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VOLUME:114 No.241, NOVEMBER 7TH, 2017

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

WOMAN: EIGHT OUT OF TEN WOMEN HAVE THE WRONG BRA SIZE

‘I expect contracts will be honoured’

NEW CARS SALES PLUNGE 31 PERCENT

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net NEW car dealers yesterday expressed “grave concern” over the 31.17 percent third quarter sales decline, warning: “God helps us if this trend continues into 2018.”

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Sir Baltron speaks out on pay row

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

amicably settled with the Minnis administration and his contract honoured.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis tabled documents in the House of Assembly last week, which revealed about two weeks before the general election, the former Christie administration renewed Sir Baltron’s contract as a senior policy advisor and consultant in the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Tourism, agreeing to pay him $800,000 over a four-year period.

SEE PAGE THREE

FORMER advisor and consultant Sir Baltron Bethel was adamant yesterday his “reputation and work speaks for itself” amid backlash over the Christie administration’s decision to renew his contract a year before it expired, also increasing his salary by $60,000 annually despite him having no additional duties.

However, Sir Baltron told The Tribune he expected to have his termination

UNIONS SIGNAL THEY’LL WANT A PAY RISE TOO

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

John Pinder earlier this year as BPSU chief, said while he welcomes and encourages the idea of a wage increase for parliamentarians, he strongly believes such a move should “come hand in hand” with an increase to minimum wage and pay reviews across the public sector.

Referring to reasoning provided by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis last week when he announced his government’s plan, Mr SEE PAGE SIX

BAHAMAS Public Services Union (BPSU) President Kingsley Ferguson has warned the government should expect demands for a “general” wage increase in the “underpaid” public sector if the Minnis administration follows through on its plans for a salary increase for MPs. Mr Ferguson, who replaced

THE UNIVERSITY of The Bahamas held a reopening ceremony for their pool facility yesterday in collaboration with the Let’s Swim Bahamas Programme. Pictured is Let’s Swim Bahamas Instructor Lisa Burn during her lessons with Darius Rolle. See page two for more photographs.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

FNM’S ‘IGNORING PUBLIC’S WISHES’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Minnis administration is “planning to go against the wishes of the people” with its citizenship agenda, Bahamas Christian Council President Bishop Delton Fernander said yesterday.

His comments came as he criticised the government’s plan to amend the Bahamas Nationality

Act to give children of unwed Bahamian fathers and Bahamian women living abroad automatic rights to citizenship upon application.

“We have to be careful with tampering with democracy,” Bishop Fernander said when contacted

by The Tribune.

“This is the second government that once in power and elected has been willing to go against referendums. I await to see the

amendments brought to the House of Assembly but it is the second statement where they are planning to go against the wishes of the people, vis-a-vis the deputy prime minister and minister of tourism saying they [are considering] a national lottery and now to reverse the outcome of the referendum where they are going against the expressed will of the people in the referendum.”

SEE PAGE NINE

CRUISE PORT CONTROL MAY BE OUTSOURCED

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

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APD, the Nassau Container Port’s operator, said the two companies planned to add “additional berths and facilities” to The Bahamas’ busiest cruise port if the Minnis administration gave their project the go-ahead.

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MITCHELL DEMANDS TURNQUEST APOLOGISE

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net SENATOR Fred Mitchell has demanded an apology from Finance Minister K Peter Turnquest, saying his comments regarding the former Christie administration’s handling of $42m from a $150m loan borrowed in the wake of Hurricane Matthew were “misleading”.

Last month, Mr Turnquest told parliamentarians the Minnis administration was only able to trace $108m of the hefty loan. Following this revelation, the deputy prime minister in a statement said the government SEE PAGE THREE

PAGE 2, Tuesday, November 7, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

INTO THE BLUE

THE UNIVERSITY Of The Bahamas held a reopening ceremony for its pool facility yesterday in collaboration with the Let’s Swim Bahamas Programme, unveiling the revamped pool area.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/ Tribune Staff

THE UNIVERSITY Of The Bahamas pool facility reopening ceremony yesterday.

LET’s Swim Bahamas instructor Lisa Burn during her lessons with Darius Rolle.

ATTENDEES at yesterday’s ceremony.

ANDY KNOWLES, Let’s Swim Bahamas co-ordinator.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, November 7, 2017, PAGE 3

‘I expect contracts will be honoured’ from page one When this contract was compared with an earlier three-year contract dated May 19, 2015 and effective May 14, 2015, no justification for a salary increase was apparent. The 2015 agreement showed the former advisor was initially to be paid $140,000 for the same duties outlined in the new 2017 contract.

This contract, Dr Minnis told Parliament, in addition to contracts of two others would not be honoured, adding they could “take me to court” over the agreements.

Asked about this, Sir Baltron said: “I have no comment on that. Additionally, I am not making this matter a matter of public debate and I expect that contracts will be honoured.

“I am not going to enter into a public debate on the matter. My reputation and my work speaks for itself,” Sir Baltron said when he was asked about his feelings regarding Dr Minnis making public the terms of his work for the former government.

Earlier in his interview with The Tribune, Sir Baltron said: “I have completed my work with the government and I expect that we will have the termination amicably settled in accordance with my letter of termination.”

According to Dr Minnis last week, on April 24, 2017, Sir Baltron signed a contract from Permanent Secretary Charles Albury “agreeing to extend” the current contract which was

to expire May 14, 2018.

Mr Albury wrote this contract would run on for a further period of two years, effective, May 14, 2018.

The agreement read: “Additionally, having regard to the expanded services you are providing, it has further been agreed to increase your fixed salary to $200,000 per annum with effect from January 1, 2016.

“In addition, you will receive paid medical insurance for you and your spouse and have provision of an automobile. A gratuity of 15 percent of your salary is payable on successful completion of your contract.”

In addition, all expenses relating to approved travel, inclusive of air fare, hotel accommodation and per diem necessary to the successful execution of Sir Baltron’s duties were to be governed by the extant policy of the Ministry of Tourism.

Asked about this contractual agreement, Official Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis said last Friday he believed Bahamians got value for money as the former advisor is a man of great knowledge and expertise.

Mr Davis further castigated Dr Minnis for making information about the increase public, insisting it was “disgraceful.”

Asked why Sir Baltron’s salary was increased despite there being no change in his job description, Mr Davis said: “Maybe those who were engaged recognised that the initial sum was inadequate.”

Despite this defence, Mr Davis pointed out this issue

SIR Baltron Bethel alongside Christie. would have not been in his purview under the former government where he was the deputy prime minister and minister of works.

“It’s disgraceful to be exposing what technocrats and experts are making,” Mr Davis told The Tribune.

“It’s not apples and apples,

then prime minister Perry but apples and oranges, and it’s rather unbecoming and disgraceful to continue along this line.

