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VOLUME:116 No.209, OCTOBER 24TH, 2019

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‘We’ll stand up to bigots and bullies’ Rights Bahamas warns churches on anti-gay stance

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net RIGHTS Bahamas has warned the Bahamas Christian Council that bullying or hate speech levelled at the LGBTI community will be met with forceful local and international opposition, and if needed, action in court.

The human rights watchdog sided with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex activist Alexus D’Marco’s view that recent comments from BCC president Bishop Delton Fernander could lead to violence against the marginalised community.

As a result, Rights Bahamas cautioned BCC that any means to intimidate the minority group would not be tolerated.

Earlier this week, Ms D’Marco accused BCC of using trickery and encouraging violence against the community instead of rejecting continued injustices toward them.

Ms D’Marco, chair of the Bahamas Organisation of LGBTI Affairs, and an organiser of a pride parade slated for next year, was responding to Bishop Fernander’s assertion that BCC would not support the event, adding there were SEE PAGE FIVE

STRAW vendors yesterday criticised the Straw Market Authority’s decision to close over 190 stalls at the market, citing it as an “unjust and heartless” move meant to drive them out of business.

In a letter addressed to SMA chairman Kelly Ingraham, the Straw Business Persons Society expressed disappointment in SMA’s “reckless” actions, noting

that the vendors should have received written warning in advance about their stall closures.

The letter noted: “(Vendors) met their stalls locked upon arrival to work on October 15, 2019…why was this shock and awe tactic used in this instance? How can you and your team be so cold-hearted and reckless towards a hard-working group of people who just want to make a living and provide for their families?”

SEE PAGE NINE

L SOUR CE

FURIOUS NIB STAFF TO VOTE ON STRIKE

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net

EMPLOYEES of the National Insurance Board protested yesterday after negotiations over a new industrial agreement failed.

Speaking to reporters outside of NIB’s headquarters during the workers’ morning tea break, Ghion Roach, Union of Public Officers (UPO) president, said they walked off the job because the union wants to send a message.

The workers plan to take a strike vote tomorrow.

Mr Roach said: “We’ve been ignored for too long; we’ve been disrespected, and we’ve been disregarded. The union has not been dealt with fairly and we’re here to SEE PAGE SIX

I’LL BE BACK

...AND STRAW VENDORS SHOUT ‘BULLIES’ TOO

By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net

$1

HUMAN rights lawyer Fred Smith is getting back on his feet after suffering horrific injuries in a paragliding accident while holidaying in Italy last month.

Full story - Page 3

JAIL AND FINES FOR 15 MORE MIGRANTS

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A 26-YEAR-OLD Haitian woman’s twomonth prison sentence was increased to a year and coupled with a fine yesterday because she gave immigration officers a false name out of fear when they arrested her last week.

Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans sentenced Sainlouse Merite, aka Dieuna Francois, to a year in prison and fined her $1,000 for giving the latter name to officers when they picked her up on Faith Avenue on October 15.

SEE PAGE FIVE

WHAT’S THIS FAKE NEWS, MR SPEAKER?

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

HOUSE Speaker Halson Moultrie accused media in the country of “descending” to a certain level, adding it was an issue that needed addressing.

He did not clearly explain what he meant, but told House of Assembly members that “fake” and opinionated stories had been published online and in local newspapers.

SPEAKER Halson Moultrie Earlier, he openly rebuked a Nassau Guardian reporter seated in the

House gallery for taking photos of member of Parliament Chester Cooper, who was contributing to debate on a bill to exempt fees for replacement documents lost during Hurricane Dorian.

Speaker Moultrie then ordered the reporter’s cellphone be turned over to a House clerk and the images deleted. “In the gallery, the reporter - it is against the rules of this House and

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SEE PAGE TWO

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SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Thursday, October 24, 2019

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Unhappy Speaker claims ‘fake’ stories have been published from page one that has been explained when we had the disturbance in this House - for any reporter to use their cellphone in this chamber and to take photographs or videos in this chamber without the approval of the chair,” Speaker Moultrie said, interrupting Mr Cooper’s contribution.

“And so on this occasion I request that you turn your

phone over the clerk and to have that portion of the video that you just recorded deleted from your cell phone.

“In future, seek the permission of the chair before you are permitted and allowed to take any video footage of the chamber.”

The reporter had not taken video, but still photos of Mr Cooper, The Tribune was told. The newspaper’s photographer was not in the chamber at the time, Nassau Guardian Executive Editor Candia Dames posted on Facebook yesterday, explaining why the reporter was taking photos of the MP. “Our photographer, who was not in Parliament at the time, has confirmed that she has never been given any specific permission to take all the hundreds of photos she took in Parliament previously,” Ms Dames wrote.

The speaker’s decision drew criticism from member of Parliament for Mangrove Cay and South Andros Picewell Forbes who argued that free press in the country should have the liberty of gathering photos and video with cellphones.

However, the speaker insisted that permission had to be sought in such instances, adding that even the Hansard was limited with respect to footage according to House rules.

When he spoke to the same issue again during the sitting, Speaker Moultrie said the rules regarding cellphone use had been in place since 2005.

“There were a number of complaints by members that persons were coming into the Parliament taking photographs and so forth of members in embarrassing positions. The rules were also put in place to prevent the cameras from focusing on the documents that our members may have laid on their table because there were complaints in that regard as well where the cameras were focusing down on the desk on members’ documents.

“So these rules were put in place to maintain a certain decorum in the house and to protect the information.”

He continued: “I can imagine the press demonising the speaker as a person who is trying to prevent freedom of speech and freedom of expression and so forth, but I am of the view and I’ll say this for the record that the media, despite all the change in technology, has descended to a level in this country that needs to be addressed.

“They are competing with social media and as a consequence a number of false reports, fake reports and opinionated stories are appearing in the newspapers and I (have) even seen on social media videos of members of Parliament that have been taken completely out of context and other information presented on social media. It’s being done.

“It cannot be denied, and so we have to maintain a certain level in this chamber to protect the institution itself from that sort of infringement by unscrupulous persons because in every sector of society you will have those type of individuals and the media is not exempted from that.

“That has been my experience these two and half years,” Speaker Moultrie said.

In May, after videos of a surprising outburst in Parliament went viral on social media, Speaker Moultrie ruled that visitors were prohibited from carrying cellphones into the gallery.

At the time, he said the rule did not apply to members of Parliament, technocrats and the media. However, he said the media will have to seek permission from the House through Chief Clerk David Forbes to capture cellphone video.

In May, Fontella Chipman-Rolle, sister of Centreville MP Reece Chipman, stood in the gallery and threw several white wrist bands onto the floor of the House of Assembly.

She wore a shirt that said “Chipman strong”.

“Change the system,” she shouted as police pulled her out of the chamber. “Our land will be returned to us, not by you but by the God we serve.”

Editorial View - Page 4

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, October 24, 2019, PAGE 3

Fred back on his feet FRED Smith seen here on video taking his first steps after his accident and, inset below, in his more usual habitat, outside court.

Human rights lawyer recovering after paragliding accident in Italy HE’S normally fighting it out in court but today lawyer Fred Smith is in a new battle - to get back on his feet battling for justice.

The Bahamas’ leading human rights lawyer is slowly recovering from horrific injuries suffered in a paragliding accident while holidaying in Italy last month.

After several weeks lying flat on his back with metal rods inserted into his legs, Fred has finally managed to take his first steps and and has begun physio to help him walk normally again.

“It was a pretty brutal accident, all perfectly avoidable,” Fred told The Tribune.

“The pilot, who was a 31-year veteran with 1900 flights to his name, got distracted before take-off and did not attach the left-hand side of the parachute to our harness.

“He had been helping three other young paragliders to get ready. It was just the luck of the draw that we ran into trouble.

“I successfully launched and the pilot immediately recognised the harness wasn’t properly attached.

He tried desperately to fix it but then a gust of wind took us up and next thing we began plummeting down, “Thankfully he was able to yank the right side of the parachute so that instead of us falling 100 feet straight down he was able to throw us against the side of the cliff and so we probably fell 30 or 40 feet sideways.

“I have the full video of takeoff, flight and crash but I haven’t looked at it yet.

“It’s been a little emotional at times but I’m just very thankful to be alive. I was so afraid when I was laying on the side of the mountain, it looked like my foot was going to be taken off.

“I have made my peace with the pilot. No sense in beating himself up or

me holding any kind of a grudge. It’s important to be sharing positive support.

“He’s had a pretty bad series of injuries - compound fracture replacement and then plates along a large part of his back above and below, left foot broken, right arm crushed, steel plate in there as well.”

Fred admitted his own injuries and recovery has been traumatic.

“I successfully got over a very bad high fever of up to 103°,” said Fred.

“They thought they were going to have to go back in and operate because I had an infection in my foot and they thought they would have to scrape off the infection.

“Luckily the fever broke.

They concluded that it was a nun who had given me and my poor daughter Savannah, a virus. After she went back to the States she was sick for a week.

“Until four days ago I was still on intravenous heavy doses of antibiotic and pain killers and because of my fractured vertebras I have to remain horizontal most of the time to heal.”

This week Fred had to endure one particularly painful part of his recovery process.

“They had two long steel rods going through my heel and all the way up into my leg. They rods have now been taken out. It was pretty brutal and traumatic.

There was nothing subtle about the removal. The doctor just went at it with a pair of pliers pulling and twisting and eventually yanking it out. Then going to the next one. Phew!

“I had a good cry because I could finally see my feet and wiggle my toes and start to move my right ankle a little. It was the first time that I let my emotions flow about the enormity of this accident .” said Fred.

“I have a lovely little Frankenstein foot now.

“A few days ago I was able to put a brace on my back and I was taken out to the garden at the convent in the clinic here and enjoy an hour of beautiful sun in a lovely little green garden

with huge beautiful trees and birds singing.”

Fred said he had been overwhelmed by messages of support for friends and colleagues and especially visits by people from The Bahamas and the US who were holidaying the in Europe.

“By sheer coincidence three friends from Bahamas actually went to stay at the same little beautiful chalet hotel up in the mountains that I was staying in. They found out about my accident and came down and visited me. And a colleague of mine has a friend in this area and so he and his wife have been coming and visiting and keeping me company.

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“People can be so nice.

It’s been really wonderful, I really have appreciated all of their positive energy.”

Fred said he believes he will have to remain in Italy for a number of weeks before heading back to The Bahamas.

“Today with the help of the physiotherapist and a walker I took my first tentative steps in four weeks. I’m to start weight-bearing on crutches in about six days,” he explained.

“I’m so grateful that although my injuries are serious, things could’ve been so much worse. I’m getting very good treatment and I bless God every day that I’m alive and getting better every day.”

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PAGE 4, Thursday, October 24, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

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Can the Speaker back up his words?

WHATEVER is going on with House Speaker Halson Moultrie?

He seems to have taken against the media for some reason – and told Parliament yesterday that the media is “descending” to a certain level, and that it must be addressed.

Startling words indeed to be spoken within the walls where our laws are made – what is he suggesting?

What is even more startling is that he offered up this condemnation of the nation’s media – saying that “fake” and opinionated stories are being published online and in local newspapers – without offering any evidence.

Where are the examples you are talking about, Mr Moultrie?

