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VOLUME:117 No.240, NOVEMBER 10TH, 2020

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

WOMAN: WILL WE SEE A KAMALA AS OUR PM?

BOOZE AND DRUGS AT CLIFTON PLANT

FACE-TO-FACE: STAR STUDENTS GIVEN A HAND

SEE PAGE EIGHT

‘Lords of Doom’ workers spent shifts drinking alcohol and smoking pot

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net MEMBERS of a Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) employee group known as the “Lords of Doom” were able to smoke marijuana and drink alcohol while on the job at Clifton Pier, it has been revealed.

The disclosures are contained in a November 3 Supreme Court ruling by Justice Ian Winder who dismissed a legal challenge brought by Terrance Penn, former foreman for BPL’s safety and environment

division, to his termination by the state-owned electricity monopoly.

Mr Penn was accused by the utility of permitting workers under his control to “pay him for favours” and “allowing staff to do as they pleased” in return.

Justice Winder’s verdict notes that he was also questioned about the existence of the “Lords of Doom”, a group Mr Penn said he heard of from other BPL workers but was unaware that any of his staff were members.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

JUDGE SLATES CCA OVER SECRET BAHA MAR MOVE

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A SUPREME Court judge has blasted Baha Mar’s contractor for “unacceptable” conduct in failing to disclose it obtained Sarkis Izmirlian’s disputed legal papers one day before a court hearing on the matter.

Justice Ian Winder, in a November 3, 2020, verdict, disclosed that he was “troubled” by China Construction America’s (CCA) failure to inform himself - and its own Bahamian attorneys - of that development prior to hearing arguments on whether the Supreme Court should “unseal” the documents in question.

But, Justice Winder elected to enforce no sanctions against the Chinese state-owned contractor which is currently in the final stages of completing construction on downtown Nassau’s $200m development, The Pointe.

Instead, he refused to make any of the declarations sought by either CCA or Mr Izmirlian’s Baha Mar Properties (BMP) vehicle, and instead handed the matter over to the New York State Supreme Court to decide whether the former Baha Mar developer has any “privileged” ownership interest in the disputed documents and if this has been breached.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

CARLYLE BETHEL, the son of Attorney General Carl Bethel, attending the wedding on Friday.

PLAYING BY THE RULES? CAYS FEARS A MINISTRY of Health communications officer was the groom at a wedding Friday that featured more than ten people, including a son of Attorney General Carl Bethel.

The event appeared to contravene Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ lockdown rules, with one eyewitness telling this newspaper she was disturbed by what she saw.

The Tribune can confirm that the Office of the Prime Minister did not grant an exemption for the event to take place with more than ten people as sanctioned in Dr Minnis’ emergency orders.

Neither the groom, Xavier Knowles, nor Mr Bethel’s son, Carlyle Bethel, commented on the matter for this article yesterday and Police

Commissioner Paul Rolle could not be reached for comment up to press time.

The wedding was held in the eastern area of the island.

Dr Minnis announced in the House of Assembly last month that residents can now call confidential hotlines to report people hosting social gatherings.

SEE PAGE THREE

ELEUTHERA TRADERS BEG FOR U-TURN

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

ELEUTHERA’S Chamber of Commerce president yesterday told the Prime Minister “we can wage war against COVID without going to the extreme” of lockdowns, adding: “Every visitor counts.”

Thomas Sands, responding to Dr Hubert Minnis’ decision to impose more restrictive measures

THE GLASS Window Bridge in Eleuthera. following a spike in the island’s COVID-19 cases, agreed “more must be done” but voiced fears the Government’s actions could

undermine renewed visitor interest just “as we are entering our peak tourism season”.

Calling for “a balanced approach” to ensure businesses “in desperate need of this economic lift do not lose out”, Mr Sands called for the Government to revise its new restrictions on airlift given the disruption this threatens for those who have already booked late 2020 vacations.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

OVER WHO WILL CARRY OUT TESTS

LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

WITH no COVID-19 testing facilities yet identified for several Abaco cays, many residents there are expressing concern about travellers’ ability to meet the five-day antigen testing deadline.

SEE PAGE FOUR

IS AMERICA ABOUT TO COME IN FROM THE COLD?

SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Tuesday, November 10, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

PINDER SUED FOR CERTIFYING UNION ELECTION RESULTS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

LABOUR Director John Pinder is being sued for certifying the results of the Bahamas Public Services Union’s recent election in which BPSU president Kimsley Ferguson and his

team were returned to top executive positions.

Attorney Bjorn Ferguson is representing the plaintiffs in the new lawsuit that seeks to persuade the Supreme Court to order a new election.

According to the writ filed, plaintiffs are seeking: “Judicial review in the form

of an Order of Certiorari quashing the decision made on the 5th day of October AD 2020 wherein the respondent issued a certificate of results of a ballot under the purported authority of Section 20 of the Industrial Relations Act. “An order of mandamus directing the Bahamas

Public Service Union to hold new elections.

“A Declaration that the 29th September, 2020 Bahamas Public Servixce Elections was unfair and that the decision to certify the election in the circumstances is irrational.

“A declaration that the respondent has acted

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unfairly and with bias towards the applicants.

“A declaration that the applicants had a legitimate expectation to be furnished with the current voter’s list of the BPSU within three months as was practice and custom for the purpose of the elections.

“A declaration that the use of the BPSU logo as a symbol on the ballot paper is illegal and violates the Parliamentary Elections Act. “A declaration that the decision to certify an election after being informed about the many irregularities in unreasonable.”

Alexander Burrows Jr, the president of the POWER team that challenged Mr Ferguson’s group, sent a letter to Mr Pinder on September 30 complaining about the election proceedings.

He highlighted Mr

Ferguson’s logo choice and complained that the voter registration list of union members was given to his team less than a week before the election “and not the usual three months (ahead of time)”.

For his part, Mr Pinder said yesterday his team does not believe Mr Ferguson’s coalition gained an advantage with their chosen logo. As for the list of union members, he said he does not believe the matter is relevant.

“If they think I am wrong, they have a right to do what they’ve done,” he said. “That’s fine. Based on the Industrial Relations Act the registrar has to be satisfied the polls were duly conducted and nobody was disenfranchised. Everybody had the opportunity to vote and I was satisfied that there were no irregularities during the process.”

BORN IN THE BAHAMAS, AND ELECTED IN THE US BAHAMASborn Shannan Ighodaro secured 62 percent of votes to become a councilwomanelect in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Mrs Ighodaro, pictured, is the first Bahamianborn to be elected in the city and said that her victory was a win for all women in Miami Gardens.

“Women who may not have been born here or who have had some stacks up against them like ‘Okay, you know you were not born here. You will not be more than your degree you’ve earned or anything else’ along that nature. I think that I have broken that mould for many women in MiamiGardens and certainly in Miami-Dade County,” Mrs Ighodaro said.

The Nassau native said she never aspired to be a politician, although her husband had served in Miami

Gardens as a former Vice Mayor and councilman for the last eight years. She herself has been involved in the community for the last 25 years, she said.

“I prayed about it and I felt that it was the right time for me to take it up a notch.

I truly believe that being in office would provide me the ability to do much more for so many more people, particularly women who I feel could easily be underserved or marginalised and I don’t want that to happen,” she explained.

She moved to America at the age of 23 and completed a BS degree in Accounting at Florida Memorial University in 1997. Following this she completed a MBA in Business Administration at Nova Southeastern University.

Mrs Ighodaro attended CH Reeves Junior High School and then Government High School.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, November 10, 2020, PAGE 3

Playing by the rules? from page one

Nonetheless, the eyewitness to Friday’s gathering said even though she contacted police after noticing the event, officers did not disrupt proceedings.

“I stopped and talked to two of the catering people who were going in the venue,” she said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “When I saw how many cars were on the road and how many people were going into this venue I was surprised because this is one of my huge pet peeves during this pandemic, these huge gatherings.”

The eyewitness said she saw a bus drop off guests at

the site – a claim disputed by a person who attended the event. That attendee said police came and allowed the event to continue after being satisfied that social distancing protocols were being followed.

“When I questioned two of the catering people,” said the eyewitness, “I was initially told it was a funeral wake. I said this amount is not allowed at a funeral.

When he realised I was questioning why the event was going on, he stormed off and went into the venue house. I must’ve seen, car wise, 20 to 25 cars parked on both sides of the road.

“I called the police.

An officer said he would send somebody to shut it

SOME of the pictures circulated on social media from the wedding.

down and fine the person involved, but hours later I realised it was never shut down.

“This absolutely should not have happened. My niece is about to get married at the end of this month. She initially invited 150 people to her wedding, but is allowed only ten people. I know somebody else whose daughter is getting married to the son of a very prominent person and they are not allowed more than ten people so no, this wedding should not have taken place. When an attorney general son is allowed to stand in a wedding of this size and there are no repercussions, then something is wrong.”

‘HARRIS SUCCESS SHOULD SPUR EQUALITY HERE’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson said Kamala Harris’ election to Vice President of the United States should cause Bahamians to think about how men and women can be treated equally in The Bahamas through passage of an Equal Pay Act and a mandate that boards of public companies have at least 50 percent female representation.

“America has now shown its preparedness to face the pandemic of racism and we have visibly celebrated the election of a woman who has shattered a glass ceiling,” she said yesterday.

“What are some of the things we can do here in the Bahamas as we talk about what America does?

What are we going to do to affect positively the lives of our people? How are we going to embrace diversity? How are we going to honour women as equal to men?”

The former Attorney General said the country should pass an Equal Pay Act to “guarantee that women receive the same pay as men for substantially the same work”.

“Women for the most part are not getting the same as their male partners at all,” she noted.

“We should enshrine equal pay for equal work in law and that would make a statement about how we as a people think about the dignity of women. We’ve seen changes happen in so-called developed countries, like many states in the United States and in the United Kingdom.

When I was much younger the view was that it was

the man’s responsibility to take care of his family and the woman just happened to be in the workplace, and that was used to justify the pay that men and women get. Clearly, the times and views have changed.”

Mrs Maynard Gibson also wants legislation passed mandating that equal number of women and men become board members of public companies, noting that women are “woefully under-represented” on BISX-listed companies.

She also said the government should finally pass legislation granting women “the right for their spouses and children, wherever they are born, to become citizens of The Bahamas.”

“What are we going to do with respect to the citizenship issues that continue to cause pain and suffering against women?” she asked.

“There is an Act in Parliament that is already drafted. Why isn’t that being brought forward, why isn’t that being debated and why isn’t that being passed?

If you’re talking about alleviating suffering, let’s stop talking and act.

“We can also speak about bringing hope for the future so young and older Bahamians, men and women can recognise and celebrate the fact that a Bahamian woman will be able to pass on their citizenship to their spouse as does a Bahamian man and wherever a child is born in the world, she can pass on her citizenship to her child, as can a married Bahamian woman and, for a single Bahamian man, he should also be able to pass on his citizenship. It isn’t the same as amending a constitution but in terms of being pragmatic it enables these things to happen

by law which is important and both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition have spoken favourably of these things, so make it happen.

“We bring to Parliament all kinds of things that are rushed through, why not rush this?” she asked.

FORMER Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, November 10, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Eleuthera residents unhappy - but officials say measures necessary

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net WHILE Eleuthera residents are up in arms about newly imposed COVID-19 restrictions, officials on the island are satisfied the right measures have been taken.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced movement restrictions for the island where there are 117 COVID-19 cases. During the week, from Monday to Friday, a daily curfew will be in effect from 6pm to 5am on the island. Commercial activity will only continue during non-curfew hours.

Domestic flights or sea vessels travelling in to or out of Eleuthera are prohibited, except in the case of an emergency. Police Commissioner Paul Rolle told The Tribune yesterday the number of Royal Bahama Police Force officers in Eleuthera has been increased to 135.

Island Administrator, Whelma Colebrook, in an interview with The Tribune yesterday said her position has not changed in that she welcomes lockdowns as a necessary tool.

“The Prime Minister can only go by guidelines from the health officials,” said Ms Colebrook. “And, so we have to abide by those guidelines. The Prime Minister is trying to save lives so we have to adhere to the rules and regulations of The Bahamas government.

“Once we do that, we can mitigate COVID-19.

In terms of the spread, you have persons leaving other islands and coming to Eleuthera for funerals and weddings and gatherings.

That might have caused the spread as we have had several funerals.”

About two weeks ago Administrator Colebrook said it was her hope that all of Eleuthera, including Spanish Wells and Harbour Island, be locked down to curb the spread of COVID-19.

However, only mainland Eleuthera received restrictions.

Asked how both islands escaped the restrictions, she said: “I cannot say why he chose not to lock down Spanish Wells or Harbour Island.

“I cannot speak for the Competent Authority, but I know he said main Eleuthera, North, South and Central with

the exception of Harbour Island and Spanish Wells.

Why he did that, I do not know. You will have to ask him how he came to that conclusion.

“I can only abide by the information and guidelines he has passed down to us from the health officials. He said he would send additional manpower (police) which is needed so persons can adhere to the lock down on weekends.”

For his part, Commissioner Rolle said static checkpoints and mobile patrols are planned for the island.

“We will be policing the lockdown in Eleuthera with static checkpoints and mobile patrols,” the Commissioner explained. “We have bolstered the numbers on the ground to 135 officers who will be enforcing the curfew beginning this evening.

“Additionally, we have deployed two of our go-fast boat interceptors to bolster the police marine resources to four.

“These will be used to prevent persons from leaving the island by sea and are capable of getting to Nassau in 25 minutes from Eleuthera. I have directed my Transport

CAYS FEARS OVER WHO WILL CARRY OUT TESTS from page one Their concerns come after the country last week started its phased re-opening of the tourism industry, with the latest travel protocols mandating that visitors and returning residents produce a negative test no older than five days and have an approved Bahamas health travel visa.