“They are doing the same thing [they accuse the former government of doing], entering into similar contracts, but they are not exposing those.”

MITCHELL DEMANDS TURNQUEST APOLOGISE from page one suspected the untraceable $42m from the hurricane fund was spent in a failed bid to buy the election.

At the time, he was responding to Exuma and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper who said Mr Turnquest was irresponsible for saying the government could not locate the funds following Hurricane Matthew last year.

But when the deputy prime minister was pressed further on the issue last week, he seemed to back pedal on his previous pronouncements, suggesting to reporters the funds were in the Consolidated Fund.

“He told the press last week when they were pressing him about it, that ‘am I speaking Greek, it’s right in the Consolidated Fund where they said it was,’” Mr Mitchell said in a video uploaded to Facebook and posted on a page affiliated with the senator.

“The ‘they’ he was referring to was the Progressive Liberal Party and that’s a fact. We said it wasn’t lost.

He said that we diverted

the money away from its purpose to pay for our campaign. That turned out to be a gross untruth and he needs to apologise to the House for misleading the House and to the Bahamian public. This is not something the minister of finance should be saying. All along the money was right there.”

Last week, when the East Grand Bahama MP was asked how the search for the unaccounted funds was going, he responded: “I’m not trying to find $42m.”

He added: “What we are doing, what we have done, is that we went through expenditures that were identified as hurricane related and we tallied all of those.

“So that’s what we have.

Now we will continue to go through that process to see if we can find more. Maybe we will. I don’t know.”

Asked to clarify whether officials are still searching for the funds, he said: “When asked for clarification on whether a search for the $42 million is ongoing, Mr Turnquest said: “No, because ain’t nothing to find.”

He added: “Am I

STATE-RECOGNISED FUNERAL FOR JOHNSON THE Cabinet Office announced yesterday a state recognised funeral will be held for Calvin James Johnson, former parliamentarian, on Thursday at 10am at St Francis Xavier Cathedral on West Hill Street.

Mr Johnson’s body will lie in repose on Wednesday from 9am–5pm at Butler’s

Funeral Home & Crematorium on Ernest and York Streets. Viewing for the general public will be from 1pm - 5pm.

Mr Johnson, 64 of Oxford Avenue and formerly of West End, Grand Bahama, died at the Princess Margaret Hospital on Monday, October 30.

speaking Greek?

The money is in the Consolidated Fund, just as they said.”

Official Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis also took exception to Mr Turnquest’s earlier allegations insisting his parliamentary privilege was breached. As a result, he requested the matter be referred to the House of Assembly’s Committee on Privilege.

However, House Speaker Halson Moultrie rejected the request saying the

deputy prime minister’s remarks did not constitute a breach.

And as he rejected the request for this matter to be investigated, Mr Moultrie explained there must be much more than just hurt feelings or the anxiety of fleeing when no one is chasing.

Mr Moultrie said he was not satisfied a prima facie case for referral was established, adding the comments were not made within the confines of Parliament.

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PAGE 4, Tuesday, November 7, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

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Communism - a wretched and worthless fantasy THE Russian Revolution of 1917 is widely considered by historians to be one of the most important political events of the 20th century. The overthrow of Tsar Nicholas II ended centuries of feudalism under the Romanov dynasty and resulted in the imposition of communism which later spread to other parts of the world – not only Eastern European countries which became satellites of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics but also nations in Africa and in Asia, notably China in 1949.

The centenary of the revolution is being commemorated this week and, even though the Soviet state which emerged from it no longer exists and the Cold War is over, the political ideology of Marxism-Leninism adopted by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union still lives on in varying forms and with differing degrees of tyranny and terror in four other countries besides China – Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam and Laos.

One aspect of the revolution that is of enduring speculation is the circumstances surrounding the ousting of the Tsar and the subsequent grisly murder of him and his family in 1918 by the Bolsheviks who had gained power from the provisional government.

The historical evidence is clear that after being overthrown, the Tsar, who was a cousin of King George V, was given an assurance of free passage to England for him and his family as refugees, but the King declined to provide sanctuary. This remains of interest to those Bahamians who because of our history as a British colony have always been fascinated by the Royal Family and like to study its fortunes both past and present.

There was already anti-monarchist sentiment in Britain itself and the Romanovs were considered by many to be autocratic tyrants in Russia. The Bolshevik revolution had already sent shockwaves through Europe and at that early stage fears were being voiced that communism could even supersede democracy as the dominant political and economic ideology.

There were serious concerns about the activities of anarchists and revolutionaries both in Britain and in Ireland which at the time was agitating for independence. Thus, fearing that the grant of safe haven to the Tsar and his family might inflame local communist sympathies, the King decided not to give harbourage to

his distant relatives though he could not have known that later they would have been under threat of death from the victorious Bolsheviks.

The revolution was precipitated by Russia’s setbacks against Germany in the First World War and by impoverished and disgruntled workers with serious grievances who were seeking a new and better existence.

After a period of civil conflict, communism was imposed by the Bolsheviks, with the Party taking control by force in the name of the proletariat and exercising absolute power over governance and all aspects of the economy including common ownership of the means of production as well as the denial of private property rights. But, as their leader Vladimir Lenin became more authoritarian after achieving absolute power, followed by Stalin’s notorious wholesale purges in the 1930s, eventually the vision of communism bringing about a perfect society in which people lived in social harmony became a wretched and worthless fantasy.

In the end, the revolution brought to the world mostly oppression, blood and dictatorship. The tragedy was the goal of popular emancipation and empowerment gave way to violent repression and this led eventually to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Initially, the so-called new dawn of communism attracted those who opposed the excesses of capitalism and were seeking an alternative. But, by removing personal freedoms, incentives and accountability, as well as private property rights, and in the absence of competition and market forces so that standards of living deteriorated, communism ultimately failed.

Here in the Caribbean, even though Cuba became a communist country following its 1959 revolution, other nations have avoided a similar fate through the protection of our giant neighbour. The USA was quick to invade the island of Grenada in 1983 when faced with a Marxist regime there, but Cuba remains a thorn in its side.

Apart from this, nowadays communism is no longer an issue despite the shortcomings and failures of globalised capitalism. But those Bahamians interested in the Royal Family may still ponder what some regard as King George V’s heartless treatment of his own relations all those years ago.

Are taxes being forced upon us?

EDITOR, The Tribune.

COMING on the heels of the OECD and its G-20 and European Union (EU) members threatening ‘blacklistings’ a few short months ago Mr K Peter Turnquest, Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Finance suggests The Bahamas might have to look at implementing a low-rate corporate income tax in order to comply with demands from the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

How The Bahamas will comply and whether it will be forced to adopt a corporate income tax is disconcerting.