Earlier yesterday, he had been agitated because a Nassau Guardian reporter had taken photographs of Chester Cooper MP during his contribution to Parliament yesterday, citing a ban on cellphone use in the House. He ordered the reporter to turn over her phone and for the images to be deleted, telling her she must “have that portion of the video that you just recorded deleted from your cell phone”.

The reporter had not taken video, but still images – so accuracy was not Mr Moultrie’s strength in that moment.

He went on to say: “I can imagine the press demonising the speaker as a person who is trying to prevent freedom of speech and freedom of expression and so forth, but I am of the view and I’ll say this for the record that the media, despite all the change in technology, has descended to a level in this country that needs to be addressed.

“They are competing with social media and as a consequence a number of false reports, fake reports and opinionated stories are appearing in the newspapers and I (have) even seen on social media videos of members of Parliament that have been taken completely out of context and other information presented on social media.”

All very stirring, indeed, Mr Moultrie, but we cannot help but wonder why our telephone hasn’t received a call

from you about such a concern before you take it to the walls of government.

Which stories are you worried about, Mr Moultrie?

Mr Moultrie has, of course, had his own awkward moments in the media himself recently.

Last month, he hosted a courtesy call with the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China – and recommended that China consider developing the south-east Bahamas to shift the population concentration away from the north-west.

“I gave my personal recommendations to the Chinese that perhaps one of the considerations as we move forward in a joint development of both nations to look at the possibility of developing the south-east Bahamas,” he said.

When people raised eyebrows at him making such suggestions, he bridled and said he was simply stating his personal views – although it seems odd to state personal views in the context of an official courtesy call from a Chinese delegation in his capacity as speaker.

He said he wasn’t begging the Chinese for anything and he wasn’t suggesting turning over part of the country to the Chinese. Indeed, he wasn’t – but no one was suggesting he had.

If there are two characteristics one would hope for from a speaker, they would be keeping a cool head and dealing with matters even-handedly, requiring evidence for any allegations.

Mr Moultrie seems to be failing on that latter count – one cannot cry fake news without providing evidence of your claim. To do so reduces the public trust in the media across the board – and that is a blow to democracy as a whole.

So show us you have a cool head, Mr Moultrie, and back up your words – or like you tried to do when caught in a possible gaffe with international relations, take them back.

Fake news thrives in a climate where people are not required to back up their words with evidence. Don’t become part of the fake news culture yourself, Mr Moultrie.

We are all the children of God EDITOR, The Tribune

“HOMOSEXUALITY is no disorder or illness, and can therefore not be subject to treatment. A ‘treatment’ with the only aim of changing sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual must be regarded as ethical malpractice, and has no place in the health system”.

After years of research and experimentation, this is the conclusion of the medical profession.

Would a good God who hung on the Cross for our sins, and opened his arms to suffer all the little children to come unto Him, have deliberately created homosexuals, whether male or female, for his Church on earth to reject and abuse them? Are they meant to hide themselves from our sight so that we can pretend that they do not exist?

Surely, God did not create them to be the subject of our scorn.

Before, I go any further I want to declare that firstly I am a Bahamian — a “straight” Bahamian, whatever that means! In other words for those slow of understanding, let me make myself crystal clear — I am neither homosexual,

nor heterosexual, I am “straight”. I am also a practising Roman Catholic, who does not believe that God will have his human creation mocked.

Yes, these Bahamians are different in their sexual orientation, but, like the rest of us they have talent, they have brilliance, they have much that they can offer to our community, and yet are they to be shunned for something over which they have no control? If the Christian Council has a problem with this then their argument is with God, the creator of all of us!

Possibly, God fashioned them to live among us to test our true worth as true Christians. So far, our ignorant arrogance is resulting in a failing grade.

This week the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community announced that it would hold a pride parade next year. The Bahamas Christian Council, through its president Bishop Delton Fernander, was quick to rise to respond. The Christian Council, he declared, would not support such a movement and would compete with its rally. “This is no time to play games with the faith,” he declared.

“The Bible, in which we firmly believe,” he continued, “clearly states that homosexuality is a sin and that the practice of homosexuality is a violation of God’s natural design of and purpose for the human body.”

The holy Bible also says that infidelity to the marriage bed is a sin. We suggest that members of the Church concentrate on removing the many moats from their own eyes, before they point their fingers at others.

Members of the LGBT community are also children of God. They know the rules and the consequences of their breach.

As children of God’s creation, they are our equals in having to face and conquer life’s challenges. It is against that background that we shall be judged.

We suggest that the Christian Council concentrate on its own failings and let the LGBT community get on with theirs.

In the end God will be the judge of His creation – not the Bahamas Christian Council.

AMEN Nassau October 22, 2019

Fred hits the spot this time EDITOR, The Tribune

FRED McAlpine is an imperfect messenger. He lacks compassion for juvenile hurricane victims in Dominica, and often goes off script on the legislative agenda of his party. Who knew he was capable of a rational argument on a hot button issue?

The Reverend McAlpine, FNM member of Parliament from Grand Bahama, made the case for the country to evolve on the issues of abortion and civil unions.

No religious person or politician has gone as far as he has in calling out our crass hypocrisy on these two issues.

Abortions are illegal in the Bahamas and it seldom stirs passions in even the most sanctimonious amongst us. They occur often and although it is not settled government policy, it is clear that what a woman does with her body is her business.

On the issue of gay rights, the Bahamas is the most progressive country in the English-speaking Caribbean, even though our current views are straight out of the 19th century.

McAlpine is trying to drag us into the 20th century, being politically savvy enough to realise that shooting for the 21st century is still a stretch here.

He thinks civil unions could be the interim solution that would guarantee the granting of fuller Bahamian citizenship to a marginalized community that is everyone’s favorite punching bag.

The problems are legal in nature and it will take a full-throated legal challenge to bring about a fix.

straight people, and their friends and families. A similar pride parade was held in Bermuda this year and letters@tribunemedia.net was without incident.

But for real change they Our Constitution and our should simultaneously get laws may have had the the best and brightest lawintention of making us all yers in the country to offer equal, but some rights got their services to a legal trampled in the process. defense strategy that will An unmarried Bahamian systematically challenge in father cannot automatically the courts every inconsistpass on his citizenship to his ency, infringement of their child, but a single mother rights, and antiquated law can. The father is discrimi- that is still on the books nated against. whether enforced or not.

A man can marry a This should lead to the woman and be estranged big enchilada, a challenge from her for years, but on of the marriage laws all his passing, she has rights the way up to the Privy endowed by the marriage Council. contract. A gay couple can Last year the High Court live together for 50 years, in Trinidad and Tobago but on the death of one, or struck down their buggery when medical services are laws, declaring them unconrequired or when money stitutional. A local activist is to be divvied up, the law named Jason Jones brought demands we treat them as the case and skillfully used total strangers.

Instagram, Twitter, SnapCivil unions, often chat and Facebook to keep referred to as “marriage the issue front and centre at lite” gives any couple, gay home and abroad. or straight, the cover of the Three years ago, the High law in organizing their per- Court in Belize declared sonal and private affairs. their anti-gay laws unconFormer PM Hubert stitutional. An advocate Ingraham was most elo- name Caleb Orozco filed quent when he stood up the legal challenge that for gay rights 20 years ago brought about that change. when a cruise ship with gay Getting McAlpine to patrons called at Nassau. enjoin the debate is probHe famously said that the ably a good thing, though role of the government is he is impulsive and therenot to investigate or pass fore unreliable. Pulling off judgment on the sexual a successful pride parade conduct of adults as long as next year is good for optics. it was private.

But the movement needs to A lot has changed since knock on the courthouse then, including a softening door to effect real change. of attitudes in the worldThey shouldn’t wait for wide Anglican and Catholic others to give them their churches. rights. They must demand Gays in the Bahamas it. should have their parade

next year, flanked by a THE GRADUATE phalanx of law enforceNassau ment officers, enlightened October 23, 2019

LETTERS

Time we had a dollar day EDITOR, The Tribune MINISTER Renward Wells, Minister for Transport, please hold a ‘dollar day’ to collect funds to offset the cost of purchasing for Road Traffic the plastic cards needed to print off new Driver’s Licences.

It is 2019 and Road Traffic are unable to keep inventory of essentials to carry-out their mandate

- Minister shame - Road Traffic Director shame - shame on the whole Government.

You know September and October are the busiest months and you run out so you can’t renew and tell the people come back in two weeks, but what guarantee they have been telling people this for a month already!

Surely Road Traffic at the least can telephone or send

a text to the people telling them their Licence is ready come and collect rather than wasting a further hour or two then to be told... sorry the plastic ain’t reach!

Shame Minister many had hopes for you seems you ain’t no different. PM please note....failed on the job!

W THOMPSON Nassau October 16, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, October 24, 2019, PAGE 5

from page one

We’ll stand up to bigots and bullies, warn activists

plans to host an opposing rally to make its position known.

He said the church would be asking Bahamians to choose a side and likened the plans for the pride parade to a “Sodom and Gomorrah” moment.

This is cause for grave concern, Rights Bahamas said in a strongly worded press statement yesterday.

“Rights Bahamas welcomes the Bahamas Christian Council’s announcement that it will take to the streets to have its voice heard regarding Pride Bahamas 2020,” the statement read.

“Bigoted and intolerant though their views may be in the eyes of many, the pastors have a constitutional right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, just like everyone else. Rights Bahamas celebrates all instances when individuals and groups take advantage of their rights.

“Sadly, and quite ironically, the very point and purpose of the Christian Council’s demonstration appears to be a demand that the very same rights they seek to make use of are denied to others. In addition, the rather aggressive and extreme rhetoric that has accompanied this announcement, talk of fighting ‘the forces of evil’ and the destruction of ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’ are in our view, a cause for grave concern and could even lead to violence.

“We therefore find it necessary to put the BCC on notice that while Rights Bahamas has absolutely no objections to the pastors making their point publicly, any instances of hate speech, any words or acts designed to intimidate, any incitement to violence, any attempt to bully the LGBTQ community into forgoing its rights, will meet with the most strenuous and forceful opposition – locally, internationally and through the courts if necessary.

“We respectfully remind the pastors that while the universal rights they seek to withhold from others are enshrined in the constitution, the BCC itself is not. In fact, it has no standing in the eyes of the law

ALEXUS D’Marco, chair of the Bahamas Organisation of LGBTI Affairs, left, and, right, BCC president Bishop Delton Fernander whatsoever and no official say in what happens in the Bahamas – welcome though it may be to its opinion.”

Rights Bahamas continued: “We find it further necessary to comment on BCC President Delton Fernander’s suggestion – relying on the wording of the (constitution’s) preamble – that a Pride Bahamas parade would violate the

constitution. While the reference he alludes to speaks only generally to an ‘abiding respect for Christian values,’ it does not mandate or prohibit any specific actions or behaviour, nor does it even give a definition of this rather amorphous phrase. Different denominations promote different values, and several Christian churches now appoint LGBTQ pastors

and conduct same-sex marriages.

“On the other hand, the right to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression which the organisers of Pride Bahamas wish to take advantage of, are concretely and explicitly defined in the constitution.

They are also explicitly protected, with violations thereof attracting clear penalties. If the BCC remains

unsure of the distinction, they are welcome to test it in court.”