While travellers are no longer required to take a COVID-19 rapid antigen test upon arrival, they must still do so on the fifth day of their visit – unless departing on day five.

There have been several locations identified on Abaco for the rapid antigen testing, including the Green Turtle Cay Club and Treasure Cay Clinic.

However, in such communities as Hope Town, Man-O-War, Guana Cay and Moore’s Island, there are no designated COVID-19 testing sites, prompting much concern among residents in these areas.

“We do not have anywhere in Hope Town to get tested,” said one concerned resident, who asked to remain anonymous. “The clinic here is not doing any testing and we don’t really quite understand why we can’t get tested at the new clinic. Why would you have a brand-new state-of-the-art clinic and not do any testing?”

Because there are no testing centres on these cays, returning residents and visitors to these communities will be required to travel to mainland Abaco five days after arrival to undergo the rapid antigen tests.

Failure to do so could result in a $1,000 fine or one month in prison.

Noting the absence of testing sites as a major “inconvenience” for the island’s inhabitants and its visitors, the resident said the move also has many implications that could potentially delay travellers from being administered the test on the fifth day of their visit, possibly putting islanders at risk.

“Tourism opened up the borders and allowed people to come and they say the five-day testing is in place but it’s virtually impossible to get a test here. One of the locations you can get tested is at (a local hotel) on Marsh Harbour but (that local hotel) is only accepting guests,” the resident explained. “(A local doctor) is also doing it, but he’s only doing it on Wednesday, and you have to make an appointment and it’s not convenient. You have to catch a ferry, then you have to catch a cab and we don’t even have ferries running today so if today was the fifth day with no ferries running, they will automatically be charged $1,000 (via charter boat to travel to the mainland).”

Chief councillor for Hope Town, Man-O-War and Guana Cay, Jeremy Sweeting said the reason for there being no COVID-19 testing facilities on some cays is because there are no medical workers present in those communities.

“In some communities like, for example, Guana Cay and Man-O-War – they don’t have government medical personnel on island so they would need somebody appointed to receive training to assist in the administering

in these tests,” he said when contacted by The Tribune.

“We have a clinic in Man-O-War but there is no government nurse or doctor that lives there so we would need someone from this community to offer to become an assistant to administer this test.”

However, he could not say why the Hope Town clinic is not being used to administer COVID-19 tests for travellers.

He agreed that there is a need for testing sites in these communities, especially before tourists arrive during the holiday seasons.

In many of the Abaco cays – where population sizes range from roughly between 300 to 400 – there is a strong second home owner market that plays a major role in driving the island’s economy.

Residents say many second homeowners have already expressed interest to visit the cays after the Thanksgiving holiday.

“Knowing the nature of our second homeowners in Hope Town, Man-OWar and Guana Cay, thankfully we still have a couple of weeks to get these protocols right,” the chief councillor added.

“Will there be a few people who may come between then? I’m sure there will be, but the major influx of second homeowners will probably not come until after Thanksgiving and be here for Christmas so we really need to get this finalised within the next week.

“But it is my understanding that the government is trying to get this put in place and so I thank them for trying to make the necessary moves to make sure this testing gets put in place in each township.”

Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Central and South Abaco MP James Albury confirmed that work is already underway to have testing facilities identified in these communities.

He said: “So, what’s currently happening now is I am, myself working with the various local government representatives. What we are doing is we are identifying persons who would be employed to the 52-week programme, specifically to administer those tests so that they would go and receive the necessary training. “…and what’s going on now is we’re finalising the names and then those persons will receive training on how to properly administer those tests.”

Mr Albury said the move will also help to alleviate some of the strain that is currently being placed on the island’s healthcare system.

He added: “The whole idea is not to only to make it convenient for people who live in these various areas but also to take some of the burden off of the main healthcare facility here because if we can do that, we can drastically cut down the amount of people who are being forced to go to the Marsh Harbour healthcare facility.”

Asked yesterday how soon the testing centres will be identified, he replied: “I will certainly hope that it’s as soon as possible. I’m not certain how long that training will take…but my hope is that it will be as soon as possible and that way those communities can have someone in place as soon as possible. “

Officer to dispatch additional mobile interceptors to assist with land mobility. I have dispatched the Assistant Commissioner of Family Island Operations to Eleuthera to head this curfew and lockdown operation.”

Some residents in Eleuthera voiced concern about the new restrictions yesterday “I think that the lockdown is insensitive,” said Danielle Gibson.

“I think that the Prime Minister is over-reacting.

And, I think that they are not taking into consideration all of the variables. I do not think they have made a decision in the best interest of the people of Eleuthera.

I came to this conclusion because the health team cited that the people of Eleuthera are not wearing masks and not abiding by the COVID-19 rules.

“You went to a bar; you saw that there was a gathering at a bar. If there are more than 20 people at an establishment then they are in breach of the law. The people who enforce the law are called police officers. So call them and have them do what they are supposed to do and shut the place down or cite those persons who

are breaking the law.

“So, the residents of the community who adhere to the practices should not be held at the same standard as those people who blatantly break the law.”

Ms Gibson said the residents are also angry that there is a lack of proper testing on the island.

She said that since March, Eleuthera has only shown 117 positive COVID-19 cases and this, in her opinion, is not only an inaccurate number, but insufficient to shut an island down.

“You cannot put Eleuthera on quarantine saying that we have 117 cases,” she said. “We have had 117 cases since March.

Be forthcoming with the people and say how many people have recovered.

That pissed us all off. What is so unfair about that is that while Nassau and Abaco are on lock down commercial flights were approved to fly.

“Over 30 people in Spanish Wells have tested positive for COVID-19 yet Spanish Wells remains opened. In terms of Harbour Island, I applaud Ricky Mackey (Member of Parliament) for speaking on behalf of the business

TOTAL CASES

community of Harbour Island because essentially, they are the bread and butter of The Bahamas.”

Another resident, Cassandra Davis, called for more testing and also does not agree with the weekend lockdown of that island.

She said: “This is another assault on Bahamian people as far as I am concerned. We are locked up with no real testing being done so all we are hearing is ‘Eleuthera numbers are high! Lock the place down!’

This government seems like the only solution they have for COVID is to lock up everyone like prisoners.

What they need to investigate is how much testing is going on.

“The law needs to be enforced and that’s the problem. Enforce the law and stop locking people down like animals. I guess that’s much too easy to do.

I am just fed up about this whole situation and I can assure you that the residents of Eleuthera upset to the max about this. We don’t care who is saying they welcome it. That person is getting their salary regardless of how much lock down this government puts on the people of this country. Who feels it, knows it,” she’s said.

TOTAL DEATHS

7,012 154

NEWLY CONFIRMED CASES MONDAY 28 CASES ELEUTHERA 10 EXUMA 9 GRAND BAHAMA 6 ABACO 1 ANDROS 2 • NEW PROVIDENCE TOTAL REDUCED

BY THREE DUE TO RECLASSIFICATION OF CASES, ADDED TO EXUMA TOTAL

SUNDAY

17 CASES

NEW PROVIDENCE GRAND BAHAMA

TOTAL TESTS

38,297

11 6

HOSPITALISED

35

CASES IN ICU

6

RECOVERED

5,035

HOTEL UNION WELCOMES INDOOR DINING LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A HOTEL union official yesterday praised the government’s decision to resume indoor dining for hotels, saying the move allows for more industry workers to return to work.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced the relaxation of various restrictions on New Providence and Abaco, including reduced curfew hours and the removal of the weekend lockdown.

Other relaxations include outdoor dining now being permitted at restaurants and at fish fries, Monday to Saturday and hotels being allowed to conduct indoor dining.

Darron Woods, president of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union, told The Tribune yesterday: “What that does is it allows more persons to go back to work because initially they were saying you could only have take-outs and with the in-room dining, we know that they’re going to have reduced seatings but it’s still more

persons that they would’ve had if it was take out.”

His comments came as some of the country’s top resorts prepare for phased re-opening, with employees at one property already being tested in order to return to work.

Employees at Atlantis Resort are required to be tested before returning to work and on a weekly basis to maintain the resorts’ commitment to health and safety for staff and guests.

Weekly testing for Atlantis employees will occur for the first four to six weeks “to protect the bubble,” resort officials have said.

Asked yesterday if the union was satisfied with the current COVID-19 protocols for workers, Mr Woods said the union is waiting to see what sort of protocols will be implemented to safeguard workers’ safety against the COVID-19 threat once staff return to work.

However, he said, the union agreed with the rapid antigen testing requirement for workers and will continue to monitor the situation.

“We agree with the antigen tests because it’s for the

employees’ benefit…and so we, of course, we will be monitoring it, but once they get back to work and we see what is happening – that will be the true test there – to see what’s going on,” he told this newspaper.

“We know about them going back, they have to do the temperature checks, the sanitising, the social distancing so these things we already know. We just have to see what else is going to be implemented. We don’t want to compromise safety and we want to make sure that they’re tested.”

In the meantime, Mr Woods is reminding all hotel workers to follow all COVID-19 prevention protocols to ensure their safety.

Last month, Atlantis confirmed that its phased reopening will take place this year, with its “first guests” expected to return to the Paradise Island property before year-end 2020.

Atlantis’ president and managing director, Audrey Oswell said at the time that further details will be provided shortly on “the milestones Atlantis needs to achieve to bring” its operations back on line.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, November 10, 2020, PAGE 5

Flooded again - residents of Coral Harbour left frustrated Private Graveside Service For Enamae Minerva Wright, 84 affectionately called “Mother Enamae”

a resident of Soursop Street, Pinewood Gardens, & formerly of Deep Creek, Andros, will be held at Lakeview Memorial Gardens & Mausoleums, John F., Kennedy Drive, on Thursday, November 12, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. Officiating will be Apostle Cyprianna Rolle, assisted by Pastor Neville Rolle.

FLOOD water still remaining in the Coral Harbour area yesterday.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net CORAL Harbour residents voiced their frustration again yesterday after the area was once again flooded by the weekend’s heavy rains brought

by Tropical Storm Eta. The community has had to battle flooding issues for years, they said.

Cecile Deane estimated the water was about eight inches deep when she ventured out into the road yesterday morning.

“Today, it’s bad, but not as bad as it normally is,” she told The Tribune.

“Instead of coming out in the car, I came out in the truck, which is something I should not have to do. If I have an errand that I only need to use my car for, I should be able to do it.

“I talk to a lot of people and people are despondent.

They say they are tired of complaining about it.”

Another long-time resident Emy Banks said the flooding prevented her from leaving her home to assist a friend in need.

“I have a small car so it’s really not safe to go out, especially when there are potholes,” Ms Banks said.

“It means that I wasn’t able to do what I wanted to do. For example, I want to take my friend to the doctor.

“My friends here staying in a house depend on me to take them to their job, so I wasn’t able to do that. We had to call someone else who had a bigger truck to take them to their work.”

Despite there being a road repair team in Coral Harbour last week, Sean Hall indicated several potholes develop every couple of weeks when it rains.

He said having to drive through all the water can be

“a bit unnerving”.

“You don’t know if there’s any new potholes that you might run into while trying to go through ‘cause you can’t see them,” he said.

“I drive a truck so it’s not a huge problem for me, but you know a lot of people don’t. They don’t have the vehicle that can traverse, you know, deep water like that easily. That can be possibly dangerous to their vehicle. Some cars are very low to the road. Bottom of the engine might actually be in the water.

“I haven’t personally been out there today, but my wife had to drive through it to go to work and I’ve spoken to other people that drive through it and they say it’s bad.”

He pointed to wells that are not maintained, adding they may be blocked and could be cleaned, making a massive difference to the situation.