Bearing in mind businesses already pay a business licence tax on gross income, the threat of even more taxation, following on the heels of the introduction of Value Added Tax that has had such a negative impact on local businesses 2015 is casting a very gloomy outlook for meaningful economic growth.

Another aspect of these proposals appears to be

going unchallenged is the fact they are being forced on us by a supranational organisation.

Even Mike Moore, former Director-General of the World Trade Organisation and former New Zealand Prime Minister, called for better transparency with decisions like these.

He put it this way: “Citizens of individual countries will not, and should not, accept any form of international regulation or institution over which they have little control. Keeping control of bureaucrats at a domestic level is tough enough: at an international level it will be tougher.”

“In the end there is no single structure, institution, theory, flow chart or magic bullet. Domestic civil society was painfully built up over centuries by thousands of concerned individuals and their interaction. Trust in law and society’s institutions was eventually earned.

International civil society will be built on integrity, and respect will be earned on the

basis of results. But it’s a long, imperfect process.”

The Bahamas taxation system needs rationalisation but surely that does not mean simply adding another layer of extraction?

The OECD continues to move the goal posts as they relate to compliance issues.

As the sitting Minister of Finance said back in May 2017; “No business can continue with a constantly evolving set of standards.

There must be some period of consistency. They (the OECD) have to stop themselves. Otherwise the world will see it for what it is: Unfair competition, and the strong preying on the perceived weak.”

The Bahamas is stark proof that increased taxes, bureaucracy and regulations do not solve economic woes but add to them.

Adding yet another layer more business income taxes - will more than likely slow prospects for economic growth even further.

RICK LOWE Nassau, November 5, 2017.

MPs’ pay is lagging behind LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net EDITOR, The Tribune.

I HAVE a need to address the issue of a pay raise for parliamentarians as I have supported this initiative under every government over the past 15-20 years.

Based on the overwhelmingly negative responses to even the suggestion of increases for parliamentarians, I have come to the conclusion, that for whatever reason these learned men have been put into a separate category of “public servant.” Whether we want to believe it or not, they are not special. They are hired to serve and they are our employees! In fact, we demand more of them than we demand of most public servants - some of us even contact them and demand they pay our mortgages and our electricity bills - but don’t want to pay them? Why is that?

We have all been concerned about corruption among politicians for decades and while I do not subscribe to the belief that paying someone would stop them from being corrupt, it appears the average Bahamian would rather see a politician steal from the public purse than make a decent salary. When I say decent salary, I am talking about one that coincides with their level of

education, experience, job description and duties.

It appears every politician is seen to be filthy rich.

While that may be the case for some, there are many parliamentarians who have dedicated their lives to service in politics and have not been wealthy. Believe it or not, some have even been left with little means after catering to the needs of so many! I also believe many who became rich, earned their wealth through corruption and ill gain....certainly not through the meager salaries they are paid.

I did some research after the uproar began and it appears that Bahamian parliamentarians are the lowest paid in the region.

See attached downloaded online from the Turks &

Caicos’ Integrity Commission’s website online (https://www.integritycommission.tc.)

I am all for increasing the salaries of parliamentarians to what is fair and reasonable and I am also very much in favour of holding them accountable to The Bahamian people.

My hope is that with the fiscal prudence and anticorruption policy this FNM government has established, plans would be put in place to increase the salaries of ALL civil servants over time, ensuring they too are accountable to the Bahamian people through their work ethic and service.

BARBARA WILSON Nassau, November 3, 2017.

Foolish to pay to promote hotel EDITOR, The Tribune.

I AM a Free National Movement supporter and I must ask my Government what in the world they are thinking.

I read in your paper, November 2, 2017, edition in the Business section a story written by Natario McKenize. In the story “Baha Mar unveils its $25m marketing push” I was shocked to read that MY Government will be footing

$14m of THEIR $25m promotion!

I would humbly suggest the headline for that story should have read, Bahamas Government foots bill to market a billion dollar hotel!

What kind of foolishness must we always endure with these people? The Government is broke, right? How can we be sending Bahamians home in the hundreds, saying we can’t afford to pay them,

but we are GIVING millions of dollars to rich people to market THEIR hotel!?

If we could buy the Grand Bahama hotel, we should take this one too and just operate it ourselves. Keep the proceeds here instead of sending the money outside the country to China.

OP Nassau, November 2, 2017.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, November 7, 2017, PAGE 5

ARMANDO SARGEANT, 23, at court yesterday accused of the 2015 murder of former Queen’s College elementary teacher Joyelle McIntosh.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

JURY EMPANNELLED AS THREE ACCUSED OF TEACHER’S MURDER

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

A SUPREME Court jury was empanelled yesterday for the trial of three men accused of murdering and attempting to rob a Queen’s College teacher in 2015.

Armando Sargeant, 23, Johnny Mackey, 27, and a 19-year-old who cannot be named because he was charged as a minor, appeared before Justice Bernard Turner yesterday for the start of trial concerning the November 11, 2015 attempted armed robbery and murder of Joyelle McIntosh.

Though the 12-member panel for their case was selected yesterday, the start

of evidence was adjourned to Monday, November 20.

It is alleged the teen, along with Sargeant and Mackey, attempted to rob the Queen’s College teacher, at gunpoint, of her 2009 silver Toyota Corolla worth $6,000.

It is further alleged that during the failed carjacking, the victim was shot multiple times in her head and body.

She later crashed into a wall at the intersection of Parkgate and Village Roads and died of her injuries at the scene.

All three accused have denied the allegations.

David Cash represents Sergeant, Dorsey McPhee represents Mackey and Sonia Timothy represents the teenager.

JOHNNY MACKEY, 27, at court yesterday accused over the murder of former Queen’s College elementary teacher Joyelle McIntosh.

‘I did the right thing to testify against others in murder case’

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net ALLAN Alcime told the Supreme Court yesterday he did “the right thing” when he made a plea deal with the Office of the Attorney General to testify against his three co-defendants because two innocent people had died.

Barry and Sheena Johnson were shot and killed at their residence in Deadman’s Reef on the evening of September 12, 2015. Five men – Paul Belizaire, Virgil Hall, Devaughn Hall, Kevin Dames and Allan Alcime were arrested and charged with the armed robbery and the couple’s murder.

Alcime and Virgil Hall accepted plea deals from the Office of Attorney General to testify as witnesses for the Crown. The murder charges were dropped, but both were convicted of armed robbery and are

serving time in prison.

Alcime - who was giving evidence under cross-examination - said that he never agreed to kill anyone as they were told they were going to pick up $2m and some cocaine.

He said he searched Mr Johnson’s truck for the money, but found nothing.

“Just as I stepped out of the truck, I heard ‘bam,’ and I stood still. I was shocked,” said Alcime.