Rights Bahamas said council representatives might want to carefully consider the message they are sending to the local public and international organisations that are currently in the Bahamas providing Hurricane Dorian relief.

“The proliferation of intolerance, discrimination,

and selective Christian doctrine can only serve to embarrass the country on the world stage.

“Bishop Fernander has said that he is mobilising his international contacts to assist in the BCC’s bid to block Pride Bahamas 2020.

He may rest assured that the forces of fairness, tolerance, open-mindedness and justice are doing the same,” Rights Bahamas said.

JAIL AND FINES FOR 15 MORE MIGRANTS from page one

Merite also faces an additional two months in prison if the fine is not paid, the magistrate ordered. She is ordered to be turned over to immigration officials upon completion of her sentence or payment of her fine.

Meanwhile, 14 Haitian migrants were were fined a collective $9,300 by Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes for either sneaking into the country or overstaying their time.

And in default of their respective fines—as much as $2,000 in three cases — they must all serve a year in prison. They are ordered to be turned over to immigration officials and deported afterwards.

Merite, who celebrates her 27th birthday on Friday, was originally sentenced last week to just two months in prison on suspicion of sneaking into the country on a Haitian sloop in September.

She was was one of multiple Haitian migrants who received prison sentences from the magistrate for immigration offences because in in the court’s view, fining them only end up “making things worse”.

However, it was since revealed by a friend of Merite’s father that the Jean-Rebel native didn’t actually sneak into the country as she previously admitted to doing.

Merite in fact has a Haitian passport in her real name, and had received two extensions to remain in the country. However, when immigration officers breached the residence she was in, someone who stayed there told her to give the officers a false name.

Subsequent checks by immigration officers confirmed that the woman

arrived in the country through the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) months prior on June 11.

She was granted a 21-day stay and later received an extension from July 3 to September 30. No other extensions were given to the defendant, meaning she overstayed by 15 days.

In sentencing Merite, Magistrate Vogt-Evans said she found the facts of the matter to be “extremely troubling”, because while Merite received “bad advice”, she still “had a choice”.

“The court must be cognizant of the immigration climate and increased influx (of illegal immigrants) and the burden it places on the country,” the magistrate said. “Persons must know that if they are untruthful to the Department of Immigration, it will not be tolerated.

The sentence the court imposes hopefully sends a strong message that this conduct will not be tolerated.”

Six men—Richard James, Wisly Louima, Jerry Jean, Dougene Fortillen, Kedlet Augustine and Edward Fevrain — were each fined $300 or otherwise serve 12 months in prison for admitting to landing in the country illegally.

The six men, with the exception of Louima, had all conceded outright that they had no legal status to remain in the country.

Louima indicated that he had made an application for a work permit in 2017, but it was refused.

They were each arrested by immigration officers in various areas in New Providence on Monday, ranging from Soldier Road to a boat moored at the Potter’s Cay Dock, during an apprehension exercise led by Chief Immigration Officer Harold Thurston.

Another five Haitian

nationals — Dusmuene Finose, Mackendy Joseph, Rony Florestal, Rose Myriame Jean and Pierre Slime — were given the same penalty for sneaking into the country. All of them entered via Haitian sloop at different times between 2017 to this year.

Another three Haitian nationals, Junior Savari aka Nana John, Guthaud Juste, and Berlanda Saint Louis, were each fined $2,000 or otherwise serve a year in prison for overstaying.

While Saint Louis only overstayed by a day, thus prompting the prosecution

to request that she merely be deported, Savari and Juste overstayed by 300 and 545 days respectively.

A Jamaican woman, Jacqueline Margaret, was fined $1,000 or otherwise serve six months in jail for overstaying by one month and six days. She was

originally landed on June 2 for 14 days. Her last extension ended in September however.

Immigration officers Avia Beckford, Shandeshia Marshall, Lashandawn Adderley, and Frederick Smith prosecuted yesterday’s matters.

PAGE 6, Thursday, October 24, 2019 from page one let management know this Friday the union is prepared to take it to the polls and have a strike vote. The outcome of that vote will be yes, and we will send the message loud and clear.

“The main issue is the executive managers refuse to come back to the table.

We’ve had stalled negotiations from April. The matter has been intervened by the Department of Labour and it’s now October and we still haven’t had no resolution.”

He added: “We had a contract that expired December of last year. We went back to the table in February - negotiations stalled in April. We’ve been trying to get the director back to the table, her team and her, and they have outright told us no.”

Mr Roach said he’s spoken to the minister of the public service and National Insurance to no avail. “(I spoke to the minister and) there has been no resolution from the minister’s office as well. We’ve had conciliators in the persons of Reverend Ranford Patterson and John Pinder, the director of labour, and to this date we still have not had a resolution,” he said.

“We are here to say enough is enough. Friday we will vote yes, and we will show them that we will withdraw our services if (they) will continue to treat us with disrespect. We just wanted to get the message sent and I wanted to speak to the members to let them know Friday, we will be voting yes to support the strike action.”

He added: “I have 405 members in the Union of Public Officers. We have the support of the (Trade Union) Congress as well as the manager’s union. We are going to stand together and send the message loud and clear.”

Public Managers Union President F Cassandra Cartwright-Lewis said her union is standing in solidarity with

THE TRIBUNE

Furious NIB staff to vote on strike

NIB Staff demonstrating earlier this year. the UPO, adding, her union is also having similar issues with the government.

Mrs Cartwright-Lewis said: “We have had some conversations and meetings with management, and they have not worked out well.

We cannot continue in the stead we are going in. The unions and management are better served by having relationships where we can sit down and amicably resolve matters.

“We are making a call to all of our affiliates, this seems to be a trend in regards to many of the institutions where management have the impression that

they are free to do whatever they feel like doing with no regard to the fact that there is an industrial agreement in place and there are regulations and rules that govern our behaviour, both ours and theirs.”

When asked to comment on the issue, Minister of National Insurance Brensil Rolle said he was engaged in talks with the union “up until September.”

Mr Rolle said: “I asked them to give me some time, give me a month. Which they did, they gave me a month and it wasn’t a complete month, let me say it that way. I was told today

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff they were initiating a strike vote which they did. “. . .They’re saying that they intend to take industrial action because of one unfair dismissal and I challenge them on that because as far as I know, and I do have on my phone a letter signed by the president of the union, where this matter was settled by the union and the union agreed that the matter was settled. The individual who settled with NIB, settled with what he thought was his best interest and so I was surprised that was an issue. “ He added: “I had a meeting with the executives of

the union, and it was only one matter that was outstanding to me. I asked them to further consider the matter and when I spoke to the union again they could not comprehend that they will not go forward with things that they said to me they can live with but they took it to their members and the members denied it. What do you want me to do in those circumstances?

“Here am I offering, suggesting, looking at a package. If you hear the numbers, it’s astounding in my view.”

Mr Rolle urged all sides

to be reasonable in the negotiations.

In a statement yesterday, NIB apologised for any service disruption customers experienced due to the employees’ protest.

Despite the employees’ frustration, NIB said “tremendous headway” was made over the last six months in negotiations for a new industrial agreement, “with only a few articles remaining to be concluded.”

NIB also said: “Since May 2019, the negotiations were moved by the UPO to the minister of the public service and National Insurance. Management has been advised that negotiations were continuing. NIB continues to meet on an ongoing basis and work in good faith with both of its unions, the Union of Public Officers and Public Managers Union (PMU), to address issues that arise and to foster good relations.”

NIB said the industrial agreement for the PMU, which represents management staff, expires in December and negotiations for a new agreement are expected to commence shortly.

“NIB is grateful to the hardworking staff and management who continue to operate the customer facing offices during any disruption in service. NIB remains focused and committed to providing good customer service despite any operational challenges which may arise. In cases of disruption, management will continue to trigger its contingency plans to fulfil NIB’s mandate and provide service to its stakeholders,” the agency said.

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THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, October 24, 2019, PAGE 7

BAKER’S BAY STAFF FEAR FOR THEIR FUTURE

By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net

DAYS after Baker’s Bay Golf and Ocean Club announced its closure and the redundancy of some of its positions, many workers are expressing uncertainty over their future.

One employee — who asked to be identified as Mrs Higgs – said she received a call early this week from a Baker’s Bay human resources director, who explained that her position at the Abaco resort has been made redundant.

She said: “I am very

uncertain about my future because right now, we as employees, are in a position of well ‘what do we do now?’

Because at one point, everyone was like, ‘well what is Baker’s going to do with us now that the storm is gone?’

“So now that there is an answer, I think we have to reshuffle and revisit the idea of what are we going to do now given the fact of what we’re going through right now. I don’t even have a clear step on what’s next for me.

“There’s no time frame for how long it will take for (Baker’s Bay) to clean up. There’s no time frame

on when and if people will return or not. There’s no time on how long the rebuilding will take.

So, everything is really uncertain for all of their employees. Some don’t have nowhere else to go.”

Another Baker’s Bay employee, who did not want to be named, said the atmosphere at the property is “gloomy” at best, given everything that is happening. “Right in my presence this morning, one of the guys from Baker’s Bay came in and turn his cellphone and supplies to his boss lady and said they (made his position

redundant). This is on Baker’s Bay side. He had tears in his eyes, crying and whatnot….so the atmosphere is not good,” he said.

Bakers Bay’s decision to close came nearly two months after Hurricane Dorian ripped through Abaco and Grand Bahama, leaving nothing but devastation in its wake.

In a memo released to its staff on Monday, the private multi-million dollar club noted that the closure period could last six to 15 months as a result of the significant damage left by Hurricane Dorian. The company said all salaried

and hourly workers would be paid through October 20.

“We are cognizant that the staff needs answers regarding the prospects for future employment… Management has identified 200 positions that will provide support during the club closure,” the statement read.

However, there are some employees who are still waiting for confirmation from Baker’s Bay regarding their employment status.

One worker, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “I haven’t got a phone call as yet, but I’m hoping that they will call soon. I have children and we need to

know what we’re going to do next because we don’t have a set plan.”

Meanwhile Mrs Higgs, who has worked for the company for some eight years, said it will be hard for her to move on, but going forward is the only choice for her despite the uncertainty of the future..

“I’ve started to look around at jobs and I feel free now in that I could look for a job instead of waiting around trying to hear from Baker’s.

I’m happy that I know now what to do,” she said.

It is unclear how many workers have been affected by the closure.

GB will get its new hospital, says Minnis

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

$460,000 PAID OUT IN BENEFITS

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE National Insurance Board has paid out more than $460,000 in unemployment benefits to Abaco and Grand Bahama Hurricane Dorian victims.

According to Public Service Minister Brensil Rolle, who has responsibility for NIB, 1,699 unemployment claims were received, with the organisation so far expending $464,985.

Asked how NIB was paying for the increase in the benefit due to the Category Five hurricane, Mr Rolle said: “We are paying for it from NIB funds.”

However, the minister said, he was in discussions with colleagues to implement a skills training programme for people receiving unemployment cheques. He said it was an alternative to people simply staying home and collecting cheques.

“NIB is obligated to pay you for 13 weeks for unemployment assistance,” Mr Rolle told reporters yesterday.

“I figure, and I am talking to two of my other colleagues, we could combine using funds allocated from (the) Inter-American Development Bank and another agency to put a comprehensive programme together so that we pay individuals as a matter of restructuring their lives.

