ABOUT 50 gallons of fuel has been dumped in waters near central Long Island following the grounding of a barge carrying hurricane relief supplies to several other Caribbean islands.

Long Island MP Adrian Gibson, in a series of updates on his official Facebook page, said the barge was discovered on Saturday after running aground along the coastline of Grays, Long Island. He said the barge was en route to Anguilla from Trinidad when it broke away from the tug transporting it.

At the time of its discovery, Mr Gibson said the barge appeared to be carrying approximately 7,000 gallons of fuel, along with relief supplies, heavy machinery, cell phone towers, utility poles, bucket trucks, and a crane. The items were purportedly earmarked for St Vincent and the Grenadines, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands, Mr Gibson said.

Meanwhile, Mr Gibson said the barge’s owner has been contacted by the government and/or the relevant authorities, and that his representative is expected to arrive in Long Island by today.

Nonetheless, Mr Gibson said a plan has been agreed by the barge’s owner to deballast the vessel or remove cargo to lighten it up and have a tug move it from its current location to the Clarence Town dock.”

“This is currently ongoing,” Mr Gibson said.

Regarding the cargo on board the barge, Mr Gibson said Customs officials along with members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) stationed on the island are keeping a “close watch” on the items. Mr Gibson also said he has contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that a representative of that ministry is now in charge of the matter.

A Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) plane has since landed in Long Island with personnel from Baychem Spill Technologies Ltd, an oil/fuel leakage response firm retained by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and Anthony Ryan, a public analyst at the Department of Environmental Health.

However, an assessment conducted by the relevant authorities determined the barge posed “no

immediate environmental concern.”

“Three representatives from the oil spill response company Baychem, are onboard the vessel and have begun sealing open containers (containing diesel); putting tilted and overturned upright; and cleaning up fuel spilled on the deck of the barge using an absorbent and chemicals to absorb the product,” Mr Gibson said in a post.

“They are satisfied that, given their efforts, the resealing of containers and the railing on the barge, the fuel can be contained on the vessel.”

Mr Gibson went on to say no fuel was found in the barge’s hull.

Nonetheless, he said a few hundred feet of containment booms have been flown to Long Island for placement in the water as needed. He also said the team from Baychem will remain on the ground.

ROBERTS ACCUSES SANDS OF ETHICS CODE BREACH FROM PAGE ONE

of ethics and procedures for its ministers as the Health Minister would have placed himself in a fundamental conflict between his private business interests and his public duty. Certainly the Health Minister as regulator cannot self-regulate; it is called self-dealing, an unacceptable and corrupt practice that Dr Minnis vowed to stamp out of government.”

In fact, Dr Sands has not been performing surgical procedures at PMH since he became a minister. He has been performing vascular access surgery at the Rand Memorial Hospital for patients awaiting emergency dialysis treatment.

For one day per month he has performed the procedure free of charge.

The consequences of not performing the procedures are fatal, he said, and the volume of work threatens to overwhelm the two physicians involved if they aren’t helped.

Dr Sands said Dr Minnis and his cabinet colleagues gave him permission to do the work and he has received written authorization from the PHA to do the work as well.

The Tribune saw a letter yesterday from the PHA confirming he has been authorized to maintain “unpaid admitting privileges to assist in the care of patients requiring cardiovascular care,” as stated in his resignation letter.

“Roberts needs to understand not everyone is as mercenary as he is,” Dr Sands said yesterday. “He doesn’t understand that someone might do this and not want something in return.”

During his contribution to the budget debate in June, Dr Sands disclosed he would provide medical help where voids exist in the public health system.

“I understand the concerns of patients, colleagues, students and staff as I leave the practice of medicine,” he said.

“I have trained several competent surgeons to replace me. Where there is a void, we will recruit it to fill that space until one of our own is ready to step into that spot. To fill the void, for a brief period I will provide emergency and back-up coverage.”

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, October 16, 2017, PAGE 13

BPL TO DISCONNECT STAFF WITH OVERDUE ACCOUNTS ‘IMMEDIATELY’

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter Sdorsett@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Power and Light advised its staff Friday that the corporation will begin disconnecting employees with overdue accounts “immediately”.

In a memo obtained by The Tribune, BPL said “it is intensifying its disconnection exercises” in an effort to “build to better” the company.

It is unclear how many BPL employees currently have

overdue accounts or how much money is owed the corporation.

“Effective immediately, we will be disconnecting the electricity supply on all employee accounts with substantial arrears,” the memo said.

Measures “Therefore, employees are strongly encouraged to take the necessary measures to bring their account balances to a current status in order to avoid the

interruption of their electricity supply.”