Defence counsel Geoffrey Farquharson was questioning the witness while referring to video surveillance footage of the shootings captured on a surveillance camera at the Johnsons’ residence.

Alcime said: “l asked him (Devaughn) why he shoot those innocent people.”

“You were mad about it?” asked Farquharson, who is counsel for Belizaire.

“Yes,” replied Alcime.

“Belizaire was the only person who tried to stop the

shooting?” Counsel asked.

“Yes,” said Alcime.

“You did not approve of it?” asked Farquharson.

“No, I did not agree to that.

Nobody agreed to that,” he said.

Alcime said after the shooting everyone jumped in the truck, but he was still standing there in shock.

“Someone had to call to you and tell you to get in the truck?” asked Farquharson. “Yes, Sir,” said Alcime.

Alcime drove the truck to a track road area near the container port.

He explained their intention was never to steal the truck. Alcime said he did as he was told out of fear he would be shot too. He said (Devaughn) also told him to get rid of the truck keys and a hand-held radio, which he threw in the bushes.

“I do what the man tell me to do; he killed those innocent people… he could shoot me too,” he said.

Mr Farquharson put it to Alcime his police statement and his record of interview were different. Alcime disagreed.

“I put it to you that the Police put the statement in your mouth?” suggested counsel. Alcime denied the suggestion. He also rejected Farquharson’s assertion he had been shown by police the surveillance video footage of the murders three days after his arrest on September 14, 2015.

But Alcime stated the first time he saw the video surveillance footage was last week in court at the trial.

Farquharson further suggested he made a deal with the prosecution because he had seen a statement made by his friend Virgil Hall, who was accused of being the shooter.

But, Alcime denied this too.

Farquharson presented letters Alcime had written while in custody on remand

TWO WOMEN, ONE MAN HELD AFTER MAC 10 FIND TWO women and a man were arrested following the seizure of an automatic weapon in Andros on Monday.

According to police, around 10.30am, officers assigned to the North Andros district, acting on intelligence, intercepted a Mitsubishi Lancer occupied by the three people in Red Bays, Andros. The trio along with their vehicle was searched and a MAC 10 full-automatic sub-machine gun was found inside the vehicle. The three suspects were subsequently taken into custody.

Police also said two men were arrested after the seizure of an illegal

handgun on Sunday in New Providence.

According to police, shortly after 8pm Drug Enforcement Unit officers, acting on intelligence, went to Gambier Village where they approached two men who aroused their suspicion. Police searched the two men and a Honda vehicle.

Police said a Taurus pistol with three rounds of ammunition were found inside the vehicle.

On Monday, police conducted a search of one of the suspect’s residence and uncovered 57 rounds of ammunition.

South Central Division officers also seized a

FOUR HUNTED AFTER ARMED ROBBERY POLICE are searching for four males responsible for an armed robbery that occurred Monday morning.

According to reports, shortly after midnight, a man had just pulled up at his home located at Yorkshire Drive in the Cable

Beach area when four males armed with firearms in a white Hyundai approached.

The men robbed the victim of his 2012 Mercedes Benz, licence plate AM9605, before speeding off.

Investigations are ongoing.

handgun in New Providence on Monday.

Around 5.30pm, officers acting on intelligence conducted a search of an abandoned building located

at Old Cedar Way, Yellow Elder Gardens, where they uncovered an Austria Pistol with three rounds of ammunition. No one was arrested for this seizure.

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to the deputy director of prosecutions and attorney general about a plea deal.

“You wrote that you needed this deal… that you were a first-time offender and you needed to get out of jail to take care of your girl,” suggested Farquharson, who referred to it as a “snitch deal”.

“Yes Sir, if that’s what you want to call it,” replied Alcime.

“You wrote it to get out of jail because you said your lawyer was incompetent,” suggested Farquharson.

“I did it because it was the right thing to do,” Alcime said. “There are two innocent people who are dead.”

“Stealing $2m and cocaine is a serious undertaking. I put it to you that going to steal $2m from someone who was keeping cocaine in a home is a dangerous undertaking? asked Farquharson.

Alcime said he did

not think so. He noted Devaughn Hall told him they were going to pick up $2m, not steal it. He claimed Hall was the mastermind behind the entire thing and the shooter.

Farquharson then asked Alcime if they were not going to steal the money, why he had a gun.

Alcime said he did not know about any guns until they were dropped off at the Johnsons’ house. He claimed Devaughn Hall put the gun in his hand and they waited in bushes until Mr Johnson arrived home.

“I ain’t no killer,” said Alcime.

Belizaire, Devaughn Hall, and Kevin Dames are on trial. They are represented by Farquharson, Jethlyn Burrows, and Carlson Shurland, respectively.

Erica Kemp and Neil Brathwaite are appearing on behalf of the Crown.

The trial continues on Wednesday.

PAGE 6, Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Unions signal they’ll want pay rise too from page one Ferguson said he was sure he could find “all types of people” willing to present their views for a “deserved” salary increase.

“We have workers that have to look at the reports of big contracts and massive payouts and then reflect on their lack of money for proper healthcare, school fees and, in most cases, everyday expenses,” Mr Ferguson told The Tribune.

“We can give an even greater justification and we intend to because the cost of living in this country, when placed next to

what public service workers and persons making minimum wage [earn], we see that life in the Bahamas is really and truly close to unliveable.”

The current minimum wage is $210 per week.

During contributions as debate wrapped up in the House of Assembly on a constitutional amendment bill to create an independent Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions last week, Dr Minnis said an independentcommitteewould be established to review all salary structures for government entitles.

Dr Minnis asserted the time had come for a serious review of wage scales

in the public sector, albeit due to the prevalence of high wages and contracts handed out by the Christie administration while in office.

Dr Minnis said: “I only want to put the nation on notice that the time has come when individuals are being paid by that [former] government half-a-million per annum, individuals are receiving contracts up to $800,000 and the Members of Parliament are being paid $28,000. I want to put the country on notice that at the next budget I will come forward with a pay increase for the Members of Parliament.”

He added: “I will

THE TRIBUNE

establish an independent committee who will look at the members’ salaries, who will look at salaries for these half-a-million, these $800,000 and these contracts signed a few hours before election, all of that will be reviewed. [The committee will] review all salary structures for government entitles.”

In response Monday, Mr Ferguson said “major concerns” with the standard of living afforded to labourers across the country make any extensive debate on the issue “unnecessary”.

He told The Tribune: “We’ve been agitating for wage increases for years.

The political discussion

is far and away from the point that persons working across the public sector are underpaid.

“If this is the way for us to start the conversation, I am all for it because it has been a long time coming.

We are open to meeting with the government and laying out a terms and reasoning also.”