“So we (are) at a stage

where we are considering and having that discussion and the idea is that rather than me paying your unemployment and you staying home, we’ll set up a programme to either give you cross-training or some additional skills and some skill sets so that when we start to rebuild you can use those skills and that is the direction we are taking now.”

Earlier this month, 900 people were said to have claimed unemployment benefits.

Pandora Butler, chief manager in the office of the director at NIB told The Nassau Guardian that the board had expected a spike in claims.

“We expected that because a lot of people now would be without jobs, they may be terminated because the jobs are no longer available, or may just be laid off while the employers are rebuilding. So, we expected high unemployment and we prepared for it.”

In the days following Dorian’s passage, NIB implemented a one-stop shop at its Baillou Hill Road headquarters with the Department of Labour to accommodate the registering of unemployed survivors into the labour force database at the same time the unemployment claims are made.

NIB also accelerated the processing of claims for persons from the affected islands.

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said on Monday Grand Bahama would have “a hospital” as soon as possible but did not indicate whether a new facility will be built as previously promised during his party’s election campaign.

He was questioned about when a new hospital would be built for Grand Bahama during Monday’s HoA signing for a new $64m medical school in Freeport.

The Rand Memorial Hospital was severely damaged during Hurricane Dorian, which resulted in flooding of over 70 percent of the hospital.

Water levels reached up to four to five feet in some areas, and concerns were raised by staff about safety at the facility due to the exposure of black water intrusion (raw sewerage).

In early October, many hospital workers, including hospital administrators, took to Facebook saying that a new facility is immediately needed for Grand Bahama.

On Monday, following

the announcement of a proposed 98,000 sq ft medical campus by Western Atlantic University School of Medicine, The Tribune asked the prime minister when a new hospital would be constructed in Grand Bahama.

He responded tersely: “We will ensure that you have a hospital as quickly as possible. Other question?”

Rand Memorial Hospital not only served as the only public health facility on the island, it is also a teaching hospital that provides practical training for medical students, including doctors and nurses.

Samaritan’s Purse currently operates a field hospital on a 90-day agreement in Freeport. The government has recently sought an extension to the agreement.

In early October, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands told this newspaper that the government was still committed to a building a new hospital but said it requires proper planning, a privatepublic partnership, and funding.

With the Rand closed, PLP Senator Dr Michael Darville has questioned where medical students would, including those

at the proposed Western Atlantic University School of Medicine, receive their practical training.

He also noted that WAUSM is newly incorporated and has not yet received accreditation from an accreditation body, which, among other things, undermines its integrity as a reputable university.

Senator Darville criticised the government, accusing the Minnis administration of “putting the cart before the horse” with the HoA signing. He questioned the “credibility” of government’s HoA, which he said raises questions and requires much clarification.

“Where is the signed MoU between the university and the Ministry of Health? What is the status of our ongoing medical training programme with the University of the West Indies?” he asked.

Dr Darville also asked whether the Bahamas Medical Council, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Health participated in the negotiations.

Since the announcement of the new medical school, Dr Darville, former Minister for Grand Bahama in the Christie

PAGE 8, Thursday, October 24, 2019

T

HE destruction, flooding and profound commercial dislocation wreaked

by Hurricane Dorian on Grand Bahama has awakened the long-simmering debate about how the island is governed.

Way back in 1955 the Hawksbill Creek Agreement gave virtually sovereign power to foreign-owned Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA), which carved out Freeport and the Free Trade Zone for control across the island’s waist.

Since neither the Crown Colony nor the parent United Kingdom then had the resources for development, this neo-colonial scheme was accepted for importing foreign capital and expertise.

Later, ownership of GBPA shifted from the original American entrepreneurs to two adventurous English families, the St Georges and the Haywards. In a complex partnership with the powerful Hong Kong conglomerate HutchisonWhampoa (H-W), these families have run the show for many years to the present day.

This arrangement has come under fire from several parties intimately involved in the postDorian revival and growth of Grand Bahama. Carey Leonard, prominent attorney and former General Counsel of GBPA, has gone on record with the assertion “Dorian makes it imperative that the Government of The Bahamas make a compulsory acquisition of the Grand Bahama Port Authority”. His views are shared by Michael Scott, Chairman of The Bahamas Hotel Corporation, who has been negotiating the Government’s purchase and re-sale of the shuttered Grand Lucaya Resort hotel complex, essential for any tourism revival.

Even before Dorian, there were demands for change. In May this year Dr Marcus Bethel, Freeport civic leader and former Cabinet Minister who headed a committee on Grand Bahama restructuring, wrote that “Grand Bahama has the anachronistic GBPA and partner Hutchison-Whampoa which have been unable to move Freeport forward.”

A Tribune editorial of May 2015 quoted then Minister CA Smith (now Governor-General) speaking about GBPA: “The performance of the present leadership in continuing

THE TRIBUNE

It’s time to call a halt to this colonial throwback and take control of Grand Bahama

GBPA vice chairman Sarah St George

the economic development of Freeport leaves much to be desired. . . will have much difficulty in pointing to a single significant investment in Freeport under their watch.”

Messrs Leonard and Scott can cite many examples of deficiencies in the present arrangement. The responsibility of GBPA to act as a regulator/city manager and business licensor is poorly executed. Mr Scott compares GBPA with the stately unreality of last century’s Downton Abbey depicted in the popular TV drama.

The original joint venture between GBPA and H-W was negotiated in 1996 by the late GBPA chairman Edward St George and resulted in the creation of the Freeport Container Port, now one of the world’s largest cargo transshipment terminals. But since his untimely death in 2004, Freeport has been in recession and the link with H-W has been problematic.

One example is the Freeport Harbour Company, 51 percent owned by H-W (now named Hutchison Port Holdings), which is landlord not only for the container facility but also all the marine passenger

and freight terminals, shiprepair companies and dry docks. It charges rents and fees that are skewed to the detriment of GBPA and the Bahamas Government.

It also manages the International Airport which has long been criticised for excessively high landing fees that deter the growth of tourism and business travel.

Since Dorian, repairs to terminals and hangars, including the crucial US departures wing, have proceeded at a snail’s pace.

Over 700 jointly-owned acres between the harbour and airport remain vacant instead of being developed as a specialised warehouse and marketing centre for international duty-free products. Worse, 70,000- acres of prime Freeport property owned by DEVCO, a partnership of the families and H-W, have never been subdivided and sold as business or residential lots.

When the Grand Lucayan Resort suffered serious hurricane damage in 2016 and had to be closed, the owner H-W lost interest in reopening and simply walked away taking the insurance proceeds, then drove a very hard bargain in selling the

THE AFTERMATH of Hurricane Dorian, in Freeport complex to Government for $65m.

These factors suggest strong justification for removing GBPA and H-W from their dominant role in managing Freeport and the surrounding Free Trade Zone. Naturally, the present principals think differently and would strongly resist any such measures. In March 2015, GBPA vice chairman Sarah St George (there is no current chairman) made a detailed presentation of the many ways GBPA acts as a non-profit “Centre of Administration” for Freeport, paying no dividends to its shareholders and contributing an average $10m annually to the economy. She went on to describe all the industrial ventures that GBPA has persuaded to invest in Freeport, from Pharmachem to Polymers.

I saw no mention of H-W. A year later, I received a long letter in the same vein from active GBPA Director Rupert Hayward. While open to accepting equity capital from investment groups in the form of joint ventures or specific project finance, he was distinctly negative about GBPA or the family owners selling out: they know much more about the needs of the Freeport economy than any large corporate groups with

short-term financial objectives, he claimed.

These opposing views cannot be reconciled. Only Government can make the final decision which will prevail and only it has the sovereign authority to assume ownership and control from the two families and H-W - provided that fair compensation is paid for this forced acquisition.

There would be no mass dismissal of the talented, hard-working Bahamians and foreign specialists presently employed. The only changes would be at the level of the directors or senior executives representing the previous owners. Government would not need to acquire any physical assets or direct operations, simply the controlling equity shares, which would then permit a complete reorganisation.

Any re-structuring could end the long illogic situation of one island being divided geographically into two jurisdictions, with Government negotiating the new Carnival cruise port in East End, while GBPA controls the Royal Caribbean linkage between the harbour and Lucaya in the heart of Freeport. Also, legalistic wrangling could be brought to an end about whether URCA or GBPA should regulate utilities.

Proponents of a regime

must think about answers to hard questions: What is a rough estimate of fair compensation? Will a combination of foreign and domestic capital be found to help Government meet its obligation? Who will be the new owners of the harbour, the airport and undeveloped land? Who will provide strong municipal management working with modern efficiency for the benefit of Freeport and its thousands of business licencees? In short, what will be the shape of a true public/private partnership?

Answer to these questions can fall in place once Government announces a firm decision to take back Grand Bahama from control by the two families and H-W. As soon as this decision is publicised, offers of financing, investment, management expertise and technical services may soon pour in.

As a first step, to overcome normal inertia when facing major change, a strong delegation of Grand Bahama stakeholders must descend on the Prime Minister and his Cabinet with a detailed brief showing why this reorganisation is essential, for the good of Grand Bahama itself as well as the whole national economy. Grand Bahama must become fully integrated into the Bahamian story.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, October 24, 2019, PAGE 9

Straw vendors hit back after 190 stalls closed

THE STRAW Market in Nassau from page one According to SBPS, the closure of these stalls results in a total of some 300 stalls closed at the market. And added to these complaints, as noted by SBPS, is the limited amount of time given for vendors to pay their fees.

From Monday to Thursday, vendors have until 2pm to pay cashiers. Meanwhile on Fridays, vendors have until 2.30 pm to pay their fees.

“When compared to cashiers at other government entities, it is evident that the straw vendors are at a grave disadvantage.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff This is so simply because some vendors don’t make a sale until after 2pm,” the letter said. “We believe these business hours need to change and come into alignment with other government enterprises that closes at 4pm daily.”

Vendors also complained about the lack of proper cleaning supplies provided in the Straw Market’s restrooms.

“There is very little hand soap, tissue and no hand towel placed in the rest rooms. There is still no proper signage, the lights are off in certain sections and then in the other sections there is no lighting,

and in the facility, it lacks proper maintenance… the tourists are disgusted,” the letter stated.

In speaking on these issues, SBPS called for the government to address the actions taken by SMA, while also imploring officials to be more considerate to their needs.

“We firmly believe that the government should seek to appoint persons with some life experience, interpersonal skills, managerial skills, and the ability to resolve matters with wisdom…,” the letter continued.

“We (also) need the government to be more sensitive. Case in point,

if the Straw Market have over 500 stalls and almost 2/3 must be shut down for arrears, that should send a loud signal that highlights that the rent is too high, and some type of concession needs to be given to vendors.”

Up to press time, Works Minister Desmond Bannister, who has responsibility for the Straw Market, did

not respond to requests for comment.

The rent for stalls at the market is $37.40 a week. Mr Bannister has previously defended the government’s hard-line stance on arrears payments, saying in 2018 there were some cases of vendors who had not paid rent for years.

“They’ve had deadlines several times,” Mr

Bannister said last year, after reports of evictions at the Straw Market. “I mean we have people at the Straw Market who have not paid rent for years.