Precious memories of her beautiful life will forever be lovingly and deeply cherished by her children: Former Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Coleman Andrews, Deaconess Katie Elaine Moss, Apostle Cyprianna Rolle, former Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Leon Bethell, Prophet Kirklyn Wright and Melissa Wright; daughters-in-law: Diana Andrews, Vernae Bethell and Nursing Sister Meshelle Wright; grandchildren: Wesley and Family, Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Kirkwood Andrews/Giselle Andrews, Yvette Strachan/ Mustapha Strachan, Apostle Nicole Andrews, Hugo Andrews/ Tamika Andrews, D’Andra Andrews [Coleman], Tiwari Taylor/Tamika Taylor, Ziska Sherika Mckenzie, Raquelle Major-Rolle [Katie], Ricardo Lewis/Angela, Felix Rolle III [Cyprianna], Trevor Bethell/Kendra Bethell, Kimberley Bethell, Leon Bethell Jr., Orion Bethell [Leon], Shanae/Troy Sweeting [Stephen], Demargio Wright, Kirshelle Wright [Kirklyn], Devante’ Wright, Latavia Taylor and Chauncey Wright [Melissa]; great grandchildren: Kirrice Andrews, Elshonique Davis, Tatianna Davis, Breeah Rolle, Tariq Andrews, Taquille Andrews, Mustapha Strachan II, Nicholas Smith, Kyiesha Andrews, Malia Strachan, Taveon Andrews, Tauren Andrews [Coleman], Trevian Taylor, Malaysia Taylor, Jenson Rolle II [Katie], Raven Lewis, Juan Lewis, D J Lewis [Cyprianna], Karrington Micah Bethell, Kaiimani Bethell, Trevor Bethell Jr., Kipchage Gardiner Jr. and Hakim Newbold [Leon]; adopted daughter: Belva Collie; brothers: Elder Julian Glover and Dwight Glover.; sisters: Clayomie Ferguson of Goulds, Florida, Ree Bourne and Antoinette Seymour; brother-in-law: Wendal Seymour; sister-in-law: Edna Humes; nephews: Gregory Ferguson, Dennis Ferguson, Former Parliamentarian Hon. Shane Gibson, Shervin Gibson, Eric Gibson Jr., Michael Hooper Gibson, Dennis Bourne, Aaron Seymour and Dana Knowles; nieces: Zelma Tellonge, Angela Swan, Sharon Williamson, Yvonne Sands, Ann Hutchinson, Vanessa Albury, Sheryl Bourne, Erica Bourne and Jeanine Gibson Gray; relatives and friends: Samuel L. Wright, Anthony Rolle, Curlene Clarke, Althea Ferguson, Hesterlyn Wright, Irene Ingraham, Shakeda Yancy, Lynden Clarke, Bridgette Clarke, Agnes Bain, Minera Jones, Lucinda Rolle, Dewitt Bastian, Cynthia Thompson, Loften and Francita Neely & Family, Jeremiah Gibson, Alvin Collie, Arlington Ferguson, Anthony Ferguson, Pastors Neville and Janet Rolle, Pastor Felix J. Rolle, Eulene Ferguson, Vernita Johnson, Maria Moss, Gallie Mckinney, Olga Johnson, Erma Minns, Inez Symonette, Lavern Wilson, Dr. Eugene Gray, Dr. Francine Pinder, Dr. Antonio Guerrero, Caregiver Virginia Fluerima, Evelyn Deveaux, Jackie Smith, Maryellen Pratt, Rev. Reuben Duncombe, Melvern Ferguson, Eleanor Pennerman, Evenette Gardiner, Terry Mcphee, Marie Cunningham, Sidney Francis, Marilyn Sands, Mary Reckley, Jestina Neely, Alexio Rolle, Arnold Rolle, Wanda Kemp-Strachan, Prophetess Roseann Christie, Andrew Brown, Shavonne Ramsey, Crystal Stuart, Candia Moss-Roach, Andrea Moss, Nurse Adrian Smith, Samuel Reckley, Vincent Forbes, George and Lynn Young, Elder Ron and Iva Pinder, Leanna Smith, George McKenzie, Randy Moss, Rev. Stanville and Sister Doreen Thompson, Deacon Kevin Mortimer, Christine Lightbourne, Erica Hall, The New Birth Ministries International Church Family, The Ebenezer Mission Baptist Church Family, Christian International Global Bahamas Network, His Excellency Reuben Rahming Member of Parliament for the Pinewood Gardens Constituency and The Pinewood Gardens Community.

Friends may pay their last respects at Demeritte’s Funeral Home, Market Street, from 190am-5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, November 10, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

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There must be one rule for all WHEN photographs and videos from a wedding in Harbour Island went viral in July, the sense of hurt from people who had followed the rules and cancelled or delayed their weddings was palpable.

One bride told The Tribune in the wake of that wedding that it felt “like an insult, a slap in the face”.

At the time, the Office of the Prime Minister released a statement confirming that the competent authority “granted permission for two pre-planned weddings with more than five in attendance”. Aside from the nonsense use of the phrase “pre-planned”, as if weddings are spontaneous events and not the end result of months and sometimes years of planning, there were questions as to why one wedding would get approval, while other brides and grooms were left not even knowing who to call.

The backlash prompted Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar to apologise, saying the government should have informed people in advance about the option to request a wedding exemption.

“I guess maybe we failed and I apologise for that,” he said.

Which brings us to the wedding that took place on Friday – with a group that featured more than ten guests, notably including a son of Carl Bethel, the Attorney General, and with a groom who works at the Ministry of Health.

No exemption, we are told, was granted by the Office of the Prime Minister for the event to take place with more than ten people in attendance.

A witness said police came and went without bringing the event to a close.

However, Police Commissioner Paul Rolle could not be reached for comment.

It is very hard indeed for people to follow the rules already. It becomes even harder for them to do so if they feel it is one rule for them, and another rule for someone else.

Officials should speak to the reasons why this wedding was different from any of the others that have followed the rules all through these lockdowns and curfews.

The Tribune has reported throughout the lockdown on cases where people have been brought before the courts for such offences as selling coconut water or homelessness during the lockdown, or going for water from a pump.

If this wedding took place without permission and in breach of the rules, there should be repercussions – or are those only for those without connections to power?

No tolerance

There’s a phenomenon known as the Streisand Effect, which takes its name from the famous singer and actress Barbra Streisand.

It came about from a time when a photographer took a picture of her mansion as viewed from the coast. Furious and determined to stop anyone else from seeing it, the entertainer sued the photographer, making the world sit up and want to see what this photograph was that was causing such a fuss. In short, she made her situation worse by drawing attention to it.

You might say the legal challenge by a former foreman at Bahamas Power & Light to his dismissal has done the same for the lax attitudes among those meant to be providing power to our country.

The legal papers detail evidence that a group of workers – though workers hardly seems the word given how little work they appear to have done – would “hang out by the sea while drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana during working hours”.

The foreman was accused of allowing workers under his control to “pay him for favours” while “allowing staff to do as they pleased” in return.

In fairness to BPL, much of this took place when PowerSecure was working as BPL’s operating partner – but whoever was in charge, there is no excuse for this kind of behaviour at the best of times, and as anyone who has endured the countless years of power supply problems that have beset The Bahamas will say, these have not been the best of times.

The foreman, Terrance Penn, contested his dismissal, but an investigation reportedly found him guilty of gross misconduct.

His legal challenge was dismissed by Supreme Court Justice Ian Winder.

The good thing is that this behaviour was discovered and action taken. But how many other places have such slack behaviour as standard, and corruption embedded so deeply?

There should be no place for this kind of attitude, and no place for this kind of worker. To think we have been sweltering in the dark while others have been lounging by the sea. We would hope they would have a sense of shame – but if they do not, then we must make such people understand there can be no tolerance of this behaviour.

Poor communication EDITOR, The Tribune.

COMMUNICATION etiquette is certainly in the toilet these days, particularly if one is trying to communicate with people in government, who are theoretically “Servants of the people”. We have gone from the never answered telephones, to the voicemail expeditions, to email which sometimes will elicit a response and can be programmed to confirm receipt or even opened.

No proof of reading, of course, and certainly none of comprehension.

On September 15, I emailed my Member of Parliament (Brent Symonette) and the chairman of the Town Planning Committee (my nephew Adrian White) in what I hoped might be a simple appeal to bring a tiny bit of hope to merchants on Bay Street. My appeal was to see if anything might be done to allow shoppers to find parking spaces Downtown. As I have had some involvement with Minister Desmond Bannister in a road matter, I copied him on my appeal.

In less than 15 minutes, I received a response from Minister Bannister, saying my request was more a matter for Minister Dion

Foulkes who now had responsibility for Ministry of Transport in Cabinet and he very kindly copied him in on the reply to me.

Delightful, I thought, and replied thanking Minister Bannister. I also took the opportunity to lay out my rationale and identify possibilities, as I now had Minister Foulkes included in the conversation, or so I thought.

As many retail merchants in Nassau will be struggling, and with little hope of cruise ship business, I felt if a more equitable use of Downtown parking could be had, then maybe the chance of survival might be enhanced.

On September 28, your Tribune columnist Tanya Smith-Cartwright published a very interesting article in Insight “Why are we waiting” which was suggesting now might be the time to begin revitalising Bay Street, and this of course went hand in hand with my initiative to deal with parking. I noted time had not permitted Minister Foulkes to respond to me yet, but I expressed the hope he might soon. As Ed Fields is heavily involved in trying to revitalise Downtownm I copied him on the email chain as well as your columnist.

Almost a full month later

on October 26, you published an excellent Editorial entitled “Time to breathe life into Downtown”. Again I wrote to Minister Foulkes, this time euphemistically acknowledging time had obviously not permitted him to respond to either of my previous missives but drawing his attention to your editorial of that day. As Minister Turnquest would also be keen to see some economic improvement and Minister D’Aguilar also I am sure, I copied them also on my email to Minister Foulkes.

As we are now approaching the two month mark, since my first reaching out directly to Minister Foulkes, and having had no response as yet, I can only assume that he is either not reading my emails, or has not understood what is being asked of him, in his capacity as Minister of Transport. Or he is just being blatantly rude and ignoring me. Yes, me, who through my taxes pays him.

Which he still receives even though my shop and most others remains closed.

BRUCE G RAINE President, International Private Banking Systems, Nassau, November 7, 2020

Take no joy in seeing suffering EDITOR, The Tribune.

CHIEF Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillian’s announcement to the press that The Bahamas has experienced a decline in COVID-19 infections at a 50 percent rate between October 10 and November 5 is good news for a beleaguered nation.

After reading what McMillan said in The Nassau Guardian, I visited a propaganda site to see if the amateur journalist had reported this groundbreaking news. Not surprisingly, it was not there. To date, there have been 154 deaths related to COVID-19.

Based on the faulty logic of the amateur journalist, those 154 deaths are 154 reasons to dump Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis in 2022.

I personally know of at least three Bahamians who have succumbed to this health pestilence.

According to McMillan, there are 25 deaths under investigation. This means the death toll could rise anywhere from one to 25 additional COVID-19 deaths.

The amateur journalist is a supporter of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).

Just so you would know, I don’t plan to vote in the upcoming election cycle.

I now consider myself to be an independent swing voter.

Having said that, COVID-19 has been politically indiscriminate in who it kills.

PLPs and Free National Movement (FNM) supporters have died. Reading the amateur journalist, you would think that Minnis introduced COVID-19 to The Bahamas.

Another thing worth mentioning is the glee in which the amateur journalist reported the news of Scotiabank closing its branches in Abaco, Andros, Long Island and Exuma.

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net Reading the article revealed a shocking lack of human empathy for the impacted employees of Scotiabank, who very well could find themselves out of work.

What I believe is happening with institutions such as Scotiabank is that COVID19 has caused many of them to go automation.

I believe it was in the Washington Post where I read tens of thousands of jobs being lost to automation since the advent of COVID-19. The issue with Scotiabank isn’t unique to The Bahamas.

Reading the amateur journalist, you sense that he or she wants to fault Minnis for the Scotiabank situation. At least that was what I gathered from the article.

Bahamians have a myopic perspective on COVID-19. We act as if we’re the only ones dealing with the restrictive measures put in place to stop the spread of the virus.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced stricter measures to fight COVID-19 in England.

I blame the professional media for contributing to the misleading narrative that what is happening in The Bahamas is unique to us. The amateur journalist is also a major contributor to this false narrative.

Not surprisingly, the amateur journalist has yet to report on Baha Mar’s planned reopening on December 17, in addition to its decision to bring back over 1,500 Bahamians.

I stand to be corrected, but I also haven’t seen any articles about the phased reopening of Atlantis by year end on the propaganda site.

Had the two mega resorts

announced they would be delaying their reopening well into 2021, I am certain that the amateur journalist would’ve reported this news with glee.

Things are bad in The Bahamas. The announcements by Baha Mar and Atlantis are huge. Together, those two resorts have a combined staff total of 12,000, I think. \Putting these Bahamians back to work would ease a massive load off the central government.

It would also give these Bahamians back their dignity.

The amateur journalist seems oblivious to the fact that PLPs also work at Baha Mar and Atlantis. They have been impacted as much as FNMs. But judging from what the amateur journalist has written about the many job losses since March, you get the feeling that he is gleeful about Bahamians suffering.

His mindset seems to be that the more Bahamians are suffering, the better the chances are that his party will defeat the incumbent government in 2022. The Atlantis and Baha Mar announcements were, in all likelihood, devastating news to this individual.

Things simply must not improve between now and election day. What I find disturbing about this brand of political tribalism is that the bigwigs in his party are multimillionaires who he is rooting for, even to the point of seeing more Bahamians catch hell. His political leaders cannot commiserate with the average Bahamian.

If this amateur journalist is a Bahamian, which I think he is, he is obviously putting his political party before The Bahamas. He cares little about the Bahamian people.

KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama, November 9, 2020.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, November 10, 2020, PAGE 7

Jitney driver is fined for threat

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A BUS driver who threatened to kill another jitney driver during an argument last month was fined $1,000 yesterday.

Police said Carlos Poitier, 37, threatened to kill Torry Carey on September 17.

The prosecution said around 8.40 that morning, Mr Poitier got into Mr Carey’s bus and threatened to kill him. This caused the complainant to fear for his life and prompted him to file an official complaint with police. Mr Poitier was arrested a short time later.

In an interview with officers, he admitted to being involved in an argument with Mr Carey, but denied threatening to kill him.

During the hearing, Mr Poitier pleaded guilty. He told the magistrate he and Mr Carey had a history, but insisted he had not spoken to the complainant in over a year before the incident.

He claimed “tensions were high” at the time and he ended up saying things he didn’t mean. He also claimed that Mr Carey told him things as well, but said he chose not to take his statements to heart.

As a result, Magistrate McKinney accepted the accused’s guilty plea and fined him $1,000 or nine months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. He also placed Poitier on a year’s probation and warned him if he

violated its conditions, he could risk spending nine months in custody.

Yesterday, a 37-year-old man who threatened to kill another man earlier this year was also placed on probation for two years.

Jeremy Adderley was arrested after he threatened to kill Jermaine Turnquest on February 7.

He pleaded guilty to one count of threats of death during his hearing before Magistrate Samuel McKinney.

The court was told that Mr Turnquest was at his residence around 9.30 on the night in question, when Adderley came there and threatened to kill him.

After the complainant requested police action, Adderley was arrested. In an interview with police at a nearby station, the accused denied the allegation.

During the hearing, Mr Adderley’s counsel told the magistrate that the entire ordeal was unfortunate as his client had never been before the court in his life.