Shortly after Dr Minnis made his announcement last Thursday, Bain and Grants Town MP Travis Robinson suggested parliamentarians should make $60,000 to $70,000 per year, likening their current pay to “janitorial salaries.”

His comments have

since sparked anger from some in the opposition who have called on him to apologise.

“I think that $28,000 a year is highly ridiculous,” Mr Robinson said last week. “Members of Parliament are being given janitorial salaries. It is no easy task out there and if we are serious about stemming this tide of corruption then we must have a balanced approach to it and I think this increase would give that balanced approach.”

As leader the Official Opposition, Dr Minnis rejected the Christie administration’s suggestion to raise the salaries of parliamentarians in 2014.

the media that if voted into office, he would not support any pay increase in light of the pain and suffering experienced by Bahamians.

“Now, just six months into his term in office, he is singing a different tune?

Clearly when the PM said it was ‘the people’s time’ he was referring to members of his government and not the wider voting public.”

Regarding the layoffs at RWB and reports that some 18 people were recently let go from the Gaming Board, Mr Mortimer said: “Having rode into office on a myriad of promises, including plans to fix the economy and address crippling unemployment, the reports of these terminations are indeed a difficult pill for Bahamians — many of whom voted for this administration — to swallow.

“It is most distressing that these layoffs come as we prepare to enter the busy holiday season, a time dedicated to spending time with loved ones, and a time typically associated with gift giving.

“Sadly, since taking office the FNM seemingly embraced the need to make

difficult decisions, but has ignored its responsibly to ensure that impacted Bahamians are not also stripped of their humanity.”

Mr Mortimer also offered suggestions for the Minnis administration.

“The news of these layoffs should by now be accompanied by a concrete plan of action detailing economic goals, initiatives to encourage entrepreneurship - particularly among young Bahamians - improve the ease of doing business and work to modernise the processes by which business is done and money is made within our borders.”

Since the Minnis administration took office in May 2017, more than 100 people have been let go from the public sector for various reasons, according to The Tribune’s reports.

In October, 18 people were terminated from the Gaming Board. In August, at least 27 employees of the Ministry of Tourism were let go. Fifteen people were let go that month from the Bahamas Agriculture and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) as well. The contracts of 21 workers at the National Insurance Board

(NIB) were terminated in June after their agreements expired and in recent months the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has let go at least 42 people in its bid to make its budget work.

The government has accused the Christie administration of adding to the already bloated public service by hiring cronies and others months ahead of the general election.

Mr Mortimer said: “The rationale surrounding these firings is that these terminations are the results of the long-held practice of inserting political appointees, family and friends into key roles within the public sector.

“What Bahamians want and need now more than ever is a manifestation of the hope they felt on May 10 as they voted in a government who pledged to do things differently.

In the absence of a clear and defined plan, the Minnis administration only affirms the narrative that they are aimless, visionless, and ill-prepared to govern. Is it really ‘the people’s time?’”

DNA: FNM IS “ILL-PREPARED TO GOVERN”

By MORGAN ADDERLEY THE Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Interim Leader Chris Mortimer lambasted the government for both the layoffs of more than100 Bahamians at Resorts World Bimini last week and the decision to raise salaries of Members of Parliament in the next fiscal year.

These issues led Mr Mortimer to call the Minnis administration “aimless, visionless, and ill-prepared to govern.”

In one of two separate statements, Mr Mortimer

said: “In a week marred by unprecedented reports of layoffs across both the public and private sector, during the worst economic crisis our country has ever seen and at a time when Bahamians are experiencing suffering at an exponential level, PM Dr Hubert Minnis has put the country on [notice] that members of his government will receive pay increases during the next budget.

“Not only were the PM’s comments, sickening and tone deaf, but they reek of hypocrisy and prove once

DNA leader Chris Mortimer. and for all that Dr Minnis is a far cry from the transformative leader he wishes us to think he is.

“Bahamians might recall that while in opposition in 2014, the Killarney MP told

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, November 7, 2017, PAGE 7

Deputy PM: We’re watching for Paradise Papers fallout

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net MINISTER of Finance K Peter Turnquest yesterday said the government is monitoring the release of another major leak of financial papers for possible industry fallout.

Mr Turnquest told The Tribune the release of “Paradise Papers,” said to be the second-largest data leak after the explosive 2016 Panama Papers, highlights the importance of the country’s efforts to educate global markets on its compliance.

The Paradise Papers cover the period from 1950 to 2016, and were obtained by the same German newspaper that received last year’s Panama Papers Süddeutsche Zeitung.

The leak centres on client documents of Bermuda law firm Appleby; however,

DEPUTY Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest. it also includes data from Turnquest, who is in Eng19 corporate registries in land, said.

“Just today in London, “secrecy jurisdictions,” of which The Bahamas is listed I observed on television alongside other Caribbean the pointed question and countries like Antigua, the answer period in the BritCayman Islands, Dominica, ish Parliament on the issue of BEPS [Base erosion and Trinidad and Tobago.

“We continue to follow and profit shifting, ie tax the fall out and what that avoidance strategies] and may mean for our finan- investment strategies of cial services industry,” Mr UK citizens in overseas

territories.

“The discussion again highlights the importance of our own jurisdiction’s continued efforts to get ahead of this issue (BEPS) and the need to engage and educate the UK, EU and OECD parliamentarians and officials on tax exchange and compliant offshore investment structures in The Bahamas and other international financial centers, which benefits their citizens and promotes free cross border trade in services just as they push free trade in goods to our citizens, which we recognize as a general benefit in the global economy.”

Last year, officials launched a review of data systems at the Registrar General’s Department following the leak of 1.3 million files from the corporate registry.

Dubbed ‘The Bahamas Papers’, it covers from 1990

DECOMPOSED BODY FOUND

BY POLICE POLICE are investigating after a decomposed body was found last night on Grand Bahama.

Shortly before 5pm, police were called to eastern Grand Bahama where a badly decomposed body was discovered.

The gender and cause of death will be determined by a pathologist report.

Police appealed to the public for information.

Anyone who can assist can call 350-3107, 350-3112, 911 or 919, or call at the nearest police station to pass on information.

OFFICIALS at the scene yesterday where a decomposed body was found. Photo: Vandyke Hepburn

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

Death Notice

Mr. Emmett Thurlow Pritchard 19th September, 1921 - 6th November, 2017

Mr. Emmett Thurlow Pritchard passed away peacefully at Doctor’s Hospital, Collins Avenue, Nassau, The Bahamas on 6th November, 2017.

He was predeceased by his parents, Sir Asa and Lady Pritchard; his sisters Macushla Hazlewood and Sally Hazlewood and his brother, Sigmund Pritchard.