Three, four years (and) this is $30 something dollars per week adding up to thousands and thousands of dollars.

“We can’t run a market like that.”

PAGE 10, Thursday, October 24, 2019

D

URING Donald Trump’s three-year presidency, many Americans who are repulsed by his buffoonish lack of good manners and arrogant disregard for US law and political custom have comforted themselves with the notion that at least in several areas, a resolute resistance to some of his worst instincts could be found in the form of a perhaps unlikely source.

That would be the massive federal American bureaucracy. Most Americans see their national government as full of entrenched civil servants who generally resist change and bend only grudgingly to the policy initiatives of their largely politicallyappointed leadership.

This is neither unfair nor untrue. Policy change and new initiatives do mean more work for civil servants, and some of them, like some of us, don’t exactly seek out extra work.

When you disagree with the president’s efforts to revive an already extinguished coal industry, for instance, you might take comfort in bureaucratic obduracy. Maybe the civil servants will frustrate Trump’s apparent eagerness to ignore global warming in favour of short-term employment and stock price rises.

And when you recoil as federal courts are packed with judges whose principal qualification appears to be an implacable objection to a woman’s right to an abortion if she so chooses, there might be some comfort in the residual adherence to the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade in prosecutorial offices around the country.

But most seasoned observers feel federal bureaucratic resistance to presidential initiatives that diverge from their personal beliefs is most likely to occur in the Department of State.

The State Department is the “senior” American

THE TRIBUNE

Could the bureaucrats be the ones who bring the president down?

PRESIDENT Donald Trump speaking at the 9th annual Shale Insight Conference at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh yesterday

STATESIDE with Charlie Harper cabinet department and its entrance requirements are among the most daunting in the US government.

The department’s personnel

tend to view themselves as members of the government’s elite, and their politics is broadly regarded as liberal-leaning.

It was, therefore, no great surprise when the most damaging evidence so far of Trump’s blatant disregard for the duties and

responsibilities of his presidential office was provided by members of the State Department.

Marie (“Masha”) Yovanovitch, who fired the first salvos against the president and his apparent co-conspirators in the great Ukraine shakedown, earned her appointment as US ambassador to Ukraine the old-fashioned way. She laboured in the byzantine corridors of American policy toward Russia and Eastern Europe for

decades, developing widelyrespected expertise and wisdom.

She was yanked out of her ambassadorial position

by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in May, apparently for her unwillingness to go along with Trump’s scheme to withhold military aid to Ukraine until that country’s political leadership agreed to launch investigations that would assist Trump’s re-election effort.

William Taylor achieved his present prominence via a different path. Like his current boss Pompeo a graduate near the very top of his class at the US Military Academy at West Point, Taylor punched his military ticket in some prestigious assignments and then served in high-profile civilian jobs involving Afghanistan and the Mideast peace process. Along the way, he served as the US ambassador to Ukraine from 2006-09.

Taylor was hastily summoned back to government service as Yovanovitch’s replacement in June but as we know, he too was reportedly shocked by the machinations of Trump and company. Both ambassadors have offered what liberal pundits hope will be fatally damaging testimony about Trump. We’ll see if the American voter agrees.

Meantime, fear not for the futures of Yovanovitch and Taylor. They will eventually find soft landing places, though not likely in today’s State Department.

China takes dim view over Morey tweet

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MAJOR sports leagues all do it. And most fail. This year, one league succeeded, and wished that it hadn’t.

Pro sports leaders all want us to get excited about their upcoming season, whether it’s basketball, football, baseball, hockey or soccer.

The leagues and their commissioners know their teams need at least some practice games, so they try to get us interested and make some money while preparing for their regular seasons.

The NFL, having long forced season ticket-holders to include two meaningless home pre-season exhibition games in their package, has acknowledged the failure of that policy and is considering abandoning this extortion in favour of a longer regular season schedule.

Major league baseball, now playing its championship series in late October, at least plays its March spring training games in Florida and Arizona where large vacation crowds of northern snow birds reward MLB’s owners with substantial paydays.

English Premier League soccer teams, especially the largest, wealthiest clubs, often organize pre-season tours of places like the United States and Asia to spread their brand and make some money while training for the regular season.

NHL teams don’t all have the same approach to pre-season games, but generally aren’t able to generate very much interest in their hockey practice game schedules.

And the NBA has not generally been too successful in attracting interest in its pre-season, either. Until this year.

On October 4, in the context of sustained protests against China’s sometimes heavy-handed administration of Hong Kong, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted the following: “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.”

With those seven words, Morey managed to link two subjects very often on Bahamian minds: China and the NBA. This is particularly true now, thanks to Buddy Hield’s reported new $100 million deal with the Sacramento Kings and China’s large new tourism investment in Nassau.

With that tweet, Morey, pictured below, also ignited a firestorm of a news story that is still flaring this morning as the NBA regular season begins.

Morey fired off his tweet as NBA teams like LeBron’s Lakers and the Nets (minus injured Kevin Durant) were getting ready to play pre-season games in China. China, whose state-led intolerance of criticism is by now pretty well established, reacted strongly and swiftly after Morey’s tweet.

The initial reaction was to pull those games off Chinese TV. There were and doubtless will be other Chinese retaliatory measures.

The Chinese have denied demanding the NBA fire Morey, but reports persist that the Chinese would make the Rockets and the NBA pay dearly for Morey’s indiscretion.

The China-NBA relationship was working pretty well for both sides until this month.

Solid and high-performing but not superstar NBA players like the Celtics’ Gordon Hayward and the Warriors’ Klay Thompson have lucrative sneaker endorsement deals with Chinese companies. The NBA has a $1.5 billion deal in place with Chinese tech firm Tencent. The lucrative ties between one of the world’s most visible sports leagues and the largest global audience retains massive positive financial potential for both sides.

Amid multiple apologies and explanations from many, including NBA

commissioner Adam Silver and Morey himself, in the wake of the infamous tweet, there remain concerns that there’s much more to come.

Added to all this is the fact that Morey is the GM of the NBA’s most well-known franchise in China, thanks to the enduring popularity there of Yao Ming, the 7-foot 6-inch Hall of Famer who led the Rockets for a decade after he was the first pick in the 2002 NBA draft. Yao’s riveting rivalry with Shaquille O’Neal and gentle, almost stoical demeanour endeared him to many American NBA fans.

But Yao, now chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association, is angry with the NBA and is speaking out. His remarks will likely keep open this sore wound for at least a while longer.

Meantime, the 2019-2020 NBA season has begun, with the Los Angeles Clippers as pre-season favourites thanks to their adding Kawai Leonard and Paul George in the off-season. The Clips obliged their supporters by beating the Lakers in their opening game Tuesday.

Commissioner Silver and his staff doubtless hope all the regular season excitement dulls the controversy with China. But it’s worth recalling Silver’s comments two weeks ago: “It is inevitable that people around the world – including from America and China – will have different viewpoints over different issues. It is not the role of the NBA to adjudicate those differences. We recognize that our two countries have different political systems and beliefs. And like many global brands, we bring our business to places with different political systems around the world.

“The fact that we (the NBA) have apologized to fans in China is not inconsistent with supporting someone’s (Morey’s) right to have a point of view.”

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, October 24, 2019, PAGE 11

DR RODNEY SMITH, UB president

UB agrees deal for digital survey

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net A CONTRACT was signed yesterday by a government official and the University of the Bahamas to allow UB to conduct a survey to gather information that the government will use to measure the progress and success of digitisation in the public service.

Speaking during a press conference, Minister of State for Grand Bahama Kwasi Thompson said it is very important to prepare people for the transformation that is to come, adding that the survey was the first step.

He said: “For many in the public sector, the word transformation is a difficult one. Transformation sometimes flies in the face of tradition, habit, custom and moves us from the place of comfort that comes with doing things the same way it’s always been done for a long period of time. Quite often, the same old way is inefficient, time consuming, repetitive and expensive.

“The government of the Bahamas has been committed to charting a new course by the honourable prime minister that focuses on the best practices that will result in an improvement and mechanisms of government and the provisions of government services to our domestic and international clients.”

He added: “A country’s place in the ease of doing business ranking demands that we become nimble, more responsive, more urgent and more digital.

That’s actually the emphasis more digital. To meet the 21st century expectations.”

Mr Thompson said the

government must work for the people instead of the people working for the government.

The Government and Public Policy Institute, headed by former Minister of State for Finance Zhivargo Laing, is carrying out the survey.

Mr Thompson added: “We want to know whether the public is aware of the services that government offers; whether they use the online services and if not, why not. We need to know the public appetite for change to online services, we need to know the public’s expectation and satisfaction with government services. Here is the truism — what gets measured, gets done.”

The minister noted the government’s goal is fixed on a digitised public service environment where customers can expect an improvement in the ease of doing business through a reduction in the time it takes to incorporate a business.

He said the aim of the initiative is “. . .greater transparency in the government process; improvement in services, both in process and delivery; better data collection and analysis to assist with more informed decision making; and to create an environment that fosters greater public private ICT partnerships and innovations. You will be hearing more about the latter in short order.”

Dr Rodney Smith, UB president, said a government and policy institute was established at the University of the Bahamas in 2017 for the purpose of collecting date, analysing data and providing feedback to policy makers.

FATHER FAILS TO REDUCE HIS SENTENCE FOR INCEST

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A 50-YEAR-OLD man has failed to convince a court that his two-decade sentence for having sexual relations with his nine-yearold daughter should be reduced because he is getting too old.

The appellate tribunal of Justices Jon Isaacs, Stella Crane-Scott and Sir Michael Barnett affirmed the 20-year-sentence of the man, whose name has been withheld to protect the identity of the victim.

On September 3, 2018, a jury unanimously convicted the man of incest.

Justice Renea McKay consequently sentenced the man to 20 years in prison in January of this year.

On April 14, the man filed an appeal—albeit out

of time, against his sentence. The convict’s reason for appealing his sentence was that he is getting old and that 20 years in prison is too long a sentence.

The Crown, led by Camille Gomez-Jones and Cordell Frazier, argued that the appeal should not be allowed based on the precedents set in two cases, one of which saw one man sentenced to 25 years for raping his 14-yearold daughter, and another man sentenced to 30 years for raping a nine-year-old girl.

The appellate judges ultimately found that they had no basis upon which to interfere with Justice McKay’s sentence and that the convict could not demonstrate any prospects of success in his appeal.

His sentence was consequently affirmed.

Dr Smith said: “One of the missions of the government and policy institute headed by Mr Zhivargo Laing is also to monitor and report on national key performance indicators that gives the government and opportunity to see how well we are doing, how well the country is progressing and moving forward.

“This survey is one of those tools that we will continue to use. This survey will also help us as we continue to produce more studies for use by our policy makers as we move forward into the future. I welcome this opportunity and I thank you very much minister of behalf of the University of the Bahamas. “

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PAGE 12, Thursday, October 24, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

IS THIS POSITIVE MOVE TOO LATE?

The Tribune

READERS have been posting their responses to the stories making the news on tribune242.com.

After the Clean Marine Company signed a $1.5m deal to create the first “clean� port facility in The Bahamas – creating around 45 permanent jobs in Grand Bahama, Proudloudandfnm said: “Well it’s a positive move for Freeport but is it too late? Our maritime industry has been in the doldrums now for five years thanks to the PLP and FNM’s hunt for revenue.