He claimed Mr Adderley had a history of mental issues and hadn’t taken his medication at the time of the incident and insisted he was remorseful for his actions.

After listening to the plea in mitigation, Magistrate McKinney placed Mr Adderley on two years probation. He warned the WITH tens of thousands of Bahaaccused that if he failed mians out of work every bit of help is to be of good behaviour gratefully received. during that time, he would Among the many donations being spend one year in prison. made was this from the People

ON BAIL OVER JOINT

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 35-YEAR-OLD MAN, found by police with a marijuana joint yesterday, was put on probation for one year.

Police arrested Galen Ford, Jr, after they found four grams of marijuana in one of his pant’s pockets on November 6.

The court was told that around 9.15 that night, officers on mobile patrol stopped and spoke with Mr Ford about breaking the curfew.

The prosecution said the accused got angry and started shouting at officers when they questioned him. When they warned Mr Ford to stop, he refused and was subsequently detained. When the officers searched him, they found the marijuana joint in his pocket.

As a result, he was

taken to a nearby police station where he was questioned about the marijuana. During his interview with police, Mr Ford denied being disorderly, but admitted to being loud.

He also said the marijuana joint, which had a $10 street value, belonged to him.

During the hearing, Mr Ford was represented by attorney Jomo Campbell.

He told the magistrate that his client did not want to waste the court’s time. He also said his client acknowledged that he spoke loudly when the police first stopped him and insisted that he was very sorry for what he had done.

As a result, Magistrate McKinney put Mr Ford on probation for one year. He warned him that if he failed to comply with the conditions of his release, he would be fined $500 for simple possession and $25 for behaving in a disorderly manner.

TEENS WHO FLED POLICE FINED $500

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

TWO teenagers who attempted to evade arrest when they were caught on the road after curfew hours were each fined $500 yesterday.

Police arrested Howard Carey, 19, and Alec Culmer, 19, after they found them on Grant Street around 8.25pm on November 4.

They both pleaded guilty to violating the curfew during a hearing before Magistrate Samuel McKinney yesterday.

The court was told that that night officers on mobile patrol saw the two accused riding in a vehicle that was headed east on Dorsett Street. When the officers beckoned for them to stop, the accused made attempts

to evade police and a high speed chase followed. The prosecution said when the car stopped, Culmer left the vehicle and attempted to run away. The court was also told that the officers managed to detain Carey, who told them he lived in the yard where the car had stopped.

When given an opportunity to speak during the hearing, Carey told the magistrate that he had planned to stay at Culmer’s home that night. Culmer on the other hand, claimed the police tried to stop them before the curfew started.

However, Magistrate McKinney told them he did not believe their explanations. As a result he fined them $500 each. If they fail to pay the fine they could risk spending three months behind bars.

MAN DENIED BAIL OVER GUN FIND

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 34-YEAR-OLD man was remanded to prison yesterday on charges that he was found last week with an unlicensed firearm and a quantity of illegal ammunition.

Wayde Wallace appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney after he was accused of being in possession of a black Taurus

EVERY LITTLE HELPS

pistol, six unfired rounds of .40 ammunition and one unfired round of 9mm ammunition on November 5.

He denied the allegations and the case was adjourned to January 7 for trial.

In the meantime, Wallace was denied bail and remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

He has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

Empowering People International Organisation.

Pictured are, from left: Vandette Rolle, PEPIO assistant, Elizabeth Mackey, director/administrator of The

Nazareth Centre which helps young children, Myra Delancy, PEPIO assistant and Mighty Spartacus Moncur, PEPIO executive officer.

Picture: Stephen Taylor

PAGE 8, Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Face to Face

By FELICITY DARVILLE

WHEN you hear of virtual this year with no scholarships for students, paying attendees, student they are often allocated for scholarships will still be higher education or private available. Success Summit institutions. In this case, a 2020 will be held on Saturunique kind of scholarship day, December 5, under the offering made it possible for theme: “Beyond the Crisis three primary school stu- – Leadership Against the dents to get the assistance Odds”. Edwards will host they need right where they along with Chervez B with are – helping parents afford a full slate of summit speakbooks, school fees, equip- ers and panelists covering a ment and basic necessities. range of disciplines, includThe scholarships were made ing Damian Blackburn, available through Global Nathan Sweeting, Donavon Success Summit, an event Rolle, Tanya McCartney, that was born in The Baha- Duquessa Dean, Valdez K mas but has blossomed Russell, Franco Charles, into a platform for leaders Simmone Bowe, Matt across the region.

Kinsey, Pollo Prosper and The recipients were Pastors David Burrows and Nathan Walker and Nef- Mario Moxey. eratri Lockhart of Garvin In 2019 three Bahamians Tynes Primary School and were awarded the InauguRoanna Saintil of Car- ral Hubert Edwards Global michael Primary School. Leadership Excellence They received scholarship Award. These were Barry grants which were named Rassin, Immediate Past in honour of Dr. Myles President of Rotary worldMunroe, Dr Richard Pinder wide; Ricardo P Deveaux, and Michelle Miller, all who founder of Primary School were influential in birthing Student of the Year Awards the idea for the Global Suc- Foundation; and Anthony J cess Summit.

Longley, director of ToastFounder, Hubert masters International. A Edwards, said the ultimate new award will be preobjective for the summit sented in honour of L is to become the premiere Sydney Saunders. leadership, growth and perBy connecting students sonal development event to some of the movers and in the Bahamas and the shakers in various indusCaribbean region. From its tries, the aim is to give the inception in 2017, Global youth motivation, while Success Summit has focused sharing practical knowledge on empowering young and skills. people. In 2019, two school The first high-flying tours to Jamaica were con- achiever is Nathan Walker, ducted and, in collaboration a sixth grader at Garvin with one of those Jamai- Tynes Primary School. can schools, contributions Nathan has been working were made to assiduously on Freeport Prihis academic mary School ‘Education quest as well to help with is the key to as sports and restoration due unlocking the extracurricuto damages lar activities. from Hurricane potential of our This youngster Dorian.

The youths, especially exemplifies organization success beyond those who also adopted self, Edwards the Dream may be faced said.

Chasers Club with financially “This quality at CI Gibson was evident as challenging High School. he reached out Each year, stu- circumstances.’ and assisted dents of CI students who Gibson were joined his able to attend the event and school after surviving meet leaders from various the Category 5 hurricane fields and professions.

Dorian,” he said.

Most recently, the Nathan is on the Vice scholarship grants show Principal’s honour roll list a continued investment and is a role model for his in youth. These awards classmates. He is the recipiwere supported primar- ent of the Dr Myles Munroe ily through the support of Memorial Scholarship corporate sponsors and Grant sponsored by Hubert proceeds from attendees. Edwards Global and Aliv.

Grants were made in the At school, he is respected sum of $1,500 each. as a senior prefect and “Education is the key the captain of his school’s to unlocking the potential soccer team, a member of of our youths, especially the basketball and the track those who may be faced and field teams. Nathan is with financially challenging also the secretary for Stucircumstances,” Edwards dents Christian Movement explained.

SCM and a member of Dis“We are delighted to be covery Club, which is the able to make a contribu- youth arm of the Bahamas tion to such a brilliant and National Trust. humble trio of students.

Nathan is a thoughtful, There are many others ambitious, dedicated and who can benefit from the a team player. He believes small boost that we are that “with God there are no able to afford at this time. limits”, so he continues to While we do not have a stay committed to his goals. lot of resources we will In the future, Nathan wants continue to leverage our to become a professional relationships to ensure that soccer player or a sports this effort is sustained and journalist. grows”.

Nefertari Lockhart, a Despite the event being ten-year-old sixth grader at

THE TRIBUNE

A helping hand for three students chasing success

CLOCKWISE from main picture, Roanna Saintil, Nathan Walker and Nefertari Lockhart

Centreville Primary School is also a scholarship recipient.

Nefertari was on the school’s honour roll and vice principal’s list every year while attending Centreville Primary. She has an active school life, making her daily campus patrol as school prefect, taking part in school assemblies or various oncampus competitions. She also reads to students in lower primary and assists grade four students preparing for the “Science Talk” competition. She is involved in numerous extracurricular activities such as the School Prefect organization, Book Club, Spanish Club, School Choir and the Bahamas Girl Guide Association’s Brownies.

Nefertari, whose name means beautiful one, has a big, infectious smile that highlights her outgoing

personality, according to her teachers and peers.

She is motivated, persistent and hardworking. She really loves reading, and her favourite authors are Mildred D. Taylor, Tonya Duncan Ellis and Jeanne Birdsall. She also enjoys drawing, watching documentaries, knitting and listening to music, which has now sparked her interest in singing.

Nefertari loves spending time with her close-knit family and friends. She has a brother, Khonsu, for whom she is not just a big sister, but a role model.

Nefertari is the daughter of loving and supportive parents, Clarice Forbes and Hasheen Lockhart Sr. The family of Roanna Tiffany Saintil are also happy to have received assistance for her to reach her goals. Roanna was born to Rony and Marie-Ange

Saintil and is the first of three children. She has two brothers, Ronnald and Ronnel. She is a ten-yearold student who attends Garvin Tynes Primary school.

Roanna enjoys various activities like swimming, soccer, singing, playing the piano, reading, drawing, writing comic strips, cooking and taking afternoon walks with the family.

Sunday worship is an integral part of her weekend.

She is innovative, highly intelligent, and very creative. She tries to never settle for second best as she puts her entire self in all that she does. Roanna has always maintained a 4.00 GPA. She is described as very positive and persistent and has a pleasant attitude about learning new things.

She taught herself how to knit. She has become a Japanese anime artist with the help of technology and has started graphic designing on her first comic strip series -“Wonderlicious Girls.”

She has represented her school at the district spelling bee as well as the Ministry of Education Science Talk Competition and she, along with the team, came first at both district and national levels. Roanna received the highest scores and was awarded both most outstanding competitor and best speaker. She is the first to win the Hubert Edwards Global-Richard Pinder Memorial Scholarship grant.

“Roanna is compassionate, kind and loving,” Edwards said. “She is always looking for opportunities to help others. She is to be commended for being a philanthropist. She enjoys sharing with her classroom. She also finds great pleasure in giving to

the Children’s Emergency Hostel and the Salvation Army. She is Chairman of Clothes for the Homeless. At school, she helps younger students with their homework. In short, Roanna is truly a unique, gifted young lady with a vision.”

She is a member in the school choir, the Student Christian Movement, and the NPPPSSA Girls Soccer Team. She is a Deputy Head Girl at Garvin Tynes Primary School. She is a Guardian Level member of the Garvin Tynes Primary Discovery Club Chapter and student vice president of Butterfly Club. She joined both the Junior Red Cross Organization and the Sea Wave Aquatic Team in 2015.

Hubert Edwards Global, a transformational speaking, coaching and mentoring organization, was created to help facilitate others on their personal success journey. Its stated mission is “Promoting the Power of Positive Thinking, in The Pursuit of Ones Greatest Self”.

“At HEG we believe that all persons have immeasurable greatness within and with accurate positive thinking and determined action, the pursuit of greatness is possible. The quest is never ending, but a constant and fulfilling march towards an ever-evolving greater self. Embracing the philosophy of Ubuntu – I am because we are, we advocate the idea of pursuing success, not simply for materialistic acquisitions but within the context espoused by Earl Nightingale “the progressive realization of a worthy ideal”.

“We hold that there is no greater ideal than the desire to become the best version of ourselves.”

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, November 10, 2020, PAGE 9

Is America about to come back in from the cold?

I

N THE midst of the hullabaloo and hysteria in the days following the US presidential election, the focus has been firmly on the drama rapidly unfolding and the mainstream media has given less attention to reactions elsewhere in the world. So, with Joe Biden having been unofficially declared the winner on Saturday, perhaps this is a moment to look at how other countries are viewing this knife-edge election that is being seen by many as botched because of the length of time it is taking to finish the counting – and how a Biden presidency might affect them.

As everyone must be aware by now, President Trump is contesting the outcome of the election. The Republicans are alleging voting and counting fraud and irregularities.

They also have serious doubts about mail-in absentee ballots and monitoring of the vote and counting process.

The President has questioned the ‘integrity of our election process’ and, in addition to demanding at least two recounts, has launched lawsuits in battleground states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia where the gap between the two parties has been wafer-thin.

Precedents So far, the Republicans have not produced any convincing evidence and there have been few reports of election fraud. But there are, of course, precedents for a contested election; notably, the Bush/Gore election in 2000 when the Democrats disputed the narrow Republican victory in Florida and the situation was not resolved by the Supreme Court until midDecember. It is also worth recalling that in the 1960 Kennedy versus Nixon election, which was almost too close to call, there were allegations of heavy stuffing of ballot boxes in Chicago.

In all the circumstances, some people are saying the Democrats’ victory celebrations at a large rally on Saturday evening may have been premature because the US electoral system provides for recounts and legal challenges subject to certain conditions and statutory deadlines. So the process will

PRESIDENT-elect Joe Biden speaks in Wilmington, Del., Saturday. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

be allowed to take its course even if ultimately it amounts to nothing for lack of evidence.

Such challenges are likely to create the potential for weeks of chaos and could bring the nation to the edge of a constitutional crisis since, at the extreme, Biden’s victory could even be overturned – though the betting at this stage is that’s unlikely to happen.

Many people find it hard to believe the US electoral system is systemically corrupt or even flawed.

This year, there was heavier pressure than usual on all concerned because of an unprecedentedly high number of votes cast and the fact that coronavirus restrictions resulted in a huge increase of mail-in absentee ballots.

It must be the case that the latter are more susceptible to fraud and error than voting in person. So they, in particular, might be worth investigating.