The memo comes two months after The Tribune revealed that BPL gave politicians and government officials who were on the special “do not disconnect” list seven days to pay their “outrageous” bills or be shut off.

BPL is owed “hundreds of thousands of dollars” by persons on this list, several of whom are said to be “active politicians,” The Tribune was told. Government House also owes BPL a hefty sum.

The hardline directive came from Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, who was consulted by Minister of Works Desmond Bannister about the practice the latter found in place by the Christie administration, which allowed elite members of society to rack up electricity bills as high as $50,000 and not be disconnected.

The news also comes months after consumers saw significant increases in the BPL bills because of “faulty machinery,”

In September, Central Bank of The Bahamas’ monthly report that revealed that BPL’s fuel charge increased by 8.3 per cent to 13.7 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) on a monthly basis, and by 49.7 per cent when compared to May 2016.

In a statement, BPL explained that an increase in bills for the month of May was also caused by its reliance on engines at the Blue Hills Plant, which uses more expensive fuel than the Clifton Power Station.

KATELYN CAMBRIDGE RECEIVES ROMALIA’S TOWNHOUSE’S FIRST

LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

HIGH SCHOOLER Katelyn Cambridge is the recipient of Romalia’s Townhouse’s first annual Legacy Scholarship.

Katelyn, a 11th grader at Harbour Island All Age School, was also presented with a new Dell laptop and backpack with school supplies.

The 15-year-old wants to become an Oceanographer/Marine Biologist, and is also a distinguished sailor.

She was selected to represent her school in a Grand Bahama sailing competition, and her mother Alexis Ross Cambridge accepted the award on her behalf.

Educator The Romalia’s Townhouse first annual Legacy Scholarship was given in memory of Romalia Bethel Albury, after whom the townhouse vacation rental is named. Mrs Albury became an educator at 14 years old and taught in both the public and Catholic schools in Harbour Island.

In her late 80’s she retired from teaching at St. Thomas More Primary Catholic school in Nassau. Her love for family and Bahamian youth extended beyond academics in the

classroom as she taught piano lessons at her home.

Her strong commitment of faith kept her family together.

Romalia’s Townhouse also donated backpacks filled with basic learning tools to the entire 11th grade at the all-age school.

Romalia’s grandaughter Lorette Nixon-Soudatt told the students that it is never too early to begin planning their future.

They were encouraged to take every year of school seriously, remain committed and complete their studies as it would bode well for them when they join the workforce.

She also said that as the next generation of Harbour Island leaders, through volunteering they will create a culture of generosity and civic responsibility.

They were challenged to pay it forward now by giving back 5 or 10 cents from their lunch monies to purchase schoolbags for the younger students, using their experiences in school to guide the younger students and volunteering in School and within their communities.

Romalia’s Townhouse will match the funds raised by the grade 11 students to help purchase school bags for the younger students next year and hope to increase the distribution of bags to the school over the next few years.

KATELYN’S mother with the Romalia’s Townhouse team.

ROMALIA’S Townhouse also donated backpacks to the entire 11th grade at the all-age school.

PAGE 14, Monday, October 16, 2017

ELECTION TALLY SHOWS AUSTRIA TURNING RIGHT AUSTRIA’S Interior Ministry says nearly completed final returns show the center-right party headed by Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz won the national election, putting the 31-year old on track to become Europe’s youngest leader.

Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said Kurz’s People’s Party received 31.4 percent of Sunday’s vote, a gain of more than 7 percentage points from the 2013 election. Kurz described the jump in support as the biggest in party history.

The right-wing Freedom Party came in second, with 27.4 percent of the vote. The centerleft Social Democratic Party of Austria, which now governs in coalition with People’s Party, got 26.7 percent.

The results put Austria on track for a rightward turn. Both the People’s and Freedom Parties campaigned on introducing tough measures to curb immigration and to pressure foreigners already in the country to integrate.

The two parties will likely form the next government coalition.

More than 800,000 absentee ballots and ballots cast by voters outside of their home districts still have to be counted.

CALIFORNIA FIREFIGHTERS SAY THEY HAVE FINALLY ‘TURNED A CORNER’ SANTA ROSA, Calif.

(AP) — With the winds dying down, fire officials said Sunday they have apparently “turned a corner” against the wildfires that have devastated California wine country and other parts of the state over the past week, and thousands of people got the all-clear to return home.

While the danger from the deadliest, most destructive cluster of blazes in California history was far from over, the smoky skies started to clear in some places.

“A week ago this started as a nightmare, and the day we dreamed of has arrived,” Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos said.

People were being allowed to go back home in areas no longer in harm’s way, and the number of those under evacuation orders was down to 75,000 from nearly 100,000 the day before.

Fire crews were able to gain ground because the winds that had fanned the flames did not kick up overnight as much as feared.