Rate increases and new charges for certain facilities added to oil prices plunging have literally killed the maritime industry in Freeport. And no one in government even knows . . . “Good luck to you Rob, this is a service we have needed for decades. I just pray the industry bounces back before you guys pull the plug and close it up . . .�

Realitycheck242 had this to say: “Good move . . . The widespread contamination of Grand Bahama industrial areas should serve as a negative case study and not be allowed to be repeated in other pristine areas of the country.�

The news that a deal had been signed for a school of medicine in Freeport led to this comment from SP: “With parts of the U.S. and Canada already inundated with snow, this indeed is a step in the right direction! “The Bahamas’ temperate climate, proximity and ease of access to North America should be a winning formula to entice high-end universities, special education/vocational institutions and retirement home developments from North America to expand here. The benefits of local education opportunities would be limitless.�

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FORBES ministers owedat Bahamas ance of some also said as $62,023 The source Forbes was one $20,000 each Mr Light, with Power and in arrears of Monday the company former minister as of July, in talks with balance over the settle Mr to for some $60,000 a list obtained nth period. a three-mo according to PLP Mount d

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SEE PAGE EIGHT $12,981.03 in yesterwant to comment other former day, and the

were spent under ers’ dollars administration. the Christie is evidence new He said if there lity�, the of “crimina will allow the government

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Decembe Progressive THE Attorneyslammed to begin work on Amid the said between 2017, the early June.

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THE outages that island-wide Providence plagued Newstemmed from late last year equipment Pier widespread the Clifton g to failures at accordin Power Station, and Light.

Power vehicle. a Bahamas in reported escape were taken The companyof its investo reports, The victims are According midnight on where they T on the findings islandSKA DORSET but stable tigation into two another shortly after officers re- to hospital

By SANCHE Reporter in serious and Sunday, the domestic inci- listed wide outages, Tribune Staff occurred a dia.net condition. that shortly major outage that r 29 and sponded to sdorsett@ tribuneme in Valentine Police said arrested between Novembe dent at a homeoff Johnson a officers in an officers, on also after 4am, 4 last year, the TWO police wife, are in Subdivisi . While at the the shooter, who was December sent to a Terrance with a from gunshot internal memo husband and stable condition home, a man armed ent and obtained also recovthe of- suffering serious but shot multiapproached them wounds. Police from the governmTribune.

by The after they were responding shotgun both of a shotgun SEE PAGE 11 ficers and shot to flee ered ple times while attempting c incident�.

The suspect.

SEE PAGE 12 to a “domesti an adult male, before police said.

HowPolice have by one of the the scene, returned fire. con- officers suspect was able to who was shot custody in ever the officers, in the shooting. nection with Friday, one of

area on in the Englerston in the calendar above. bune W. Carey/:Tri as shown at Peardale Park Photos: Terrel from the scene to be a deadly February, boy is taken a 15-year-old 12 so far in what has proven THE BODY of and one of over the weekend,

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PRIME Ministerlikened a “very fighting efforts.

T certain suggestion to do so their crime SKA DORSET Mr ChrisChristie yesterday no and the ’ crime situBy SANCHE Reporter These efforts,would likely al and makes the Bahamas “Wild West,� is “emotion Tribune Staff suggested, dia.net a “subation to the recent wave tie sense�. dedicating s came sdorsett@ tribuneme he said the the capital include number of officas His comment rein the country after the country streets of of murders a “major� and stantial�

DESPIT E homicides in hours its 27th homicide for to patrol the and sice must solicit effort by his ers have corded recording 13 ioner of ous�

New Providengiving them Seven people year. “continu Commiss “flood the to usly 13 days, Greenslade been killed since Friday. n, in multaneo to interdict administration afternoo Police Ellison with officers is not in “the capacity ts of people the streets�

On Monday is necesthat a said the Bahamas and the to do “all that madness the movemen incorporatalso reportedoutside bid “crisis� a of police this a state on the streets,� police ofn can con- man was stabbed sary to bring on Nassau day average Bahamia y� ing more reserve about their the an establishment men were to a halt�. speaking and “if necessar tinue to “go two without Mr Christie, yesterday, ficers, ating Royal BahaStreet while area of as normal day� attacked. ce shot while in the victims with reporters s� occur- incorpor Force marines fear of being mas Defence conferen Corner. These said the “madnes At a press to gang activity in policing efforts. said he ters on Ross said to be in stable ring is due n. also of were at police headquar Mr Christie with in hospital. a weekend and retaliatio past bloody be speaking Monday afterCommissioner condition ioner He said the a “shocking would Commiss is simso“carnage�, SEE PAGE THREE de said it said the only weekend is that will reGreenslade country’s crime Greenslaenough for people to not development� lution to the “keep prolific ply government finger at the a press to to “point the e speaking at Staff quire the problem is bars�. He police in times of crisis� une Ellison Greenslad behind Police Carey/Trib their of W. offenders Bahamas to “manage Photo: Terrel COMMISSIONER not yet refuse yesterday. said the Royal (RBPF) is Act, Chapter SEE PAGE THREE conference Police Force implementing Suppression g. considering “locking down boxer was of human traffickin 53, of 106. a curfew or The former with three JOHNSON James Coakley, Andros

By LAMECH Reporter also charged filed under on Ross Staff Cargill Creek, of rape before Chief a double shooting, lamented Tribune tribunemedia.net was broughtJoyann Fergu- counts 6(a) of the Sexual ljohnson@ recent inciyesterday te Section 99. It nature of the three mosthave left one Corner in Magistra to answer to two Offences Act, Chapter in “too bold� in the capappeared O WELLS he engaged dents, which three others the g in perA MAN yester- son-Pratt

By RICARD Reporter occurring of traffickin Section is alleged that man dead andserious condi- crimes as he insisted Magistrate’s Court as- counts Tribune Staff SEE PAGE SIX in ia.net contrary to ital recently, of sexually ng of prolific in hospital during sons rwells@tribunemed the Trafficki a “handful hell-bent day accused a woman 3(1)(a) of Prevention and the that tion. of remain saulting � poand s holidays.

Officer-in-charge Unit, offenders g the public.

AS the country the Christmato be a victim in Persons Detective to grapple on terrorisin alleged lice continue spate of vio- CentralSuperintendent ClaySEE PAGE THREE She is to speaking with the latest law enforce- Chief Fernander, scene of lent crimes, are seeking ton media on the ment officials assistance in the DORSETT the public’s SKA

By SANCHE Reporter Tribune Staff dia.net sdorsett@ tribuneme placed authorof an law as it investigatallow the ity solely in the hands , POLICE are nces sura judiciary The bill will of police, or independent ICB met ing the circumsta EST of a commissioner on his behalf, the the death that the

By AVA TURNQU Reporter standards rounding r-old boy who was person actingwarrant from a adding onal Tribune Chief media.net d recent three-yea sive in a car to obtain a to in- internati aturnquest@tribune Court judge per- and also addresseListening found unrespondaycare yess of the General Supremeand examine a front of his n. from criticism Act by the Privy in ATTOR NEY -Gibson tercept terday afternoo communications the toddler opera- Devices Allyson Maynard the In- son’s n The body ofd shortly afunications Council. defended suggestio and telecomm any icayesterday a She said of Commun t tors, internet providers n was a was discovere Monday by terception the legislatio ter 2pm on an importan postal services. t yesterday, that was false.

SEE PAGE SIX tions Bill as “spying bill� a statemen tool that would In e exFIVE anti-crim SEE PAGE privacy of law- Mrs Maynard-Gibson was enhance the rather than that this move abiding citizensit, as detrac- plained ented in Bahamiunpreced encroach upon FOR YOU... tors claim.

SO GOOD LA

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By SANCHE Reporter said ia.net con Palacious “difficult� for ljohnson@ kvirgil@tribunemed Tribune Staff dia.net Sr was tion will be and the FNM Move- sdorsett@ tribuneme of OMAR Archer both the PLP is no FREE National Dr Hubert Archdea- and at this point there how yesterday convicteda senment Leader to harm ANGLICAN gauge said said the threatening way to “properlygo.�

Minnis yesterday“all hands con James Palacious officer through need that the Progres- the results will s came one ior police his social media FNM will the Pro- yesterday to appears vote post comment to Party a His years ago. on deck�

Party gov- sive Liberal its life�

Deputy Prime nearly two he to be “fighting for neither day after Phillip “Brave� page 45-year-old Nassau gressive Liberal of office as that The appeared ernment out that the the Minister Day, May and predicted Village resident g party nor nt Davis predicted heralded Election seats in the SEE PAGE SEVEN Moveme that will bring the governin will win 30 10, as a day Free Nationalseats in next PLP SEE PAGE TWO 30 change. spoke dur- will wingeneral election.

Minnis at month’s Dr on conference as a guest ing a press Appearing SEE PAGE THREE

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energy. solar, to produce of agreeof Works The heads the governMINIST ER r said challenges, Desmond Banniste ment requires to “address concerns� pressed certain and BPL delayed t today marks which he suggestedof docu- he has “serious Power and ment and consisten WHILE with Bahamas to “keep the reliable of electricity on the for both sitsubmission the deadlineformer parlia- the tell- supply Providence, Light’s ability are chal- lights on this summer,� of island of New ting and to file financial ments. abiliinclude the Among these the lack mentarians Public Discloobtaining finanThe Tribuneprevent the which will the requirements lenges with from spouses, ing may ty to meet disclosures, ion Chairrecords s reliabilityent from fulfilling of the project.� the instalsure CommissLaroda told cial rly in situation y requireoper- governm This involves supporting man Myles yesterday that particula Mar they may have prior all the necessar all Baha “of where Tribune the that y to in lation The accounts still some cture necessar ated bank . He said there ments of agreement. there were ing�. al- infrastru - heads to marriage that he is SEE PAGE FIVE are “outstand some unwilling yesterday, He added new, alat sion In an interview in his dis- was also ready “looking including and apprehen said ways,�

Mr Laroda some persons ness SEE PAGE THREE ternative cussions with to make who are required es, they exthe disclosur

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Tribune Staff a.net much-publicised staff to rrolle@tribunemedi “We have enough “We 170,000 peo- do this,� Mr Hall said.certiJUST over d to vote have to make sure it’s toafter ple have registere 10 general elec- fied some 14 daysdate.� for the May ntary Com- day’s (Tuesday’s) tion, Parliame ce with the Hall said In accordan Elections missioner Sherlyn ntary pubParliame yesterday. what he de- Act, Mr Hall will give of This follows election in a “mad rush� notice of the week, statscribed as to vote lic this g ers of newspapdate, place in conpeople registerin the last day ing the when on Monday, s and times registration. 172,000 peo- stituencieon papers must be There were to vote in the nominati . d delivered ple registere election.

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By RASHAD Reporter Tribune Staff a.net rrolle@tribunemedi Nottage’s DR Bernard forever be will “footprints the Bahamian etched on landscape� fordevelopmental work as a through his of the Bahamer presidention of Athletic mas Associat the Bahamas ions, Associat ion, the Medical Associatand as a MinDoctors’ Union r afconsume for FORMER Prime rethe minister , health and was to accept when I ister Perry Christie fairs, education into a defeat, Opposias I did pictured yesterday. W. was in arrears, sponsibility for it in response to national security, “Brave� tenant who Photo: Terrel said Philip recent he airport �

Leader ns Staff levelled described tion resigned, ay.