But, even though the mechanics of the electoral systems vary from state to state and some may not have functioned properly, overall I believe it is fair to say that the authorities across the country are more likely than not to want an honest, transparent and accurate election outcome. All that said, however, the example of the situation in Pennsylvania could need some sort of investigation when Trump’s lead of some 500,000 on election night was a few days later turned into a narrow loss after subsequent counting of absentee ballots - even allowing for the fact Democrats, more than Republicans, tend to vote that way.

As regards foreign reaction, world leaders have flocked to congratulate Biden. But countries like China, Iran, Russia and Venezuela seem to have been enjoying the sight of the election confusion gripping the US. They have been mocking the delays in vote processing and the alleged voter fraud, with China suggesting it is a ‘bit like a developing country’ or, as Colombia said, ‘Who’s the banana republic now?’ – an expression created by the Americans themselves.

Some have urged the US to focus on its own problems and ensure its internal democratic procedures work properly rather than lecturing the rest of the world about democracy. But it is the rule of law that ultimately counts so that, although the mechanics of its voting procedures this time around may have turned out to be somewhat rickety, in the US resolution of a legal challenge will determine the final outcome.

As for other countries, the main reaction appears to be a sense of relief and hope that, while President Trump was seen to undermine multilateral institutions and relationships, a Biden presidency will be less isolationist abroad and more likely to rebuild America’s alliances and tackle global issues in cooperation with its traditional friends.

Examples are re-joining the World Health Organisation and the Paris Accord on climate change, resuscitating the Iran nuclear deal, being more positive with NATO partners and working with an ally like India in constraining China’s super power ambitions. Biden is also likely to be tougher on Russia while his win will be particularly welcomed in

The Saddest Silence

S

INCE Britain is in a coronavirus national lockdown, it should have come as no surprise that the nation’s official Remembrance Sunday, with its services, parades and other ceremonies, would be affected this year. This always falls on the second Sunday in November. Armistice Day, also known as Remembrance Day, is observed on November 11 which marked the end of the First World War – at the 11th hour on the morning of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

The Prime Minister announced in forthright fashion that ‘in this time of adversity, no virus can stop us from honouring the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom’ - and others echoed such words by emphasising the importance of keeping memories of the fallen in the forefront of their thoughts as a poignant reminder of the bravery and sacrifice of all who served. But the long established tradition of a service and parade, going back to the 1920 unveiling of The Cenotaph memorial in Whitehall in the heart of London, was severely scaled down, and Mr Johnson faced accusations about being the first Prime Minister in history to cancel Remembrance Sunday.

That was not strictly accurate because the annual service at The Cenotaph went ahead on Sunday and there was the customary two-minute silence at 11 am. This marked 100 years since this national memorial was unveiled, and for the 68 years of her reign The Queen has led Remembrance tributes there to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Accompanied by senior Royals, she attended on Sunday though, as in recent years, watched the proceedings from a nearby balcony.

Wreaths were laid by Prince Charles, Prince William, the Prime Minister and others, including – as far as I could see – certain Commonwealth High Commissioners, and a limited number of invited guests were required to observe social distancing. But the veterans and the public were not allowed to attend. Normally, some 10,000 veterans are present and many participate in a marchpast down Whitehall.

Earlier in the week, The Queen attended what was described as a ‘deeply personal’ small service in Westminster Abbey where she laid a wreath at the tomb of The Unknown Warrior.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus rules put a halt to Remembrance Sunday church services and official ceremonies throughout the country with the exception of a limited guest list for a service at Westminster Abbey. It seems that official government guidance to local councils was that they should encourage people to stay at home rather than participate in any ceremonies. But, despite the restrictions,

BRITAIN’S Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds a wreath, during the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph, in Whitehall, London, Sunday. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photo via AP) large groups of people up and down the land held their own memorials in varying forms in order to pay their respects to the dead.

What caused bitter controversy, however, was the government’s decision to ban services in churches on the grounds of limiting people’s interaction with others. This has been termed a disgrace because many believe that social distancing arrangements could have been made inside churches and, in particular, in cathedrals where there is a vast amount of space. Critics lambasted the government for ruling that veterans could stand outside in the cold and rain - and perhaps catch pneumonia - but could not go into a safe and socially distanced cathedral.

This decision was widely condemned, with many saying it should not be made illegal to perform an act of public worship and that those concerned should be permitted to make their own risk assessment.

Reportedly, public feeling is running so high over this ‘ridiculous ruling’ that it is now being said that the Prime Minster will rue it – and that he himself will be remembered all right, but for the wrong reasons! But others say that what really matters is recognition of the abiding truth that ‘remembrance is held in the heart’.

Germany. As regards Britain, such is the breadth and depth of existing co-operation that any material change is unlikely - though Biden is known not to favour Brexit and some are already warning his strong Irish roots might tempt him to interfere in it, given his recent remarks about the importance of not placing the Northern Ireland peace process in jeopardy.

Overall, it is interesting that commentators in the US are saying that, despite winning the presidency, the election was disappointing for Democrats because the so-called blue wave predicted by the pollsters, who have now lost all credibility, did not materialize - and the country remains divided, with Trump gaining 71 million votes and Biden only winning by the closest of margins in some states (albeit more than three million ahead in the popular vote overall).

Furthermore, the Republicans look set to retain a Senate majority while the Democrats saw their majority shrink in the House of Representatives.

In the coming weeks, the rest of the world will look on with a mixture of dread that things might become worse if Trump does not eventually concede and healthy anticipation that the political and economic powerhouse of the world will adhere to the rule of law in putting its own house in order.

So, what did we do in the war?

A

FRIEND of mine has just given me a copy of a new book by Bahamian-born Eric Wiberg entitled ‘Bahamas in World War II’. He is a master mariner, journalist and acclaimed author with a number of books and other publications to his name.

Published in 2020, this work of nearly 900 pages is a military history chronicling events and action in The Bahamas - and in the region affecting it - during the period from 1939 to 1945.

Despite having had time so far to delve into it only briefly, I can see that Eric Wiberg’s massive tome is hugely impressive as a comprehensive answer to the assertion often made that ‘nothing much happened in The Bahamas during World War II’.

He has explained that, far from being a backwater during the war, it is not widely known that The Bahamas was in fact at the centre of the supply chain for equipment and other goods from US and Canadian factories to Europe and the Middle East.

Nassau, he says, was the hub of an extensive global aeronautical network.

It was the then Air Transport Command’s headquarters for over 2,000 aircraft flying across the Atlantic in waves in support of the Allied war effort – and, at the time, the Royal Air Force comprised some 25 percent of the local population.

This book must have involved an immense

amount of research, which the well-known military historian Air Commodore Graham Pitchfork described in his Foreword to it as astonishing, both in its degree and extent.

This includes the daily chronicling of events throughout the period and the lengthy Appendices containing amazingly detailed information, ranging from lists of British and American servicemen and merchant mariners killed in the area of The Bahamas - as well as lists of German Navy sailors who perished in U-Boats - to facts about the Atlantic convoys and the Allied ships and personnel involved, both Royal Navy and merchant marine.

Maps In addition, a large number of contemporaneous photographs, maps and charts are included.

So, this book will be an important reference work both for historians and those with a general interest in the subject. As the author says in his Introduction, the ‘focus of this study is to faithfully record what actually happened, when, by whom caused, and upon whom the effect was felt.

The goal is simply to bring a period of a small colony’s history to light’.

I believe those who read this book and use if for reference will be readily convinced that Eric Wiberg has achieved that in admirable fashion. I hope to return to this subject in a future column.

PAGE 10, Tuesday, November 10, 2020

TRUMP FIRES HIS DEFENCE SECRETARY WASHINGTON Associated Press

PRESIDENT Donald Trump fired Defence Secretary Mark Esper on Monday, an unprecedented move by a president struggling to accept election defeat and angry at a Pentagon leader he believes wasn’t loyal enough.

The decision was widely expected as Trump had grown increasingly unhappy with Esper over the summer, including sharp differences between them over the use of the military during the civil unrest in June. But the move could unsettle international allies and Pentagon leadership and injects another element of uncertainty to a rocky transition period as Joe Biden prepares to assume the presidency.

Presidents who win reelection often replace Cabinet members, but losing presidents have kept their Pentagon chiefs in place until Inauguration Day to preserve stability in the name of national security.

Trump announced the news in a tweet, saying that “effective immediately” Christopher Miller, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, will serve as acting secretary, sidestepping the department’s No 2-ranking official, Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist.

“Chris will do a GREAT job!”

Trump tweeted.

“Mark Esper has been terminated. I would like to thank him for his service.”

In a letter to Trump, Esper referred to his efforts to keep the Pentagon apolitical . Esper said he served as defence secretary and Army secretary “in full faith to my sworn oath to support and defend the Constitution, and to safeguard the country and its interests, while keeping the Department out of politics and abiding by the values Americans hold dear.”

THE TRIBUNE

Pfizer says COVID vaccine looking 90 percent effective PFIZER Inc said yesterday that its COVID-19 vaccine may be a remarkable 90 percent effective, based on early and incomplete test results that nevertheless brought a big burst of optimism to a world desperate for the means to finally bring the catastrophic outbreak under control.

The announcement came less than a week after an election seen as a referendum on President Donald Trump’s handling of the scourge, which has killed more than 1.2 million people worldwide, including almost a quarter-million in the United States alone.

“We’re in a position potentially to be able to offer some hope,” Dr. Bill Gruber, Pfizer’s senior vice president of clinical development, told The Associated Press. “We’re very encouraged.”

Pfizer, which is developing the vaccine with its German partner BioNTech, now is on track to apply later this month for emergency-use approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, once it has the necessary safety information in hand.

Even if all goes well,

THIS May 4, 2020, file photo provided by the University of Maryland School of Medicine, shows the first patient enrolled in Pfizer’s COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine clinical trial at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. authorities have stressed it is unlikely any vaccine will arrive much before the end of the year, and the limited initial supplies will be rationed.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the US government’s top infectious-disease expert, said the results suggesting 90 percent effectiveness are “just extraordinary”, adding: “Not very many people expected it would be

as high as that.”

“It’s going to have a major impact on everything we do with respect to COVID,” Fauci said as Pfizer appeared to take the lead in the all-out global race by pharmaceutical companies and various countries to develop a well-tested vaccine against the virus.

Dr Bruce Aylward, the World Health Organization’s senior adviser, said

Pfizer’s vaccine could “fundamentally change the direction of this crisis”

by March, when the UN agency hopes to start vaccinating high-risk groups.

Global markets rallied on the news from Pfizer. The S&P 500 finished the day with a gain of 1.2 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 800 points. Pfizer stock was up more than eight percent.

Still, yesterday’s announcement doesn’t mean for certain that a vaccine is imminent: This interim analysis, from an independent data monitoring board, looked at 94 infections recorded so far in a study that has enrolled nearly 44,000 people in the US and five other countries.

Some participants got the vaccine, while others got dummy shots. Pfizer released no specific breakdowns, but for the vaccine to be 90 percent effective, nearly all the infections must have occurred in placebo recipients. The study is continuing, and Pfizer cautioned the protection rate might change as more COVID-19 cases are added to the calculations.

Dr Jesse Goodman of Georgetown University, former chief of the FDA’s

vaccine division, called the partial results “extremely promising” but ticked off many questions still to be answered, including how long the vaccine’s effects last and whether it protects older people as well as younger ones.

Trump, who had suggested repeatedly during the presidential campaign that a vaccine could be ready

by Election Day, tweeted: “STOCK MARKET UP BIG, VACCINE COMING SOON. REPORT 90% EFFECTIVE. SUCH GREAT NEWS!” Biden, for his part, welcomed the news but cautioned that it could be many months before vaccinations become widespread in the US, and he warned Americans to rely on masks and social distancing in the meantime. He said the country still faces a “dark winter”.

Confirmed infections in the US eclipsed ten million on Monday, the highest in the world. New cases are running at all-time highs of more than 100,000 per day. And tens of thousands more deaths are feared in the coming months, with the onset of cold weather and the holidays.

FLORIDA HIT BY FLOODING AS ETA HITS COAST FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida Associated Press

A DELUGE of rain from Tropical Storm Eta caused flooding yesterday across South Florida’s most densely populated urban areas, stranding cars, flooding businesses, and swamping entire neighborhoods with fast-rising water that had no place to drain.

The system made landfall in the Florida Keys

and posed a serious threat across South Florida, which was already drenched from more than 14 inches (35 centimeters) of rain last month.

“Never seen this, never, not this deep,” said Anthony Lyas, who has lived in his now-waterlogged Fort Lauderdale neighborhood since 1996.

He described hearing water and debris slamming against his shuttered home overnight.

After striking Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane and killing nearly 70 people from Mexico to Panama, the storm moved into the Gulf of Mexico early yesterday near where the Everglades meet the sea, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.

“It was far worse than we could’ve ever imagined, and we were prepared,” said Arbie Walker, a 27-year-old student whose apartment was filled with six inches of water.

A MAN walks his bike through a flooded street in Florida yesterday.

Photo: Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP

PAGE 20, Tuesday, November 10, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

‘We can wage COVID war without lockdowns’ FROM PAGE 24

potentially stranded persons wanting to return to Nassau, and those wanting to return to Eleuthera, given the little to no warning provided.

Eleuthera-based sources said the content of the Prime Minister’s Office’s statement meant they were assuming that international flights by American Airlines and Silver Airways would continue, since there was no mention of restrictions being imposed on

them. “It’s just a crazy time at this point,” one said.

Another added that they understood the Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority will permit charter flights, but not commercial, to ferry passengers in transit between Nassau and Eleuthera, but this could not be confirmed prior to press time last night.