“Conditions have drastically changed from just 24 hours ago, and that is definitely a very good sign,” said Daniel Berlant, spokesman for California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, who noted that some of the fires were 50 percent or more contained.

“It’s probably a sign we’ve turned a corner on these fires.”

THE TRIBUNE

TAIPEI PROBES CHINESE EFFORTS TO DISRUPT SOCIETY BY ALLEGEDLY FUNDING CRIMINAL GANGS

By EDWARD WHITE IN TAIPEI for the Financial Times

CHANG AN-LE is accustomed to being on the wrong side of the law. The former gangster, known as the White Wolf, spent 17 years as a fugitive from Taiwanese justice in mainland China and a decade behind bars in the US on drug-trafficking charges.

Now Mr Chang, back in Taiwan since 2013, runs the Chinese Unity Promotion party that backs unification between communist China and democratic Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade province.

Clashes Pro-China organisations are in the spotlight as the island’s authorities investigate alleged Chinese efforts to destabilise Taiwan by funding triad gangs, a move that follows a series of clashes between CUP supporters and pro-independence protesters.

The tension comes amid a broader squeeze on Taiwan by Beijing since the election victory last year of President Tsai Ing-wen and her Democratic Progressive party, which wants the island to remain democratic and free.

Mr Chang is quick to defend his supporters, whose most recent alleged

Bamboo Union, a criminal gang that Taiwan officials believe has 3,000-4,000 members and which last month was accused by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte of being behind his country’s drugs crisis.

But delineating politics, business and the underworld in Taiwan and across the strait to China is not easy. The CIB concedes it will be “difficult to clarify the grey areas”.

TAIWAN President Tsai Ing-wen.

Economy

violence was against student protesters calling for independence at a crossstrait music festival late last month.

“Chinese people say: if you don’t bother me I won’t bother you,” the 70-yearold told the London-based Financial Times from his office in central Taipei.

“But if you bother me, I will bother you back.”

The Criminal Investigation Bureau’s probe into the links between political parties and organised crime will trace the parties’ sources of funding — potentially revealing whether China has funnelled money via illicit channels to fund fledgling pro-unification groups in Taiwan. The CIB has not named the people or organisations it is probing.

Mr Chang says he is no longer a leader of the

Triads notorious for drugs, weapons, gambling and prostitution have for years been shifting to the legitimate economy. Taiwan’s two main political parties — the DPP and the Nationalist party, or Kuomintang — have historically had ties to triad groups, including the Bamboo Union.

“In politics it used to be the gang leaders themselves who ran for public office, but now they support a family or relative who is not in the gang to represent them,” said Ko-Lin Chin, an expert in Asian cross-border crime at Rutgers University, adding that there are still “many gangsters” from Taiwan living in China.

In his office adorned with traditional swords and proBeijing slogans, Mr Chang agrees that his goal of

unifying Taiwan with China is in line with policy in Beijing but he denies following orders from Chinese officials or receiving funding for the CUP from Communist party-controlled groups.

“In politics it used to be the gang leaders themselves who ran for public office, but now they support a family or relative who is not in the gang to represent them.”

Ko-Lin Chin, an expert in Asian cross-border crime at Rutgers University However, he confirms that he travels back to China most months and has frequent dealings with Chinese officials, mostly in Shenzhen, where he lived from 1996 to 2013 while on the run from Taiwan police.

“We have contact, yes,” he said. “Sometimes we talk about policy.”

His supporters have at times received small financial “benefits”, such as discounted travel, from Chinese officials because they are seen as loyal to Beijing, he says.

Taiwanese nationals with businesses in China donate to his party to help their relationships there, he adds.

Mr Chang says Chinese officials have tried to direct his activities in Taiwan only once, when they asked him not to use a Chinese flag in his rallies, a move they thought would be too provocative.

And he insists his interactions with Chinese officials are no different from those of other Taiwanese businesspeople.

Hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese live and do business in China. Outside of directly funding people or groups, Communist party officials may have rewarded businesses that support pro-unification groups, according to Lennon Yaochung Chang, criminology lecturer at Australia’s Monash University.

“But you can’t really know whether this kind of thing has any link to what Chang An-le’s party is doing in Taiwan,” he said.

Mr Chang is aware that people find it hard to take him at his word about his connections to the Bamboo Union and China.

“I tell you the truth. I don’t care whatever you want to write,” he said. “I spent 10 years in prison.

People say I’m a drug dealer.

“I don’t care. I know if I deal drugs or not.”

LAS VEGAS TOURISM SEES CHANGES IN AFTERMATH OF SHOOTING

By REGINA GARCIA CANO, Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas’ tourism sector is bracing for changes in the aftermath of the massacre that killed 58 people at an outdoor music festival.