Carey/Tribune from accusatio Mr Christieby the government as questions on the criticism in recent Davis said Wednesd , misfea71, died administration moves made by a party pandering at his administration ible spending Dr Nottage, the Cleveof irrespons O WELLS . at a “misstep� thought

By RICARD Reporter Wednesday He will receive sance and cronyism that weeks. never any he was “disap- to its base. maintained Tribune Staff “There was land Clinic. was acceptia.net He also said allegations being in arrangeMr Christie ts relating on my part that I any degree by the rwells@tribunemed gova state funeral announced, of documen would ility for Per- pointed�around by the new be review to a rsies irreMinister responsib ty, that ments ing controve Prime ed tossed the press secng matters er of criminali to these two FORMER ration of any according to Office of the yesterday condemnra- ernment concerni his last term as absolve his administ that much whatsoev spending and the notion ry Christie during retary for the and prove as noth- sponsible Minnis administ Anthony is bare’ is just transpired is wrongdoing efforts by the his government in Prime Minister, that ‘the cupboard prime minister.at accusations from of the FNM’s rhetoric l slogans.� tion to portray as he challenged Newbold. political slogans.�

Hitting back Minnis administhan “politica light, SEE PAGE SIX SEE PAGE THREE a negative leader to carry out a of the r- ing more of the challenges I have governof the members ng the controveto “One the nation’s who led the $8m examination tration concerni of more thanclean up as the person led the government “dispassionate sial pay out and who record�. interview at one vendor for hurricane to an ment off of $1.2m During a lengthy home on Thursand the write his Cable Beach defended his day, Mr Christie

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ROBERTS: PEET A ‘POLITICAL ENEMY’ FOR ANDROS BID

Established 1903

THURSDAY

Pages 20&21

Christie denies claims ong spendin

PRO M SEAS SPO TLIG HT AS

must be abandon

as Hurrion the island home has Ragged “Every those who remained Minnis warns . The homes last week. discussion with Minister Dr Hubert has been destroyed battered their icken Raghas been health facility WIPEOUT: Prime s on storm-strPrime Min- cane Irma teachers’ residence no water. destroyed. The te, and safety condition to deteriora urged the 18 been has been destroyed. The is no light. There is HEALT H he smell the school will only continue destroyed. There about, you can yesterday as The in the afterged Island Minnis said to evacuate “As we walk , dead animals. ister Dr Hubert on the island reduced ls will dehas T stench of dead carcasses s of the individua remaining residents them e Irma, whichof rubble and SPECIA L REPOR that we get health condition Russell, piles essential math of Hurrican to it’s Khrisna there and s Words: said.

W Carey teriorate most structureisland unlivable.

Dr Minnis the only Pictures: Terrel Dr Minnis off this island,� reluctant to leave for rendered the stay here,� saw for the n understandablyhome, expressing concern “They cannot were delegatio a as Many days and and ever known through said after he damage left by Irma residences, place they’ve gs. hurricane ripped safety of theirWe will have first time the Five monster personal belongin d about the are concerne may have left behind. the Defence by the smell after the Category island. ted “They and , exacerba on of all esmaterials they the small southern a vessel here the same physical condition the destructi still whatever Force dispatche the cleanup and at The island’s carcasses and strongly urge those the Defence Minnis said. THREE of rotting animalled Dr Minnis to small community can Force will try to commenc security,� Dr SEE PAGE that there is sential services, to leave until the time ensure Island has been on Ragged Ragged Island through and be restored. the residents; walk to a “I’ve spoken Minnis said following Dr devastated,�

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By RICARD Reporter Tribune Staff ia.net rwells@tribunemed concern ADMIT TING Bernard Notin over what Dr have battled last tage may his isolation during Prime Minisdays, former yesterday for ter Perry Christie admiration the expressed forth by the effort put security to former national the build-up minister in election. the May general from his Breaking away since being public silence office in hisof a voted out last month, toric fashion Mr Chrishis visibly troubled of portions tie detailed tion with his last conversa longfriend and childhood colleague on time political Thursday.

Centreville The former Nottage as Dr MP saw “fought tehis someone who throughout and naciously� loved he life for thosetrait he said he a supported, up to their saw on display tion. last conversa SEE PAGE SIX

Liberal were obtaineda from a ther’s PROGR ESSIVE The emails n Bradley EMAILS leaked following of China Con- by The Tribune Party Chairma out at his highdata breach ’s (CCA) story in December Roberts lashed of CCA struction America colleague Vinthat from the breach former party night, accusservers show2013, Jerome lighting by a San Francisco cent Peet last North Anto servers China Construction as early as was seeking ing the former Islands MP hacker.

Fitzgerald of dollars eventually paid 24 bitcoins dros and Berry l enemy� and of $24,000) secure millions equivalent e, trucking, of being a “politica an independ in brokerag at Baha (thehave access to their servwho mounted because he to it apa relimousine contracts sat in Cabinet ers restored; however, ent campaigna nomination emails showing , Sciforwarded leaked Mar while he the Educaof emails of that ONE Education l was denied g party.

Minister of as the Minister and Tech- pears relating to personne quest from or from the governin y Jerome Fitzgerald. tion, Science Tribune has to, to PLP supcompromised, ence and Technolog Speaking at CCA were in The nology, The a rally in North officials at Baha porters at night, Mr Robagent for Limolink despite top they were not learned. which his Bahamas. You are encourcontradict the saying at from Andros last is war� as faThe emails this week de- Mar clientele with a reference d by the hack said “this writes, “I limousine company was aged to get to vote Viacom if erts crowd of Minister, who his office to concerne Fitzgerald the Mr matime. free he urged the president Dr Perry miliar. nied ever using to himself the an email dated May 18, am aware that interior regard the you wish. Please feel incumbent In a vote began to arrive “Also with Izmirlian personally for we direct contracts adding that for the business from the mul- 2013, sent to Mr d, with terials have I would really contact me contact Gomez, vote limousine to meet with to a hotel. or his family resort. agents is the be Fitzgeral your Peet for Mr g for Mr Curit if we couldbro- are ready he or have Movement. ti-billion dollard - the Pro- by our Managin Porter, Shelly appreciate anytime,�

Free National Mr Porter Mr Fitzgeral Party MP QuentinAlarice Fill copied, appointed your official your people SEE PAGE SIX his 2013.�

Director directly.� also tis and gressive Liberal d indicates e ker for June 1st a request writes. we really n - appears TWO & THREE Mr Fitzgeral “As indicated cusSEE PAGES for Maratho He then makesfor limoug $20,000 readiness to start brokerag to highend for only cater to be requestin official Baha Mar’s and trucking services and of Mr Izmirlian Baha Mar, tomers and are the project a month from services at of r Sarkis Baha Mar of re- sinehe touted the level original develope the ex- the as the brokers citing Izmirlian, were necessary remain for the property. penses that cost of his fa- cord to cover the Healthcare hisMarsh Harbour a tortured has ROLLE Centre

By RASHAD Reporter missed deadtory, one of of shoddy Tribune Staff a.net lines and claimsall without rrolle@tribunemedi ship, of- workman accountability. any clear original GOVER NMENT ioned the The facility’sbankrupt. ficials commiss Healththe contractor went of Marsh Harbour in Abaco yesConstruction began care Centre e centre it as a longIngraham terday, touting to the island healthcar under the former awaited boost adminisration. in and the Christie Health administ the Christie adhealth centre When tours the new tration’s National une Staff came to power, RASPBERRY ion plans.

Perry Christie e W. Carey/Trib ministrat g the Insuranc Photo: Terrel ICED TEA and Ado- it spent $1m renovatin PRIME Minister Like the Child SEE PAGE SIX Abaco yesterday.

Robert Smith lescent and that was Complex (CARS) last year, the commissioned

R HEA MARSH HARBOU

IT’S MAY 10

Friday, June 30, 2017

Picture perfect Seniors go big for

T SKA DORSET

By SANCHE Reporter Tribune Staff dia.net sdorsett@ tribuneme yesFIREFIGHTERS a large blaze terday battled Providence at the New three weeks Landfill, nearly a massive that after tackling city dump fire at the nearly a month. burned for Charge of Fire Officer in Chief SuperinServices, Evans said tendent Walter is “not confire the the current any way to this nected� in and at previous blazedo not know time officials the fire. Howwhat caused ent Minister ever Environm told rehe Kenred Dorsett the site that porters at “sabotage� in said suspected the fire. He relation to ed� the team he “instructrs to have the of firefighte hed “before and blaze extinguis day� today nomination Baha Mar’s certainly before Friday. opening on started shortly The blaze and Wednesday after 3am officsaid Evans Chief Supt battle the fire to but ers expect another day for at least wind is a “huge� he said the factor.

SEE PAGE SIX

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By SANCHE Reporter Tribune Staff dia.net sdorsett@ tribuneme

after they the police cations with from entering the

ManEmergency actiThe National (NEMA) agement Agency y management vated its emergenc an evacuation

and were blocked plan yesterday ed at the Kenarea. were also shelter was establish um at the Several persons with respira- dal G L Isaacs Gymnasi Centre Sports to the hospital Gar- rushed Queen Elizabeth shelter during ts. in Jubilee tory complain Tribune arrived on which was used as a for displaced RESIDENTS to evacuate their When The residents were the last hurricane dens were forced after a massive the scene, several as the believed on their roofs,homes. residents. landfill homes yesterday the dump is smaller Providence pouring water their a The fire at fire at the Newcommunity in thick, blaze grew closer to nt for Tall started by to have been Road.

Parliame blanketed the s smoke.