He is survived by his wife, Janet; former wife, Frances and mother of daughter Susan Holt and sons Hugh and Robert; daughtersin-law, Linda and Shelagh; granddaughters, Michelle Stanhope (Steven), Jodi Gilbert (William) and Vanessa Ansell (Christopher John “CJ”), grandsons, William Patterson (Jill), Neill (Lynn) and Heath Pritchard (Brianne); great grandsons, William and Ethan Stanhope and Callum Pritchard and great granddaughter, Erin Pritchard. Michelle Wheatley and many other relatives and friends.

Arrangements by Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited, 19 Palmdale Avenue, Palmdale, Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas.

to early 2016 and was published by the same entity behind the Paradise and Panama Papers - International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and Süddeutsche Zeitung.

The ICIJ database circumvents the local register’s costly retrieval fee and incomplete online registry by providing a publicly searchable forum of the names of directors and some shareholders of more than 175,000 Bahamian companies.

Released in tandem with detailed reporting on the offshore links to high-profile international politicians, including UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd, the latest installment to the massive Offshore Leaks Database created by the ICIJ labelled The Bahamas as the “Switzerland of the West”.

The country’s financial services sector was dragged

into the spotlight as a top tax haven in the infamous Panama Papers.

The Bahamas was ranked as the third most popular “tax haven” used by Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca for company incorporations in the data breach that sent shockwaves through international finance in April last year.

The Ministry of Financial Services - at the time - knocked the Panama Papers as a “gratuitous attempt” to produce a negative portrayal of The Bahamas as an international financial centre (IFC).

As in previous leaks, the ICIJ again makes clear on its website there is no suggestion of law breaking or impropriety; however, its reporting noted “police, detectives and fraud investigators use registries as starting points on the trail of wrongdoing”.

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PAGE 8, Tuesday, November 7, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Nygard lawyers argue judge showed bias

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net LEGAL counsel for Canadian fashion mogul

Peter Nygard yesterday maintained the position that Supreme Court Justice Rhonda Bain demonstrated bias in her order concerning illegal dredging near his

property in Lyford Cay. Attorney Damian Gomez, QC, raised the claim insofar as there was no hearing of a plea mitigation on behalf of Mr Nygard

www.ub.edu.bs

STAFF Suitably qualified candidates are invited to apply for the following positions available at University of The Bahamas: Receptionist/Clerk I under the supervision of the Vice President Finance. The successful candidate will be responsible for providing clerical assistance which supports the daily operations of the reception area. Among the specific duties and responsibilities are issuing cheques; receiving, screening and directing visitors; responding to general enquiries and answering telephone calls; logging mail and courier packages; assisting with maintenance of the filing system and replying to emails and correspondence as required. Applicants must have at least two (2) passes at B.G.C.S.E level in English Language and Mathematics at Grade “C”. Certifications in the use of Microsoft Office Applications are an asset.

Computer Technician II responsible for providing support to the Office of Information Technology in the maintenance and configuring of University computer systems, desktops and peripherals. Specific duties and responsibilities include installing, diagnosing, repairing, maintaining and upgrading all hardware and equipment while ensuring optimal workstation performance; assisting with relocating hardware and accessories; performing computer, printer, copier, scanner and other peripheral maintenance, troubleshooting and upgrades at the University’s main and satellite locations; ensuring that users are able to log-on and open applications on the desktop, and connect to approved network resources and liaising with external vendors. Applicants must have at least an Associate Degree in Computer Studies or equivalent qualifications (in IT or Network Communication Engineering related field or comparable training/experience directly related to telephone repair or equivalent combination of education and experience) AND five (5) years of relevant work experience, as well as a Current A+ Certification.

Payroll Assistant in the Office of the Vice President Finance responsible for the timely and accurate input of all payroll transactions. Specific duties and responsibilities include maintaining payroll information by collecting, reviewing and entering data accurately; updating payroll records by entering changes in exemptions, insurance coverage, savings deductions, and job title and department/division transfers; preparing monthly NIB (National Insurance Board) C-10 Forms and requisitions for payment of employee and employer contributions; resolving payroll discrepancies by collecting and analyzing information; providing payroll information by answering questions and requests and assisting with the enhancement of policies and procedures as needed.

For full details of each position announcement visit http://www. ub.edu.bs/about-us/career-opportunities/staff/ Applicants should submit the following information to the attention of the Vice President, Human Resources by Wednesday, 8th November 2017 by emailing: hrapply@ub.edu.bs: • A cover letter of interest highlighting work experience and accomplishments relevant to the position; • A completed University of The Bahamas Employment Application Form accessible via www.ub.edu.bs/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Application-for-Employ- ment-Staff.pdf • Current curriculum vitae or resume; • Copies of qualifications and certificates; • Copy of the relevant pages of a valid passport showing passport number, photo identification and expiration date); • Copy of a current N.I.B Card; • At least three (3) written professional references

as required by criminal law when he was convicted of contempt of court and fined $50,000 in March.

Submissions have closed in the recusal application with Justice Bain’s ruling expected by November 20, or early December.

Mr Gomez was joined by Gia Moxey.

Fred Smith, QC, and Dawson Malone appeared for the Coalition to Protect Clifton Bay, now called Save the Bays (STB).

Robert Adams and John Minns are legal counsel for Mr Nygard’s neighbours’ action in this matter.

Mr Nygard has filed two recusal applications against Justice Bain on the grounds of bias, the latter of which was launched in March of this year. His first application for recusal, which ultimately failed, was filed in 2015.

Both recusal applications stem from Mr Nygard’s battle with STB over allegations the construction/ development activities at his Lyford Cay home have led to a substantial growth of the property.

The group claims Mr Nygard has almost doubled the size of his property, from 3.25 acres to 6.1 acres, since he acquired it in 1984, by allegedly reclaiming Crown land from the sea.

The advocacy group alleged Mr Nygard achieved this without the necessary permits and approvals, claims that have been denied by the fashion designer.

In 2015, Justice Bain was asked to recuse herself from committal proceedings involving Mr Nygard through a notice of motion

ATTORNEY FRED SMITH, QC, at a previous appearance at Supreme Court during the Nygard case.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff filed in the Supreme Court by his former lawyer on the grounds of bias. However, in January 2016, Justice Bain said Mr Nygard had not proved there was evidence of bias or apparent bias towards him and

found the accusations to be “scandalous.”

The Court of Appeal, six months later, affirmed Justice Bain’s rejection of the application in an appeal of the decision by the Lyford Cay resident.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, November 7, 2017, PAGE 9

Simply the best Fusion Expo to hit culinary heights

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net THE fifth annual Culinary Fusion Expo will showcase the best of the best in the food and beverage industry in Grand Bahama on Saturday and this year there will be a special guest appearance from celebrity chef Ed Harris, season four winner of the Food Network’s hit cooking show, Chopped.