Mr Sands, meanwhile, in his letter to Dr Minnis also urged the government to rethink its weekend lockdowns and order that restaurants with bars must close, with many fearing

these and the other measures “will cripple a number of small businesses that remain the backbone of the local economy”.

Acknowledging the chamber’s concerns at the rising number of COVID19 cases, which totalled 117 as at November 7, Mr Sands also agreed “that more must be done to curb our current trajectory”.

He conceded that some restrictions were inevitable, but pointed out that Eleuthera’s private sector “have not taken this pandemic lightly” with many

BPL’s ‘Lords of Doom’ exposed by dismissal FROM PAGE 24

utility’s safety and environment manager, and Obadiah Butler, his supervisor and BPL’s security supervisor, arrived at the site and told him to report to human resources at head office.

There he was questioned about worker allegations that “he was putting time in for staff when they were not at work. It was also alleged that he had staff to his home during work hours.

“Penn said that he denied the allegations of putting in time for staff, but admitted that he did take Michael Bullard to his home to work and clean his car but only on his personal time.”

Union representation was brought into the meeting in the form of Astrid Bodie, the BEWU’s general secretary, and Mr Penn was handed a letter suspending him for five days. Then, just a week later, he was asked to come back to BPL’s head office for further questioning.

“During this meeting he was asked if Justice Decius

businesses making “significant investments” to meet the COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

“We stand with the Government of The Bahamas in its effort to rid our island of this virus,” Mr Sands told Dr Minnis. “That being said, we believe that we need to be surgical, deliberate and strategic in our approach if we are going to accomplish our goal of creating and maintaining a COVID-free environment while also protecting our economy.

“We would also like to point out that we are just entering our peak tourism season, and early indicators show that there is an increased interest in the island. With this in mind, we need to ensure there is a balanced approach so that businesses who have been in desperate need of this

economic lift do not lose out.”

With the Thanksgiving holiday that traditionally kicks-off the winter tourism season just weeks away, and Christmas less than two months out, Mr Sands urged the prime minister and his competent authority “to revisit the airlift restrictions”.

He added: “Many persons have already booked their holidays, and it is distressing for their plans to be interrupted at this stage.

We have seen throughout this pandemic that guests have been very compliant with the rules and there is no need to deter those who want to visit from coming.”

Mr Sands also expressed “grave concern” about the decision to close restaurants with bars, instead suggesting that the serving of alcohol be banned and eateries

continue to offer curb-side and outside dining.

“We are also of the view that weekend lockdowns will be a major deterrent for those considering visiting the island,” he added. “Our future recovery will certainly be negatively affected by these lockdowns, and we believe we can wage war against COVID in the shortterm without going to this extreme as it will discourage visitor arrivals in the short and long-term Every visitor counts. We need this to be immediately revisited.”

Calling for balance between health and livelihoods, Mr Sands added: “As it stands the business community feels the shutting down of airlift, the closure of restaurants and the weekend lockdowns will cripple a number of small businesses which remain the backbone of our local economy.”

had ever performed work at his home,” Justice Winder wrote of Mr Penn. “He denied that this had ever happened and stated that Decius had referred a friend to him, who was not an employee of BPL, and who had in fact performed the work at his home and not Decius.

“Penn says questions were also asked about Captain Stubbs taking one of the BPL boats on a trip to Andros. He denied any knowledge of the Andros trip and added that he would not authorise such a trip if it was unrelated to the duties. During this meeting there were also allegations that there was improper use of fuels for the boats used by BPL. “Penn says that allegations that the staff were paying him for favours was brought up. He says that he demanded that his accusers be brought before him with their evidence, but this did not happen,” the judgment added.

“Penn says that at this meeting he advised BPL that he had a problem with Ricardo Riley, as he was absent from work on a frequent basis and he created a hostile work environment.

He said that he also advised BPL that he had problems with Edwin McClain, and that McClain had been suspended.. for breaches in the past.”

It was then that LOD or “Lords of Doom” came up.

“Penn was questioned about a group in BPL called LOD. Penn said that he had heard the phrase used in passing by staff but had never made any inquiry into its use and was not aware that it related to a group of his staff,” Justice Winder said.

“He denied allowing members of LOD to smoke marijuana and/ or to drink alcohol while on duty at

BPL’s Clifton Facility. Penn denied allowing staff to do as they pleased as long as he was paid by them. Penn also denied logging in hours for staff when they did not work.”

Mr Penn also sought to discredit Riley, McClain and Decius, all of whom gave evidence against him to BPL, as poor workers who lacked respect and discipline, and who created problems at work. Riley, though, in a written statement, said that if he missed a day of work his salary would not be cut as “you just had to give Penn something”.

Sums allegedly ranged from $50 to $200, and Riley alleged he was also taken to clean Penn’s private vehicles at his residence during work hours. This was corroborated

by McClain, who added: “A group of temporary workers in the safety and environment department formed a group calling themselves the Lords of Doom (LOD).

“These individuals would hang out by the sea while drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana during working hours. McClain stated that he could not remember the dates but he reported two incidents to Penn’s immediate supervisor. Penn confronted him and told him to report any issues directly to him, and did not allow him to work any weekend overtime after that.”

Decius alleged that he was also taken to wash windows and repair cabinets at Penn’s residence. “He also stated that some of his co-workers formed a group called LOD who smoked marijuana and consumed alcohol at work,” Justice Winder’s ruling said.

Other employees also alleged that they were taken to Mr Penn’s house during work hours to work at his home, and paid money to the foreman for days when they

were absent to avoid a cut in salary.

Mr Penn’s attorney, Obie Ferguson, argued that it was unfair the allegations were not shown to his client during the interview to help him defend himself. BPL countered that the documents were presented to the union, and Mr Penn had never asked for them.

The foreman, though, argued that the utility had failed to follow the process set out in the industrial agreement and show there as lawful cause for his dismissal.

He also claimed that he had not been given a chance to respond to the claims.

BPL, though, argued that it had carried out “a reasonable investigation” leading to its “honest and reasonable belief” that Mr Penn was guilty of the alleged conduct.

And Justice Winder preferred its evidence.

“I find on the balance of probabilities that BPL held an honest and reasonable belief that Penn committed the misconduct in question at the time he was dismissed.

I also find that the company conducted a full and fair investigation into the allegations that were made against him pursuant to the statutory requirement under the Employment Act,” he added.

“I find that pursuant to his contractual rights under the industrial agreement and under the Employment Act, Penn was afforded a fair and reasonable opportunity to be heard and respond to the allegations made against him.

“This fact is borne out in his own evidence where he says that there were allegations put to him at the meetings he had with management that he was inter alia falsifying time sheets and having employees go to his home during working hours to perform personal tasks on his behalf.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, November 10, 2020, PAGE 21

Judge slams CCA over Sarkis papers FROM PAGE 24 boost its position in the New York court action. However, unbeknown to Justice Winder and the Supreme Court, the Chinese stateowned contractor had obtained the documents via a backdoor channel just one day before he heard arguments on whether they should be unsealed.

“It has now transpired that on March 25, 2019, Norbert Chan handed over the opinions, along with certain valuation reports, which are derivative of the opinions, to an employee of CCA,” Justice Winder noted.

“This handing over occurred on the day before my hearing of the application to unseal the opinions.

At the time of the delivery of my decision I was not informed of the exchange of the opinions between Chan and CCA.” Justice Winder described Mr Chan as “a senior accountant at Deloitte Hong Kong, and at one time the field partner in charge of the sale” of Baha Mar’s real estate assets to the various vehicles created by China Export-Import Bank, the project’s secured lender, to facilitate the final deal with CTFE. Mr Chan was a director for two of these vehicles, Perfect Luck Assets and Perfect Luck Investments.

Darach Haughey, who along with Raymond Winder, then-Deloitte & Touche (Bahamas) managing partner, was one of Baha Mar’s three receiver/managers,

testified that Mr Chan would have had access to the opinions as part of the negotiations for the project’s eventual sale.

However, Mr Chan provided no direct testimony, and Justice Winder said the circumstances surrounding his handing the documents to CCA - and reasons for doing so - was “unexplained”. And the Chinese contractor itself was equally quiet and “has not sought to provide any details as to how it came to receive these documents from Chan”.

The handover was finally disclosed to the New York State Supreme Court earlier this year, leaving the US judge “understandably alarmed by representations that the joint receiver/ managers had provided the opinions and the valuations to CCA in the face of my May 1, 2019, ruling, indicating that the opinions had not been disclosed to anyone.

“Concerned that the Bahamian court had been misled, at the March 26, 2019, hearing, the learned judge sought to ensure that the disclosure be brought to the attention of this court.

I readily admit that I, too, was initially troubled by the revelations in the New York action concerning the disclosure,” Justice Winder ruled.

However, he found that the New York court had “proceeded on a misapprehension of the evidence” as Mr Chan was not working on behalf of the Deloitte & Touche receivers who had also been kept unawares about

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE EXXONMOBIL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION RUSSIA BLACK SEA LIMITED ______________________________________

the documents’ handover.

Mr Izmirlian and his BMP vehicle are seeking to prevent CCA from using the legal opinions in its defence to his New York action on the basis that they hold “legal privilege” over the documents, which also remain sealed by the Supreme Court and thus should not be disclosed.

CCA is contesting these positions.

The former Baha Mar developer had sought declarations from Justice Winder that Mr Chan was acting as an agent for the Deloitte receiver/managers when he passed the legal opinions to CCA; that disclosure was “not in the interests and for the purpose of the receivership”; and that legal privilege could not be waived by Mr Chan.

CCA, for its part, sought a declaration that it had not breached the Supreme Court’s order, and that any privilege interest over them had been “waived”. Justice Winder, in declining to grant either side anything, said the documents had originally been sealed to prevent sensitive commercial data from entering the public domain and compromising the Baha Mar sales process.

(b)

(c)

EXXONMOBIL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION RUSSIA BLACK SEA LIMITED is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act 2000.

The dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 6th day of November2020 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.

The Liquidator of the said Company is Matteo Pedercini, of 22777 Springwoods Village Parkway, Spring, Texas 77389, U.S.A.

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE

EXXONMOBIL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION RUSSIA OFFSHORE LIMITED ____________________________________ N O T I C E IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows: (a)

(b)

(c)

EXXONMOBIL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION RUSSIA OFFSHORE LIMITED is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act 2000.

The dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 6th day of November 2020 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.

The Liquidator of the said Company is Matteo Pedercini, of 22777 Springwoods Village Parkway, Spring, Texas 77389, U.S.A.

Dated the 10th day of November, 2020 HARRY B. SANDS, LOBOSKY MANAGEMENT CO. LTD. Registered Agent for the above-named Company LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE EXXONMOBIL RUSSIA HOLDINGS LIMITED ___________________________________ N O T I C E IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows: (a)

(b)

(c)

EXXONMOBIL RUSSIA HOLDINGS LIMITED is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act 2000.

The dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 6th day of November 2020 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.

The Liquidator of the said Company is Matteo Pedercini, of 22777 Springwoods Village Parkway, Spring, Texas 77389, U.S.A.

unaware that the information had been disclosed it is unacceptable that CCA said nothing to the court about its already having acquired the opinions which were the subject of the application.

“That information was not provided to me, either at the hearing on March 26, 2019, or prior to my delivery of the ruling on May 1, 2019.

Had I not found that CCA lacked proper standing, this conduct would have been an additional matter which would have impeded any decision to exercise my discretion to grant declaratory relief in its favour.”

Lennox Paton represents the joint receiver/managers, while McKinney, Bancroft & Hughes acted for CCA. Harry B Sands & Lobosky represented Mr Izmirlian and BMP Properties.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

NOTICE

EXXONMOBIL GAS VENTURES (RUSSIA) LIMITED _____________________________________

N O T I C E IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows: (a)

EXXONMOBIL GAS VENTURES (RUSSIA) LIMITED is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act 2000.

(b)

The dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 6th day of November 2020 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.

(c)

The Liquidator of the said Company is Matteo Pedercini, of 22777 Springwoods Village Parkway, Spring, Texas 77389, U.S.A.

Dated the 10th day of November, 2020 HARRY B. SANDS, LOBOSKY MANAGEMENT CO. LTD. Registered Agent for the above-named Company

MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com

MONDAY, 09 NOVEMBER 2020

Dated the 10th day of November, 2020 HARRY B. SANDS, LOBOSKY MANAGEMENT CO. LTD. Registered Agent for the above-named Company

own or upon some other authority outside of the the joint receiver/managers.”

However, while reserving his criticism of CCA for last, Justice Winder declined to take any action and instead handed the issue back to the New York State Supreme Court to decide on the basis he “ought not to complicate matters by making findings in this receivership action” when the matter was already before that court for determination.

“What does trouble me, however, is the actions of CCA,” Justice Winder blasted. “CCA received the documents on March 25, 2019, from Chan, and its US lawyers received the documents on April 4, 2019.

“Whilst their Bahamian lawyers who appeared before me at the hearing on March 26, 2019, were

LEGAL NOTICE

N O T I C E IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows: (a)

“A sealing order is just what it says - a sealing of the court’s file - and is not necessarily relevant at all to whether CCA is entitled to possess or to use the opinions that they have apparently now obtained,” he wrote.

“The evidence seems clear that the material was not obtained from accessing the court’s file at all but from Chan, who had access to the opinions through his directorship (past or present) with” the Perfect Luck vehicle.

Justice Winder added: “BMP [Mr Izmirlian] accepted, in its presentation before me, that the joint receiver/managers did not know that Chan made the disclosure and further, that Chan was not authorised by the the joint receiver/ managers.