Analysts who closely track the finances of the city’s casino companies say Las Vegas will see a short-term dip in visitors in response to the shooting.

Casinos and police may have to impose new security measures after gunman Stephen Paddock brought more than 20 rifles into his hotel room and drove a car filled with explosives into the parking garage.

The “What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas” slogan has been put on hold, as has one unveiled in the weeks before the shooting by the owner of Mandalay Bay that said, “We are not in the hotel business ... we are in the holy s--- business.”

Billboards Electronic billboards that typically promote restaurants, concerts, a topless pool and other entertainment are now showing a dedicated phone line for victims and their families, along with words of appreciation for first responders and casino employees.

“We’ve been there for you during the good times. Thank you for being there for us now,” reads a black-and-white billboard message with the city skyline and “#VegasStrong.”

It’s hard to quantify the effect the shooting will have on Las Vegas tourism. Airplanes still carry loads of tourists to the desert oasis, convention-goers fill large halls to discuss the latest industry trends, and slot machines ring in the casinos.

But stock prices of the main Las Vegas casino companies all took a minor tumble after the shooting, in an indication the attack will have some effect on the industry. Analysts with investment bank Morgan

PEOPLE wait to go through security at the T-Mobile arena before an NHL hockey game in Las Vegas on Friday. The Las Vegas tourism sector is bracing for changes in the aftermath of the massacre that killed 58 people at an outdoor music festival. (AP Photo/John Locher) Stanley forecast the shooting will metal detectors to check bags. decrease demand for the Las Vegas Guards asked some visitors to pop market for about six months and their trunks. have a 4 percent to 6 percent ecoBut those measures have since nomic effect. been scaled back. A tour of several The analysts looked into the major resorts found no apparent effect of terrorist attacks on “rev- new security measures other than enue per available room,” a key guards checking room keys at Mangauge of a lodging company’s per- dalay Bay. formance, across different markets to measure the shooting’s potential impact. The report said not all markets are alike, but the effects on tourism of events such as the Mandalay Bay’s parent comOrlando, Florida, nightclub attack pany, MGM Resorts International, have gradually become less proowns more than a dozen properties, nounced and shorter. including casinos, convention space On Oct. 1, Paddock, a 64-yearold professional video poker and arenas on the Las Vegas Strip. player, shattered windows of his Spokeswoman Debra DeShong hotel suite on the 32nd floor of said in a statement the company the Mandalay Bay hotel casino has elevated its level of security, but and unleashed withering gunfire she declined to provide details.

Las Vegas hotel operators must at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival below before killing make their guests feel valued and himself. His vehicle was found at comfortable in the aftermath of the hotel’s massive parking garage the shooting, said Michael McCall, with a potentially deadly cargo of Michigan State University professor 1,600 rounds of ammunition and 90 of hospitality business. He suggested resorts offer room upgrades pounds of chemical explosives.

In the days after the shooting, or discounted tickets to customers visitors found marked police SUVs as tokens of appreciation.

But he said many casinos and parked outside their hotels along the Strip. Security employees of hotels will tread lightly when it the Wynn Las Vegas and Encore comes to airport-style security in a casino-resorts used hand-held city where people want to let loose.

Casinos

“You don’t want it to become a sort of ground zero military-type of operation,” McCall said. “People are going there largely for fun.”

MGM declined to comment on any hotel room or convention cancellations. Caesars said its properties haven’t received out-of-norm room cancellations, and no conventions were called off.

Last week, the National Business Aviation Association convention drew around 27,000 people to Las Vegas. IMEX America, an expo for incentive travel, meetings and events, brought 12,000 attendees.

Luis Barros visited Las Vegas for the aviation conference. While sitting at an airport slot machine, he said he never considered canceling his trip after the shooting and had no concerns about his safety.

“I figured this is probably going to be one of the safest places after what just happened,” the Dallas resident said. “I think I’m more concerned about the somber feeling, but as far as security-wise, no, not at all.”

The shooting has altered at least one event. Organizers of the GEICO Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon scheduled for November will no longer start the annual race outside Mandalay Bay or hold the pre-race concert at the venue where the shooting took place.

Las Vegas last year welcomed 42.9 million visitors and hosted almost 22,000 conventions. On average, 95 percent of the 149,339 rooms available were booked during weekends. Clark County recorded gambling revenue of $9.7 billion.

For the time being, the fierce competition for those dollars is not on display.

“There’s going to be a time when we go back to promoting Las Vegas as the greatest destination in the world, but that’s not now,” said the city’s top tourism official, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Rossi Ralenkotter. “We need to take care of this, we need to take care of our customers, we need to take care of the community itself, and that’s what we will be doing.”