The event will take place at 4pm on Saturday at the Grand Lucayan hotel, where talented local chefs and mixologists will showcase their skills and talents.

A new element this year will be a featured segment that begins at 4.30pm with a culinary face off with Mr Harris, who is from St Lucia, and studied at the Art Institute of New York City. Mr Harris, who has a passion for Asian cuisine, will show off his cooking skills while using locally sourced products to compete against two Grand Bahama chefs.

Event organiser Sean

Johnson, of Move Marketing, has gotten the Invest Grand Bahama Small Business Bureau (IGBSBB) of the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) Limited as title sponsor and key partner for the event.

“Culinary Fusion was created for the food and beverage industry. We plan vigorously for a memorable event and so each year we aim to be better than the year before,” Mr Johnson said.

LaShawn Dames, business services manager for IGBSBB, said Culinary Fusion is a major event for the island of Grand Bahama and continues get better each year.

“Culinary Fusion has become the signature event to kick off the holiday season. Each year we’ve seen it grow bigger and better, stimulating economic activity for many small businesses,” Ms Dames said.

She added that the culinary event has created “a very well rounded event for showcasing, networking, entertainment and pure

enjoyment for attendees.”

“It is literally the most delicious culinary experience that whets the appetite of foodies to dine locally more often,” she added.

Derek Newbold, senior business development manager for GBPA and IGBSBB, is excited that the celebrity chef will be in Grand Bahama to participate in the culinary face off alongside local chefs.

“We know that our local chefs are incredibly talented, and they will turn up the heat as they compete,” he said.

“Our chefs will highlight their skills and talents in such a way that more residents will come to appreciate their ability to chef up world class cuisine being offered here in Freeport at some of our local eateries.

“This is important because the more we encourage persons to dine out, the greater the probability of our food and beverage establishments being able to sustain themselves and help stimulate our economy,” Mr Newbold said.

CHEF Ed Harris of Atlanta, season four winner of Food Network’s Chopped series and international Iron Chef, will compete alongside the skill and brilliance of local Bahamian chefs in Grand Bahama during the 2017 Culinary Fusion Expo on Saturday, November 11, at the Grand Lucayan resort.

FNM’S ‘IGNORING PUBLIC’S WISHES’ from page one

Bishop Fernander suggested while he doesn’t disagree with expanding the list of people entitled to automatic citizenship rights, the larger principle is that Bahamians declared their position on this issue in last year’s referendum and their votes should be respected.

The Minnis

administration’s plans touch on two issues which were addressed in last year’s referendum.

The first of four questions involved changing the Constitution to give married Bahamian women the same right their male counterparts have to confer citizenship to children regardless of the country in which the children are born.

On that question, 32,249

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people voted ‘yes’ to the question and 51,022 people voted ‘no.’

The third question involved changing the Constitution to give an unwed Bahamian father the same right that a Bahamian woman has to pass citizenship to a child born in or out of wedlock. On this issue, 28,246 people voted yes but 54,890 people voted no. Some observers believe

the results of last year’s referendum were the response of a country angry with the Christie administration and determined to defeat its agenda to send that administration a message.

Some also believe many Bahamians, sidetracked by concerns about opening the door to homosexual marriage – which the Christie administration said were unwarranted - voted against

all the bills to ensure only heterosexuals could get married.

These are not reasons for an administration to now go against the referendum results, Bishop Fernander said.

“I think it cannot be proven to be the case yay or nay why people voted the way they did unless we had an exit poll to see the feelings of people when

they exited. If it was an [anti-PLP vote], still, it was carried out legally and the results should be abided by.”

In its last term, the Christie administration regularised web shops even though this question, as well as the one asking if a national lottery should be created, were rejected by voters in a 2013 vote on gambling.

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CHANGES ARE APPROVED FOR TAX PLAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — After a day of partisan bickering over whether the Republicans’ sweeping tax plan would truly help the middle class, a key House panel on Monday approved late changes. Lawmakers restored the tax exemption for employees receiving child care benefits from their companies, but also put new requirements on a tax credit used by working people of modest means.

The House Ways and Means Committee voted 24-16 along party lines to adopt the amendment from its chairman, Rep Kevin Brady, R-Texas. The changes were made to the complex GOP tax legislation put forward last Thursday.

The vote on the amendment capped a rancorous marathon session in which Republicans and Democrats argued heatedly over the nearly $6 trillion plan. Democrats repeatedly lodged objections to the bill, especially to its limits on prized deductions for homeowners and its repeal of the child adoption credit and the deduction for medical expenses.

TRUMP CHATS WITH TROOPS DURING VISIT SOUTH KOREA (AP) - PRESIDENT Donald Trump had lunch with the troops at a military base in South Korea.

Trump arrived at Camp Humphreys, a military base about 40 miles south of Seoul Tuesday. He sat down with service members at a long table in a dining hall. South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in was also seated at the table.

Trump chatted with the troops and told reporters, “good food”.

Officials have said the base visit is meant to underscore the countries’ ties and South Korea’s commitment to contributing to its own defense. Burden-sharing is a theme Trump has stressed ever since his presidential campaign.

Trump is on a two-day visit to South Korea. It is the second country he is visiting on a five country Asian tour.

THE TRIBUNE

FIJI LEADER: WE MUST NOT FAIL OUR PEOPLE ON CLIMATE CHANGE BONN, GERMANY Associated Press

FIJI’S prime minister called for a sense of urgency in the fight against global warming Monday, telling negotiators “we must not fail our people,” as he opened two weeks of talks on implementing the Paris accord on combating climate change, which is already affecting his Pacific island nation.

While diplomats and activists gathered in Bonn, the U.N. weather agency said 2017 is set to become the hottest year on record aside from those impacted by the El Nino phenomenon.

The talks in Germany are the first major global climate conference since President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. will pull out of the 2015 Paris accord unless he can

secure a better deal, and the first time that a small island nation is chairing such a conference.

Negotiators will focus on thrashing out some of the technical details of the Paris accord, which aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

While Trump has expressed skepticism, a recent U.S. government report concluded there is strong evidence that man-made

climate change is taking place.

Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe ‘Frank’ Bainimarama, the Bonn conference’s chairman, offered greetings “from one of the most climate-vulnerable regions on earth,” underlining “our collective plea for the world to maintain the course we set in Paris.”

“The need for urgency is obvious,” he said. “Our

world is in distress from the extreme weather events caused by climate change.”

“We must not fail our people” and must make the Paris accord work, Bainimarama said, adding that means to “meet our commitments in full, not back away from them.”

He didn’t refer directly to the Trump administration’s position, but appeared to play off Trump’s “America first” slogan.