“It was also accepted that counsel who appeared before me on March 25, 2019, for both the the joint receiver/managers and CCA were unaware that the disclosure had been made

by Chan. It would follow, therefore, that Chan could not have been acting, at the time, on any authority of the the joint receiver/managers, but rather on a frolic of his

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX:

CLOSE

CHANGE

2067.87

0.94

%CHANGE

YTD

YTD%

0.05 -163.73

-7.34

(242) 323-2330 (242) 323-2320

BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 4.05 22.66 2.00 1.79 2.46 6.00 6.75 4.50 8.59 4.50 6.16 12.77 3.64 6.25 10.88 8.44 16.99 4.25 9.33 15.21

52WK LOW 3.13 22.65 0.67 1.65 1.67 5.40 5.92 2.70 4.75 3.50 5.60 11.05 2.71 3.85 9.60 7.50 13.04 3.20 8.15 13.90

PREFERENCE SHARES 1.00

1.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 10.00 0.90

SECURITY AML Foods Limited APD Limited Benchmark Bahamas First Holdings Limited Bank of Bahamas Bahamas Property Fund Bahamas Waste Cable Bahamas Commonwealth Brewery Commonwealth Bank Colina Holdings CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank Consolidated Water BDRs Doctor's Hospital Emera Incorporated Famguard RF Bank & Trust Limited Focol Finco J. S. Johnson

SYMBOL AML APD BBL BFH BOB BPF BWL CAB CBB CBL CHL CIB CWCB DHS EMAB FAM FBB FCL FIN JSJ

Bahamas First Holdings Preference Cable Bahamas Series 6 Cable Bahamas Series 8 Cable Bahamas Series 9 Cable Bahamas Series 10 Colina Holdings Class A RF Bank & Trust Limited Class A Focol Class B

BFHP CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA FBBA FCLB

CORPORATE DEBT - (percentage pricing) 52WK HI 100.00 100.00

52WK LOW 100.00 100.00

115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00

104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

52WK HI 2.36 4.43 2.13 198.39 176.73 1.69 1.85 1.77 1.24 8.34 10.26 7.08 12.15 12.71 10.81 10.00 8.98 11.79

52WK LOW 2.11 3.30 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.64 1.79 1.73 1.06 6.41 7.62 5.66 8.65 10.54 9.57 9.88 8.45 11.20

SECURITY RF Bank Note 22 (Series B) + Bahamas First Holdings Limited

SYMBOL FBB22 BFHB

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing)

MUTUAL FUNDS

MARKET TERMS

Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BGS: 2014-12-7Y BGS: 2015-1-7Y BGS: 2014-12-30Y BGS: 2015-1-30Y BGS: 2015-6-7Y BGS: 2015-6-30Y BGS: 2015-10-7Y

BAH29 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0307 BG0330 BG0407

LAST CLOSE 4.03 17.43 1.62 1.78 1.67 6.00 6.75 2.99 4.75 3.64 5.99 11.26 2.01 6.22 10.32 8.44 14.30 3.94 8.19 15.20

CLOSE 4.03 17.43 1.62 1.78 1.67 5.50 6.75 2.99 4.75 3.65 5.99 11.26 2.07 6.22 10.49 8.44 14.30 3.94 8.19 15.20

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 (0.50) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.06 0.00 0.17 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

LAST SALE 100.00 100.00

CLOSE 100.00 100.00

CHANGE 0.00 0.00

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

VOLUME

7,000

47,300

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 VOLUME

FUND CFAL Bond Fund CFAL Balanced Fund CFAL Money Market Fund CFAL Global Bond Fund CFAL Global Equity Fund Leno Preferred Income Fund Leno Growth Fund Leno Diversified Fund Leno Global USD Bond Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Secured Balanced Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Targeted Equity Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Prime Income Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Equities Sub Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - High Yield Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Alternative Strategies Fund Colonial Bahamas Fund Class D Colonial Bahamas Fund Class E Colonial Bahamas Fund Class F

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX - 19 Dec 02 = 1,000.00

EPS$ 0.239 0.932 0.000 0.000 0.070 1.760 0.369 -0.438 0.140 0.184 0.449 0.722 0.102 0.467 0.646 0.728 0.816 0.203 0.939 0.631

NAV 2.36 4.43 2.13 198.36 173.98 1.68 1.81 1.76 1.07 8.30 9.90 7.08 11.27 12.71 10.23 N/A 9.28 11.86

DIV$ 0.170 1.260 0.020 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.260 0.000 0.000 0.120 0.220 0.720 0.434 0.060 0.328 0.240 0.540 0.120 0.200 0.610 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

P/E 16.9 18.7 N/M N/M N/M N/M 18.3 -6.8 33.9 19.8 13.3 15.6 20.3 13.3 16.2 11.6 17.5 19.4 8.7 24.1

YIELD 4.22% 7.23% 1.23% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 3.85% 0.00% 0.00% 3.29% 3.67% 6.39% 20.97% 0.96% 3.13% 2.84% 3.78% 3.05% 2.44% 4.01%

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 6.25% 7.00% 6.50%

INTEREST Prime + 1.75% 6.25%

MATURITY 19-Oct-2022 30-Sep-2025

6.95% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.50% 6.25% 4.25%

20-Nov-2029 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2022

YTD% 12 MTH% 3.35% 4.31% 1.56% 3.12% 1.84% 2.51% 1.65% 2.39% 4.34% 9.82% 1.10% 2.34% -2.43% 1.49% 0.34% 2.43% -11.07% -9.92% -0.45% 8.36% -3.20% 11.46% 2.10% 5.15% -6.17% 3.54% 2.92% 5.55% -4.66% -3.81% N/A N/A -0.50% 3.70% -3.80% 4.10%

NAV Date 30-Sep-2020 30-Sep-2020 25-Sep-2020 30-Sep-2020 30-Sep-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 30-Sep-2020 30-Sep-2020 30-Sep-2020

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price

52wk-Hi - Highest closing price in last 52 weeks

Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity

52wk-Low - Lowest closing price in last 52 weeks

Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity

Previous Close - Previous day's weighted price for daily volume

Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price

Today's Close - Current day's weighted price for daily volume

Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week

Change - Change in closing price from day to day

EPS $ - A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mths

Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today

NAV - Net Asset Value

DIV $ - Dividends per share paid in the last 12 months

N/M - Not Meaningful

P/E - Closing price divided by the last 12 month earnings

Dated the 10th day of November, 2020 HARRY B. SANDS, LOBOSKY MANAGEMENT CO. LTD. Registered Agent for the above-named Company

TO TRADE CALL: CFAL 242-502-7010 | ROYALFIDELITY 242-356-7764 | COLONIAL 242-502-7525 | LENO 242-396-3225 | BENCHMARK 242-326-7333

PAGE 22, Tuesday, November 10, 2020

ARAWAK CAY FEARFUL ON ‘REPEAT COVID DANCE’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net ARAWAK Cay vendors yesterday said they want reassurances that the latest COVID-19 easing will not be “another repeat dance” where their operations are swiftly shut down again once cases increase.

Rodney Russell, the Arawak Cay Association’s president, told Tribune Business that the Prime Minister’s decision to allow outdoor dining to resume from Monday to Friday at the popular Fish Fry destination was something vendors had seen before only for this concession to suddenly be reversed - and their operations shut down within weeks.

“This was something we were offered before, and

it was taken away as if we were responsible,” Mr Russell recalled. “Then they had given us curb-side. When we were offered outdoor dining before, most of my members spent a lot of their capital preparing to operate an outdoor operation, but after it was taken from us after two weeks we have lost most of our capital again.

So I am wondering if this is just another dance or repeat where, in two weeks, we will go back to curb-side again.”

Dr Hubert Minnis, in his national address on Sunday, said Fish Fry-type destinations, such as Arawak Cay and Potter’s Cay, can now resume outdoor dining after COVID-19 infection rates on New Providence eased following recent restrictions that included weekend lockdowns and extended curfews.

THE TRIBUNE He warned businesses, though, to brace for further twists and turns based on the number of cases. “During the pandemic we will go through cycles of tightening and loosening restrictions,” Dr Minnis said.

“When case numbers go up, we have to tighten the rules to save lives. When those numbers go down, we loosen restrictions so Bahamians may get back to work and resume more normal lives.” These comments, though, have spooked both businesses and consumers because it foreshadows continued uncertainty over the economy’s openness for months to come.

“We have seen this before,” Mr Russell said.

“We have been offered this before, and it has been taken away from us, so nothing has changed. We need to wait and see for sure because we don’t have the resources to continue bringing people back to work, buying stock and trying to run our businesses. We just can’t continue to keep doing this.

“We are not being offered anything special. What I’m saying is that the Arawak Cay vendors caution to this opening up with outdoor dining is that we feel as if that, in two weeks or so, the competent authority [prime minister] will take it back to curb-side. Most of us are still sceptical because we believe that even though the prime minister has given us outside dining again, we believe that in two weeks he will be right back to curb-side.”

Mr Russell said most Arawak Cay vendors are not re-opening immediately because of past inconsistencies over COVID-19 relaxations, adding: “We are not sure for the simple reason that we have been through this before.”

He said Arawak Cay wants a mechanism to monitor the number of persons in their restaurants as a solution to repeated lockdowns and curb-side service only restrictions. “What we would like for the competent authority to do is come into Arawak Cay and say to us how many persons we

should have in our establishments,” Mr Russell added.

“Have a rule that says that I can only have ten people in my restaurant at a time with social distancing, then let me go back to full-time. If they meet more persons than they have authorised, then the competent authority should fine them. With that in place I would believe we can open up in full force. But this outdoor dining, most of us are not prepared for it.”

Maltese Davis, secretary for the Bahamas Dock and Allied Venues Vendors Association, which represents the Potter’s Cay vendors, said members were grateful to be allowed to resume outdoor dining as it had been “very challenging for us with this curb-side vending”.

“A lot of vendors did not re-open during the curb-side because it has been challenging to operate it at Potter’s Cay,” she explained. “A lot of people like to come on the dock to sit down and have a conch

salad. So many vendors and a lot of businesses went downhill and suffered a lot of losses during this pandemic, and the curb-side was just challenging for many of us.”

Ms Davis added: “I feel that many of us will be returning. It’s about 45 stalls out on Potter’s Cay Dock, and I feel about 95 percent of them will be returning.

They will return within this week; I am looking forward to that. We are very serious about seeing everybody return and we are trying to synchronise our life back on the dock.

“The association wants to partner with the COVID-19 team and make sure all of our vendors are in compliance with the law, making sure the sanitisers are up and always stocked, making sure we purchase thermometers to check temperatures and do as best we can, as well as put down our markings and everything to say that we are in compliance with the law and we work hand in hand to make a better Potter’s Cay.”

Airport Authority ‘negligence’ upheld over stolen aircraft

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Airport Authority yesterday failed in its final bid to overturn a verdict that its “negligence” was

responsible for the 2007 theft of a Western Air plane from Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA).

The UK-based Privy Council, the highest court in the Bahamian judicial system, rejected the government-owned Authority’s final appeal on the basis that there was “ample material” to prove multiple security deficiencies at LPIA when the aircraft was stolen.

Apart from a perimeter fence that was “not wholly secure”, thus allowing intruders easy access to the airport and parked aircraft, the Privy Council also found that LPIA security made no effort to prevent the plane’s take-off despite the potential theft being detected and reported to two supervisors.

While finding that there could be “no other conclusion” than to find the Airport Authority at fault, the Privy Council judgment did not appear to rule on Western Air’s cross-appeal.

The Bahamian-owned airline had sought a $2.401m

increase upon the $833,000 damages awarded to it for the plane’s loss, arguing that extra compensation was due because of the lost revenues resulting from an inability to use that aircraft on its commercial route. This would have increased the total damages to $3.234m, but the Privy Council ruling did not address this issue.

Detailing the dispute’s origins, the Privy Council ruling noted that the Metro III aircraft was on April 26, 2007, parked in its correct spot in the “designated restricted zone” at LPIA. As the airport’s owner, with responsibility for security, the Airport Authority “was required to control access to this zone” to prevent unauthorised persons gaining access to planes.

“A system was in place for controlling access to the airside part of the airport.

This included securing the perimeter of the airport, providing patrols and designated entry points (known as ‘gulfs’). The gulfs should have been manned constantly by security guards,” the Privy Council said.

Tamara Winder Sears, one of the security guards on duty that night, said no one attempted to access the area where Western Air’s plane was parked through the appropriate “gulf”. Yet “during the night, a security officer heard the propellers of the aircraft start up and saw it emerge from its parking space”, the Privy Council said. “Its lights had not been illuminated.

“The officer informed a supervisor who, in turn, reported the matter to her supervisor. That supervisor had recalled that on a number of occasions in the past Western Air planes had embarked on late flights and she assumed that this

was just another instance of that. Nothing was done to impede the take-off of the aircraft.”

The two Airport Authority security officers who manned the booth controlling access to the part of LPIA where the Western Air plane was parked “assert that no unauthorised person was admitted”.

But a police investigation into the theft, headed by Sergeant Paul Lewis, found “defects in the security fencing around the airport, and that it was therefore possible to obtain access to the area where the aircraft was parked without passing through the access points where the security booths were”.

How Western Air’s plane was stolen was never established. The prime suspect was a former employee and pilot for the airline called Mr Terreros, who had been denied compassionate leave by his employer just prior to the theft.

“It appears that he may have been aggrieved about that. In any event, he had not been seen in The Bahamas since the plane was stolen and, in a telephone conversation with Sergeant Lewis during the latter’s inquiries, he said that he had stolen the plane and that he had flown it to Venezuela. This was the sum of the evidence as to who stole the plane,” the Privy Council judgment said.