Member of Miller was also assist- bush fire off Fire Trail black hazardou the Royal Bahamas Pines Leslie in hosing down their TWO AND THREE PAGES entrance Members of aSEE blocked the visibility ing residentsproviding transport Police Force on as homes and who needed help. residents to the subdivisi tion for those zero. Angry dropped to in verbal alterbecame involved fire off Fire a smaller bush to the city by ed after a spread have Movement fre- Trail Road that blanketed Jubilee Gardens yesterday Road. fire the smoke in Jubilee off Fire Trail the Free National to prevent dump. The ing areas in T flees from the started in bushes done enough the New Providence Gardens and surround threatened A YOUNGSTER SKA DORSET e landfill that at and

By SANCHE Reporter New Providenc to evacuate their homes. Hanna/Tribune Staff quent fires have caused some of thick, black smoke g officials fire at the were asked Photos: Shawn Tribune Staff dia.net ry issues. several homes, promptin Landfill that Many residents sdorsett@ tribuneme masto develop respirato SEE PAGE THREE s came as a Jubi- them owners in Their comment at the landfill, raging ANGRY home was startyesterday expressed sive fire was lee Gardens concern that neither which officials believe nor and Party disgust ive Liberal the Progress had any redespite not having his many purchase WELLS to O sponse r

By RICARD Mar’s former offers, as Baha Izmirlian said cases of im- Tribune Staff Reporte enced alleged ibunemedia.net developer, Mr “stands ready, officials solicitROLLE migration from migrants rwells@tr

By RASHAD Reporter his company buy Baha developer ing bribes and able to Tribune Staff beatings of a.net THE originalMar resort willing complete it and alleged prisoners in today and Bahamian rrolle@tribunemedi of the Baha the resort’s Mar ely with migrants and n conStates has de- immediat yesterday said THE United Bahamas custody. y, the Ministry continued completiondates workers and Bahamia delays the Yesterda the The chronic opening highlighted “intimida- of Foreign Affairs said te� lays, missed stag- tractors. by CCA for either government’s created “inaccura incom“now supposed rnmental report had cases “incom- and opening� of the en- self interest or patent The tion of non-gove and efforts gered in some must stop now. into late next organisations� ent and au- and information. tire property that Sarkis petence deserves better.� plete� incident an by the governm Bahamas “free shows inhibit Referring to SEE PAGE SIX Min- year offer “is superi-. thorities to criminal Education Izmirlian’s Fitzgerald or� to the current situation for in which speech through as problems this, and ister Jerome despite 12 libel laws� latest PAGE However, SEE in its the Bahamas report. human rights also referThe report

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Islands’ Leading

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Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said the $6.4m temporary dome city in Abaco is expected to only be in use for two years, prompting this from Godson: “This is a bad idea! Indeed, it is waste of tax payers money. An abuse of office I say. The after affect of hurricane Dorian presented an opportunity to engage the workforce and develop critically needed construction skills in The Bahamas. “In particular, rather than our young men be shooting and killing themselves everyday, I would have engaged as much of our young men so that they can learn the basic construction skills by building temporary housing made out of texture 1 x 11 plywood - properly strapped for strong winds. This would have cost much less than these igloos and the material would be useful after the period of use. We continue to strengthen foreign interest above our people’s best interest.�

Sheeprunner12 said: “The Government did not execute mandatory evacuation . . . it definitely cannot compel anyone to go back to GB or Abaco and on Govt terms. “Many Bahamians will prefer to live under a tarp over their damaged home, than to live in these igloos . . . or live in Nassau and migrate to and fro to complete home repairs.�

Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, October 24, 2019, PAGE 13

MAN CRITICAL IN HOSPITAL WITH GUNSHOT WOUNDS

A MAN is in hospital nursing gunshot wounds after he was shot Tuesday night, police said.

According to police, shortly after 10pm two men were sitting outside a residence on Wilson Tract off Wulff Road, when a gunman entered the yard and opened fire on them. One of the men was injured; the gunman fled the scene on foot.

The injured man was

transported to hospital in a private vehicle where he is listed in critical but stable condition.

New Providence police also said two men were arrested in connection with an armed robbery that occurred on Tuesday.

Shortly before 9pm, a man was in the area of a business establishment on Jerome Avenue, when he was approached by a

gunman who robbed him of a black 2016 Honda Accord before fleeing in an unknown direction.

Officers from the Mobile Division, who were patrolling St James Road off Kemp Road, later saw two men exiting the black Honda Accord. The men were arrested and are expected to be formally charged.

Investigations are ongoing.

PAGE 14, Thursday, October 24, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

39 PEOPLE FOUND DEAD IN BACK OF A TRUCK ESSEX, England Associated Press

Authorities found 39 people dead in a truck in an industrial park in England yesterday and arrested the driver on suspicion of murder in one of Britain’s worst human-smuggling tragedies.

Police were reconstructing the final journey of the victims as they tried to piece together where they were from and how they came to be in England.

“To put 39 people into a locked metal container shows a contempt for human life that is evil,” said Jackie Doyle-Price, a member of Parliament who represents the area where the truck was found.

“The best thing we can do in memory of those victims is to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”

The truck and the trailer with the people inside apparently took separate circuitous journeys before ending up on the grounds

of the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, 25 miles east of London on the River Thames.

British police said they believe the container went from the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet, England, where it arrived early Wednesday. Police believe the tractor traveled from Northern Ireland to Dublin, where it took a ferry to Holyhead in Wales before picking up the trailer at the dockside in England. The truck’s driver — a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland — was arrested on suspicion of murder.

The truck was registered in Bulgaria to a company owned by an Irish citizen, Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry said. It’s point of origin was unclear. The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office said it has opened an investigation.

“We have no idea at the moment how long the lorry (truck) spent in Belgium,” said spokesman Eric Van Duyse. “It could be hours or days.”

FORENSIC officers attend the scene after a truck was found to contain 39 dead bodies inside a container believed to have come from Bulgaria

Seeks A New Principal/CEO Founded in 1948, St Andrew’s International School has a long and proud tradition of providing the highest quality education to our students. St Andrew’s is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS), the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and was the first school in The Bahamas to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Diploma (IBDP) Programmes. Our reputation for “Ethics & Excellence” is recognised nationally and internationally. Our student body of approximately 480 students represents thirty-six (36) nationalities showing our diversity of being international and proudly Bahamian.

Qualifications

• An outstanding educator with a sound track record of highly successful school leadership experience.

• Possession of an advance degree and experience leading a division of a IB School; • Knowledge of working in a multi-cultural educational environment.

• Experience in directing and managing change in organisational settings with evident success in cultivating solid relationships with a range of stakeholders, effectively balancing varying needs and priorities.

• Understanding of the administration of the Primary Years (PYP) and Diploma Programmes of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) preferred.

• Familiarity with the administration of the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE).

• Corroborated experience of leading, developing and motivating skilled teams with a pledge to the continuing professional development of all colleagues.

Key Responsibilities

The Principal will report to the Board of Directors and will be ultimately responsible for the provision of a world-class education and pastoral care.

More specifically, some of the key responsibilities of the Principal will be: • To gain an understanding of the School’s mission and vision, history and community.

• To lead the charge for the attainment of goals noted in the School’s Development Plan.

• To work closely with the Director of Finance to ensure effective financial and resource management.

• To provide pastoral care ensuring that the well-being, health and safety of all students is at the centre of all decision making.

• To ensure that all students of varying abilities are supported to unleash their full potential.

• To keep abreast about best practices and innovations in education inclusive of the use of technology in teaching and learning.

• To ensure meaningful assessment of the academic performance and progress of all students.

• To work with the Vice Principals/Heads of School to attract, develop and maintain talented teaching and support staff.

• To ensure that annual objectives are set and performance appraised for all staff members.

• To cultivate strong relationships with all stakeholders and encourage their engagement in and support of school life.

As darkness fell yesterday, a police motorcycle escort slowly led the Scania semitrailer out of the industrial park, taking it to a place where the bodies could be recovered. The driver of the trailer wore a full forensic suit and gloves as he guided the massive vehicle in the impromptu cortege past journalists.

Britain remains an attractive destination for immigrants, even as the U.K. is negotiating its divorce from the European Union. In Parliament, Prime Minister Boris Johnson put aside the Brexit crisis and vowed that human traffickers would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

“All such traders in human beings should be hunted down and brought to justice,” he said.

Ambulance workers discovered the bodies after being called at 1.40 am. It was unclear who called the ambulance service and no cause of death has been made public.

Trump lifts sanctions on Turkey WASHINGTON Associated Press

PRESIDENT Donald Trump said yesterday he will lift sanctions on Turkey after the NATO ally agreed to permanently stop fighting Kurdish forces in Syria and he defended his decision to withdraw American troops.

“We’re getting out,” Trump said at the White House, asserting that tens of thousands of Kurdish lives were saved as the result of his actions.

“Let someone else fight over this long, bloodstained sand,” he said.

The president, who campaigned on a promise to cease American involvement in “endless wars,” took a victory lap as he lopped the American presence inside Syria in less than a year from about 2,000 troops to a contingency force in southern Syria of 200 to 300.

Lawmakers on both sides of aisle chastised the president for turning on the Syrian Kurds, whose fighters battled side by side with American troops to beat back the Islamic State

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP group They also questioned whether the move has opened up the region to a resurgence of IS. “I am worried that a full withdrawal will create space for ISIS to regroup, grow and gain more strength,” said Michael McCaul of Texas, the lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “We learned from President Obama’s reckless retreat from Iraq that power vacuums are exploited by America’s worst enemies.

We do not want to repeat the same mistake. We must learn from history.”

Trump warned that if Turkey does not honour its pledge for a permanent cease-fire, he will not hesitate to reimpose sanctions.

Earlier this month, Trump halted negotiations on a $100 billion trade deal with Turkey, raised steel tariffs back up to 50% and imposed sanctions on three senior Turkish officials and Turkey’s defense and energy ministries.

“The job of our military is not to police the world,” Trump said. “Other nations must step up and do their fair share. Today’s breakthrough is a critical step in that direction.”

Trump earlier in October ordered the bulk of the approximately 1,000 US troops in Syria to withdraw after Turkey’s president, Recep Tayipp Erdogan, told Trump in a phone call that Turkish forces were set to invade northeastern Syria. Turkey’s goal was to push back the U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters. Turkey views the Kurds as terrorists and an ever-present threat along its southern border with Syria.

The US pullout was seen as an abandonment of Kurdish fighters, who have incurred thousands of casualties as they fought with US forces against the Islamic State militants.

Protests rage in Chile

Application Process

Those interested in applying for the long term appointment should send an application no later than 22 November 2019.

The review of files will begin as soon as applications are received. Candidates should note that, in the event that an outstanding applicant is identified early in the search process, St Andrew’s reserves the right to make an appointment before the deadline mentioned above and to bring the search to a close. For this reason we encourage interested candidates to apply at the earliest possible time.

Candidates should send all the information requested below as a single email with an attachment(s) to: principal.search@st-andrews.com • A letter of application, explaining your strengths as a candidate and why you are interested in the Principal/CEO position at St Andrew’s International School.

• A current résumé not to exceed three (3) pages.

• A one (1) to two (2) page statement outlining educational philosophy and leadership style.

• A one (1) page list of references with phone numbers and E-mail addresses.

This should include the current Chair and Treasurer of the current Board of Directors at your school, plus former board members or others as desired.

• A minimum of three (3) letters of reference.

Submission of your application is an acknowledgement that the School may contact references both listed and not listed who would know your professional background. The selection of the Principal is in the sole discretion of the Board of Directors.

For more information please see key responsibilities and history of the school on the website www.standrewsbahamas.com

A PROTESTER holds a banner that reads in Spanish “Soldier don’t fire against the people” in front of riot police during in Santiago yesterday. Rioting, arson attacks and violent clashes wracked Chile as the government raised the death toll to 15 in an upheaval that has almost paralyzed the South American country.

MORALES SAYS COUP UNDERWAY AS RIVALS DISPUTE VOTE LA PAZ, Bolivia Associated Press

BOLIVIAN President Evo Morales said yesterday his opponents are trying to stage a coup against him as protests grow over a disputed election he claims he won outright, though a nearly finished vote count suggests it might head to a second round.

The leftist leader needs a 10

percentage-point margin over his closest rival to avoid a December runoff in which he could risk being defeated by a united opposition in his bid for a fourth consecutive term in office.

The vote count yesterday had him with a 9.48 percentage point lead with just 3.22 percent of the votes from Sunday’s election left to count. He led former President Carlos Mesa 46.49% to 37.01%.

THE TRIBUNE

‘The Bahamas’ own street philosopher’

Thursday, October 24, 2019, PAGE 15