Texas killer sent hostile texts before church attack SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, TEXAS Associated Press THE gunman who killed 26 people at a small-town Texas church had a history of domestic violence and sent threatening text messages to his mother-in-law, a member of First Baptist, before the attack in which he fired at least 450 rounds at helpless worshippers, authorities said yesterday.

A day after the deadliest mass shooting in state history, the military acknowledged that it did not submit the shooter’s criminal history to the FBI, as required by the Pentagon. If his past offenses had been properly shared, they would have prevented him from buying a gun.

Investigators also revealed that sheriff’s deputies had responded to a domestic violence call in 2014 at Devin Patrick Kelley’s home involving a girlfriend who became his second wife. Later that year, he was formally ousted from the Air Force for a 2012 assault on his ex-wife in which he choked her and struck her son hard enough to fracture his skull.

In the tiny town of Sutherland Springs, population 400, grieving townspeople were reeling from their losses. The dead ranged from 18 months to 77 years old and included multiple members of some families.

“Our church was not comprised of members or parishioners. We were

a very close family,” said the pastor’s wife Sherri Pomeroy, who, like her husband, was out of town when the attack happened. “Now most of our church family is gone.”

The couple’s 14-yearold daughter, Annabelle Pomeroy, was among those killed.

Kelley’s mother-in-law sometimes attended services there, but the sheriff said she was not at church on Sunday.

The massacre appeared to stem from a domestic situation and was not racially or religiously motivated, Texas Department of Public Safety Regional Director Freeman Martin said. He did not elaborate.

Based on evidence at the scene, investigators believe Kelley died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he was chased by bystanders, one of whom was armed, and crashed his car.

The 26-year-old shooter also used his cellphone to tell his father he had been shot and did not think he would survive, authorities said.

While in the military, Kelley served in logistics readiness at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico from 2010 until his 2014 discharge, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said.

He was discharged for the assault involving his previous wife and her child and had served a year of confinement after a courtmartial. Under Pentagon rules, information about

MEREDITH COOPER, of San Antonio, Texas, and her eight-year-old daughter, Heather, visit a memorial of 26 metal crosses near First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, yesterday.

Photo: Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP convictions of military personnel for crimes such as assault should be submitted to the FBI’s Criminal Justice Investigation Services Division.

Stefanek said the service is launching a review of its handling of the case and taking a comprehensive look at its databases to ensure other cases have been reported correctly.

A few months before he received the bad-conduct discharge, sheriff’s deputies went to his home to check out the domestic violence complaint involving him and his then-girlfriend.

People in the house said there was no problem, and no arrests were made.

Kelley married the

girlfriend two months later.

Also in 2014, he was charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty in Colorado after a neighbor reported him for beating a dog.

Kelley initially refused to speak with officers about the incident. He denied abusing the animal but complied with an order to pay almost $370 in restitution. He was also the focus of a protective order issued in Colorado in 2015.

Once the shooting started, there was probably “no way” for congregants to escape, Wilson County Sheriff Joe D Tackitt Jr said.

The gunman, dressed in black tactical gear, fired an assault rifle as he walked down the center aisle

during worship services. He turned around and continued shooting on his way out of the building, Tackitt said.

About 20 other people were wounded. Ten of them were still hospitalised Monday in critical condition.

Investigators collected hundreds of shell casings from the scene, along with at least 15 empty magazines that held 30 rounds each.

Kelley lived in New Braunfels, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of the church, authorities said.

Investigators were reviewing social media posts he made in the days before the attack, including one that appeared to show an AR-15 semi-automatic weapon.

UK PRIME MINISTER CALLS FOR END TO ‘ABUSES OF POWER’ AMID SEX CLAIMS LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May called Monday for greater effort to stamp out “abuses of power” in public life amid what she called troubling allegations of sexual harassment and abuse in UK politics.

May and leaders of the other parties in Parliament agreed to set up a grievance procedure for everybody working in Parliament, and to replace an existing complaints phone line with a face-to-face service.

“I think if this hasn’t happened to you it’s difficult to appreciate the impact that being a victim of this sort of behavior can have — it simply has a lasting impact on people,” May said after

meeting Labour Party chief Jeremy Corbyn and other party leaders.

“And we need to do more to stop these abuses of power.”

Since revelations emerged about Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, researchers, staff and journalists working in British politics have begun to come forward with allegations of sexual abuse and harassment by lawmakers and officials in Parliament. In several cases, they have accused political parties of failing to take action and even discouraging victims from going to police.

The claims have ranged from unwanted touching and suggestive emails to allegations of rape.

BRAZILE COMMENTS TRIGGER DISPUTE IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY AHEAD OF VOTE WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are having trouble surmounting differences over the bitter 2016 election amid revelations of a contemplated effort to replace Hillary Clinton as the presidential nominee, deepening party strife just before Tuesday’s closely watched Virginia governor’s race.

The fate of that bellwether election will likely make a weighty statement about Democratic prospects in 2018 and beyond.

“Everywhere I go right now, we’re focused on elections ... and what the people are telling me is they want to know how they’re going to get their good jobs back, how are they going to get health care,” said Tom Perez, the party’s chairman, on Sunday.

Perez then launched into

an attack on the 2016 claims of his predecessor, interim DNC leader Donna Brazile, as “ludicrous” and “without merit”.

The dueling was triggered by the disclosure that Brazile, the DNC chair during the final months of the campaign, considered an effort to replace Clinton with then-Vice President Joe Biden because of health concerns.

Brazile, who claimed “tremendous pressure” to devise a backup ticket after Clinton fainted at an event, pushed back at critics: “Go to hell.

I’m going to tell my story.”

The dispute was spurred

by Brazile’s revelations in a memoir being released Tuesday and reported on

by The Washington Post.

It reflected simmering tensions between establishment and insurgent wings.

PAGE 12, Tuesday, November 7, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

A ONE Bahamas church service was held at Ebenezer Methodist Church on Sunday, honouring the life and accomplishments of Bahamian Olympian, legendary sailor, and community benefactor Sir Durward Knowles, who celebrated his 100th birthday on Thursday. Representatives of many sectors of national life attended the service, including Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling. Sir Durward is seen waving to First Bahamas Sea Scouts, assisted by his son, Randy; greeting Dame Marguerite, below, and, bottom, his daughter, Charlotte, addresses the service.

Photos: Raymond A. Bethel, Sr/BIS

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Is it Thanksgiving yet?

The original, the official Subway® restaurants!

Locations in Nassau • Cable Beach • Charlotte Street North • Marathon Mall - Food Court • Shell Airport Service Station • Palmdale Shopping Center • Old Fort Bay Town Centre – Shell Station • Carmichael Road - Shops at Carmichael Plaza • East Street South – Independence Shopping Plaza Subway® is a registered trademark of Subway IP inc. ©2017 Subway IP inc. SUBBAH-16116