Noting that this evidence was questionable, the UKbased court said the identity of the thief has never been properly established. Both the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal found that, as the sole agency responsible for security at LPIA, the Airport Authority had “a duty of care” towards Western Air and its negligence

had resulted in the plane’s theft, leaving it liable to compensate the airline.

The Airport Authority, and its attorneys, sought to overturn those verdicts by arguing that the lower courts were wrong to find Western Air could not provide its own security. They also alleged that any “duty of care” did not extend to the loss the airline sustained. Western Air countered that the LPIA owner was seeking to overturn factual findings which appeal courts are reluctant to do.

The Privy Council, after finding that the Airport Authority was solely responsible for providing security at LPIA, said: “None of this detracts from the unquestioned position that the Airport Authority was responsible for the overall security of the airfield, and it is not in the least surprising that the authority conceived it to be its duty to provide perimeter security and to restrict entry on to the airfield to all but authorised personnel.

“When one combines those circumstances with the finding of the trial judge that Western Air was not permitted to provide private security for its own aircraft, the conclusion that the authority was responsible for the safeguarding of the aircraft while it was parked on its stand is inescapable. ... It ought to have been conscious that it was the sole agency into whose care the safety of the plane fell”.

With the theft proving that LPIA’s security system was deficient, the Privy Council said of the Airport Authority: “It is entirely fair, just and reasonable that it be held liable for its [Western Air’s] loss.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, November 10, 2020, PAGE 23

COVID relaxation eases ‘pressure’ on food stores

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net FOOD stores yesterday said the return of Saturday shopping and longer opening hours will ease “a lot of the pressure and stress” caused by Friday afternoon crowds trying to beat weekend lockdowns.

Bradley Rolle, Centreville Food Store’s general manager, told Tribune Business: “With the stores now being able to open up on Saturday’s, what that will do is that will take a

lot of pressure off of that Friday late shopping. It was a lot of stress with that Friday late shopping; it was so crowded in the food stores at the last minute.

“A lot of people get paid late on Friday, and that was the reason why people would flock to the food stores that evening. Then we find ourselves leaving out of here late trying to beat curfew. So with Saturday shopping, that is going to take a lot of pressure off of us now. We appreciate the competent authority for

supplied by our suppliers, so we had people that would work the shelves constantly all day. It was pressure on them, so now that we have this extra Saturday people can basically return to a sense of normalcy where you can take your lunch hours and don’t have to be pushing all day to keep the shelves stocked,” he added.

“It probably wasn’t clear to us that when they changed the curfew from 7pm to 5am, we didn’t know that you actually could have come and stocked the shelves on Saturday and Sunday. We didn’t even know that until I actually checked with the Office of the Prime Minister and I saw it. So now that he publicly announced

doing that.”

Mr Rolle said much stress was being placed on the company and his employees on Fridays because “they had to be paid for their lunch hour.

We couldn’t take lunch hours because of the constant traffic. Once you see customers start coming in at around 2pm that’s it until 7pm. Saturday shopping is going to take a lot of stress off of us. Thank God for that.

“What was happening was that we were being

it that Sunday we can stock shelves, we are going to be okay.”

Mr Rolle said before the pandemic he typically opened on weekends.

“Sundays we had shorter shopping hours. We opened up at about 7am on Sundays, and by 5pm we are closed,” he added.

As for why the government has not permitted Sunday shopping yet, Mr Rolle said: “I think there may be a strategy with not opening on Sundays, and also with the [weekend] curfew being from 6pm to 5am.

“I think they are still watching the cases. I think he is taking advice from the medical health professionals and it may be a strategy to still monitor the cases.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 74° F/23° C

TAMPA

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Variable clouds with a few showers

Mostly cloudy with a passing shower

Partly sunny, a shower; breezy

Times of clouds and sun

Sunshine and comfortable

Sunshine with a t‑storm possible

High: 84°

Low: 76°

High: 84° Low: 77°

High: 85° Low: 76°

High: 85° Low: 76°

High: 84° Low: 75°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

90° F

81° F

91°-80° F

92°-80° F

91°-79° F

90°-78° F

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 77° F/25° C

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

N

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 80° F/27° C

12‑25 knots

S

WEST PALM BEACH High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

12‑25 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE E

W

FREEPORT

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

N

S

E

W

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 76° F/24° C

MIAMI

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 78° F/26° C

30‑40 knots

KEY WEST

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 76° F/24° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2020

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

N

uV inDex toDay

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

tiDes For nassau High Today

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

0.6 0.3

2:48 a.m.

3:10 p.m.

2.7 3.0

8:58 a.m.

9:37 p.m.

Wednesday 3:48 a.m.

4:08 p.m.

2.9 3.0

10:03 a.m. 0.4 10:29 p.m. 0.0

Thursday

4:44 a.m.

5:03 p.m.

3.2 3.1

11:03 a.m. 0.1 11:20 p.m. ‑0.3

Friday

5:37 a.m.

5:57 p.m.

3.5 3.1

12:00 p.m. ‑0.2 ‑‑‑‑‑ ‑‑‑‑‑

Saturday

6:29 a.m.

6:49 p.m.

3.7 3.1

12:09 a.m. ‑0.5 12:55 p.m. ‑0.4

Sunday

7:20 a.m.

7:40 p.m.

3.8 3.0

12:59 a.m. ‑0.7 1:48 p.m. ‑0.5

Monday

8:11 a.m.

8:32 p.m.

3.8 2.9

1:48 a.m. ‑0.7 2:41 p.m. ‑0.4

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:23 a.m.

5:24 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

1:19 a.m.

2:28 p.m.

New

First

Full

Last

Nov. 14

Nov. 21

Nov. 30

Dec. 7

CAT ISLAND

E

W

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

N

S

E

W

8‑16 knots

S

8‑16 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 84° F/29° C Low .................................................... 75° F/24° C Normal high ....................................... 82° F/28° C Normal low ........................................ 71° F/21° C Last year’s high ................................. 87° F/31° C Last year’s low ................................... 72° F/22° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday ................................. 1.97” Year to date ............................................... 64.65” Normal year to date ................................... 36.68”

So with the food stores being closed on Sunday it may help. Then you have shorter shopping hours on Saturday as well, so Saturday’s the stores close at 5pm. Normally stores are closed at 9pm on Saturday.

So it is a strategy for health reasons I suspect.”

Atwell Ferguson, general manager of the Golden Gates Supermarket, said: “It’s just stretched out now.

In other words, there won’t be as much on Friday. What was happening was that there was a lot of rushing on Friday, so there won’t be a lot of lines on Friday.

That’s just less stress. The shorter the days, the more packed the stores will be, so with the Saturday now people have more time and less stress.”

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

N

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

tracking map

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

8‑16 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 84° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N

E

W

E

W

N

S

S

6‑12 knots

4‑8 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS SE at 12‑25 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots SE at 10‑20 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots NE at 4‑8 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 12‑25 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots

WAVES 10‑14 Feet 8‑12 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 6‑10 Feet 5‑9 Feet 4‑7 Feet 5‑9 Feet 6‑10 Feet 6‑10 Feet 4‑7 Feet 3‑6 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑6 Feet 5‑9 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 8‑12 Feet 8‑12 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑6 Feet

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business@tribunemedia.net

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020

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Dorian tax exemption ‘Xmas present’ urged

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Marsh Harbour/ Spring City Council’s head yesterday urged the government to give Dorian-ravaged Abaco and Grand Bahama “a Christmas present” by extending their tax breaks beyond year-end.

Roscoe Thompson told Tribune Business that both islands’ Special Economic Recovery Zone status should be extended for a second time by “at least three to four months” to compensate for the reconstruction time lost to COVID-19.

“The only concern I have is that coming into December the duty-free exemptions are supposed to be done with,” he said. “The government really needs to look at extending them for the hurricane ravaged places because of COVID-19.

“We’ve had eight to nine months of COVID-19 restrictions that have hindered a lot of people from moving back and getting started. We are in November already, so this is the time the time the government needs to give Abaco and Grand Bahama - as we’re still rebuilding from the hurricane - a little Christmas present of a three to four month extension; something reasonable.”

The Economic Recovery Zones were implemented in late 2019 in Dorian’s aftermath.

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Judge slams CCA over Sarkis papers

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A

SUPREME Court judge has blasted Baha Mar’s contractor for “unacceptable” conduct in failing to disclose it obtained Sarkis Izmirlian’s disputed legal papers one day before a court hearing on the matter.

Justice Ian Winder, in a November 3, 2020, verdict, disclosed that he was “troubled” by China Construction America’s (CCA) failure to inform himself - and its own Bahamian attorneys - of that development prior to hearing arguments on whether the Supreme Court should “unseal” the documents in question.

But, despite administering what is effectively a slap on the wrist to CCA, Justice Winder elected to enforce no sanctions against the Chinese state-owned contractor which is currently

SARKIS IZMIRLIAN in the final stages of completing construction on downtown Nassau’s $200m development, The Pointe.

Instead, he refused to make any of the declarations sought by either CCA or Mr Izmirlian’s Baha Mar Properties (BMP) vehicle, and instead handed the matter over to the New York State Supreme Court to decide whether the

MEMBERS of a Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) employee group known as the “Lords of Doom” were able to smoke marijuana and drink alcohol while on the job at Clifton Pier, it has been revealed.

The disclosures are contained in a November 3, 2020, Supreme Court ruling

by Justice Ian Winder who dismissed a legal challenge brought by Terrance Penn, former foreman for BPL’s safety and environment division, to his termination by the state-owned electricity monopoly.

Mr Penn, who managed the recovery and containment of oil spills at BPL’s main New Providence power plant, was accused by the utility of permitting workers under his control to “pay him for favours” and

“allowing staff to do as they pleased” in return.

Justice Winder’s verdict notes that he was also questioned about the existence of the “Lords of Doom”, a group Mr Penn said he heard of from other BPL workers but was unaware that any of his staff were members.

However, two BPL workers who worked under Mr Penn gave evidence to the internal investigation into the foreman that staff in the safety and environment division had formed such a group which would “hang out by the sea while drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana during working hours”.

Another employee, in his witness statement, admitted to drinking alcohol at work and, although he did not witness co-workers smoking marijuana, he could detect the scent of it on their clothes.

The “Lords of Doom’s” existence, and the events

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

leading to Mr Penn’s dismissal, largely took place when PowerSecure was in residence as BPL’s managing/operating partner. The ex-foreman, who was suspended on August 8, 2016, was dismissed three weeks later and nine years after he joined BPL. Mr Penn subsequently sued for wrongful/unfair dismissal, and a breach of BPL’s industrial agreement with his union, The Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU). BPL, though, countered that its investigation had found him guilty of “gross misconduct in the form of fraudulent activity and/or dishonesty and/or gross negligence and breach of confidence and trust”.

Mr Penn, who managed three BPL vessels in charge of oil spill clean-up and recovery at Clifton Pier, said he was first alerted to problems when Bharti Jones, the

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Supreme Court about the disclosure of the documents.

The papers in question are legal opinions prepared by two foreign law firms, Kobre & Kim (UK) and Glaser Weil LLP, for Mr Izmirlian in 2015 when he was still Baha Mar’s principal developer. They provided estimates of the value of Baha Mar’s legal claims against CCA. The documents were among the few relating to Baha Mar’s receivership, and ultimate sale to CTFE, that Justice Winder had ordered should remain under seal and not available for inspection by the general public.

And he subsequently rejected CCA’s bid last year to unseal them in a bid to

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BPL’s ‘Lords of Doom’ exposed by dismissal

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

‘We can wage COVID war without lockdowns’ ELEUTHERA’S Chamber of Commerce president yesterday told the prime minister “we can wage war against COVID without going to the extreme” of lockdowns, adding: “Every visitor counts.”

Thomas Sands, in a letter responding to Dr Hubert Minnis’ decision to impose more restrictive measures following a spike in the island’s COVID-19 cases, agreed that “more must be done” but voiced fears that the government’s actions could undermine renewed visitor interest just “as we are entering our peak tourism season”.

Calling for “a balanced approach” to tackle Eleuthera’s COVID-19 surge to ensure businesses “in desperate need of this economic lift do not lose out”, Mr Sands in particular called for the government to revise its newly-imposed restrictions on airlift to the island given the disruption this threatens for persons who have already booked late 2020 vacations.

Anthony K Hamilton, president of the Bahamas Association of Air Transport Operators, told Tribune Business that yesterday had been “a mess” for Bahamian airline and aviation operators who had been “sitting on pins and needles” throughout the day waiting for clarification on the restrictions surrounding flights to Eleuthera.

“That was crazy. Bad communication,” Mr Hamilton said. “When the Prime Minister makes these pronouncements they’re not clear because he’s not speaking the language of the industry. He’s speaking in generalities, and we need the technocrats to come behind and clarify everything. There needs to be proper communication.”

The Prime Minister’s Office yesterday issued a statement confirming that “all domestic flights or sea vessels travelling into or out of Eleuthera are prohibited at this time, except in the case of an emergency”. Mr Hamilton, though, said this

• Failure to disclose to court ‘unacceptable’ • No sanctions for contractor/Pointe owner • Supreme Court gives dispute to New York former Baha Mar developer has any “privileged” ownership interest in the disputed documents and if this has been breached.

Mr Izmirlian and his former contractor have been locked in a near threeyear legal battle before that court over the former’s $2.25bn fraud and breach of contract claim, which relates to events that plunged the now-$4.2bn Baha Mar project into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and ultimately saw it sold to present owner, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE).

Justice Winder’s ruling stems from the fight temporarily returning to The Bahamas after a hearing before the New York State Supreme Court earlier this year resulted in all parties agreeing to inform the

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